.... Being a complete musician goes well beyond the notes.It involves more than just getting a degree, playing your instrument, and those aspects. More so, it includes, the day to day life of travel, prep before you travel, making sure your ducks are in a row on the daily agenda.Gas for the car, bus ticket, clothes and schedule. Anything short of that in todays environment is a loss on the player-performers game card. Yes, it's past the mouthpieces, or a five digit Selmer and the demo CD that your uncle Ralph paid for. It's called- day to day life. Here is a day in my life- as of May 13th. I thought I'd share this with you all dear readers, hope you enjoy it. I continue to explore and learn all I can in the quest to develop my own musical voice. This is an account of a day in my life, and what’s behind the music via a profound the effect on my musical psyche.As I said, being a complete musician goes well beyond the notes. I’m grateful for that.
May 13th, was the last semester day at New School University, in NYC where I teach. I woke up at 5am, and got my stuff together, coffee,shower, horns, music for the car ride and my material for the teaching day. I hit the highway, I usually bus from Kutztown ,Pa but Friday was so beautiful I had a agenda if the weather stayed ok. I got into NYC in about 2 hours and 20 minutes. I parked the car across the street from the Blue Note club in the "Village". I told the attendant my in and out as far as later I would grab stuff from my car before my gig. They are cool, there and he got the message. ( 40 dollars all day-you can't beat that! ) I was off to my favorite java hang before work- Caffe Reggio NYC – Greenwich Village’s Oldest Coffee House! After a double espresso macchiato and toast I was ready. The Reggio is my favorite, along with the coffee houses in San Fransisco's North Beach scene.Waiting at our marble bistro table for the stuff to arrive it's was fun to absorb all of the details of the small space, with the antique lighting and stained glass, tin roof and antiques, all giving off the vibe that they had been there forever. You can’t buy patina like this. I found out about the Reggio, in the 70's when a beautiful woman, I knew for ever named Marietta, told me about it. Been going there ever since. Ok-So I'm off walking over to 13th street and 6th ave with my tenor on my back in my Bam case. Put in my class time and at 3:00 head uptown to teach a few more students at Michiko on 46th street. The subway was fast on Friday and I was doing great time.
I arrive at Roberto's and find next to my studio an on going TV documentary with Al Jarreau, Kurt Elling and Jon Hendricks. To cool ! My students come and it's 6:30 and I'm ready for dinner. Not just any dinner mind you but my running buddy and good friend Sweet Sue Terry has invited me out to dinner before my " Garage" gig. Sue shows up at Michiko and wants to play with me and my last student that day Avi. Her clarinet was just repaired by everyone's favorite woodwind repair person in NYC.... Kristan Bertrand. After looking at Sue's clarinet and giving her my 2 cent lecture on plastic reeds- I am off to dinner.
Sue and I decide to walk to Ichi Umi on 32ed street and talk. The conversations always with Sweet Sue can be inspiring and earth shaking. We always speak of the unsung friends we share who are-PLAYERS OF THE HIGHEST CALIBER- but not media / household names. EG- Melba Liston and people like Patience Higgins. AKA- Count Gigula!! Patience is the king- he has gigs on the way to gigs!! He gigs in places where gigs don't exist!! Hence my nickname for him- Count Gigula. I love that guys playing- he's like a Lockjaw Davis or Jerome Richardson. Sue and I get to Ichi Umi, and it's jumping. It's a sushi seafood buffet- and I haven't eaten since the Reggio. I am starving- and we proceed. Dinner is amazing and my battery is re-charged thanks to Sweet Sue Terry!
It's 9:00 and I cab over to my car- grab my change of clothes at the garage. Change quick in the mens room- and brush my teeth and refresh. Toss my day clothes in my car- and I'm off to the gig!! I walk over thru the " Village" and quickly decide before the walk-it might be cool to get a cafe from Reggio for the walk. Hey, why not??? haha- So I'm off and to the gig!
Tim Price & Ryan Anselmi Soulful Tenor Madness with Grease has been on the Greenwich Village jazz scene at the " Garage Jazz Club" for over three years with steady once a month bookings. It's a fun gig, great vibe in the club and we play real jazz.
We've been really fortunate to get great press on the music from the jazz magazines. Check it ;
"Tim Price and Ryan Anselmi Soulful Tenor Madness is emerging as one of the brightest new bands in jazz with a distinctive accent of their own.”
--- Down Beat (2011 )
" The band is one of the strongest today,due to Tim Price's roots and commitment to swinging jazz. Very compelling playing by Tim,Ryan Anselmi and Tom Abbott. Hear them! "
- The Village Voice (2011)
SO- The gig goes great- and it's 2:30 in the morning! What a great time and the special place that this music takes us too. I go to the garage- get my car and a double capp' from Reggio for the highway. It's as I expected-weather is beautiful. I go through the Lincoln Tunnel and it's mine! Three cars at about 3:05...and as I hit the highway on route 78 going aside of Newark New Jersey- there might be 4 or 5 cars on that Rt 78 total- it's great. The vibe and a late night plane going into Newark lighting up the sky. I ride with my sun roof open, at first no music, just drinking coffee and enjoying the silence. The trip goes great and I am truckin' into Pennsylvania in less than an hour! No traffic and as I ride into the last leg in Jersey- The sky is changing from black into a very cool color of purplish-light blue as the sun is on the way. Time for some sounds! I let the CD player hit and get my ears on some Portuguese Fado Singer sounds with Don Byas.
I head 'round Allentown, Pa and get my exit into Reading, Pa- I take scenic route through farm country and the sun is coming up-by this time- it's time for some Bill Withers soul on the CD player ( with my man James Gadson on drums!! ) and I pull into my driveway- at 5:53. Not bad! Not to shabby dear reader.
.....As you read, this might be a long day for some. But it's part of the day in the life. Putting life together- and dealing with it. Days like Friday May 13th happen. It's like two days in one! Right? With the right mind-set and_KNOWING_that you either do what's there and be glad in this place that the world is in- that your GLAD to be working. I sure am- and I'm glad I'm doing things I enjoy.
I'm a lucky guy! As I said before... being a complete musician goes well beyond the notes. I’m grateful for that.
See ya next week- keep it real.
~ Tim Price
www.timpricejazz.com
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