Finding a Role, Part 2

Last night someone told me that a friend of theirs was looking for a drummer to record a jazz song with. I thanked him for the heads up, but said that I wasn't a jazz drummer. This seemed to perplex him and the other musicians in the room. I'm not sure why.

The fact of the matter is, jazz is a very certain kind of style. I know a little bit about it, but not much. I never play it and I'm not interested in it. I could certainly fake my way through it if I wanted to...but, and I said this, that would really be a dis-service to the person recording the song. To make his recording the best possible, he probably will want to find a jazz drummer if he can. Or at least someone who can play jazz better than I can.

I got the feeling they thought I was being self deprecating. I wasn't. I wasn't saying I'm a bad drummer...I was just saying that I don't have any experience playing jazz. After going to PASIC I realize more than ever that jazz is very different from the basic rock that I am used to playing. I think that there is a benefit to me learning a bit of jazz, but that's for MY benefit...not to serve the recording needs of this dude.

It strikes me as odd that anyone in my position would react any differently. "I'm not what he's looking for...but here's a referral to someone who I think might be able to do the job." Why say you are proficient at something you aren't? Even if someday I end up being the world's best jazz drummer...I'm not even on that road right now. Why say I am?

I think that people are unaccustomed to honesty.

I think the expected response to the query would have been "oh yeah, sounds good. Maybe I'll look him up" and then to never act on the thing. That just seems like a waste of everyone's time. Why not just admit...I'm not qualified, I'm not interested, and you ought to find someone else. And here's a recommendation.

Crap, ya know, if I had 20 more years of drumming under my belt I'd be a damn good studio musician. Do what you say you are going to do...serve the client's needs...and move on. Juggle a schedule and always be on time. No bullshit. I would have been really good at that. But seeing as I've got a while to catch up in skills to those already doing that work, and that I have no interest in moving to LA or Memphis or New York or Nashville or Salt Lake City (I'm told), I don't think it's in the stars for me.