My "B" band has eclipsed my "A" band.

When I set out to record my debut CD, I hired the best jazz freelancers I knew, hotshots in the greater DC area who are constantly working, composing, running their own combos, teaching, etc. The record was made so much better simply because my sidemen are top-drawer, highly interactive players, extremely sensitive and appropriate in all their musical gestures. In most cases, we rehearsed a song for only a half-hour or so, and then recorded it in no more than two or three takes. Not only did they make me sound my best, they also saved me a ton of money in the studio....

These fantabulous players are constantly busy, as I mentioned. They seem to truly enjoy playing my music and performing with me, but they rarely are available for dates. They're booked solid, months and months in advance.

They're also the kind of musicians who are used to being paid a minimally decent amount, so I try not to even ask them to play unless I can give them $100 or $150 a player. But I am still in a position where I can't always say no to a gig just because it's offering far less than that. Basically (as many of jazz players understand), if it's a wedding or restaurant gig where we're going to be expected to play standards, I will not do it for less than $100/player, but if it's a scene where I can play my originals and possibly add some names to my email list or sell a CD or two, well hell, sure, I'll play for free or nearly free....

So for these reasons and a number of others, I started a "secondary" band last January. The guitarist is the same guy as in my "A" band--he's got a full-time day job as a producer in a local studio here, so he's willing to play for free or nearly free--but the bassist and drummer in this outfit have careers in other fields and are simply looking for more and better playing experiences.

At first, I didn't want to impose on these guys, so I didn't ask them to rehearse too much. They learned my existing book by listening to my CD and rehearsing once or twice before our earliest gigs. I've been writing about one new tune a month, so I'd just show up at events and throw new charts in front of them, and they'd sightread them the best they could.

Recently, though, the drummer came to me and said he'd really prefer it if we rehearsed, and worked toward creating real arrangements and a unique group sound for ourselves, rather than just treating every gig like a pick-up jazz hit. I agreed, and was relieved that he'd come to me with the suggestion. Luckily, my bassist and guitarist felt the same way. So for about two months now we've been rehearsing every other week.

And guess what? (as if it shouldn't be perfectly obvious). Although this band collectively has far less playing experience and far fewer chops than my recording band, we've become a tighter, deeper, much more interesting outfit. We played a gig at 49 West in Annapolis this past Wednesday, and it was simply amazing. The confidence we've gained by rehearsing the material enables us to be very highly interactive....there were incredible subtleties and nuances happening that night, and an overall feel and excitement as good as anything I've ever achieved with my "A listers." Afterwards, my newly hired, very music-knowledgeable publicist said to me, "You don't need Frank and Amy [i.e. the hotshot drummer and bassist from my CD]! Mike and David sounded terrific!"

This made me incredibly happy, but it must have truly thrilled Mike and David, the bassist and drummer in question, who were in earshot when Paula said it. Both of these guys are a little like me: talented folks who got very little support and tons of discouragement when they were young, and let themselves be sidetracked into other non-musical careers.

I'm so happy and grateful that I've been able to create this band, not just as a viable performance outfit with the possibility of getting somewhere on a local and regional basis, but as an opportunity for these two guys to Get Back To Where They Once Belonged.