I went to a session last night. It was ok at first… but at about 10:00pm, in walks this man with a big wooden case. “Yeah,” I thought at first, “Another Piper!”.
But no! He opens it up, pulls out this big stringed thing (which I later learned was a Sitar, or something like it) tunes it, (if you can call it tuned…) and starts playing (well, I guess I have to call it this) music unlike anything I’d heard before. It wouldn’t have been so bad, but he started up in the middle of a reel set. One of those sets where the musicians who don’t know the tunes are whooping along, stamping feet, nodding heads, and other assorted musical encouragement.
So like I said, he starts playing stuff, that to my ear, was completely unrelated to the tunes being played. Well, that set came to crashing halt, but he just keeps going on and on. He played for close to 45 minutes.
Finally he stopped, and of course the session leader threw him out. Unfortunately, the muscians never recovered… The session ended shortly after, and we all went home.
I wonder if people like that realize what they’re doing, or if they honestly thought they were getting along just fine. If I know I’m a bad musician, I’m going to be sensitive to my integration into a session. However, if I think I’m a good musician, then maybe I’d be ignorant of any problems playing with others.
Wow. Next time, picture in your mind the scene from the film “Animal House”, where John Belushi’s character is descending the stairs, and there’s that fellow playing a slow guitar song… “I gave my love a chicken, that had no bone…” Remember that scene?
An action like that would have saved the session, IMO.
That’s just plain poppycock. The guy should not have been let to go on that long. I like a good Sitar as well as anyone but there’s a time and a place.
What a hilarious scene this description makes in my mind! Why can’t they make movies this funny? I do feel sorry for the poor man. He must be terribly confused and deluded. Someone should probably have taken him aside nicely right away and explained to him that everyone was playing the same tune.
Is it possible that the music being played sounded as strange to his ears as music from a non-European culture could sound to us? I know that some music sounds so strange to my ears because the modes and harmonies and structures are not ones I am accustomed to. Maybe it just didn’t sound to him like everyone was doing the same thing, if there were variations being played.
Still, I would not dream of joining musicians who were playing music that I did not understand. I must conclude that he is very deluded.
Either this is an “April Fool” or, the group had unheard of forebearance to let him go on for 45 minutes. If it were me, I would have recommended a mediumish tap with a one piece Chieftan low D just behind the right ear.
Anybody ever hear Raj Karamanj? If I got his name right. He collaborated with some old-time musicians, and recorded some pretty wonderful-sounding sitar/fiddle tunes. I would guess this guy wasn’t him, though.
There are times I feel I’ve crashed a session, though. Not a musical one, but sometimes I come into a social situation and try to “fit in” with questionable results. It doesn’t usually take me forty-five minutes to figure it out, however.
I got to hear her in concert. I’m sure I didn’t understand all that was going on but it was incredible. I am sorry I can’t remember the names of the two drummers who played with her.
Yeah, I highly doubt she is wandering about looking for a group of people to play with.
Nico next time that happens find the closest GHB player and let em unleash his Pipes in the pub bet that would shut the Sitar player up. BrassBlower good analogy with Punjab Paddy but I am pretty sure that is a Guitar trying to emulate a Sitar in that song but still.
Hey, I was whistlin at Kings Canyon Natl Park campsite and this semi-drunk guy shows upwith a recorder and starts jammin.’ Man, the overtones between recorders and whistles do not a happy tune make.
True story even if its 4/1.
On the positive side, I don’t think there were any bear or coyote attacks that night for miles.
What a shame this didn’t happen.. And how short-sighted your (fictional) response. There you were with the perfect opportunity to form the Indo Celt Sound System but all you could do is whine.
You’ll regret it when Davy Spillane meets this visionary and forms a productive partnership.
