Had the most awesome night tonight!!!

You know those days when ya get all fed up with your music & you feel like your going nowhere?? Well Ive had 3 months of them, cant seem to write songs like I used to.

But today thanx to fellow Prince orger ted & my good friend Steve, I attended the most awesome gig Ive ever been to.

There was a Jazz Funk band playing at a club near me, I get there & its only Lyndon David Hall's Bassist accompanied by some of the best young Jazz musicians Ive ever seen. The soul in their playing was almost bringing tears to my eyes & it was musical ecstacy just to watch. I then realised I knew the drummer as his band reherse at the place where I teach drums. I got chatting to the band in the interval & the drummer asked if I wanted to sit in!!!

We did Water Melon man to start, I knew the song from the old days with my school swing band but all of a sudden I see the band all looking at me, after the various solos, wanting a drum solo!!! So I just closed my eyes & to tell you truth the drums were playing me, I was somewhere else. The bass player then joined me with some awesome bass playing & started funkin it up. I joined him & his eyes went all wide & we funked up a storm for about 3 minutes!

The crowd was cheering away & I went give the drummer back his sticks but he wanted me to carry on. For the next tune they were sight reading & the bass player nodded & smiled when he saw me following his copy of the piece. I did three songs but we had to get home & I left the club as this mysterious drummer guy that came up & had a go in true Cloud9 Mission fashion!!!

Im still buzzing from it now in case you aint noticed & its filled me with new hope that one day I will play all night long with musicians of that standard & can bring the Cloud9 Mission to the world.

Im meeting up with the sax player on monday hopefully & may be sitting in all night next time!!!

You guys know what its like to be a musician that wont compromise their playing just to make it big. Ive always been influenced by Jazz & Funk styles of music but could never use music for purely profitable gain like we all see every day in the pop music industry. Its hard to get noticed these days when you refuse to sell your soul to a corporate record company. Theres been many a week lately where Ive wondered why I am still making music when it seems so futile carrying on my mission as the market for Jazz & Funk seems to be closing.

Tonight was one of those nights where someone up there decides to remind you of why music rules your life & why you cant help but play an instrument. Lets you know that maybe one day, you'll get there & there is an audience that truely appreciates what you do.

Keep making wonderful music guys, our chance will come soon!! Gonna be biggin up NewFunkOrder when I meet him on monday!

God bless you all & thanx for your encouragement over these last few months.

Lewis
[This message was edited Sun Jul 13 15:46:23 PDT 2003 by cloud9mission]

Sounds like fun. I wish I could have seen it

Good for you, Cloud!

To play live with good musicians is what music is all about (IMO), it's the reason I play.

Slave2daGroove said:

Tell me about it!

Its been a while but fingers crossed, I'll get the permanant gig with band on saturday. Plus my old Funk band is getting back together.

The only kind of music people in my area seem to wanna do is offensive rock music & Ive tried for many years to find people my age that take music as seriously as I do.

Its about time I got the chance to play the kind of music Ive always dreamed of

fingers crossed

lovemachine said:

Hopefully its gonna be a regular thing

I got the gig!!! The sax player phoned me this morning to arrange a regular gig starting this saturday. The coolest thing about him phoning me is that, as I didnt have my mobile with me, I didnt give anyone in the band my number. The guy had been chasing round all week trying to find out who I was & get in contact!! Nice to know

Its been a super weekend & I feel like the music industry is finally starting to see past my age & give me the kinda work Ive always dreamed of doing:

We had the student concert on saturday at work & this time 3 of my pupils were playing. They performed really well & it left me buzzing for my gig that evening. Had a great gig, then the jazz band phoned me in the morning & then we had the tutor's concert at work on sunday which also went really well.

This time last week I was almost ready to hang up my drum sticks & forget this whole music career thing, it feels like someones trying to remind me why I am doing this

God bless. Hope ya'll are having a similarly good week

Lewis

Sounds great! Ain't it nice when THEY go scrambling for YOU finally.

otan said:

Yeah man, its been a long time but now people are starting talk about me

cloud9mission said:

well i shall never dance! But good work 4 u!

Put that snoot to use, you mutha! Cause you will dance, sucka!

Good job, Lewis! Keep up the funk work!

u dooin it man!

We luv ya always man!

paisleypark4 said:

Word travels fast. Drezone found all about this gig before he'd read this thread!!

Hey lou thats it guy u shout

BTW U Know I am now U're MANAGER!!!
((WHIP CRACK)) no Slacking We Got Production and Gigs to Sort!!

Ted said:

I owe you guys one for introducin me to those guys. The gig was awesome as expected & I learned where one of my weaknesses is, beebop. Gotta practise that beebop!!