trimmed and burnin'

Summer is winding down and soon school will be starting. I’ve done a few weddings and stuff but have had to decline several because I’ve been gone so much this summer. Already though, the fall is filling up with more than the normal school and church responsibilities. I’ve got several classical concerts and gigs to prepare for this fall, some friends and I are talking about a possible trio affair with drums and bass, and last night I was asked to participate in a clinic that will include everything from jazz to classical guitar. It’s time to buff the nails, change the strings, break out some new music and pump some nylon. And I haven’t felt this ill-prepared and out of shape in years. I think it all came up in conversation last night because God is telling me it’s time to get it all back together. Talking about the trio, I worried that I can’t even play electric guitar anymore. Talking about the clinic I worried that I have nothing in my hands (though I have pulled some stuff out of my hat for weddings this summer). Nothing worthy of a performer or clinician though.
As it turns out, that conviction came in the form of a little reminder I got tonight while sleeping. It seems that while I was in California, the Rush concert wasn’t the only extra excitement. I can’t believe that I had repressed this whole ordeal until last night’s dream brought it all back.
When the conference was over on Friday afternoon, Russ and Carol Rhodes were headed up to Los Angeles with their family to appear on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. They are all involved in worship at their church, playing various instruments, and singing. They came to CIU music department convocation and spoke and led worship. This is the same presentation that they were to make on the Tonight Show. So our conference entourage decided to head up to Burbank to attend the taping and lend them support. Since we were close friends of guests on the show, we didn’t have to wait in line as I had for the Rush concert, but were brought inside to hang in the green room and mill about the facilities while we waited for taping to begin. I ran in to Kevin Eubanks shortly after we got there, and was shooting the breeze with him in his office. I leaned over and picked up a bass that was sitting by the coffee table and began noodling as we talked. The bass, by the way, was a five-string that looked just like the guitar that he plays on the show. Of course I played some cool Geddy licks and some Tower of Power riffs I’ve been working on when no one is watching (Robert Shuler would be proud). Eubanks was pretty impressed, needless to say, and promptly asked me if I’d fill in for the show because Stanley had called in sick at the last minute. How could I pass up such an opportunity? I was a little worried about reading charts on the bass that quickly, but was assured I had a little over an hour to look them over – especially the theme song, which I kept confusing with Conan O’brien’s.
As I began getting hurried through set-up, sound check, stage placement, etc. I noticed that I was scheduled to play a classical guitar piece during the spot after the monologue where Jay usually does some lame bit like Jay Walking, or Headlines, or Correspondents. Now I was more than nervous, I was terrified. My guitar was out in the car, I hadn’t played it in weeks, the strings were dead, and I couldn’t think of anything I had in my fingers to play on such short notice. Normally, I’m ready for last minute things like this. I’ve landed some pretty cool gigs and radio spots because I’ve always got something in my hands, ready to go. Not this time. Now I was about to be thrust onto the stage where I’d been preceded by the likes of Christopher Parkening, Pepe Romero, and Liona Boyd. Surely Ross and Carol had set this up, but why hadn’t they told me?
Finally the show began. Edd Hall did the announcements, Jay walked out and began the monologue, I was struggling through the theme song. Panic set in. And that’s the last thing I remember. I didn’t see the airing of the show. I don’t know how I played, how successful I was at reading those charts, nothing. I hope I’ll get to see it in re-runs while Jay is on vacation. Meanwhile, I’m holed up in the practice room reading charts and playing scales.