AAARRGGH!

Yesterday was a troublesome day for music.

It was Jazz Sunday at church. We were playing as a quartet: piano, bass, drums, and trumpet.

The leader, the pianist, handed out the music at the 9:30 am performance. We ran through the tunes. The leader asked if we could play the closing tune, "Blue Skies," a step down from what was written on the chart, to accommodate the trumpet player.. No problem, we agreed. After the run-through, he looked back and handed me a chart for "Our Love Is Here To Stay," saying that we would play it as in interlude in the middle. No problem.

However, when it came time to play "Our Love Is Here To Stay," what I was playing on the bass sounded horribly, horribly wrong against the melody from the piano. The pianist's head whipped around to look at me. It was clear to the audience that the bass player was doing something really wrong. What wasn't clear to the audience was that the pianist had given me a chart written in the key of C, while he had chosen to play from his chart written in the key of F. I dragged my bass over, to read over his shoulder from his chart for the rest of the tune.

Fast forward to the closing tune, "Blue Skies," transposed down a step. The tune starts. Again, what I am playing sounds horribly, horribly wrong. Again, the pianist's head whips around to look at me. Again, it is clear to the congregation that the bass player is doing something really wrong. I am baffled, until the trumpet player walks back and tells me, "He's not transposing. He's playing it in the original key."

At least the drummer and I managed to go along with the tune that was rehearsed in 4/4 but performed in 3/4.

Now I've got to deal with the fact that I've been made to look like a total incompetent in front of a large group of people. And, for once it isn't even my fault.

AAARRGGH!