Wednesday, April 9, 2008

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A while ago, after church, the other Wednesday guitarist asked me something.

He said "Gigs come and go. You can't limit yourself to just that. What kind of player do you want to be?"

That was a while ago.

I came up with an answer yesterday, while driving home.

I had "Late For The Sky" by Jackson Browne playing on my phone, adapted and extended to play through the car stereo.

[WHEN I GET HOME, PUT JACKSON BROWNE YOUTUBE EMBED HERE.]

That's when it struck me.

I want to play behind Jackson Browne.

I really don't: I don't listen to that stuff all that often, I like other stuff more, I don't share much if anything of his politics, I think he can sound whiney so back to #1, I have until recently kept a 20-year boycott of "The Load-Out", and I don't think he plays out much anymore anyway.

But, as a musician, I want to play behind Jackson Browne. I want to play spicy but not too distracting bits between verses. I want to play for the song and not get too technical. I wanna be Waddy Wachtel or David Lindley.

There's room, though. I could see being someone's Pete Anderson or Don Rich. I don't remotely think I'm man enough to be someone's Clarence White.

Who am I kidding?

I am so embarrassed for my guitarist self.

1 comment:

Ken Skinner said...

I wouldn't beat yourself up. I'd love to play behind the Rebirth Brass Band... the clue's in the name as to why that might not be possible!!!