There are two main skills every jazz musician needs. First is the ability to learn a ton of tunes (short songs that can be played from memory). Second is the ability to read complex pieces of music that are too intricate to memorize.

As a bass player it is easy to avoid reading gigs. They are difficult, nerve-wracking, and often don’t pay well. For many years I was guilty of avoiding these kinds of gigs, settling for the safety of tunes.

However, about a year before the pandemic, I decided to change this, by taking every big-band and large ensemble gig/rehearsal I could. It was definitely more of a mental challenge, to stay calm was key, don’t let small mistakes snowball into big ones.

I was starting to see some great results in my playing. Then the pandemic hit, and with gigs gone I began to revert back.

Since then, I haven’t had the opportunity to keep my reading chops sharp, and when Skylar called me the day before his gig at Chris’ to sub in the bass chair, I almost said no. However, something was telling me to just jump back into it. The only way to learn is to do.

So, I said yes, and I am so glad I did!

I know Skylar Hagner from Temple University but haven’t seen him since he moved to NYC a few years ago. His writing is beautiful, lush, and expansive. It is not every day that I get to perform music of this scope and integrity.

Playing with his band that night was an inspiration both in terms of my playing and compositionally and I hope you enjoy listening to a few cuts from that evening…