Today I’m playing with Gabriel Mark Hasselbach (horns) and Tony Chamberlin (percussion) in a group called Zen Soundscapes. The music we play is just as the band name implies. Background music to create a zen type atmosphere for a corporate event. (I hope that explanation makes some kind of sense)
For this performance there are no charts. It’s just cool zen improv. We’re starting at 7pm and ending at 10pm. I’m also back in Whistler playing at the Squamish Cultural Centre. Also not being the band leader I have no idea who we are performing for. They did have a sign carved out of wood that said “Crest 2010″ Maybe I’m playing for the tooth paiste people.
We arrived at 6pm and began setting up. This time I’m just a side player and not the band leader so I’m not responsible for setting up the sound system. So today the set up for me is quick and easy. You can see from the photo I’m not using a mic and plugging my guitar straight into the Boss T1 then direct into the PA system. I also use a Boss GE7 eq pedal as a volume cut for rhythm gtr parts. I have a lot of delay and reverb on the guitar to give it that very distant “Zen” quality.
We began playing at 7pm and took our first break around 8:30. Most of our music was ambient zen jamming over some spacey groove tracks. We also had a few Latin charts to play.
After our break we played a couple more short sets then we were done.
After our performance we were invited back to the kitchen for a bite to eat. The food was Amazing. Maui tuna, Alaskan king crab legs, roast beef, chicken, roasted potatoes and so much more.
After we enjoyed a wonderful meal it was time to hit the road. We left around 11pm and by the time I dropped Tony off I arrived home around 2am.
Whistler gigs always make for a long day however the pay is always great and the drive is beautiful. It’s always a good relaxing time. I’ll be returning to Whistler to play once again in a couple of days.
