Close but yet so far…
We pull up behind the club.
I must note the huge amount of snow piled up everywhere, even the highway is not totally clear and it makes me muse that Chicago really IS the city that works. I feel pride at this thought – we would have had this shit totally cleared by now. The snowfall was days ago!
I realize that delirium has set in.
We get to the club and it’s cute – definitely casual – with photo lined walls of the other Chicago Blues artists who have taken this journey before me. There’s a projection screen down in front of the stage playing Blues concerts, the sound system is great and the place seats about 70 people.
I order the most delicious Caesar salad (with chopped bacon and chicken) and marvel at the variety of home made breads brought to me before my meal is served. I eat while Zigis answers numerous calls on his cell.
The adorable server Danna and bartender Eddy welcomes me warmly. I rally to this kindness and stop praying to God under my breath.
I am actually glad to have this opportunity to rehearse. Better sooner than later when I will be brain dead from exhaustion. I just want to face whatever it is I must face band wise – or rather – face my deficiencies if I can not tell them how to play a particular song in the long list of nineteen tunes they’ve had to learn for me to play these gigs. Goodbye comfort zone.
After my meal, we depart the club and slip and slide to Zigis’ van. He has labeled the car with decals that read:
Bluesclub.com and Latvianbluesband.com.
We maneuver through the snow covered streets and pull up to the rehearsal space and Zigis takes my hand (like a child) to make sure I don’t fall and break my ass. I start calling him “the big man” and “daddy.” He leads me downstairs into a brightly lit basement room where I meet the boys, the Latvian Blues Band. They are so young, all bright eyed and bushy tailed, and they have learned every tune I sent to them to the letter. Most of them speak English quite well, though Rolands (the drummer) is the most fluent.
James (keys) is very shy because his “English is not so good.” I quickly tell him that his English is infinitely better than my Latvian. James has learned “If I Can’t Sell It” note from note – mimicking Ray’s fills and runs.
The horns are awesome: Artis on sax and Nauris on trombone – and so young.
The vocalist and lead guitarist is Janis (nicknamed Jon). He has the pale skin and round face of a cherub but plays blues and slide guitar like a master. His accent totally disappears when he sings the Blues.
The Bass player Reinis is adorable and all smiles and also a great player.
They seem so excited to meet me and after the initial introductions, it’s right down to the business of running through the tunes. Ray (Shivers’ keyboardist and music director) sent Mp3’s in all of the proper keys and it all worked out fine during rehearsal. We breeze through the shuffles and work through the ballads and specialty tunes – my favorite is “Evil Gal Blues.” Ray sent an old school recording of the song which I meant as a guideline but they learned it to the letter and it is gorgeous! I may have to record this version. These boys are jammin’!! They can play their young asses off.
Honestly, I had no doubt about their abilities. Everyone that I had talked to said the band was great. I was more afraid that I would be the dum dum here and unable to lead the band. I have been spoiled by the comfort of playing exclusively (for over a decade) with my own guys who know what I want before I even say it. I thought that when I got here that it would be like it was in the old days when I first started out, and was too insecure to tell musicians what I wanted. I am thrilled to learn otherwise.
I found my super-power bracelets in Riga with the Latvian Blues Band!
I sound good at rehearsal despite my utter exhaustion. In fact, I was invigorated during the practice time. Finally, we depart so I can check into my hotel and collapse in my king sized bed….
Up next: Trying to circumvent jet lag on my first night in Riga…
