For decades, Springfield native Jo Sallins has strapped on—or stepped up to—one of the nearly dozen instruments he has mastered and traded licks with world class performers the planet over. So why does his impending April 16 engagement at neighboring Longmeadow High School have the veteran virtuoso nibbling his notoriously nimble nails?
"I'll be playing with the Longmeadow High Jazz & String Ensemble, which is the first time I've ever done anything like that," he explains. "And I have to tell you, I went to check them out in person the other night and man… can those cats play!"
As evidence, Sallins cites the Ensemble's recent performance at Carnegie Hall.
"That's one place you cannot play by simply knowing the right person," he concludes.
Also adding to the anxiety is the fact that prior to this Friday's performance of "Thou Shall Not Kill," a new, anti-violence epic Sallins recently composed as the latest entry into his ongoing catalogue of educational programs, the show headliner and the celebrated ensemble will have only physically played the evening's program together—in the same room—a grand total of once.
To the untrained eye, a scant practice schedule—particularly when coupled with such difficult subject matter—seems fertile ground for a distinctly unpleasant cacophony of sound come showtime. As Sallins elucidates, however, at such a level of musicianship, it's not unheard of for a group of performers to not have heard—or even seen—people they will be sharing the stage with until the curtain goes up. Everyone's expected to do their homework. And as one who frequently rents special apartments so he can rehearse uninterrupted for upwards of 12 hours a day for days on end, Sallins is easily at the head of the class in that regard.
That said, the man known as "Mr. Cool" revealed that lately, he has been utilizing a hot training tip given to him by another performer that has proven both highly effective and far less grueling.
"Basically, I practice a lot in my mind," he explains. "Just visualizing where my fingers will be, going over the songs and changes in my head."
Whatever works for you, Jo. And it's a safe bet your neighbors approve of the new technique…
Jo Sallins and the Longmeadow High Jazz & String Ensemble will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. on April 16 at the Longmeadow High School Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
Speaking of recording, Eric Engel of self-described "shwag rockers" Motel Motel says that he and his bandmates knew exactly where they wanted to record their debut CD: the Hamilton Theater in Denver, Colo. Guitarist Mickey Theis remembered its expansive stage and glorious acoustics from shows he attended whilst a resident of the Mile High City. The problem was that the band didn't have the ways or means to rent out the venue. But they certainly weren't about to let something as trivial as that get in the way of transmitting to disc the sonic sugarplums that had been dancing in their heads. And as Engel explains, Motel Motel has no reservations about bending the rules a bit.
"We figured out that they locked the doors to the place at midnight," he says. "So we'd sneak in just prior and hide until everyone left, then start playing and recording."
According to Engel, the nightly proceedings at their squatter studio were only curtailed on two occasions, when security guards arrived and escorted them out of the building.
Check out Motel Motel at The Elevens this Sunday, April 13, where they'll be performing tunes from their soon-to-be released disc New Denver on a bill rounded out by Looking Glass War.
As illustrated by his store's name, Night Owl Records, Mark Schwaber also keeps late hours. This Friday, April 11, he'll perform a special solo set in-store, then turn the microphone over to one of his favorite new bands, Peasant. Visit myspace.com/nightowlrecords for more info.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
