Scott Henderson Discussion

[funksteroo]

Hey Scott, are you planning on doing a live stream at the baked potato? It would be awesome if you did.. i got my wallet ready! 😉🤞🏻🎸

[Scott Henderson]

Sorry to disappoint but my band lives in Paris. Right now it's looking like our next show will be at a jazz festival in Korea in October - we hope!

[hipfreejazz]

What about with Deron, Jimmy, and Joel or Ernest and Alan?

[Scott Henderson]

OK, this is why I don’t want to do it. My music is difficult and it’s a lot of work to get it under my fingers to the point where I can play it in a relaxed way - that takes at least two weeks of practice. I’ll do it to prepare for a tour, but not for one show. After a few gigs, the focus isn't about playing the music correctly, it’s about being creative. Those are the kind of gigs I love, but they never happen on the first night, where the mindset is “don’t fuck it up, don’t fuck it up”.

The main reason I feel uncomfortable on first shows is the huge difference in volume from playing soft at home. The first gig always feels like a war zone to me, especially at the Baked Potato, which is one of the loudest rooms I’ve ever played. The stage is very small so we’re literally set up right next to each other - I’m not used to that. None of the drummers I play with are that loud, but a snare sounds like a gunshot on that stage - the audience doesn’t hear that, but I do. I’m sure many of you have experienced playing louder than you’re used to, the guitar feeling totally out of control, and some of the musicality being lost because of the extreme volume.

That all being said, I love Justin, I appreciate the fans coming to see me play there, and it’s the best place in LA to hear live jazz, as Catalina’s sounds like a basketball court in comparison.

[hipfreejazz]

What about solo guitar live from Henderson studio, like what your lesbian love, Grumps, is doing? Just kidding...

About five years ago, I saw you at BP. I sat in the center. It was loud and I and others were grabbing our ears. I also saw you at Alvas. You were loud but not as loud as at BP.

[gary0214]

is this gig still happening in august - https://thevelvetnote.com/event/scott-henderson/ ?

[Scott Henderson]

No, we had to cancel it. Archie and Romain were supposed to be living in LA in August, but because of the virus they went back to Paris, and flying from Paris to Atlanta for one show isn't practical. We're hoping to move the Velvet Note to January when the guys come to LA for NAMM, and our usual shows at Baked Potato, Alva's and the Bunkhouse in Vegas.

[dizzy]

God—I must be deaf. When I’ve seen you at the baked potato it is not really loud to me at all. But on stage is a different story for the player.
Mike Landau plays loud and I like that too.
I wish people were cooler with loud music like they used to be. I remember in the 90s I was in a band that was know as “a really loud band” in town. People actually liked that aspect of it.

[Scott Henderson]

Where you're sitting at Baked Potato can make a big difference. Back at the bar it's not that loud, but in the front seats it can be earplugs time, depending on who's playing. The loudest place in the room is the stage, that's for sure. It's unfortunate because it's a good sounding room, but the volume really fucks with me every time I play there - I never come away thinking I played well. The beginnings of my solos start out good and then turn into a nervous train wreck as I fight to hear myself and stop the guitar from feeding back because my amp is all the way up. I guess next time I'll put way more guitar in my monitor and maybe it'll help.

[dizzy]

I feel that way a lot. The way I describe it is I feel separate from the band.
It is like a nightmare—onstage alone.
It’s even worse when the rhythm section tunes out—that doesn’t happen with your trio.