Quote:

I have seen people read from the old, illegal Real Book for decades. I've also seen people who have stated that everything must be memorized.

Each extreme has its faults.

Generally I'd rather play with the people who keep the book on stage but don't have their eyes glued to it. They generally seem to have a better attitude and at least they are all playing the same changes.



I have my feet firmly planted in both camps. There's absolutely no doubt that knowing a tune cold is better than having to read it from a chart. But, there is also no doubt that where I live I have to show up with the books because of the huge number of tunes that may get called. It's standard procedure when I get called by somebody I'm usually told we have a keyboard book for you but bring books 1 and 2 anyway. Many times the charts in the keyboard book are the same pages from the Real Books but other times they're not and those I have to really pay attention to. I may think I know the tune but their chart is different.

I would say I know maybe two thirds of what gets called and have to read the rest. I hate having my face buried in a book on stage so I have the stand as low as possible and tilted away from me so it looks even lower from the audience perspective. I try to use the books only as a part time crutch like Mac said, maybe glance at the 2nd ending I'm not sure of or something. But still every gig, there's something I've either never played before or it's been years.

Bob

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