The best practice you can get is on the bandstand, but in between gigs I feel I have to stay in shape.
I do remember the whole thing as being very argumentative, hot blooded... a permanent state of friction between Jon and Chris, Chris and me, me and Jon.
I mean, Chris is, I'm sure, a wonderful guy. But in those days he also very, very late. For all appointments and departures and arrivals and sound checks and anything.
I practice at home, in between phone calls, and have much to do.
I saw it as a challenge to play with Pat and we put hours and hours into it, usually on the bus. The trick was to find something that we both wanted to play within our different styles which would add up to being greater than the sum of its parts.
I seldom play in a trio, but acoustic music is likely to be lighter, quicker, and quieter.
If I was hearing something I couldn't do, I would figure out how to do it.
My harmony is passable but is usually made more eloquent at the hands of Steve Hamilton.
Plus I am being hounded by all the fabulous new drummers, Bill Stewart at the head of the pack.
I listen to Bill Stewart play the drums and when I have finished doing that, I listen to Bill Stewart.
This amateurism however, can sometimes be helpful in forging a style; you have to work around your weaknesses.
We all lived in the same house, or most of us did. And as far as I can make out we were confined to the property, because at twenty-four hours' notice we'd have to do a gig somewhere. So you couldn't leave the building for more than twelve hours in case a gig came through.
We used to drink an awful lot of alcohol.
We were from totally different social backgrounds. This is what is very hard for an American to understand, but we could have been five guys from Mars.
Whatever I have come to offer, I have come to offer and it may or may not be connected to anything that has happened in the past.