[mplpost] Accordians and Other Saves

[Gregg Lawless]

Good one, Peter...

At the admitted risk of epistolary suicide, I'd like to share a 
non-folk, non-roots story of a musical "save"....

When I was 16 or so, I went to see Miles Davis at Ontario Place...way 
back in the days of rotating stages...

Miles'  3 pc. back-up band (drummer Al Foster, guitarist John Scofield 
and bassist Nathan East(?)...I believe...it was a loooong time ago...) 
played a 10 minute warm-up groove, before Miles joined them in typical 
fashion, managing to stare down the floor and keep his back to the 
audience as best as he could, given the revolving stage(!)

Just before Miles stepped out, I had my eye on the bassist...I witnessed 
him breaking his big ole "E" string...25% of his "frettage"...and, 
arguably, the anchor string for a 4-string bass...

There was no look of horror, no "stoppage in play" ( to quote our HNIC 
play-by-play analysts ), no frown...the bassist calmly held  down the 
groove with his left hand and unobtrusively wrapped the broken string 
around the horn of his bass. And "play went on"....for an hour and a 
half.

I sneaked backstage after the show and expressed how impressed I was. 
His response, with a warm smile:

"Hey...that's why I get the big bucks, man!"

Happy New Year to all,

Gregg Lawless

> Accordians. "Banjers." Jaw/Jew's Harps. They all have their place. Now I
> ask - what other interesting or truly odd "saves" have people made when
> things just weren't going well, or gear died, or whatever?
>

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