No matter what, you never talked about the music on the bandstand or the gig for that matter. It can ruin a gig. You’re crazy when you’re on the bandstand, vulnerable, without defenses. Tempers can easily flair. One can’t access one’s inner resources with a regular, every day, street level mentality. The bandstand is sacrosanct. It is the one place musicians can safely allow themselves to lower their defenses together in a protected environment. Got a problem that’s serious enough to discuss, call a rehearsal.
My first gig with Phil’s [Woods] quartet was at the Village Vanguard. We were playing Airegin at a ridiculously fast uptempo that was even getting faster as my solo approached. Back in the kitchen between sets I asked Bill Goodwin if he noticed it sped up and he said, “Oh Hal, We don’t talk about the music on this band.“ I believe my sigh of relief was heard around the world.
– Hal Galper, Facebook post
You should really be following Galper on Facebook— he’s posting a ton of this stuff right now, basically writing the text book on playing. Hopefully he puts it into an actual book.