Sometimes when people ask me what I do, and I say, I’m a musician, there tends to be a few awkward seconds of puzzled looks as the inquirer tries to assess the answer. Are you in a band? they’ll ask. Well, not exactly, I reply. So I try to explain exactly what it is that I do, which is, to provide my services to a composer, orchestra or recording artist that needs a guitarist who can play in a kaleidoscope of styles for their particular film, television show, concert, CD or whatever. You get the picture. Do you have an agent? they inquire. Nope, just little old me going around trying to create some word of mouth by having enough people happy with my work to hire me again and recommend me to new clients. Oh right…and there’s this slightly blatant, self-promotional blog you’re reading.
I don’t write about every gig that I play. That would be interminably boring, but every once in a while something comes up that is so much fun or so fascinating that I can’t help but share it.
A few days after the Boulez experience, I had a call to play on one of the most legendary television shows of the last twenty-five years, The Simpsons. Yep…less than 72 hours after leaving Walt Disney Concert Hall, playing some of the most avant-garde contemporary music of the last century, I was at Fox Studios playing the theme from Bonanza and a few other country-style finger picking tunes for composer Alf Clausen.
Alf is an amazing person. He’s been writing and conducting the music for The Simpsons for fifteen years now. He’s very efficient in the studio and yet everyone is loose and calm. Here’s a guy who knows how to get the best from his players. And talk about great music cues…you might not realize the incredible music flying by in the background of a Simpson’s episode because you’re rolling on the floor and convulsing from laughter, but take my word for it, Alf’s stuff is unbelievable. And sophisticated. Unbelievably sophisticated.
I’m not one of the regular guitarists for the show; in fact, this was my first time. George Doering, who is one of LA’s busiest guitar players (and rightly so) was sitting next to me handling the first guitar chair and had the lion’s share of the cues. I was there to play rhythm guitar and some light finger picking. It ended up being a really fun afternoon.
From Boulez to Homer Simpson in the span of seventy-two hours. What a trip!