Lavender

I didn't know I could play such a suspended chord - Look ma it's my very first AI generated image. I said quote, "Laurie Larson indie musician with lavender" AWESOME!

This blog contains my first AI generated image, this is what AI thinks of me ha ha. Anyway the real reason for this blog is to explain why I don't do session work anymore. I sadly did not follow the advice of my bass hero, Leland Sklar who said, "Do not refuse a single one, you don't know where it might lead." While I was in college I was asked a lot to play bass on stuff, mostly jazz musicians wanted me. I wanted to play rock though! I'd go into a studio, or even a home studio without thinking what horrors might await. One time the guy tried to lock me in and started trying to kiss me. Luckily the guitarist came back with a key because he forgot something, so I escaped. Other times the music was just so horrible nothing could save it. Other times it was pretty good and they loved my bass lines but there was never any pay for me. Oh we'll put you in the credits, but then they never put me in the credits either. Then came progrock bands wanting my vocals. Honored as at the time, as it was my favorite genre - I jumped at the chance and made sure to use the most professional studio I could get to, Jim Brady's in Tucson, AZ. But Jim Brady wasn't having it. He was like a big brother with a discerning ear.

"This song sucks, and I'm not putting my name anywhere near it, nor should you." he said a few times. Another time, he was like, "Are they paying you? If not, I'm not recording this." They were not, so down went that "opportunity". Another time he was like, "Are they paying you?" Yes! I could finally answer proudly! $50! "WTF he replied, no we are not doing this, you're paying $80 an hour to make $50??" But it's a name band and it would be good exposure, I excitedly said. Jim's reply: "Hell no if they are such a name band, they can afford to pay you the going rate plus your studio time that's $200 plus 80, 280 got it? Another time a Grammy nominated musician had a new project and they wanted me on it, but no pay so Jim said NO! Another remixed what Jim did and he hated it so I had to pull my participation, he was right, it was the worst mix I have ever heard in my life. Jim loves the band Yes, as do I and another prog band asked me to sing it. When we got the mix back - my vocals were so buried, it's like why did they even ask me. Jim was irked again, and said, "Laurie, please don't do this again." I asked Jim for the vocals alone and that bands backing tracks and I remixed it with my vocals at the proper level, mostly for my own curiosity.

Here it is, dry, no effects against the backing tracks:

The prog band was not amused, even though I never released it and it was only posted in this one spot, they stopped talking to me.

The last straw for me doing session work was a lady jazz singer who loved my bass playing and wanted me to play my style. At the end of the first take she said, "I love it Laurie, but could you sound more "lavender"? "Lavender??? Ummm, ummm you mean like blues? Semi blusey???" I asked perplexed. " "No silly", she said, "Lavender like the color. Sound like purple light streaming through the window, fields of floating lavender colors on the wind don't you get it?" "Oh yeah, O.K. silly me, I do have that knob here on my bass, I'll turn that right up, whoops a little too far into the red, I'll dial that back into some more blue to make purple." I said not knowing at the time Leland Sklar has some kind of similar knobs on his bass ha ha! I played the next take and SHE LOVED IT, just absolute perfection. But again no pay and not listed in the credits for my amazing lavender bass line. When I hear the song I still laugh and laugh and then cry ha ha. I may go back to session playing someday... maybe for at least half the going rate and a little credit, also I'll make sure I'm wearing purple :-) .