Gig

Dave Millen re-took up his saxophone a few years ago, and has gotten very into his music. It's pretty cool and admirable (and he's gotten, I understand, quite good (doubly impressive for a guy who never took a lesson)).

A few months ago, he played at an open microphone night, just for the heck of it. One of the guys in the audience used to play keyboards for "The Drifters", and he came up to Dave afterwards and talked to him, told him that Dave was very good -- and he invited Dave to come hear him at a gig he was playing in Berea.

So Dave went. The guy recognized Dave, and from the stage, invited Dave to come up and jam with them. Dave happened to have his sax in the car with him, but he said he couldn't, he didn't know any of the tunes, so forth.....but the guy insisted, so Dave went up and jammed with them. Basically, he watched the guy's bass hand and just tried to improvise around the chords he was playing.

He was holding his own, more or less, until the guy suddenly turned to him and said "Take it, Dave!" Thrust into the spotlight, he improvised a solo (that must have gone pretty well). The guy invited Dave to join them on a permanent gig.

I'm going to hear him Thursday night at The Spotlight Cafe in Berea. This is so cool!