Being a jazz singer living in New York City has kind of a mythic sense about it. After all, it is rumored that the Big Apple was so named because a jazz musician once said: 'There are many apples on the success tree, but when you pick New York City, you pick the Big Apple.'
The Big Apple has a symbolic meaning for anyone in the arts. It is the place that you come to find out if you are really, really good as an artist or just some bloated fish from a tiny pond in Maine or the Mid West.
That being said there are times when you want to take a huge bite out the Apple, only to find (once again, if you have been at this for awhile) that there are all kinds of worms inside. The worms can represent many things for an artist. They can be obstacles that keep you from finding your niche on the scene, like exhaustion from a physically challenging 'day job' (that's right, you try standing for 9 hours in a 3 foot square space to which you are tethered like service animal, while the pumped in pop music blares in your skull like a sonic ice-pick... thanks Concierge job!), when you would rather be practicing; to the cold worms writhing with jealousy in your gut when your friends succeed as you squirm and throw yourself against the chains.
I need to point out that I truly love and admire my successful friends, just giving voice to feelings I know we all must have from time to time...
Sometimes, the worms are fat and shiny from eating the best parts of the Apple that they have refused to share. These can be musicians who look at you funny like you have just asked a deeply personal question when you ask for advice or information on how they booked their tour to Europe, or a club owner who looks at you with a studied glaze over their eyes when you hand over the 3rd CD that they have asked for when you are looking for a gig. It's worms like these that make you wonder if the Apple isn't poisoned.
Like Snow White's apple, it looked so tempting at first, as the evil Queen handed it to her. Well of course it is in a way, polluted, poisoned, smelling as sickly sweet as the candied nuts roasting on the street. Or as sour as a poor unfortunate person who hasn't slept for days and hasn't showered for months as they lumber slowly through the subway cars asking for change, dragging their legs swollen with gangrene...(Yes, I did see this the other day. Gangrene is real and passed terrifyingly close to me).
But wait, it is so beautiful! A deep crimson red and unblemished, too if you just turn it over...and take a bite from the other side.
From that other gleaming, fragrant side of the apple: I have a gig at Zinc Bar on Monday, November 18th at 7 pm and I would love to see you. I am going to be with a wonderful band who must like playing with me too, because they sure aren't making a ton of money playing with me. Yet.
Sometimes, the worms are fat and shiny from eating the best parts of the Apple that they have refused to share. These can be musicians who look at you funny like you have just asked a deeply personal question when you ask for advice or information on how they booked their tour to Europe, or a club owner who looks at you with a studied glaze over their eyes when you hand over the 3rd CD that they have asked for when you are looking for a gig. It's worms like these that make you wonder if the Apple isn't poisoned.
Like Snow White's apple, it looked so tempting at first, as the evil Queen handed it to her. Well of course it is in a way, polluted, poisoned, smelling as sickly sweet as the candied nuts roasting on the street. Or as sour as a poor unfortunate person who hasn't slept for days and hasn't showered for months as they lumber slowly through the subway cars asking for change, dragging their legs swollen with gangrene...(Yes, I did see this the other day. Gangrene is real and passed terrifyingly close to me).
But wait, it is so beautiful! A deep crimson red and unblemished, too if you just turn it over...and take a bite from the other side.
From that other gleaming, fragrant side of the apple: I have a gig at Zinc Bar on Monday, November 18th at 7 pm and I would love to see you. I am going to be with a wonderful band who must like playing with me too, because they sure aren't making a ton of money playing with me. Yet.
Vicki Burns Quartet returns to Zinc Bar!
When: Monday, November 18th 2013 7:00-9:00 pm
Where: Zinc Bar 82 West 3rd Street (at Thompson) Greenwich Village , NYC
With: Leonard Thompson on piano, Tom Hubbard on bass and Phil Stewart on drums.
You can keep up to date with me on my website and check out some soundcloud clips here:
https://soundcloud.com/vickiburnsjazz
http://www.vickiburnsjazz.com/
Or, purchase my CDs at itunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/vicki-burns/id112557949
See you 'round the Old Big Apple
Vicki Burns
You can keep up to date with me on my website and check out some soundcloud clips here:
https://soundcloud.com/vickiburnsjazz
http://www.vickiburnsjazz.com/
Or, purchase my CDs at itunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/vicki-burns/id112557949
See you 'round the Old Big Apple
Vicki Burns
