Sitting in a pub this afternoon I watched in amazement at the regularity with which the customers played the gaming machines that are, seemingly, obligatory in these establishments. Hopefully, a punter would hit some unfathomable combination and be rewarded with coins which would be referred to as 'dropping the jackpot' although it didn't happen during my short sojourn.
Back in the day when these machines were known as fruit machines or one arm bandits - the latter was a very appropriate description - life was simpler. You put in a coin, pulled a handle and, if Jupiter had chosen to align with Mars, three lemons/apples etc would appear and, although you weren't rich beyond the dreams of avarice, this avaricious dream would seem to be coming closer until, 'riding your luck', you blew the lot and then some.
I looked at these electronic machines in bewilderment and decided my brain wasn't capable of coping with the challenges faced - by comparision, chess is like snap - so I decided not to invest. However, as I returned to my pint of Prince Bishop it occurred to me that my bemusement might not be unlike that of the jazz newcomer when faced with a hypothetical jazz bandit (The Wingy Manone?) as to which button to press?
Well, for the younger person just coming to jazz - say under 30 - then working backwards from right to left may be the best option whereas, for the older person, then moving from left to right may be a good way to ease in.
Lance
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