thanks guys,.... a lot of good advice here!!

had the same issues playing with various big bands. solution was to record everything & listen back. fixed my issues AND gave me the information to fight back when the 'suggestions' were wrong (a lot)...i.e. "no sorry but in every recording i analysed, YOU were dragging & ending up blowing thet set-up / soli / etc. at #. you need to tighten up the 16ths & listen to the piano, etc."

mcjnic was right, Follow the leader if he's conducting. If he's playing, you set the time, if your off, so's the band.

Don't play over the other musicians, not your job... but, don't let 'em conduct you either. That's the leaders job.

Record or video EVERYTHING! If you want quality time in the studio / on stage, you have to know what your putting out. As little as a cassette deck on the floor to a recording studio. Just do it. You'll be amazed at the mistakes, and improvements. If you have a front guy / vocalist, video is best.

ok, off the soap box...

Soap Box

THanks guys!s Much appreciated!

Some improvments on my end have been made, and I ended up finding out that the issues have only "really" been cropping up with "one" band member who's pretty much just paranoid about everythign little nuance of anything he deems incorrect.

Otherwise, I played out last night out of two complete gigs I had only three flubs,... all barley noticable. One song dragged a bit for a few seconds, but that was remedied right away.

Again, thanks guys.

I'm definitly recording stuff,.. cassette recorder or otherwise,.. whatever it takes.