The Gig (1985)

Every week, six men from various walks of life get together to play music for their own satisfaction. Trombonist Wayne Rogers is a used-car dealer; drummer Daniel Nalbach is a mother-dominated dentist; clarinetist Jerry Matz is a somewhat self-centered music teacher; trumpeter Warren Vache could have been a professional musician, but opted for a socially convenient wealthy marriage; and bass violinist Stan Lachow prefers to keep to himself the rest of the week. What happens to this informal aggregation when the opportunity arises for a paying gig at a Catskills resort forms the heart of this picture. Dissention in the ranks comes about when Lachow can't make the engagement, and is replaced by veteran musician Cleavon Little, who is disdainful of being surrounded by amateurs. The Gig is a model "small" picture, a clear labor of love for writer/ director Frank D. Gilroy.