He began gigging around town and found work with such established jazz artists as Christian McBride and Russell Malone.

NPR: Robert Glasper on Piano Jazz

Most of his career, he spent gigging around the Mid-Atlantic, close enough to get home immediately after a show.

NPR: Danny Gatton: 'World's Greatest Unknown Guitarist'

The new band goes out gigging in search of the first big break.

FORBES: Behind The Music

By the time he heard pianist Ahmad Jamal's 1958 album, "At the Pershing: But Not For Me, " he was gigging as a pianist.

WSJ: Jack DeJohnette | Playing Musical Chairs | Cultural Conversation by Larry Blumenfeld

Back to the bricks and mortar (well, plastic and metal) hardware, there's pretty much everything here you need to mix your way up from beginner to gigging DJ.

ENGADGET: Pioneer XDJ-Aero review: a DJ controller that loves music, hates physical formats

Industry heavyweights also are downsizing the usual slate of lavish corporate parties that in 2006 saw the Foo Fighters gigging for Motorola and Intel hosting The Black Eyed Peas.

CNN: CES preview: Touting tech in a brutal economy

For 21 years, Marjorie Eliot has opened her home for weekly jazz matinees, taking turns on the piano with her son Rudel Drears and gigging with a variety of musicians and singers.

BBC: Matinee jazz in a Manhattan parlour

For the gigging musician, this could be an excellent investment, especially if your set list calls for the sound of a nylon classical guitar on one song and an electric sitar on another.

NPR: The Variax: Many Sounds from One Guitar

He has been out late, gigging somewhere.

NEWYORKER: Magda Mandela

The XDJ-Aero does nothing to undermine that rep -- the metal top finish, solid response of the buttons and luxurious-feeling faders and caps leave you with no doubt that this is a solid bit of kit that should easily withstand the knocks and bumps that come with mobile gigging, or just regular enthusiastic use.

ENGADGET: Pioneer XDJ-Aero review: a DJ controller that loves music, hates physical formats