The gig was the most fun I've had in a long time, but kinda in a high pressure situation. I read two full sets of charts I had never seen before ; a couple being five pagers at about 250bpm. The best part was when the leader called a tune and counted off a tempo by snapping his fingers. As one of the trombone guys said, "that's kind of slow", the 1st trumpet guy yelled out, "dude, that's not quarter notes, but full bars"!
A big part of improving as a musician is playing with other musicians that make us sweat a little. To be challenged by guys who are fun to be with makes it a whole lot easier.
One final thought: Isn't it really all about the music? This 'inside baseball' stuff is just a sideshow IMO. We can all come together and enjoy playing bass.