Just before Thanksgiving, I received an email from Tim Woods (acquaintance, Musician, Open Mic Organizer), about a piano that needed a good home. I wrote a brief email to a stranger, told him about my kids, our love for music, my desire to have my kids learn to read and play music.
Al, called me after about an hour and offered to give us his beautiful, virtually perfect 1967 Baldwin Acrosonic spinet piano. We picked it up on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.
So far, the piano seems to be very happy sitting next to my desk in our home. It shares the home with my wife & I, our kids, cats and dog. My kids are very happy to play with it daily. Very soon they will start actually learning to play REAL MUSIC on it, as will I.
Al, thanks very much for the piano. We'll treasure it. It will be in our family a very long time, and will be with us for our grandchildren to play, as well.
Tim, thanks for having me on your email list & providing the opportunity for my family to be blessed by Al's generosity.
Matchbox
Once in a while I'll hear a song that just gets in my head and I can't shake it. It'll just go 'round and 'round...
Albert King & Stevie Ray recorded a version of Match Box Blues that I really dig, even though I feel like I've been Stevie Ray Vaughan'd to death.
(No disrespect intended - I really enjoyed his music - it's all the CLONES that have driven it into the ground for me - I just can't bear to hear that style copped any more.)
Anyway, the tune's really cool and it's been rollin' around in my head, so I finally had to take a crack at it. This version has lots of flaws, but I'm happy with the overall feel, and with the fact that no instruments other than harmonicas were used in this version (except a #3 washtub I used for the kick-drum sound).
Albert King & Stevie Ray recorded a version of Match Box Blues that I really dig, even though I feel like I've been Stevie Ray Vaughan'd to death.
(No disrespect intended - I really enjoyed his music - it's all the CLONES that have driven it into the ground for me - I just can't bear to hear that style copped any more.)
Anyway, the tune's really cool and it's been rollin' around in my head, so I finally had to take a crack at it. This version has lots of flaws, but I'm happy with the overall feel, and with the fact that no instruments other than harmonicas were used in this version (except a #3 washtub I used for the kick-drum sound).
Humility
Recording yourself can be a great way to check your progress. Recording rehearsals & practice is especially recommended.
Of course, the risk is that watching yourself on video can feel like getting a large bucket of ice water thrown in your face. I'm glad I watched most of mine with no band-mates in attendance.
Gotta go - I can hear that ol' woodshed callin' me.
Of course, the risk is that watching yourself on video can feel like getting a large bucket of ice water thrown in your face. I'm glad I watched most of mine with no band-mates in attendance.
Gotta go - I can hear that ol' woodshed callin' me.
Volume
My campaign to play at reasonable volume levels continues.
We played a gig last night that Jimmy had to leave early. He was with us for the first two sets, but had to leave for another engagement before the third set.
The gig was fine, but everyone turned up when Jimmy left! I think they were trying to compensate for the lack of the second guitar. I had to ask them to turn down 3 times and still didn't get the volume down where it needed to be.
I played the gig with my Fender Champion 600 5-watt amp. I did not mic it into the PA. My amp'd tone has never sounded better - even my band-mates remarked about it. I had the amp connected to my Bassman speakers for the gig, but during sound-check & after the gig checked it through it's 6" speaker...it had plenty of volume. The little Champion 600 sounds great for harp - the speaker must be made with some kind of voodoo magic, 'cause it has tons of bottom-end (sounds more like a 10" on the bottom) and still has bark like a 6".
The amp worked fine for this small room - no trouble being heard, even though one guitar player was playing a Hot Rod Deluxe, one a Mesa Boogie, the PA was 500 watts, the Drummer gets excited and likes to hit hard, and the Bass amp was 150 watts.
We played a gig last night that Jimmy had to leave early. He was with us for the first two sets, but had to leave for another engagement before the third set.
The gig was fine, but everyone turned up when Jimmy left! I think they were trying to compensate for the lack of the second guitar. I had to ask them to turn down 3 times and still didn't get the volume down where it needed to be.
I played the gig with my Fender Champion 600 5-watt amp. I did not mic it into the PA. My amp'd tone has never sounded better - even my band-mates remarked about it. I had the amp connected to my Bassman speakers for the gig, but during sound-check & after the gig checked it through it's 6" speaker...it had plenty of volume. The little Champion 600 sounds great for harp - the speaker must be made with some kind of voodoo magic, 'cause it has tons of bottom-end (sounds more like a 10" on the bottom) and still has bark like a 6".
The amp worked fine for this small room - no trouble being heard, even though one guitar player was playing a Hot Rod Deluxe, one a Mesa Boogie, the PA was 500 watts, the Drummer gets excited and likes to hit hard, and the Bass amp was 150 watts.
Since
Since I've been playing the Blues...
Now I spell it 'RAWK' when I hyphenate it with Blues as in 'Blues-RAWK'.
I can identify & categorize a double-handful of different genres of Blues and I find it hard to state a clear preference for any one, although I'm also much more discriminating about what I consider Real Blues to be.
I have a hard time understanding why some musicians just can't play Blues music - but there it is...
As deeply as I feel this music, I wonder whether a Blues Critic would mark me as one of them that is Usurping The Blues from it's African-American Roots (part of a problem), or Respectfully Preserving a Slice of American Musical History (part of a solution).
What the hell is a Blues Critic, anyway?
I'm still amazed at folks who are quick to say they don't care for the Blues, yet upon hearing real Honest-to-God Blues music almost always say "I didn't know it could sound like THAT!"
I've decided I'm perfectly willing to Go Down to The Crossroads if someone would just give me accurate directions.
I still can't define in words exactly what separates great Blues players from the rest - but I can always hear the difference immediately.
(With thanks to Jp and apologies to Since I started listening to Jazz)
Now I spell it 'RAWK' when I hyphenate it with Blues as in 'Blues-RAWK'.
I can identify & categorize a double-handful of different genres of Blues and I find it hard to state a clear preference for any one, although I'm also much more discriminating about what I consider Real Blues to be.
I have a hard time understanding why some musicians just can't play Blues music - but there it is...
As deeply as I feel this music, I wonder whether a Blues Critic would mark me as one of them that is Usurping The Blues from it's African-American Roots (part of a problem), or Respectfully Preserving a Slice of American Musical History (part of a solution).
What the hell is a Blues Critic, anyway?
I'm still amazed at folks who are quick to say they don't care for the Blues, yet upon hearing real Honest-to-God Blues music almost always say "I didn't know it could sound like THAT!"
I've decided I'm perfectly willing to Go Down to The Crossroads if someone would just give me accurate directions.
I still can't define in words exactly what separates great Blues players from the rest - but I can always hear the difference immediately.
(With thanks to Jp and apologies to Since I started listening to Jazz)
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