General Music Chat

I'm no household name but I have those "superfans" or I couldn't have made it as a recording artist more than a couple of years. I understand how it seems impossible, but really it isn't rocket science to work hard at all aspects of a creative life daily, and then multiply that over thousands of days. What stops most people is that they don't have the faith it will eventually pay off. Those are the people who never invest in their own career.

It looks like our friend, Jookey, is at a time in his life when he can focus on the pure joy of creating music and playing out. Given that, it's only a matter of time before he finds himself busy all the time with it. One day you look up and realize your daily routine isn't what it used to be, and suddenly you can't afford a day job.

Then it becomes a matter of how long you can sustain being productive creatively while performing all the time.

EDITED TO ADD:
Follow-up on the original post link - you have to supply an email address to download the 'free ebook'. 3 'spam' emails since I did that, all trying to push his video series and other crap.

I see your point. I hate that crap, and besides, none of this is really a secret. He's just trying to make money off of teaching people who don't know what it takes already.

How dare him try like that!?


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You're one of the lucky ones, then, if you have a thousand people who will spend $100 a year on your music. What else are you selling besides CDs? Stickers. bracelets? really?

As to the guy harvesting email addresses - he's just one of the many, as I mentioned. There's another guy who started on the Muse songewriter forum and now on the homerecording.com one selling his 'holistic' approach - but its all the same.

Reminds me of the ads one used to see in help wanted sections of the newspaper (before the internet wiped out newspaper help wanted sections) for "work at home stuffing envelopes... make $$$ every day" - and the scam was pay someone money to find out that you do the same thing - run an ad saying "work at home stuffing envelopes..." and then get people to send you money to learn how post an ad saying "work at home..." ....

You're one of the lucky ones, then, if you have a thousand people who will spend $100 a year on your music. What else are you selling besides CDs? Stickers. bracelets? really?

I didn't say that I have a thousand of them but I do have quite a few.

And it ain't luck.


I've produced 12 albums since the late 90s, and I've carried a lot of different items along with that. Setting up a merch table is setting up a store. If you only carry one or two items that is all you're going to sell. Superfans will buy everything you have, hand you $100 and tell you to keep the change.

It happens to those who are ready for it.


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way to go!

All it takes is a bit of effort and working smart, right?

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Looks like I stand corrected on the band Morphine. I swear there was another band from my youth that had that same line-up.
Then again I'm an old fart and I forget sh*t.

no biggie, bob. there's a lot of that going around!

but i think i know the sax/bass/drums band from your youth that you're thinking of. i bet it's these guys....they've been around for a loooooong time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiYEFNijKto

I love Morphine.

Who can ever forget the funky...

"Early to bed, early to rise/
Makes a man or woman miss out on the nightlife..."

Or the immortal...

"6/6/66, I was little, didn't know sh*t/
By 7/7/77, 11 years later, still don't know any better/
By 8/8/88, it's way too late for me to change/
By 9/9/99 hope I'm sittin' on the back porch/
Drinkin' red wine..."

Alas, the Sandman never got to realize the dream.

I borrowed the first two Morphine cds from my buddy when they were pretty new. I liked them, but still not quite my thing. The 3rd album (Yes) is what got me into them with its gritty rock tones and racy lyrics. I finally got into those last two albums about 6 years ago (borrowed from the same flaky drummer). They were just getting started at that point. I got to see them briefly on the second stage at the HORDE fest between Primus and Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Amazing.

Nice video Mark. What's the deal with bass players and facial tics?

It's a work in progress, Ted.
Right now, it is very hard work.

it took about 2 years of poverty to establish a network of venues for me. Once that was established, then I was comfortably full-time. Expand the network every time you play somewhere (be sure to file every reference from every person you meet at a gig that asks about you playing somewhere else). And like I said earlier, email is the new currency for indies because once you reach about 3,000 emails you can start making something online to augment what you make playing. 10,000 email addresses is your goal, no matter how long it takes.

I also have other problems to deal with that are personal.
Life is bittersweet but great fun!!

That never changes. But none of us would grow if life didn't challenge us constantly.




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"What's the deal with bass players and facial tics?"

I'll ask Jack Casady next time I talk to him!

Talbot

Jack...BEST eyebrow moves in da BIZ!!!

Mark-

That video is my favorite line-up of all you play in.

whassa matter...you no like my guitar and vibes playing????

hehehe. that's what i always say to my wife when everytime she see's PLANET JAZZ in that lineup she remarks that's her fave lineup! (sax, drums, and me on bass). yep, that's hands down her fave lineup too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiYEFNijKto


truth be told, that's my favorite lineup of that band too. we don't get as adventurous and don't go on as many "journeys" as w the other trio lineup w drums, bill on bass, and me on gtr/vbs, but i really do love playing bass on that stuff and playing w Monty (drummer) is just a blast. plus, i get to play that really happening WARWICK!

it's both challenging and freeing taking solos on bass w nothing but drums behind you. i go back and forth between missing having the chords changes fed to me and really digging not being bound to the changes or form of the tune. then too, it's a blast "representing" the architecture/structure of the tune w just the bass and providing the right amount of "info" for the reeds man to feel comfy.

I borrowed the first two Morphine cds from my buddy when they were pretty new. I liked them, but still not quite my thing. The 3rd album (Yes) is what got me into them with its gritty rock tones and racy lyrics. I finally got into those last two albums about 6 years ago (borrowed from the same flaky drummer). They were just getting started at that point. I got to see them briefly on the second stage at the HORDE fest between Primus and Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Amazing.

we play "Buena, Buena" in our bass/bari/drums PJAZZ lineup.....it's always a blast.

Well I think you have a unique album there, Bob. Never heard a three piece bass/drums/sax before.

here are three blues tunes (as in song form....not genre) w bass/drums/sax lineup:

https://soundcloud.com/planetguy-1/blue-cajun-monk-planet-jazz

https://soundcloud.com/planetguy-1/reggae-melon-man-planet-jazz

https://soundcloud.com/planetguy-1/footprints-planet-jazz-marriot

"it's both challenging and freeing taking solos on bass w nothing but drums behind you"

Tell me about it. Power failure happened when I was playing a small town car-navel (Yeah yeah... ) Only the Bass still had juice - probably from the sheer force of my personality!

We were playing a song I really hate, called "down by the river" but since it was just me I took the audience for a ride and the drummer followed. It was fun but I was glad to have the rest of the guys come back on line.

Talbot