General Music Chat

I played at a blues jam last night, first time as the bassist. It was different not playing guitar but very enjoyable. Most of the cats there are great players with vintage guitars - '57 Les Paul, '68 Telecaster, '59 Strat, etc. Real gear heads that know way too much about their instruments; most are collectors and have guitars that are worth more than some cars. But even though they're great players and have awesome gear, none of them could write a tune to save their life. So I felt some solace in the fact that I have created a body of work that will hopefully live on after I'm gone.

Sounds like you had a good time Jimmy.
Thats what its all about right there!

I played at a blues jam last night, first time as the bassist. It was different not playing guitar but very enjoyable. Most of the cats there are great players with vintage guitars - '57 Les Paul, '68 Telecaster, '59 Strat, etc. Real gear heads that know way too much about their instruments; most are collectors and have guitars that are worth more than some cars. But even though they're great players and have awesome gear, none of them could write a tune to save their life. So I felt some solace in the fact that I have created a body of work that will hopefully live on after I'm gone.

There's a whole bunch of blues "purists" who have NEVER even attempted to do anything original. I've had numerous battles with some of them when I explain that I perform covers AND originals. One guy in particular DIDN'T UNDERSTAND why I would even write an original blues song. There's got to be thousands of them so why create more? They usually have the vintage guitars, vintage amps, and play vintage blues, and they think your not being true to the blues if you want to write some new tunes. I'm NEVER playing in a covers only band. I refuse to do it. Anybody that plays with me is going to have to learn some originals. GET USED TO IT....

I played at a blues jam last night, first time as the bassist. It was different not playing guitar but very enjoyable. Most of the cats there are great players with vintage guitars - '57 Les Paul, '68 Telecaster, '59 Strat, etc. Real gear heads that know way too much about their instruments; most are collectors and have guitars that are worth more than some cars. But even though they're great players and have awesome gear, none of them could write a tune to save their life. So I felt some solace in the fact that I have created a body of work that will hopefully live on after I'm gone.

Amen !!!
I did a jam with Buddy Guy one time. Thank god I was on a bass. Thats my main squeeze. But same deal. Lots of guys with tons of money in guitars.
But ask any of them if they write. One guy said what for. Me, I have to write. Good or bad!!! See now bass isnt so bad. Im playing guitar in my band. Its different alright. hahahaha!

JIMMY Thankyou for putting your trax up, most appreciated.

Funny all of what your doing is BLUES. I agree with all you said playing with straight ahead blues players can be much fun. Your band is just trying to do it with a much harder edge. DON'T BELEIVE ME EH.......
Ever hear of a POP /BLUES BAND called RARE EARTH?????
Your first track "NOTHING BUT WRONG" Is a mirror of a song called "GET READY" ,,,,,RARE EARTH... [PRE RUI]
I am not trying to take any wind out of your sails ...I am only trying to point out some of you strengths,,,, blues. [Your smokin]
I had the opportunity to play in front of and old time blues player here on L.I. I stayed inside my first verse,solo, NO REACTION. SECOND VERSE SOLO..................
JUST BE MYSELF......... HAD HIM SMILIN EAR TO EAR I' M JUST A BLUES PLAYER EITHER JAZZIN OR ROCKIN STILL BLUES [my last posted song has both]

Funny all music is similar... Start somewhere ,Go somewhere, Maybe go home,or maybe go alittle further out,,,, then go HOME, Sound like the blues to you?????

REAL SCARY... The blues are a way to simplify all the CLASSICAL COMPOSERS,
Because they all did what I just said In the paragraph above
PAGANINI, Was doing Long before me, what I would like to do today.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, IMO blues is the easiest genre to play. How hard is it to play the same 12-bar structure over and over. Piece of cake, right? Yet, it's the hardest to master. There's tons of nuance to it. I've been in blues bands with people who played note-for-note, even tried to use the exact tone as the original recording. IT'S LAME, especially in a blues band. A lot of the frequent jammers DON'T GET IT. Blues isn't about copying note-for-note. It SHOULD be about wrenching emotion from your instrument. It SHOULD be about bearing your soul through your instrument. When you play in a blues band the audience SHOULD come away and say that guy put everything into every note, that vocalist made me FEEL it, that drummer made my feet MOVE. I get angry with blues "purists." Thank God Freddy King wasn't a blues purist. Thank God Stevie Ray Vaughan wasn't a blues purist. Thank God Muddy Waters wasn't a blues purist. Thank God they wrote their own material and interpreted the covers they performed THEIR way. You CANNOT scientifically reproduce blues and have the sound MOVE you. This is an emotional experience, that's why it's called the blues...

what you dont think I'm a blues player?

Blues is simple. Simple is HARD. I hate listening to the purists who never veer from the ol' 12 bar progressions to stretch the blues a tad, cuz I just get bored.

On guitar, as a solo, I play a lot of blues-INFLUENCED material, but not a single 12 bar, for this very reason. I figure that if that's what you want, there's plenty of places to get it other than from me. Yeah, I still call some of the stuff I do "blues," but it ain't the samo samo.

On bass, I've played a lot of blues at open mics, & sat in with some very good blues players, but it isn't my favorite thing to do.

I've noticed that, esp in blues, the flashier the guitarist, the simpler he wants the bass lines, as a rule, so with them, ya gotta just do that "thump thump" on the root & they'll tell ya you're great. With other, more average or open-minded players, you can stretch a bit, do some walks & such, & it's more fun, but the guitar heros want all the spotlight, all the time, & anything that's even slightly more complex on any other instrument (ESP bass!) is most unwelcome, even distracting to them. (Sometimes I love to stay simple until I feel that last song coming up, & then I'll cut loose with some triplets, or fast doubling of what he's doing, just to mess with him. I love the look I get when that happens, sometimes, esp if he's one of those pushy, bossy types!)

You can play simple and flashy at the same time. You can stick with 12 bar blues AND make it sound interesting. It's not the form, it's the content. You can throw fancy runs on bass within the 12-bar framework IF you work it out with the guitarist. It's not something that you can usually pull off at a jam session. That's why I don't like jam sessions. I like putting in stops and starts in unexpected places. I like combining two completely different songs into one song. I like putting bridges in songs that don't have them. I like ad-libbing some of my own lyrics in songs. You simply can't do that at jam sessions. Jam sessions end up being repetitive boring same old same old same old-IT'S TIME FOR ME TO GO. A really good blues band works material out beforehand, yet leaves enough room for on-the-spot improvisation. Stepping on a guitar player who has 12-bar blues on the brain is EASY. That's why jam sessions are invariably frustrating for me. The purists don't get it, never will. It's like they're so constipated their sh*t will turn into a diamond.

Yeah, I am a blues player and i agree you gotta put your heart into it to be any good but I love to strch it into all kinds of different stuff cause that keeps it fresh. About bass players. i just love our bass player, David Russel, Who once looked at me and said I love playin w/you guys cause you let me walk all over this thing and dont try to make me just thump it. he can do some smokin solos too.!! As for the purists, I think your either afraid or dont have anything else but the technical talent. Ive met the guy who plays lead in Chuck hall and the Brickwall and if you close your eyes youd swear he was stevie ray but personally i could interact w/ a dead fish better.LOL.