I got a bit antsy about sitting out a session at the Old Town School. Of course, it didn't take long for me to swallowed up into a class - the Disco Ensemble. And once again my Thursday nights are booked.
There's some sort of cosmic equity going on here, of course. For those of you who remember disco's heyday, you'll remember which side of the fence you stood on - like Rush and White Castle hamburgers, you either loved it or hated it. I was on the hate side of disco (Rush and sliders, on the other hand) - in fact, back then anything that didn't meet my fancy was pretty much deemed worthless (the thought of making an objective argument out of musical tastes crossed my mind more than once back then). Disco seemed so...insipid. I saw it as some screwy way to bridge the gap between young folks and their parents, one of those "fun for the whole family" things that Jerry Seinfeld said ends up being no fun for anyone. That, I figured, accounted for disco's short shelf life - that and people cottoned on to the idea that the accompanying clothes looked stupid. I had a semi-leisure jacket back then and I'll attest: not my best fashion idea.
And thirty-five years later, look where I end up - playing drums on a bunch of disco songs. John, our instructor, hears nuances in the music that have slipped my ears, and he does a good job of arguing his point in between impromptu guitar lessons during the class. I tell myself "You're paying your dues - when you go to the great beyond, it'll be nothing but prog, and you'll be playing the oddest time signatures, right next to the guy on mellotron." Yup - I just keep telling myself that.
The class, however, isn't half bad. We have some good musicians and some rather good singers in the class. And, as I mentioned earlier, any practice is good practice. If nothing else, stomping on the hi-hat and bass drum on the 2 and 4 is a test in placing the drum seat in the right place so I don't end up getting shin splints.
And the songs? I'm trying to develop an appreciation for the songs, but I'm sorry - "Stayin' Alive," when you think about it, is rather silly. "Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk / I'm a woman's man..." Well, you sure couldn't tell from their singing. And Robin Gibb touting his masculinity is a bit like Lindsay Lohan lecturing on the Federalist Papers - it's a stretch. A real stretch.
Abba's "Dancing Queen" doesn't do much for me but affirm that the two guys in that band knew how to craft a pop tune. (For whatever reason, Abba always seemed to get off easier in my hierarchy than other pop bands at that time.) And The Emotions' "Best of My Love" was an eye opener for me. After those vocalists hit those high notes that influenced other glass-shatterers like Mariah Carey - I did learn something: the song speeds up a click or two. I think - correct me if I'm wrong - that it's Maurice White on drums. I'm a bit surprised that the song would speed up like that, but John and I are in agreement. So there you are - keep an open ear (and mind) and you'll be surprised what you'll learn.
I'm still wrestling with "Dream a Little Dream of Me." I'm getting the song down, but it's odd: once I learn one way to play the song, I'm okay. When I start using different chord voicings, however, is when I start getting a little tripped up. I guess I'm still on the "re-learning" curve with the guitar, but it'll take time. It'll come in time, though. Besides, the learning - at whatever level - is too much fun.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
A weekend on both sides of the stage
Saturday was the first gig of the year for me - playing drums with the Twangdogs and also the Rocky Horror Picture Show ensemble. Like many gigs I've played, it started with more people on stage than in the audience. When we kicked off with Richard and Linda Thompson's "Wall of Death", the musicians outnumbered the listeners seven to two, the two being Judy and a member of the Rocky Horror ensemble (the feature act, apparently).
At that point one of my personal rules kicked in: when the musicians outnumber the audience, it is no longer a gig. It is simply another practice. Once I get past that fleeting moment of disappointment that it's not a full house with a waiting list in the lobby, I go into a different mindset, and I tend to feel more relaxed. Fortunately, other musicians and friends appeared, so I was able to ease into the role of performer-musician rather than "just sittin' in" musician.
Then the Rocky Horror Picture Show ensemble took the stage. Many, about half of them, were fellow Twangdogs dressed in Rocky Horror-appropriate attire, including Rich in a passable Dr. Frank-N-Furter getup, replete in platform heroes. Steve Levitt, ensemble leader, played it rather safe in a pair of overalls. For me, though - dark shirt and jeans. I gave up dressing up for such occasions years ago - a benefit of age, if you ask me.
And the fun began. I felt hideously unprepared for the set. First off, I didn't sign up for the Rocky Horror class, so I never practiced with the other musicians. I spent Wednesday and Friday cramming - trying to learn as many of the songs as possible. It was a guessing game for me since I never did receive a set list. Some songs - "Time Warp," "Light at the Frankenstein Place," "Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me" - I had figured out. Fortunately, the other songs didn't have too many surprises - the movie is a musical, after all, so there won't be too many curves thrown - and I was able to get through the set without making a fool of myself.
I left feeling rather happy - the Rocky Horror set went much better than I expected, and I sensed an "end" of sorts of the Twangdogs. Not that we're breaking up, but that our set list was in dire need of some new blood. Yes, we're actually playing "Wagon Wheel", a song covered by some 85% of folk/country/rock bands in Chicago, and the subject of a Facebook post warning against cover bands playing overly tired songs. For all I know the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is covering "Wagon Wheel" and it wouldn't surprise me. Talking with Janna (fellow Twangdog and French maid in the Rocky Horror ensemble), it seems the time is right for all to start bringing new songs to the table.
Sunday Judy and I saw the opening night of The Slingshot Tour, featuring Aoife O'Donovan and Gabriel Lahane, at Space in Evanston. Aoife (pronounced Eva) is the lead singer for Crooked Still and has her own solo career as well. We saw her in August and found her songs, influenced by Suzanne Vega, to be quite good. (After the August show I described her music as being "autumnal," an assessment she apparently valued: "I love it!") Gabriel has a CD out (which we bought) and his music is rather difficult to describe. One song sounded as if Keith Jarrett recorded for Rounder Records (which I told Gabriel and he got a laugh out of it). Gabriel's songs are a bit edgier than Aoife's, but they both work well with each other and the tour should do well - at least I hope it does. These are two musicians (and the bassist, whose name escapes me right now, served the music quite well) deserving wider recognition.
And if anyone gets a chance to see a show at Space, I highly recommend it. Last night's show was one of the best-sounding shows I've ever heard (kudos to the soundman). The mix between voices and instruments was perfect. It was one of those shows that will stay with Judy and me - and for all the right reasons.
At that point one of my personal rules kicked in: when the musicians outnumber the audience, it is no longer a gig. It is simply another practice. Once I get past that fleeting moment of disappointment that it's not a full house with a waiting list in the lobby, I go into a different mindset, and I tend to feel more relaxed. Fortunately, other musicians and friends appeared, so I was able to ease into the role of performer-musician rather than "just sittin' in" musician.
Then the Rocky Horror Picture Show ensemble took the stage. Many, about half of them, were fellow Twangdogs dressed in Rocky Horror-appropriate attire, including Rich in a passable Dr. Frank-N-Furter getup, replete in platform heroes. Steve Levitt, ensemble leader, played it rather safe in a pair of overalls. For me, though - dark shirt and jeans. I gave up dressing up for such occasions years ago - a benefit of age, if you ask me.
And the fun began. I felt hideously unprepared for the set. First off, I didn't sign up for the Rocky Horror class, so I never practiced with the other musicians. I spent Wednesday and Friday cramming - trying to learn as many of the songs as possible. It was a guessing game for me since I never did receive a set list. Some songs - "Time Warp," "Light at the Frankenstein Place," "Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me" - I had figured out. Fortunately, the other songs didn't have too many surprises - the movie is a musical, after all, so there won't be too many curves thrown - and I was able to get through the set without making a fool of myself.
I left feeling rather happy - the Rocky Horror set went much better than I expected, and I sensed an "end" of sorts of the Twangdogs. Not that we're breaking up, but that our set list was in dire need of some new blood. Yes, we're actually playing "Wagon Wheel", a song covered by some 85% of folk/country/rock bands in Chicago, and the subject of a Facebook post warning against cover bands playing overly tired songs. For all I know the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is covering "Wagon Wheel" and it wouldn't surprise me. Talking with Janna (fellow Twangdog and French maid in the Rocky Horror ensemble), it seems the time is right for all to start bringing new songs to the table.
Sunday Judy and I saw the opening night of The Slingshot Tour, featuring Aoife O'Donovan and Gabriel Lahane, at Space in Evanston. Aoife (pronounced Eva) is the lead singer for Crooked Still and has her own solo career as well. We saw her in August and found her songs, influenced by Suzanne Vega, to be quite good. (After the August show I described her music as being "autumnal," an assessment she apparently valued: "I love it!") Gabriel has a CD out (which we bought) and his music is rather difficult to describe. One song sounded as if Keith Jarrett recorded for Rounder Records (which I told Gabriel and he got a laugh out of it). Gabriel's songs are a bit edgier than Aoife's, but they both work well with each other and the tour should do well - at least I hope it does. These are two musicians (and the bassist, whose name escapes me right now, served the music quite well) deserving wider recognition.
And if anyone gets a chance to see a show at Space, I highly recommend it. Last night's show was one of the best-sounding shows I've ever heard (kudos to the soundman). The mix between voices and instruments was perfect. It was one of those shows that will stay with Judy and me - and for all the right reasons.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
What? A gig? When?
Isn't it always the way: I took a break from playing drums with various Old Town School-related ensembles and bands because it just got a little too much for me towards the end of last year. I was playing with The Twangdogs, a group of Old Town School folks who share an affinity for Americana, roots rock, and country-rock, genres not too high on my preference list (but I get to play, they seem to enjoy having me, so it's not the worst thing); The Hot Tongues, a sporadic endeavor that covers songs from various decades (70's through the "Oh-ties," as I've heard it mentioned), and the 80's "MTV" ensemble at the Old Town School. Rarely do these projects space themselves out - if one group wants to do something at a certain time, they all do.
And so it is again. The Twangdogs will have a gig Saturday, and since most of them are in another OTS ensemble (covering the Rocky Horror Picture Show album), I've been asked to play both sets. One problem: I really don't know the songs in Rocky Horror outside of "Time Warp." The 80's Ensemble scheduled a practice on the same night the Twangdogs will be practicing, I've been asked to sit in with an Old Town ensemble on Thursdays, and a group I haven't played with in about three or four years may do a one-off on the 26th. "Can you find time to practice?" At this point, who knows? And why do all these opportunities happen at once? I suppose I should be flattered, and I am. It's nice to be asked to play with other people. Unfortunately, I'm not the superior musician who can dictate what and when I'll be playing and with whom. I've made some $150 or $200 over the course of my musical avocation (starting in 1989), so I guess I take what I can get. But it's a bit like German chocolate cake - I do like it, but too much at once can be a bit overwhelming. Of course, there's always the option of saying "no" to any or all of the gigs I mentioned. Strangely, "no" doesn't seem to be in my vocabulary.
And so it is again. The Twangdogs will have a gig Saturday, and since most of them are in another OTS ensemble (covering the Rocky Horror Picture Show album), I've been asked to play both sets. One problem: I really don't know the songs in Rocky Horror outside of "Time Warp." The 80's Ensemble scheduled a practice on the same night the Twangdogs will be practicing, I've been asked to sit in with an Old Town ensemble on Thursdays, and a group I haven't played with in about three or four years may do a one-off on the 26th. "Can you find time to practice?" At this point, who knows? And why do all these opportunities happen at once? I suppose I should be flattered, and I am. It's nice to be asked to play with other people. Unfortunately, I'm not the superior musician who can dictate what and when I'll be playing and with whom. I've made some $150 or $200 over the course of my musical avocation (starting in 1989), so I guess I take what I can get. But it's a bit like German chocolate cake - I do like it, but too much at once can be a bit overwhelming. Of course, there's always the option of saying "no" to any or all of the gigs I mentioned. Strangely, "no" doesn't seem to be in my vocabulary.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Of practice and CDs
I thought it might be a good idea - a belated New Year's resolution, perhaps - to learn and memorize one song a week. I think I have four under my belt so far:
Killing Me Softly
All My Loving
I'm Only Sleeping
Dream a Little Dream of Me
Okay, perhaps not attention-grabbing stuff at the local open mic, but it's something. I'm trying to heed my own advice - any time spent playing the instrument is time well spent. And I found that so much of my playing ability that rested in finger memory had gone away, but with patience and some nudging, that ability is returning. It also leads me to think about fretboard shortcuts - how many ways can a person make a D6 chord? I think that sense of exploration can be as important as the more married-to-the-sheet-music learning approach.
Of the new CDs
On the passing of Dave Brubeck, I felt compelled to buy two of his better-known works: Time Out and Time Further Out. I got a kick out of learning that "Time Further Out" was really an experiment in the blues, and course "Time Out" is a pure classic. Great Saturday morning listening.
(In fact, it's becoming a bit of a routine now for us to put 5 CDs in the CD player and program it to random. After a long week of work, workouts, and whatnot, it's good to have that downtime. I'm finding the 5-CD approach to mellowing out to be rather effective.)
I surprised Judy with a CD of two John Hartford albums: Aero-Plane and Morning Bugle. I thought that Aero-Plane would be easy to find, given that it's considered a New-grass classic album. I was surprised to find that Amazon didn't have it at the time (sometime last summer), but fortunately someone decided to put out both albums.
And for myself: Sounds that Can't Be Made by Marillion. I'm listening to "Gaza" as I write this: a 17:31 excursion into the world of those in the Gaza Strip, done in a rather haunting fashion and with as little side-taking as possible. After the last few albums of theirs that I got: Somewhere Else and Happiness is the Road Part 2, it's good to see these guys showing their more proggy side. And, to their credit, they can do the catchy four-minute song to show that they're not all 23 minutes of fairies and elves in 11/8 (though you won't find any four-minute hook-laden songs on this one - the shortest song on this new album is 5:44). Now to find the time, the time I haven't seem to find in months, to sit down and listen to a CD - really listen - and see what effect if has on me. I figure if an act spends some 12-18 months polishing up their latest effort, I can spare an hour or 80 minutes of my time.
Killing Me Softly
All My Loving
I'm Only Sleeping
Dream a Little Dream of Me
Okay, perhaps not attention-grabbing stuff at the local open mic, but it's something. I'm trying to heed my own advice - any time spent playing the instrument is time well spent. And I found that so much of my playing ability that rested in finger memory had gone away, but with patience and some nudging, that ability is returning. It also leads me to think about fretboard shortcuts - how many ways can a person make a D6 chord? I think that sense of exploration can be as important as the more married-to-the-sheet-music learning approach.
Of the new CDs
On the passing of Dave Brubeck, I felt compelled to buy two of his better-known works: Time Out and Time Further Out. I got a kick out of learning that "Time Further Out" was really an experiment in the blues, and course "Time Out" is a pure classic. Great Saturday morning listening.
(In fact, it's becoming a bit of a routine now for us to put 5 CDs in the CD player and program it to random. After a long week of work, workouts, and whatnot, it's good to have that downtime. I'm finding the 5-CD approach to mellowing out to be rather effective.)
I surprised Judy with a CD of two John Hartford albums: Aero-Plane and Morning Bugle. I thought that Aero-Plane would be easy to find, given that it's considered a New-grass classic album. I was surprised to find that Amazon didn't have it at the time (sometime last summer), but fortunately someone decided to put out both albums.
And for myself: Sounds that Can't Be Made by Marillion. I'm listening to "Gaza" as I write this: a 17:31 excursion into the world of those in the Gaza Strip, done in a rather haunting fashion and with as little side-taking as possible. After the last few albums of theirs that I got: Somewhere Else and Happiness is the Road Part 2, it's good to see these guys showing their more proggy side. And, to their credit, they can do the catchy four-minute song to show that they're not all 23 minutes of fairies and elves in 11/8 (though you won't find any four-minute hook-laden songs on this one - the shortest song on this new album is 5:44). Now to find the time, the time I haven't seem to find in months, to sit down and listen to a CD - really listen - and see what effect if has on me. I figure if an act spends some 12-18 months polishing up their latest effort, I can spare an hour or 80 minutes of my time.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
January 2 - Off to a slow start
Watching an episode of Downton Abbey last night, I was amused to hear a character say "Live every day like it's your last day on earth." If so, I hope I don't die on New Year's Day. Not every day is a "carpe diem" sort of day, but New Year's Day is usually one of the biggest wastes of time I can think of. Like so many others, I end up watching too much football, spending too much time on the couch, and eating too much. Perhaps we're all allowed a down day once in a while, but it always seems to be a down day that kicks off the new year.
As for music, I did find that having a guitar by the TV does come in handy. Not that I practiced that much yesterday - "dabbled" is more the operative word, but I did find, in the recent copy of Banjo Newsletter, a transcription of a solo for "Autumn Leaves." The chords were printed, so I took time to play the chords, enjoying the sense of my fingers returning to patterns that were once so familiar. And playing those bar chords helps strengthen the index finger. Now, to get Judy to take a stab at the tablature of that solo. Something to get her doing something a little different from "Li'l Darlin Pal of Mine" and the other songs that she's becoming rather familiar with (and getting good at, I have to admit).
Today I found on-line the chords to David Sylvian's "The Boy with the Gun" from his great Secrets of the Beehive album from 1987. I tried the chords out when I got home. Just like the internet to offer a transcription that was quick, easy - and sounded so wrong. I'm sure some of the chords are correct, but some of them I just don't hear. I guess the next step is to play the chords along with the song itself and listen to see how on the mark they are. I wouldn't mind playing that song at an open mic sometime - if I'm going to start playing more guitar, it would be nice to get out once in a while and play in front of some folks.
As for music, I did find that having a guitar by the TV does come in handy. Not that I practiced that much yesterday - "dabbled" is more the operative word, but I did find, in the recent copy of Banjo Newsletter, a transcription of a solo for "Autumn Leaves." The chords were printed, so I took time to play the chords, enjoying the sense of my fingers returning to patterns that were once so familiar. And playing those bar chords helps strengthen the index finger. Now, to get Judy to take a stab at the tablature of that solo. Something to get her doing something a little different from "Li'l Darlin Pal of Mine" and the other songs that she's becoming rather familiar with (and getting good at, I have to admit).
Today I found on-line the chords to David Sylvian's "The Boy with the Gun" from his great Secrets of the Beehive album from 1987. I tried the chords out when I got home. Just like the internet to offer a transcription that was quick, easy - and sounded so wrong. I'm sure some of the chords are correct, but some of them I just don't hear. I guess the next step is to play the chords along with the song itself and listen to see how on the mark they are. I wouldn't mind playing that song at an open mic sometime - if I'm going to start playing more guitar, it would be nice to get out once in a while and play in front of some folks.
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