Topic: What tunes are you working on?

[waxwing]

Well dang. I was in the afternoon classes. That makes us fellow Miller's Learning-by-Ear Marines. Say hey next year.
All for now.
John C.

[banjochris]

Chris, any chance you might be thinkin' about headin' up to PT next year? I know we all would like to do some playin' with you.

I'd like to go. I went to Fiddle Tunes back in 2000 and had a blast. 2006 may be the year for blues, though. May have to treat myself for finishing college at long last...

Chris

[GhostRider]

Hi:

Thanks to the suggestions for tunes from 1931, I've selected Cheaters Blues by Charlie Jordan. It's a guitar-piano duet, but the guitar is most prominant, so it's fine as a solo.

It's in Standard tuning, E position, capo IV. Nice heavy time

It would be a good one for a male-female duet (are you listening Chipmonk Doug).

I'll report on progress.

Alex

[waxwing]

Good idea to revive this thread, Alex. What are some of you other folks workin' on?

Inspired by John M's description, I've gotten Bo Carter's Some Day sussed out and am gettin' close to puttin' the vocals to it. Has some very "interesting"  3 in the treble over 2 in the bass rhythmic moments and is also getting my right ring finger picking for the first time in years. Thanks John M.

Miller and I are working up Joliet Bound and playing it on our Duolians. I managed to suss out quite a few bits and pieces of the second guitar part. Some of it seems improvised and some seems the same each go-round. Behind the I chord in Bars 1,2,4and 5, where the front guitar is playing the signature lick, the second guitar, also in Spanish, seems to be playing an open 5th, 4th or 3rd string on the beats and either a bent 3rd fret 5th string or 2nd fret 4th string on the "ands", mixing it up a bit each time. But on the 4th verse gets off on the wrong foot and reverses it, which kinda sounds terrible, so the second guitar backs away from the mic for much of the verse. Then in the 5th verse does the same thing, realizes it, holds on the tonic open 5th string for the entire 2nd bar and then gets back on the beat in the 3rd bar. I think it's very unlikely that the singer, Kansas Joe, could be making these decisions, not to mention backing away from the mic, while singing so well, so I think Minnie is playing the second guitar on this number, and Joe is playing the front guitar part, which is identical in all verses. Anyway, Miller and I are sure havin' fun with it.

We're also tryin' to create some tightly arranged breaks for Miller's mando on Mississippi Blues. He takes some jammed leads on the boogie breaks, so I thought it would add more interest to work up some tight rhythmic variations on the verse backing type breaks. Might add some rack kazoo and jug, too.

I'm gettin' Fuller's Screamin' and Cryin' pretty polished up. Will perform it for the first time this Third Thursday and should get it up on the Back Porch over the weekend.

So what else are folks up to?

All for now.
John C.

[Slack]

Oh gosh, how do I explain this - I suppose I've got to come out of the closet at some point.

This goes back to a party at Christmas time and playing carols at a party with some buddies and lamenting the fact that we spend too much time playing to the bedroom walls.  So, to make a long story short -- we've formed a little band and have just begun attempting (2 practices so far) to play Swing and Jump Blues.  You know, Electric Country Blues?   

Actually, we are having a blast - I even bought a used Tele and tube amp off of eBay  - although what I really need to play this style is an archtop with dual humbuckers... and some cool sunglasses.  Last time I played electric guitar in earnest was about 40 years ago.   

There is another guitar player, pretty green, who also plays harp. A bass player who is pretty good, trying to break out of the box - his son is a professional musician so he has lots of equipment just laying around the house.  And a very talented keyboard guy (by far our most talented musician, very excited to play with him), who comes from a classical and jazz background, but can boogie, plays stride piano and also plays sax.   

So, guess who is dictating the style?    We are working on Milk Cow Boogie, some T-Bone Walker stuff (T-Bone Shuffle and Love is a Gamble), and I'll soon target stuff like Little Johnny Jones "Hoy, Hoy".  Uh, we have a ways to go - and needless to say our respective spouses cannot quite believe it.

Hop, Skip and Jump,
Slack

[uncle bud]

Great Gawdawmighty... Slack's gone electric. Who's yelling Judas first?

As usual, I can't keep my Sesame Street brain on one thing, so have been all over the place. Partly working on some McTell. Skip James. But also continuing my adventures in Spanish, following off Suitcase Full of Blues: my own "arrangement" of Tommy Johnson's Maggie Campbell, Joe Calicott's France Chance (or possibly another title - I think Fat Possum mixed them up, can't recall).

Slack, the quote oracle is up to its old tricks. I swear this is what came up as I was posting this reply: "The electric guitar is a fraud; the sound rings because of the electricity, not because of the player - Mance Lipscomb, speaks his mind." I'd take that as a sign from some powerful forces. Repent before it's too late!

[GhostRider]

So, to make a long story short -- we've formed a little band and have just begun attempting (2 practices so far) to play Swing and Jump Blues.  You know, Electric Country Blues?   

David Lee Dodson:

Quisling! Turncoat! Fifth columnist! Don't you know what happened to Dylan (not to mention Bruce C.) after they went electric!

I new that all those tequilas there in Oct. had done something to your brain.

Can't wait to hear "Wooly Bully" on the  Back Porch

Next will be Bobby Bland's "Love Throat"

Has Steph reconciled herself to the fact that her beloved husband has lost it.

Eeek,
Alex

(P.S. best of luck)

[Johnm]

Hi John D.,
Sounds like great fun, and I think playing with other people is really a kick when you're most accustomed to playing solo.  See if you can get your band to do Jimmy Lee Williams "Hoot Your Belly"--I'd love to hear that one.
All best,
Johnm

[Slack]

Thanks for the well wishes.  Yes, it has been a kick so far -- my other options for playing with others is Old Time and a swing band has much more appeal for me. I really need to play with others and I can't help but think that it will improve my playing, which often suffers from neglect.

Thanks for the song suggestion Johnm (we need them!) -- I'll check out 'Hoot Your Belly'!

[uncle bud]

Yes, all kidding aside about Slack going electric (need a wah-wah pedal, Slack?), playing with others in a band situation is much fun. I'm also of the opinion that it is great for your sense of time and phrasing. There is an overall communal structure and pulse going on that you need to follow (and drive for that matter), and it's feel that gets ingrained in your head eventually. I'd say that it will make any solo performance stronger as well.

[Rivers]

Good on you Slack. Lots of jazz/swing repertoire to plunder from Bob Wills, Merle Travis, Hank W etc., not to mention the standards.

[Slack]

Yo Rivers, you and I may need to sneak off at PT and do some swing progressions. 

[GhostRider]

Yo Rivers, you and I may need to sneak off at PT and do some swing progressions. 

Or some Andy Kim!

Alex

[Norfolk Slim]

Electric guitars!  Ughhhhh.

Good luck with it Slack, but watch you aren't enticed too far by the dark side!

As it happens, I recently joined a small band myself.  Its really the first time I've played with others and its tough, but fun.  We have a gig on April 9th and Im desperately trying to learn to play rhythm, and 25 new songs.

Here's my confession:  Its (gasp) folk and pop type music for the most part.  Pretty much no blues at all.  Not really my thing, but still enjoyable.  4 of us- two vocalists one of whom plays sax and penny whistles and two guitarists, one of whom plays some nice mandolin (not me).  Trying to stick to quirky arrangements or songs which is nice. Theyve expressed some interest in doing a rag of some kind and Im proposing Papa Charlie Jackson's Loan me Your Heart as taught by John M last summer...  Ill let you all know if it happens 

[uncle bud]

Yo Rivers, you and I may need to sneak off at PT and do some swing progressions. 

Or some Andy Kim!

Alex

LOL!