Topic: What Other tunes are you working on?

[Slack]

As if country Blues is not enough.

As a side project to the Rockabilly band, which is a side project of Country Blues, I have a side project of Texas Swing (Western Swing to you commoners) - which means not much time for the main project.    In any case...

A couple of months ago I befriended a fellow who is lucky enough to be retired (moved to El Paso not too long ago as his his spouse is in the service) and who is a very good guitar and mandolin player - so I've been trying to hang out with him hoping some of his playing rubs off.  He was playing bluegrass (and has a beautiful Collings F-5) but has given up on that as there are no bluegrass players in El Paso (Old Time yes) and so we've been playing some Texas Swing, which is really a wonderful style (or styles).  I've been working on my swing rhythm guitar and vocals and he has been picking leads. I've been listening to Bob Wills (you Bob Wills listeners, feel free to take off in the Other Interests board), Milton Brown and his Musical Brownies, - have heard good things about Spade Cooley (recommendations anyone?), Asleep at the Wheel etc. I lived in Austin for 6 years, so listening to Asleep at the Wheel and Alvin Crow takes me back.  Anyway, here is what we've been playing - mostly due to by novice skill level and book I've been working out of (thanks Rivers, good recommendation and the spouse is not nearly as jealous of Marcy as she was of Rory  ).

Hey Good Lookin' (a swing version)
Roly Poly
Miss Molly
Deep Water
Milk Cow Blues
Take Me Back To Tulsa
... and some others only recently targeted

Cheers,
Slack

[unezrider]

hey slack,
thats an interesting (& good) bunch of tunes. i tried over the spring & summer to get into 'western' swing playing, but i got a little tripped up w/ the rhythm guitar in the eldon shamblin style. seemed like a lot to just jump into (not playing any jazz on the guitar to speak of). so i'm still at baby-steps w/ it.
but i've been on a big chuck berry kick lately, & some sun records-era elvis.
too many chuck berry to list, but the elvis includes 'mystery train', 'that's alright mama', 'good rocking tonight', 'baby, lets play house', 'milk cow boogie', 'just because', & i think i got the main part of the slow version of 'i'm left, you're right..'
the stuff in E seems to come pretty easy (like a simplified country blues) but the other stuff requires more patience still.
maybe i need to listen to more merle travis
-chris

[Slack]

but i got a little tripped up w/ the rhythm guitar in the eldon shamblin style. seemed like a lot to just jump into (not playing any jazz on the guitar to speak of). so i'm still at baby-steps w/ it.

Hey Chris, I'm a swing beginner as well - the closed position chords and progressions take a little getting used to, but the basics are not that hard.  Marcy Marxer is one rhythm book I've been working from.  Joe Carr puts out some good instruction as well... for both rhythm and lead. Lots of fun.

but the elvis includes 'mystery train', 'that's alright mama', 'good rocking tonight', 'baby, lets play house', 'milk cow boogie', 'just because', & i think i got the main part of the slow version of 'i'm left, you're right..'
the stuff in E seems to come pretty easy (like a simplified country blues) but the other stuff requires more patience still.

Nice selection of tunes, and 'simplified country blues' is a good way to put the E stuff, Scotty Moore was a country blues player - a very tasteful player at that.  And you can never have too many Elvis tunes! (well Sun era tunes that is )  Yeah, each genre has it's own challenges - but thats what makes western swing and rockabilly so interesting and fun to do -- a huge mix of styles and techniques.  So keep after it and have patience with yourself!

Cheers,

[unezrider]

hey slack,
thanks for the reply. i'll look up those guys you mentioned, & maybe that will help me along. for what it's worth, i have a western swing guitar dvd from homespun taught by ray benson that is really good. he goes over everything, but not real in depth into anything (if ya know what i mean). but he has a way of explaining things that makes it tangable. worth looking into, i think.
-chris