Nice band practice tonight with Gospel of Mars. Been tough coordinating schedules since we all have rich lives and travel. Feel blessed to be a part of such a great crew.
Tonight we worked on new material, specifically on the rhythm. Rhythm is everything. EVERYTHING! When I was kid I listened to the Jimi constantly. Of course I wanted to be a flashy lead player but discovered that he was actually an okay lead player but an outstanding rhythm player. That part is much harder to grasp. Without it there is little to invent. Our group works on beats and riffs. We really push each other out of our comfort zones. "Jef, think outside the box on this one!" sez Mr. Moore on drums. Not easy for me to do so I'm glad to work with a non jazz jazz group to keep me reaching for something fresh. Otherwise, I'll easily be lulled to sleep playing things that I think sound good.
Melody is what comes last to me. I keep hearing folk melodies with the pieces we are working on. I like to think of us as a folk band more than anything else. Good jazz is folk music to me, so is good rock n roll. It tells a story. When I hear folk music from another land in another language I can pretty much tell what they are singing about just based on how it feels. Music is a universal language that way. It's for folks. I like to keep the melodies simple and that is the hardest part for me! KISS....
Keep It Simple Sexy!
J1
Tonight we worked on new material, specifically on the rhythm. Rhythm is everything. EVERYTHING! When I was kid I listened to the Jimi constantly. Of course I wanted to be a flashy lead player but discovered that he was actually an okay lead player but an outstanding rhythm player. That part is much harder to grasp. Without it there is little to invent. Our group works on beats and riffs. We really push each other out of our comfort zones. "Jef, think outside the box on this one!" sez Mr. Moore on drums. Not easy for me to do so I'm glad to work with a non jazz jazz group to keep me reaching for something fresh. Otherwise, I'll easily be lulled to sleep playing things that I think sound good.
Melody is what comes last to me. I keep hearing folk melodies with the pieces we are working on. I like to think of us as a folk band more than anything else. Good jazz is folk music to me, so is good rock n roll. It tells a story. When I hear folk music from another land in another language I can pretty much tell what they are singing about just based on how it feels. Music is a universal language that way. It's for folks. I like to keep the melodies simple and that is the hardest part for me! KISS....
Keep It Simple Sexy!
J1
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