Tuesday, November 22, 2011

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 246 #289)

Temperature!!!

Heat up on a cold November night by working on Temperature from Little Walter! This is likely the first in a series of tunes we'll be studying from Walter, which ties in with our friend Shoji's recent obsession with Little Walter play-along tracks! We love this theme!

This is primarily a one chord tune with a 12 bar solo section. Joe viewed it as a nine bar form over this one chord...and Shoji counted it as an 8 bar form with 3 extra beats, so there you go!

There is no disagreement though that the power of this "blue-collar, meat and potatoes solo that hits you with tone" is rooted in the blues scale, which is primarily inhale notes in second position. There are a minimum of exhale notes on the page. As Joe says, if you want to have maximum blues impact in your playing, you cannot be exhaling 50% of the time. Your body may want to exhale, but that is not blues playing!
              Argentinian Harp Players!!!

              - thanks to our newest B1 friend, Eduardo, for sharing this list of harp players from his native Argentina who you should check out:

              Harmonica Players from Argentina that you can find onwww.grooveshark.com

              - Walter Gandini

              - Adrian Jimenez (Chicago Style)

              - Chevy Rockets (Rock n' Roll / Blues band) whose lineup has had various good harmonica players...(and a great singer Joe Cocker style)...you might want to listen to a bluesy version of Nostalgias, a traditional tango.

              - Luis Robinson y Los Champagne Jumps

              - Franco Luciani: The country's best chromatic player by far....he plays a lot of tango and argentine folk music.

              - Mariano Massolo: probably regarded as one of the best techincally....he plays more jazz than others and some overblows.

              ...on youtube you can find all of the above plus:

              - Sandra Vazquez: for example you can search "La mama de Jimmy - León Gieco y Sandra Vazquez"

              - Natacha Seara
              Ron Sorin and the Blue Coast Band CD Release!!!

              We're excited to announce that our local harp legend, Ron Sorin, has released a new CD, Lake City! This disc is loaded with special guests: Tad Robinson, Mark Skyer, Marty Binder, Harlan Terson, Mark Wydra, Ken Saydak, John Brumbach, Pete Benson and James Wheeler! You can find this on CD Baby if you can't wait for his visit and CD release party in B1 in January!

              Congrats Ron!
              Two New Jams!!!

              Get out and play at these two upcoming jams:

              Open Mic at the Horseshoe
              Wed, November 30th, 8pm
              4115 N. Lincoln
              Hosted by the Amoreys/Andy Willis

              Chicago's Old Time Jamboree at Dolce Casa
              Sat, December 3, 7:00pm
              4749 N. Damen
              Hosted by The Wren & the Whistler
              (BYOB. No cover.)
              Class Notes
              • Next week in class you should be ready to practice transitions - play the end of one song and launch quickly into the next so that you can make this happen at recital. Impersonate a pro!
              • Congratulations to David Kachalon, Ginny Morin and Skip Landt for leading their band Strictly Jug Nuts to a win in the battle of the jug bands!
              - Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew