Tuesday, January 10, 2017

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 471 #516)

Accompaniment - Organ Sustain!!!

Welcome to 2017! We had a packed class in B1 last night and a bunch of new, ambitious tunes and arrangements.

Joe squeezed in a short talk about accompaniment playing utilizing a technique he calls organ sustain, which means playing a steady pad of tone, usually a chord, underneath other players in the band. Organ sustaining is deceptive because it seems so easy, but there is still room for error. Steady breath control is one challenge as is choosing the right chords throughout the song form.

Practice your organ sustaining this week and be ready to demo it for Joe in class next week.

Also remember that Joe can be all the more helpful to you if you communicate your goals to him. Take him aside; email him; speak up in class - let him know what areas you most want to work on and improve in so he can focus on that with you.

Class Notes
  • There's still time to sign up for this new session.
  • Special guest - mark your calendar for Feb 27 as we'll have PT Gazell joining us to talk about his jazzy approach to diatonic playing.

Filisko & Noden Webcast

Joe and Eric will be offering their next online performance on Thursday January 19. These live webcasts are more informal than Joe and Eric's usual concert. Fans can request songs, make comments and leave tips and harass the artists. Don't miss your chance to see the roots duo live from anywhere! The show can be viewed on a smart phone, tablet or computer at Concert Window.

January 19 @ 19:30 CET (Europe) 12:30pm CDT (US)

Skip To My Lou

Joe's 2016 contest results for Skip To My Lou are in:
  • Best technique, sound and tone - Kokomo Kachalon
  • Most lively and energetic - Al Nemcek
  • Best arrangement - Bob Kunze
  • Best artwork - Pat Clancy
  • Honorable mention - Cliff Weber
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew