Tuesday, December 6, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 470 #515)

Playing On the Vocal Mic!!!

We had a little harp amp trouble in class last night, which led to people needing to play on the vocal mic and after performances, Joe spent some time doing review of the best way to approach the vocal mic as a harp player. What does he NOT recommend? Lifting it from the stand and hand-holding it. This does not sound great and has a very high probability that you will shred people's ears and just not come off looking or sounding like a pro.

Far better to work at your hand technique at the vocal mic with it mounted. This gives you both hands as well as your head tone to work with. Sure, it has the drawback of hampering your dance moves, but the trade-off is great tone.

Joe also made the point that everyone should learn to feel comfortable playing on the vocal mic this way, even if your preference is playing amplified. Amps fail. Bullet mics fail. So the vocal mic is a ready replacement if there's technical trouble. And perhaps more convincing, in Joe's mind, is that it is a valuable piece of your set to vary your sound by playing on the vocal mic some.

Joe also shared his Level 1-3 technique list, which is appropriate to all of us as we continue to discuss accompaniment. These techniques are the basis for accompaniment playing, so be sure to familiarize yourself with them.

Class Notes
  • Final Take - we'll record again in the Performance Class next week.
  • Next week is the deadline for anyone submitting an entry in Joe's Skip To My Lou contest.
  • And next week is the last class of the session, so be sure to get registered for the next session starting in January.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 469 #514)

Accompaniment Playing!!!
 
It was another great evening of performances last night as people hone their songs for recording at the end of this session, followed by a lot of time dedicated to accompaniment playing. Students had the chance to practice the two draw exercise we worked on last week and Joe ended with a brief sample of using the headshake tastefully in the holes. More on that soon.

Class Notes
  • Final Take - we'll record again in the Performance Class, December 12. Use remaining class time to focus on fine-tuning your song.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 468 #513)

Accompaniment Playing!!!
 
B1 workshopped our accompaniment playing again last night. This time Joe reduced fill options to only one hole - players were allowed the two draw (root) and the two draw full bend (flat seventh) plus the transition tones between. The point of reducing to so few choices is that playing fills is perhaps the most difficult of the accompaniment techniques and people fall for the temptation to "noodle". Working with just this hole shows blues horsepower and that simplicity can be powerful.

The other things to learn here with this exercise are: A) INHALE! and B) blues is dissonance and resolving. Bending up to the root accomplishes that for you.

(Ok, you're also allowed the one draw in the turnaround, but only there.)

At the end it was good also to hear Joe demo the same technique. People should be practicing this at home with play-along songs and we'll do it again next week.

Class Notes
  • Final Take - we'll record again in the Performance Class, December 12. Use remaining class time to focus on fine-tuning your song.
  • Mark your calendars for Joe's next Harlem Avenue Lounge Harmonica Party, November 29.
  • Holiday music - Joe has video of him playing I Saw Three Ships up on his Facebook Store page.
  • Happy Thanksgiving!

Bookshelf

 
The first ever English language book about John Lee is out:

John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson: The Blues Harmonica of Chicago's Bronzeville written by Mitsutoshi Inaba

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 467 #512)

Accompaniment Playing!!!
B1 welcomed Joe back from Europe last night and quickly returned to our accompaniment playing discussion. After giving a few people opportunity to try their hand, Joe talked about and demonstrated how three primary things can get you through accompaniment AND you'll sound terrific doing it! Focus on:
  • a chordal effect that uses the 5 draw as the primary melody note - head shake, rapid vamping, tongue shake
  • a slide from 4 draw down to 2 draw
  • bends up, usually from the 2 draw fully bent
If you're paying attention you'll notice the theme above is inhaling. That's where maximum blues horsepower resides.

Joe also points out there is accompaniment info to be gleaned from his Level 1 teaching material, which you can buy and download here.

Practice at home and be ready in class for more attention on this topic.

Class Notes
  • Final Take - we'll record again in the Performance Class, December 12. You should be ready to declare your recording tune in class next week so the band knows what you're up to and can be prepared. And you should be using remaining class time to focus on fine-tuning your song.
  • Mark your calendars for Joe's next Harlem Avenue Lounge Harmonica Party, November 29.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 466 #511)

Accompaniment Playing!!!
 
We opened the floor to some more accompaniment practice and exercise last night. A couple students took advantage of the opportunity and we worked with very simple accompaniment ideas - 4/5 headshake, anyone? - to illustrate that there's more to think about than just notes, licks and phrases. It's also very important to pay attention to when you're playing accompaniment - all the time? just in the vocal holes? just before the holes?; and how loud or soft you're playing and with what kind of tone.

Because there's so much to think about, start simple. And if you missed last night, have no fear. We'll continue to offer the chance to stretch your accompaniment muscles!

Class Notes
  • Joe will be back next week! All classes run at normal times.
  • Mark your calendars for Joe's next Harlem Avenue Lounge Harmonica Party, November 29.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 465 #510)

Learning from Recording!!!
Joe has always been a huge proponent of recording yourself - by which he usually means during practice - but we figured there is something to be learned from our Final Take recording session a couple weeks back.

Al Taylor, who spends a LOT of time with everyone's takes as he mixes them, shared some general thinking about areas people could improve their performances. It was a great discussion and led to a little test of mic and volume control. Our contention is people are not listening and altering their sound based on what comes out of the amp or the PA and that's really all that matters because that's what the audience and the recording hears. So we put a student through a little volume control trial with good success.

Remember that next week we're open to either trial you may be interested in - volume control or accompaniment playing!

Class Notes

  • Joe will be out of town through Nov 7. Private lessons fall out, but group classes continue as usual with Zoe and Grant taking the helm. Note that Rhythm & Chording classes will start a half hour earlier at 2:00pm.
  • Mark your calendars for Joe's next Harlem Avenue Lounge Harmonica Party, November 29.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 464 #509)

Accompaniment Practice!!!
 
With last week's recording behind us, B1 was lit up with lots of new songs last night and it was a great time. Once formal performances were behind us, we spent some time on accompaniment playing. Grant and Mike sang while others took turns getting comfortable with fills and we're all learning what works and doesn't by listening to examples.

Spend some time this week listening to recordings of harp players backing others to get a feel for what they do well and we'll be sure to get more of this practice happening in class!

Class Notes
  • It's not too late to register for classes this session.
  • Joe will be out of town through Nov 7. Private lessons fall out, but group classes continue as usual with Zoe and Grant taking the helm. Note that Rhythm & Chording classes will start a half hour earlier at 2:00pm.
  • Mark your calendars for Joe's next Harlem Avenue Lounge Harmonica Party, November 29.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 463 #508)

Final Take!!!
 
We laid down multi-track recordings last night to wrap up another great 8 week session in the Performance Class. People sounded great, both on vocals and harp playing. And a big shout out is due to Highway RickEy who hauls in and sets up recording equipment and to Al Taylor who now spends tons of time mixing and massaging the files into Final Takes!

Class Notes
  • New session at Old Town starts next week - be sure to get signed up for classes so the school knows you're coming.
  • Joe will be out of town through Nov 7. Private lessons fall out, but group classes continue as usual with Zoe and Grant taking the helm. Note that Rhythm & Chording classes will start a half hour earlier at 2:00pm.
  • Mark your calendars for Joe's next Harlem Avenue Lounge Harmonica Party, November 29.

Grant Kessler at the Harmonica Meetup
 
Our own Grant Kessler is playing a short set and then speaking on improvisation at this month's Harmonica Meetup tomorrow night in Forest Park. Don't miss it - full details here.





- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 462 #507)

Recording Rehearsal!!!
It was a great night of song rehearsal for our multi-track recording next week. Tunes are sounding great!

And as Joe heads off to Europe touring with Eric for a month, our own Jim Lucas penned a little send off ditty. Have a listen here!

Class Notes
  • Joe will be out of town Oct 17 through Nov 7. Private lessons fall out, but group classes continue as usual with Zoe and Grant taking the helm. Note that Rhythm & Chording classes will start a half hour earlier at 2:00pm.
  • Performance Class records Oct 17.
 - Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 461 #506)

Accompaniment Playing!!!
We had extra time last night and invited Richard to sing one. Joe recruited an accompaniment player and suddenly we had an impromptu accompaniment lesson happening! Two others played through the same song - cheers to Richard for slogging through it three times for us! - and we all got a great chance to hear three approaches and to learn from all of them.

We talked about how important it is to listen and respond to the vocalist, filling holes, taking volume cues from them and knowing just how to support without swamping the singer. It takes practice of course and everyone should know we're always open to you backing someone up in B1 in order to get practice and critique.

Joe wrapped up too by saying that for his taste, one of the best traditional Chicago Blues accompaniment players on the scene right now is Martin Lang, so catch him in action and learn from him when you can.

Class Notes
  • Joe will be out of town touring Europe Oct 17 through Nov 7. Private lessons fall out, but group classes continue as usual with Zoe and Grant taking the helm. Note that Rhythm & Chording classes will start a half hour earlier at 2:00pm.
  • Performance Class records Oct 17 - be sure the band knows what you're going to record.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 460 #505)

Repertoire!!!
We had a great night of song practice and discussion last night. Remember you should be working to choose and polish your song for the recording on October 17. Most people declared their tune for the band last night, but if you haven't, be ready to do so next week.

Joe and RickEy talked a little about practice last night. RickEy made the point that his deep repertoire is so active and can be called up so quickly because of the depth of his practice on songs when he first learned them - they're solidly ingrained that way. As Joe says too, do not confuse practice with play. Practice is WORK; play is FUN. Do both, but separate them.

Reminder too from Joe that there is value and learning going on in class when Joe's talking to someone else about their play. Pay attention to critique and discussion that isn't pointed directly at you and learn from it.

Shout out to Dennis Gruenling for sending a guest to visit us from Chile last night. It was great to have Daniela Sepulveda visit. B1 always loves guests!

Class Notes
  • Joe will be out of town touring Europe Oct 17 through Nov 7. Private lessons fall out, but group classes continue as usual with Zoe and Grant taking the helm.
  • Note from Shoji: "The Blues Blast Music Awards winners were announced in Champaign, IL  last week. I want to thank everybody who voted for me. Grant and I will start working on the next cd soon."

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 459 #504)

Blues Scale Use!!!
YMM's editor was out fishing, so he missed Tuesday. Sorry 'bout that and hat tip to Al Taylor for reporting:

Blues Scale Skill
Two performances Monday evening happened to use a riff-based groove, one a box shuffle and another a “Born in Chicago” type bass line. Joe emphasized the importance of being able to play over these and other blues scale based songs, using the riffs and phrases you already know. “Keep it simple and stick to the blues scale notes,” he said, further adding that this is so important he would be happy to stick around after any class and “jam” a little with anyone who wants to practice.

Blues Rumba
Next up Joe sang a rumba with David K. providing capable harp accompaniment. In this case the blues scale is a little “too much”. It’s not really wrong, and some may even like it, but the rumba’s more “major” sound is a much better fit with the major pentatonic scale.

Spotters are Priceless!!
Whenever you perform, always have a spotter to check sound levels in the audience, keep a watchful eye on stage activities and appearance. Give yourself a chance to perform at your best!

A Couple Reminders
  • Don’t forget to invite someone else to do a solo when you perform.  It’s good etiquette if you are at a jam session and it’s also important that you can smoothly handle the necessary band communication and arrangement transitions.
  • Joe will be out on tour beginning October 17, 2016.  That is that same night we will be running a Recording Session, so Grant and the rest of the B1 Blues Band will be ready to support your chosen arrangement. 
- Grant Kessler and Al Taylor, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 458 #503)

Repertoire!!!
 
With both the Performance and the Level III classes in mind, Joe's been thinking about the word repertoire and has some refinements on the term to share:

Active Repertoire - anything you can play right now, at a moment's notice

Inactive Repertoire - anything you need a short refresher or rehearsal time for

And then he has a couple subdivisions in the Active category:

Playing Repertoire - your eyes are closed; you're distracted concentrating on the tune; you are not selling it

Performing Repertoire - you are selling it and you look like you're entertaining the audience and yourself

Joe points out that most people would much rather hear you play an easy song well as opposed to a complicated tune that you struggle with. So give some time to revisiting early, simpler songs you learned, dust them off and see the value in having them in your Active Repertoire. You can sell these!

Class Notes
  • No news.
Naito Play-along tracks on YouTube
 
Shoji's started uploading his play-along tracks to YouTube, so check 'em out and watch for more:

Joke As Is
Joke 12 bar version
Family Jewel Blow
Family Jewel Blow real tempo version

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 457 #502)

Performance Coaching!!!
 
Welcome back! We're excited to have a new student Richard in class to bring us a new voice and harp sound!

Reminder that this session will end with an in-class, multi-track recording session, so you should be thinking about what tune you want to record, declare it to the band, and begin regular woodshedding of it in class so we can get it polished.

Class Notes
  • No class next week. We know you're excited to be back, but Old Town takes the Labor Day holiday off next Monday. See ya in two.
Filisko & Noden Online Concert
 
Joe and Eric will be offering their next online performance on September 1st. These live webcasts are more informal than Joe and Eric's usual concert. Fans can request songs, make comments and leave tips. 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.

September 1 @ 19:30 CET (Europe) 12:30pm CDT (US)  Live online show. Get your ticket and watch at Concert Window.com.






- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 456 #501)

Performance Coaching!!!
 
There were performances Monday night with interesting adjustments to band direction, signaling, dynamics and more. It’s great to hear Joe’s suggestions in a forum that allows everyone to learn and grow.

We had two guests from Italy, Giuseppe and Julio, who treated us to a performance of their new single, “Linner,” available on iTunes now.  Here's the link.

Class Notes
  • The Old Town School of Music will be closed for two weeks, after which the new session will begin on August 29, 2016.  The following Monday it will be closed for the Labor Day holiday.
- Al Taylor, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 455 #500)

Performance!!!

Performances last night were terrific, including some mean triangle playing from Leo on a Cajun tune!

Though we're not recording this session, people are starting to focus their attention on tunes they'd like to polish for next session's recording, so be thinking about yours.

Class Notes
  • Joe's back next week for the last class of the session - be sure to get yourself registered for the next one.
Ready Or Not

What's Dennis Gruenling up to? He's just released his second disc on VizzTone Records, Ready Or Not!
 
This is killer harp from Dennis and, as he puts it, "all originals rooted in the 1950’s Rhythm & Blues/early Rock & Roll vein". It features the Doug Deming & The Jewel Tones band, and, if that's not enough for you, Dennis is doing all the singing on this one!

Get yours at  iTunes or Amazon now.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 453 #449)

Performance!!!
 
Performances in B1 were rockin' last night, including guest Bruce from Germany sitting in for a tune. Karsten Meinel was also visiting and he represents the Mundharmonika Live festival in Klingenthal, Germany. Get yourself to Deutschland in September sometime for this great looking festival: Mundharmonika Live.

Joe made a couple performance suggestions after we played last night. First off, he strongly recommends that you learn to plant a "spotter" in the audience at gigs (and practice it in B1) who gives you visual feedback on your volume. And speaking of volume, in class you should be working closely with your sound guy (namely Joe) on amp and vocal mic volume. Have questions? Make that part of your learning in the Performance class and get a better handle on volume control.

Class Notes
  • Joe's away next week and all group classes proceed as normal with Zoe and Grant at the helm. Private lessons with Joe are cancelled.
  • Rhythm & Chording class meets from 2:00-3:30pm next week.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew






Wednesday, July 20, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 453 #498)

Performance!!!
 
The eight o'clock Performance Class had a good time Monday night running through new tunes people are working on.

And with Joe away for a week, we gave RickEy the floor to talk a few minutes about tracking your practice time within different categories so you're sure to be hitting the various types of things you should be spending focused time on.

His handout outlining practice categories is here, and you should consider getting a tracking app such as ATracker, plugging the categories you think make sense for your growth into it and take your practice time seriously by tracking (and graphing!) how you spend your time.

One of the categories he talked about was ear training and he has a bunch of practice tracks he's designed and willing to share here. They play a few tones in a given key and your job is to play back what you hear. Think it's easy? Try the same thing in a different position!

Class Notes
  • Joe's back next week and all classes proceed as normal.
  • But Joe will be away again for one week, August 1.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 452 #497)

Performance Analysis!!!
The eight o'clock Performance Class continues to break down and workshop peoples' tunes. We dig in on beginnings, endings, count-offs and more, giving people a chance to practice and learn from the band and Joe about the best approaches to things.

Don't miss next week when Highway RickEy gives a short talk on practice tracking and discipline using a cool phone app.

Class Notes

  • No Joe next week, but all group classes proceed as normal with Zoe and Grant taking the lead. No private lessons with Joe.
  • Rhythm & Chording class meets early next week at 2:00pm.

Vote for Shoji Naito in Blues Blast Music Awards
 
It's time for you to do your civic duty and VOTE!

Shoji's new CD, New Cool Old School, is nominated for a Blues Blast Magazine Award and the people vote, so go here and cast your vote for his new disc!

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 451 #496)

Performance Analysis!!!

The eight o'clock Performance Class make great progress last night working on peoples' performances! We workshopped tunes people are working on, giving them a chance to repeat them, restart them, polish endings and such. It is a great chance for people to practice and work out things with a band that they can't do at home with a practice track. There is also the advantage of getting feedback on the spot from not just Joe, but also the band and others in the class.

It was a great evening of growing and improving.

Class Notes
  • No class next week - Fourth of July.
  • No recording this session in the Performance Class due to scheduling difficulties and people being away a lot over the summer, but we'll bring it back in the fall. Nothing stops you from starting to workshop a tune now though.
  • Speaking of schedules, Joe will be away July 18 and August 1 - no private lessons with him those dates, but all group classes will proceed as normal with Zoe and Grant stepping in as subs.
Shoji Naito Nominated in Blues Blast Music Awards
 
Blues Blast Magazine announced their 2016 Blues Blast Music Award nominees and Shoji Naito's first CD, New Cool Old School, is on the list in the New Artist Debut Album category!

Fan voting to determine the winners begins July 1, and continues until August 15 on the Blues Blast Magazine website. Voting is free and open to anyone who is a Blues Blast Magazine subscriber. Blues Blast Magazine subscriptions are always FREE and you are automatically signed up as part of the voting process.

Congrats, Shoji!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 450 #495)

New Session Kicks Off!!!
 
It was a great night of performances in B1 as we kicked off a new Old Town session! We took time to stop to discuss songs, band communication, beginnings and endings and everyone learned a lot from the open dialog.

Joe passed out his handout of skills and topics he's listening for as he comments on our playing - be sure to pick up a copy from him and review it.

Class Notes
  • It's not to late to register for this session!
  • No recording this session in the Performance Class due to scheduling difficulties and people being away a lot over the summer, but we'll bring it back in the fall. Nothing stops you from starting to workshop a tune now though.
  • Speaking of schedules, Joe will be away July 18 and August 1 - no private lessons with him those dates, but all group classes will proceed as normal with Zoe and Grant stepping in as subs.
  • Lost and Found - Joe found a pair of nice glasses in B1 that might belong to a harp player or guest. They are Prada frames and are in an Oakley case. Seems like they might have even been left over from last week. If they're yours, call the Old Town office and ask about them in Lost and Found.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 449 #494)

I Ain't Got You!!!
 
We wrapped up our study of I Ain't Got You last night. Grant did an instrumental version following last week's conversation about turning the tune into an instrumental and Shoji played the three versions under most scrutiny - Billy Boy and also two takes from Jimmy Reed.

Two takes from Jimmy Reed? Yep, there are two. One you'll find on the Veejay 6 CD box set, and the other is on the Complete Singles disc. You should compare them and likely you'll hear:
  • a different harp solo
  • looser drumming on one, which RickEy figures must be the 'rehearsal' take
  • a couple missing beats on one version
Good workout for your listening skills!

Class Notes
  • New session starts next week - be sure to register!
  • Clarification: We celebrated Shoji's 20 years with us in B1 last night. His blues knowledge and dedication, harp playing, guitar playing and musical arrangement support have been amazing assets that we've all benefited from. He is "moving on" from the 8pm Performance Class and won't be joining us any longer, but he's still around - he has a full day of private lesson slots available on Mondays at Old Town, so sign up to study one-on-one with him. He is a great resource to help you workshop songs you want to be performing at 8:00pm in B1. Thanks Shoji!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 448 #493)

I Ain't Got You!!!
 
An impromptu question in class led to most of our discussion last night - We've heard Joe and Cornell Dupree do instrumental versions of I Ain't Got You now; how should a player think about converting a vocal tune into an instrumental? And in particular, is there such a thing as too much repetition of a melody like the vocal melody in I Ain't Got You?

A good discussion ensued and Joe and Shoji both agreed melody is king and repetition is good. Play the melody well; allow for tiny color and tonal variations in it, and then remember the solo section allows for looser play.

Shoji demonstrated with an off-the-cuff guitar version and we'll look into this topic more next week with a couple examples.

Class Notes
  • Next week is the last class of the session. Be sure to sign up now for the next eight weeks.
  • Blues Fest! Get out and see how the pros do it!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 447 #492)

I Ain't Got You!!!
 
Highway RickEy took our study of I Ain't Got You into the 60's this week by listening to the blues rock bands that were covering the song. He emphasized that the first wave of such bands, mostly out of England, idolized the original blues players and worked hard to cover their tunes with great respect and strong knowledge of the originals.

We listened to covers like the Yardbirds' version with Eric Clapton soloing on guitar, a vocal melody that sounds a little Everly Brothers-ish and Keith Relf on harp. He also shared a John Mayall version that has John on harp.

Then, to everyone's enjoyment, RickEy introduced us to a session guitar player named Cornell Dupree who put out an instrumental version of I Ain't Got You that is really a beautiful take. You know Dupree indirectly from his work on things like Rainy Night In Georgia and Aretha Franklin's Respect. Find this version of him doing I Ain't Got You over a flat tire groove and you can get some respect for his blues chops.

We wrapped with a Sugar Blue version that he plays in third position. RickEy notes he plays the recurring lick on the same holes in third that one would in second position, giving it a harmony version rather than an exact duplication of the original lick. Check it out.

Class Notes
  •  No class next week. Pour a cold one and enjoy your Memorial Day bbq. See you in two.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 445 #490)

I Ain't Got You!!!
 
Sooo, it looks like last week's newsletter hung up and didn't send. Sorry about that. We'll combine content today to catch up.

Last week:

We continued our study of I Ain't Got You this week by learning to listen.

Shoji walked us through careful, thoughtful, targeted listening as part of studying music.

Step one: Put away your harps.
Step two: Listen to something beyond the harp and vocals. What are the other instruments doing?
Step three: Don't move your body; don't tap your toes or hands; don't sing along. Use your brain only.

He argued that he (and other instructors) don't need to teach you anything - you just need to learn to use your ability to listen.

We listened to the Billy Boy and the Jimmy Reed versions of I Ain't Got You in this way and heard so much we hadn't noticed or thought about before. We heard all the other instruments, even when they were buried in the mix. We found it became unclear whether that's really a harp solo or perhaps a guitar solo on the Billy Boy version. And we got a solid sense of the form of the song.

All by listening.

We should all be doing this constantly with songs we are studying and working to play.

Thanks for the crucial lesson, Shoji!

CORRECTION:
Apologies for the broken link to the Jimmy Reed transcription of I Ain't Got You last week. It is corrected here: transcription.

This week:


Joe played and discussed a couple additional Billy Boy Arnold versions of I Ain't Got You:

In 1992 he recorded a version that was released in about 2005 on the Consolidated Mojo cd. And in '95 he recorded a version on Alligator records that you will find on the appropriately named Eldorado Cadillac cd. Check them out; apply your listening chops from Shoji and see what there is to learn from the various versions out there.

This song has breaks in it and Joe made the point there are two good reasons for you to learn to correctly signal breaks - one, it looks like you're in control of the band and two, having the band stop makes your audience pay attention.

Bonus quote from Highway RickEy that, um, may or may not be good advice:

"If the band is playing too loud, you're not playing loud enough."

Class Notes

  • Listen, grasshopper!
Midwest Harmonica Workshop

Don't miss these cats teaching at the Midwest Harmonica Workshop, running June 9-12:

Dennis Gruenling
Nico Wayne Toussaint
Jeremy Moondog J Jongsma
Lamont "Harmonica" Harris
Martin Lang
Clement D Bashir
James Craven
Ian Walsh

Live performances, jam circles, group classes, Q&A sessions, equipment vendors and more. Full details and registration here.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 445 #490)

I Ain't Got You!!!
 
We continued our study of I Ain't Got You this week by learning to listen.

Shoji walked us through careful, thoughtful, targeted listening as part of studying music.

Step one: Put away your harps.
Step two: Listen to something beyond the harp and vocals. What are the other instruments doing?
Step three: Don't move your body; don't tap your toes or hands; don't sing along. Use your brain only.

He argued that he (and other instructors) don't need to teach you anything - you just need to learn to use your ability to listen.

We listened to the Billy Boy and the Jimmy Reed versions of I Ain't Got You in this way and heard so much we hadn't noticed or thought about before. We heard all the other instruments, even when they were buried in the mix. We found it became unclear whether that's really a harp solo or perhaps a guitar solo on the Billy Boy version. And we got a solid sense of the form of the song.

All by listening.

We should all be doing this constantly with songs we are studying and working to play.

Thanks for the crucial lesson, Shoji!

CORRECTION:
Apologies for the broken link to the Jimmy Reed transcription of I Ain't Got You last week. It is corrected here: transcription.

Class Notes
  • Listen, grasshopper!
Midwest Harmonica Workshop
 
Don't miss these cats teaching at the Midwest Harmonica Workshop, running June 9-12:

Dennis Gruenling
Nico Wayne Toussaint
Jeremy Moondog J Jongsma
Lamont "Harmonica Harris
Martin Lang
Clement D Bashir
James Craven
Ian Walsh

Live performances, jam circles, group classes, Q&A sessions, equipment vendors and more. Full details and registration here.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 445 #490)

I Ain't Got You!!!

We continued our study of I Ain't Got You this week by looking at the Jimmy Reed transcription.

First, a quick look at the history of the two versions:

- July 1955 Jimmy Reed records I Ain't Got You on Vee Jay Records
- October 1955 Billy Boy Arnold records it on Vee Jay
- February 1956 the Billy Boy version is released
- 1960 Jimmy Reed version released

Which makes the question of whose song this is murky.

In any case, the harp playing from Jimmy Reed is worth digging into:
  • His tone lacks hand technique because he played in a rack, but notice the richness of the dirty notes played as a way to make up for that.
  • He has great pitch control on the bends.
  • Catch that cool IV chord lick on page two.
  • Theory says he's on thin ice with that 3rd scale degree over the IV chord on page three, but it works because of his phrasing.
More next week!

Class Notes
  • Practice, grasshopper!
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Thursday, April 28, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week?

I Ain't Got You!!!
 
We launched a new song of the session Monday and the  band gave a live demonstration of I Ain't Got You, led by Highway RickEy.

We listened to and examined two versions of the song, one by Jimmy Reed and one from Billy Boy Arnold. Joe handed out a transcription of the Billy Boy Arnold version.

It's true Calvin Carter is listed as the songwriter, but a word to the wise: he may be the one who copyrighted it and not the actual creator of it - this often happened in blues.

Joe also pointed out that the first recording may not be the version heard first, and a first recording could be a copy of what others have done.

RickEy discussed the form of the song, pointing out that it does not fall within the standard 12 bar format of many blues songs. Instead, after a 4 measure intro, the song has a 32 bar AABA form, followed by the 12 bar solo form.

Next time we’ll study other versions, such as the one from the Yardbirds.


Class Notes
  • Joe's next Harlem Harmonica Party is Tuesday, May 3, 8 PM at the Harlem Avenue Lounge.
  • There's still time to register for classes!
- Jim Lucas, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 443 #488)

Final Take!!!

B1 was bristling with wires and microphones again last night as we wrapped up another session with Final Take recordings. Everyone in the eight o'clock Performance class laid down a multi-track recording of the tune they've been polishing this session. Folks sounded great. And thanks again to Highway RickEy for all the onsite tech and to Al Taylor for the work that begins now - mixing.

Register now for the next session and you'll have the chance to record and to study our next Song of the Session, I Ain't Got You.

Class Notes

  • Time to register for classes!

Martin Lang - Amplified Harp Clinic

Real deal Chicago blues harp player Martin Lang dropped by B1 last night, played some killer Little Walter stuff in the Level III class and announced his upcoming May 7 Amplified Harp Clinic.

Martin will be discussing everything from embouchure to amps and even encourages you to bring your rig along. And he's got some amazing special guests - Little Addison who was Magic Sam's harp player, and singer Willie Buck who will talk about what he looks for in a harp player. AND, great BBQ!

Full details and registration info here.

Gone Fishin'

The YMM editor will be on the water next week, so watch for your newsletter later in the week. We've got a substitute correspondent lined up and we'll get you news on Thursday.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 442 #487)

Final Take Rehearsal!!!

B1 becomes a recording studio again next week as we wrap up this session with a Final Take recording session. We spent class time last night rehearsing for the recording, going over beginnings and endings as needed so everyone is ready. Next week will be another great night of music and recording!

Class Notes

  • Performance students - we record next week...which means it's also time to get yourself registered for the next class session at Old Town.


Horn From the Heart: The Paul Butterfield Story

Heads up! There's a documentary film running this Friday, April 15 about Paul Butterfield as part of CIMMFEST in Chicago. Details here - get your tickets.

Martin Lang - Amplified Harp Clinic

Real deal Chicago blues harp player Martin Lang dropped by B1 last night, played some killer Little Walter stuff in the Level III class and announced his upcoming May 7 Amplified Harp Clinic.

Martin will be discussing everything from embouchure to amps and even encourages you to bring your rig along. And he's got some amazing special guests - Little Addison who was Magic Sam's harp player, and singer Willie Buck who will talk about what he looks for in a harp player. AND, great BBQ!

Full details and registration info here.

Drunken Sailor

Check out Joe's Rhythm & Chording class playing the Old Town School's "Song of the Session", "Drunken Sailor".

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 441 #486)

Rie Kanehira Concert!!!

We may be harp players in B1, but at the end of the day, we're music lovers, and we've been lucky enough to have a terrific musician visiting us from Japan the past few weeks. Rie "Lee" Kanehira is an amazing piano player and she's been sitting in with us during her visit to Chicago.

You know her playing from that New Cool Old School disc of Shoji's you've been wearing out - he has keys on every track and Lee is featured on many of them. Last night Shoji opened up the floor to an impromptu Rie Kanehira and Shoji Naito mini-concert, featuring her playing and singing, his harp playing, and to everyone's surprise, he was even coaxed into singing a tune! We've heard Shoji sing very rarely and it's usually the same song, but when Lee divulged that he sang a couple other tunes when touring in Japan with her, we all pushed and got him to do one. Thanks for that, Shoji - great to hear you singing!

If you missed Monday or just need a Rie Kanehira fix, be sure to download her CD, The Union Meetin', from iTunes or CD Baby.

Thanks, Rie - come back and see us again soon!

Class Notes

  • Performance students - next week is the last rehearsal and we'll record your songs in B1 on April 18.


- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 440 #485)

A Gourmet Recipe of Sound!!!
As in preceding weeks, Joe led a “workshop” style class this week by demonstrating short phrases that illustrate some of the finer points of Sharp Harp, which were followed, in turn, by a group attempt to match Joe’s playing.

Keys to Success:
  • During the solo you can use ornamental bending, vamps and dirty notes to create a more “bluesy” sound. Or you can keep it clean and simple and let the rhythm be the featured element.
  • Be careful of unintentional bending.
  • Its always important to keep your harp accompaniment volume low, so as not to conflict with other soloists. Definitely practice playing more softly than you think you need to.
  • Pay very close attention to the duration of the notes. Like the sophisticated timing, note duration (legato vs. staccato) is integral to the feel that George creates in this song.
  • Overall, Joe emphasized that George’s unbelievable rhythmic precision is what makes this song so fantastic. There are many notes on the upbeat to create a kind of “anticipated rhythm”. Get it right and you sound very cool; pay less attention to it and you will sound sloppy.
  • Notice the large amount of repetition in the song. It’s not a coincidence that many Little Walter songs had a lot of repetition as well. Most novice players do the exact opposite. 
This deceptively short list covers a lot of ground. Keeping Sharp Harp under the microscope is proving to be an invaluable learning opportunity.

Class Notes
  • Performance students - you should be nailing down your recording song now so that the next few sessions are available for refining the tune, nailing beginnings and endings and such.
New Cool Old School Review
The Chicago Blues Guide has a terrific review up of Shoji's new CD, New Cool Old School. Check it out!




- Al Taylor, B1 Blues Crew


Wednesday, March 23, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 439 #484)

Sharp Harp!!!

David Barrett has a correction for us on how he hears Sharp Harp - we didn't quite explain his point correctly, so here it is in his own words:

"This is not quite correct. Choruses 1-3 are as they were originally recorded (two choruses of harp and one chorus of piano). Choruses 4 and 5 are spliced in from Choruses 1 and 2. Chorus 6 is the original last chorus, but you can hear the splice at the end of Chorus 5 because the piano fill that was originally there to lead into the piano solo in Chorus 3 doesn’t lead anywhere due to the splice."

David, thanks for the correction - fascinating discussion.

And then there's the visual approach to this, which our own Highway RickEy produced. Below is a wave file image - in the left channel you see choruses 1-3; in the right channel are choruses 4-6. His point is that the first two-thirds look the same (and sound it too when he plays them back together).


*  *  *  *  *

In any case, it's an amazing song to be learning from as a harp player and Joe led folks through some fragment practice again last night using the chorus 2, 5, 6 transcription.

Class Notes
  • Performance students - you should be nailing down your recording song now so that the next few sessions are available for refining the tune, nailing beginnings and endings and such.
New Cool Old School Review

The Chicago Blues Guide has a terrific review up of Shoji's new CD, New Cool Old School. Check it out!



- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 438 #484)

Sharp Harp!!!
 
David Barrett checked in with us regarding our study song, Sharp Harp. He points that if you listen carefully to the end of the second chorus, you'll hear a piano fill that leads nowhere. And if you are in doubt, notice that you hear that same dead end fill at the end of the fifth chorus. This makes it pretty obvious that the two repeated choruses, one and two, are not things George repeated over four and five but rather are patched in during post-production..and that the original third chorus is probably lost to us. Why this happened and what the rest of the recording may have been like remains a mystery, but Joe points out that nevertheless, REPETITION is powerful...and most often lacking in peoples' playing. Learn to err on the side of repetition.

Joe made a few other remarks about the strengths of this song - for one, George's throat tremolo is simply beautiful. And secondly, the rhythmic precision is not to be underestimated. If you look at the transcription and listen to the repetition and decide this is an easy tune, you're probably underestimating how critical it is that George places notes in just the right places for that magical, swinging quality.

Class Notes

  • Level III students - if you want to be working on your hand or hand/mic technique, Joe recommends you begin bringing a small tin can or jar to class. It should be about the diameter of a bullet mic. Bring it next week and he'll fill you in! 
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 437 #482)

Sharp Harp!!!
 
The performance class was full last night and performances went long, which was terrific. Everyone's sounding great lately! But that meant we had very limited time to work on our new study song, Sharp Harp by George Harmonica Smith.

But have no fear - we are going to dive into it deeply next week, work-shopping individual segments of the first chorus together. Listen intently to the rhythm of the song this week and practice page one from the transcription to be ready for next week's class. The rhythm of this tune is a beautiful thing and we'll work to perfect and appreciate it next week.

Class Notes
  • Level III students - if you want to be working on your hand or hand/mic technique, Joe recommends you begin bringing a small tin can or jar to class. It should be about the diameter of a bullet mic. Bring it next week and he'll fill you in!
Pre-register for SPAH
 
"Pre-registration for the SPAH convention in San Antonio is now open! We are still working on the final details —entertainment, seminars, etc.—but you know it's gonna be good, and all of our friends, favorite artists, vendors, and seminar presenters will be there. You can reserve convention passes, banquet seating and your hotel room right now. Keep an eye on the Convention Page for more details as we finalize the program. See y'all in San Antonio!"

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 436 #481)

New Song of the Session!!!
 
Last week was our Final Take recording session and it went great! Thanks again to RickEy and Al for all the hard work making it happen.

At Shoji's suggestion, we've started the study of our next song of the session - Sharp Harp!

This is only our second instrumental song of the session and it's a classic. The tune is George Harmonica Smith playing and appears on the Champion Jack Dupree album, Champion Jack Dupree Sings the Blues, recorded in 1955 but released in 1961. There is some open question of whether the single may have come out prior to 1961, so if there are researchers or George Smith experts reading, let us know.

Dupree was a New Orleans piano player who spent time in Chicago and then later moved to Germany. George played on four tunes with him that session - Sharp Harp, So Sorry, Me and My Mule and Overhead. And the other curious thing is the songwriting credit, which goes to Rudy Toombs, who wrote hits like 5, 10, 15 Hours for Ruth Brown and One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer released by Amos Milburn.

As we think about the origins and inspiration of Sharp Harp, Shoji had us listen to some other Dupree tunes such as Warehouse Man Blues, Junko Blues, Strollin', and Walkin' the Blues - the last two have the same groove as Sharp Harp.

We'll look at the harp playing and the groove in future classes.

Class Notes
  • Level III students - if you want to be working on your hand or hand/mic technique, Joe recommends you begin bringing a small tin can or jar to class. It should be about the diameter of a bullet mic. Bring it next week and he'll fill you in!
Pre-register for SPAH
"Pre-registration for the SPAH convention in San Antonio is now open! We are still working on the final details —entertainment, seminars, etc.—but you know it's gonna be good, and all of our friends, favorite artists, vendors, and seminar presenters will be there. You can reserve convention passes, banquet seating and your hotel room right now. Keep an eye on the Convention Page for more details as we finalize the program. See y'all in San Antonio!"

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 435 #480)

Final Take!!!
 
We wind up sessions these days in the Performance Class with multi-track recordings. Highway RickEy turns B1 into a mini recording studio snaked with cords and microphones and other gadgets (that thing's called a DI box) and students lay down a track that represents their hard work during the eight week session to polish a tune for recording.

Final Take last night was another great success - people performed well and now we await Al Taylor's wizardry in the mixing process.

If you're registered for the next session, be thinking about what you want to record. The sooner you declare, the sooner the band can really help you with the details so you're ready and your song is sharp!

We've wrapped another study song too. We looked at I'm Ready from all angles; a few people pulled out their chromatics for the session; and we'll start a new tune next week. Wonder what it is? Hm, tiny hint in the last paragraph. Here are two more - we're writing this with Helge Tallquist's disc, In Footsteps, spinning. It's a great homage to the George Smith chromatic playing style.

Class Notes
  • There's still time to register for the next session.
  • Level III students - if you want to be working on your hand or hand/mic technique, Joe recommends you begin bringing a small tin can or jar to class. It should be about the diameter of a bullet mic. Bring it next week and he'll fill you in! 
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 434 #479)

Rehearsal!!!

It's the end of the session next week, so that means it's time for our Final Take recordings. Everyone in the Performance Class has been workshopping a tune during the past seven weeks and we'll lay down multi-track recordings next week. Class time last night was devoted to rehearsal, with lots of extra attention given to polishing beginnings and endings.

Class Notes

  • Time to register for the next session.
  • Anybody have a decent CD jambox sitting around they'd like to donate to B1? Seems our last one is beyond repair and it's been missed. It needs to be capable of playing computer-recorded CD-Rs. Shoot us a note or bring it by if you have something you can spare.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 433 #478)

I'm Ready!!!

Shoji is back from his Japan tour and walked us through an I'm Ready listening session last night, playing a bunch of other versions that contain harmonica.

  • Carey Bell, from the album Blues Harp
  • Carey Bell (possibly?) from a live Maxwell Street recording - cool chrome solo, whoever it is
  • Golden Big Wheeler, playing both chromatic and diatonic
  • Little Mack Simmons, from Somewhere On Down the Line with some heavy piano; sounds like the vocalists shouts out "Charles" to cue the piano, so we're guessing Barrelhouse Chuck on this one
  • Kenny Neal, from Blues Falling Down in second position on the diatonic
  • "Lonesome" Jimmy Lee Robinson with Madison Slim blowing harp in third position on diatonic

Learn by listening! Seek out some of these versions and hear how they vary from the original.

Class Notes
  • This session's recording date is Monday, February 22. 
  • Amp for sale: Tom Gilmore has a '59 Bassman Reissue for sale. Email him if you're interested.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 432 #477)

I'm Ready and Breathing!!!

Joe did a quick review of what he terms chordal effects last night:

S = shake
TS = tongue shake
RV = rapid vamping
dirty note sustained

He passed out two more transcription pages covering the lyrics and the first solo page. Regarding the solo page, Joe made a few remarks. First he points out that he wishes Walter had hit a more appropriate IV chord note when he lands on bar 5. Just Joe's opinion, but worth considering. Similarly, it is definitely a weak move to play the root of the song (D note) on bar 9 (the V chord) in blues, especially as a resolve note.

For the record, Highway RickEy disagrees with Joe, and posited the interesting observation that the 1 blow is the fourth scale degree of bar 5 and the 1 draw is the fourth scale degree of bar 9. Perhaps curious notes to resolve on, but RickEy hears intent and parallel in them since they're in the same relationship to each chord.

Unresolved, so you be the judge!

Joe's other big takeaway from the solo section is something he feels makes Little Walter great but that he's never heard anyone talk about. Walter has an incredible sense of breathing. He masters long phrases such as this solo shows with little effort on the chromatic - these five bar phrases are on one breath and make killer use of the blues inhale notes. Witness Blue Midnight and Sad Hours for more long inhale phrases.

Why is inhaling so important to blues harp players? The chord tones are inhale notes. The blues notes are inhale notes. When you exhale, you get the 4th and the 6th scale degrees - passing notes at best. They are definitely not compelling parts of blues phrasing.

So in order to practice inhaling, Joe ran through an exercise using his Breathing Fundamentals handout. The band held down a blues shuffle and everyone in class played along, working at their exhale push (marked EP). Practice these long holds at home - they're critical to playing blues with maximum horsepower!

Class Notes
  • This session's recording date is Monday, February 22. 
  • Amp for sale: Tom Gilmore has a '59 Bassman Reissue for sale. Email him if you're interested.
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 431 #476)

I'm Ready - It's Place In the Blues!!!

"Our culture is melody oriented", Joe pointed out, and with the help of players like Paul Butterfield, contemporary blues took a turn toward the melodic. Traditional Chicago blues though is more about sound than notes.

If you go back to rural country blues you hear maximum use of chords, dirty notes and excessive tongue blocking - big sounds. And if Butterfield is one end of the melodic vs chordal spectrum, Sonny Boy I is in the middle, playing with reduced use of chords and using more single notes along with things like splits, which are bigger than single notes but not as big as chords.

So where does the greatest Chicago blues harp player fall? Listen to I'm Ready. Little Walter is a heavy tongue block player with ready access to chords, chordal effects like shakes, and the tongue "quiver", and as you hear on chromatic, he opts for the split four rather than the true octave for maximum gritty sound.

Joe did a great discussion of chord and chordal effect playing, regardless of the harp you choose, and brought it all home with Walter's playing on I'm Ready. (transcription) Though Walter can be a busy, acrobatic player, he can also play with a lot of simplicity and open space, as you hear in this song.

And the last important lesson Joe wanted us to take from I'm Ready is something he calls the "train whistle sustain". This is the use of long, sustained chord playing - especially effective as an accompaniment, but fair game for solo sections as well, as you hear in this song. Remember that you can quickly make friends with other musicians if you learn to have the discipline to play long sustains behind them!

Class Notes

  • This session's recording date is Monday, February 22. 
- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week (Week 430 #475)

I'm Ready Transcription!!!

Last night was our first look at Little Walter's harp playing on I'm Ready. Highway RickEy shared his transcription with us and played through portions of it. He made the point that many of the subtleties aren't crucial to nail down - learn the repetitive lick one way and play it solidly if you're playing this tune with a band. The tiny fine points would be lost on most audience members anyway. And he also pointed out it is a difficult solo, jumping around on the chromatic. Don't be afraid to work out something simpler that fits your comfort level with the chromatic. We will have a Filisko transcription to look at soon too.

A week or two ago we wondered in class about the lyrics - what the heck did Willie Dixon mean by things like an "axe-handled pistol on a graveyard frame"? Well, YouMissedMonday reached out to two of our experts on such things, Scott Dirks and Big Jim Themelis to see if they know anything google wasn't turning up for us. Neither did and Scott put it this way:

"I’m pretty sure those are all terms made up just for this song to make it sound dangerous, ominous, etc.  I’ve discussed this song with some pretty knowledgeable blues people, and as far as I know, there are no precedents for the use of those terms.  And if you do a Google search for any of the specific terms, all references lead back to this song.  So – to the best of my knowledge, these are just examples of the fertile imagination of Willie Dixon, who wrote the song."

And Jim said it similarly:

"I wish I knew. It does sound menacing and badass though."

So there you go - menacing, ominous wordsmithing we should all aspire to!

Class Notes

  • This session's recording date is Monday, February 22. 

Dig In

Longtime B1 friend Morry Sochat has launched another terrific CD, Dig In!


 Congrats Morry and band! Get your copy now at the link above.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 429 #474)

I'm Ready!!!

Class last night was devoted to listening. Shoji shared a variety of versions of I'm Ready with us, starting with Muddy and moving to a few other singers.

  • Muddy from the album titled I'm Ready featuring Jerry Portnoy on chromatic and Big Walter Horton on diatonic, plus a great lineup of Jimmy Rogers, Pine Top, Bob Margolin and Willie Big Eyes Smith.
  • Muddy from the London Session - of note are the horn section, the box shuffle and it is Carey Bell on chromatic.
  • Muddy with Paul Butterfield on the Fathers and Sons album. Note that Butterfield does not play chromatic, opting instead for both second and third position diatonic playing.
  • From The Blues Never Die with James Cotton singing and playing chromatic. Note the piano which sounds like the recording because it is Otis Spann.
  • Junior Well takes a different arrangement approach by not playing stops in the chorus where we expect them, hitting just one at the turn to the four chord. This is a live recording and a poor mix, but you get to hear Junior playing second position harp on the song and mixing in a horn section.
  • Lastly Shoji shared his personal favorite I'm Ready version and no, it's not the one on his new CD. He's a huge fan of Albert King's arrangement on the Albert CD - horns, no harp, no stops, box shuffle and simply a hot version. Check it out.

Class Notes

  • CORRECTION: This session's recording date is Monday, February 22. (NOT the 15th as reported last week)

New Cool Old School

Our own Shoji Naito has released his first CD!



New Cool Old School features 13 of Shoji's blues friends on fourteen brilliant tracks that strip away studio polish in favor of real, straight-ahead blues. The group hit the studio with no set list, no rehearsal and simply made music because they love to play together. This is blues from the pros and YOU NEED THIS DISC!

It's available now on iTunes for download, on CD Baby for download or disc, or you can catch Shoji in person at Old Town to pick up a copy.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew


Tuesday, January 5, 2016

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 428 #473)

New Study Song!!!

Welcome back! We're kicking off this session in the Performance Class with a study of the classic I'm Ready.

Written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Muddy Waters with Little Walter on harp, this will be the first study song for us that features chromatic harp playing. Recorded in 1954, this is clearly a standard all blues harp players should be familiar with.

Though played in third position on the chromatic, it is curious that the song is in Eb, meaning Walter held the button in (or his slide was broken off in that position). Why would this be in Eb? Shoji points out the guitar playing by Jimmy Rogers is done with all the strings tuned down a half step. Going any lower to D, the more obvious key for a C chromatic in third position, may not have worked on a guitar and playing in D with standard tuning won't let you play the phrases in the same way because that low note open string is missing.

Nonetheless, D is the popular key for this song. It just means some minor sacrifice in the guitar part.

What's the form? Well, generally it's a twelve bar form with a sixteen bar break verse and 12 bar solo sections. Still, if you listen carefully to the first twelve, there is not consensus in the band about whether to go to the IV chord in bar five. Walter does, but Dixon, the songwriter, does not. There seems to be apprehension or caution in Walter's playing when the solo section starts too as he listens to hear whether the band is going to make changes or hang on the one chord.

Joe asked why we think the song is strong, why it's memorable and the consensus is the songwriting. These are powerful lyrics from Dixon that are tailor-made for Muddy. We may not know what an "axe-handled pistol on a graveyard frame" is, but we're impressed!

More on I'm Ready next week.

Class Notes

  • RECORDING:  This session's recording date is Monday, February 15.

New Cool Old School

Our own Shoji Naito has released his first CD!



New Cool Old School features 13 of Shoji's blues friends on fourteen brilliant tracks that strip away studio polish in favor of real, straight-ahead blues. The group hit the studio with no set list, no rehearsal and simply made music because they love to play together. This is blues from the pros and YOU NEED THIS DISC!

It's available now on iTunes for download, on CD Baby for download or disc, or you can catch Shoji in person at Old Town to pick up a copy.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew