Friday, October 27, 2017

Dan Bruce Beta Collective live at the Constellation

Dan Bruce's :beta collective

Last night I saw a pretty cool jazz band with my bro. I looked up shows around Chicago and I noticed that my jazz instructor (from six years ago when I was at University of Parkside-Wisconsin) Russ Johnson was playing with this band at this modern jazz club called the Constellation. Russ is a great trumpet players that is involved with various groups probably all around the Midwest and New York. He's pretty well known in the jazz community. Anyways, the group is led by a guitarist composer named Dan Bruce and the band features Russ Johnson (trumpet), Chris Madsen (tenor saxophone), Rob Clearfield (keyboards), Clark Sommers (bass), Jon Dietemyer (drums).

We only stayed for the first set because we took two buses and the train and it took like an hour and a half to get there. In addition, my brother has work in the morning. However, that first set was pretty great! Dan Bruce took the majority of the solos but there was a great tenor sax solo that was just about reaching into free jazz territory. I heard some squeaks! It was great hearing that because this is more of a new jazz concert. By that I mean the music sounds very modal and its all original music. This was an album release concert after at. Very few people in attendance. Think Ole Coltrane if it had electric guitar, effects, and electronic keyboards. For the most part they were reading the music off manuscript paper but it was obvious when they went off the cuff and started to truly improvise.

Dan Bruce is a great guitar player with plenty of chops but it seemed like his improvisations were a little too perfect. Too rehearsed. I would've liked to hear some mistakes from him. I like to hear some struggle sometimes from jazz musicians. That's not to say he isn't a good improviser at all because what I heard was all great stuff, very musical and tasty as they say. I would say I was more impressed with his chord voicings and comping rather than say his composing ability or single note lines. I thought it was cool that he was using some electronic effects with his guitar too. I wish he would've used more of that, at least during the first set. After all whats the point of effects if you're only going to use them very sparingly?

Chris Madsen on tenor sax had a great solo that really stood out. There was a musical buildup slowly to a climax with squeaks thrown in there. It almost seemed like what he was playing was out of time, out of sync with the band but it still sounded great. He was even doing this blowing technique where you blow very lightly into the horn and get this sort of raspy tone. He also had a lot of bebop licks thrown in there too. That was a turning point at that part of the set.

Russ Johnson was mostly playing in harmony (melodies) with the guitar and sax but he did have a pretty great solo on the last tune. I was pretty impressed. He's the elder statemen of the band being the oldest so he probably has the most experience in playing jazz and he's probably been on more records and stuff than the other guys. His solo started off with a couple flubbed notes. My brother said "he needs practice" but my brother doesn't know enough about jazz to realize that what he was doing is actually a trumpet technique. I believe he was doing the same thing Madsen was doing, that technique where you blow into the horn but just barely enough to make some raspy tones.

Anyways, his solo was probably the best. He built it upon a theme, expanded upon it, and ended it with some virtuoso fast stuff. His high notes sounded superb. I used to be a trumpet player in high school so I know how difficult that is to do. His solo almost had a Spanish vibe as my brother said.

There was also a keyboards solo but I think it was more of "set the mood" sorta thing rather than a solo. And there was also a bass and drum solo but in a way they were kind of overshadowed by the compositions. It seemed like their solos were shorter than the others but I may be wrong.

After the show I talked to Dan Bruce and said,"great guitar playing man, that was like masterclass on chord voicings". I geeked out pretty hard seeing such great guitar playing. Then I asked if Russ was around and I talked to him. He remembered me from UW-Parkside, which I briefly attended about five years ago. It didn't work out at that college but the fact that I saw him at the show was probably a shock for him. Of course he asked,"what are you doing here?" Lol, it was kind of funny. We shook hands and I told him I've been practicing a lot of guitar, working on jazz standards, and that I've started a band. He said to keep shedding, a musicians catch phrase to keep practicing. Great moment of the Chicago trip so far. Who would've thought right?

It was a great set and I'm really glad my brother enjoyed it even though he isn't a fan of jazz guitar as he says. Maybe I'll get to see more great live music out here in Chicago, particularly jazz.

Jazz isn't dead. It just smells funny. -Frank Zappa

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Chicago trip starts tommorrow


Hey everyone! Its been a long time since I've posted, since the Buckethead cover post. I thought I'd let you all know I'll be spending the next week in Chicago with my brother and step-dad. There's a lot of planning that was involved in the trip so I have to think carefully about everything I want to do and all the places I want to see. For me the highlight is of course all the great restaurants that we'll probably eat at. But also my step-father's composer friend is playing at a new music (avant-garde classical music) concert at this place called the Green Mill that looks promising.

My bro's apartment is in Hyde Park somewhat near the University of Chicago so I'm thinking about spending some time on campus checking out events and hopefully going to some jazz concerts at night as well at some local joints. I'm also interested in seeing downtown Chicago. My step-dad organized the trip and its mostly for him to see all his old school buddies. I'm interested in seeing my brother and my mother but unfortunately I might not be able to see mom because she lives in Wisconsin and she has to work.

I literally haven't had a vacation or a week off probably since last year. Its been a good minute. I really need some rest and relaxation. Work has been good in terms of getting off early but I haven't been getting good hours (averaging 25 at most lately), I struggle with cutting and wrapping cheese, and my manager can be a little harsh to say the least. I've been trying to not let it get to me. If I don't make it in that department at work I'll probably ask to go back to the front end as a combo clerk (bagger/cashier). I've gotta learn to relax and not take work as the law of the land. If anything happens I'll probably still have a job there. Having been there four years its not like they're going to fire me or anything. And I have no intention of forsaking my union.

Anyways, the Chicago trip will be a perfect distraction from work and stuff. I'm going to be blogging pretty often when I'm there just because I'll be at the library a lot (my bro works at a library) so I'll probably do a bunch of updates on movies, tv shows, music, and video games that I've been checking out. It's going to be a lot of blogging. Get ready to read!

Friday, October 13, 2017

Buckethead cover Soothsayer


Here's a cover I did at the open jam of a very well known Buckethead song called Soothsayer. I winged it pretty hard, learned the song that day, and the drummer didn't know we were playing it until that night. I'd say we did a pretty good job. I could've shredded harder but I wanted to keep things simple, before anything fell apart lols. I played the song on my 7-string Jackson. The song has a lot of emotional and heart felt feelings because Buckethead recently came out saying that he has a heart condition, an irregular heart beat. He was and still is a big inspiration on my guitar playing and I hope he lives for many more years! Anyways, here's Soothsayer by Buckethead. Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/user-294063763/soothsayer-by-buckethead

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Live Tracks from 9/27


Here's the live tracks from last week's open jam. This was the first time I brought my 7-string Jackson to the jam night. I think it sounds pretty astounding. On Smoke on the Water I got a much heavier (more metal) guitar tone. The instrumental improv with Thelma was really sick as well. And the jazz instrumental was a jam with many roads traveled (including a blues) haha. Enjoy the heaviness of 7-string guitar. I notice even though its a much heavier sound it can also get really good trebly tones as well. Also its funny you can hear me doing back up vocals on the chorus of Smoke on the Water. My voice really stands out there haha. Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/user-294063763/jazz-on-a-7-string
https://soundcloud.com/user-294063763/smoke-on-the-water-metal-version
https://soundcloud.com/user-294063763/thelma-proto-metal-jam


Tuesday, October 3, 2017

New original track, Spirits of the Dead


This is a new track I recently made for my recently formed band. The lyrics are really cheesy but I tried to do like a black metal style vocal with some doom/Sabbath undertones with my 7-string. I think it ended up sounding pretty heavy. The main riff is a riff I played at the bar last week when we were just jamming. Its cool to see it used in a song. The bass line in the chorus sounds like a Black Sabbath song can't remember which one though. Enjoy!
https://soundcloud.com/user-294063763/spirits-of-the-dead

New Year, New Me, [Not Really]

Hello Universe ,  How is it going out there in the free world ? It's a new year, happy 2024! It's time for all those happy go lucky...