Jazz Trio Recordings

Back with more straight-ahead jazz recordings. This is a new trio that just formed today actually. I've been working with Jason Thomas [alto saxophone] for about 2 months and now Scot Sommers [trumpet] has joined the group, resulting in an eclectic trio.

We're playing standards out of the real book for now but I plan on composing tunes so that we can start to have originals as well. I plan on having the group play some open mics at Petie's Place, located in Tarzana, CA.

This is the beginning of something. I actually wanted to get a bass player rather than another horn but this is a great playing situation. Scot's style reminds me of Freddie Hubbard in Dolph's Out to Lunch. He's actually not a free jazz guy at all, which surprised me. Jason's alto playing is stellar, he was a lot more relaxed once Scot's trumpet entered the mix. Before when we were playing as just a duo, we were playing a lot more conservatively, more reserved.

On my solos, you can see where I was on the very edge of my seat, about to lose control. Sometimes its good to see that spontaneity, especially in jazz music. A lot of what we played in terms of the free form improvisational jams [not the standards], it sounded like a lot of ECM stuff I've heard. A very white kind of sound, literally. [laughs]

Enjoy the music.

https://soundcloud.com/user-294063763/all-blues-jazz-trio
https://soundcloud.com/user-294063763/first-jam-jazz-trio
https://soundcloud.com/user-294063763/footprints
https://soundcloud.com/user-294063763/freddie-freeloader-jazz-trio
https://soundcloud.com/user-294063763/second-jam-jazz-trio
https://soundcloud.com/user-294063763/third-jam-jazz-trio

Open Jam Tunes

Hey, what's going on everybody? Here are two tunes from last week's open jam. First we have Hey Joe, a Hendrix cover.

https://soundcloud.com/orlando-figueroa-17/hey-joe 

I did my best to cover the vocals, I'm still working a lot on my singing. When it comes to the solo I do my best Hendrix-esque guitar licks. I think I do a pretty job of keeping it in that 60s rock guitar vein. 

Surprisingly the solid state Line 6 amp used for the jams sounded pretty great here. I really like this drummer on this one. He's a guy that comes occasionally to the jams. Its funny, he wanted to do Manic Depression but when I could barely play the riff (I forgot it) we had to stop and play Sunshine of Your Love instead (laughs). 

However, I did learn Manic Depression and I'll be ready to play it the next time he's there. 

Anyways, I think that this is my best cover of Hey Joe I've ever done live, so there's that. 

And then for the next tune we have Sunshine of Your Love by the Cream, a song I've been playing at the jam for a while now. 

https://soundcloud.com/orlando-figueroa-17/sunshine-of-your-love-most-recent-version

Hearing this back now I think I've done a lot better with my vocals. Still needs work (better tone) if I want to be more professional but its not bad as of right now, at least to my ears. The Hendrixian guitar licks are plentiful and are sounding good as usual. One thing I need to work on is singing louder and with more oomph, ya know. Add some more power and energy into it. 

With this solo here I think it sounded pretty good. Not too much wankery (shredding a la guitar pyrotechnics from the 80s), focusing on hitting the good sounding notes, bending the strings, beginning, middle, end, and then back to the vocals. I like it. 

Enjoy the music! 

Hey Joe, Musical Update

Hello ladies and gentlemen how has life been treating you all? Life has been great for me. I've been really refining my jazz guitar chops. Unfortunately the metal band I was in broke up, now its just me and the drummer still jamming together. Yesterday I jammed with a jazz drummer and we're going to keep getting together to work on standards. He said he didn't want to do a band with me but that he wants to continue jamming. His reasoning? Said I have to work more on my time, especially my swing feel. 

That was a bummer but I think I'm going to take this opportunity to play with a real jazz drummer and improve my chops, particularly my swing feel and time in general. The metronome has become a true friend now. 

I've improved a lot and my music mentor, a new music composer named Frank Abbananti (find his music https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=labor+studies+cd+baby) has been teaching me music from across the country, via email. He's taught me many things about chord voicings, music theory, and practicing to become better in general. We exchange email often and I think about everything he says as if we were in an academic setting. 

He sent me a new music (avant-garde) piece meant for me to perform on electric guitar with distortion. I played through it today a couple times and my dad said it sounds like Robin Trower if he did new music. Pretty great compliment from pops. He's going to send me more pieces to work on and perform and my goal is to record it for my Soundcloud. 

In addition, he said the next time I go to Chicago I can perform these pieces with him on a concert. 

Anyways, why am I sitting here when I should be practicing?! 

But before you go check out this cover of Hey Joe, the guitar solo was especially inspired. Dig the Jeff Beck reference at the end of the tune!

 https://soundcloud.com/orlando-figueroa-17/hey-joe