# Just Reflecting



## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

Most of my musical time this past year was spent taking my fellow jazz playing friends from a weekly jam session to a musically cohesive band that could perform in public. It was quite a challenge and although allot of work is still needed, we pulled off a couple of very successful gigs.

Recently, my drummer started to get a bit frustrated with the guys because they tend not to put in the personal practice time between rehearsals that's needed to bring their individual playing up to speed. We're not going to throw anyone out because we're life long friends first and foremost, but he's intimated recently that if these guys aren't going to take their playing a bit more seriously, he would prefer to go back to a biweekly jam session and forget the gigs. I kind of feel the same way. 

Shifting musical gears, as much as I enjoy playing jazz, I found that I missed being in a blues/classic rock band after leaving my band at the beginning of the year. About a month ago, I was introduced to a family member's friend who enjoys playing the genre and is supposed to be a good lead guitar player. My drummer and I organized a jam with him last week and asked for a list of tunes that he's comfortable playing. Here was the tune list for the evening:

Cocaine – ZZ Top 
White room - Cream	
Sunshine of Your Love – Cream
Tightrope – Stevie Ray Vaughan 
Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix
Voodoo Child - Stevie Ray Vaughan version 
Goin’ Down – Freddie King
All Your Love – John Mayall
While My Guitar Gently Weeps – Jeff Healy version 
The Thrill Is Gone – BB King
Born Under a Bad Sign – Cream
Stormy Monday – Allman Bros. version 

He turned out to be a pretty good lead guitar player. He loves his effects and when used on the appropriate tune, it sounded really good. We found it a bit too much for the straight blues stuff. 

In discussing the session the following day, we both found it a bit weird to play with someone who's the same age as some of our kids. Age shouldn't make a difference but we found that it does at our stage of the game. Although we had allot of fun and it sounded pretty good, there's just wasn't much else we had in common which could be an issue if we wanted to form a band.

Looking at 2011 from a musical perspective, the ideal situation for my drummer and me would be to find some like minded players, both jazz and blues, who have some chops and would want to get together and jam at first. If it sounds good and all the rest of the planets align, we could book some gigs for we have the venues to play at. There wouldn't be much money in it, but we're not in it for that.

I guess we've been playing with the same people for so many years, that we're looking to refresh our musical batteries.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Sounds like a plan for another band. I am on three different things which covers the boredom thing but the country acoustic thing was a bit boring this week. Granted this a group of beginning players that freak when there is a 4th chord ha ha..but when the organizer bugs everyone for their new material of the week and fails to produce his own.. hmm. Just ranting I guess.


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

shoretyus said:


> Sounds like a plan for another band.


A couple of bands if possible, maybe, who knows  One jazz and one blues.



> Just ranting I guess.


This is the place to rant if you need to.


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## Fajah (Jun 28, 2006)

*Follow Up*

So I had a dinner meeting with my drummer and another friend (who plays guitar with us) this past week. We've decided that for 2011, we're going to start with a clean sheet of paper as far as tunes go. Probably Blues, classic rock, R&B to start. We feel that it will be tough to find jazz guys. We're going to continue jamming at my drummer's house which is in the Spadina/St. Clair area two Monday evenings per month. 

If any of you are interested in participating in a jam session, either guitar, bass, or keys, let me know via PM.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Brain damaged post, sorry.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Grand idea! I have been in bands that reinvented themselves, usually evolving, but sometimes changing abruptly. If everyone agrees, accepts each other, and commits, it'll work. I like a bit of jazz in my rock, a bit of blues in my jazz, a bit of rock in my blues...you get the idea...flavour.

Good luck!

Peace, Mooh.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Mooh said:


> Grand idea! I have been in bands that reinvented themselves, usually evolving, but sometimes changing abruptly. If everyone agrees, accepts each other, and commits, it'll work. I like a bit of jazz in my rock, a bit of blues in my jazz, a bit of rock in my blues...you get the idea...flavour.
> 
> Good luck!
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


Mixing genres can be cool.... but please no fake playing !!! 

[YOUTUBE]W-yZifpgCR0[/YOUTUBE]


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