Last day in October, so another opportunity to share some short recordings from the last month. Not really time to record a video Diary so waffly words will have to do.
The little folks in Village Blim are just winding up Unit 4 of 6 and our next assignments are about to drop. I am reluctant to share any course specific recordings out side of Blues Standards (which I’ve not recorded this month) and improvs based on the learning cycle. To share more would undermine the surprise element for those signing up for future courses/classes. And as me and the posse have avoided the naughty step this month, I’ll try and keep my nose clean.
As usual its warts and all. Although I feel I am making progress, I am still a long way from playing with the fluidity I would like and still find it difficult to pull licks out of the ether and drop them over a BT. So the first 3 are what I like to think of as ImproSolo, were I have experimented with a handful of licks and in which order I’ll play them but then maybe adlib with fills or play them differently each time.
EDIT
Removed the last one = that was a first stab at #3 in Cory Congillio’s Slow Blues Guru Course,
which I am endeavouring to follow with lesser priority along side BLIM. On reflection it was out of context without the BT I’ll return to this one in time with the backing track but was surprised how quickly I learnt the piece.
This is the actual Slow Blues Guru # 2 Aint Sad For long. Needs some polishing but did not take very long to learn, so something is working.
So yeah a lot of work to do but I can get the framework of a “solo” down in days now rather than months and that has everything to the approach taken in BLIM.
Not sure what the coming month will evoke but its another line in the sand, in a very busy year.
I heard one seagull, and a couple bends in the 3rd piece missed, one over, one under. Good rhythm and tone! Loved it!
I didn’t really follow the last piece. I don’t know if it was the lack of a BT or what, but I didn’t get nearly the same feel as I got in your 2nd and 3rd vids.
All the time and effort is paying huge dividends, Toby.
I was hearing a little Greenie in the first.
Great tones.
Just looking at the bending action. Maybe pushing a little more than pivoting? Is this deliberate, evolution of technique, or just consequence of other concentration? Or I may be seeing things (as likely as not)
Thanks for sharing for us outside the BLIM village.
Thanks for listening peeps, I’ve swapped out the WIP from Corey’s Course and replaced with the actual #2 which I overlooked going through October’s recording - thought I’d already posted it but that was #BBP preview.
I’ll need to review the bends but find I am cutting them and other notes short, as I am not playing in the moment. My mind is racing to where I am going next so I have a tendency to rush them, Need to be more Zen and in the moment, That may be reflected in the technique which I’ll review after the comments. RBS could also be a factor !
Wow Toby! You’re improvising in the first 3 videos, am I understanding well? …that’s quite impressive! I enjoyed all the recordings, among others I found some cool cowboy/ western vibes in the first one
Hope you are keeping well. Thought it was time to venture back into the music world - assuming my relentless cough allows.
Vid 1. Sweet tone. Loving the bends.
Vid 2. Demonstrates the gains from leaving space - don’t have to cram in a million notes per second into a jam.
Vid 3. Brings the techniques in 1 & 2 into one place
Vid 4. My favourite - is there more to come?
Now you’re in full blues mode - a cover of Gary Moore’s cover of The Messiah Will Come Again - something to get your teeth into. If you’ve never seen it, watch the live at Montreux vid - different gravy.
it’s always great to see you share some of your Blues- and BLIM-journey in the JGC.
You definitely made some really good progress during the past few months, it’s stunning. I thoroughly enjoyed all four vids, but liked the second one the most. There were some beautiful phrases in and also some cool variations of motifs in the right balance between repetion and something “new”.
Thanks for sharing your journey with us, it’s always a pleasure to watch and listen! Hopefully, next time will be some time left for another video diary, too.
) 
if there is I think you’ve got it down and I like it very much. Well done Toby.