So we have arrived in March. Still figuring out how to use the learning log tool, but happy to share some of the activity down here. I report mostly on the goings on with our four man ensemble, that draws its name Blues@6 from the time we are scheduled to rehearse , on Mondays at six in the evening.
Tonight we’ll have our monthly Open stage event in the club. Because one of the Harmonica players I usually play these events can’t make it, it will be somewhat different then usual. There’ll be three songs that we plan.
You gotta walk that lonesome valley (Mississippi John Hurt)
Key to the highway (Brownie McGhee-ish)
Factory Girl (Rolling Stones)
I’ll sing only one of them, (You gotta walk that lonely valley) and leave my ukelele toting friend Adi to sing both others. He does a mean Robert Johnson and Mick Jagger. Our remaining harmonica player bravely will attempt to accompany You gotta walk, country blues/spirituals is a bit difficult for harmonica players, as it does not really follow the standard Blues Schema, making it difficult to improvise against. The only survival strategy was to learn to play the melody by heart.
And yes, Factory Girl. We started on that because one of us had been listening to it a whole day in a spotify playlist. It is a crazy two chord song, essentially its a D-major chord throughout, with one instance of the A chord in the last line. Due apologies to Keith Richards, who has a fine flatpicking arrangement around that D-chord. We kind of fake it with strumming and random lifting of one or more of the fretting hand fingers, but it pleases the harmonica players, who can use the resulting groove to improvise against.
Then, on Saturday it will be OM time here, where I am allowed a song - on Friday I will prepare the set-up again as last time, involving the detachable web-cam, and the audio interface. Double checking the audio by recording in Zoom, and using the OM link.
Lighting remains an issue, as all my walls are white, it would be soo much better with a dark background.
I havent fully decided yet what song to play, but I hope you’ll be satisfied.
The big thing however will be Monday evening - the four of us will play for an hour or so in a hotel venue, to entertain some good folk after they have completed a 2-3 day workshop, and after dinner, in a small conference Hotel.
It will be a two set occasion, where we’ll have the second set in its entirety. Then we will be complete, all four of us there! This is the set list that we have. I’ll hotlink in recordings that I have made and/or JG material its based on.
|
Title |
Performer |
Tonart |
1 |
Green Onions |
Booker T and the MG-s |
F |
2 |
Baby Scratch my Back |
Slim Harpo |
F |
3 |
In the Pines/Where did you stay last night |
Leadbelly |
E |
4 |
Kindhearted Woman Blues |
Robert Johnnson |
A |
5 |
Sensitive Kind |
J.J. Cale |
Dm |
6 |
Gallows Pole |
Willie Watson |
Dm |
7 |
Don’t think twice its allright |
Bob Dylan |
E |
8 |
I hear the Angels Singing |
Eric Bibb |
C |
9 |
You gotta Walk that Lonesome Valley |
Mississippi John Hurt |
G |
10 |
Key to the Highway |
Broonzy/Brownie McGhee |
E |
11 |
Factory Girl |
Stones |
D |
12 |
St. James Infirmary |
Trad. |
Am |
13 |
All Along the Watchtower |
Bob Dylan |
Dm |
We devoted 2 Monday sessions to practice all the songs in sequence, we set the sequence and looked intensely at anyone trying to introduce last minute changes. I am sure we’ll practice at home on Sunday, and we will see each other at six on Monday, and set up the venue and do a sound check.
I have made a mental note that I would like to be able to play lead licks with Green Onions, but haven’t come very far on that - as I haven’t done any fundamentals. Justin covers the solo in his Vintage Songbook and the accompanying lesson. My fingers find there way around positions 1, 2 and 3, but it does not have much to do with music yet. Plus making full bends at fret 3-4 is something of a physical challenge! I will have to look much more closely at the stuff that @TheMadman_tobyjenner is working on for his lead guitar skills.
As the set will be mostly acoustic, we have decided to bring one acoustic amp (Schertler JAM 100) with 3 connections, for the instruments, and the colleagues doing set 1 will bring a PA system and a small mixer board for the microphones (3). there will also be a tube amp for the harmonica players. For the first two numbers I’ll play my Ibanez hollow body with P90s, through a Boss Octaver pedal (and a looper if I am confident enough with Green Onions). Basically doing a bass melody riff throughout, and the trademark Slim Harpo riff on Scratch my back throughout the song, all in regular blues I, IV, V chord sequence in F major.
The Martin OMCPA4 will do the real work. Adi brings his custom made electric Uke, and between them the harmonica players have in excess of 24 harps in their holsters. Maybe we’ll record it on the iPhone with a Blue Mikey attached to it. Lets see!