SoulTrane Stuff

After two years - An Update!

2007-05-07T11:39:00.000-05:00

It's been nearly two years since my last blog update. Things have been very busy on both the personal and music fronts. Soon after the last blog I posted (days, in fact) I met Meredith and we have been together ever since. Go check out my personal/non-music page to see where my energy is going these days!

19th Hole Blues Jam

2005-08-05T16:30:00.000-05:00

Every Thursday night starting at around 9:30pm, the 19th Hole in the Woodlands hosts a blues jam. A little over a week ago - July 28th - I showed up for the first time after being invited quite some time before.

I'm glad I did - the house band not only showcased some great local talent, but was also a group of really cool musicians who made me feel very welcome for my first outing there. I was told I could jump up on stage at any time. Also, they were very considerate of my horns and keeping them safe from the heavy traffic that goes with the territory of shuffling musicians.

I played a few "warm up" tunes with different groups. Then, a couple of guys from Austin started playing a more jazz influenced non-vocal tune. I picked up my tenor and joined in. It was fun to stretch out a little.

The last tune of the night featured an incredible blues vocalist. I don't have her name - but she's a "regular" at the 19th Hole. Her stage presence is outstanding. Her vocals are spot on and vocal improvisation (both lyrically, and musically) is impressive. I had to join and lay down some tenor over this.

I was happy with my solo - then the guitarist and I broke into a call/response thing (trading fours). He would play a line, and then I would play a similar line. Anyways, after going back and forth for a little while we switched to playing the same line in harmony. Finally, he surged into a guitar solo.

The audience response was great. Thanks to everyone at the 19th Hole for making me feel at home. The staff, audience, and musicians are a great bunch. Since this runs every Thursday, I'm looking forward to my next opportunity to share the 19th Hole stage.

Jason

Performance Calendar Updated

2005-05-12T01:38:00.000-05:00

I've updated my music calendar through August '05. In order to see more details on each gig, "mouse over" the underlined text. This should show a box with more info. Don't click on it!

It's official "Luckless Pedestrians", the Steely Dan tribute band, changed its name to "Black Friday". Speaking of - Black Friday has a gig coming up this month. Check it out!

Weekend Austin Trip & Gig

2005-05-09T19:57:00.000-05:00

I just got back from a weekend of relaxing and playing in Austin. TJ Funk played the Cinco de Mayo Festival at The Fiesta Gardens, opening for Ruben Ramos. It was a great show, and Austin is always a great destination.

While in Austin, I checked out TC's Lounge. The club was spinning some great music (not live, I'll have to check it out on Thursday for that), cooking some great food, and the staff made me feel right at home.

These days, I'm rarely in Austin - which is a shame. The city has so much to offer. I need to pick up more gigs in Austin.

Steely Dan Cover Band - Debut!

2005-02-22T01:54:00.000-06:00

Hello again. Last Saturday, the Steely Dan cover band played at Al's Sports Bar off of Westheimer. The show started with a few delays due to the amount of time 3 bands take to setup all their equipment and get the sound hooked up. Once we got the green light, the band really took off. The audience was great! I saw lots of smiles, head bobbing, and folks singing along to these Steely Dan tunes. Even the more obscure ones. Personally, I was very pleased with the entire show. Even though I couldn't really hear what I needed to (no decent monitor for the keyboard or sax), I think everything still sounded A-OK out there in the audience.

Many thanks to everyone who came to see the show. I look forward to the next gig with this group. None are currently scheduled, but our first showing did generate a "buzz".

Check out the link to the Steely Dan cover band on this page or surf to: http://luckless.5u.com

RIP Jimmy Smith

2005-02-10T10:25:00.000-06:00

Jazz organ pioneer Jimmy Smith dies

Organist Jimmy Smith, who helped change the sound of
jazz by almost single-handedly introducing the soulful
electric riffs of the Hammond B-3 organ, has died at
age 79 at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

A spokeswoman for the Concord record label said Smith
died of natural causes on Tuesday.

Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, on December 8, 1925,
Smith ruled the Hammond B-3 in the 1950s and 1960s and
blended jazz, blues, R&B, bebop and even gospel into
an exciting stew that became known as "soul jazz" - an
idiom that produced many imitators, followers and
fans.

"Anyone who plays the organ is a direct descendant of
Jimmy Smith. It's like Adam and Eve - you always
remind someone of Jimmy Smith," jazz organist Joey
DeFrancesco said in an interview with Reuters last
year.

"He was the big pioneer, not only of the organ but
musically. He was doing things that (John) Coltrane
did in the '60s, but he did them back in '56 and '57,"
he added.

Paired with jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery in the
1960s, Smith first made his mark as a soloist on Blue
Note Records where, as one critic noted, he turned the
Hammond B-3 organ "into a down and dirty orchestra".

Among his best known albums on Blue Note were The
Sermon! Back at the Chicken Shack, Midnight Special,
Home Cookin', and Prayer Meetin'.

The pipe organ had been used in jazz in the 1930s by
such famous players as Fats Waller but it was
obviously too big and too heavy to be lugged into jazz
clubs.

Smith was able to take his electric B-3 on the road
and created a jazz trio of organ, drums and either
guitar or saxophone.

Smith himself provided the bass lines by using the
organ's foot pedals.

-Reuters

Comments Work & Music

2005-01-21T10:52:00.000-06:00

First, a general announcement - the comments now work so go for it.

Also, this Tuesday I went to see some great groups. The Dead Kenny Gs (Skerik on Tenor) opened for the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey followed by a jam with all the players. To find out more about these groups, check out www.jfjo.com.

The show was great. I've never seen Skerik live, but have a few albums he's played on. Really great playing and effective use of electronics.

The entire group was phenomenal. Every player had a unique approach to the instrument (Rhodes electric piano, Bass, Trap Set, Tenor, Percussion/Xylophone). Anyone who is a fan of John Zorn, free jazz with heavy traditional roots, or just a great show with multiple layers of virtuosity - check these guys out.

Until next time ...

MLK

2005-01-19T13:07:00.000-06:00

This time the subject is not about web updates - I haven't done a thing to the web since the last post. This one is just a general journal entry. This past Monday was MLK day. I celebrated with a BBQ over at my new place. Friends & family shared baby back ribs, chicken, corn on the cob, potato salad, and a choice of beverages including Shiner and Olde English 40s.

The day started out assembling the new grill. I had no idea it would take so long, this definitely set the BBQ back an hour or two. I had help, so it was fun getting the thing together. The only downer is that this new grill turned into a fire-breathing dragon and engulfed me in a huge ball of flames. Only half of my eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair were singed. Besides the red to purple discoloration on my hand, I got through the near disaster without an (apparent) scratch.

To set the musical tone, I made a special MLK mix and set the 6-CD changer on random. The music was: (1) Catalyst/"Funkiest Band You've Ever Heard" - Disc 1/32 Jazz, (2) Stevie Wonder/"Songs In The Key Of Life" - Disc 1/Motown, (3) Bob Marley/???/???, (4) Parliament/"Up For The Down Stroke"/Mercury, (5) George Clinton/"Hey Man...Smell My Finger"/Warner Bros., (6) James Brown/"Love Power Peace - Live At The Olympia, Paris, 1971"/Polydor.

If anyone is keeping score - I downed two 40s of OE. Opened a 3rd and left probably the whole thing on the table. It's always best to leave some OE in the bottle. That's why the top can be screwed back on like a 2 liter.

Latest Updates

2004-12-20T14:31:00.000-06:00

Although the blog is still a work-in-progress, the blog deal is a little improved now. The formatting is better and now the links work. The personal area has more pictures - still just sky pics. I'll try to get comments working so anyone can comment on the changes.

Website Update

2004-12-03T00:56:00.000-06:00

I swapped out the calendar to show December (finally) as the starting date. Speaking of the calendar, I've added some dates for December and also changed the display when you put the mouse over the underlined part. This allows for more detail on every gig. The personal section has a few pictures using my first digital camera (nothing fancy). Finally, I've added a few things to keep up with the times. There's a message board and also this "blog". Both are probably more of a waste of time than beneficial.