marino

We should really make a book out of this thread!! Maybe, we could also add the various "Best gig", "Worst gig", "Horror stories", and "Great encounters" threads from the past...

Ha ha!!! Excellent! And they're real too!! My favorite is the Molestation Nursery - although it seem to have changed its name by now. My limited English is preventing me from getting n.7... but thanks anyway for a long, good laugh!

Ha ha!!

Great thread! Here are a few: A cute girl: "You are the one who was playing guitar?" (the guitar player didn't look like me at all). Me: "No, but I can introduce you to him if you want". "No, I really wanted to talk to you". "Wonderful. You liked the music?" "Sure. Now I remember - you're the drummer!" (I was playing piano, and talk with the audience, all night) Me: "You're right. Now please excuse me, I've something to do..." After a concert with my electric jazz group: "You are great, but I prefer live playing, with no electronic aids". There wasn't one sequenced or arpeggiated note in the whole concert; it was all live playing. During the first tune of a gig, a girl comes to me, saying something. Me: "Later, please; I can't speak right now." "Why?" "Because we're PLAYING, can't you see it?" "You mean this is the concert? From the sound of it, I though you were still checking your instruments..."

A jazz bass player walks into a lot of bars... oops, sorry...

That's the one, thanks. I didn't have any idea of a trascription in Keyboard - I must have missed that issue. In fact, I trascribed that solo myself note for note!

"GX2"? There was a GS2, but I never heard of a GX2. BTW the GX1 was a big analog synth/organ with a few digital controls, no FM - it was released many years before, in a limited production for a few superstars (Emerson, Stevie Wonder, etc.). Back to the matter: I think Paitch and Porcaro used a GS1 on "Toto IV" and the following tour, but switched to a bunch of much smaller DX7s in the following years.

Just *every* pop song of the 80's had a DX7 on it. Every studio, musician and producer had one or more. I can't think of many solos played on DX, but maybe my favorite one is Kenny Kirkland's burning solo on a song from "The Dream of the Blue Turtles", Sting's first solo album. The name of the song escapes me at the moment, but the beginning of that solo is unforgettable, with a feel of syncopated triplets. and later, a few distinctive bends. I don't have the album anymore, so please fill in the song's name for me... I'd also like to single out the use of the DX by Yes, on 90125 with Tony Kaye on keys. Also, the way Jerry Goldsmith used to merge synths with the orchestra for his soundtracks. He used three or four DX7s plus a few analog synths. Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock also made distinctive use of Yamaha FM synths. Just my 2 cents Carlo

Oh, and a little advice about the forum software: Every time you write a long post, *copy* it somewhere before hitting the "Send" button... you never know.

Thanks for your reply, Roland!

Hi Roland, welcome aboard - strange that while you started posting here, I was starting posting in the HC forum! Anyway, I have a few teasing questions for you, driven more or less by pure envy: First, how do you find the time to get to know all that stuff..?!? I never had more than 11 or 12 synths at a time, and even with THAT amount, it gets messy sometimes! Do you have collaborators, or do you run your studio all by yourself? Second, what's the reason to have, for example, two VL1s, two Minimoogs, or even a Minimoog and a Prodigy..? Do you really *need* the small differences beetween them? OK that's your business I guess, I'm just curious. Third - When you start a project, do you decide in advance what instruments to use? Do you have everything wired and ready to go? Please don't take these questions as provocative - they're out of a mix of envy and envy I know quite a few synth collectors in Europe, and what drives me crazy is the fact that many of them don't really use their stuff - they just buy things. But you seem to be a real musician too, so I'm very curious about the logistics of running such a big rig. Anyway, welcome again Carlo

Cool... The lyrics for the upcoming rap version of "Autoerotique", I guess http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

As an official Joe Zawinul fanatic (I even titled a piece after him on my last CD, in the hope of freeing myself from his shadow), I'll tell you this much: I've seen Joe in action with the most disparate setups, and it's amazing how sometimes he plays something like a factory patch on a Korg M1, and you're still sure it's Joe. I mean, the most important thing is his phrasing! That said, another important thing is his use of modulations and bends. Always surprising, NEVER guitar-like, and often influenced by accordion. (Volume swells followed by fast downward bends, etc.) For a synth, I think both a Yamaha AN1X and a Kurzweil would be excellent starting points to emulate analog synths. However, lately he's using samplers and digital synths as well. Listen to his album "My People" for a really masterful use of samples. HTH marino This message has been edited by marino on 07-21-2001 at 09:38 PM

And if I had a time machine I'd be in a keyobard lesson with Bach as the teacher http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif I don't know if you woul like it, Steve. Bach was notorious for tormenting his students with months and years of finger independence exercises, not allowing them to play any music. Only after being theatened by the exasperated student, he generally allowed to read a little minuet or such. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

Hi guys, sorry for being so late... I've been really busy lately, but I hope I'm still in time. First, it has been great browsing thru your stories. Just a question, where are the pros? I can't believe there are so few musicians here. Please understand, I'm not putting anybody down; some of my friends aren't pros and are better musicians than me... I'm surprised, that's all. My name is Carlo (Marino is an old nickname, sort of), from Rome, Italy. I'm 41, started music at about seven with organ and guitar, piano lessons at ten, at 13 I entered the Rome Conservatory, at 14 got my first band (covers of prog rock), at 15 got the jazz bug and started studying jazz harmony, etc., at 18 started doing jazz gigs, at 19 got sick of the Conservatory and went to London for a while, at 22 started earning enough money and left my family... I've been seeking for the right composition teacher for most of my life; when I found him I was 29 and I had already composed a ton of music, it was almost too late, but I finally put all my head into composition. He was Gino Marinuzzi, a wonderful man that died 3 years ago. I've done just about every music gig you can think about: Jazz pianist, classical pianist, rock keyboardist, composer for theatre and TV, arranger, programmer, music director, teacher (piano, harmony, improvisation), transcriber, even stage director once.. I worked at all levels, from the biggest productions to the smallest things. I got a nice home studio but I'm not equipped to record a band at home... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif I'm not married (anymore) at present, so my focus is again on the music... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif There are two "important" musical things in my life at the moment. One is my own group, with a kind of high-energy electric jazz (we did 2 CDs), and the other is Indaco, a kind of ethno-rock supergroup with a number of great Italian musicians. We did 4 CDs an now we are being signed by a major (touch wood). I'm composing for the Italian State TV (nothing exciting, really..) and preparing another couple of projects for the coming Autumn. I also write "serious" (ha-ha-ha) music; my last work, for four saxes and electronics, has been recently played at the World Saxophone Congress in Montreal, Canada. One thing I've always tried to do is to maintain a balance between piano and synth playing. It's not easy to speak two languages all the time, but I think it's very rewarding. OK you teased me, and I got really too long... but maybe this is the right place to say that in a couple of weeks, my website should be ready, so anybody insane enough to be curious about my musical activities, could visit that... I'll keep you posted. Thanks for having the patience to read my English! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif marino This message has been edited by marino on 04-12-2001 at 09:04 PM