Dave Pierce Posted July 15, 2002 Posted July 15, 2002 Tonight I played in the house band for a jam night at JJ's in San Jose run by Alvin Draper. Alvin's a great blues guitarist/vocalist. He asked me to become a regular in his band! I'm so flattered and excited about this. Great confidence booster for me at this stage of my return to gigging. As in: "If I'm good enough for Alvin, maybe all those doubts I have are just head weasels...." I think it also illustrates how little people really care about chops, especially for a keyboardist in a guitar-oriented group. It is so much more important to be personable, willing to play a supporting role, have good volume control, decent tone. And be incredibly handsome and slim and young..... oh wait, no that's not it either. --Dave Make my funk the P-funk. I wants to get funked up. My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/
RABid Posted July 15, 2002 Posted July 15, 2002 Im guessing it also says something about your timing and touch. Volume and tone can be controlled by the sound man. Feel can only be controlled by the person playing the instrument. Robert This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page
bobster Posted July 15, 2002 Posted July 15, 2002 Out of curiosity, what equipment did you use on this blues gig? By the way Dave, I live in Los Gatos, so I'm a neighbor -- I'd like to come and hear you play sometime. - Bob
Blues Disciple Posted July 15, 2002 Posted July 15, 2002 You are somewhat right in your comments about what people look for in a blues keyboardist. Blues is all about feel, precision, and emotion. To be a good blues keyboardist you have to be able to provide the background support and fill, especially if you are behind a virtuoso blues guitarist. You have to play "in the pocket" and be there on the beat to make it stand out while dressing up all around the turnarounds in the I-IV-V to make it flow. If there's only one guitarist then you are the glue who keeps it all together---no little task. And blues without emotion is just some dude playing the old twelve-bar. Great blues is dripping with emotion and excitement. You must have done a great job to be asked to be in the house band. I am extremely jealous of you right now! BD "With the help of God and true friends I've come to realize, I still have two strong legs and even wings to fly" Gregg Allman from "Ain't Wastin Time No More"
Jeff Klopmeyer Posted July 15, 2002 Posted July 15, 2002 I fucking love blues gigs as a guitarist. I don't have enough feel to fake them as a keyboardist. Music (in its aspect as a form of entertainment) is almost never about chops. Those are to impress other musicians. - Jeff Marketing Communications for MI/Pro Audio My solo music and stuff They Stole My Crayon
Byrdman Posted July 15, 2002 Posted July 15, 2002 Originally posted by Dave Pierce: Tonight I played in the house band for a jam night at JJ's in San Jose run by Alvin Draper. Alvin's a great blues guitarist/vocalist. He asked me to become a regular in his band! I'm so flattered and excited about this. That's way cool. So much for "I'm just starting to get my licks back into shape" :-) Next time we'll play you Colonel Bogey's March. (I am sure you know the "lyrics" to that) :-) David.
mooghead Posted July 16, 2002 Posted July 16, 2002 Congratulations man, I wish you all the best! Blues is an ever folding gem: so simple and so profound at the same time...
Dave Pierce Posted July 16, 2002 Author Posted July 16, 2002 Hmmm, I posted a reply a couple hours ago, but I guess it didn't "take". The gist was: Thanks Robert and BD for the kind words. Bob, I used my "organ-only" rig, which is an older model Korg CX-3, a Motion Sound Pro-3, and a Crate KX-100. I'm playing with Alvin at JJ's this Friday night from 7:30 to 9, come on down. Or, show up to the jam night at JJ's -- Sundays from 9 to midnight. Come early and get on the list, you can play your three songs with the jammers. There might be multiple keyboardists there -- I'm the 30-something white dude with glasses and sideburns. You can use my rig if you promise to be gentle , or you can bring your own. --Dave Make my funk the P-funk. I wants to get funked up. My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/
Dave Pierce Posted July 16, 2002 Author Posted July 16, 2002 Originally posted by Byrdman: That's way cool. So much for "I'm just starting to get my licks back into shape" :-) Next time we'll play you Colonel Bogey's March. (I am sure you know the "lyrics" to that) :-) David.Hmmm. Yeah. Funny, when I hear myself play, it still feels very accurate to say "I'm just starting to get my licks back into shape". And I know that it is accurate, in the technical sense -- my left and right hand still don't want to work independently, I still can't smoothly and quickly riff outside of a small "box", etc. However, clearly *other people* listening to me play don't hear it this way. Well....I guess another skill that I need to work on after 12 years off is "accepting compliments". --Dave Make my funk the P-funk. I wants to get funked up. My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/
bobster Posted July 16, 2002 Posted July 16, 2002 Thanks - I might be able to make Friday night - maybe I'll see ya there.
SurrealMcCoyJazz Posted July 16, 2002 Posted July 16, 2002 Hey Dave, Congrats on your gig! Although I live in the central valley, I come to JJ's occasionally to do gigs. I play keys/key bass in a blues trio. We've opened for Chris Cain, Little Charlie & The Nitecats & Corby Yates & were supposed to headline this past May; due to scheduling problems, it didn't happen. If you ever get bored.....you can cross the street to GC! LOL!! Maybe I'll see you sometime.... Surreal Surreal
Dave Pierce Posted July 16, 2002 Author Posted July 16, 2002 Originally posted by SurrealMcCoyJazz: Hey Dave, Congrats on your gig! Although I live in the central valley, I come to JJ's occasionally to do gigs. I play keys/key bass in a blues trio. We've opened for Chris Cain, Little Charlie & The Nitecats & Corby Yates & were supposed to headline this past May; due to scheduling problems, it didn't happen. If you ever get bored.....you can cross the street to GC! LOL!! Maybe I'll see you sometime.... Surreal Cool. JJ's is fun. Keys and key bass at the same time, eh? Impressive.... --Dave Make my funk the P-funk. I wants to get funked up. My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/
whitefang Posted July 16, 2002 Posted July 16, 2002 If you're 30-something, then surely life by now has thrown enough shit at you to be able to express yourself suitably for a blues band. Nice outlet. And apparently, it fits you. I don't know who this bandleader is, but I doubt he'd of asked you back 'cause he wanted you learn something. Sounds as if he feels you've already learned. And it also sounds as if you learned more than you thought! Best of luck, man! Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
Dave Pierce Posted July 16, 2002 Author Posted July 16, 2002 Originally posted by whitefang: If you're 30-something, then surely life by now has thrown enough shit at you to be able to express yourself suitably for a blues band.No question about that! Thanks... --Dave Make my funk the P-funk. I wants to get funked up. My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/
Magpel Posted July 16, 2002 Posted July 16, 2002 Good show! Remember: I IV V, I IV V When I announced my first gig as a "keyboardist" (still can't take the quotes off) Soapy Geoff said something that stuck with me through the gig(s). Think of yourself as a musician first, an instrumentalist second. As a guitarist, I can be chops conscious. As a keyboardist, I don't have to worry about that! Check out the Sweet Clementines CD at bandcamp
Dave Pierce Posted July 16, 2002 Author Posted July 16, 2002 Originally posted by Magpel: Goos show! Remember: I IV V, I IV V When I announced my first gig as a "keyboardist" (still can't take the quotes) Soapy Geoff said something that stuck with me through the gig(s). Think of yourself as a musician first, an instrumentalist second. As a guitarist, I can be chops conscious. As a keyboardist, I don't have to worry about that!Hey that's a good way to think of it. I like that. When I play blues, or even rock for that matter, I like to lock myself in with the bass player. I use a rhythmic chording pattern, doing variations on the III-V, IV-VI, V-minVII thing that match closely the rhythm the bass player is using for his walks. If it's a fast blues tune, I can also get into a boucing thing that I don't know how to describe. Point is, I see myself as part of the rhythm section. In fact when it's my turn to solo, I have to really slap my brain out of that mode to do leads that wrap around the rhythm. It must work out well, because I always seem to hit it off with bass players right away. I suspect those guys always want a little help in the rhythm section, but don't want to ask. Well, here it is..... --Dave Make my funk the P-funk. I wants to get funked up. My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.