Friday, September 19, 2008

Blues Festival Saturday Night - Sept 20th

From Lisa on NorthTexasBlues:

SW BLUES HERITAGE FOUNDATION FEST

This Saturday - September 20 - J & J's Blues Bar - Ft. Worth Doors open at 4:30 music at 5:00
PLEASE try and make it out, the foundation as most know helps musicians in their time of need and like everyone else these days we are hurting for funds. If you cannot make it you can donate via our website. We have a great line up for a great cause so come on out and support not only us but those bands who have generously offered up their time.
Byron Hudson- 05:00 - 05:45
The SIlvertones- 06:00 - 06:45
Cheryl Arena (with Hash Brown, Sonny Collie and Kevin)- 07:00 - 07:45
Texas Topcats- 08:00 - 08:45
Kenny Barker- 09:00 -0 9:45
Jerry Clarke- 10:00 - 10:45
James Hinkle- 11:00 - 11:45
Johnny Mack- 12:00 - 12:45
jam session- 01:00 -02:00am

Note: The benefit is to help musicians in need. It is sponsored by Southwest Blues.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Fellow Democrats: STFU!!!

For the most part, I tend to try and shy away from politics in Strat's Corner. This is a music blog. However, recent political events have me fired up on a number of issues. But there is one that I feel I must comment on. As many of you who know me will attest, I'm an ex-Republican ever since we invaded Iraq. I won't bore you with my personal political beliefs in this matter. What I will do is offer some advice to those I now consider comrades in this fight to replace our current President.

Dear Democrats, would you please SHUT THE FUCK UP??? If you are a marginally talented musician with far left views on politics, do me a favor and STFU. If you are an actor or actress in Hollywood and you think that people want to hear what you have to say ... STFU. If you are a minister in a church in Chicago and you love seeing yourself on tv ... STFU. If you are a leftist activist and documented terrorist who likes to draw cartoons ... STFU. Do you people realize what you are doing to our efforts to get Obama in the White House? Shut. The. Fuck. Up.

If you are passionate about the cause, that's great. Come perform at a rally. Donate lots of money to the campaign. Do anything that you can to help out. Just keep your self-important trap shut until after the election. The numbers are very close. And what we are trying to do is convince a very small number of remaining undecided Americans that we are the sensible solution to years and years of war, economic downturn, high gas prices, corporate scandals and bailouts. The people you are giving these empassioned speeches to already buy into Obama 08. You don't have to sell them on the idea. It's the votes that we need most, the independents who reside in the middle of the political spectrum, that we must appeal to. And these people, believe me, think you are a joke. Your actions put you in the political spotlight at a time when there are very few opportunities to sway voters remaining. You are becoming the leftist radical face of the party as a result. And you're driving the rest of us crazy. Please, let the Obama campaign do it's job. Remember who we are trying to appeal to. Think middle America. Think Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Colorado. Appeal to these people with honest answers to their honest questions.

Do this and we will all accomplish our goal.

Sincerely,

Michael Schaefer
Strat's Corner

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Strathound's Blues Jam Guide

So you want to go to a blues jam and get on stage? That's great. Then this guide may be for you. But be forewarned. I'm not writing this for people out there that think a blues jam is just another open-mic opportunity. And this guide isn't for people who think of a jam as simply a public practice session. This is a guide for musicians who want to understand how a jam works and how to get the most out of it. In a nutshell, this is a guide on how not to look like a poser at a blues jam.

Blues jams are older than I am. They've been going on since before I was born when blues was being invented. The formula isn't very complicated, and that's part of the secret of it. But there is no denying that this is an American tradition with deep roots in our history. And it's power and influence can be felt around the world today.

So what is a blues jam and how does it work? Basically, a blues jam a gathering of musicians in a public venue who share a love of traditional American roots music, specifically blues. Typically there is a host band that starts off the show. Then, throughout the night, the band leader will bring up some of the musicians in the audience to play various instruments in the band. For instance, he may bring up a guitar player and a singer. Or he may just bring up a drummer. It depends on a number of factors. But in general, he's trying to get everyone a chance to play while trying to put the best groups together to keep it entertaining for the crowd.

To the uninitiated, this can sound like a recipe for disaster. But the secret is in the simplicity. Not all songs are good candidates for a blues jam. And most band leaders are pretty good at figuring out who knows the blues formula and who doesn't. Their job is to make sure this goes smoothly. And if they've been doing it for a while, you can bet they know what's going to work.

If you are a musician and you want to go to a blues jam, here are a few simple guidelines that will help you hit the ground running and avoid the most obvious pitfalls.

Jam Etiquette:

1. When you get to the jam, find out who is running it and introduce yourself. Let them know what instrument you play so that they can begin to think about who they will pair you with. Then, while you are waiting, listen to some great music and mingle with other musicians. This is a great opportunity to network. I can't tell you the number of bands that were born at a blues jam. I'm sure it's a lot. My last two bands were formed this way.

2. By default, the singer is the bandleader on stage. That means they call the tune, signal the breaks and dish out the solos. If you sing, it's crucial that you know how to do this. The best way to learn is to watch others and listen. When in doubt, ask for help from someone that's done this before.

3. A solo is your opportunity to shine. But it can go well, or it can go poorly. In general, try and play something that fits the feel of the song. Metallica doesn't go well with a Robert Johnson country blues tune. Also, try and keep one eye on the band leader during your solo. They may cut you short and you want to see it coming. If you aren't paying attention, you'll miss the signal and step on the next guy. Finally, if you are not soloing, bring the volume down so they don't have to turn up so much to be heard.

4. Listen. Learn. Have fun. A blues jam is a great learning experience. But you get out of it what you are willing to learn. Don't go in with any preconceived notions. Ask a lot of questions. And listen to the guys that have been doing this a while. Their advice and input is always worth the price of admission. Think of it like free lessons. ;)

5. Be musical. That means ... listen to what's happening up there on stage. Don't just listen to your one part. Listen to the whole mix. The whole point of getting on stage is to provide entertainment. It's about the music, not some selfish goal. And you have to understand your part in the arrangement. This comes, first and foremost, from listening to the music you are trying to play. If you come out to the jam and you don't know the first thing about blues, then it's probably best if you listen for a while before getting up there. There are those that get it, and those that don't.

6. Know some blues tunes. I cannot stress this enough. The sure fire way to earn the scorn of the rest of the musicians in the room is to show up and call out some classic rock or other non-blues tune. Remember, the purpose of a blues jam is not to show off how well you play the solo in Stairway to Heaven. It's to perpetuate and relive a timeless American musical tradition with a group of other musicians who share the same goal. If you don't share that goal, people will not want to get on stage with you. Seriously. All you have to do in order to not look like a complete poser is simply ask someone for some tunes you could learn and learn them. It's that simple. This leads to a controversial question: what is blues? I won't try and answer this question here. But I'll give you a jamming tip ... avoid Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Hendrix at first. That's one of those sure fire-signs that sets of the poser alerts. Better to start with some Muddy or TBone before you start testing the boundaries. Remember, I'm trying to help you.

What To Bring:

1. Bring your instrument. Make sure it's well maintained and ready to play.

2. Bring a tuner and tune up before you get called up on stage.

3. If you're a drummer, bring your own sticks.

What Not To Bring:

1. Do not bring your Marshall Half Stack. Blues Jam. Remember?

2. Do not bring your pedal board and all your pedals. A blues jam is all mixing it up with other musicians. It's not about the equipment. So keep it simple. Don't be that guy.

Song Selection:

1. In general, any 12-bar blues song that follows the standard I-IV-V chord pattern is a good call. Everyone will know how to pull this off. Click here for more information on what I-IV-V means.

2. Any blues song that stays on the one is also a good choice.

3. Any of the standards are also good (Sweet Home Chicago, Kansas City, Stormy Monday, etc).

4. If you bring your whole band up, feel free to choose songs that have a different arrangement. But remember, people have come to hear some blues. It is a blues jam after all. See #5.

5. Play blues. This is a blues jam. They don't want to hear your rendition of Sweet Home Alabama.

If you follow these guidelines, you will get the most out of a blues jam. The other musicians will accept you as a peer. You will get more playing time. And if you are lucky, you will experience the pure magic that happens when you get lightning in a bottle and the stars align on stage. It's truly a blessing that happens every once in a while. And hopefully, you will avoid as many of the train wrecks as possible.

Thanks for stopping by. If you would like to listen to some of my playing (some of it at local blues jams) simply go to:

http://www.mikeandthemajestics.com

Your friend in the blues,

Michael Schaefer

Sunday, June 29, 2008

A Night Out With Pete Weise At Pearl - June 27th 2008

Thanks to a last minute sleep-over hosted by one of our daughter's friends, my wife and I were blessed with a night off Friday night. And I scrambled to find some great live music for an evening on the town, just the two of us. Normally, a free evening would mean following some of my local heroes to a venue to hear some live blues. But this night, I was tempted to try something a little different. I saw that The Pete Weise Quartet was playing down at Pearl at Commerce. I went and listened to some songs on his MySpace page, and I knew I had to check this out. I'm not well versed on jazz, but I do go and listen to it a lot. I grew up listening to my mom's Duke Ellington and Stan Kenton records. I admit I don't know that I ever understood it. But I like the vibe. And the idea of being downtown listening to some live jazz got me motivated to make the drive from Frisco and weather the challenges.

But first, I needed a restaurant recommendation. Luckily, the folks over at North Texas Blues are always willing to help. They gave me a couple of options including Daddy Jacks and Monica's down in Deep Ellum. I let my wife look at the menus, and she liked the menu of Monica's so we gave that a try. Our waiter Pedro recommended the Mexican Lasagna and Green Pasta and we ordered both. The Mexican Lasagna was good. I really liked the green salsa on it, but would have done without the Italian style marinara on the plate and used something a little peppery instead. My wifes pasta was interesting. The sauce starts off sweet and then ends in a mild pepper kick. Both dishes were a little heavy. Next time, I think I'll try the fish tacos or the Tilapia. The margaritas were very tasty. And the entertainment was fun too. The live band (not sure who it was) reminded me of the Gypsy Kings and were very entertaining. During the breaks, they played disco? Oh well, it was an interesting mix and we didn't mind. It made for fun people watching. There was a large party, mostly women, there for a birthday party. And it wasn't long before the dance competition was on. I should mention that I only paid $5 for valet parking right in front of Monicas. We felt extremely safe coming and going from the restaurant. The whole thing could not have been more stress and worry free if I had gone to dinner in Frisco. They are doing some things right down there.

From there we made our way down to Pearl. The parking situation here was not quite as nice as Monicas. There is a pay lot right next door. I payed $5 to park there. But I will admit that given the lighting and crowd from the club next door, I was not feeling quite as confident about our safety. We didn't have any issues. But, lets just say some of the stories I heard about Deep Ellum were running through my mind. Once inside, I was in heaven. Pearl is an open room with great site lines and comfortable seating. It's very upscale with a vibe to it that lets you know you didn't just walk into another smoky biker bar. We picked a table along the wall and ordered a few drinks. We just happened to be sitting next to Miss Marcy who plays there every Monday night. How cool is that?

The Pete Weise Quartet features Pete Weise on guitar, Chris Bullock on tenor sax, John Caruth on drums and Mike League on bass. The entire band is fantastic. I was mesmorized by John Caruth and Mike League, let me say that. I could try to describe for you just how amazing the music was. But my words wouldn't do it justice. Here is a little medley I've put together from the show (with Pete's permission). Have a listen:



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That pretty much says it all right there. Pretty cool stuff huh? You don't get the full force unless you see it in person, but the audio is the next best thing. Pete is also an associate professor of Music at Collin County Community College. So for those of you out there that have Pete as a prof, you're teacher kicks some serious butt.

So, the final tally for the evening is:

1.) An incredible night on the town in Dallas, Texas thanks to Monicas in Deep Ellum, Pearl at Commerce and The Pete Weise Quartet ... Score: 9.5

2.) Trouble? Nil. Zero. Squat.

Thanks Dallas. Let's do it again real soon. ;)

Monday, June 23, 2008

Lineup for the Frisco Freedom Festival Released

Here is the official list of performers that will entertain on the Community Stage at this year's Freedom Fest in Frisco, July 4th:

Official Site

3:45 - 3:55 p.m. Sami Lee

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4:00 - 4:10 p.m. N3

4:10 - 4:20 p.m. U4ix

4:20 - 4:30 p.m. Anna Thomas

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4:40 - 5:00 p.m. The Iron Horse Express

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5:05 - 5:15 p.m. Fresh Dance Clique

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5:20 - 5:30 p.m. Haleigh Pickett

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5:35 - 5:40 p.m. Suzahn Matney

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5:45 - 5:55 p.m. Imaj Thomas

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6:00 - 6:10 p.m. Cutta C

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6:15 - 6:25 p.m. John

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6:30 - 7:00 p.m. E.F.X

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7:10 - 7:40 p.m. Camfield Way

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7:50 - 8:20 p.m. Mike and the Majestics (featuring Hash Brown)

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8:30 - 9:00 p.m. Vic Duncan

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9:10 - 9:40 p.m. HIM8NC

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Pirates Beware

If you live in Los Angeles and have illegally pirated music or videos in your home, you may want to read this article. Apparently, the city of Los Angeles now considers this activity a "public nuisance" allowing them to seize your property like they do now for gangs, prostitution and drug dealers. Watch out grandma. Better get those Clay Aiken mp3s off your hard drive.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

A Lesson In Texas Blues and the "Texas Sound"

If you want to know what Texas blues is all about, all you have to do is ask a Texas bluesman. I know a real Texas bluesman. He's a guy that's been showing people how it's done for years. He's a guy that teaches a lot of local musicians how to play the blues. And his famous blues jams are a fertile ground where great local players are discovered. His name is Hash Brown, aka Brian Calway. And he posted about this video on the NorthTexasBlues group.

Here is the video he mentioned. It's a great example of how the great blues players, even cats like Jimmie Vaughan and giants like Albert Collins go back and listen to those that paved the way for the next generation of blues players. And the great ones, as you will see in the video, pick up a trick or two in the process:



Mmmm, mmm. Now that's some real Texas blues.