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.

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

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

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:






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. ;)

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

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.

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.

[Review] Bowl Full Of Blues - April 12th, 2008 (Part Two)

The Bowl Full of Blues Festival has been over now for a couple of weeks. And I've been extremely negligent in my blogging activities (I have my excuses). But I still remember the show like it was just yesterday. And the pictures I was able to gather from friends has also helped keep the event fresh in my memory. Here's how the show went down.

The Bulldogs started off the show with their brand of eclectic Texas blues that they've showcased at The Cottage Lounge for years now. In the photo to the left, you can see David Holcomb on drums, Sherman Allen (left) and Jimmy Mac on vocals. The set featured many funky instrumentals and the crowd seemed to respond quite favorably. We were just warming up for a long night of great music. And these guys played a great set to get us going. Checkout those threads on Sherman. Lookin' good bro.

Next up was Blue Lisa and her Big D Playboys. Blue Lisa is the host on KNON's Thursday morning blues show. I've had the good fortune to be a guest on her show and perform live in the KNON studio. I'm still very grateful to her for that opportunity. And I was so incredibly pleased to see that she got a shot to share her brand of Texas blues with the good people of Plano. It was fantastic. In the photo, you can see her belting out one of her great tunes. Next to her is Kenny "Big Head" Chavez on bass and Bob Fisk on guitar. Way to go guys. You sounded great.

After Blue Lisa finished her set, Hash Brown and the Browntones took to the stage. Hash Brown has been a leading figure in the blues scene here in Dallas for many years since moving here from up east. He's a guy who really tries to keep the spirit and history of the blues alive. So when Hash is playing, you're hearing the real deal. And with the Browntones lineup, Hash demonstrates his love for the blues harp. You can see him in the picture laying it down on the harp while Elliot Sowell plays along on the stratocaster. This was some fine, fine music yall. It doesn't get much better than this.

As the sun went down, the temperature went up as things started heating up on stage. Mike Morgan is one of the finest electric blues players in town. So is Jim Suhler. Put them together and you've got lightning in a bottle. But these guys are both seasoned pros. And that means they know when to step out and when to fade back into the mix. And the trade-off between these two masters was something to watch. The highlights for me were watching Jim masterfully play the slide and listening to Mike tear it down on "Blues for Peg and Al", a minor blues instrumental that really shows off his dynamic style of play. I literally stood there up against the stage and let the sound of the guitar wash over me wave after wave. I love that tune. And hearing it live on that stage at full volume was incredible. I was screaming my frackin' head off. Such greatness.

At this point, I'm literally shaking my head in disbelief at how great this night has been. We've got a packed house of blues fans listening to great music. Several great bands have already played amazing sets. And up next is one of my all time heros, Anson Funderburgh. Anson, in my book, is the godfather of the DFW blues scene. He's an international star. He's played all over the world. He has multiple awards to his name. And he's a Plano resident folks. In the picture to the left you can see classic anson on his '59 stratocaster playing behind world class blues singer, Joe Jonas. Anson is the master at saying more with less. And more than any other, Anson knows how to play a supporting role when it's required and step out front when that's required. He's a complete professional. And if you look really close, you can see the back of my head as I'm at the blues altar, listening to the serman. It's church people. Church. And I stayed as long as I could to take it all in.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was not able to stay for the whole night. Very soon after that photo was taken, I had to leave to get my family warmed up. It was smokin' up next to that stage. But back where everyone else was, they were freezing cold. So I missed the Bugs Henderson set. But I heard it was amazing too.

Again, what a fantastic evening of live music we had in Plano. I can't wait to do it all again next year. I hope to see you there.

Michael

[Review] Bowl Full of Blues - April 12th, 2008 (Part One)

Take note city planners. The secret to a successful outdoor festival seems obvious in hindsight. But the City of Plano has created the example for all to follow. The formula is simple. All it takes is:

1. A first class venue.
2. A family friendly environment.
3. Great weather.
4. A liberal and inviting attitude.
5. Aggressive advertising (Show fliers in Plano resident water bills).
   
6. The best bands in town.

According to the promoter, the City of Plano reports that “300 to 400 people were turned away because they were at full capacity.” Jim Weir also said that “the approx. total count of paid attendees and those sitting outside for free could have easily approached 1,600 to 1,700 people.” At $12 per ticket, well, you do the math.

If you read my earlier post on the Bowl Full of Blues, I was a bit surprised when I learned that the City of Plano was hosting a blues festival. But I did my part to help promote the show and secretly wished for the best. Privately, I worried that there would be another empty venue with a few hardcore blues fans and another missed opportunity. I soon learned my fears were unfounded.

The night began for my family with many questions. Our plans were to meet with some friends in Plano and head over to the amphitheater together. But my wife was sick and headed to the doctor in the morning. Based on the diagnosis, I felt there was little chance. But by the afternoon, the drugs seemed to be working and she seemed noticeably better. A few phone calls and the plan was back on. My wife made a run to Whole Foods and got snacks and dinner. I made a run to the beer store and loaded up the cooler with beer and wine. I heard that it might cool off later that night, so we packed some jackets and extra blankets. Then we were off to pickup the rest of our party.

Once we had our group together, we headed for the amphitheater in two cars. We arrived first and I went down to the box office to purchase our tickets. The line was modest. But I could already tell that attendance would be high. I was eager to get my hands on some tickets. When I reached the front of the line, I purchased tickets for my family and the man said, “ok, that’s it, I’m out.” I was about to walk away but stopped immediately. “You’re out”, I asked. Yep. He was completely out of tickets. I knew the other family we invited to the show would be arriving soon. But I couldn’t risk it. I asked the other ticket agents if they had any tickets. Only one lady had any left. I bought four more and went to find our group. If we had gotten there fifteen minutes later, we would not have gotten tickets. And the show hadn’t started yet.

We made our way down to the right side of the stage. The Oak Point Amphitheater is a gorgeous outdoor venue with a large professional stage and row after row of grassy seating areas. It is very clean and well maintained. And there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. We laid out our blankets and began to unpack the supplies and set up our little picnic.

People, when it comes to living the stereotype, we went all the way at this event. As my wife begins pulling food out of the bags and handing stuff out, I quickly realize this is not going to be your normal blues show. We’ve got two different types of fancy salsa and chips, a cheese tray, an assortment of fresh fruit, bread, fancy chicken salad, three bottles of wine and some beer for me. The challenge was getting the chicken salad on these tiny slices of foo foo bread. But hey, I had a cold beer in my hand and the show was about to start. I look over at my wife and smile. This is going to be a good night.

While we waited for the show to begin, I had a chance to take in the whole experience. As I’m sitting there eating my chicken salad and drinking a cold Land Shark Lager, our kids are playing down in the grassy area by the stage. We are surrounded by other families doing similar things. The sky is blue and the air was cool. It really was a great family experience.

This was also a prime people watching opportunity. I had already noticed several people I knew. I headed down to the side of the stage where I found many of the bands getting ready to go. There I saw the promoter, Bob Fisk, Blue Lisa, Rob Donavan, Sherman Allen, Jimmy Mac, Darrin Denney, Melinda Haggerty and David White. They all looked jazzed up and ready to go. I was so jealous, but happy at the same time that these guys and gals were going to get to play to this great crowd. There were more notables out in the crowd. I saw Roger Crisler of Crisler’s Guitar Repair, Scott Lepage and many many others. It was great to see all my friends out supporting the blues. I was in seventh heaven.

In Part II of the review, I will dive into the music and share my thoughts on the performances. I’m also collecting some great photos from shutterbug friends who were there. I’ll be sure and share those with you as well. So check back soon for Part II.
Michael

(photos courtesy of Rick Moore)

Welcome To Strat's Corner

Howdy friend,

Welcome to my little corner of Al Gore's cyberspace. I'm really excited to announce that I'm starting up Strat's Corner again. I gave this a shot a while back on Blogger and wasn't too excited with the results. But this time it's going to be different. And here's why.

I'm proud to announce that I am partnering with Pegasus News to provide content to the Music section of their webzine. That means ... well ... I need to provide quality content on a regular basis. Oh the pressure! But, the good news is that this will provide the necessary kick in the pants to do something I've wanted to do for a long time. Ever since I started NorthTexasBlues.org, I wanted to help document the fantastic music that happens in our town night after night. Finally, I've found the right vehicle to communicate this information. And hopefully, with the help of the good folk over at Pegasus News, I'll be able to reach a larger audience.

If you'd like to learn more about me, simply click the About link at the top of the page. That's where I'll share my background, affiliations and aspirations in music.

So pull up a chair and kick off your shoes. Stay a while and we'll explore the DFW music scene together.