Hey MBH-ers, From a recent (and rare!) live performance with Brady Cohan, the classic "Days of Wine and Roses". I don't typically use bullet mics and amps for this kind of thing, but this wonderful mic made by James Waldron of SimpleMics Custom Harmonica Microphones through a Silvertone amp was a really nice timbral change of pace. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
That's gorgeous and accomplished music. Stuff like that always makes me want to say, "Now THOSE guys are musicians!" As compared with primitives like me.
This will sound strange, but the first word that came to mind as I watched Cohan's long run-up to your entrance was "millennials." There's been a lot of talk among people my age lately about "the younger generation," and most of it hasn't been nice talk. I watched Cohan, dazzled by his level of accomplishment, thinking back to myself at that age, trying desperately to master the complexities of jazz guitar, and I thought "That guy is a master guitarist." It takes a hell of a lot of talent and then conscious application and THEN experience with different acts and on different bandstands to get that dazzlingly good.
Then you came in, equally proficient, and the word lingered in the air, thoroughly redeemed.
Strange thoughts, I know, but aging men have strange thoughts, especially when they're college professors and the campuses are up in arms, young people are yelling at and shaming men who look like me. This sort of brilliance is nice to encounter.
And yes: I like the bullet sound on this song! But the mic you were using, honestly, was the last thing on my mind. :)
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Dec 01, 2015 3:32 AM
Jolene and I use that very amp- the 1482. And I, like Adam, am but a savage at the window when it comes to nuanced playing like you, Ross, but on some few songs we do, the bullet/tube amp can't be beat for chromatic. My chromatic playing is along the lines of say Cotton or John Weston, albeit maybe not as polished. The warmth of a bullet and tube amp dresses the harp's output very nicely. Very well done sir! ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
This is great. I've been looking for inspiration for things to listen to on the chromatic as I'm just dipping my toe in these deep waters.
I've been seeking out pieces that use single notes, rather than just the big 3rd position chord sound. So this is perfect. There's the note choices, but especially how you shape the notes and the edge you add from the mic and amp. Highly appealing.
Do you have more examples?
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Dec 01, 2015 6:30 AM
Greg, Chinn, Robbert, jbone---I really appreciate you taking the time to check this video out and for your encouraging words...Rock on!
Kudzu---Thanks for such kind and thoughtful words...I'm deeply flattered, and it inspires me to try to live up to such praise!
Diggs---Thanks for sharing...some really cool intervallic playing! How'd you work on that?
1847---I believe it's a White Label CR element, though you could ask James for more details.
MindTheGap---I'd recommend listening to Mike Turk...killer jazz player coming from blues harp background. As for other examples of my own playing... Audio is questionable, but I like the reckless vibe of this performance (solo starts at about 0:55):
@Ross My jazz teacher was the great sax player Larry Mckenna from philly at Temple University. Before that I studied for a number of years with Robert Bonfiglio. ----------
Ross...As I was listening to the op clip, I could almost hear the waves breaking on the shores of Keuka Lake on a breezy afternoon in late May. My wife and I taking in the warm sun as it filters through the branches of the big red oak by the deck. Not a care in the world. No place to hurry off to.
Very nicely played lad. Thanks for sharing. ----------
