congaron
755 posts
Apr 01, 2010
9:22 PM
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What a great jam! They let my band do a short set before the jam.
We had the crowd from the first note until we walked off the stage! It was too early for them to be drunk, too.
The jam band welcomed three of us back in for more jamming after some of my band members left and I sang "move it on over." I also played harp in the fill and a 24 bar solo after the second verse. The rest was a mix of classic rock and country, where I actually used train sounds and a train horn on 4 and 5 draw...." hear that train a comin', comin round the bend (toot toot)!"
The whole early evening rocked! we left leaving them wanting more as the jam continued.
There was a trumpet player there and he was very good. I did some "echoing" on harp with him...not call and response, more like a huge delay matching him note for note..it sounded awesome with my harp simulating a trumpet with a touch of grit. He was more of a jazz player, but it was easy to do some of his licks.
We did "give me back my wig," where the lead singer cut my solo short after 12 bars, oops...then gave it back to me later...lol. On "Black magic woman"....I played my harp mic as a tiny conga with outstanding audience reaction and interplay. I usually play real congas, but not for jam night...too much stuff to carry. As a band, we did those two and one original....also two original instrumental jams. That was it and we walked off in the roar after "Wig."
The owners called me aside and offered us a standing Friday night gig as the new house band...new owners, looking for a fresh sound. The current house band will stay on Thursday and do the jam. Eehah! Some of the most fun i've had Live...very satisfying to get a gig out of it too.
Last Edited by on Apr 01, 2010 9:51 PM
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congaron
756 posts
Apr 01, 2010
9:48 PM
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Oh...equipment:
My Samson R21 mic into my Digitech rp80 ( without impedance transformer, btw) into a behringer DI20 into the mic input of a Mackie 600 watt powered mixer and peavey sp2 speakers..the house system they use out on the deck for jam night and bands that don't bring their own. It's plenty of system for the size of the room.
Jam rig in a briefcase with 12 harps, pedal, three cables, a mic, and Di box.
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The Gloth
330 posts
Apr 02, 2010
3:58 AM
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Well done ! Being the house band is cool, it's like having your rehearsals paid...
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congaron
757 posts
Apr 02, 2010
7:38 AM
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Yes, we've been looking for a home and they are few and far between in this area...this is the big one everybody wants. we've been driving to Kansas city and working for peanuts....it's an hour to two hours away depending on the KC area gig we went to. It's good to be local.
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jawbone
300 posts
Apr 02, 2010
8:13 AM
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Hey Congrats Congaron - It sounded so perfect I was waiting for the "April Fools" but ya gotta love it when a plan comes together!!!
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If it ain't got harp - it ain't really blues!!!!
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congaron
760 posts
Apr 02, 2010
8:46 AM
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Lol..thanks jawbone. Nope no kidding. There will also be a radio show personality and a live feed every friday night for us. It's a very good deal.
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Harpaholic
3 posts
Apr 02, 2010
12:05 PM
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Wow! Considering you've only been playing for 14 months, that's amazing!
Congrats!
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congaron
765 posts
Apr 02, 2010
12:14 PM
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Thanks. The guys in the band are good enough that I have had to work very hard to reach my current skill level. I am nowhere near where I will be, but thankfully nowhere near where I was a year ago february...lol.
Last night I found some more new stuff inside me that came out when i had to play next to a good Jazz trumpet. It was cool. I will have to explore that stuff some more in a structured practice setting. I will still do jam night even though we play the next night. I am a firm believer in play a little get back off and let some other folks have a crack at it. My whole band is that way at a jam. Last night we all really cut loose, both on slow/medium tempo jams with other people and on our own set. There was a surprising amount of minor key blues and Country by the house jam band. I played in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th positions because of that. I rarely ventured beyond 1st and 2nd out live before that..occasionally 3rd. That was good experience since we only do a couple of minor key numbers. yep, even train sounds.
Thanks for the encouraging words.
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Harpaholic
4 posts
Apr 02, 2010
12:57 PM
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Myself, and I'm sure others would like to hear some of your playing if you don't mind posting it.
I may learn something!
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congaron
766 posts
Apr 02, 2010
1:20 PM
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I can write what i do as well as play it into a camera/mic. I am on a wireless aircard and have bandwidth limitations and a crummy connection that makes uploading tough, but here's what i do in a nutshell. The skills to play the notes i want ..when i want...are key to all of it. So here is my philosophy of playing out.
Frankly, My playing is nothing special at all (my opinion of myself), but the crowd reaction overwhelms me and makes me keep improving...they really like it!
I don't ask them if they "know good harp when they hear it" or assume they don't. I focus ENTIRELY on entertaining them as a room...eye contact with every single person while totally enjoying myself.
I DO use the whole harp in any position i am playing in.
I DON'T concentrate on sounding "bluesy" every single second of my playing.
I FREQUENTLY go outside the "Blues box"..even into jazz territory..before returning to blues "home plate" turnarounds...etc.
I OCCASIONALLY use a 5 or 6 overblow and ...
I ALWAYS concentrate on leaving space, even when soloing. I have posted a few videos on Youtube. My name is congaronbo there. My videos are to jamtracks and I just don't get in the groove sitting in that chair at all while the webcam runs.
None of the videos are current as of this week, but there is an amp demo that's not too long ago. The slow blues attempt I did a while back to a jam track got such a lukewarm to harsh response I decided to only post vids that showcased equipment options on a budget. I am well aware i don't play as well as i do Live, so i just learned not to worry about trying to impress anybody here.
I am nothing special to a forum full of harmonica players and pros but I am very pleased with this recent milestone, which included many compliments and some "wow" faces during performance. Seeing happy faces makes me happy. That works for me.
I think that's all I have to teach if any of it rings true for you.
Last Edited by on Apr 02, 2010 1:21 PM
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hvyj
252 posts
Apr 02, 2010
2:33 PM
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You know, the mic preamps in Mackie boards are really good and very harmonica friendly. Nice gear.
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