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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
The Nights it All Comes Together
The Nights it All Comes Together
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Littoral
75 posts
Sep 07, 2010
1:29 PM
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Some nights it all really comes together, sometimes it doesn't. The variables to this are many but assuming you have a decent command of the most important issues (excellent players, top notch gear/PA, sleep/alertness, a good room), what makes some nights the best? No less than Kim Wilson called it 1 in 10. I'm thinking that if that's as close to control as he gets then it all might just be magic. Any wisdom out there?
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barbequebob
1212 posts
Sep 07, 2010
4:48 PM
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Even with excellent players, they all HAVE to be musically on the same page from start to finish, good dynamics, and everything HAS to groove 24/7 and I`ve seen times where there were excellent players that clearly were not on the same page from start to finish, not much in dynamics plus no underlying sense of groove, it winds up being at best marginally better than what I`ve too often witnessed at far too many open jams
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte.
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Joe_L
605 posts
Sep 07, 2010
5:05 PM
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There are a lot of variables for each person that you're performing with. Sometimes, it takes a lot for all of stars to align.
Any wisdom?
Practice, pay attention to the leader, pay attention to what others are doing and most importantly, be flexible. Fit into the groove that the other players are playing, even if it's wrong. If you are all on the same page, then it won't be wrong. It'll be a "new arrangement."
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Littoral
76 posts
Sep 07, 2010
5:19 PM
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"...it'll be a new arrangement".
Nice, and how true it is. It's a lot more likely
if everybody listens listens listens.
l promise not to hurt a guitar player.
The ones that listen are few and far between.
That said, harp players that listen are even fewer.
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jbone
393 posts
Sep 07, 2010
9:56 PM
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for my money, if a band's members are versed in what i'm versed in, and we all have a relaxed focus and open minds, many times that combination will lead to a unique and rewarding night of music. most times i've spent a night on stage there have been flubs of some sort, but on the "good" nights they are noted and passed by and the bar gets raised.
i come from the jam night-as-lab school. it has expanded to other areas. to me playing, singing, with folks who are seasoned and relaxed, and taking what comes with some insight and creativity, that's when it gets to the magic level. synergy.
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wolfkristiansen
48 posts
Sep 07, 2010
10:40 PM
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Add to all the above, rehearsal (so you know your songs)and then the sense of adventure to play with the song whose basics you've got down cold.
For the groove, it helps to have people with the same basic sense of time. Blues drummers are not country drummers are not jazz drummers. Blues time, on whatever instrument, is not country time is not jazz time.
I was in the same band for five years, and while it had disadvantages, it also had advantages-- we knew where we were going with a song, and so weren't afraid to play with it.
Lastly, feel/emotions/soul have so much to with it, for me (the blues freak). If you're bursting with something to say, 'cuz you just had an argument with your girlfriend for instance, you are going to say it, and the band is going to pick up on it and run with it.
Other nights it's gonna be more pedestrian.
There's lots more to say about this, as I am sure some will.
Cheers,
wolf kristiansen
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