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You should have been there

11/25/2012

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I was speaking with a musician friend not long ago about shows we’ve seen over the years and the discussion turned to musicians we wish we’d seen. That led to some interesting observations and got me to thinking about the way my tastes have changed over the years. I’ve written quite a bit in this space about shows and performers I’ve seen but what about ones I coulda, shoulda, woulda….?

Well, without getting too morose the fact is, most of them are gone now. Some are still living but no longer perform. So indulge me, OK? If anyone reading this DID get to hear these people play, I’d love to hear about it.

First and foremost of course would be the Beatles. Although from the reports I got from the few kids I knew who did see them (in Boston or Shea Stadium in New York) had nothing to do with the music. Tens of thousands of screaming girls made sure the laughably underpowered sound systems of the day were totally useless. But still, to be there when the absolute seminal rock group of all time performed would have been great, in retrospect anyway.

Then there is The King. When he was alive I thought of him as kind of a buffoon to be honest, some kind of caricature. Eventually I began listening to his early, Sun Studio stuff and I “got it.” And the show I wish I’d seen was one of the many he did at the Las Vegas Hilton back in the late 1960s, especially one that came close to the time he more or less reappeared on the music scene and was lean and full of energy.

Which brings me to Vegas and the music that happened and still happens there. One of my favorite recordings is a live set of tunes by the great Count Basie band and Sinatra performing at The Sands in the early 60s. Frank absolutely slays the audience with his delivery and swagger as the Basie band swings hard and with the confidence that they are the best. The hell with the new rock music that was taking over the radio. Listen up, people. This is JAZZ. Now THAT would have been a show to see!

On the other end of the spectrum entirely – Hendrix. I went to lots of concerts back in the 60s but most of them were in the latter part of the decade and of course Jimi died in late 1970. One person I knew was at the famous concert at the Fillmore East that was recorded and then released as an album, with Buddy Miles on drums. Being still primarily an acoustic guitarist in those days, before I went through my electric phase in the 70s, I couldn’t appreciate what he did on the guitar and in fact, even today I think a fair percentage of what he played was excessive to the point of being absurd. But there is no question that he radically advanced rock guitar and I wish I’d had a chance to watch an entire Hendrix show to understand at least partially what he was all about.

Joe Pass. One of the all time greats of the jazz guitar, without a doubt. From all reports a surly and thoroughly unpleasant person however. But to hear him live in the famous trio of Pass, Ella Fitzgerald (still in my opinion the greatest female jazz vocalist of all time), and Oscar Peterson on piano would have been heavenly. You can at least get a feel for it on the recordings they made. They were the epitome of jazz class. All gone now.

This one I’m still kicking myself about. When my son Matt was a freshman at the George Washington University the school had on parent’s weekend a
concert by Ray Charles. I don’t know why Kathy and I didn’t go down for it, just too lazy I guess. Ray died shortly after that date. I began to learn more about him and of course saw the movie “Ray” about his life, although I took much of that with a large grain of salt. Still, he was an innovator and there were few that had his soul. Damn.

Back in the mid 70s there was a concert club on Boylston Street in Boston called Paul’s Mall. At least once a year Bob Marley and the Wailers performed there. The place was small, maybe seating for a few hundred. A guitarist I was playing with at the time urged me to go with him time and time again, but when I listened to Bob’s songs I only heard some lazy rhythms and monotonous chord changes with sentiments in the lyrics that seemed simplistic and trite. You see, at the time I was very into both electric blues (I could understand where THOSE sentiments were coming from!) and also slick jazz rock by groups like Steely Dan. Marley was just….boring. How wrong can a person be? It took a lot of years to “get it” but finally I did when I began going to the Caribbean and also began REALLY listening to his message – and then I dove into reggae and learning about Bob’s amazing, short and tragic life. The lesson for me was, keep an open mind.

There are other musicians that I’ve missed for one reason or another. Today the battle is getting off my ass and making the effort, more than anything else. Fortunately, son Matt loves music and his tastes are eclectic, to say the least. He keeps trying to turn me on to new music and once in a while he succeeds. I still don’t pay attention as much as I should but I’d like to believe my outlook is more open than in my younger days when the issue was what constituted “good” music. I think I’d better get up to Boston to hear Sonny Rollins the next time he comes through town……

Peace & good music,
Gene


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November 13th, 2012

11/13/2012

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With the recent election finally over and done (thank goodness!) and all the talk about fiscal responsibility, blah blah blah, I’ve been thinking a lot about how the current state of affairs will impact the music business in general and me in particular in the months and years to come. While this is very difficult to predict with any degree of accuracy I have been seeing some trends that are both hopeful and at the same time quite disturbing. In a nutshell, here’s what I’ve noticed.

Good:  It appears that folks around here, i.e., in southern New England, have relaxed just a tiny bit about their personal situations and the “big picture” when it comes to whether they can afford to make or continue to have the playing of music be a part of their lives. That is, buying a new guitar and taking lessons seems to be less of a burden than it might have been a couple years ago. Yes, it is still something of a luxury for many people – particularly older people on fixed (read: low) incomes – but these days when I get inquiries the first question is not “how much?” as it was not long ago. This is gratifying because it allows me to explain what I offer before someone ends the conversation almost before it begins if the price seems too high. I price my lessons as low as I can afford and in fact I am lower than many of the teachers in the area.

Guitar purchases are showing a definite upturn too. However, there are some disturbing things on the horizon (more on that below) that could impact that in the near future. In any case, I will continue to do my utmost to offer the best instruments I can find at the most competitive prices I can afford to offer. I do think that astute buyers who take the time to investigate what I offer know this.

Bad:  I heard a very disturbing story a couple weeks ago, told to me by a person with intimate knowledge of the music business. Apparently the Fender company is seriously in debt and to make matters worse they have a huge note that is coming due on the near future, something in the range of $126 million that there is no way they will be able to pay. They have invested heavily in offshore manufacturing and with prices rising globally, plus the fact that they offer way, way too many models and options there is the very real possibility they will have to radically shrink their company – assuming they can stay in business at all. I have heard whispers that even the more fiscally responsible American manufacturers are hanging on by their fingernails. My opinion is that in the years to come guitar buyers will have many fewer choices, and the ones they have will be even more expensive.

Very bad:  Between E-commerce and mega stores that sell guitars, your local music store will most likely be extinct in a few years. But the scary wild card that affects every business, big or small, is the cost of shipping. World events are in a precarious place right now, and if a war breaks out in the Middle East and oil prices skyrocket you can be sure guitar prices (not to mention accessories, and of course everything else) will follow suit. The only reason Guitar Center, Musician’s Friend and the like can offer free shipping is the fact that fuel costs in this country are artificially low compared to most of the rest of the developed world. Plus the infrastructure to deliver that oil and gas is precarious – just look at the lines for gas in the New York area after Superstorm Sandy. All it takes is a catastrophic event, man made or natural, to severely affect fuel prices and availability and a long term event means long term consequences. So I guess all I’m really saying is – buy that new or special guitar NOW because the big picture ain’t good.

Very good:  I’ve talked about this a bit before but I’m seeing more and more interest in more organic music. From the Americana movement of groups like Mumford & Son to commercial pop and country music and even (gulp!) hip-hop, I see more and more guitars being played. This is gratifying and encouraging for me from a business perspective of course but also in terms of the general health of American music. I really do believe that more and more people are discovering the joy of creating music in its purest sense, not on a computer or with some artificial mechanism. And when you combine that trend with the slight loosening of the purse strings, this is very good for all professional musicians.

So…. My opinions only. Obviously. Your comments are welcomed, as always.

Peace & good music,

Gene

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    Gene Bourque

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