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Joyful music!

11/30/2018

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I don’t know, maybe it’s because of the season, when we’re encouraged to be joyful via songs, commercial messages (plenty of those) and images of jolly old St. Nick but lately I’ve been thinking about the basic pleasure – the joy – of making music. What is it in our genetic makeup that makes the playing of music just feel so good? Does it have something to do with music being a form of communication, one that conveys emotion better than basic verbal communication? I may be over-thinking this….
 
But in the last week or so I witnessed two very different but equally joyful displays of music-making. One was by a local band who have a very nice following and play lots of up-tempo well-known songs by people like the Eagles, Van Morrison, Tom Petty, Jimmy Buffett and the like. They only play out on an occasional basis but a couple of the members play in other, smaller groups that are also popular in the area. Are they slick and professional? Hell, no. They are all good players but they hardly ever rehearse so things like counted-off intros and tight outros are hardly ever a major concern. No set lists are in sight; they just kind of move from tune to tune at the whim of whoever happens to think of another song when they finish one. They also have no hesitation in throwing down a few beers while they are performing and probably a few before they start.
 
The result? The room was packed and EVERYONE was having a great time. The enthusiasm that was coming from the band was a big, big part of this. In a nutshell, they just love to play and that love and yes, joy, transcended any slight glitches in the music. I had a great time (a few margaritas may have had something to do with this of course), the band had a great time, the people listening had a great time. Mission accomplished!
 
At the other end of the musical spectrum in terms of pure chops were the group I heard Sunday afternoon at a house concert in Wood Hole. The group was comprised of pianist Gordon Webster, a stand-up bass player, rhythm guitarist, clarinet player who doubled on alto sax and a woman singer named Tatiana Eva-Marie. They played straight-ahead traditional jazz, swing and a bit of gypsy jazz. To say they were fantastic would be an understatement, especially Webster on piano (who served as the leader and introduced most of the tunes) and Tatiana Eva-Marie. Now, you would think as I described the type of music they played that they would be older musicians, well versed in this type of jazz that was popular in the 1930s and 40s. But no – the oldest was Webster, who may have been all of 50 but I doubt it. All the rest of the players were in their 20s and 30s! How could they be so great at this seemingly archaic form of jazz? 
 
Love of the music. And joy. From the first note, the smiles never left their faces (well, OK, maybe not the clarinet guy, which would be tough to play with a smile on one’s face!). High energy and watching the musicians watch each other, smiling in appreciation of what was being played. Loving the experience and grateful for the opportunity to convey their love and joy. 
 
But it came to me on the way home: that joy from hearing and playing at such an advanced level was really no different than the joy I saw on the face of the guy in that local band, “pilgrim” hat perched on his head as belted out “Take Me Home, Country Road” with a big grin on his face – and the whole bar sang along.  
 
Over the years I’ve known a few musicians who were great players but sadly had lost the capacity to play with joy. This is usually an ego-based problem and it comes out pretty quickly that those players viewed playing music as some sort of competitive exercise. Unless you are auditioning for a major symphony orchestra or to take over for a musician in a famous band, viewing music making as a competition is a bad road to follow. Don’t even get me going on The Voice, American Idol and their ilk, which I despise. When a younger player reaches a point that may lead to playing professionally or “seriously” whatever that may mean, it is pretty easy to begin stacking his own playing against others. Ego and value judgements can begin to take over and inevitably the pure joy of playing often diminishes in direct proportion. In a few very sad cases I’ve even known players who quit playing altogether because they could no longer find the joy. 
 
As the years have gone by I’ve found that I get great satisfaction, even joy in smaller musical accomplishments. The big picture in terms of my playing has become less important compared to how I looked at things years ago. That’s not to say I’ve gotten slack about how well I can and SHOULD be playing. I still want to play as well as I possibly can every time I pick up the guitar. It’s just that my standards for attaining some level of joy have changed.
 
So if you happen to hear me playing out somewhere and you notice a smile on my face it’s likely it’s there because I happen to like the way the chords fit together in that song, or a turn of a phrase in the lyrics touches me, or perhaps I’m reminded of something that happened long ago related to that song. And as long as those kinds of things keep happening when I pick up my guitar I’ll keep playing. Always with joy, I hope.
 
Peace & good music,
Gene
 
 
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Ode to The Brew

11/11/2018

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One thing that all working musicians crave is a steady gig. Many years ago when I played in many bands of various sizes we would sometimes be able to lock up four or five nights over a period of a month or two but usually it was a case of hoping the owner would agree at the end of the night to book us again in the not too distant future. About 20 years ago when I fronted a quartet we had a good and long-standing relationship with a bar/restaurant that resulted in work almost every weekend for a couple summers, plus New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately, in spite of the best efforts of the woman who owned the place, it was just too far out of the way for many people and she finally gave up and sold the place.
 
So just about every weekend for the last eight years I’ve been happily ensconced and grateful for my regular mornings at the Daily Brew Café in Cataumet here on Cape Cod. I’ve mentioned this place numerous times in this space but as I was driving home from my regular Sunday gig today I was reflecting on just why playing there has been such a joy. Some of these incidents I’ve mentioned in this space before, so if you’re a long-time reader please forgive me.
 
I have many wonderful memories of playing at the Brew. I’ve been there long enough that I’ve actually watched some of the kids of regulars all but grow up; this is very gratifying. Getting to know new people, both off-Cape visitors in the summer and the regulars who frequent the place in the off season has been just great.
 
For example, at the beginning of my tenure there was a young family that came in regularly with a toddler son. He was always enthralled with the music (as almost all kids are!) and when he reached the age of about four his parents bought him a ukulele for Christmas. He was very excited to show me it and I suggested he bring it the next time they came in. Sure enough, he did, and although he really didn’t know how to play it, he could “play” it, if you get my drift. I plopped him on a stool beside me and we wailed away on “The Wheels on the Bus” to his heart’s content. He loved it, his parents loved it, and all the patrons thought it was just about the cutest thing ever. I haven’t seen them in a while, they may have moved away, but I’m betting he is still having fun with that uke or maybe even a guitar!
 
On the other end of the age spectrum was an older lady who used to come in frequently. One day she approached me and said, “You know, I used to perform too!” She pulled an old black and white photo from the 1950s of herself in full cowgirl regalia, holding a very nice Gibson F-hole guitar. She explained that she toured all over the mid-West and the South for many years, complete with a stage name (something cowgirl oriented, but I forget….). She complimented me on my playing and said she still had her old outfits – and that old Gibson – but would never, ever part with either. I asked her to bring the guitar in for me to see and play and she agreed but she has yet to do so. I hope she does.
 
Another time a couple slightly younger than myself came in, listened intently and clapped after every song, something that doesn’t happen all that often as my function at the Brew is to provide pleasing background music (which I’m fine with, for the record). When it was time for me to take a break they told me how much they’d enjoyed my playing and the man introduced himself. It turned out he was a pretty well know acoustic rocker from southern New Hampshire who was visiting the Cape. I knew him by name and reputation but had to confess I had never heard him play. He then said the nicest thing: You know, he said, I can bang out songs all night long but I could never carry two sets of all-instrumentals like you do. Great job!
 
This was very gratifying, to say the least. He does play on the Cape on rare occasions and one of these days I’ll catch his act.
 
Actually, he kind of caught me off guard as I can almost always pick out guitar players who are listening to me. They have…..that look. Usually they are very complimentary, sometimes they don’t say anything, and I have to admit that sometimes (and I include a couple locals in this) I know they’re thinking something along the lines of: N’eh, he’s not so good. I could do that. 
 
I got over being annoyed with that long ago because quite frankly, I’ve got a gig. And they don’t. End of story.
 
Sometimes I’ve misread those types, however. Not long ago a guy came in by himself and stayed for quite a while, studying my playing carefully but with something akin to a sneer on his face. Hoo boy, I thought. At least he bought some coffee and a sandwich so I fulfilled my part of the deal. But when I took a break he came up and said:
 
“That was really good. I mean it. I think you’re a really good guitar player.” I thanked him sincerely. But the strange part was, that sneer never left his face. Go figure. I haven’t seen him again however. 
 
Another really great aspect of playing at the Daily Brew has been getting to know quite a few of the local musicians that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. That’s because I just don’t frequent the bars that have live music as I once did. But there is a small but very active bunch of players in the area who frequent the Brew and I’ve actually played with a few of them a couple times in the last year or so. They are good, solid players and just love doing it and that’s good enough for me. I really like playing with them and hope to do more of that over the winter when playing music in someone’s living room and downing a beer or two can help us all get through the long Cape Cod winter. If not for the Brew, I might never have met them.
 
But the best part of playing at the Daily Brew is their wonderful staff and especially the owner, Kathy Hickey. Kathy runs a tight ship and she hires great people. She also has a deep love of many kinds of music (she’s a terrific singer herself, although she’s reticent to admit it for some reason!) and a sincere respect for ALL musicians, something that is sorely lacking in most restaurant and bar owners. She took a chance on me in the beginning when I was determined to develop a solid play list of instrumentals and it took a year or so craft some dependable set lists. I had always depended upon singing with the acoustic or playing lead and rhythm electric in the bands over the years. The result is – and I’m not bragging here, really, but – I know I’m playing better now than I have in my entire guitar playing life. And I have the steady gig at the Daily Brew (and Kathy Hickey) to thank for that. 
 
So as we approach the Christmas season and I begin throwing some seasonal songs into my set lists, if you’re anywhere near Upper Cape Cod, do stop in at the Daily Brew on Route 28A in Cataumet. If you can come by on some Sunday morning you’ll hear me. Other times you just may find me sitting at a table with a friend or two, eating wonderful treats I should not be eating and drinking the BEST coffee around. In any case, I promise you’ll be glad you did.
 
I am very fortunate and grateful.
 
Peace & good music,
Gene
 
 

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Back in the swing of things....

11/9/2018

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This and that today. Finally back in the swing of playing and teaching after our two weeks in Italy. I was afraid the ol’ fingers would take some breaking in but miraculously I managed to play pretty well last weekend at the Daily Brew and got through a couple dozen or so lessons this week so all is well. Whew!
 
So….
 
I know I’ve complained about this before in the space but why the heck is it that guitar manufacturers make so few decent but budget-priced acoustic guitars for lefties?! Right now I have a couple left-handed students, which is a challenge from a teaching perspective but a fun challenge too. The issue is their instruments. In both cases the guitars being used are barely passable at best. One guy took my advice and bought one of the X-series Martins, a dreadnought, from one of the big on-line retailers and it came through with a set-up that made it all but impossible to play, a poor example from this otherwise reputable company. He ended up sending it back but frankly I was a bit embarrassed to have recommended the guitar when I saw it. There are a few inexpensive models out there from companies like Yamaha and Alvarez, but very few. Otherwise, lefties are pretty much left with only very expensive instruments to choose from; in most cases a beginner is not prepared or inclined to pay well over $1000 for a guitar in the beginning. I get it – the left-handed guitar market is small, even smaller in the world of acoustics vs. electrics. But I think the makers of the higher quality Pac Rim instruments are missing the boat on this market. My brother is left-handed and I well know that the world is stacked against lefties in many annoying ways but I also know that crappy guitars will never inspire a player to go to the next level when it comes time to commit to playing in the long term.
 
I continue to be excited about a lot of the new music I’m hearing, as I have been for a few years. Of special interest is a group from the Boston area called Darlingside. Fantastic songwriting, playing and especially singing with three tenor voices that are incredible. Check them out. I think they have a very bright future. I’m also psyched for the new album that is coming out in a couple months by Mandolin Orange. They just released the first single from that album and it sounds great. 
 
Finally bit the bullet and worked out a song by the immensely popular Ed Sheeran for one of my young students who loves his music. OK, I am a cranky old guy once in a while (maybe more than once in a while!) but his music has always sounded contrived and disposable to me, at best. But hey, a gazillion starry eyed young women can’t be wrong, right? Anyway, “Photograph” is now on my list of songs for students. Get over it, Gene!
 
I was reminded yet again that a skilled luthier is worth his weight when my regular guy, Fran Ledoux of Bay Fretted Instruments worked his magic on a 30-year-old Yamaha for a friend of mine. She was a student way back when and her guitar was at that time one of the top-end guitars from that maker. But 30 years of brutal variations in our Cape Cod humidity did its worst and that Yamaha had become almost unplayable. I tried to adjust it as best I could but it was way beyond my skills to fix. Fran managed to return it to Martin specs, action-wise, dressed the frets and re-glued places as needed and now that old guitar is almost as good as new. I’m sure my friend will begin playing again, which is great – she used to really enjoy it. Many people set themselves up as “luthiers” with little or no training or experience. Fran studied guitar making and repair at a highly respected school many years ago and time has only made him better. He is having some health issues now and I fear the day when he’ll retire. We are very fortunate to have him in the area.
 
My winter project is going to be transferring all my repertoire to an Ipad to use when I gig. Been meaning to do this for a few years. Lugging around a big notebook with lead sheets and lyrics is just silly with the technology that’s available now. I have tried OnSong in the past but gave up. I’ll probably revisit that site and buy an Airturn pedal for use when performing. A big project for sure – I have upwards of 300 songs in my repertoire and the time has come. 
 
And on that note, I began practicing my (gulp) Christmas songs this week. Some came back easily, some are lost in the depths of my sketchy memory. As I’ve said before about this time of year, one of the big problems with Christmas songs is that everyone knows them! So….if you screw up, there is no hiding behind fills or random changes as you can sometimes do with less familiar songs. Gotta get to work, it will be time to crank them out before I know it. I did come up with a nice arrangement last year of the “Peanuts” Christmas tune, “Christmas Time is Here.” That will be the first big challenge as I’ve totally forgotten it! I try to add one or two seasonal songs to my list every year and need to get going on that, too.
 
Also now looking forward to the big NAMM show in Los Angeles in January. I have something of a game plan, which I can’t reveal just yet but my hope is to launch a new and different site for acoustic guitarists in the not too distant future. Watch this space for news!
 
Peace & good music,
Gene
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Italy! Buona Musica!

11/2/2018

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Back from two amazing, wonderful, breathtaking and life-changing weeks in Italy. I won’t bore you with details of our trip unrelated to music (but if you’re a Facebook friend of mine, I surely will!). No, I want to write about the music we heard or more accurately, experienced.
 
Italy of course has a musical history that dates back thousands of years. One of the great aspects of this is that Italians have not forgotten this fact. Not only do they celebrate their own musical heritage but also embrace the music of many cultures and make it their own. At the top of this long list in recent times is American music. More on this later.
 
Our trip – the third visit to Italy in the last ten years – was focused primarily on the island of Sicily, which is unique in the Italian experience as it has been occupied for over 2500 years by many cultures, all of whom left their mark in many ways. Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman, Spanish and modern Italian influences abound. Here are a few of the musical moments we experienced related to those cultures.
 
We began our journey in the city of Catania, the second largest city on the island. The opera house there hosts world class performances of opera (Bellini was born and raised there so his operas are often performed) and symphonic presentations. We had just missed the last tour of the day but a sweet young Italian young lady allowed us to “sneak” into the hall to at least view the place. It is almost impossible to describe the beauty of this place. A few musicians were warming up on stage for a rehearsal that was scheduled so we had the briefest taste of the sound of the hall. Magnificent acoustics only begins to describe what we heard. The concert season throughout Italy begins in the Fall and runs into the Spring and all performances are sold out well in advance. If you are ever contemplating a trip to Italy and would like to experience an opera or symphonic concert in one of these spectacular halls, keep this in mind. We also visited the Palermo Opera House, which was equally spectacular.
 
As we ate dinner in a great restaurant one night a roving band of musicians playing guitar, recorder, clarinet and hand percussion entered and began singing and playing lively Italian songs. Yes, it was a bit “tourist-y” but we loved every minute of it and made sure we tipped a few Euros when they were leaving. The grins never left our faces (the fine Sicilian wine may have had something to do with this!).
 
Pretty much everywhere you will find accordion players on the streets and in the piazzas playing for tips, sometimes by themselves and sometimes with others. We heard many and they were all great. In one town (don’t remember which….) one of them was playing the theme to The Godfather, which was kind of funny and my guess is a bit bold, considering that the Mafia still holds much sway in many parts of Sicily! On another occasion we heard an accordion player with a guy playing something called a “boxo basso.” This is apparently a real instrument, not something homemade, which featured a large wooden box with an opening for volume and the neck of a stand-up bass attached to it on a large hinge. It only had one thick string but by moving the neck back and forth, stretching the string, and the player moving up and down the neck the notes would change. In other words, it was played entirely by ear and the guy playing it had a great ear, to say the least! They played some traditional Italian folk music and sounded great.
 
In the evening you could find guitarists in many of the piazzas in just about every town. And here is where the American influence becomes most apparent. Without exception, they were ALL playing American rock, blues and singer-songwriter tunes. Sometimes there would be two playing together. Here was a big difference from our previous trip three years ago. With more and more high-powered battery-operated amps available, some of these guys (and girls!) were LOUD. Some of them were quite good, some not so much but all played with great enthusiasm. Unfortunately, the use of loopers has reached epidemic proportions with some of these performers and that combined with heavy distortion with electric guitars made for a kind of annoying evening at an otherwise wonderful outside restaurant in Taormina, but so it goes I guess.
 
Although not a musical performance exactly, we went to a wonderful puppet show with recorded music (medieval instrumental songs on whistle with drum) in Cefalu, which along with many places in Italy has a rich history of very elaborate puppet shows that go back many hundreds of years. Although spoken (shouted!) in Italian, after about half the one-hour show I was able to follow the story, which involved a hero vanquishing his Saracen foe for his king and rescuing a captured priest. Much sword play, heads cut off, the flying Devil repelled, scary monster fought and killed in a dungeon, evil advisor to the king defeated. All hail the knight Renaldo! Lots of fun and well-staged. The kids in the audience, most likely more enthralled by Xbox where not overly impressed but the adults thought it was great!
 
Our trip concluded with three nights in Rome where we heard more street rockers, a cool gypsy band in Piazza Navona and of course more accordion guys. But the highlight of the entire trip music-wise was an evening at a small jazz club. There we heard a trio – electric hollow body guitar, tenor sax, stand-up bass – who were positively world-class jazzers. They played a wide range of jazz, from swing standards to bossa nova to pyrotechnic bop and I said to my wife, son and his fiancé that I thought it would not be possible to better players ANYWHERE. The guitarist was a joy to watch and hear from a few feet away. Incredible chops, perfectly constructed solos, prefect back-up for the sax player. I spoke with them briefly when they were on break and they seemed like great guys and were truly modest and grateful for my gushing comments on their playing. We stayed for two sets and I could have listened all night.
 
Which gets me to my final thoughts. As we have seen and heard in our previous trips to Italy (and I suspect the same is true throughout Europe), American jazz is loved by Europeans, both young and old. It makes me sad to know that the same cannot be said for most Americans, judging by the difficulty of finding jazz outside of limited numbers of places in big cities in this country. Jazz is truly American music and one of our finest exports. Europeans seem to want to understand the American psyche in many ways, and we made it our mission everywhere we went in Sicily and rest of Italy to let them know that what they are witnessing in the States today on a social level is NOT what “made America great.” But our music? That is something that we can be proud of. I know I am. And what a wonderful way to build bridges.
 
I’m not sure when I will be able to return to Europe. Soon, I hope. And when I do I’m confident that in some piazza or tiny bar or restaurant I will again hear some unknown player with monster chops embracing one of the most enriching forms of American culture, our music. 
 
Ciao! Pace e buona musica,
Gino
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    Gene Bourque

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