The more I learn, the more I see how much more I still have to learn. I knew that learning and starting to incorporate what Kevin had shown Nick and I was going to make a big impact on what I was playing and how I could play it. I didn’t realize it was going to open up another way of hearing and playing on stage.
The process of learning a new approach to playing rhythm and choosing chords is progressing. I’ve been a little hit and miss with dedicated practice the past couple of weeks, but I’m still working on it. I think I mentioned that I feel like I have to relearn everything I’ve been playing. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It is interesting. It’s challenging. And it’s given me a chance to see other things I want to be aware of.
When you start to change up the chord voicings you use to play a song, you start to hear whole new aspects of the song. New ways to build it. New things to say with it. Something I think I may have been missing before and not realized it. I did however, get a really good eye and ear full of it as I was watching the video of the last jam. Particularly the last set I did. I missed an opportunity to take a couple of the songs to a new level.
So, the last jam, we did ‘Angel From Montgomery’ and we got it slow enough that it sounded more plaintive and thoughtful, like I think it should sound. We had a sax player and a keyboard player, as well as myself, another guitar player, and bass and drums. I wasn’t paying close enough attention to how the song was going and the sound that had been built by all of us. For some reason I had in my mind to have the sax solo and the other guitar, but I wasn’t hearing the keys enough to recognize that they were really adding nice flavor to the song. And I needed to have the keyboard player take a solo, in the middle and then probably close out. I didn’t do that. I missed it completely. Watching the video though, I heard it. I missed an opportunity to make that song so much better. It was good. It just would have been a prettier song if I had been listening closer.
That was the first missed opportunity. The second one was with the next song. Same group on stage and we started “The Thrill is Gone”. We started the first full 12 bars and the sax came in for a fill just before I started to sing. Or that’s what I was thinking so I started singing. A second or two too late, I thought that I should have let him keep playing. I should have let that song have a really full opening with that sax leading it. As I watched the video, I knew for sure that I should have let him play for another 12 bars and had a longer lead in. It would have made that song sizzle.
My practice has been to call for solos from everyone on every song and they get long that way. I know I was trying to keep Angel From Montgomery from getting too long. And that was a factor in how I handled that. I think what I need to start thinking about, and listening for, is how or where is the song going. And also, catch those moments when the magic starts and let them go ahead and play out. Instead of taking the role as the leader of the group for the set and trying to lead everyone to a certain place, I maybe need to find a different way to look at it. More like steering, or more like surfing, where you have to read the wave you get so you know where you are going and what you can do with it as you are riding it to shore.
So quick apologies to Marty on keyboards and Mike Taylor on sax for not hearing and catching the great stuff you were bringing to those songs.
We’ve got another jam coming up this coming weekend. I really need to practice. Especially with the new things. I added a new song last time and I want to work on it. There’s a little more I think it needs. And I think maybe my vocal starts a half beat too late. So there’s that. And it might be time to revisit a Delbert McClinton tune. We haven’t done it in a long time and if I can get comfortable with it again it would be fun.
That’s where things are at for the moment. Life’s a little weird with a quiet home but I’m starting to figure it out. Maybe more about that next week.
I don’t really have any pics for this week, so enjoy the picture of Mother Nature’s day late April Fools joke. Yep. We had snow in Charlotte on April the 2nd.