Guitar Licks and Tips

Ever wonder about the true meaning of the blues?

There ain’t but one kind of blues and that consisted between male and female that’s in love.

Son House

Keep on Jammin’

Toyota has come up with this musical playing robot that has many taking another look at what can be considered musicianship.

What is going on in this crazy world? Ok, I know it’s all in fun but doesn’t it make ya wonder what’s next? I’d love to see them make one that can play eruption by Eddie Van Halen! Enjoy!

Keep on Jammin’, or at least let’s see them try to!

Is disco really back? Well that’s a post that I recently posted on my other site Guitar Licks, and I think that it is quite the question that we old school rockers have to be asking ourselves these days!

While speaking to my buddy Andy a minute ago on the phone, oh BTW let’s congratulate the old fart on his 42nd B.D., he told me what’s old is new today. I told him of my post and when he said those words my blood went cold for a split second!

We talked about the kidz today and how they are taking note of and wearing way back in the old disco days. Are you ready for some of these beauty’s?

How about those old bell bottoms? They seem to be all the rage again. Ok now, hands up who had a pair or two of these in their collection in the early 70’s? Don’t be shy now, we’ve all done/wore things in our past that we’re not particularly proud of.

What about the rainbow colored suspenders! Remember Mork, from the Mork and Mindy show? I must admit, I use to have a pair … I wonder where they are right now?

And last but not least, rainbow colored platform shoes … hee, hee ,hee!

A buddy of mine had one and later painted them black and used them in our Kiss tribute band Deuce,when he was portraying Gene Simmons! I gotta admit, damn did they look good.

So what’s your story?

Keep on Jammin’

Ah, what a crazy Canadian that Mike Meyers is! I am very proud to say he was brought up in my adopted home town of Toronto, Canada, eh.

So this his latest venture into a character since his Austin Powers days. The music, that is quite dominant throughout the movie, is beautiful and hopefully will help influence some musicians to use small doses in their playing style!

(Note: the surname Power originally comes from Waterford, Ireland. The name was changed to Powers when some emigrated to North America. I got this first hand information while visiting my relatives there and checking out the old phone book!)

Love Guru is basically about a American kid who was abandoned by his parents at the gates of a Ashramand raised there. He later moves to the US to gain fame and fortune. His way of life is put to the test by attempting to re-unite the captain of our beloved/hated Toronto Maple Leafs.

The East Indian music, in my experience and in the movie as well, can place you into an outer body sensation if you let it. I can personally attest to this because this thing happened to me while playing live in a East Indian wedding band at my cousin’s wedding. Since her husband is Hindu, they had a Hindu and Catholic ceremonies.

Since her husband is a Hindu recording artist, he naturally wanted to play at his own wedding. I was honored to be asked to play with him and his two buddies for this event. It was held at the Hare Krishna Temple in Toronto and boy the architecture in this place is something to see. One was a wooden flute player and the other, and get this one, a Tabla player who is Ravi Sanker’s God Father!

While performing one song, and the name eludes me right now, he let me loose to play this solo in a D minor open string tuning. During the solo I started to drift away. As I played the solo, everything around me was pushed away slowly and incrementally. No, I wasn’t smoking anything and Hindu’s do not drink either! I never had this type of experience this before or since, especially in front of a large audience. I realize you can fall into a zone while playing live, but this was exceptional.

So if you get the chance to see this movie, I hope that you come away from it with a little more love and respect for the East Indian music style and maybe it’ll move you to pickup a CD or two for your collection, eh?

Keep on Jammin’

Wonder no more -

Heart break, pain and lost love … popular song themes. Could some of our favorite songs really be about quiting smoking or some other addictive substance?

I’ve never actually made a song by myself, truth be told. I’ve only created bits and pieces of songs but the only thing stopping me is … something to write about. Maybe I’ll try this guys technique.

Keep on Jammin’