November 28, 2023

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 28, 2022, because this is Florida.
Five years ago today: November 28, 2018, cold or what?
Nine years ago today: November 28, 2014, 76% disapprove of Obama.
Random years ago today: November 28, 2012, prussher cleaning . . .

           Great. Biden has released a video telling us our groceries really don’t cost as much as they do. Today’s biting cold means you get variety, due to the fact I stay indoors. Hence, what’s bloggable shifts to whatever happens internally, and today I have a music lecture for you. Warning, if you are queasy, don’t read today’s addendum. It is hospital pictures, scaled down so you can’t enlarge for details. Everyone who owns a ferocious dog in the city needs to be tasked with carrying tons of insurance, this is why. The Reb makes the majority of her career playing the piano.

           For that reason I’m changing the topic to music, actually the most boring facet of music. Band management. Ah, some say, but relatively speaking (or relatively writing), I make the topic more interesting than all the rest put together, Thank you, that is so kind of you to mention it. The deal here is that band management is by no means a natural offshoot of any musical ability. Most of it has to be learned by trial and error. And my approach is a good demo of the old saying about the difference between my fifty years of experience, and the other guy’s single year repeated fifty times. First, enjoy a picture of Chooks, the gentle giant. His personality has completely changed now that’s he’s found a forever home.

           Back to band management. Tomorrow is another jam session at the club, the Prez intends to be there. While we are still searching for music that can be adapted, finding them changes the “balance” of what gets played. If I could, I’d find another 39 songs that have the effect of Lambert’s “Moma’s Broken Heart” for audience effect. That’s the tune my camcorder went dead just before we drove the crowd wild, led by those two ladies from out of town. This report is about the audience effect of that tune.
           It’s a classic example of how we’ve embarked on a different musical direction. That song has a rather distinct bass line that also allows me to play the fills. The result is each of us is playing where and what the other is not. If you listen to the original, you may notice that effect—if you ignore the lead guitar riffs you can hear distinctly what I mean. We’ve taken that and adapted it for duo presentation. This demos the acoustic and bass dynamic at a very clear level, but it goes against the rules ingrained in the psyche of most guitar players. Yes, from them we do get stares and glares.

Picture of the day.
Fat Biden agent cutting border wire.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           What’s more, this style builds on playing the “impossible”, which happens because it would sound odd if either part is played in isolation. This effect, which I call “voicing” is well described elsewhere in this blog. It might not make sense to non-musicians, because it is the recombination of these two dissimilar parts that turns it into possible. The crowd just listens where some musicians have to stop to think how that structure works. I could care less that some of them don’t like it. It can take years to find a guitar player who gets it—because they don’t want to get it.

           So, which “impossible” tune is next on our country music list? The Pres can strum bluegrass with a little chicken’ pickin’, so give a closer listen to Springstein’s “I’m On Fire”. Can you hear it? Ah, now you do. Hey, someone shouts, that isn’t country music. Agree, but part of playing the impossible is playing the unexpected. The tune has a faint bass line and we almost overlooked it. Faint, until I remembered an obscure Beatles tune. Any pianists out there can easily spot the bass notes I can play that fit between his bluegrass hammer-ons. Defying convention puts the fun back in music.

           As for the bass line, I lifted it out of McCartney’s “I’ve Just Seen A Face” and that is fair usage, folks. There’s no guarantee this attempt will make the grade, but there can be no doubt we will give it a whirl. There is such a shortage of suitable music for this handling that we also pick standards that don’t need a lot of extra work. Sing-a-longs are a favorite and we’ve pretty much nailed “Driving My Life Away”, played exactly as you’d expect.
           To any guitarists out there, yes, I play all the riffs and instrumental parts on bass, boo-hoo. And that photo of Chooks in the sunlight was so nice, here’s another of a pillow fort he built. He’s so proud of it, he’s awaiting your approval. Just look at that mug, and don’t delay. Thirty seconds from now, he could be sound asleep. By the way, the first pic is in the van, he found a corner of the memory foam they love, just enough to rest his chin.

ADDENDUM
           I had second and third thoughts about releasing these two pictures, but I doubt there are that many shockable people who get very far reading this blog. This is a news event, not to be taken personal other than that it happens on a personal level. There are pictures by the hundreds. I went through and chose the two I feel convey the hurt and damage.

           The sad part is the result of this will not really affect the dog owner at all. If there is any settlement, it will be with insurances. Anybody who watches American media knows how that works. I do not know what gives, but the owner and the dogs are still up the street as if nothing happened.

Last Laugh