Columns - Page 23

Q: I have a question about minor ii-V’s. In a major ii-V7-I progression, each chord is diatonic to the I chord. The ii chord is Dorian, the V chord is Mixolydian and it resolves to a Major tonic. In a minor ii-V, the 1 would be natural minor, which makes the ii chord Locrian (7th degree of the major scale)...

Part 3 – Fort Worth / Denton / Austin / Houston / New Orleans Fort Worth / Denton, TX – Shipping & Receiving / Gatsby’s Mansion We were zero for three after our last solid anchor date on this tour. As feared, the Midwest was predictably financially draining for us. While we made some solid fans and had a good...

After the recent passing of Gregg Allman, it was only fitting to binge listen to some Allman Brothers records. Swept away by the lengthy jams, slide guitar solos, and beautifully in-sync double drummers, this band helped define Southern Rock and usher in a new era of blues. The man keeping it all together was Berry Oakley, whose bass lines to...

Q: I’m a semi-pro bassist of 15 years and have been playing for about 25 now, I’ve been with my current band for nearly six years and are about to release our second album. For the past two years, I’ve not been very happy playing, and it is a real conflict because of how much time I’ve invested into music,...

Q: I’m wondering how to develop an expanded knowledge of the fingerboard without falling into a rut. I have been working on “Straight, No Chaser” for a couple of months. I know I should bifurcate my practice time to learn tunes I like and add melodic and technical ideas to my “bag of tricks.” However, I still see the value...

Part 2 – Windsor/ Holland / Lafayette / Des Moines / Lawrence / Fayetteville Windsor, ON – Phog Lounge: We’re en route to Windsor, Ontario today and it’s storming out. I feel nestled in my cocoon in the backseat listening to chiptune music on the speakers (driver’s choice for this leg). The rain slapping the windshield, occasionally accented by thunder...

Q: Every so often, I get a question and have no experience with the subject matter. Rather than ignoring it, I like to get someone else involved who can answer it better than I could. Case in point: I received a question some months ago asking about wireless systems and for suggestions as to what to look for and what...

Part 1 – Boston/Burlington/Montreal/Toronto Introduction: We’re currently trudging along Queen Elizabeth Highway in Ontario, Canada. It’s a long stretch of nothingness road flanked by featureless forests and rest stops with Tim Horton’s menus in French. It will be a long haul from Montreal to Toronto today. It’s Day Four of a twenty city tour throughout Canada and the United States....

It is a lifelong goal of mine to understand the subtleties of music — the sound of records coming from particular eras and locals, the specific timbre of different instruments, and the nuances that reflect the personality of every player. There’s no better way to hone in these subtleties than by comparing and contrasting songs and catalogs that are of...

A good friend of mine came to a gig I had recently in Seattle. Jeremy Sherman lives in San Francisco and our relationship began as one of student and teacher (he would fly to Portland on occasion to take a few lessons from me and hang out for a weekend) and we soon became friends both within and outside of...

Q: I really dug the last column about albums to check out, if you want to get into jazz. I found a ton of great stuff that I actually liked in there! Do you have any more suggestions that extend beyond the jazz genre? A: Thanks! I’m glad that you discovered some new music. That’s great to hear. I’ve gotten...

If you’re familiar with ‘The Wrecking Crew,” the group of session musicians that dominated the LA recording scene in the 1960s and ’70s, you’ve probably heard of Carol Kaye and our latest bassist to feature, Joe Osborn. These players jumped from session to session, providing the sonic backdrop to popular culture and racking up credits on top ten hits. Osborn...