Here's a couple bonus videos I recorded. I'm not going to a whole discussion of each tune, but I didn't want to leave these unposted. Cheers.
Coquette
I don't really play "Coquette" very often. In fact, if you look carefully, there's a second when the first bridge comes, you can see me waiting to hear where it goes. I just had my playalong playlist on shuffle, and this is what came up. The changes are very, very simple: just I-V7, and back for the A sections, and a "Honeysuckle" bridge (I7-IV-II7-V7).
I'm Confessin'
One of my favorite ballads, "I'm Confessin'" is something I often noodle on when I pick up a guitar.
Rose Room
"Rose Room" has particular significance for the electric guitar, since it's the song that made Benny Goodman take notice of Charlie Christian.
Again the set up is my ES-150 through the EH-160, and playing over backing tracks the I've published here and that can be found at www.soundcloud.com/campusfive.
"Diga Diga Doo" is oe of the first songs I learned when I started learning Swing guitar playing, and it's been a staple of the Campus Five's repitoire since the band's first gig. The A sections are basically a Dminor vamp. Simple chords can be "easy" on one level - there's nothing to "mess up" - but on another level, it's al the more difficult because static chords provide no new stimulus, and it's on you to make something happen, melodically. Here is a PDF: "Diga Diga Doo" (PDF)
click to enlarge
The first four bars of the A section are sometimes played as simply Dminor, but other times there is a line cliche: Dm, Dm/C#, Dm/C, Dm/B - two beats each, repeated twice. Don't feel the need to outline the line cliche - it's just a texture underneath whatever you play.
As for the bridge, it's another common sequence that can be found in "Swing, Brother, Swing", among others. The sequence C7-F, D7-Gm-A7 feels sort of like a "Honeysuckle" bridge (I7-IV-II7-V7), but dropped a step. I wrote a D7b9 on the leadsheet as a warning to somebody who's not reading ahead that the D7 resolves to a Gminor, rather than a Gmajor.
I've been gushing about my recent vintage acquisition, so it's time I talk about something everybody can get there hands on: modern gear for the vintage player. When I started playing Swing Guitar there were few options outside of actual vintage, and what options there were still lacked for vintage sound or vintage looks. Now there are several really outstanding options, and if I were starting all over again, and vintage wasn't an option, here's what I'd get.
I've been an Eastman player for a long time, but I think Loar is really where the action is for the vintage-minded player. Aesthetically, Eastman has pretty much ignored the Jazz-era/Swing-era market, and while I think their guitars are excellent sounding, the Chuck Wayne-70's vibe is a turn-off, plus I think the the steeper cost is just enough of an impediment for players starting out.
I've come across Loar LH-600's in the wild for sometime now - Katie Cavera played hers subbing for me while I was playing drums on a gig, and our pal Dave Stuckey uses one, and I've played it several times - but the first time that I really got to play one for an extended period was at Lindy Focus, where Michael Gamble lent me his. Since I was traveling with my ES-150, I needed an acoustic archtop, and the LH-600 did a fantastic job.
Photo by David O'Brien
Like many guitars, the LH-600 really came into it's own with the right strings and a proper set up. I slapped a .013 set of Martin SP 80/20's on it, and adjusted the bridge slightly. The change was immediate and impressive - Michael could hardly believe it was the same guitar. Then again, I've had a proper set up be a game-changer before, and all it does is allow the guitar live up to it's full potential. I played it all week long, and was really impressed with its response. The Loars are parallel braced (unlike the Eastmans which are X-braced), and I think the punchier response works well for rhythm guitar playing. X-braced guitars can sound fuller or rounder, but much of that is lost in a band setting, and the extra fullness can lead to muddiness instead. Especially once properly set up with .013's and the top breaks in, the LH-600 is tough to beat. Man, if these had been available when I started out…
For the money, and for a player with any mind for vintage aesthetics, you really can't be the Loar LH-600. I've heard the LH-700's are even better, but I haven't played one myself yet.
Electric Archtop: The Loar LH-309 ($599 retail)
One of the guitar players from Hedgehog Swing in Long Beach, CA, Gage Hulsey, asked me about what I'd recommend for an electric archtop for somebody exploring Charlie Christian-type playing coming from the Gypsy Jazz world. At first I wasn't sure what to recommend, but after a little research, the Loar LH-309 is the pretty clear choice. The specs and construction are as close to a 40's Gibson electric such as a post-war ES-150 or ES-125 as anything being made now.
I would definitely avoid humbuckers, because I think their tone is really the wrong choice for pre-bebop jazz guitar. Humbuckers just sound too full and clean - plus the higher output and bass response tend to exacerbate the problems when having to play rhythm guitar on an electric.
The only compromise on the LH-309 is the laminate back and sides, which I don't think you'll miss on a fully-electric guitar. Plus, even guitars like post-war ES-150's and ES-125's sometimes had laminate backs and sides. Combined with a suitable vintage-y amplifier, you've got the easiest way to get a 40's electric guitar tone.
If you want a cheap, no-nonsense, completely fungible vintage-esque guitar amplifier, you can't really go wrong with a Peavey Classic 30. I played one for many years, and I still bring it out every once in a while when I need more power than an actual vintage amp can provide. However a higher powered amp can be overkill for some settings, leaving the tone too loud, clean and twangy.
One trick to keep it from sounding too clean and twangy is to use the distortion channel with the gain just barely noticeable. You can keep the gain just on the verge of breakup at a variety of volume levels that way. You can probably find a used one on craigslist or ebay for cheap, and it's easily serviceable basically forever. Furthermore, even if it fell off a cliff, you could just as easily buy another that would basically be exactly the same. Similar Fenders, such as the Blues Deluxe are more expensive without really sounding any better. I wouldn't recommend the smaller Fender Blues Junior, because I find them underpowered. If you can spend more, get the suggestion below, or go with a reputable Tweed Deluxe from somebody like Victoria Amps.
The more authentic choice is the absurdly reasonably-priced Ric-Style Supreme from Vintage 47 amps. Based on a circuit from a vintage Valco amp from the 40's, Vintage 47 amps use Octal preamp tubes, which makes them the closest thing to a 30's Gibson. The permanent magnet speakers are the only modern concession, though they've been trying to find a way to source field-coil speakers for quite a while. You're not going to find a 40's circuit and 40's cosmetics for under $700 anywhere else. The only caveat is that they are pretty low wattage (which is authentic), and there may be some settings where you may have to mic it. Still, it's the real deal.
This is another case where if they'd had a reasonably priced options when I was starting, I'd definitely have jumped at them. Saga Cigano line really changed the market providing reasonably priced selmer-style guitars when there really hadn't been any before then. Their budget Gitane line brings a decent guitar into almost anybody's reach. Again, I think this is a case where a proper set up and suitable strings are necessary to make the guitar live up to its potential. Of course, a $400 guitar doesn't sound as good as a Dupont or Favino. However, authentic gypsy guitars have an ugly, nasal quality that allows them to cut through a band, and some modern luthiers tend to try make the guitars sound fuller and prettier, almost attempting to make them more like a dreadnaught. The Gitanes are actually more authentic sounding than some fancy luthier-made guitars.
The set-up is the Altamira line. You can read the full scoop at www.djangobooks.com, which coincidentally is a great place to buy them, these are the same guitars that Dell'Arte brings in from Asia and sells as the Latcho Drom line. From all the sources I've talked to, these are the best buy in gyspy-jazz guitars.
Here's another video of me jamming over some backing tracks, this time "Tea for Two." I don't quite understand the pink cast to the lighting, but like I mentioned, I'm still getting things worked out.
Again the set up is my ES-150 through the EH-160, and playing over backing tracks the I've published here and that can be found at www.soundcloud.com/campusfive.
"Tea for Two" is a tune I first learned to play with the Bonebrake Syncopators. Again, it was another tune that confounded me for a while, until I figured out how to approach it. There was something about the ii-V's that I could only approach from one direction, the most obvious one: arpeggios overtly spelling out the changes. It just never felt good to play over.
One of the best ways to learn how to approach a tune is to learn how one of your favorite players approaches it, so I learned Charlie Christian's two choruses (from the 1939 Jerry Jerome Jam-Session). After learning Charlie's solo, it totally opened my eyes about the changes. Here's a PDF of the leadsheet: Tea for Two (PDF)
click to enlarge
"Tea for Two" is a basically ABAC, though the last two bars of the second A are slightly different to set up the C. The A and B sections are both a series of ii-V-I's, first in Ab, then in C. What I took from Charlie was that it made much better sense to simplify the ii-V's into just V chords. Even then, he would sometime just play I-chord based blues lick over the V chord.
Simplifying the ii-V's was especially helpful when the B section comes up. For some reason, transitioning from Ab6 to Dm7 made no sense. But starting on a G7 V-chord lick made sense. Lastly, the key change back to Ab - I always had trouble trying voice lead from the C to the Eb7. Charlie just played one lick over one, and then one lick over the other. Boom.
The second A section is the same, except for the last two bars: a iim7b5-V7 to Bbm. I find that outlining the three chords is again tilting at windmills. I dimished lick over both the ii and V is easier to deal with.
Finally the C section is a Bbm vamp (ii) with a Dbm (iv) resolving back the Ab (I) chord - just like in Limehouse Blues, and several other tunes. The last four bars is another I-iii˚-ii-V sequence, like in "Swing that Music" and many other tunes.
As suggested by my friend Kim Clever, I'm going to start doing semi-regular videos, mostly just jamming over some backing tracks, although I'll hopefully be able do some more concerted things as well. I'm still working on getting a permanent video solution set up - my wife had to shoot these by hand.
Apologies if you've already seen this via Facebook, but this was taken right around Christmas and it's just me playing my new ES-150 through my EH-160. It was hard to get any kind of useful volume level out of the 160 using my other guitars, but there's something about the response of the pickup that matches the amp perfectly. At least for playing around the house, the volume level is more than enough. I've found it particularly sweet sounding, and especially "Charlie" sounding, when the amp is cranked, but the volume knob is rolled mostly down.
"Swing That Music" is a tune I never get to play. It's a signature tune for our trumpet player Jim Ziegler, and something he usually reserves to do with his own band, the Swingsations. The times I'd encountered it, I was just stuck with a lead sheet from a hand-written Dixieland Fakebook, and because the way it was written, I always messed up the changes. Specifically, the ABAC structure of the tune is straight forward enough, but the lead sheet was written in a way that made it hard to pickup the C section at the right spot on the page. Suffice it to say, it's not the lead sheet's fault I didn't just learn the tune instead. When I finally got around to learning, I found the changes give a lot of nice stuff to work with.
The A section is just two bars each: I - IV7 - I - VI7 (Bb / Eb7 / Bb / G7). Like "Undecided" and "Sing You Sinners" as well as many other tunes, the I-IV7 movement is chance to either play a lick that has a D natural in it against the I chord, and then play something that changes the note to a Db over the IV7 chord. Alternatively it can be nice to play a lick without a D in it over both chords and see how that static lick feels different over each chord. The I - VI7 move is another standard one. I find the melody emphasizing D, A and G over the G7 chord to be particularly telling about how to approach that change. For many years, I seized on the voice leading of Bb notes over the Bb chord to a B natural over the G7 chord, and emphasized that change. However, I don't find that as many well-written song melodies contain that movement, and I think that should be telling. While mechanically running through changes and highlighting the notes that have changed from chord-to-chord technically "works", that doesn't necessarily mean those notes are "pleasing" or make a good sounding melody.
The B strain is just a II7 - V7 (C7-F7), followed by a I - iii˚ - II7 - V7 turnaround (Bb-Db˚-C7-F7). I've seen the last II chord there be both min7 and dominant7, and realistically you kind of make it work either way, melodically.
Following the second A strain, is a C strain. Part of what makes the tune interesting, and part of what always messed me up, is that the G7 resolves to a C MAJOR type chord the first time, but to a C MINOR type chord the second time. Also, the changes here move quickly, and if you're thinking mechanically, it can be more difficult than it looks.
The C changes go ii - iv˚ - I - VI7 (Cm-Eb˚-Bb-G7). While it's written here as an Eb dimished, I think that functionally it's interchangeable with an Eb minor. The ii-iv-I change is a common one found is several tunes, such as Limehouse Blues, China Boy, Avalon. Charlie Christian often made a post of emphasizing iv-I resolutions, even placing them where the band did not play them. You can either highlight the voice leading, in this case G-Gb-F, or avoid those notes and let chords resolve underneath. Either way, watch out for the G7 chord, because even I'd threaded the changes up to that point, I'd usually forget about it, and be emphasizing a Bb note over the G7 by mistake. After the ii-iv-I, it's just a VI7-II7-V7-I back cycle. Anyway, the video is just a single take blowing over the changes. Hope something here is useful. Cheers.
So, playing-wise, it's all sunshine and unicorns - the new ES-150 is really inspiring, and has made me play guitar so much more than would otherwise. It's great, and moreover, it's special.
That said, there are some practical concerns I hadn't really thought about, and I hope you may find them useful.
How many frets?
So it turns out I've been used to 20-22 frets my whole life. Since starting to play swing guitar, I'd been systematically been weening myself off of playing past the 15th fret, because, to my ears, it sounds exceedingly anachronistic. However, there were a couple keys, or a couple licks where I snuck past. However, I discovered while playing "China Boy" that where'd been expecting to be able to hit a high "C" at the 20th fret, that a vintage ES-150 only has 19 frets, so I couldn't resolve the it. There's a video and it's pretty funny to watch me leading up to where the note should have been and then finding it wasn't there. Oops.
Tuners have come along way
So, truth be told, the build quality of an ES-150 is more like an L50, and not that of an L5. It wasn't exactly the top of the line, and so the Grover Sta-Tites it came with weren't quite as good as the closed back tuners that came on L5's and other nice Gibsons. Moreover, tuners have come a long way since then, and gear ratios have gotten so much better. I've read that the original tuners are 12:1, which wouldn't surprise me - it can be a little annoying trying to get a string in tune when you can't quite get the tuner to sit in between too sharp and too flat. Since they were pretty common, there are direct drop in replacements with modern ratios. While I could've gone with Grovers with a pretty awesome 18:1 ratio, I took the advice of several good sources and went with Waverlys. While only being 16:1, I've seen too many sources to count that describe them as just the best tuners made. A historic instrument I plan on having for life seems like a good place to invest in the good stuff. I could've saved $100, but I think'll be worth it. They're on on the Fedex truck at moment, so we'll see how things turn out.
Do you realize how ill fitting most cases are?
Getting the original tweed/airplane stripe case was of course too good to be true, but the ES-150 came with a servicable standard hardshell case, usually known as "Canadian" cases. I was really surprised by how much wiggle room there was, and thus how much the guitar can bounce around inside the case. It wasn't until I flew the guitar to North Carolina using the Case Extreme and the hardshell case that I noticed how mediocre the fit of the hardshell was. While I've had 10 years of succesful travel with the Case Extreme, I was usually flying a guitar in a gig bag, or a hardshell that was designed for that guitar. I started looking at cases, and because of the "off-the-rack" nature of almost all cases, there's usually a significant amount of room. I guess that's fine for something fungible, but for something historic, that just won't do.
Flight cases are really, really expensive
So I started looking at proper, custom built flight cases. Holy crap are they expensive! Calton cases are basically the old-school, industry standard. However they are $1000 now, and they're really heavy. New cases from Karura and Hoffee are still $1000-$1200, but because they're using Carbon Fiber, they are a great deal lighter. All three are built to order based off extensive measurements of your guitar, so they will fit like a glove, but it may only be a one-trick pony. On the cheaper end, Hiscox's nicest case is a proper flight case, but has off-the-rack fitting. A newer entry, BAM from France, $700, uses a suspension padding system to customize the fit of the off-the-rack cases, but I noticed they try to sell you a $300 case cover, which makes it a flight case. So, is the $700 core case not sufficient? Again, given the historic nature of the guitar, I'm probably going to go with a Hoffee. Go their site - watch the videos - those things are unbelievable.
The new Reunion Blues Continental Gig Bags are pretty awesome
So they advertise these things by shooting a video where they drop it off a 4 story building. While I'm not confident that would actually work on a guitar like mine. However, the combination of a really well padded-gig bag with a semi-rigid exoskeleton is a real breakthough in gig bags. Each and every facet of the gig bag is well thought out, with the hideable backpack straps being particularly amazing.
So, I've been planning the successor to my Faux-Gibson, Franken-ES150 for a while now. While I've always been a bit amazed at how much it got the "Charlie Chirstian"-vibe, especially for such a humble guitar (modern, asian factory made, all laminate construction, thin bodied), I could tell there was something missing in the tone. I thought the biggest element it lacked was the fullness which I associated with the resonance of a full-depth body. Given the going rate for a real ES-150 with a Charlie Christian pickup, I thought the only thing I could do would be to make a better fake.
I've had a spare UK-made, notched-blade pickup sitting in a basket beside the couch for over 7 years, just waiting to be put into a guitar. First, I decided it would have to be an old guitar. There was something about the mojo of old wood that something like a modern guitar would just not have. Secondly, because the geometry of the Charlie Christian pick is so specific, I knew there were only a few models that history has proven as viable transplant candidates: L48's and L50's. I've seen many a tale of woe regarding a guitar whose top is caving in because somebody nicked one of the braces one carving the hole for the pickup.
Constructionally, the closest thing to a 1937-40 Gibson ES-150 is a similar era L50. Aside from the pickup and pickguard, which I assumed I'd have to supply, there are three differences between the two models, 1) ES150's had bound fingerboards, 2) ES150's had a very specific and rare combination tailpiece and jack/combo (although the tailpiece was itself the same), and 3) ES150's had a flat, and not arched, back. I've definitely come across some L50's with flat backs, so there were some made, but they are mostly arched back guitars. I knew the first two were something I'd have to live with, but I was really set on finding a flat backed L50. Since I was going to dig a hole in the top anyway, condition was not that important - a full or partial refinish would be small in comparison to irreparably scarring the top. I had doubts about post-war L50's, partially because I wasn't sure which bracing pattern they had and whether it would be compatible, and partially because the post-war ornamentation on them just looked too much like a 50's Gibson to me (the trapezoid inlays combined with the later headstock shape and logo just screams "Les Paul" to me). I've heard great things about L48's being great candidates, but again, there was something about the later cosmetics that gave me pause. If I was going to do this, I wanted to do it as well as possible.
Through most of 2013 I watched and let go, any number of suitable L48's and 50's. I even bid on a couple, only to see them sell for tiny amounts more that I'd been willing to spend. By November, I'd really gotten pissed about being burned so many times, and for letting several really excellent candidates slip through my fingers. At one point, I passed on a really excellent playing and sounding L48, only to have one of the guys in the store, who'd been listening to me play it, whip out $1000 in cash and buy it right there and then.
Even then, once I bought a suitable transplant, there would be the measure of the surgery. Who would do it, how much would it cost, and how quickly would it happen? My friend Joe at www.archtop.com said he could do it, and he even put one together for a friend of mine. It occurs to me now that I hadn't though through a bunch of the details, like what kind of pots I would need (what values were they historically?), what about the fingerboard extension (should the fingerboard be elevated or flush?), should I go for an endpin jack or a side jack? If I'd had Joe do it, I'm guessing he probably could've spotted the issues, and given the appropriate advice. However, the fact remains, I'd be spending a bunch of money, waiting a while, and risking the whole thing - it could turn out mediocre, or bad. There would be no guarantees. It stresses me out just thinking of it.
Then the unthinkable happened - I found a real one, at a price I could actually afford. I work on-site at my day job, so I never go into the office, but I got called in for a meeting. Since I was in the neighborhood, I happened upon a music store I hadn't been in for years. My recollection was that they carried mostly 60's-80's vintage stuff, with a touch of weird stuff thrown in for novelty, although the owner definitely had a penchant for vintage drums, which I thought would be the real interest in the store. As I was parking I saw somebody leave the store, and drive away. When I got to the door, I see a note that they'll be right back in 10 minutes or, but they left a number if it was an emergency. I waited about 5 minutes, and took a look through the window. I could see a random arch tops, but nothing that jumped at me. Since I had nothing to loose, I texted the number, and just said that I could hang out for about 20 minutes, but just wanted to know if it was going to be longer than that. The guy responded that he'd be right there and he was less than a mile away. I felt bad making the guy run back, because it's not like I was seriously going to buy anything….
As soon as I walked in and looked at the wall where the random arch tops were, I saw it - an ES-150. As soon as I saw, I realized that I'd never actually played one myself. A friend had lent me a 90's Gibson Custom Shop Reissue for a couple weeks, but I'd never actually gotten to mess around with real one. Well, this one played pretty bad - but like most vintage guitars found in the wild, it seemed like it was due to a bad setup and stupidly light gauge strings. Plugging it in, though, and the unique magic of the Charlie Christian pickup was apparent. I must've played the guitar for 20 minutes, really trying to take in the unique quality of the tone.
The price on the tag was well below market rate, or at least the advertised prices of the couple that were currently for sale online. The owner piped up at one point quoting me a price $200 below the sticker - it seemed that since it was nearing Christmas he probably was extra interested in moving some merchandise. After that, he told me that if I paid in cash he would take 20% because he wouldn't have to pay a credit card processing fee. After a little haggling it came down to a figure that I could actually reach. I offered to put some money down so that I could hold it for a couple of days - after all, I'd just had something sold out from under me - and the owner said it'd been sitting there for months, and it wasn't going anywhere. He said he would hold it for me for a couple days anyway.
After checking with the wife, I checked with several other guitar players who've owned one, or have a ton of experience buying vintage guitars, to make sure I wasn't getting taken. After going over some of the important things to look out for, I knew I had to go back the next day. I started off going through all of the key features, which checked out. I even sent some pics to one of the guitar players, who wrote back immediately to buy it. I knew I was going to have to try adjusting the action to get a better idea, and it definitely made some improvement.
I left to go the bank, and when I came back, I brought in my EH-185 for the final test. Putting the two together it was immediately clear the special magic that comes from combining the two. I took a picture of the pair, and handed the man my money. Each an every time I've played the guitar since, it's been confirmed that I made the right call.
After a couple days, I was able to take it over to Westwood Music, where Dave Rutchinsky set it up beautifully. For consistency's sake, I went with D'Addario pure nickel 13's rather than the Martin Tony Rice Monel Strings. Since the gauging on the Martins is a little odd, I wanted to go with the more conventional D'Addario's. I'll be trying the Monel Martins soon enough.
I ended up recording a couple videos with the new guitar, using my EH-160, which really came alive with the ES-150. I posted them to facebook, but for some reason they were having some trouble uploading to youtube. One of them worked fine, so I'll post it now and hopefully I'll get the rest uploaded soon. Several friends suggested doing a weekly video blog, so I may do that as soon as I get the webcam/audio situation settled. (Also, I quickly figured out that shooting video in portrait mode is not something to do agian)
In honor of the season, here's a few of the song/videos that are among my absolute favorite recorded musical moments ever. I hope they bring you as much joy and inspiration as they do me. Collecting them like this has made me notice some of the recurring themes, aspects and musicians.
All Star Jump - The 1941 Metronome All-Stars
Cootie Williams, Harry James, Ziggy Elman (tp); Jay C. Higginbotham, Tommy Dorsey (tb); Benny Carter , Toots Mondello (as); Coleman Hawkins, Tex Beneke (ts); Benny Goodman (cl); Count Basie (p); Charlie Christian (g); Artie Bernstein (b); Buddy Rich (d); New York, January 16, 1941
Perhaps my favorite recording of all time, "All Star Jump" is something I DJ at almost every opportunity. It's just "One O'Clock Jump" with a different brass shout riff, but what makes this song special is the absurd assemblage of talent present. It's like they cherry picked most of my all of my favorite players and put them on one session. Charlie Christian, Cootie Williams, Benny Carter, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Count Basie, and Buddy Rich - heavy, man, heavy. Dig the Coleman Hawkins solo, where he sneaks in a riff chorus that he used a couple times on All-Star sessions, which later became the basis for "Feedin' the Bean" which was among a handful of charts the Basie band recorded with Coleman Hawkins (including "920 Special") after Lester young left the band. (Yeah, I know Cootie doesn't take a solo on this one, but he's on the next one too).
Bugle Call Rag - The 1941 Metronome All-Stars
Same Band/Date as above
From the other side of the record from "All Star Jump", this "Bugle Call Rag" is basically the same arrangement as the 1936 Benny Goodman studio version, but way more intense. Heard on this tune, but not on the last one are Tommy Dorsey and Cootie Williams (who may just be favorite instrumentalist of all time). All the solos are great, but those out riffs are damn tight and clean. It's like every single one of the brass hits is being played with the same exact mind. And listen to Buddy Rich just driving like a mother and dropping cymbal crashes that serve perfect punctuation, but unlike the post-1945 Rich, I don't think you can say he's overplaying for even a second. I squee a little bit every time I get to those riffs. Squee.
Ring Dem Bells - Lionel Hampton
Cootie Williams (tp); Johnny Hodges (as); Edgar Sampson (bar); Jess Stacy (p); Allen Reuss (g); Billy Taylor (b); Sonny Greer (d); Lionel Hampton (vib); New York, January 18, 1938
Another song that makes me jump from beginning to end, "Ring Dem Bells" is again another all-star session, this time led by Lionel Hampton. Most of Hamp's various all-star sessions from 1937-1940 are solid, and often transcendent. This time the rhythm section is anchored by my favorite rhythm guitarist, Allan Reuss, whom you can hear driving the band. Again, Cootie and Benny Carter are two of my absolute favorite soloists, and add to that famed arranger Edgar Sampson throwing down on bari. Hampton is also one of my favorite vocalists, and his vocal chorus and scat choruses just jam. Lastly, the sequence of background riffs under Hamp's out choruses is a master class in riff-writing and syncopation. EDITE The first youtube clip I linked to for this song was clearly too slow - one of the consequences of doing much of this writing in places I can be listening to the sound at the same time. The current one is the correct tempo.
Jammin' the Blues - Lester Young, et. al.
Lester Young (ts); Harry Sweets Edison (tp); Illinois Jacquet (ts); Barney Kessel (g); Marlowe Morris (p); Red Callendar (b); Sid Catlett (d); Jo Jones (d)
Perhaps the single greatest influence on the sound and aesthetic of the Campus Five, "Jammin' the Blues" features all of the things that I believe in most: riffs, interaction, and syncopation. Lester Young is in fine form, followed by Barney Kessel, and then Sweets Edison. I love the interplay between Sweets and drummer Sid Catlett. Of course, it's Jo Jones who is depicted on screen, but this was not the case on the original recording. Because of scheduling problems during filming, the order was swapped, and so when you see Sid on screen, it's Jo Jones you hear, and vise versa. Of course the song concludes with Illinois Jacquet taking a solo over the tom-toms and then the syncopated riff with Illinois still riding over top. Squee!
Dickie's Dream - Count Basie
Earl Warren (as); Coleman Hawkins (ts); Ben Webster (ts); Gerry Mulligan (bs); Roy Eldridge (tp); Joe Wilder (tp); Emmett Berry(tp); Joe Newman(tp); Dickie Wells (tb); Vic Dickenson (tb); Freddie Green (g); Count Basie (p); Jo Jones (d); 1957
Continuing the theme of all-star blowing sessions, this latter-day program features an old-testament sound during new-testament times. Jo Jones returns for the session, and there seem to be no signs of the lanky, behind-the-beat groovy sound of the then current Basie band. All the soloists are solidy swinging, and the rhythm is heavy. Jo Jones' interactive playing is such a great catalyst. Personal favorite moments are where Billie Holiday is seen hanging out in the background, especially when she starts talking to Basie during his solo, and during the way Jo Jones hits those heavy accents during the shout chorus but looks so elegant and smooth doing it.
The last of these is legitimately funny beside swinging really hard. Repetition, call-and-response interaction, and syncopation are all themes that have popped up in each of the previous examples, and so too here. From the movie "A Song is Born", Hamp is attempting to demonstrate an example of small-group jazz, but is short his regular clarinet player. The professor documenting this sound goes to fetch his conservatory colleague, the icky Professor Mandelbrot to fill in. Clearly Hamp is nonplused to try to teach this square to swing, but of course, we can see it's really Benny Goodman with a terrible mustache, and the Professor very quickly gets the hang of it. Once the tune is cooking it's full of my favorite things: trading soloists, call and response, riffs, big rhythmic accents. It always brings a smile to my face.
Since it's almost that time of year, here's a list of some great gear, music and books. The books and music are essential basics, and the gear is bunch of favorite stuff. Everything can be found on amazon.com for easy Christmas shopping. Enjoy.
GEAR / ACCESSORIES
K & M Heli Multi-Purpose Instrument Stand I think these fold-flat guitar stands are the best around. They are very light, and since they fold flat, they take up less space. Lastly, and most importantly, they are the most sturdy and supportive stands I've seen.
Snark SN-8(B) Super Tight All Instrument Tuner For under $20, Snark tuners are plenty accurate, and more sturdy than the generic "Intelli" ones I used before. You'll probably lose it before you break it, and while it's not as accurate as strobe tuner (Peterson SC-1 Strobo Series StroboClip Guitar Tuner ), it's also not $70. And with how often I lose my tuners, I can't afford to spend that much one. That said, it's well worth buying the $10 Peterson Strobe Tuner App for iOS for home use (https://itunes.apple.com/app/istrobosoft/id308296029?mt=8)
Rode Microphones NT3 Hypercardioid Condenser Microphone This is the microphone I've been using life for probably 8 years. It sounds really fantastic, and because it's internally shock-mounted, its far less susceptible to bumps and stage rumble. Also, because it has it's own 9V battery, it can be used where phantom power is not available. It sounds good on almost anything, and, in a pinch, I've used it pick up my entire big band when a promoter didn't bring any mics to a gig once.
George L's Pre-Made .225 Cable 10 Foot (10 Foot) Although it's sometimes an afterthought, a bad cable can ruin your tone. While you can spend hundreds of dollars buying boutique cable, Guitar Player magazine did a huge shootout, and this reasonably priced cable kept up with even the most expensive cables. I recently picked one up and it sounds incredibly natural. If you need to fatten-up your guitar tone, another winner is the Spectraflex Fatso Flex Right Angle Instrument Cable, 10 Foot, Tweed.
C2G / Cables to Go 14719 18 AWG Universal Power Cord (IEC320C13 to NEMA 515P) Black (25 Feet/7.62 Meters) One of my favorite finds of the last year, these cables are the perfect replacement for any cable that uses the standard PC power jack. Those cables are usually way too short - the cable that came with our JBL Eon PA speakers barely reaches the ground when the speakers are up on a speaker stand, necessitating an extra extension chord. Great for guitar amps with detachable cables, powered PA speakers, and some mixers.
Manhasset M52C Voyager Concertina Stand Manhassets are the gold standard of professional music stands. Because they are foldable and detachable, the Voyagers are the most practical. The Concertina version is the short-to-medium one, which is ideal for sitting while playing rhythm guitar. The regular one is fine for standing, but when you're sitting it keeps the audience from seeing most of you. Also, the perfect accessory is the Manhasset Voyager Totebag, so you can keep the shelf and base from getting separated.
STRINGS
Martin MSP4200 SP Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings, Medium My favorite acoustic strings are great sounding and long lasting. After some testing, I'd skip the coated version. They don't sound great, and are expensive enough that I'd just rather change my strings more often. You may also find the Martin Tony Rice Monel Strings sound good on your guitar, but might not sound good on others. While I think there is something to using Monel, I think the fullness and volume of bronze is more practical.
Mel Bay Swing to Bop: The Music of Charlie Christian While there are a ton of Charlie Christian transcription books, and most of those have tab, this is still the essential book. It has by far the most tunes/versions transcribed, and Stan Ayeroff's transcriptions are flawless.
Mel Bay's Music of Django Reinhardt Again, Stan Ayeroff does a fantastic job - defintely the largest collection of transcribed Django solos.
Mel Bay Masters of the Plectrum Guitar For Swing-Era Chord Melody playing, this is probably the best resource. The Carl Kress and George M. Smith tunes are very much orchestrated pieces, but the chord shapes and patterns are great ideas for chord-melody soloing.
MUSIC
Hittin' on All Six (A History of Jazz Guitar) An essential, concise history of Jazz Guitar on 4 CD's. Everything from the earliest jazz guitar from Eddie Lang anf Lonnie Johnson, to the second generation of players, Carl Kress, Dick McDonough, George Van Eps, Allan Reuss, and all of the other rhythm/chordal players, to Charlie Christian and the early electric players. The fourth disc is mostly bop, but the first three are filled with essential playing.
The Genius Of The Electric Guitar Not only is this a convenient packaging of everything Charlie Christian recorded in studio with Benny Goodman, but it's also a fantastic box set. The liner notes are fascinating and the discographical info is exhuastive. Lastly, the fact that the box looks like an EH-150 amp is so awesome.
Swing to Bop: Guitars in Flight 1939-1947 Another collection of guitar rareities, there's several tunes on this disc that aren't found on other collections. Specifically the Mary Osbourne version of "Rose Room" slays me, as does the Carl Kress/Tony Mattola duet on "Davenport Blues" and all of the George Barnes tunes, and lastly the two early Les Paul tunes.
Guitar Rarities 2 Both collections feature mostly chordal style playing along with some acoustic single note playing. Most of this stuff is in between the influence of Lang/Kress/McDonough, but before the Charlie Christian electric revolution.
The Engine Room: A History of Jazz Drumming from Storyville to 52nd Street I suppose it's odd put a history of jazz drumming on a guitar blog, but understanding the history and evolution of jazz is essential for understanding the guitar's role in various jazz styles. This collection draws from so many different bands and players that it serves a great survey of jazz styles and evolution, without being so overly focused on "hits" or otherwise standard showings on jazz history sets.
Essentially Ellington is a program from Jazz at Lincoln Center that uses traditional swing-era and pre-swing-era big-band jazz as teaching tools for high school jazz students. I very much appreciate this approach because I feel the main problem with contemporary jazz pedagogy is skipping over hot jazz and swing, and jumping in right at Charlie Parker. I feel that this tends to breed soloists who can thread mechanical lines through complex chord changes, but because they aren't taught to simply play a melody, find themselves confounded by four bars of the same chord. But that's another article....
James Chirillo, a New York-based guitarist, is featured in several video lessons put up by Essentially Ellington specifically dealing with playing rhythm guitar in traditional big bands. Several of the points mentioned are things I've been advocating, but I've never seen any other video or lesson mention. Specifically, James mentions emphasizing beats 1 and 3, instead of 2 and 4, and relates this to the fact that swing music was dance music.
Ah! Music to my ears. Preach, brother!
Further, in the next video he talks about the need to use an acoustic archtop specifically, and how to maximize the projection of said archtop by proper set up, strings, picks and especially posture. I've written on each of these points, and I must again agree entirely.
Lastly, he talks about compensating when using an electric guitar for rhythm. He also mentions some of the slightly more-modern rhythm playing of electric players like Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis in the context of the Oscar Peterson trio, and how they might have voiced and accented things differently.
To be perfectly honest, when I saw this video posted by my friend, drummer/dancer Victor Celania (of the newly-formed Snorky's Rhythm Kings), I was expecting yet another worthless video that would completely miss the acoustic character of swing rhythm guitar, and even more importantly the dance-beat conception of the rhythm section. But, boy was I surprised when I saw that they were perhaps the best videos on rhythm guitar on youtube. Perhaps their only flaw is that he doesn't play even more.
Then again, looking at Chirillo's resume, I shouldn't have been surprised: he played in Benny Goodman's last band (along with Jonathan Stout Orchestra and Rhythmbusters member and frequent Campus Five guest Dan Barrett (www.blueswing.com)), and he's frequently shown playing on Michael Steinman's Jazz Lives Blog along with many of today's leading trad-jazz luminaries. Great stuff from a great player. Cheers to James Chirillo.
Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five featuring Hilary Alexander
), it's also not $70. And with how often I lose my tuners, I can't afford to spend that much one. That said, it's well worth buying the $10 Peterson Strobe Tuner App for iOS for home use (https://itunes.apple.com/app/istrobosoft/id308296029?mt=8)
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, so you can keep the shelf and base from getting separated.
sound good on your guitar, but might not sound good on others. While I think there is something to using Monel, I think the fullness and volume of bronze is more practical. 
