Normally (yeah, what’s that now . . ) the end of May would be the start of summer with thoughts of vacation plans, beaches, outdoor concerts (yeah, about that . . .) The song Summertime was written by George Gershwin…
Blog Archives
“When The Living Was Easy” . . . : Gershwin’s Summertime
Tagged with: Al Green, Billy Strings, Doc Watson, Ella Fitzgerald, George Gershwin, Janis Joplin, Marcus King, Miles Davis, Summertime
Posted in Classic Rock, Country/Bluegrass, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis, Uncategorized
Posted in Classic Rock, Country/Bluegrass, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis, Uncategorized
“What I Did On My Permanent Vacation” . . : New Music Project
Like many at the start of their self isolation, I thought this would be a good opportunity to be productive. There were projects that were on my ‘to do’ list: organize papers, clean closets . . . Yeah, that hasn’t…
Tagged with: Acoustic Music, bluegrass, Country Music, Dobro, Progressive Bluegrass, Wire Wood & Steel
Posted in Country/Bluegrass, Music Appreciation and Analysis
Posted in Country/Bluegrass, Music Appreciation and Analysis
“That Was Then, This Is Now” . . . : Musical Flash Mobs
A reminder of a different time. A time when people gathered in public places casually, going about their business until they notice that the person beside them is carrying a bassoon. And that person coming up the escalator is holding…
Tagged with: Bohemian Rhapsody, Bolero, Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus, Here Comes The Sun, Ode To Job
Posted in Classic Rock, Classical, Music Appreciation and Analysis
Posted in Classic Rock, Classical, Music Appreciation and Analysis
“Quarantine Is Painless” . . . : Musical Mashups For Your Amusement
As I understand it a musical mashup is the blending together of two or more existing songs, by superimposing the melody of one song over the backing track of another. The practice has existed for centuries but with modern DJ…
Tagged with: AC/DC, Bee Gees, Black Sabbath, James Browm, Led Zeppelin, Mashups, Michael Jackson, The Doors
Posted in Classic Rock, Music Appreciation and Analysis, Music Theory
Posted in Classic Rock, Music Appreciation and Analysis, Music Theory
“Bring Out Your Dead” . . : Resources For The Quarantined Deadhead
Welcome my friends to crazy times here in NYC. Unless you literally live in a cave you’ve heard of the fun times we’re having here with Covid-19. Personally, I haven’t felt much of a change in my daily routine. Being…
Tagged with: Grateful Dead, Quarantined Deadhead
Posted in Grateful Dead, Music Appreciation and Analysis
Posted in Grateful Dead, Music Appreciation and Analysis
“If You Get Confused Just Listen To The Music Play” . . : A Video Asks, “Was Jerry Garcia a Jazz Improviser?”
As a musician and as a Deadhead, I have had on more than one occasion a conversation with non-Deadhead musicians who dismiss Jerry Garcia as someone who just plays scales up and down, someone who “noodles”. This pisses off Deadhead…
Tagged with: Grateful Dead, Improvisation, Jazz Theory, Jerry Garcia, Jerry Garcia and Ruben Blades
Posted in Grateful Dead, Improvisation, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis, Music Theory
Posted in Grateful Dead, Improvisation, Jazz, Music Appreciation and Analysis, Music Theory
“Don’t You Let That Deal Go Down” . . . : Learn Jerry Garcia’s Solo From Deal (7/4/89 Buffalo)
I had lunch the other day with my old friend Errol. Errol is an excellent guitarist and we have been in bands together on and off for about forty years. Errol is currently in an excellent Jam band based in…
Tagged with: 'Grateful Dead Guitar Lesson', Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia
Posted in Classic Rock, Grateful Dead, Improvisation, Jam Band, Music Appreciation and Analysis, Music Theory
Posted in Classic Rock, Grateful Dead, Improvisation, Jam Band, Music Appreciation and Analysis, Music Theory
“What’s That Song With The Cello? . . . : J.S. Bach Cello Suite No. 1 Prelude in G Major
I’ve previously written of how the New York Public Library provided a invaluable resource in my early music self education (https://roymusicusa.com/2017/01/13/blues-for-new-orleans-duke-ellington-the-new-york-public-library-and-me/), Pre-internet, it was the only way I would get to hear musicians and pieces of music that I read…
Tagged with: Ana Vidovic, Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, Classical Guitar, J.S. Bach
Posted in Classical, Music Appreciation and Analysis
Posted in Classical, Music Appreciation and Analysis
A Blast From My Past: CPY at the Lone Star Roadhouse
I had a birthday not to long ago so I thought it would be appropriate to dig out something from the digital archives. In the late Eighties through the mid Nineties I played bass in a number of projects with…
“The Bear Got You” . . . : Steely Dan and The Lost Gaucho
Gaucho was the album that (for a time at least) broke Steely Dan. Recording began in 1978 and over the course of a two year span, the band used at least 42 different musicians, spent over a year in the…
Tagged with: Aja, Gacho, Lost Gaucho album, MCA, Second Arrangment, Steely Dan, Warner Brothers
Posted in Classic Rock, Music Appreciation and Analysis
Posted in Classic Rock, Music Appreciation and Analysis
