Robert J

I used my brother's Champ once on a solo keyboard gig because of last minute complications. It was a small room (restaurant) and to my delight it was OK in a low volume setting for piano.

Now of course I can't stand the DX7 Rhodes sound because it was on so many late 80s tunes - crappy Chicago ballads, Billy Ocean etc. I sold the DX7 in 1994 and bought an acoustic piano - they never go out of style. Funny how you can listen to a radio station that plays retro 80s and I can pick out all the different keys available at the time - there's the DX7, Juno/Jupiter 6, Oberheim, Korg DW6000, Ensoniq, etc. The tech really drove the tunes and the solos. Think of Cindy Lauper's Girls Just Want to Have Fun loopy sounding key solo - no one would do that nowaday.

I used to look forward to Keyboard magazine each month to drool. I had this imaginary studio I would build for all the gear I would somehow afford to buy. This was the 80s as you say. Plus new advances in sound echnology each month created some cool gear, and some flops as well. Then around 1992 I stopped getting it as the tech started to solidify into certain defined areas: FM synthesis, PCM, etc etc. Keyboards started getting boring, in my opinion. All that promise of syntheseis and then the keys started sounding exactly like acoustic instruments. Plus after my DX7 phase, I realized I would never actually use 5000+ sounds. I sold my Rhodes for it, and during gigs I was playing the DX7 Rhodes sound about 80% of the time! As for recording, I did not become the Brian Eno I hoped to be. Now I use my Roland digital piano for 1 or 2 piano sounds, an organ sound, left hand upright bass, and maybe strings at weddings. No ideas what the Keyboard mag does now, probably all home studio as you say. (What drummer would read a catalogue anyway?)

Thanks everyone for the input. I think for where my son is at now with his Baby Taylor - he's gone through the Belwin method and the You're in the Band stuff as well as the usual stuff a conscientious teacher would give him (his teacher is also a huge Greg Alman fan), a tube amp may not be on the plate just yet. He only recently discovered overdrive! Plus my son's listening habits are still geared towards rap because that's about the only thing a 10 year hears, it seems. Though he's probably unconsciously picking up some of the tunes I play. I don't worry, he's got older cousins into rock and metal, who also stared out with rap. I've tried to point out the guitar lines whenever possible (though rap has so few guitar moments; more in the R&B pop tunes and old Public Enemy). His teacher gives him more rock things to do on the guitar, though he's patient with the rap phase (there's a rap tune out that uses Ozzy's Osbourne's 'Crazy Train" riff so Justin learned that and it gave me an opp to plug Randy Rhodes). In a year or two, my son will have the benefit of my extensive LP collection once he gets the "call" (that is if he figures out how to use my turntable). As for the amp advice above, I still may go with this Randall model for a few reasons. The 30W element is strong, the Celestion speaker is a plus, it has built in o/d etc, the EQ and the digital effects. An external multi-effect unit will still run around $150 to start if I had to buy a practice amp without one, and he's not going to be doing any Frippertronics just yet (though I hope). The headphone jack will be good for nighttime jamming and he can input his CD as well to do some play along stuff. I like the cabinet structure of the Randall's - they seem more secure than the comparable Marshall's. I've been told, but not sure if it is true - that Marshall uses a ply in the cabinet, whereas the Randall is a solid peice. Not sure if this would make either a sound or durability benefit - anyone know? My brother has a Champ amp like the one AB mentions, so if Justin needs to use a tube amp, he can borrow that one to compare sound. As for Peavey - that was my first amp I ever owned, c.1985. A big monster 8 channel powered head and huge woofer/horn combo cabinet. I used this for my Fender Rhodes and Moog, though it was overkill. I think my band ended up plugging into the unused chnnels for some of our mikes! while it was solid, in hindsight I don't think it was the greatest sound for what I was doing. But back then dedicated keyboard amps were rare and expensive. The Delta Blues amp looks good. I forgot that guitarists can (usually) out-talk (out-drool?) gear compared to the keyboard players. Even the B-3ers!

My son is will be completing his 3rd year of private guitar lessons this June. His 11th birthday is in May and I told him he could go electric after he'd been on the acoustic for awhile. He has a baby Taylor and is coming along nicely. In his last recital he played his teacher's electric - a Godin LGX-SA http://www.godinguitars.com/godinlgxsap.htm quite a nice guitar. It was his first public appearance with an electric and he's hooked. I'm looking at getting him an SD, at 379$ CDN http://www.godinguitars.com/godinsdp.htm because the neck is shorter and he's still a growing boy. Plus he doesn't need the bells and whistles (synth out, etc) just yet. My question is about the amp. I was going to do a samll practice amp - Marshall or Randall, but then I saw a nice 30W Randall that has a good combo of features - 12" Celestion, 16 built in effects, pedal, EQ, headphone (!) and CD input. I can pick one up here in Toronto for 299$ CDN. This should last him about 5 years whereas the smaller 10W practice amps probably wouldn't let him jam too well with others. http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--RANRX30D Anyone use Randall products? They seem really solid.

Yoshi's changed next week's scheduled Joey and Jimmy duo concert to a "Tribute". www.yoshis.com

I just heard a live phone conversation between a DJ on my local Toronto station Jazz.fm and Joey DeFrancesco. Joey is pretty shaken up, naturally, but spoke warmly of the new album they did called, fittingly, "Legacy". The station just got an advance copy today. Joey did say that the sessions were filmed with the intention of releasing it in that format as well.

At least Paul had a real acoustic piano.

Veal chops on the BBQ, even though there's snow and its well below zero. I need my grill! Veal marinaded with coriander, cumin, lime, garlic, and oregano. Parisienne broiled potatoes in the oven and mesclun salad with mango, blueberries and apple. I've had 2 beers (while making this meal) and a glass red wine with my wife during the meal.

News item we'd like to see: "Ten out of 11 women who tested a so-called Organissimo-tron reported an increase in sexual pleasure. 9 out of those 11 shouted the word 'Boogaloo' over and over when certain drawbars were pressed back and forth".

I am so jealous. I am a pianist with organ envy.

Just get one of these if you are worried about running out.

I've had the British-made Revolver for 15 years now and I still love it. REVOLVER A friend had a Rega Planar 3 at that time and he thought mine sounded warmer, though I've heard some of the new Regas and they are wonderful. The P7 is wonderful to look at as well.

He's not a teen just yet, so there's hope. He's got a good teacher so I am not too worried. His teacher is a huge Greg Allman fan. Best thing I did for my son was buy him a Baby Taylor (Koa) for his 8th birthday.

I've also recorded my 2 young kids at the piano when they were really young. The left hand voicing part always fascinated me, as well as the odd melodies. At that early stage they are true improvisors! Now of course my son is a 10 year old guitarist into Linkin Park and all forms of rap.

[ Is this true? And where? The EU? North America? I don't know myself. It seems absurd that if you are not hosting the files, you should not be "punished" as those who do. I recall this debate a few years ago when servers were put on tropical islands etc to avoid certain taxation laws of the originator.

A forum I've been to lately because of my interests - Piano World - has recently had an ethical hosting question thrown at them. One of its members posted a link to a site that is located in Spain. The author of the site is a pianist, from Barcelona (It's all in Spanish so I am being basic here). He's a young long-haired European pianist who seems to know his stuff as a performer and arranger. He also has a page that links to various videos of classical pianists – solo and w/ensemble. It is a treasure for music lovers. He also has links – I think unknown to PW because no one dug deeper – to PDF files of classical music for piano. Again an astonishing collection. All the Real Book PDFs and others I've never seen before - Art Tatum sheet music, Bill Evans fake book (!!). (Funny thing is there’s this one modern composer in there: Collins, Phil. I think he’s a minimalist.) Many members jumped in to download the videos (They are massive though, 10MB – 800MB). Others condemned it as stealing. Just to demonstrate how tempting it would be to download these, here’s a title in the Miscellaneous section: Jazz Piano Workshop. Berlin, 1965. Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, Bill Evans, John Lewis, Lennie Tristano, Jackie Byard (588 megas). The moderator/owner of PW eventually deleted the thread. He’s a very reasonable guy from what I can tell. I won’t paste his reply, but it was to the effect that he’d rather not have his site link to something that may be pushing illegal copies of music. Secondly, he’s read an article (heavily Kaaza influenced) that suggested these video sites are spyware laden. He’s wrong on that count in this instance. The guy’s web page seems legit: a performer who’s excited about the videos he’s found on OTHER websites. If you click on a file to the musician’s website, you can see clearly that the files are hosted on his server, not linking to where he got them. Lastly, the moderator said he’s heard the big studios (music and video) are going after people for pirated copies and copyright infringements. So he didn’t want to be targeted. That’s fair enough. So my question is: Is there a problem linking to these sites on any webpage, not just a forum? –to me, you are just linking, not hosting. [OMG - I know I will go to hell for downloading the piano video - but Earl Hines in Duet with Teddy Wilson and Jaki Byard! I'm in heaven]

Jim, You are right about WDET. I grew up on that in University as well as when WJZZ was more hardcore jazz. Remember, I was born and spent 23 years in Windsor, though now living in Oakville Ontario. There was heavy snow coming down when I crossed the Ambassador bridge so I was concentrating on that. (You ever tried to find the I-75 off the bridge? You take a tour of Mexican town for awhile!) I had Brad Meldhau's Anything Goes CD then on the car stereo as I prayed my wiper fluid would hold up. You might be too young to remember WWWW (W4, 106FM in the 80s - great hard rock. I think that was when Howard Stern was there, or was that WRIF, 101?). Is WABX still around? --------------------------- Dan - true. I can't say that I was 100% efficient. I did have the hard rock on to keep awake during the boring stretches (AKA Georgia and Florida ). The last time we drove through the night. This time we stayed in a Knoxville motel going down, and somewhere in South Carolina off the 95 coming back. I suppose of course I was making a general observation of the state of radio in a lament. I was not joking about the country music, though it is the same when you get 200 miles out of Toronto in any direction. I think worse that not having any jazz on the radio was that there's not a single Starbucks on 75 or 95 to keep my blood pumping . I did pull over to one accidentally when we stopped for lunch somewhere in an Atlanta suburb. The girl at the counter was shocked when I ordered a double espresso, short. "Sir, I don't know how you could ever drink that".

I just returned from a drive from Canada to Miami. We took I-75 through Detroit down and I-95 back through Buffalo in return. I kept tuned to the airwaves, but I sadly report that I did not pick up a single jazz station or jazz tune in the total of 50 hours I was driving. Thanfully I had some CDs. I did this trip 4 years ago and got the same results. However in Tennessee that time I caught some college show faintly that had a Jelly Roll Morton profile. It only lasted 1/2 hour. Of course I was not near NYC. Is this really representative of the radio reality of where I drove? I do have to say that 50% of the dial in any of the states I travelled was country music Also I'd need a good hard rock fix to keep going at some points. Ohio and Pennsylvania were good for that. Long time since I've heard Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold".

With the stronger Canadian dollar, I may be able to buy her $1000 CD soon.

In the future, just stick with the beer.

OK, Dan. I wasn't being simplistic if it came across that way. I was just saying that in my experience I don't really think about it. I may play lightly while the clapping subsides, but am usually oblivious, and as I said, I explore the transition however that me be given the situation. I do think about the previous solo before I start, and often acknowledge my appreciation of the previous soloist with a nod or smile, but then to the tune. Maybe a deep breath as well. Even if it means not being heard. I think of those smoking bebop sessions where you hear the loud applause but the next guy is just plowing right in there, heard clearly or not.

I think Jim Sangrey touched on this in the other thread: The first bars, irrespective of the previous soloist, I feel, should be an exploration of that transition. When you are on stage, and it's really happening, or you are with a band you've known and played with, it can be compared as a fluid structure. You hardly even notice the audience when you are grooving. Your turn is up, and you usually just keep it going, find a path and hopefully stick to it. The audience, if they are truly responding, are impressed by the soloing, but they are also listening to the whole tune.

Can anyone confirm this observation of mine. Whenever there's a full moon, like now, I find my practicing and performing time to be much more relaxed and expansive. Even my creativity level seems enhanced. (no, I am not on Viagra) Anyone else's playing affected by the moon, or am I just downright crazy?

small additions... Kirk Lightsey p Roy Brooks d Geri Allen p Regina Carter violin Yusef Lateef s Bess Bonier p Kenny Cox p Marcus Belgrave tr There was a guy from my hometown in Windsor, Hugh Leal, who did live and studio recordings in Windsor and Detroit with several key Detroiter's who were getting on in years and were under-recorded. It was called Parkwood Records. I have a few with Johnny O'Neal (p), Earl van Riper (p), Marcus Belgrave, JC Heard (d) and Sammy Price. I saw all these live at the taping. The Barry Harris Xanadu recordings are my favorites of his, but hard to find. I have a duo recording of Flannagan and Jones that is astounding on MPS I believe. The Griot Galaxy (Faruq Z. Bey, Jaribu Shahid, Tani Tabbal - the last 2 play w/ James Carter) would be good too - "Opus Krampus" is a good indication of post- Sun Ra composition and performing.