Hello. Scott here. Avante-jazzer on strat.

[Stratocaster]

Love the site and forum. My music is all improvised........

Here's a link to some free samples of my stuff on the Redline Park record label:

http://www.redlinepark.com

And here is a Youtube link:

YouTube - Kanaal van BarnyardNewton

Nice to meet you all

Scott Heustis

[derek]

Welcome aboard Scott.

[Stratocaster]

Thanks Derek!

How's the jazz scene in Kansas City?

[derek]

Pretty decent. KC is 2M metro, and where guys like Bird and Charlie Christian & Pat Metheny got their starts. We have the National Blues and Jazz Museum here, with a place called the Blue Room where most names play.

There are about 4-5 venues that feature national acts, and because we are historically one of the main places jazz developed, it is seen as favorable to have live jazz. So there are a number of small resturaunt/clubs around that regularly feature jazz. Not enough to make a living playing jazz exculsively, but there is some work. Bobby Watson is the chair of the jazz performance program at the local university, and that draws some bigger names for master classes and performances.

I have been able to generate some small gigs playing chord melody in resturaunts and parties. So here like everywhere else, jazz is a small niche.

Btw, listened to Ushante. Very interesting stuff. I haven't really gotten into too much avante guard, but dug what I heard. Seems to have a bit more structure than some of the things I have listened to. I really liked your tone. What is your set up with the strat?

[Stratocaster]

Cool. Maybe I'll make a trip to KC. A drummer buddy of mine is from there and he loves it, and wants to take me around.

My rig: Stock strat, with regular strat pickups into a 1968 Fender Princeton Reverb. Pretty simple. I sometimes use an overdrive pedal, A Tube Screamer clone and sometimes a delay pedal. That's it. I used to employ a bunch of effects, but I've gotten away from that. Trying to go clean and simple.

My two albums are all improvised live and recorded at a variety of different gigs. I used my Zoom H2 to record them, mixed and mastered using Garageband on my Mac. No compression, no punch ins, no overdubs.

[derek]

Originally Posted by Stratocaster

Cool. Maybe I'll make a trip to KC. A drummer buddy of mine is from there and he loves it, and wants to take me around.

My rig: Stock strat, with regular strat pickups into a 1968 Fender Princeton Reverb. Pretty simple. I sometimes use an overdrive pedal, A Tube Screamer clone and sometimes a delay pedal. That's it. I used to employ a bunch of effects, but I've gotten away from that. Trying to go clean and simple.

My two albums are all improvised live and recorded at a variety of different gigs. I used my Zoom H2 to record them, mixed and mastered using Garageband on my Mac. No compression, no punch ins, no overdubs.

Impressive. Sounded like a TS type sound with just enough gain to give it a bit of dirt. Great formula for getting a good tone, strat, TS, Fender tube amp. Perhaps not your typical jazz tone, but good tone is good tone.

[Stratocaster]

My rig is atypical for a jazz guitarist.

I use the pinky finger volume swell thing a LOT. Plus I use the whammy bar quite a bit.... so my choice of a Strat is a natural one. I've always thought the strat has a great jazz tone, but hardly anybody uses them...... except Wayne Krantz and early Mike Stern (pre-Tele.) And it's really rare to hear whammy bar in jazz. Krantz and Stern removed the bar from their strats.

I hardly ever use my tube screamer clone. And when I do switch it on, the gain setting is very low..... mostly use it to bump the volume a little bit. I play very clean. Most of the gain you hear on my albums and live is the natural sound of my little Princeton.

What about you Derek? Got any music I can hear on the net?

[derek]

Naw, I haven't recorded anything since the 90's, and that was rock.

Frankly, I don't think I have anything to say on the instrument at this time. I guess I could put up a pedestrian chord melody version of Autumn Leaves or whatever, but I don't see the point.

[Stratocaster]

Yes I agree. I also started with rock and R&B.... then discovered jazz.

I never want to play Mustang Sally again, just like I never want to play Autumn Leaves again.

Trying to take it somewhere else.... and trying to have my own sound on the instrument. You've heard the result. I've even moved on from there.....

Searching, searching.......

[mississippi]

I liked your creative style of play'n there

[fivebells]

Originally Posted by derek

I guess I could put up a pedestrian chord melody version of Autumn Leaves or whatever, but I don't see the point.

Aw That's my whole musical ambition at this point.

(Hi Scott)

[derek]

Originally Posted by fivebells

Aw That's my whole musical ambition at this point.

(Hi Scott)

Don't get me wrong, I have been playing CM of Autumn Leaves weekly for several years now. It is just I don't think I have anything unique to say that would suggest recording. I totally dig playing CM of these tunes, but I just don't see the point of recording any of it.