Experimental/free etc music

[guitarvegas]

That tuning makes for some gorgeous clusters. I want some of those sounds out of standard tuning but the stretches that might require could cause injury. This is a good one and I really am happy to hear you without the amp hum you had in your electric tracks.

Thanks, Mark. My archtop has the buzz from the p90. I wonder if there is a way to mic that guitar and still retain all of it's nice warmth? My guess is probably not. Suggestions? Because I love that guitar.

[guitarvegas]

Today, I picked up a guitar that has been in its case for years. I barely ever play it, but I am trying to love it. It is a Fender resonator. It has flatwounds, which makes it sound warmer. I kind of like the tone from it.

Here's some new "free" playing, in the key of "free"....lol. And once again, playing with the birds!

I think I will be recording with this guitar, as it seems pretty good to me. And with a pick, even better.
Happy playing.

[guitarvegas]

Okay, so here is 1:24 of nothing. Don't know. Just chillin with a guitar.

[guitarvegas]

A new one today. I will call this "Rainforest".

Did a bunch of stuff today and yesterday, but did not like any of it. But this is the last one I recorded, and this spoke to me.

[L50EF15]

Today, I picked up a guitar that has been in its case for years. I barely ever play it, but I am trying to love it. It is a Fender resonator. It has flatwounds, which makes it sound warmer. I kind of like the tone from it.

Here's some new "free" playing, in the key of "free"....lol. And once again, playing with the birds!

I think I will be recording with this guitar, as it seems pretty good to me. And with a pick, even better.
Happy playing.

Wonderful stuff! You are getting a great sound from that resonator. Is it a National?

This piece reminds me of Derek Bailey’s work on his “Ballads” album. Please take that as a compliment. That album was life changing for me ?

[L50EF15]

Keeping with the acoustic theme, I did this last Sunday as an anniversary present to my parents. I used my L-50, because it was made the year they met (1960):

And this one rang in the new year, making it up as I went along on my 1925 L Jr.:

[guitarvegas]

Wonderful stuff! You are getting a great sound from that resonator. Is it a National?

This piece reminds me of Derek Bailey’s work on his “Ballads” album. Please take that as a compliment. That album was life changing for me ?

Thanks. Don't a lot of folks not like him though?

If you like this, then you should hop on Spotify and listen to my album. Plus, I need some new listeners. The album is fresh, and was just published a few weeks ago.

Look up "Passages, Birds, & Whispers" on Spotify, and you will find it.
Thanks so much for the kind words!

[Mick-7]

I love this! And the singing birds? You’re in great company; Eric Dolphy used to play along with singing birds.

“While living in London I had an apartment with a small garden. During the summer around 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning, just as the day began, birds would gather there one by one and sing together, each declaring its freedom in song. It is my wish to share this same spirit with other musicians and communicate it to the people.” - Dave Holland

[ragman1]

It's been cold here. You have to imagine what its like being a garden that's frozen and frost-ridden. That's the idea anyway.

[kris]

what's going on here... it's terrible.

[ragman1]

Just a bit of fun.

Question is:

At what point does the 'ordinary' music become jazz and at what point does it stop being jazz and become nonsense? No, really.

[kris]

If you publish such nonsense, people will stop listening not only to jazz music but to music in general.
Complete dilettantes often pretend to be 'jazz'... it's terrifying...!

[joe2758]

gasp

[guitarvegas]

I have a new "free-spirited" recording for the new year. I would like to keep these going. But where they end up is the real question.

I feel at home here:

And one more session of free playing today.
Hope you all dig my sounds for the birds. Yep, back to the birds for a bit.

[guitarvegas]

Wonderful stuff! You are getting a great sound from that resonator. Is it a National?

This piece reminds me of Derek Bailey’s work on his “Ballads” album. Please take that as a compliment. That album was life changing for me ?

It is a Fender

[Mark Kleinhaut]

If you publish such nonsense, people will stop listening not only to jazz music but to music in general.
Complete dilettantes often pretend to be 'jazz'... it's terrifying...!

I don’t know man, that’s a pretty dismissive and condescending point of view to take. GV clearly doesn’t “know” jazz vocabulary as we think of it but there is something going on with his approach that provides a brain tickle. It’s creative and exploratory. Easy to write it off as jive bullshit, but I can hear that countless hours have gone into what he’s doing. Definitely marching to his own drummer, but isn’t that just cool? Your sense that it will somehow turn people off to larger swaths of music isn’t something anyone should loose sleep over. Anyway, I’ve experienced negativity and dismissive attitudes myself over the years, which only inspired me to work harder and do my thing.

[guitarvegas]

I don’t know man, that’s a pretty dismissive and condescending point of view to take. GV clearly doesn’t “know” jazz vocabulary as we think of it but there is something going on with his approach that provides a brain tickle. It’s creative and exploratory. Easy to write it off as jive bullshit, but I can hear that countless hours have gone into what he’s doing. Definitely marching to his own drummer, but isn’t that just cool? Your sense that it will somehow turn people off to larger swaths of music isn’t something anyone should loose sleep over. Anyway, I’ve experienced negativity and dismissive attitudes myself over the years, which only inspired me to work harder and do my thing.

Oh, and I didn't even know he was talking to me! Lol.
Alright, if you don't like something, then don't listen to it. Simple as that. But I am going to keep marching to my own beat, and hopefully learn from some of yours too.
Thanks, Mark!

[pauln]

Somebody mention birds?

Nothing's freer than first time
on the instrument,
wonderful if you're a bird.

[guitarvegas]

Somebody mention birds?

Nothing's freer than first time
on the instrument,
wonderful if you're a bird.

The bird with the twig....laughed my ass off! Thabk you for this....I needed this today.

[Mark Kleinhaut]

Oh, and I didn't even know he was talking to me! Lol.
Alright, if you don't like something, then don't listen to it. Simple as that. But I am going to keep marching to my own beat, and hopefully learn from some of yours too.
Thanks, Mark!

A fuck me, I think I misread what he was referring about. Sorry Kris. Sorry GV b

[guitarvegas]

A fuck me, I think I misread what he was referring about. Sorry Kris. Sorry GV b

No need to apologize!

[kris]

I don’t know man, that’s a pretty dismissive and condescending point of view to take. GV clearly doesn’t “know” jazz vocabulary as we think of it but there is something going on with his approach that provides a brain tickle. It’s creative and exploratory. Easy to write it off as jive bullshit, but I can hear that countless hours have gone into what he’s doing. Definitely marching to his own drummer, but isn’t that just cool? Your sense that it will somehow turn people off to larger swaths of music isn’t something anyone should loose sleep over. Anyway, I’ve experienced negativity and dismissive attitudes myself over the years, which only inspired me to work harder and do my thing.

Mark,
Let me tell you one thing - I grew up listening to free jazz music. It was the beginning of the 70s.
At that time, free jazz was fashionable in Europe.
I knew many musicians who played free music.
Many of them no longer play free music at all.
A large group of these musicians started learning standards and improvising on chord changes.
Why is this happening?
Best
Kris
ps.
Your "free" playing is very nice to listen to - I can hear the experience and intelligence of an educated jazz musician in your playing.
The totally free music that was fashionable in the 1970s turned me off to free jazz.
However, I really like contemporary music, e.g. Krzysztof Penderecki.

[ragman1]

This is sort of experimental insofar as I don't usually do blues in C. To me, that's more a key for folky, country blues, usually sung.

But I thought I'd do it and see what notes came out. It's more balladic than raw and funky. To be honest it's easier.

Comments on this welcome. It might not be for everybody. I'm not sure it's entirely for me :-)

[guitarvegas]

Mark,
Let me tell you one thing - I grew up listening to free jazz music. It was the beginning of the 70s.
At that time, free jazz was fashionable in Europe.
I knew many musicians who played free music.
Many of them no longer play free music at all.
A large group of these musicians started learning standards and improvising on chord changes.
Why is this happening?
Best
Kris
ps.
Your "free" playing is very nice to listen to - I can hear the experience and intelligence of an educated jazz musician in your playing.
The totally free music that was fashionable in the 1970s turned me off to free jazz.
However, I really like contemporary music, e.g. Krzysztof Penderecki.

Dude, Mark's playing....all of it, is some of the best I have ever listened to. All of it.

[Mulgrew Miller]

Mark you have a dedicated fan.