Western Swing and Jazz?

**Leon Rodriguez** · 01-15-2010, 01:38 PM

Hey Strathound,

I used to mix Asleep at the Wheel for two years and always carried my guitar on tour for Hotel time and thinking about what I had heard. I noticed something that might help you, it's helped me. I noticed that the 6th and 9th above the triadic progression are really useful to get that 'sound'. I reason that it's because those are natural extensions in steel guitar voicings (C6 + E9). So if you check out steel guitar voicings, especially in the upper partials you'll find the 'sound' that you're looking for. Hope this helps. It seems to work for me. Leon

**cosmic gumbo** · 01-16-2010, 01:24 AM

When you need to get yer yodel on, can't beat that country swing. Yeeeeehawww!!!

**Thaum1el** · 01-16-2010, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

yes! you need hipper chords, and to learn how to play changes, and jazz will teach you that.

my prediction: you won't just stop at the "bluesy side of jazz" and you'll get bitten like the rest of us.

Oddly enough, that's exactly what happened to me.

**hot ford coupe** · 01-16-2010, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by cosmic gumbo

When you need to get yer yodel on, can't beat that country swing. Yeeeeehawww!!!

Yeah, boy!! I've got a bunch of CD's by Bob Wills and Asleep at the Wheel including the instructional video. You can't beat it. If you want, try to listen to Riders in the Sky. Ranger Doug Green is one of the best rhythm guitarists I've heard. He loves those big ol' Strombergs and I know why. I got to play one of his guitars on sale at Gruhn's and the sound is incredible.

**markf** · 01-18-2010, 10:15 AM

on youtube;

hank garland probably the most famous;
thumbs carlisle
Hank Thompson band

and all the people who post these guys, post others that you can listen to.

also earlier dan hicks and his hot licks, very lively, funny, and great playing, very fine swing/jazz fiddle player, I mean, outstanding.

also, go to wikipedia, search "country swing", and "texas swing" (great articles there, with many band and player names) get the names, and then youtube them.

there were/are a lot of really good players, and lots of them are every bit as good as the better known (in some circles) jazz players. there is a current of snobbery in the world of jazz these days.

Bob Wills grew up listening to jazz bands in the thirties, and loved it, brought it into what he did. There is a great biography of him, interesting story.

Nashville cats, play clean as country water.

There are some very tasty players in that crowd. short and sweet they kept it.

**goldenwave77** · 11-19-2014, 05:09 PM

Um...Bob Wills and Milton Brown and the Brownies were playing western swing in the early to mid-30's, five years before WW II stasrted. Surprisingly, one would have thought Django would have suffered during the German control of France, but that was not in fact the case...the Germans were too scared of negative publicity, etc. if they had been too heavy-handed with him, even if he was officially untermenschen (Romany, a gypsy...)...besides, some of them liked jazz. In fact he did OK during the occupation, and afterwards his career surprisingly stagnated. Maybe the fact that he survived, and flourished to a degree that others did not made him resented.

**edh** · 11-20-2014, 12:15 AM

@goldenwave77, interesting take on Django's career.

**Kid Vette** · 02-04-2015, 02:59 PM

For some great western swing guitar (in my opinion) you might want to check out my internet radio station at Live365.com called Sagebrush Swing!. Here's a link: Sagebrush Swing! - Online Radio Station - Live365

Its free to listen but I think you'll need to register (much like this forum)

The station is a labor of love for me and a way to share some of the great western swing and country jazz I've accumulated over the years. Hope you enjoy it.

**Petimar** · 02-04-2015, 08:09 PM

Thanks Kid Vette, great station. I could find hardly any WS streaming until now.

Tiny Moore certainly knew his bop. He could sound just like Charlie Christian or Barney Kessel when he wanted to.

**Kid Vette** · 02-06-2015, 01:18 AM

Originally Posted by Petimar

Thanks Kid Vette, great station. I could find hardly any WS streaming until now.

Tiny Moore certainly knew his bop. He could sound just like Charlie Christian or Barney Kessel when he wanted to.

Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

As Bob Wills used to say as Tiny started to play, "Biggest little little instrument in the world!"

**boatheelmusic** · 02-06-2015, 09:58 AM

You need to move beyond pentatonic scales, and learn to apply major scales over dominant 7 chords to get all those great notes. In addition to phrasing, timing, etc.

Some call this the "Mixolydian" mode.

**Strickland** · 02-09-2015, 12:51 PM

Whit Smith and the Hot Club of Cowtown? Am I the only one who worships at the alter of this guy? I think he holds his own with Vignola on this clip.

**Kid Vette** · 02-09-2015, 01:18 PM

There's at least 2 of us.

Thanks for posting the video That was amazing! Now I need a towel and a cigarette.

**Strickland** · 02-09-2015, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by Kid Vette

There's at least 2 of us.

Thanks for posting the video That was amazing! Now I need a towel and a cigarette.

Well said. The few times that I've been to see them live, all three musicians will stay until the last fan has been spoken to, Whit will yap with you no matter how annoying you are. I'm pretty sure humped Elana's leg and she just gave me a CD and a smile. Great players and good people.

**monk** · 02-09-2015, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by boatheelmusic

You need to move beyond pentatonic scales, and learn to apply major scales over dominant 7 chords to get all those great notes. In addition to phrasing, timing, etc.

Some call this the "Mixolydian" mode.

Swing, Gypsy Jazz and Western Swings is not about scales. It isn't about the Mixolydian Mode. It's about learning to nail and connect chord tones and play off the melody.

**monk** · 02-09-2015, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by Strickland

I'm pretty sure humped Elana's leg and she just gave me a CD and a smile.

Where does the line form?

**Thecytochromec** · 02-09-2015, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by Strickland

Well said. The few times that I've been to see them live, all three musicians will stay until the last fan has been spoken to, Whit will yap with you no matter how annoying you are. I'm pretty sure humped Elana's leg and she just gave me a CD and a smile. Great players and good people.

I found out about HCoCT because of this thread. So I bought Rendezvous in Rhythm 20 minutes after hearing about them and I was blown away. I thought, damn these guys swing AND THEY'RE ALIVE. I thought to myself, "I wonder when they're going to be in town?" So I went to their website and saw they were playing the same exact night in Ft. Worth. What are the odds?

So I went to the show and met James, Elana and Whit. I think I pissed off Whit because I accidentally sat in the VIP section, not realizing it was a VIP section. Anyways, Elana's dog was extremely well-behaved and Elana herself was as down to earth as can be (so hot). Jake has a certain class and refinement to his style and they all swung... hard. At any rate, thanks to this thread, I found a new band to be obsessed with for a very long time.

**Strickland** · 02-09-2015, 05:37 PM

Continental Stomp is the album to have. It started with Digga-Digga-Do and my ears were never the same afterwards.

**Kid Vette** · 02-09-2015, 06:21 PM

Yeah, they need to release another live album. The energy of their live performances just doesn't come through on their studio tracks.

Gotta make sure you wait for the last track on Continental Stomp.

**Thecytochromec** · 02-13-2015, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Strickland

Continental Stomp is the album to have. It started with Digga-Digga-Do and my ears were never the same afterwards.

So I bought that album and I've listened to it about 5 times now. It is an awesome album and the first track fits it so well. Some of the tracks I've heard before because I have the "Best of" album. And I wouldn't have seen that last track coming