Hi Duke. So, after a year of study AND a new (to me) ES-175 with flat wound 12s on it, I'm feeling a whole lot better on Skippy's Dream! What do you think? Would really love to get your feedback on this. Thanks! Best, Bruce
Ha! ;) I remember reading once, don't know if it was apocryphal or not, that some guy went up to Charlie Parker after a gig and handed him some notation paper filled with runs of 64th notes and Charlie handed it back to him saying, "I can't play this." and the guy said, "This is what you played last night, I transcribed it."
To Scott Sorkin aka Mr. Transcriber: I owe you a debt of thanks. I've been knocking my brain out trying to figure out how to play Duke's part over my track and I just could *not* fit those notes in until I saw that you had transcribed it as having a bar of 5. I just counted it, and you are absolutely right; Duke's beautiful part puts in a bar of 5!
Ha! ;) I remember reading once, don't know if it was apocryphal or not, that some guy went up to Charlie Parker after a gig and handed him some notation paper filled with runs of 64th notes and Charlie handed it back to him saying, "I can't play this." and the guy said, "This is what you played last night, I transcribed it."
Wow, congrats, Duke! And very well deserved, it's a really enjoyable album. And this is a great tune! It was a lot of fun hearing the two guitar parts together. Any comments? Thanks, Bruce
Hey Duke! Were you ever able to get the video to play? I can view both of them. It's not the greatest musical endeavor in the history of time, or even the last five minutes, but I'd be curious to hear what you think.
Hey Duke. Wow, this is all great stuff. I was really trying to capture that Hubert 7th to 6th thing in my last submission, but failed to achieve the strength of Hubert's playing. No real shame there! ;) I just love his stuff; he's so quirky, but just so great. I also first heard him when I was around 15 in 1970. "Evil" was I think the first Howlin' Wolf track I truly loved. I bought that Chess Wolf/Muddy collection that came out around '70 and was blown away. All my schoolmates were listening to CSNY (and, well...I was too...) but I was also digging Wolf and Muddy and Charlie Parker and Billie Holliday. And a few years later, after moving to Boston, a really amazing guitar player name Duke Robillard. I have such great memories of those days, those beaded doorways at the Speakeasy. Anyway...thanks Duke. I'll keep working on this.
Speaking of Shake For Me, I found this reference from an interview with Hubert from 2006:
"On just about all the numbers we recorded Wolf always turned me loose, let me do what I wanted,'' Sumlin recalls. "One time the Chess brothers hollered at me in the studio when we recording Shake It For Me… Leonard Chess said; Hubert, turn it down, turn that thing DOWN! Wolf just stopped the music and pointed across the room at where they were in the Control Booth. Wolf goes: When there's something to be said, let me tell him, not you! You fools operate the studio and leave the music to me. C'mon man, let it rip!"
"I wasn't really loud,'' Hubert says indignantly. "I can hear and I can hear good – I was just playing with the guys. The guitar sounds upfront on the records we made but it wasn't like that when we recorded it, we needed to hear one another. The way we did it everyone would be heard – the piano player, bass player, drummer – but when I played my solo, maaan you better get out my way!''
Hi Duke! Well, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this. I hear that I'm just starting to rush at the end of my solo into the last chorus, but not way overly like before. It's hard to remember not to use vibrato now that I can finally do it. ;) Anyway, I've sure learned a lot working on this song! Thanks for all the wisdom and inspiration, Duke! Can't wait to hear what's next! By the way, I thought of the quote at the beginning of my solo because of your intro, which really kind of ties it in nicely. Thanks again, Duke! Regards, Bruce
BTW, I found it on Spotify on a collection called The Definitive R&B Series - 1944 and it's listed under Ike Quebec. The whole album is very cool, T-Bone, Louis Jordan, Nat Cole Trio, etc.
Hey Duke! The version of the solo you are teaching is not the same as the version of "Blue Harlem" in the "background listening" tab. It's similar but a lot of it is different. I just found the version of the tune where the solo more closely matches what you are teaching. Presented here for academic purposes only, of course. Bruce
BTW, I found it on Spotify on a collection called The Definitive R&B Series - 1944 and it's listed under Ike Quebec. The whole album is very cool, T-Bone, Louis Jordan, Nat Cole Trio, etc.
Hi Duke. So, after a year of study AND a new (to me) ES-175 with flat wound 12s on it, I'm feeling a whole lot better on Skippy's Dream! What do you think? Would really love to get your feedback on this. Thanks! Best, Bruce
Hey Duke! So, here's a shot at it! Feedback, as always, would be most welcome. Thanks for the great lesson. Regards, Bruce
Ha! ;) I remember reading once, don't know if it was apocryphal or not, that some guy went up to Charlie Parker after a gig and handed him some notation paper filled with runs of 64th notes and Charlie handed it back to him saying, "I can't play this." and the guy said, "This is what you played last night, I transcribed it."
Anyway, thanks as always, Duke!
Sounds very pretty to me, Larry!
Hey Duke! So, here's what I came up with. Such a pretty intro!
To Scott Sorkin aka Mr. Transcriber: I owe you a debt of thanks. I've been knocking my brain out trying to figure out how to play Duke's part over my track and I just could *not* fit those notes in until I saw that you had transcribed it as having a bar of 5. I just counted it, and you are absolutely right; Duke's beautiful part puts in a bar of 5!
Sounds great Bruce. And yes! Absolutely thanks to Scott for figuring out what I do there. Lord knows I don't know! Duke
Ha! ;) I remember reading once, don't know if it was apocryphal or not, that some guy went up to Charlie Parker after a gig and handed him some notation paper filled with runs of 64th notes and Charlie handed it back to him saying, "I can't play this." and the guy said, "This is what you played last night, I transcribed it."
Anyway, thanks as always, Duke!
Thanks, Duke!!
Hey, thanks, Kip! Very kind of you to say so. That's my Gibson J-45.
Wow, congrats, Duke! And very well deserved, it's a really enjoyable album. And this is a great tune! It was a lot of fun hearing the two guitar parts together. Any comments? Thanks, Bruce
Hey Duke! Were you ever able to get the video to play? I can view both of them. It's not the greatest musical endeavor in the history of time, or even the last five minutes, but I'd be curious to hear what you think.
Thanks, Bruce
PS Did you notice the CD next to my head? ;-)
Hey Duke. I'll try to upload it instead of the youtube link
and see what happens. Hope this works! Thanks! Bruce
Hey Duke. Here's the youtube link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yad1mr7t4F4
Hey Duke! Well, here's another go, on the Strat this time. What a great tune! Looking forward to the next one. Thanks, Bruce
Hey Bruce, for some reason I can't get this to play. ~Duke
Hey Duke. Here's the youtube link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yad1mr7t4F4
Hey Duke. Wow, this is all great stuff. I was really trying to capture that Hubert 7th to 6th thing in my last submission, but failed to achieve the strength of Hubert's playing. No real shame there! ;) I just love his stuff; he's so quirky, but just so great. I also first heard him when I was around 15 in 1970. "Evil" was I think the first Howlin' Wolf track I truly loved. I bought that Chess Wolf/Muddy collection that came out around '70 and was blown away. All my schoolmates were listening to CSNY (and, well...I was too...) but I was also digging Wolf and Muddy and Charlie Parker and Billie Holliday. And a few years later, after moving to Boston, a really amazing guitar player name Duke Robillard. I have such great memories of those days, those beaded doorways at the Speakeasy. Anyway...thanks Duke. I'll keep working on this.
Thanks Bruce, I couldn't get your video to play. don't know why. duke
Hey again, Duke. I've been continuing to work on it, and actually am trying to sing it as well. Would love to hear any feedback on this! Thanks!
Hey Duke! This is such a great and wild solo! I'm so glad to have learned it. I especially love those multinote bends. How's it sound? Bruce
Speaking of Shake For Me, I found this reference from an interview with Hubert from 2006:
"On just about all the numbers we recorded Wolf always turned me loose, let me do what I wanted,'' Sumlin recalls. "One time the Chess brothers hollered at me in the studio when we recording Shake It For Me… Leonard Chess said; Hubert, turn it down, turn that thing DOWN! Wolf just stopped the music and pointed across the room at where they were in the Control Booth. Wolf goes: When there's something to be said, let me tell him, not you! You fools operate the studio and leave the music to me. C'mon man, let it rip!"
"I wasn't really loud,'' Hubert says indignantly. "I can hear and I can hear good – I was just playing with the guys. The guitar sounds upfront on the records we made but it wasn't like that when we recorded it, we needed to hear one another. The way we did it everyone would be heard – the piano player, bass player, drummer – but when I played my solo, maaan you better get out my way!''
Hi Duke! Well, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this. I hear that I'm just starting to rush at the end of my solo into the last chorus, but not way overly like before. It's hard to remember not to use vibrato now that I can finally do it. ;) Anyway, I've sure learned a lot working on this song! Thanks for all the wisdom and inspiration, Duke! Can't wait to hear what's next! By the way, I thought of the quote at the beginning of my solo because of your intro, which really kind of ties it in nicely. Thanks again, Duke! Regards, Bruce
BTW, I found it on Spotify on a collection called The Definitive R&B Series - 1944 and it's listed under Ike Quebec. The whole album is very cool, T-Bone, Louis Jordan, Nat Cole Trio, etc.
Hey Duke! The version of the solo you are teaching is not the same as the version of "Blue Harlem" in the "background listening" tab. It's similar but a lot of it is different. I just found the version of the tune where the solo more closely matches what you are teaching. Presented here for academic purposes only, of course. Bruce
BTW, I found it on Spotify on a collection called The Definitive R&B Series - 1944 and it's listed under Ike Quebec. The whole album is very cool, T-Bone, Louis Jordan, Nat Cole Trio, etc.