Good God, I thought that my RD Artist was heavy!
Keep on Jammin’
BTW don’t forget to check out my newish Guitar blog Guitar Licks and Tips. I’ve got some great posts over there for guitar and music enthusiasts to go through.
Guitars, tips and great music discussions
by Chris
Good God, I thought that my RD Artist was heavy!
Keep on Jammin’
BTW don’t forget to check out my newish Guitar blog Guitar Licks and Tips. I’ve got some great posts over there for guitar and music enthusiasts to go through.
by Chris
I imagine that having an extra digit on your left hand must have it’s con’s, but the pro’s might just make it worth it!
Playing a 7 string guitar would come in quite handy with a hand configuration like this? When playing difficult chord progressions like the ones that Bruce Cockburn and John Mayer use, wouldn’t it be nice to have another finger just hanging around the old fret board?
Wow, keep on Jammin’
by Chris
I found this out this morning while making Midnights breakfast (she’s our new beautiful Labrador Retriever).
Wow, taking about being blown away! I think that I will always remember where I was and what I was doing when I found out of this great musical lose! I can still remember when I found out that Stevie Ray Vaughan had passed. I actually called my wife right after finding out.
Rock and jazz musician Jeff Healey died Sunday in a Toronto hospital after a battle with cancer, his publicist said. He was 41.
Healey lost his sight at age one as a result of Retinoblastoma, a rare form of retinal cancer.
Retinoblastoma, is a cancer that hits children younger than 5 years of age.
Healey had the great honour of playing with George Harrison doing one of Harrison’s songs called As my guitar gently weeps. He also played with other guitar gods such as B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. It was Stevie ray who actually brought Jeff into the greater world musical spotlight. Being in the 1988 movie called “Road House” didn’t hurt either!
I was in his club called Healey’s in Toronto and saw Saga’s second last show in Canada, the last one was in my home town of Brantford, with the lead singer Michael Sadler. Nice place to see a show, go check it out.
My wife and I are God parents to my cousin’s son and he is blind. This happened as a result of contracting a disease called Toxoplasmosis. He is a very outgoing little fire cracker and has a love for all genres of music. He has developed a great singing/rapping voice and has actually recorded some tunes at a local recording company.
My cousin and his son went to a event for the blind that Jeff Healey was at around 3 years ago. His dad thought that it would be a blast for his son to meet him, so they both went up to talk to him. When they met, our godson went silent, if you actually know this little guy, you would think that I was making all this all up because he’s never Silent! He knew who Jeff was and what he accomplished so maybe that is why he was nervous about meeting him.
So let’s keep Jeff and his family in our prayers.
Jeff Healey
1966 – 2008
by Chris
It’s hard to believe, but Michael Jacksons Thriller album is now 25 years old. To celebrate the albums milestone a special 25th anniversary edition of the album hit stores in February.
I realize that most people either love or hate this guy, but I happen to be caught in the middle. His way of making music does get your attention. It seems to be passing the test of time and we all know that that is the true yard stick to measure success. Hell, the man-child even got the great Eddie Van Halen to play on this album.
Van Halen’s guitar style, referred to as Shred, comes at you like the heat of the sun on a cold winter’s day on “Beat it”! If the album’s style passes the Eddie test then there has to be something great and innovative about Micheal’s formula, to successful writing!
If you want to hear more about the album and hear what the King of Pop himself has to say about it watch this video.
by Chris
If you lived in Toronto during the 80’s you would remember a great bar called Rock and Roll Heaven at Bloor and Young. Ohhh the memories of seeing bands and meeting people in this place! My old band Pylis even played there.
I can recall one night going there and watching Robin Trower playing with his band and met a very old friend who played in a fellow 80’s band in Brantford called Vigilants.
Robin Trower’s sound was the sound of Rocking Roll heaven during that time so check out this video to get a little taste of what it was like.
Recently Rocking Roll Heaven has had it’s rebirth in Toronto at it’s new location. I love the venue that they took over from and the outside patio is quite nice as well.
On their site they have a good schedule of who is playing and they also have a acoustic jam sessions on Sundays from 2-6 PM, I hope to do a few sets there some weekend soon!
I hope that they rekindle the feel of the old place and I wish them well.
Keep on Jammin’
by Chris
This is a company that is owned and run by an old guitarist buddy that I use to play with way back in the day. His name is John Ball and what a success story his is.
John and I always played together but not in the same band. We hung around the same circle of friends and musicians and to make a long story short, we had different playing styles that never really over lapped. He gravitated to the harder speed metal sort of arrangements while I was under a more Progressive Rock, Jazz and to a lesser extent Pop genre.
My sister and John were closer in age and they both were in the same grade at St. John’s College. Boy did both of them get themselves into a little bit of trouble as kids during those years! Then again, I was no angel either.
His company is called Ball Media Productions and he had his humble beginnings in our home town of Brantford, Ontario. He at first started his empire with a recording studio in the basement of a well known Brantford music studio called Music and Sound. Over the years he has branched of into different area’s as he sees fit.
Now his company has a jaw dropping amount of specialized services that can now compete with the big guys!
Ball Media includes Printing/Bindery, Packaging, Branding/Indentity, CD / DVD Replication, Graphic Design and Web/Multimedia plus video area’s of expertise. Take a look for yourself and if you do need his services for anything no matter how small, just tell him “Stickman” sent you!
I wish him well with all of his company’s future endeavors but I know that he doesn’t need it!
Keep on Jammin’ Johnnie!
by Chris
This little device looks like something that would be found in an old Frankenstein black and white movie or something out of the Hilarious house of Frightenstein.
The inventors name was Leon Theremin and the Theremin was built in 1918. Vladimir Lenin liked the instrument so much that he actually took lessons!
This instrument was made more main stream while Jimmy Page of Zed Zeppelin used it in the studio and on stage. He plays this instrument in Whole Lotta Love and No Quarter.
You don’t really have to touch it to make sounds, get that all of you out there that say they can’t play any instruments! This video will show you how so check it out ok, you know who you are!
Keep on Jammin’
by Chris
This is a song that I just love playing! It has everything a player, with heavy rythum guitar influences would want.
The rhythm is very catchy. It’s Simon and Garfunkel so everyone has at least heard the song one. The chord can be played in such a way that they all open with really big fat sounds to them!
The biggest thing about this tune is the drummer is and drumming itself. I can play the drums at a decent level but I would love to play this song the way that only Steve Gadd can.
I have never seen a drummer play with 2 sticks in his hand but this guy certainly does and he does it well!
If your a drummer looking at this post here is a challenge for you! Go get on your kit and try this one out. Wait until you reach 0:48 on the video counter at the bottom left of the screen. Try it out and get back to us! If your not a drummer, go and get the old pots and pans out or if your not that ambitious then do it air drumming style!
Enjoy.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDU9691Q-Uw&NR=1&feature=fvwp
Keep on Jammin’
by Chris
If there is only one phrase that I can use to explain Las Vegas N.V. it would be, this place is way over the top!
The buzz of the city was not that apparent when we landed at McCarren airport. We got off the plane, picked up our luggage then got a cab. I had never seen a live palm tree before so I certainly got my fill before we reached the new Las Vegas strip. There is a new and old part of Vegas, but we were going to be exposed to the new part only. Our cabbie informed us that these trees cost the city around $30,000.00 US each.
Now the buzz of the city did not just creep up on us, it exploded right in front of our eyes!
Traveling on the strip was like entering a place similar to Disney World, but for adults! The buildings were like nothing that I had even seen before and I love my architecture. They were polished like a brand new diamond rings, while being very ornate in every fashion. They all had their own individual architectural look to them that when all put together, surprisingly did not clash at all.
The people, well they must have numbered in the 1000’s, they seemed to be walking around in all directions, looking up and gazing upon these very large temples of excess in awe, just like I was! The billboards were in a category all by themselves. If you think that time square in New York has great billboards then you have got to go to Vegas.
We then were let off at our hotel called the Imperial Palace. Before we even walked in the door, you could hear sounds and cheering like I have never heard on any CSI show or a documentary on this famous city. You could feel the sounds of the machines that everyone was on. There was a strange and unique buzz in the air to put it mildly.
After trying to navigate through the literal sea of gamblers and onlookers, desperately struggling with our bags of belongings, we finally reached the correct elevators. The people coming off them were all acting like kids in a candy shop! They were all of different ethnic backgrounds wearing smiles on their faces as wide as the desert which we just flew over.
After getting off the elevator and into the suite, we were on a this adrenalin rush like only the great city of Las Vegas could provide! I was in this dream like state of mind and was just waiting for something else to happen, this time it was not that much fun.
I’ll fill you in on the rest in another post! Stay tuned!
Keep on Jammin’
by Chris
I have a pick made of gold, honestly I do, and I’ve used it too … but one made of wood – never heard of one.
They say the Surfpick Lignum Vitae is much denser then white oak, gives you a richer warmer tone and that it makes your sound free from the dreaded pick click sound.
The wood is rare so it’s no wonder they can’t ship out of the US.
The wood is so dense it will sink in even salt water.
It was also prized for use for fittings on tall ships hundreds of years ago.
You can even watch it burn on the video.
If you have one of these picks in your arsenal, will you get back to us on what your thoughts about this is?
Keep on Jammin’