COOL EVENING

(Decembers Short-Cut Ticket)

If you got some money for christmas, let me give you a hand with those parcels.
The last day of the year means fireworks, originally an cultivated idea from China, which in western world nowdays means war between youngsters who still don´t really know about the wonder of washing their own underpants. Tomorrow I read in the newspapers about the damages.
How many dead? How many got just got rockets in their head? How many fingers lost?
Yes, it´s just like in the old MAD comic books. Here in the DRIVE MY GUITAR area, everything is more serious. If you this evening are invited to an elegant restaurant uptown, don´t miss the opportunity to appear on stage. I suggest, Good Year rubber is the best for your shoes an evening like this, you jump up on stage un-invited in tight trashy bluejeans and give Chuck Berry´s old tune some new energy.
I promise you are the surprise of the evening!
Dont forget to take your git-axe with you, I mean the Teleboxer 19566-66-Gold with extra bazookas.

Too Much Monkey Business
Runnin´ to and fro, hard workin´ at the mill,
Never fails in the mail, there comes a rotten bill.

TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, For me to be involved in.

Salesman talkin´ to me, try´n´, to run me up a creek,
Said, "You can buy it, go on, try it, You can pay me next week!" Arrgh,,,,,

TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, For me to be involved in.

Blonde hair, good lookin´, try´n´´ to get me hooked,
Wants me to marry, get a home, Settle down, write a book! Arrgh,,,,,

TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, For me to be involved in.

Same thing, ev´ry day, gettin´ up, goin´ to school,
No need of me complainin´, My objections overruled! Arrgh,,,,

TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, For me to be involved in.
Pay phone, somethin´´ wrong, dime gone, will mail,
Oughta sue the op´rator for tellin´ me a tale! Arrgh,,,,

TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, For me to be involved in.

Been to Yokohama, been fightin´ in the war,
Army bunk, army chow, army clothes, army car! Arrgh,,,,

TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, For me to be involved in.

Workin´ in the fillin´ station, Too many tasks,
"Wipe the windows, check the tires, check the oil, dollar gas?!!!" Arrgh,,,,

TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, TOO MUCH MONKEY BUS´NESS, For me to be involved in.

This rocker song, from MCMLVI (1956), from one of the truly first musicbooks I bought with own money (from the HAGSTROM music shop in this small town), way back, way back...., way back, - has maybe been recorded by hundreds, as many of Chuck Berry´s tunes. At the time I thought, by learning to read the music very carefully I will sound like Chuck ... Picture is from that book, young upcoming artist....., later, influential giant on the R&B scene. The energy.. Give the guitarsolo a shot . Backbeat. Always some blues. Boogiejazzy.
Chuck Berry´s have entertained so many.

AT LAST, WORKING DAY

HEARING THE LYRICS

For decades, I wondered,... is the true version;
"My baby drew up,....in a brandnew......Cadillac".....
or this "My baby grew up,....in a brandnew....Cadillac"?
Few years back I saw it written on paper, maybe the answer of this BIG QUESTION;
"My baby drove up...., in a brandnew...Cadillac".
That´s supposingly the true version, but do they all really sing that?
In Sweden we also have the a little bit confusing version, when the story goes, directly translated:
"My baby took up.....a brandnew.....Caviar"!
But,..... is it Russian or Persian? No doubt, it´s about the cheaper form of caviar, sold in tubes, well known in this country.

LATEST NEWS from AUSTRALIA

com´n air-heads
your time has come!

NOVEMBER´s SHORT-CUT TICKET

As I mentioned before, they do it boys, tired of your dominant attitudes.

http://www.alarmare.se/index.php?info=viewCategory&id=2

But anyhow, I´ve never noticed that music/sound activities would be for men only..., many times I don´t understand the problem.
I think the problem is not mainly about music, it´s about something else, about how the society works.

http://drivemyguitar.blogspot.com/2006/04/they-are-coming.html

WILLIAM GOES TO PICTURES

One day Williams´ aunt, Mrs Smith, dressed up like a Christmas tree, gave him a shilling for posting a letter for her and carrying her parcels from the grocer´s. - Buy some sweets or go to to the Pictures, she said as she gave it to him. As the Cinema ticket cost only sixpence, William bought som sweets with the other sixpence. He choose two bottles of Soda Pop and one cake of Chocolate of the Swiss brand.
Still he got a halfpenny twopence, if you count in Danish. William was not in the habit of going to the Picture Palaces. He had only been there once before in his life. It was an interesting programme.
First came the story of two guitar-thieves, who on coming out of a house full of semi-accoustic guitars were pursued by two policemen. They jumped on to a moving mystery train, and then jumped from that on to a moving easy rider motor-cycle, and from that they jumped into a moving jetplane.
The next play was a comedy, an American film. It began with a man playing guitar alone upstairs in his bedroom, but ended with a crowd of people, all covered with records and posters, falling downstairs on top of one another. It was awfully funny.
When the play was over, William hurried out of the Picture Palace and ran down the road, the lonesome road. He took a banana from his pocket and, using it as a pistol, fired twice. Two of his pursuers (not real ones!) fell dead, the rest came on. There was no time to be lost. Running for his dear life, he rushed down dead end street and, still looking back and firing as he went, he ran into his own gateway.
William´s father, Mr Smith, who had stayed at home that day because of a bad headache, after to many drinks a few hours earlier at China Bar, picked himself up from the middle of a rose-bush and seized William by back of his neck.
- What do you mean by running into me like that?!, he shouted.
- I was only just coming in at the gate, said William.
- Be quiet! And go to bed at once!

This story shows that William have a interest for guitar playing, but not too much opportunity to practise it himself. His father, Mr Smith, drink too much and Mrs. Smith, former top-model of the Vogue magazine, is kind but not really understanding, of the fact that William now is grown-up man. If kids are in the age of thirty-one, it´s not to late to learn them about the bird and the bees. But most important of all, they need guitars. Maybe Black, maybe mystery shaped.
In Europe they almost not make cheap mystery guitars any more, they come from the east. But quality can be amazingly good! (That was already said in the 1970-ies...)

B L U E S Y

I hate to see
the evening sun go down
I hate to see
the evening sun go down
´Cause my baby
he done left this town
(St.Louis Blues)

Look here, sweet mama,
See what you have done,
You mad me love you, now your regular man done come.
(Trouble in mind)

It has been days, didn´t know your name
Why should I worry myself in vain
But now she´s gone, I don´t worry,
I´m sitting on top of the world.
(Sitting on Top of the World)

If you don´t like my ocean, don´t fish in my sea.
If you don´t like my ocean, don´t fish in my sea.
Stay out of my valley, let my mountain be.
(Don´t fish in my sea)

Born under a bad sign,
Been down since I began to crawl
If it wasn´t for bad luck,
You know, I wouldn´t have no luck at all.
(Born Under a Bad Sign)

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE ?

"Hi! I am Nina. To talk about my personal qualities I`l try to look at myself from aside. So I`m a romantic, charming, feminine, and sweet girl. Yet as a person I am open-minded, easy-going, kind-hearted. From the very beginning I try to behave naturally. I dislike lie and hypocrisy. Kindness and decency are the qualities that are very important for me and that`s why I value them in myself. I love my parents very much as they have given much to me and I am grateful to them. I have some questions for you if you want to get to know me closer: * Why are you interested in Russian lady? * Are you interested in serious relations with Russian woman? * I will be waiting for your reply to * Have you ever been to Russia? * Would you like to correspond or to talk by phone? * What is important for you in relations and am I right for you? * Are you planning to visit Russia? mailto: X X X
Hope you will tell me about yourself, kisses from Russia, Nina

I´m sorry Nina, this is not the way. I don´t like automatic love letters. Most of the advertising mail in the box is more unpersonal than yours, dangerous too, but ... one klick and my computer is invaded by some p-shop and gambling hostel activities. And you don´t seem to know about Alfred E. Neumann? Read what the comic book sez. And know some musical workshop like chewing gum. You must have some music talk if you make the walk. You are too far from the target. But I have some russian guitar music books, which reminds me; to cover it on this blog later. That´s the result of your automatic letter.

Today: SOUND EFFECTS

"You can blow up the balloon in private and then let the air out in public, keeping the balloon hidden under your coat." That´s one classical trick ( used by balloonplayers).

I read in the Old Book, about William; "He couldn´t keep it blown up for ever. He had to let the air out som time. He couldn´t help it making noise when the air went out. It was the way it was made. He hadn´t made it. On his way to school he saw an old gentleman in the front of him. He blew up the balloon and held it under his Black-Rubber T-shirt. Then, as he passed the old gentleman, he let it off. The old gentleman gave a jump into the air and looked angrily around. He looked at the small innocent-looking, kick-boxing schoolboy, who was armed with 4 knifes and 2 shot-guns, and then at the upper windows of the houses.
The boy hurried on to the next gentleman. He had quite a happy walk to school. School was at first very succesful. But the mathematics master found the balloon and took it away from him. "I hope", said his father at lunch, "that they have taken away that balloon of yours". William replied sadly that they had"

From this story we can learn, don´t play with sound effects too much. If your amp for example have Reverb with stormy weather, destroy the world with no Delay, or Flanger with special danger, it could be better if you learn for example the C chord first. Ask your neighbour how to put your fingers (not in his wallet).

New Hobby: SING ALONG WITH PICTURE !

Suggested songs

Can´t stop lovin you
The best things in life are free
Only you
It must have been love
Every breath you take
She loves you
All the things you are
We are the champions
Sunny Girl
(I can´t get no)Satisfaction
I just wanna make love to you
It´s a wonderful world
Can´t help falling in love
Let it be me
Hallelujah, I love her so
Man of Mystery
When a man loves a woman
Something
This Guy´s in Love with You
The song is you
He´s got the whole world in his hands



Do you know more? (suitable for your howlin and the guitar)
Let me know.

OCTOBER´s SHORT-CUT TICKET

I´m in this area writing this. Bredgatan, Halmstad, to the left. Did like George Bush, used the Google and Googled in. It´s the magnetic town. I´ll never get out of here. Maybe it´s the doom for my sins,... or is it only cryptonite? (No Superman can stand cryptonite)..........Is this the next target?

You can do it...

...PLAY BASS
DAMMIT !

I liked this book immediately, straight on, modern. You don´t have to study for years to get started...., just do it.
With two CD:s and "it´s for real"- sounding exercises in different styles, soon touchable, with two hands and one head. I don´t complain at all when I find comments like this; "exessive use of this technique in your local music store will probably get you thrown out."
Matt Scharfglass is New-York based songwriter, bassist, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. I can imagine that attitudes and tempo of living is high, demanding. How to deal with teenagers who want action directly? In New York?
Basslines are, as mentioned earlier, important in any music. With no Bass, no Punk or Funk. No Bach either. No Jazz, no Blues, no Woman, no Cry.
The bassplayer can be King or Queen of any group.
When you are used to good bassplayers, you always want to have it.
All upper voices "lean" on and/or are depending of the bassline When the the bass-instrument is missing, the lowest musical line performed automatically get´s the role of the bass. Any modern guitarplayer find info in bassbooks, guitarist and bassist often co-operate in rockgroups, making smashing grooves and riffs together.
More actual information may be found; http://www.musicsales.com

HEY....it´s OCTOBER !

No September´s short-cut ticket...., it´s almost unforgiveable.
Latest busyness-news in English;
http://hvemsida.blogspot.com

LIFELINES

….of Jazz

In my own small history book, …is written the tiny notice; I talked with Ulf Wakenius for a few minutes in the phone about twentyfive years ago. The purpose was to check up why he didn´t join the suggested meeting for a interview in Gothenburg, at the locally well known cafe´ ”Brautigam” (I think this is the right spelling, BUT it can be Brudgums… or Bratwurst n´ Gum…or something else. You never know about the comical talents of the people in that town).
Ulf Wakenius said he had forgot the whole thing (been playing in a park). I then had heard Ulf Wakenius live a couple of times in guitarduo constellations, all of them impressive. In this particular record the artistry of ulf wakenius (Dragon Records 2002), the famous jazzpianoplayer Oscar Peterson mentions backcover; ”Tune for tune, I could only marvel at not only his musical dexterity, but more importantly to me, his deep roots into the true lifeline of jazz – the Blues.”
Just some years ago I heard Ulf on TV, in the Oscar Peterson group. I thought this was jazz guitar at it´s best – and it happens today.
On this record (picture) Ulf Wakenius morely does the soloperformance. Already in the opening number Have you met miss Jones?,... I immediately recongnized somebrazilpower…..as I said earlier….

-------------------------------------------
….or Classical

Gunnar Spjuth introduced classical guitar for me over thirty years ago. Looking in the mirror it was perfect. We were in the same age, the pieces of the puzzle over periods of guitar history were not delivered from above, from the ordentlicher highschuule-profezzor.
These recordings were done 1986 but digitally remastered in 2001.
Borrowed the CD from Hylte Folkbibliotek. Enjoyed the music right off, no thoughts about technical.
I always thought spanish pianopeices by Albenis and Granados were technically most comfortable for guitar duo…., but with a player like this,... why bother with social troubles....

Classical sologuitar, still in lead...... Details, all the work.

BRAZILPOWER

" The Five Preludes of 1940. which vary in character, key, tempo and mode of playing, also show that the composer had not forgotten what he had learnt from the guitar-playing popular musicans" ( From the backcover of the LP "Julian Bream plays Villa-Lobos" - picture is part of the frontcover. It was realeased on RCA, recorded in England, I think in the early seventies. Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) is one of the world wide known composers of Brazilian music, and Julian Bream; one of the great inspired recording artist´s and messengers of our time in the field of classical guitar.
I have always felt that the recorded documents are of significant importance. More from the cover of this particular LP, about the composer Villa-Lobos; "Born in 1887 in Rio de Janeiro, he was only twelve years when he started playing in coffe-houses and, out of opposition to an academic type of tuition, gained his training on autodidactic basis. His actual "teachers" came from the ranks of popular musicians, who taught him guitar improvisations, melody and modulation of the "choro", a genre played in the open air by an instrumental ensemble". (Unfortunately I don´t have the name of the artist who did the frontcover picture, but I think it was extraordinary for the time, in the idiom of classical guitar. The text backside was written by Uwe Kraemer, in german, but also translated to english/ french.)
In my mind Brazil is one of the great music countries, and specially of course from the guitarists point of view. There is "everything"; the lyrical (some portugese...), black music (rhythm....),developed extended harmony, loved by jazz musicians. The three classical elements; "melody, rhythm and harmony". At least from geographical distance (I´ve never been outside Europe), it seems that all elements live happily together. The ethnic music is very vital, and influental, world known by it´s rhythmical chemistry. We even talk about brazilian footballplayers as artists of "samba-football".
Writer, guitarist and arrangeur Brian Hodel in an old article (Guitar - magazine, I think it was published in the late seventies) : "No account of Brazilian guitar music can omit Joao Gilberto. Though primarily a singer, it is his batida de samba (literally: "drumming on the guitar") which most Brazilian musicians consider the essence of the bossa-nova. Though many guitarists were working in the same direction, it was Joao with the 1958 succes of "Bim Bam" and "Desafinado" (A.C.Jobim), who popularized the style, and, along with Jobim, became the centre of a group of musicians inhabiting Rio´s Zona Sul who developed the bossa-nova into a definite form. (The Zona Sul is the southern part of Rio that includes the famed beach sections of Copacabana, Leblon and Ipanema.) Though the bossa-nova was never popular success in Brazil, it became so throughout most of the rest of the world beginning in the mid 60s. Why did the batida de vioalao revolutionize Brazilian guitar playing? As Baden Powell explains it: "Prior to this style of playing, samba was played with the entire right hand strumming up and down so that the guitarist had very little freedom to add a melody to the chords or a separate bass part. But the batida de violao allowed the guitarist to play like the classical performer with the right hand in position where it could function in more complex manner".
Fortunately I had the opportunity to experience Baden Powell in concert in Helsinki about thirty years ago. The headline in the newspaper the day after reported; "Happy Guitar (-ism or -playing; in finnish: "Onnellista Kitarointia") I agree, it was soft, cool, lyrical, rhythmical......, with amazing contact with the instrument and through that, with the audience. He didn´t talk too much, no jokes between the pieces..., he felt serious all the way. It was a full time solo performance, no group around him, which would make it easier to find the platforms of polyrhytmical grooves, when it´s needed. I´ll never know how much of his performance was improvised. (Good improvisers may sound like they play composed music all the way).

When studying the written music, for example arrangements of brazilian standards, it is important to remember; ..."what is written is not the whole truth". You must learn fundaments of the written idea properly,.. but then comes the question of of accents, understanding of the idiom, what freedom is possible to take and so on, like the more tutorial approach to jazz. You normally can´t play jazz themes like military music from southern Germany, and more less improvise over it that way, like Bobby the Robot (or "Raw Bath", from one Spike Jones record, it has nothing to do with my article)
Much of the modernism in the brazilian guitar, includes, beside the rhythmical essence, "mystical" chords ...., it´s part of it. Anyway, with some experience and finger playing conditions, it´s not so difficult "sound brazilian". It´s maybe compareable to, "it´s not diccult to sound "spanish". But then, from there, from the first humbug level........ Not so many decades ago it was not easy to find out, for example in northern Europe, how the stories go on. Thanks to the records of course, but also to the tutorial books, made by "insiders", much information is available.
In the case of studying brazilian guitar music, I occasionally some years ago found Nelson Faria´s book in music school library. It was very satisfying to read, and get some witness, and listening (CD included) to the small differencies involved in brazilian popular traditions. In Europe everything seemed to be just bossa-nova or samba...., sometimes even without that difference, "play some latin you idiot" (scene in restaurant ). For example; Nelson Faria gives examples of subivisions in the samba; Samba enredo, Samba cancao, Samba de breque, Partido alto, Batucada, Samba Funk. The Bossa Nova is of course something else. Beside that we have the Choro (many pieces are found in the older tradition and composition, sometimes also known by strictly classical guitarists). We also have other stylings as; Frevo and Baiao.
Nelson Faria also gives lot of names in selected discography and lists of important names in the different styles. One of the great brazilian guitar personalities mentioned is Laurindo (de) Almeida, highly important for the brazilian guitar links towards U.S. (since 1947). By occasion I happened to hear Laurindo Almeida with other (very) established musicians from the Los Angeles area, in 1970ies. This was in Malmoe (for swedish beer drinking readers; it´s in the same direction as your feet, if you lay down on the asphalt with your head in the direction of the north-pole). The performance was in a way, from the public point of view, very undramatic. My picture was that Laurindo Almeida&Co was meant to perform in Copenhagen, but by some positive reason also did it, with not flashingly much advertisement, in an small simple restaurant (with red-white chequered cloths and squeeking chairs) nearby.
I think that the written commercially available arrangements or compositions of Brazilian, at least influenced, have been important for the knowledge of Brazilian guitar over the world, not just the sounding records. In the european music and it´s educational traditions, the analyze, at least the possibility to do it, is often proof for establishment. It´s another story that classical music tradition (basically european) often offers more analyze than playing....
But the developed truth is, that brazilian guitar music have it all; rhythm..., harmony...., melody..... , in exciting combinations, on many levels. Music history is not only written in Europe. To understand polyrhythmic music, you must understand something (at least influences) of black music, if you understand less of this; you are more for the traditional european polyphonic room. I have nothing against it, but the polyrhythmic room gives one more dimension and greater freedom in voicing. It is also a matter of perspective, for example; are you playing in a group or not?

Carlos Barbosa Lima; " Jazz is the United State´s greatest contribution to the world music, a high mark in 20th century cultural life. Its African heritage has contributed significantly to its shape. The same heritage can be found in Caribbean and Brazilian music. The guitar is a part of many jazz ensembles and constantly featured as a solo instrument. The plectrum style was first developed for jazz and is still predominant, but since the 50´s, the more polyphonic "fingerstyle" has been widely absorbed into jazz an d other styles of American music, following the tradition established much earlier in Brazil. Inventive, artistic styles exist either way, with plectrum or fingers, so why not integrate all these styles at some point? " (from backcover, "MUSIC OF THE AMERICAS", Guitar Solo Publications/San Fransisco)


There are many reasons,.... later on,...to continue..... with..... BRAZILPOWER 2 !!!

AUGUST´s SHORT-CUT TICKET

Before I go blogging to Brazil…( hard times to get floating luggage on airplanes in Europe, ...by the way, anyway,... do it my way, ...this road is rocky but it want be rocky long, ... take me on a slow boat to China); it´s suitable to take up the question of style.

One common question, among young git-players; “what style should I prefer to get the opportunity to buy Pink Red Cadillac for Christmas”? The pro´s steady answer is, "try Bank Robbery." Use loose hair, masque and white gloves (from the bilberrypickin session).

But watch out, that can be the expensive method. As bars of fact show, it could be more expensive than the actual price at your favorite salesman in the backyard alley. The alternative way, choosing style, is to be natural. Show me one cat who need tattoos. Show me one cat who needs cowboy-hat, they already have nice hair-cut,... I mean hair-cat. They are already beautifully dressed up without shopping, ...have wonderful individual patterns, like finger prints (as Ginger, picture) and sleep when they want. ( And in no uncomfortable black rubber reptile dress!)

The key word is now PATTERN. Music is full of patterns, which leads in to styling. Each country or region have their patterns, in ethnic music it´s much about rhythm and accent in accompaniment. For example Brazil, motley as jungle.

picture from pingpad.blogspot.com

WHY NOT BLUE BERRY ?

I was surprised when the great book told me;… Bilberry! (”bil” is also the swedish word for ”car”).
We know also Chuck Berry and Halle Berry. And Blackberry; had for a while an role the psychic action, in my mind, last night, in the movie “Good Girl” (with Jennifer Aniston, among others), damped “drama-comedy”.

Room for good acting, about undercover tensions. Like fish in the water, but locked in. It could have been elsewhere than Texas. Maybe not…., I´m not sure it was, maybe it happened nearby. But there is something with Texas.

I´m gonna pick some blue bilberrys this year. How do guitarplayers do it without destroying themselves? The secret is the freestroke and the use of the thumb and the indexfinger. You can do sweeping arpeggios in the bush using white gloves. When they turned blue (or bloody red!) everybody knows that you´ve been working (surprise!). If you walk around with those gloves in Texas, the local sherif surely, wants to check the trunk of your car. Escape! Over the borderline! To Mexico! But that´s another story - anyway, I´m on my way to South America in this blog, even If you don´t believe it.......next stop BRAZIL !!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0279113/

http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/thegoodgirl/

http://www.texasguitarshows.com/

http://www.texasguitarfestival.com/

THINGS AIN´T WHAT THEY USED TO BE

…..I mean the weather.

For many days it´s been hot. It can be “normal”, temporary….or not. Over +30 celsius in these parts, where we have no wild cactus or rattle snakes. Maybe we have some day, soon…, and it would generate new businessmarkets, happy jokes and guaranteed long-summer-partytime f x in this little town.

But, hows it gonna be f x in Africa, somewhere in the borderlines of the equator? Already there are growing problems with dryness, … and who really cares. I´m sure, not too many,… ;and at least not for the moment among the people in electric paradise just one hundered meters from where I´m sitting now. There´s music&festivalarrangements in the park, thundering sounds and screams.

It´s not directly for the Rain Gods, … but maybe a little bit for drinking, I don´t mean just alcohol, I mean anything waterlike, ….. gold in the desert. In the right time, at the right place, ...one glass of water is probably the best demand in the world, it´s higher than the bumping headphones on your head when you are jumping around in the front of your heartshaped mirror.

As a bloomer of fact; Sahara desert is north of the equator.

(Picture; From front cover of "John Fahey visits W
ashington, D.C. - Takoma Records 1979)

BEFORE TOURING in a TEAM

Is everything in the bag?

This pic (and the astonishingly fantastic story) from mid-eighties show how complicated it can be,... me on the left and the multi-man, mr Fiffy Leif Icebring on the right.

Observe three cans of pea-soup in front of the map, an good idea from the military service, their thursday battles. (On the left also the Zoegas-Coffe, loved by swedish southerners.) On this special occasion the coconuts unfortunately were forgotten outside picture.The Ibanez-electric, this was the copy with specially nice soft-jazzy-funky qualities, which was later unfortunately sold to the Colombian, who gave me an offer. The Roland Cube is still in use, one kick and it work. In the middle there is an arabic lute, owned by my busyness companion, Ud (which mean “out” in danish), I´m not sure of the english spelling. And mine, the Ovation-guitar behind the lute has been more in the pawn shop, than home.

One late night in wintertime we had to borrow a car for the exclusive gig next day, in the great town Falkenberg.(It was an arrangement for Kids, sponsored by CitizenSchool). It was a yellow Vauxhall (it´s true, they were still seen in Halmstad then, like Cuba). We got in the car, after the cleaning off the windscreens, free from ice and snow. The key now did not fit, to start the engine. After checked up the problem with the owner of the car, one of mr Fiffy Leif Icebrings three brothers, Lars, we understood; it was the wrong car! Amazingly there was another yellow Vauxhall on the parking lot!

This time we got away (it is still magic how we got in the first car with the key…, maybe snappy fingers…), but, ….we soon found out, ....there was not enough gasoline,... we hade the stop already merely, just dangerously,... far out ...of hometown. From there no one could hear us scream !
It was minus 15 at least and sky was full of stars. We had to pick out so much luggage from the car as possible, and walk through the woods. Lucky for us, it was not too.... many kilometers, just good for the focus for the next day.

This will learn you; before touring in a team; take only the most important with you, Coconuts, the Pea-Soup and maybe pack (500 grams) of Coffe,... it´s about survival, in the desert, you don´t know when you meet civilisation again.
Instruments? Too much trouble. The audience won´t hardly see or hear the diffrence, you can whistle and jump around naked for an hour and get paid, and they will bemore happy than ever!
Good laughs lenghthens any life, it´s good news, even for your competitors.

Mr Fiffys Touring Equipment of Today: http://www.allistrio.com/

BEFORE STARTING UP the NEW BAND

….and before summervacations, some of the usual small tips; if you and your howlin friends are going to set up an orchestra-band-musicalprojectwiththeathre-globalmusicaidteam for the world…..or something else, what in the other end, maybe also, .....Í said maybe, gives you money in the pocket so you can go on eating big hamburgers saturdayafternoons.

First of all, to play together with instruments is one dimension of it, OK, it is good if you at least have seen your instrument before the first rehearsal - but there is another dimension,... talking without instruments, as a mother of fact, most people talk without musical instruments. They walk in the streets. Buy ice-cream. Nod to people who say something philosophycally interesting,.... and get angry if it´s a mess insulting comments.

Learn to talk. Less barking. You must have a plan, it´s about the culture in your band, the band is the miniature society – if you still are up to dogfighting, that´s it. If you can´t talk, have a pencil so you can write down your messages.

JULY´s SHORT-CUT TICKET

Among others, the number of musically related blogs and websites is increasing all the time. As usual I have 000000000,1 % review of all what´s happening. Why don´t check up this one? With highest possible silence Alex(andra) gave me the adress; http://www.myspace.com/queenofhardrock

MORE DOLLS....from SPACE ?

Found more Starz…., with bass-guitars, heart-shaped and star-shaped.
(Tip: Small guitars allows easy-action when youre band jumping around on stage like a swarm of locusts)

Who are they? Where do they come from? Unmistakeably they have shoes of good quality on their…, suitable for normal weather, …..and big cat-like eyes….Aliens? With those eyes they may see the big human world very well.

But…. I´m wondering about the lips,….in most of the cases they don´t look natural, not really…. Hopefully they are not of the exploding kind. I think these girls,... they enjoy restaurants, but don´t enjoy eating alone.

Positive; They don´t have lazer-guns. I think they are more friendly than unkind. That´s always a good start in any society.

(Bratz,,,send me a couple of dollars for ice-cream)

Explosives:
http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/halsa/story/0,2789,848813,00.html

DOLLS ENGAGE

Today
The examination committee for radio and television in Sweden sentenced; at daytime sent (reprised) programme,(the cultureoriented magazine; “Kobra”), where Barbiedolls had sexactivties. ---------------------------------------------------
One of my personal questions, since earlier;... I wonder how many young swedish women, ...up to the age of 55, ...have played with Barbiedolls,… these hard, long-legged, symmetrical plastic creatures, always ready for job, in almost every branch.

But, newcomers are coming to take the position of modern dolly fashion?,… like Bratz Rock Angels? Because of the guitars….I want to….hmm, interesting model. Only four strings (Bass) but six tuning-knobs. ...But they are a little bit nice I must say,....what are they performing?,.......the song goes….:

Beep Beep Mm Beep Beep, Yeh! ....Baby, you can drive my car. .....Yes, I´m gonna be star. .......Baby, you can drive my car, .....and maybe I love you, .....


(Lennon&McCartney 1965)

Europeans: Learn to behave !

Sensationally I found the Swedish Childrens Christmas song; Tre pepparkaksgubbar, among other things on

http://www.thepancakes.com/

the pancakes在國際綜藝合家歡 [我個名叫麥兜兜 古典音樂小計劃]在這個演出裡, 麥兜和他的朋友, 香港小交響樂團和班戟會教你在古典音樂會裡應該注意甚麼和怎樣享受整個過程. 這不是一堂嚴肅的課, 反而很有趣.我不會在這演出玩奏音樂. 我會跟你們說話, 我也希望到時你們會回答我啦!門票現已有售. 詳情

Do it right now you polar zoombies - learn the ligthness of the far east.

New Facts in the Terry Dene case

In a stagnant case like this, I had to contact Newlanders Detective Bureau, their marshalls nearly solved the Lars Danielsson case (the swedish citizen who was invisible during christmas, he could have been Santa Claus?)
I got the hot tip from the bureau;.... "check Internet".

My theory, which I had been waiting for to be confirmed by specialists from US, was that Terry Dene was lately been seen in Roswell - as a hamburgersaleman! But, the most wildest theory which came up in my mind, that he was the tiny guitar salesman in the amazing story of Little Red Riding Hood; http://drivemyguitar.blogspot.com/2005_11_01_drivemyguitar_archive.html

bio
Terry Dene (born Terence Williams) was one of the most promising rock & rollers of pre-Beatles England. With a recording contract with Decca UK and a regular spot on BBC TV's first pop television show, Six 5 Special, Dene seemed to be on the verge of stardom. His first three singles reached the British Top 20.

Dene's potential for success was severely damaged, however, by a series of self-imposed mishaps. Arrested for public drunkenness and vandalism in 1958, Dene was cited by the British media as an example of the "evil" of rock & roll. His mental health was considered to have plummeted after being drafted into the British national service. Discharged on psychological grounds after two months, he found his career in ruins.

Although he appeared in a film, The Golden Disc, and joined Larry Parnes' stable of stars, he was unable to recapture the momentum and faded from the pop scene. Turning to religion, Dene became a street-singing Evangelist, recording three albums of gospel music. He spent the early '70s residing in Sweden. Dene has unsuccessfully attempted several comebacks.

In 1974, he released a book and album, I Thought Terry Dene Was Dead, and began to perform with a rock band, the Dene Aces, featuring Brian Gregg, composer of classic rock tune "Shakin' All Over," in the 1980s. He released an album, Real Terry Dene, in 1997. A native of London, Dene was heavily influenced by the early recordings of Elvis Presley and Gene Vincent. Performing at 2 T's Coffee Bar, the London club that helped to launch the careers of Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard, and Adam Faith, he caught the attention of British record producer Jack Good, who helped him to obtain a contract with Decca UK.

Although he wrote very few songs, Dene was a master interpreter, scoring with covers of Marty Robbins' "A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)" and "The Stairway of Love" and Sal Mineo's "Start Movin'." Dene was briefly married to British songstress Edna Savage.

~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide

X:files WHAT HAPPENED TO TERRY DENE ?

Nearly fifty years ago something happened. . . .

His first record “A White Sports Coat and a Pink Carnation” sold 50 000 copies in two weeks. He got contract with Decca - paid with 2 500 swedish crowns every week. His movie debut, “The Golden Disc”, was ready for distribution outside UK. Yes, he was the englisman who was said to compete Elvis Presley and Tommy Steele.


If you know something – even the wildest theory – give me a comment or the mail with information ; bonnajazz@spray.se

WHAT´s SO WRONG WITH THE CASSETTE-PLAYERS?

During my lifetime I´ve seen them come and go. I think there is more than 600 cassettes in my collection, once carefully collected, most of them own recordings from different sources. Nowdays, the new machines, mostly have the cassette player, but the line in/line out function is rare, and the cheap built-in microphones…., you don´t find any.

All this was still common in the 1980:ies. The cheap microphonefunction was useful for me in everyday life and I don´t know how many times I did copies between different machines, with the fully normal line in/line out function. It was almost standard on tape recorders since the beginning. New techniques, new fashions…. It´s about money too, absolutely.

In ancient times humanity liked to use things that worked well in daily life, it was often wisdom from the generation before….

MIDSUMMER IN SWEDEN

Recitation;

Midsummer ! The engaged time of the frogs! Ring.Ring. Bell Ring.


Single String Guitar Solo.

02220222020320.....30003000303202

(Pfft! Pfft! Opening of the LOKA)

If you still, after midnight, are able to spell”SHE SELLS SEA-SHELLS ON THE SEA SHORE. AND THE SHELLS SHE SELLS ARE SEA-SHELLS I AM SURE.” right in the face of the host - properly, you may drive your Bike from the Camp.

Waiting for the midsummer-Party...., with giant Loka Pet-Bottle in your hands.,,,,,looking over the blue lake in the afternoon sun,......you listen to this......:
http://www.lokasbubblare.se/?song=688

JUNE´s SHORT-CUT TICKET

Today about How To Keep Your Phans Away. Yeeeaazh (my scottish accent), I use professional No-Key-Aaa rubber for the soft defense. Picture from last summer.


"Wearing bizarre costumes and pretending to be serious about their clothes and musical performance instead of honestly admitting that the costumes are part of the show . This admission would be the honest thing to do , and then the performers could be viewed and heard from the proper frame of reference - as entertainment, not music" Barney Kessel in Guitar Player august 1978

CHINA CALLING

http://www.ibiblio.org/chinese-music/

http://www.sister.co.jp/hang_on_the_box/index_e.html

WAITING FOR THE SUNRISE






meanwhile : Check Up This Link-Site

http://www.burkar.nu/mu/mu-lankar.html

MAY´s Short-Cut Ticket

Yeah, today it´s short time, but it can be long time if you look at following link site to guitar tablatures,....good luck,... , remember it´s internet. Monsters eat you up.


http://www.gitarrforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=89

Show me if you found something interesting, like an cat in the backyard, I´ll give you my doom.

SONG CONTEST ?

I would rather say; ”ACT CONTEST”, about the Eurovision Song Contest last night.

Winners were, (almost all Europeans know something about it) , the monster- zoombie- group, .... Lordi, .... from Finland.

Counting points there were no question about it. But,.... I wonder (just a little bit, for maximum two minutes), if they had been the winners in “normal” costumes.
No, I don’t think so. Maybe in swim-suits? That tune, “Hard Rock Hallelujah”, could been kinky in tiny sportswear with a leadsinger (white) who truly love beer more than gymnastics?
I don’t know, of course.



http://www.musicbay.se/jukebox/bmg/lordi_fi

THEY ARE COMING

http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1999/vh1women.htm

http://www.womanrock.com/

http://www.thecoverzone.com

http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/2228.asp

http://www.sv.se/nyheter/index.asp?iArticleID=281

http://www.quins.se/start.html

http://rebell.nu/rnrniggers.html

http://www.impuls.nu/tema/tema_artikel.asp?iArticleID=351

http://metalriffs.com

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0965104206/103-3008287-3597432?v=glance&n=283155

APRIL´s SHORT-CUT TICKET

I am a little bit bored, by the TROPHY COLLECTORS.

I think it really came in my sight 1999, noticed that young cool´s in black rubber collected riffs and tricks without learning the whole tune, BUT, that was not their “official” standpoint. To comrades; “Hii, this week I´ve done the (l i f e time)work of Metallica, you are a idiot because you don´t know anything”.

In many cases these quotators also didn´t enjoy the thought of improvisation, what´s on record was the one and only law,… “at least those two bars I want to learn” (and those two bars are ALL you are able two play before shouting for fresh air, ...and a new bottle of sodacokepopcoolheavystarshine, and feet popping around off-beat like pop-corn,... and mindly thinking of that as it was surely the way, ..."like the historical Bill Haley and the Comets, ..they did it, ...may just need a manager, ..no,... not a lawyer!,... this is already showbiz history,... because of my two bars of artistery...!")

It´s like the most conservative superficial view on classical music. It´s delicious, sweet life, all the time.

This happens in minds, ... in 99%, during the age, ... when young rubberspiderfrogman dressed guitarowners (with no visible hair on their body because of all the tattoos) still don´t wash their own underpants,...(up to the age of 45 in some cases). Maybe it´s economical thinking, “others do the job, others take the time. As a consumer of music I do as I like. I`ll take the candy.”

That´s like karaoke. Taste of the real woooould…

Whatever, learn the pieces. A couple of quotations won´t make it.

DOWN THE ROAD A PIECE -... there are melody makers

There are reasons to be worried all the time. On the other hand, it is necessary to be calm and not get paralyzed by all the troubles. Music is for joy and communication, it´s not the only way, but one big road, back in time too.

How much is playable on a guitar? Very much, enough for a lifetime, for anyone. Not only the originals for the instrument. Guitar has several octaves, you can play in voices, you can bend the strings…, and so on. Different tunings are possible. As mentioned, the numbers om “melodies” are cosmical. New are created all the time. In different rhythmical and harmonic surroundings melody live differentely. Different shadings, dynamics.

The arrangement as a playground is of highest importance. Like making food with ingredients. If your bag is full of frozen Pan Pizzas, well..., it may be practical, but how interesting is it? One of my favourite trips is to go around in my surely compact living apartment, looking in the boxes for musical food. Ingredients. Yes, I´m also talking about different categories of music (fishing waters of the guitar player).

There are different categories, it´s not one big pot. Many categories are closely related, but some far,... other include black sheeps and some jokers.

Coming up more about this trip...., on this Blog!

Weather report: Is it true? Is it spring? Maybe summer coming? Once again? I want rattle snakes on the streets after this unusual-several months-dull-winter in these parts. Come Africa and California! Let the crocodile hunters invade the marketplace. Summer safari with bicycle Now! Let the icecream flow out of the windows! I don´t care if some look like idiots in their shorts and hawaiian t-shirts when we have +10 celsius..., I forgive them because of their happiness!

MARCH´s SHORT-CUT TICKET

The old educational book in the english language (which I always study) tells me this story; Somebody asked an Irishman which he thought was more useful, the sun or the moon. “The moon, of course, he replied. “Why?”

“Because the moon shines at night when it is dark. The sun shines in the daytime when it is not necessary, because then it is light all the same”

Hey, that´s not nice, what a light on the Irish! Those melody lovers, who have so many tunes in their head. The most heavymetalmusichistorians know about the tune “Whiskey in the jar”, because of the versions of the groups Thin Lizzy and Metallica. Several times younger people asked me if I can give them the keys of playing it. (It suits their image in the front of a mirror). Several times I´ve told them, if I, the great musicteacher, if I had gave them that tune, before the mentioned wellknown versions were in the air, they had just yawn-yawn-yawn, “what, a stupid old english folksong, how heavy is that”.

As matter of fact there are thousands of stupid old folksongs, tunes, melodies….

Roll the globe... and put your finger on the little, bit, tiny...…. Europe,... for example.
They l o v e d good tunes in Europe even b e f o r e your grandparents were born. If we are talking about the whole world, the numbers of melodies are cosmical. Use "power" chords, ... go into the jungle of guitar effects, droptuning....you are making hits all the time,..., I forgot,... learn to play some normal melodies.

When I was young(er) myself I immediately wanted to know how to read music. There were no Tabs (internet is today full of them, often by poor quality, made by young men, I think almost never women,........but it´s getting better - I think almost one sunny day a year)

The idea of Tabs is older than written music as we know it from classical education. Different kinds of lutes, in Europe, how to play on them, was explained otherwise before the european pianodominated culture entered the scene. Maybe these explanations couldn´t compete as an system for information then, but today it will do, for guitar of different types. In combination with recordings it´s a "new" way of learning.
I use much of tabs nowdays, ...do my own for others, in my, well, we can call it education (maybe for me) I don´t like the word “pupils”, I prefer “sharetakers”. I also take share of what the they have to give me, I would say many times; much, it´s about energy I think.

O.K. Do you like melodies? That stuff they use on hit records. All the good singers use melodies, with ease. Not so much way back in time, in the sixties, nearly pure guitarbands made it.

Todays instructions are:
Pick up your pearly guitar full of stars. Play at least one melody by ear. Do you know how many melodies hide in one scale of any kind? No. we don’t know. For the moment you need one. I said only one. Not the whole show at once. Let the strings sing for you.

If you smile only once a year; take a look at Tommy Seebach´s APACHE-video, saw it on danish tv. If you roll around the carpet in hysterical laugh attacks, only once in lifetime, this was the fullmoon. Live injuns! Live Injuns! Dancing for your entertainment.
Apache Tommy Seebach - Google Video

BRICKS in my PILLOW

- it´s about money, the most.

Once upon time, in the sixties-seventies, there was job for everyone, in this country. I wonder, did they really know THE BLUES. The R e a l blues. The BIG blues. Of course, ...dimensions of trouble appeared, it always does... for living beings…, but I´m talking about the general feeling, the often money related shady picture.

Did any western whiteboy understand what the original bluessingers where howlin about?

Money is food related. Crime is often about money. Slavery is often about money. Material freedom is about money. Everything is about money? Your body, where you stand, is related to money?

Today´s choosen poem is by J.Stone. The old Elvis version will do, with echo in plates.

MONEY HONEY

You know, the landlord rang my front door bell. I let it ring for a long, long spell. I went to the window, I peeped through the blind, And asked him to tell me what’s on his mind. He said, Money, honey. Money, honey.Money, honey, if you want to get along with me.

Well, I screamed and I hollered, I was so hard-pressed. I called the woman that I loved the best.I finally got my baby about half past three, She said I’d like to know what you want with me.I said, Money, honey.Money, honey.Money, honey, If you want to get along with me.

Well, I said tell me baby, what’s wrong with you? From this day on our romance is throughI said, tell me baby, face to face How could another man take my place? She said,Money, honey. Money, honey.Money, honey, If you want to get a long with me.

Well, I’ve learned my lesson and now I know The sun may shine and the winds may blow.The women may come and the women may go But before I say I love you so, I want Money, honey.Money, honey.Money, honey, If you want to get along with me.

======

Some romancing there? Bluesy lyrics has always been nearby some of the social facts of life. I remember another…; "Money (that´s what I want)"…., both the Beatles and Rolling Stones recorded it …when I was young(er) and heard Mick Jagger yell with his big mouth from the live recording,..Mooooney..... I thought; ….

How Dramatic! How Dramatic!,…..

Act of Improvising

Robert Plant: ”Hey, it´s me! I was there!”

Led Zeppelin on TV. Enjoyed the short documentary with interviews (by the most well dressed man in Sweden; Per Sinding-Larsen, according to Elle magazine). When Led Zeppelin was relatively new and hot, a couple of years ago…, I noticed it, but didn´t care to much.

In these times there were plenty of pregnant musical creativity, more or less independent. Not everyone reached the glue in the history books… It´s interesting for musicians to involve improvisation, otherwise the act is like a photocopy from the rehearsal room. It demands good musicians, who understand the possibilities to dynamics in almost every second.

Today I feel, something of that, because of newer technology, is left behind. For example; much of the “drumwork” in lighter popmusic can be performed by machines. I think this also influenced the more “pure and authentic” rockmusic. Together with the rockvideo, perfectly designed in every frame….., it´s sometimes interesting as looking into a washingmachine and listening to the flashing sound of the centrifuge process.

Im not so impressed by the instant thunder. Originally rockmusic was a stage act, depending for example of the accoustic conditions of the room, just like classical. Not how it look on TV. It was musicians playing, in that particular moment. Now and then... younger people ask me if I can “show them some Led Zeppelin?” “Yheaaaazhh(my scottish accent), …I shall look in my chamber of archives, but …(I always say;) these men,... as a mother of fact,... by the way.. older than me,..were not beginners,... they had practised on their instruments…and were able to enter another phase of creativity; improvisation. What you hear on records, was merely that particular moment…, on stage could happen something else in those details. It was a band that could deal with their own flexibility”

CONNECTIONS are better than ISOLATION

Just the day after my last post, about duo-playing, a documentary portrait of two touring muscians was sent on one of the Swedish tv-channels. Jonas Knutsson (saxophones) and Johan Norberg (guitars) were around in northern parts of the country (Norrland = North Land), with a programme focused on domestic folkmusical influences.

No big gestures, it´s imaginary, for fantasy and picturing, in the calmness of the northern landscape. Good relaxed players, experienced but not tired. Who wants big city sound among lakes and forests. The guitar, it´s role was perfect. (Steel string acoustic is by tradition the countrymans tool in the industrial times) I like it when it goes a bit towards the John Renbourn thing, maybe, to the norwegian Terje Rypdal.

It´s about the searching attitude. Open minded and experimentators, but with knowledge of the roots they are circling around. Sound connection between folk/ethnic, jazz, classical, but taking care of sources, anyway sailing outside the most strictly academical side of it. Simplicity can be the greatest. In Sweden, probably the most well known contributor of involving jazz to folk/ethnic…or otherwise, is the pianist Jan Johansson. Many natural contacts with other established jazzmusicians gave his ideas room. This was in the sixties.

Another keyboard (&electric organ) player was Merit Hemmingsson, (still active!) She gave the field between different styles and idioms a new push on the early seventies records. I like them also because of the sound engineering. No digital orgy here…., this was the Swedish popmusic high-tech of it´s time, some time before the Abba expolosion.

Weather Report: It´s still like just going into a refrigerator outdoors, been so steadily for months. But, after a few weeks it can be different. Often, in march…april, when I look out of the window (happens), I see idiots walking at a brisk pace in shorts and colourful hawaiishirts when it´s only + 5 celsius. I know, they are longing for the season on East Beach (which in Halmstad strangely is in the south) and all the playing of flipper pinballgames just like the young pushy Tom Berenger in his little nasty role in “Looking for Mr Goodbar”).

Yeah, it´s old. By the way, in this town you may need the compass (wallet is also good) for clearly right directions. Are these indications of a big city? No.

http://www.fuzz.se/index.shtml
(guitarist Johan Norberg, also collaborator in FUZZ magazine)

TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

Have you ever heard a belch move from one corner of the room to the other, then retrace it´s tracks? That´s possible, ..on the spooktacular long-playing record;

“Spike Jones in Stereo” (1959), which also presents tv-broadcasting from the famous scientist´s experiment, creating new lifeforms .... in the show This Is Your Death.
Speaker: ...“Two perfect feet……Two perfect hands……Two perfect HEADS!!... WHAT A MONSTER!!” The two headed beatnik monster then harmonize, ...one head in each loudspeaker, a song by Stephen Foster.

If I mentioned THE BELCH (in astonishing Stereo)...well, it´s also possible to hear it on the bus from this town (Halmstad) to the even smaller places, Laholm and Hyltebruk. Young promising men back in the bus can do the belch suddenly, if you are lucky, almost at the same time. One in each corner of the backseat. But they are small punks in black, on the record it´s the adult Dracula with his strong after-dinner-drink.

From here it´s natural for me to talk about two guitars, duets. What´s the point? Two guitars offers possibilities to almost all music, in minature, of course. Still the individuality of one guitar is very present. It is not possible to hide somewhere in a small ensembleform, it´s intimate. Already early European pioneers of guitar composition noticed the charms of guitarduo, about or more than two hundred years ago. (Carulli, Giuliani, Diabelli, Sor and others).

Later on, while pianists/composers created larger harmony, two guitars had been the natural way to follow, but it didn´t happen. Guitarists tried to do everything on one fretboard, it was of course impossible. The compromising attitude (in harmony) on the fretboard was a coming fact. The guitar historys most important renewer, in art of arranging and composing for sologuitar about hundred years ago, many agree with that, was the spaniard Fransisco Tarrega.

But, meanwhile and already before that, the guitar established it´s role, more and more in popular music, almost all over the world. Often it was involved, not only in polyphonic structures (many voices), but also in polyrhythmic (many rhythms). Guitars expansion into popular music was remarkable in the Americas, especially the southern regions.

Nowdays it´s possible to hear pure guitarduo now and then, live or on record, but I have a strong feeling that much more could be done. Try it! In the traditional Spanish flamenco music the guitar in musical practise have a close relationship with a dancer or a singer. In South Americas guitar often feels comfort, with other guitars, or a whole rhythmsection. When it comes to electric, Yeahjeezh (Scottish accent)…, well, the guitar was soon in all groups...

So, my , twenty years old , scientific investigation show; For a guitarist; Two heads are better than one, when it comes to popularity outside your private chamber.

Gimme, gimme, gimme a noble price after midnight!

For Betty Blue; drivemyguitars little airport is ready, the red carpet is rolled out. I´m waiting in the control tower to get contact with the heiress of the latin planet! The question is; what, which, two or more latin influenced records shall I buy when I get paid? You have the answers---please!

I saw you had crazily much comments, one of them... by the famous actor Ed Harris? Is it true? He writes nice words to you in Spanish?....wow In that case this blog is Pluto, the small cold planet, far away, not seen in all weather conditions. This is not the same league....is it true. ...Anyway, if you get Harris to visit my blog…it´s sensational. Maybe he´s a guitarplayer and wants to know something about G major 9 in strange positions?

As a mother of fact – I lately found out that there are two Betty Blue´s in the blogplanetsystem,…. as I said two heads are better than one.
Who´s gonna submerge my record-buying budget first?

bonnajazz@spray.se

FEBRUARY´s SHORT-CUT TICKET

Basic Bass., swollen strings. If you are a guitarplayer, you sometimes observed that there are important basslines in bottom of almost all music. In rock music it´s a must. What´s jazz without…., what´s JS Bach…. It´s historical. If you don’t know anything about writing basslines, it´s impossible to compose for real. You may do haunting lyrics, melodies, When it comes to execution, somebody must take it, the shitjob. Electric Bassguitars can be transported in a Wolkswagen beetle. Buy one today. Learn something about music. How to arrange. If you want to sound more believeable than a bathroomguitarplayer.

I remember the old Long-Playing record; “ A Journey into STEREO Sound “. The speaker said; “It´s like a game of tennis,... table tennis....PING(Right loudspeaker)…..or should I say PONG(Left loudspeaker)...

Yes, there´s two, each side of the table. Headline and bottomline.

Top melody line (maybe executed by you, the frog-dressed soloist, jumpin around like fire in your pants). On the other side of the table; Bass (the normal socially caretaking person, who motivates your musical existence). Together you create possibilities; to harmony...so long the bass wants to play with you.

ALBUM CHEQUE

No water skiing these days, snow is all over and more is coming. Let´s not sit outside, let´s go inside and take on silky rubbergloves and do some research in the front of the record galleria.

First of all, in my hands I have the relatively new CD-album, "KISS & TELL", by the group SAHARA HOTNIGHTS, basically from the northern part of this country. No doubt, it´s been my favourite for months. As a matter of fact I´m often a little bit bored listening whole albums, not this time. They play so well here in their idiom, if it´s pop, rock or punk, is not important to analyze from minute to another.

I like everything, the energy in vocals, riffs, drums, composition, arrangements... The CD is well balanced all over, but with variations in the mentioned. Sahara Hotnights is probably the most important swedish female group on the domestic rockscene ever. When I saw Chrissie Hynde on TV in the eighties, I felt the same ; "that´s something".

What´s more in the box? Some old fashioned Englishmen, TEN YEARS AFTER. The long-playing record from 1968; "UNDEAD", also has energy with musical skills. Recorded at Klooks Kleek, Railway Hotel, West Hampstead, London. Why? Why no "best before"? At the time old time jazz influences were not the highest fashion.

Anyway, the hardcore swing fits here like hands in gloves. Mickey Mouse´s gloves? No,no, even if the influences flew partly from the U.S.A (the famous british bluesboom turnaround) the recipe in the finish appeared homemade in the front of domestic audiences,..... straight down the line, loud and tough, but honest - without studiocondoms.

I may be wrong but I won´t be wrong always.

Good Times, Bad Times

Joined the Beatles night on TV. For the first time the whole story appeared to me; about how the early drummer of the group, Pete Best, was fired. By reasons more than slightly out of justice; because of some snobbishness by the record company. This happened over forty years ago and still seems remarkable. The group really had played together in Hamburg as a club band, in duty almost every night. When they came back to England it was a piece of cake to play for an hour on stage, they had been used to play up to 6-7 hours. Anyway, it was not easy to get a recording contract with a big company, when it happened, they formed the playground.

Yesterday…, during the evening I also saw the movie; “A Hard Day´s Night” again. It´s really not the most fantastic movie made, light British mad humour in black&white, but gives push to the culture of the happy 1960ties. As a kid and new member of this country, I saw the film for the first time in the Palladium movie theatre here in Halmstad. All the girls screamed, all the time, in the front of the screen…, from the first opening seconds. It was strange. John Lennon did not even talk the accent we learned in school.

Many years later, when I got more oversight of the situation, I found that a lot of the Beatles music really had afroamerican elements or influences, more than earlier really observed. I would say that, many tunes were for example “adjustable for funk”, which even many coverbands probably found out during the years. Tunes like “She´s a woman”, “I feel fine”, “You can´t do that”…..you find more. It´s not only about the three chord boogie and blues roots and screamin, it´s also about rhythm,…. polyrhythmic structures.

That, the afroamerican connections were strong; was likely confirmed by the programme; “John Lennon´s jukebox”. It contained mostly black American music. He told about his early favourites for example in the radiointerview presented in the programme. Like all others, even the Beatles picked up ideas and inspiration from other artists. That happens all the time.

Now,.....
I´m very proud to present a report directly from Africa,
nicely Michele from Kenya by mail gave me a little list,
of her favourite African artistes;

Abakethwa

Yvonne Chaka Chaka

Mary Atieno

.....

JANUARY´s SHORT-CUT TICKET

Ho-ho, He-he. Hi-li-li-li-loo. Hoy Lari-lari-la. Jopp-hey-dejey….
Excuse me.
Comic books can be disturbing. I also dropped my reading glasses under the bed and had to search for them on my hands and knees. Under the bed I also found socks in three different colors, unknown under panties of the g-string model and a playable italian made twelve string guitar. Lucky me. Today´s question is; is it possible to play the blues after all this; reading, laughing, gymnastics, cleaning under the bed? Yes, yes, the blues is almost eveywhere. But I know, to tell about the bluesscale, it´s like to tell that there are kids on the streets. Everybody knows. But not every guitarplayer know the possibilities with this type of scale.

Every major key has it´s relative in minor, for example C-major and A-minor. We have the common bluesscale in C ; c eb f gb g bb (c) . Learn it over two octaves on the fretboard., over all six strings in the eight´position. Bending the strings without damaging the skin of your fingers, handsome vibratos, naughty sliding, energical hammer-ons, heroic pull-offs and sudden shudups are useful technical tools. Touchdowns, homeruns, sit-ups are other useful words (I´ve just figured out) toward acitivities, but not on a normal sized fretboard. Practise the scale, it´s the common base for solo improvisation on chords like C(7), F(7) and G(7), in a twelve bar combination. Any boogie pianist knows the story. You don’t have to find visit twelve Bars to find one..
If problems: Ask for information in the music store, afterwards you can buy twelve Candy-Bars, then it´s easy to remember that classical boogie&blues twelve bar structure. If the packages are in three different colors, lay them on the kitchen table in boogie structure, before eating the inhaltung. I suggest that a blue package is G7, red for C , and F in a milder color, light yellow for example.

BUT, if we have a tune in different character, still in the key of C major; not the twelve bar boogie or blues, instead with chords like this in order: C G Am Em F C D7 G (7).
Let your eminent combo play the chord combination in the background while you have other plans. The C-blues scale may now not be the best answer, for you the improvising duck-walking soloist in black leather, howlin for something beautiful in the front of your mirror
Take the blues scale in A instead. Same fingering, but now in the fifth position.

Remember; C major and A minor are relatives. You can find this relationship in any key. For example; you can find the relative key by counting steps on the major scale, c d e f g a b c (you find the that a is the sixth on the C-major scale). In G-major; g a b c d e f# g, ....so it´s E minor. Which in this case means that the E-blues scale can be useful on improvising on "normal and common" tunes i G-major. Of course it´s fantastic. Even already fully learned punks sometimes agree with that.

Using the bluesscale can be more intresting in other chord surroundings than the usual.

By the way, the new tune above is not “Sheets of London” by The Tony Blair Witch Project