Hello to all
Just wanted to drop a quick note to recap the show we had last night in Monterey. I was incredibly fortunate to get to play with GN stalwarts Nick Torres (vocals and guitar) and Greg ("gnease") Nease (guitar and (!) vocal), as well as with Glen Polson, who came into town from Kitchener, Ontario, and Marilyn Miller, one of my local students. And, of course, my partner Karen Berger on piano. We had a two-hour show; the set list (with personnel) as follows:
Jump Jive and Wail (Nick, Greg, Karen and me)
Summer Wages (Nick, Greg, Karen and me)
Spooky (Nick, Greg, Karen and me)
So Far Away (Greg, Karen and me)
Some Beach (Nick, Glen, Karen and me)
Rocket Man (Nick, Glen, Greg, Karen and me)
Moondance (Nick, Glen,Greg, Karen and me)
Wish You Were Here (Nick, Glen, Greg, Karen and me)
Fire (Nick, Glen, Greg, Karen and me)
Roller Derby Queen (Greg singing lead!)
Whiter Shade of Pale (Glen, Karen and me)
Alison (Nick, Glen, Greg, Karen and me)
Barstool Blues (Marilyn solo)
Hallelujah (Marilyn, Glen and me)
Angel from Montgomery (Marilyn, Greg, Karen and me)
Georgia on my Mind (Nick and Karen)
1952 Vincent Black Lightning (Nick and me)
Margaret Has a Lover (Karen and me)
Babylon (Nick, Glen, Greg, Karen and me)
Sultans of Swing (Nick, Glen, Greg, Karen and me)
The Weight (Nick, Glen, Marilyn, Greg, Karen and me)
Highlights (and laughs) were many, but standouts were Nick's performance of Alison and 1952 Vincent Black Lightning, Glen and Marilyn's performance of Hallelujah, a rare lead vocal from Greg on the wonderful Jim Croce song, Roller Derby Queen, and the incredible musical introduction I played on Whiter Shade of Pale, only to discover when the rest of the band joined in that I hadn't taken my capo off from the previous song and was in a totally different key than we'd agreed to! :wink: Not to mention the whole crowd singing along with all the choruses on The Weight to close the show. Bliss!
Rumor has it that there are audio and video recordings that were made, but time will tell whether or not they surface anywhere... :wink:
My thanks again to the participants, as well as to the great crowd who came and assisted in the performance. Let's do another one soon!
Peace
Sounds like a great evening. I'd love to catch it sometime. Usually up that way (Vermont) once a year or so. I'll have to time things right.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Or just let us know when you're passing through so we could even put together a jam at the house. That'd probably be even more fun...
Peace
Thanks David and Karen for playing the ever gracious hosts again. I had a blast and the audience really seemed to also. Sammy said great set as I walked off for my break and one of the older ladies in the back asked who wrote Alison. Greg told her, I set him straight though and let him know the proper answer to "who wrote that?" no matter the song, is "Oh, Nick wrote that"
All of that and Greg and I got to go over many songs for our next get together, you know what I'm saying, baby...it's Business Time.
You should be able to see the Alison video here when youtube finishes with it:
http://www.youtube.com/user/NFShakespeare
It's our first time playing it live and has a couple of opening night jitters, but quickly gets into a nice groove. I liked it.
that must have been one hot gig...there is a wildfire in Monterey now. or so the news tells me.
nice set list.
hot in california.
Great video guys! Looks like a big time.
David, I might have to drag some of them Western Connecticut guys up on the way too. :)
I've got a few getting older and ill aunts & uncles up north of you that I need to go see after I get good enough to drive long distances.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
That's a different Monterey. And although it was hot, probably not hot enough for that.... :D
I made soooooo many mistakes Saturday and even though this was one of the more harmless ones, it really had potential for total disaster. We practiced the song using the last half of the chorus as an intro. So what do I do? Go and play the whole chorus as an intro instead. Fortunately Nick and everyone else were paying attention and we got through unscathed. For this song at least! :wink:
It's a wonder I can get anyone to play with me anymore...
Peace
Was that you? I thought it was me singing with my capo on the first fret. Heck David, I'd come to do gigs with you even if you were 5 and a 1/2 hours away.
You should be able to see the Alison video here when youtube finishes with it:
http://www.youtube.com/user/NFShakespeare
It's our first time playing it live and has a couple of opening night jitters, but quickly gets into a nice groove. I liked it.
It's up and I agree, Nick! I liked it, too! :D
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-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´ -:¦:- Elecktrablue -:¦:-
"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"
Sounds like it was a good show.
I'm sorry I missed it.
Well at least I got video. Good Job!
Or just let us know when you're passing through so we could even put together a jam at the house. That'd probably be even more fun...
Peace
Count me in.
Excellent version of Alison - I always did love that song. You guys did it beautifully. Wonder if David could be bribed sweet-talked or persuaded to tab it out?
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I can't believe I missed Greg singing! And a great tune. Can you do Rapid Roy the Stockcar Boy???
Falling in love is like learning to play the guitar; first you learn to follow the rules, then you learn to play with your heart.
Excellent version of Alison - I always did love that song. You guys did it beautifully. Wonder if David could be bribed sweet-talked or persuaded to tab it out?
I've got a chord sheet in the computer, Vic. Send me an email address and it'll be on the way to you posthaste. I'm going to be using it as one of our "Songs for Intermediates" lesson at some point in the (hopefully) near future, so you'll have to wait a little for some of the fancier things. But most of them are based on the chord shapes and not too hard.
Can you do Rapid Roy the Stockcar Boy?
Sometimes I think that my life is like the line in David Bowie's Five Years - "...my brain hurt like a warehouse / there was no room to spare / I had to cram so many things to store / everything in there..." Somewhere in this dense (make your joke here) mess of grey matter is the entire Jim Croce catalogue, so Rapid Roy has got to be there. Want to take a stab at it in July? I'll put together sheets...
And thanks for the kudos, folks! You're too kind...
Peace
I added:
1952 Vincent Black Lightning
The Weight
Babylon
Sultans of Swing
Some I haven't added because I'm not sure the main players want me to add them. Nothing wrong with them, I just don't want to be presumptuous.
By the way, Greg did rock out on Roller Derby.....
Speaking of, how did the recording come out Mr. GNease?
