Re: [Harp-L] Extended thoughts on extened solos

["James Sterett" <jsterett@xxxxxxxxx>]

well said, Chris.  good sell.  makes me want to catch your live show (but a record may have to suffice for now.)  Have fun, try to get an emotional rise out of the people.  don't presume to know what the audiences' individual likes or dislikes are.  if you believe in what you're doing, that will leak out into even the most discerning ear.

>>> "Chris Michalek" <Chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 5/15/2005 10:40:16 PM >>>

I think extended solos during live performances are a useful device
for creating a lasting and emotional experience with an audience.
Learning to "jam out" is a skill for advanced musicians and one walks
a fine line between truly "rocking out" ala Jason Ricci and going off
on an insecurity charged ego-fest.

Taking and extended solo is something that should be done once or
twice a night (twice is really pushing it).  If one is to emark on
this preceived pleasure trip the backing back has to be with the
player otherwise the solo becomes boring.

I think taking one or two choruses per song for every song creates a
neutral or non-emotional connection to the music.  They may think
"That person a good player" or "that was nice" or "very tasty, good
job!"  Being a player like this may suit some and maybe getting
positive accolades is reward enough.  

However, playing music to me has become a business and I want to make
as much $$$ as possible.  I have noticed that I sell more CDs after
an extended solos. I've noticed this phenomenon when watching JRNB. 
It the energy of the moment that creates and emotional connection and
that emotion makes people want to TIP more and buy CDs.  I have had
more people walk up to my stand and give me a $20 dollar tip and buy
a $15 CD because I "rocked out" for 15 min.

The difference is bewteen "oh that was nice - I think I'll get a
beer" after two choruses and "Oh my god, I have never heard anything
like that before, I WANT a CD" after 20 choruses.


The 20 minute solo what to do for that long?  You definately can't
play the same thing over and over because that gets boring but you
can't play too much or too fast because then you'll lose the
emotional connection.  BUT you can be repetitve and then fast and
then playing nothing and then start the cycle over again.  Silence is
a note. And who says you have to stay within the style or key of
music you started out in?  F

or example, somebody requested that we play Summertime at a recent
show.  After the initial melody I got the band started on Rubato
movement of a very free and abstract Summertime melody followed by a
fast swing into a reggae groove, into a 7/4 turkish groove back to a
"happy trails" cowboy groove then the bassist moved me into funk and
changed keys from Am to Fm (I used a G harp) then the drummer went
back to the fast swing and I changed keys to Dm to play a bluesy
version then my bassist started playing gilligan's island I joined in
we modulated in half steps (per the actual melody) to F back to the
fast swing in F to a disco groove in C into a polka two step thing
back to the funk groove in F I jammed out there for a minute and then
we made a hit on the one to dead silence followed by the summertime
turnaround melody in unison with the upright and harmonica in
half-time.  We left the audience hang without playing the resolution
note or the final A note. That one song took me 40 minutes to play.

Bam sold 11 CDs during that break and singed up nine people to the
mailing list!

At the begining of the next set we started out with the resolution
note into Summertime again - to massive audience applause into one of
our originals.

I'd say I effectively created and emotion connection with that
extended solo.

To me it wasn't an insecurity charged ego fest. I had fun and it was
all in a night's work

BTW- my cd is available at http://www.cdbaby.com/michalekstrone 

while you're there look up Michael Peloquin, Randy Singer and Richard
Hunter.  They are all must haves!

Peace,



Chris Michalek

www.michalekstrone.com 
CD Available
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michalekstrone 


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