Re: [Harp-L] Re: Blues Grooves

["Rob Paparozzi" <Chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey Ken,

Excellent post on the "Groove" and their creator's!!,-)

I agree Memphis Drummer Al Jackson was just "amazing"!!!....How about his 
beat on Otis Redding's version of 'Try a little Tenderness' OMG it is pure 
genius! Steve Cropper told me many stories about how the MG's and Al would 
watch the kids dancing at local dances in Memphis and the next day at Stax 
they would try and come up with a GROOVE to fit the dances they saw. He said 
THAT is how 'Green Onions' was concieved !!

(Steve also told me how he wrote these two classic songs, on 'Knock on Wood' 
he followed the 'dots' up on the fret board and made a few additions.....E, 
G, A,B, D,B

Then on 'Midnight Hour' he followed the Chords from 'Knock' but Backwards!!! 
Try it...D, B, A,G...E)

Here is some Harp Content:

Yes, I've been blessed to able to make Music with legendary Groovemaster 
Bernard "Pretty" Purdie over the years and we are also best friends. I have 
learned volumes and his 'Funk-Bo Diddley' beat is what inspired how I played 
on "Shame, Shame, Shame" the old Shirley and Co. hit when we covered it on 
our 1st Hudson River Rats CD.

Some of Bernard's coolest Grooves can be heard on these legendary 
recordings: Thanks for reminding me,-) Unfortunately, his isn't listed a 
writer on any of these,-)

Memphis Soul Stew - King Curtis and the Kingpins
Home at Last, Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan
Sara Smile - Hall and Oates
Until You Come back to Me & Rock Steady, Spanish Harlem - Aretha Franklin

I could go on but you get the picture, the Groove on 'Home at Last' became 
know as The 'Purdie Shuffle'....thanx for a terrific post as GROOVE is 
crucial to all of us harp players!


Best,
Rob Paparozzi

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ken Deifik" <kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 6:53 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Blues Grooves


> With all this excellent discussion of existing grooves, here's a bit of 
> history and a challenge for the highly ambitious:
>
> History: Every single one of those grooves was an invention of musicians. 
> Real live people created those rhythms, often quite intentionally.  Some 
> were refined from older grooves, some were very new ideas in their time.
>
> For instance, though it's not really considered a standard blues groove, 
> the groove on Al Green's record Let's Stay Together was compelling enough 
> to make it a huge hit and frankly, a standard recording.  That groove was 
> invented, created, written by the drummer Al Jackson who is mainly known 
> for his work with Booker T and the MG's.  He is known to have sat in his 
> studio with his kit for many, many hours, developing and sweating, in 
> order to come up with that groove.
>
> It's so good that Al Jackson is credited as one of the writers on Let's 
> Stay Together.  This is verrrrry uncommon.
>
> The drummer Bernard Purdie, who works with our very own Rob Paparozzi, has 
> invented some of the most influential grooves of the age.  You get the 
> idea, grooves are musical composition.
>
> The producer Jerry Wexler wanted to hear a new groove from the Stax band 
> during a Wilson Pickett recording session, so he went out on the floor and 
> demonstrated The Jerk, a popular dance up in NYC at the time.  Wexler and 
> the Stax band invented an immortal new rhythm at that session.
>
> My impulse to point this out comes from the thought that some of the newer 
> musicians on this list may see a list of blues grooves and think, well 
> that's it, that's the bible, there's nothing new to do.  But frankly, the 
> study of the grooves that exist already is a fantastic thing because not 
> only does it give you a wide vocabulary of rhythms to choose from --- but 
> it gives you the tools to invent your own grooves.
>
> This is a worthy goal, too.  Too many recordings and bands use the same 
> ol' grooves over and over.  Frankly, when a record is boring, it's often 
> because you've heard the groove on too many other recordings, probably 
> done better.
>
> So here's a project for you newer players: master a groove on the Harp-l 
> list of Blues Grooves with your band.  Really master it.  Listen to the 
> best example and COPY them.
>
> And once you've got that groove under your belts, experiment with altering 
> it.  Try lots of different changes.  Most will suck.  Then you'll hit one 
> that KILLS.
>
> That's how it's done.
>
> K