While I realize some of this club stuff is self serving (hey you got to make a living) it is still great that Robin and crew really promote Gypsy Jazz in a most positive way. Can't think of anyone else so pro-active in the community.
Agreed. I find Robin passionate about the music and about trying to help beginners enjoy playing in the style. He's a great ambassador for the music, and his personal journey (going from rock/blues to GJ) is one that many of us have shared. He's definitely got his own voice on the instrument and I like that. I'd imagine any one of these club members would be pretty excited to show their friends and family a video with them jamming along Hank Marvin, Martin Taylor, Jimmy Rosenberg, etc. Pretty cool idea.
I might be commiting a mortal mistake making this comment but lately it's been mentioned that it can happen to top players that they don't handle medium tempos well. It sounded like the top guys weren't in that incredibly fluid pocket I'd expect to hear. Am I imagining this?
As far as Robin, I wish there were more Robins. He's one of the worlds biggest ambassadors of this genre and plays a big part to bring the word out to wider audience.
Goog point, but my problem is not with the tempo, but rather trying to understand the piece as a whole. What I mean is, in a typical jam, if one takes a solo then hopefully one has been listening to others and if all works well each soloist takes it forward with their own twist but with some continuity. I am not talking about the obvious, like what key are you in, or keeping tempo, it is something more subtle, to do with the shared experience that keeps the music moving forward together.
Which is why editing together fifty separate solos is never going to have that continuity. I have long been a fan of Robin for both his music and his teaching and what he tried to do here to get everyone involved is a great idea (I hope he does it again) but no, even the top guys solos, taken out of the group context and recorded in isolation, can never sound like part of the band, it loses the natural flow.
Maybe also, they have 'overthought' their part, as if someone asked you to record your own take:here's the backing track, you have twenty seconds to record a solo and you have to work something out that you think will fit..... but fit what if you are not there?
@ChrisMartin Considering most of these guys are just beginners, I think just executing their solo is a victory of sorts. Asking them to listen to a previous soloist and build off of that is far too much to ask here. I think it is closer to your last suggestion: "Hey everyone, record yourself playing one chorus of Dark Eyes and then we'll splice them together later and produce a virtual jam video."
Yeah, sorry, I do agree that for 'beginners' they are all doing a great job; it was not meant as a criticism of their individual playing just an explanation as to why the end result of editing different solos together can never have the flow of a true live performance where the performers are actually playing together.
I understand many recordings are made in parts these days where the performers do not get together face to face and 'phoning in' a guitar solo is quite common, but maybe asking 50 of them is pushing your luck. Even so, I think Robin should be congratulated for doing it as it must have been some encouragement for all involved and each person playing can take some pride in their efforts, but I don't think even Robin intended it to be listened to as a true group performance.
Comments
While I realize some of this club stuff is self serving (hey you got to make a living) it is still great that Robin and crew really promote Gypsy Jazz in a most positive way. Can't think of anyone else so pro-active in the community.
www.scoredog.tv
Agreed. I find Robin passionate about the music and about trying to help beginners enjoy playing in the style. He's a great ambassador for the music, and his personal journey (going from rock/blues to GJ) is one that many of us have shared. He's definitely got his own voice on the instrument and I like that. I'd imagine any one of these club members would be pretty excited to show their friends and family a video with them jamming along Hank Marvin, Martin Taylor, Jimmy Rosenberg, etc. Pretty cool idea.
I might be commiting a mortal mistake making this comment but lately it's been mentioned that it can happen to top players that they don't handle medium tempos well. It sounded like the top guys weren't in that incredibly fluid pocket I'd expect to hear. Am I imagining this?
As far as Robin, I wish there were more Robins. He's one of the worlds biggest ambassadors of this genre and plays a big part to bring the word out to wider audience.
Goog point, but my problem is not with the tempo, but rather trying to understand the piece as a whole. What I mean is, in a typical jam, if one takes a solo then hopefully one has been listening to others and if all works well each soloist takes it forward with their own twist but with some continuity. I am not talking about the obvious, like what key are you in, or keeping tempo, it is something more subtle, to do with the shared experience that keeps the music moving forward together.
Which is why editing together fifty separate solos is never going to have that continuity. I have long been a fan of Robin for both his music and his teaching and what he tried to do here to get everyone involved is a great idea (I hope he does it again) but no, even the top guys solos, taken out of the group context and recorded in isolation, can never sound like part of the band, it loses the natural flow.
Maybe also, they have 'overthought' their part, as if someone asked you to record your own take:here's the backing track, you have twenty seconds to record a solo and you have to work something out that you think will fit..... but fit what if you are not there?
@ChrisMartin Considering most of these guys are just beginners, I think just executing their solo is a victory of sorts. Asking them to listen to a previous soloist and build off of that is far too much to ask here. I think it is closer to your last suggestion: "Hey everyone, record yourself playing one chorus of Dark Eyes and then we'll splice them together later and produce a virtual jam video."
Yeah, sorry, I do agree that for 'beginners' they are all doing a great job; it was not meant as a criticism of their individual playing just an explanation as to why the end result of editing different solos together can never have the flow of a true live performance where the performers are actually playing together.
I understand many recordings are made in parts these days where the performers do not get together face to face and 'phoning in' a guitar solo is quite common, but maybe asking 50 of them is pushing your luck. Even so, I think Robin should be congratulated for doing it as it must have been some encouragement for all involved and each person playing can take some pride in their efforts, but I don't think even Robin intended it to be listened to as a true group performance.
let’s do a Djangobooks version.
Why don't we...why haven't we? Who can spearhead this?