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“Sly Fox” is old news by now. Nas nails it with class. This young hip-hop artist is right on the money with his rhythms and rhymes, his telling it like it is without resorting to cliches or puerile gesturing. Nas is wide awake and doing better journalism than the MSM.

He may be selling out somewhere, but not in his music. This Good Musician has a social conscience, incisive raps, wrapped up in compelling harmonies and precise, grooving beats.

Mr. Nasir Jones gets loads of love from AlterNet, one of my favorite internet news sites. Take the time to watch “Sly Fox” and Black President.

Then unplug, get out there, and make a difference.

Post from: The Good Musician

Darren has a Zen calm that shines through every blog post or vidcast he puts up. His generous, welcoming spirit makes you feel that he has just invited you into his living room expressly to help you become a better blogger.

Darren is currently sponsoring a Problogger book competitiont with the one remaining Problogger book on his desk. Even if you don’t enter the contest, his book will show you what you need to add value to your blogging. To enter, all you have to do is tell Darren why you need his book in 250 words or less. If you don’t win, buy it!

Here’s one of Darren’s vidcasts.

Post from: The Good Musician

1. Kiss Me Kate (1953) Howard Keel and Kathryn Grayson look fabulous and really wail on the Cole Porter score.

2. Psycho (1960) Pretty much the exemplar, taking strings to the edge, presaging the era of electronic film music

3. One Eyed Jacks (1961) Brando directs Brando, Karl Malden, and Katy Jurado to a score as searingly gorgeous as the Big Sur setting

4. A tie, for obvious reasons The Big Chill (1983) and
Forrest Gump (1994) All-time Boomer favorites–for good reason!

5. Stop Loss (2008) Kimberly Pierce’s laser precise film is a must see and hear. It’s an epiphanic anthem for the current generation of young men and women at war abroad who can’t turn it off when they come home, and the critical role of music in helping tell the real story of tens of thousands of severely wounded young men and women–body, heart, soul, and psyche–and the catastrophic consequences of this practice for America.

“Aha!” the alert reader will exclaim, “that’s six faves!” Technically, yes…but I never excluded a tie And that doesn’t include any favorite foreign flicks, animation, manga…so expect to see more Top Five Music lists coming up!

What are your top five film soundtracks? Send me a post, or a link to your list.

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Best of all, Music Industry Boot Camp is free and open to the public!

Monday, July 14, 6:30 p.m., Scholz Garden, 1607 San Jacinto, Austin TX

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Post from: The Good Musician

It has nothing to do with judgment, grades, power trips, ego eruptions, the elitist attitude that frequently assaults music. It doesn’t matter what “kind” of music it is. It has to do with being one with The Vibration of the Universe. Literally. Tuning to the Ultimate Tone. Blissed out on sound.

When you are attentive to the detail, the nuance that makes that particular piece thrilling to you, you are best able to thrill your listeners. I think of myself as a string, or pipe–a musical conduit to channel what the composer wanted us to hear as well-tuned and compelling as I am able. Able through practice, by paying attention to the basics so that the sense of the music as described by the composer has captured me in its flow, and I am able to include my listeners in that flow. That goes for all music, written or not, structured or extemporaneous, solo or combo.

It doesn’t stop there. Your listeners take that flow and are transformed, radiating those vibrations everywhere they go. No worries about whether it was note perfect, who cares if there’s a kid in the background somewhere, it just means that you’re reaching an important audience. New minds to introduce to music.

I hold myself responsible as a good musician to be an exquisite human instrument, whether singing, playing, whatever–fully engaged in mindful musicianship.

So send me a hundred words on your Deep Thoughts about Music.

Post from: The Good Musician

James and Gus photo by John Katz. Used with Gus’ permission.

The Good Musician interview with Dallas-based composer and sound designer, James Neel, principal of James Neel Music House. James is the very definition of “a musician’s musician.” And he’s been doing it for a long time. Maybe this interview will stir up some of the old gang to comment, hint, hint.

1. Who is your greatest unsung influence (as opposed to favorite famous composer/performer)?

Richard King Hamilton – now living in Los Angeles (incredible musician – all world). When I was a junior in high school, he showed me that you could make a living as a musician – that there was a life out there -that there was something going on. I stopped thinking about being a chemistry major in college, and going to Purdue, or being an English major. He told me to go to North Texas State, and play in the lab bands – but above all, be a composition major, and learn everything that I could (lead that horse to water…). My senior year, I was the president of the orchestra (the best in the state of Florida) – went to the Stan Kenton Clinics, studied with Johnny Richards, met Tom Boras and Lou Marini. Had sessions with Cannonball Adderley and Donald Byrd – and met Leon Breedon, who later was my saxophone teacher at North Texas. If Dick Hamilton hadn’t taken the time to let me hang out with him…nothing. However – how do you compare any influence to hearing Debussy, and Miles, and the Beatles. (Yes, I like Cold Play, Air, Snow Patrol, and the soundtrack to Lost In Translation – Elmer Bernstein kills -so does Alan Sylvestri, Moby, Stevie Wonder, Michel Legrand) – the list goes on forever. Leon Breedon’s a cool guy, btw.

2. How did they influence you?

See the above. To be redundant, Debussy, for the beauty of all that is orchestral. Miles, for the unbelievable purity of his sound and his sense of space and time. And the Beatles, for making creative music fun. Dick Hamilton for being an inspiring influence, and for telling me – you can do this. Go do it.

3.a. What is your musical background (formal and informal)?

Flutophone in fifth grade (I remember thinking, “Gee, this thing sounds really stupid”) – to violin in sixth grade (because my girl friend was playing violin) – to trumpet in junior high (yep, she switched to trumpet) – to first chair in all-state orchestra, Florida 1962 (which I was unable to properly attend…I had had my braces removed, and I couldn’t play a middle C) – to saxophone at North Texas. I was playing lead alto in a lab band six months after buying my first sax. Four and a half years later, after almost finishing my degree, and getting busted (not enough space here, for that), I bailed and drove out to LA, following another girlfriend, who had run off with my best friend. (Girls have had more to do with the music business than teachers will ever own up to). After that, I played in the rock band Green, in Los Angeles, and with various people in Dallas. Green’s drummer, Gary Casebeer, is now my ex brother-in-law – there go those girls, again. Most of what I’ve learned about music came later, though. Creating soundtracks for TV and radio commercials afforded me the opportunity to create whatever came to mind – and get paid for it. What a concept. The same goes for writing, playing, recording, mixing and mastering soundtracks for documentaries and corporate films. All of this led up to creating the sound design for Hasbro and Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars Trivial Pursuit” DVD game (now in stores, everywhere). I also had to edit and pitch shift John Williams’ scores. I kept dreading a 3 AM phone call, and hearing a voice saying, “Dude, you butchered my music…what’s your address?”

3.b. What obstacles have you encountered in the music business, and what did you do about it?

The main obstacle, besides low-down, cheatin’, bottom dwelling, scum sucking, club owners and the over-the-hill- bitches that buy their cars, booze, and clothes…you know who you are – the rest of of you are okay – the biggest problem was arriving in Denton, circa 1963, Miles Davis albums in hand (THE MAN), and slowly realizing that there was a PROBLEM. My landlord told me that I couldn’t have a “darkie” as a roommate. That would’ve been a friend of Tex Allen, brother of Phylicia Rashad. Tex was then rooming with Billy Harper (look him up). Tex’s friend was just trying to buddy up. And I was like, fine – he seemed like an up-standing young man, like me. I didn’t know that all of the black students (excuse me, Afro-Americans, a term I loathe…what am I? – a Euro-American?) had to stay “off campus,” across the tracks, so to speak. Well, I also didn’t know “across the tracks.” Couple of years later, I watched the movie “Lilies of the Field” and “In the Heat of the Night” – Sidney Poitier was THE MAN. All you had to do, was look up at the screen – his talent and humanity screamed at you. Of course, it was just a movie, but…anyway, I’m going to vote for Barack Obama. He’s got big shoes to fill…I’m thinking after seeing his ears, he’s probably got even bigger feet. Miles would like that…So, I don’t know what I did to “overcome” it. I do know that I open the door for ANY woman, black, white, or green. I hold the door open, because…she’s a woman. End of story. My mother would like that.

4. How important is it to get a formal music education?

I’m going to go out on a limb, here (where I belong). It depends on how talented you are. If you’re playing clarinet, and aspire to be a teacher, you have to get a “formal education” – I’m picturing a tux… On the other hand, if you’re Jaco Pastorious – forget about it. Just get out there. I defy you to picture Jaco in a tux. On another note (ahem), Andy Timmons went to the University of Miami – I would hate to have to notate his guitar solos…the hand is always quicker than the eye. But education is where you find it – a personal teacher, a college…or the school of hard knocks. You can never get enough. I remember BB King talking about how he wished he “knew more about chords.” And I thought, well, maybe I’m glad you don’t…I can picture a guitar teacher, after hearing BB play a few licks – “Oops, time to go…no charge.”

5. Do you have an articulated musical philosophy? What is it?

Music is the art of sound in time. You can have art, and you can have sound. If you can’t put them together, and make it work for you, and the people that love you – try doing something else. On the other hand, there are only three, pure diminished seventh chords – the others are all knockoffs (inversions). Timbre and voicings are the glory of orchestration – the same goes for playing guitar. Also, I have noticed, over the years, that there are two distinctions in delineating musicians, per se. Some people “create,” and the rest are talented, and can enjoy playing someone elses “creations.” You know who you are. People who want to play and blow their brains out their ears are different from people who can make an instrument work, and enjoy just playing what they’ve learned, or what they can “read.” The symphony orchestra is filled with people who would listen to John Coltrane and think, “Oh well.” Gotta love everybody. Chaka Kahn doesn’t need a lead sheet. Jaco Pastorious listened to C.C. Rider on a Saturday night in New Orleans, showed up at the gig on Thursday, and without being able to read music, played the entire set flawlessly, breaks and all, because he heard it, once…and he remembered it. Heifetz played the hell out of anything put in front him, and played from memory at the concert. Hans Zimmer doesn’t read music. Why should he? He has orchestrators and copyists to hand his music over to.

6. What are your goals as a solo musician? Collaborative musician?

I’m pretty much done – and happy. Grandfathers are happy people, for the most part. I am trying to play blues guitar better, live…love guitar.

7. What is your dream music gig?

I’ve already had it, a few years back, playing flute in a Deep Ellum club. I sat in, one night, with Andy Timmons, Cindy Horstman, Mike Medina, and Keith Carlock (before Keith moved to New York). I floated off and had a great time. A few weeks later, sitting in at the same gig, I sucked…couldn’t wait to start the car. Can’t explain it.

8. If you could perform with anyone, anywhere, any genre, who/where/what would it be?

A nice, cozy blues bar, every Friday night. I would play for free. Love that music. The other players need to be just as bad as I am. I wouldn’t want to step out of line.

9. What advice would you have for an aspiring musician?

Go for it. But it’s a really tough life, and there are a lot of hangers on, and flotsam, out there. If you can’t stand to live without it, life won’t want you to. I was recently asked how I had had such a long career in the music and sound design business, and I said, “Sheer defiance.”

James Neel, circa 1969. Photo by The Good Musician

Visit the TGM Exclusive Interview page for more cool musicians…

Post from: The Good Musician

In this age of indie music producing and promotion, it behooves aspiring musicians to gain some practical knowledge in the business side of the profession. Many schools offer degrees in music management, but you can quickly grasp the basics at most any community college, informal class offering, or independent music organization, sometimes for free, or a modest fee. Even a single online class can give you an idea of how to keep your business side running at a dull roar. Certainly take advantage of any opportunity to participate in workshops, master classes, jams, any sharing of relevant information that could mean the difference between being a happy good musician and a miserable good musician.

This is part of the good musician’s informal training, which according to commenter Eugene Cantera on Rick Blincoe’s thoughts on formal vs. informal music training, benefits from a balance. I’ll take my musical information any way, any time I can get it.

So Bruce, thanks for all the fish and especially the great tips! Good luck with hypebot.com, Skyline Music, and all your endeavors. We’re sure to cross paths across the music blogosphere. *Waving bye-bye*

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Post from: The Good Musician

Today we’re talking with Rick Blincoe, who just released his first solo CD, “Don’t Bet the Farm.” You can listen at Rick’s My Space page, or at CD Baby.

Rick has been a musician most of his life, and paid his dues down through the decades as a solo and band performer. You just can’t pigeonhole Rick. His musical influences come from classical, rock, jazz, country, and he distills his musical and life experiences into thoughtful, highly listenable material. In case you’re wondering, the reason his backup vocals are so tight is that he laid down ALL the tracks for this CD, and he is equally as fluent singing as he is playing. On top of that, he also engineered the CD himself.

Now all this might sound familiar to any musician who has tried to succeed in the business, which according to Rick’s Web page can be as much a competitive sport as an art. What is unique is that Rick is the real thing. He doesn’t need to boast–his music speaks to anyone who loves the independent, well-trained, soulful musicality of an authentic artist. This is a seasoned, satisfying CD, one you’ll want to listen to again and again.

TGM: Who is your greatest unsung influence (as opposed to favorite famous
composer/performer)?

RB: This is a very tough one to answer because I am a total product of my environment, but because you used the word “unsung” in your question, it becomes a little easier. My greatest unsung influence is a friend of mine that molded my musical being at a very young age (~13 to 15 y.o.). When I was about 12 years old I started attending The University Baptist Church, on Guadalupe (the drag), across the street from the University of Texas campus. I began going to this church regularly because my Mother re-married and her new husband was a long-standing member of the church. As fate would have it, there was a circle of friends that I quickly developed that would significantly change my life and mold my thinking. All of my close friends were blossoming young musicians at UBC. Rarely did we actually “attend” church or Sunday School services, but would find some hole in the back alley along Guadalupe and spend hours playing music and discussing life. One of these friends, in particular, stood out above the rest and left me in awe of what possibilities may exist in music. His name was David Harrell. David was about one year older than me. He had long, thin, red hair and was slightly built. He always had a smile and a twinkle in his eye. David was the first person that I would meet in my life that I could truly say was a “musical genius”, and honestly, to this day, I have never met anyone else that has the total package of capabilities to match this guy’s talent. David was a sort of musical savant. He had perfect pitch, perfect recall, perfect expressive technique, and creativity. I learned so much about musical approach and concepts from David, that even now, I am still recalling things that David taught me so long ago, and they are finally making sense to me, and he is still teaching me. I haven’t seen David for more than 30 years now. The last I heard, he was homeless and mentally ill. I guess that he couldn’t handle the world and the world couldn’t handle him. It’s so sad, yet he gave me so much. He is truly one of my greatest influences.

TGM: How did they influence you?

RB: He caused me to shatter walls and eliminate paradigms in my mind.

TGM: What is your musical background (formal and informal)?

RB: Formal Training: Piano lessons from age 4 to age 10. French horn in school band and orchestra from age 11 to age 18. Music courses in High School and College (History, Theory, Composition, etc.)
Informal Training: Picked up the guitar at age 11. Used chord books and friends to learn the basics. Sat in my room for several years with a guitar in my hands. Listened to every rock-and-roll record that I could get my hands on. Gravitated to Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page’s style. Played my entire life and learned something from every musician that I have encountered on the journey.

TGM: How important is it to get a formal music education?

RB: It is extremely important to get a formal music education. Understanding the complexities and relationships between musical notes and scales provides the foundation to open up your creativity. A music education gives you tools in your tool box. Life is so short and knowledge is power. Why would one not want to take advantage of as many short cuts as possible to achieve their musical goals? Why would someone want to perpetually reinvent the wheel when there are so many new frontiers to be explored? A formal music education is simply the dynamic map that shows you what has been done and more importantly, shows you what has yet to be done.

TGM: Do you have an articulated musical philosophy? What is it?

RB: My musical philosophy is dynamic. In other words, it moves and changes as I grow. This is the philosophy that I used when making this latest CD: Keep it simple. Try to paint a picture that can have some level of broad appeal. Don’t make a CD for other musicians. Keep it real.

TGM: What are your goals as a solo musician? Collaborative musician?

RB: My goals as a solo musician is to keep the content personal and speak to those that I love. My solo work is my reach for immortality, so the message needs to endure.
As a collaborative musician, my goal is to listen more than speak and enhance more than detract.

TGM: What is your dream music gig?

RB: Austin City Limits

TGM: If you could perform with anyone, anywhere, any genre, who/where/what would it be?

RB: It would be to work with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull on any project. That would be the icing on the cake of my life.

TGM: What advice would you have for an aspiring musician?

RB: Don’t listen to all of the negativity in this world. Don’t listen to what you can’t do or why you will surely fail. When someone tells you that you will fail….it is probably because they know you won’t.

Post from: The Good Musician

A friend just called from Shady Grove on Barton Springs Boulevard in Austin, and I heard  Ruthie Foster singing in the background. Actually, I can hear her out my bedroom window. Has anyone not heard of Ruthie Foster? If you haven’t, then you will definitely want to check out her amazing voice and style. She will mesmerize you, captivate you, make chills run up and down your spine, and you’ll more than likely have to dance up a storm.

That’s one of the amazing things about Austin music. You don’t have to wait for SXSW or ACL Festival to hear superb music of every kind. It’s all over town, all of the time. Everything from Beatles cover band The Eggmen to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. We just need better public transportation.

Post from: The Good Musician

Some universities have refused to forward letters from RIAA to students, and others cite the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in not revealing which students received letters.

Austin City Limits releases the lineup for this year’s ACL Festival in just a few hours. Held the last weekend in September, the 26th-28th, this event brings the seasoned pros and the latest new sounds to tens of thousands of music lovers. It also totally clogs up my neighborhood, so car pool or take the shuttles, please–lots of kids and pets in the streets.

A tip of the hat to whomever produced the tiny, black bird trilling technicolor notes on their Web site. Precious little jewel. Just fits.

The Good Musician Great Idea: Invest in the definitive edition when you purchase your music. If you plan to make a career of music, you’ll need to build a repertoire for auditions and performances. Store your sheet music in air-tight, stackable bins, flat or supported upright to avoid slumping. These are your tools, and they will have notes and markings that you will want to preserve.

Post from: The Good Musician