And, I know who it is too; musician/journalist Dave Abner. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I did an interview for a guitar story with the Branson Daily News. It’s going to be a three part deal and the first part hit the streets this morning. Part 1 can be found here.
There’s a cliché about the Branson music scene: You can’t throw a rock 30 yards in Branson without hitting 12 guitar players.
Maybe there’s some truth in the statement.
Music meccas like Branson, Nashville, Las Vegas, New York and Los Angeles always attract musicians.
Lots of them.
And there are always a lot of guitarists in the mix….
Jack Pribek has earned a living playing guitar all over America. He landed some years back in southwest Missouri and served as business manager, bandleader and guitarist for Bill Dees. Dees gained notoriety in part for penning a number of hits with rock legend Roy Orbison, including the Orbison-Dees classic, “Oh, Pretty Woman.”
Pribek got his first guitar at 14.
His parents weren’t thrilled by the idea.
Pribek said, “They wanted me to study a legit instrument… but said they would pay for the lessons if I saved up for a guitar.”
With a classically-trained pianist for a mother, Pribek’s parents insisted he learned to read music – a skill not held by all working musicians.
And, there’s a few more quotes including a little about the first Skydog gig.
Parts 2 and 3 will be in print tomorrow and the next day from what I understand. So, check back with the Branson Daily News homepage to see those.
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Tags: Bill Dees, branson music, Dave Abner, Guitar, guitar story, Jack, Jack Pribek, Pribek, Roy Orbison
Sans Direction wrote,
Is it that ville that they call NashVegas?
Good on ya, though. This is definitely good press.
I’ve been slowly, halfheartedly teaching myself the rudiments of reading music, and I can kinda maybe halfway do it, and sometimes can make the end result sound like it might once have been music. And that has never had an effect on my playing. I’ve never once had a “You can’t read, so we can’t do that!” experience. But I’m way on the hobbyist/amateur side. How often, if ever, do you say “I’m so glad Mom made me learn to read music”?
Sans Direction’s last blog post..Something Old, Something New
Link | April 29th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Pribek wrote,
How often, if ever, do you say “I’m so glad Mom made me learn to read music”?
Actually, there are quite a few times. For me, it’s more often a factor in the studio than live playing, at least recently.
If I’m working as a producer and I contract a string or horn section, part of my job is to make sure we get what we need and not spend too much time getting it. Those guys work by the hour a lot of the time. I don’t write arrangements, I hire an arranger in such cases. A lot of times, I will give the arranger an overall concept of what we’re looking for but, I won’t see the actual score until the day of the session. The fact that I can isolate any needed changes and communicate what needs to be changed and how it needs to be changed, in musical language, saves time and money.
As far as sight reading goes, 99.9% of what I’ve been confronted with are chord charts rather than notation. Sometimes there will be a lick or two written on a staff but, usually not long passages. However, a lot of chord charts employ notated rhythm figures so, the
notation does come into play. Music theory as well, because there are many different ways that people write charts.
I also end up writing a lot of chord charts for sessions which requires basic reading skills.
Link | April 29th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Pribek wrote,
Oh yeah, “Is it that ville that they call NashVegas?”
I haven’t heard that from the local guys but, I have heard it in Nashville.
Link | April 29th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Sans Direction wrote,
More remedial musicianship: When you say “chord charts”, are they much different than, for example, this?
Am B E
Someone’s got it in for me, they’re planting stories in the press
Am B E
Whoever it is I wish they’d cut it out but when they will I can only guess
Or do they look different when you’re beyond amateur hour?
Sans Direction’s last blog post..Something Old, Something New
Link | April 29th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Sans Direction wrote,
There was supposed to be PRE tags moving the chords above the right words…. B(
Sans Direction’s last blog post..Something Old, Something New
Link | April 29th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Pribek wrote,
Generally speaking the chart would not have lyrics.
Sometimes they are written over in “bar form”
|aminor|B|E
Sometimes numbers
|2|5|1
Sometimes Nashville Numbers
|2m|5|1..usually in the Nashville system the two chord is a major or dominant7
Sometimes the measures are implied
2 5 1…measures that have two chords, like the first one in this example, would go 2/5 5 1
or measure implied with
Am B E
Sometimes roman numerals
|ii|V|I
jazz guys write Aminor7 like this A-7 or just A-, a lot of times
And then are other ways that aren’t coming to mind but, they can all be sussed out if you are able to find some common language. Theory and even rudimentary reading study can often aid in communication.
Link | April 29th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Sans Direction wrote,
Good to know.
What I put up is pretty close to what I get at church. Not that I’d ever play “Idiot Wind” in church, but the sheet that has the music is likely the same sheet that the singer’s working from, so we don’t get special sheets without. Not that it wouldn’t be useful from time to time.
I’ve heard of a lot of that, and I knew the uppercase/lowercase bit with roman numerals.
Thanks so much for the lesson.
Sans Direction’s last blog post..Beg for Software Pointers
Link | April 29th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Pribek wrote,
Yeah, I know what you are talking about.
Generally speaking, in the studio, a song has been demoed and the initial chart is written from the demo version. Therefore, it’s subject to change and the various number systems evolved from the need to change keys.
In this environment, it seems to work better to not have the lyrics because, the singer is usually recording a scratch vocal that will be redone later. So, you don’t want the rhythm section phrasing to the lyrics per se. It seems to work better to have the singer phrasing to the rhythm section. That’s why singers need to learn to listen, especially to drummers. It results in a more cohesive, powerful performance.
“Thanks so much for the lesson.” Well, I am honored and flattered by that, Sans. I just try to have an open book policy on things I’ve learned or experienced and it gives me joy and satisfaction if I can pass any of it along.
Link | April 29th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Pat Darnell and Friends wrote,
;>@ definitely worth a Jayne woohoo here!! with a chorus of Moinjk !! from us.
Dave said throw a rock, rub a stone, I guess ya’ already home..
Jolly good show old man Pribek.
Pat Darnell and Friends
Link | April 29th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Pribek wrote,
Thanks Darnells and friends, I kind of feel like Steve Martin in “The Jerk” when the new phone book came out.
Link | April 29th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
J wrote,
Wow! You’re famous! Congratulations, Jack!
I can’t wait to read part 2 and 3!
Got any hand-written lyrics you’d like to sell?
;-)
And what was your first guitar?
J’s last blog post..Preparing for performance.
Link | April 29th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
Pribek wrote,
Thaks J,
I just happen to have a limited number of hand written lyrics strewn around the Winnebago that just may happen to be worth some money someday.
Link | April 29th, 2008 at 9:34 pm