During the 80s, there were a couple of different times when I spent some time out in Monterey, California where my mother, brother and sister were living (Mom still lives there). Whenever I was in town, I would go see this guy that had a little guitar store. I wish I could remember his name because he was a great guy. He was a stone cold jazz player and he was really good at chord melody stuff which, is something that defies most hot shot guitar players in this world.
Anyway, he wrote a few things out for me; notation. But, he would say stuff like; “I can write this stuff down all you want but, you really need to listen to this stuff instead and figure out how to do it your own way. Nobody can show you how to do it your own way.” So, one day I went in there and this guy hands me a stack of tapes that he recorded from his album collection! There was Johnny Smith, Wes, Joe Pass, Jim Hall, early Benson when he was with Jimmy Smith, all that stuff. It was a treasure chest. And, this guy took time out of his life to record this stuff for me!
These were all mix tapes I’m talking about; various artists. But then, he held up one tape and said something like; “If you only listen to one of these tapes, it should be this one right here. You can’t find this record (before cd re-issue). Everything you need to know about jazz guitar is on this right here.” It was the complete “Jazz Winds From A New Direction” album by Hank Garland. Now, I’d heard of Hank Garland but, I thought of him as a country guitar player, like most people did. And the thing was, this guy had a real disdain for country music. So, I was a little surprised, you know? But, he was adamant about Hank Garland’s jazz chops and he filled me in on a bit of the story about him as well. So, for a long time after that, I was busy wearing that tape slick. It’s still one of my favorite records.
I know there’s a lot of renewed interest in Hank because of the movie “Crazy” that’s out now but, I haven’t seen it so, I can’t comment on that. Maybe, I need to figure out how to put together a Joe Bald Road Film Festival so I can see that one and the Wrecking Crew movie.
This first video is of Floyd Tillman singing “Slippin’ Around” and features a solo by Hank. You know, I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anybody site Floyd Tillman as a vocal influence on Bob Dylan but, it seems pretty obvious hearing him sing here. Floyd was a great songwriter, “This Cold War With You” is one that kills me.
Check out Hank on the solo, he starts out with a pretty straightforward Billy Byrd approach, sticking close to the melody. On the second half, he slips some harmonically involved blues/bop stuff in there effortlessly. So slick that a hillbilly wouldn’t notice he just got jazzed. It’s kind of like one of those deals where Picasso had to learn to paint fruit before he could take it somewhere else. You have to know in, in order to be able to take it out.
As always, look both ways, then press pause on the music player located in the side bar before playing the YouTube.
This next one is Hank doing “Sugarfoot Rag”. This is one of those songs that was a real landmark. Danny Gatton used to play it a lot and I think it’s because he made a complete study of it. I have a Gatton instructional thing where he’s talking about using Major7 substitutions, that he learned from Thumbs Carllile and, he uses “Sugarfoot Rag” to demonstrate them. Anyway if you are a Gatton fan you’ll hear some familiar stuff here.
And..don’t forget to snag your free download of “Market Street” simply by clicking where it says “Download” in tiny little letters next to the tiny little picture of me in the RverbNation music player located in the side bar.
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Tags: Floyd Tillman, Free Download, Hank Garland, Market Street, Monterey, Thumbs Carllile
Pat Darnell and Friends wrote,
Floyd Tillman sings just like my Dad does!!
Link | September 10th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Sans Direction wrote,
“Sugarfoot Rag” by Hank was the first MP3 I ever bought. I mostly know it as a Junior Brown song, where he mashes it with “Manic Depression”. But everything I know about Hank Garland makes me think I should know more.
Recently, I’ve been seeing lots of people on youtube doing the version John 5 did on Vertigo. Badly. That kid needs to spend time with a metronome.
I love that “Telemaster!” Gatton video. I love how he puts the harp harmonics bit early on, so the point where mere mortals’ jaws drop and heads explode is nice and early. But I never really liked what he did to the rag there. It didn’t seem like the same song.
The movie website says that they’re playing Crazy at a film festival in St. Charles, Illinois. Not close to you, but not too far, I think.
Link | September 10th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Pribek wrote,
Everything is far from here. When I wrote thing the thing about the Wrecking Crew, Denny Tedesco got in touch and said he’d like to set it up to where I could go to a screening. When I explained where I live he said; “I’ll let you know when it comes out on DVD”.
The thing about Gatton on the “Telemaster” video-yeah, what he was doing there had very little to do with “Sugarfoot Rag” once he got going but, I saw him do the song on TV a couple of times and it was real fine. Junior killed it too by the way. I remember being in bands with real country players and they would whip that on me from time to time. It’s one where you can’t just blues your way through it.
Your Dad rocks PD.
Link | September 10th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
J wrote,
I’m gonna look for the Telemaster video; sounds like fun. Not to change the subject, but have you seen the Ethan Winer Tele-Vision video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFV7gQbLmu8
Link | September 11th, 2008 at 7:47 am
Pribek wrote,
That’s like Manheim Telecaster Steamroller.
BTW-On tyhe Telemaster video:Even though Danny doesn’t really do a “Sugarfoot Rag” that anybody could recognize as such, the stuff he talks about during that portion is the real meat. When you hear guys who can really improvise over changes try and explain what they are doing, a lot of times they tend to over complicate the actual process. What a lot of players do, in nuts and bolts reality is, base a lot of their lines out of a simple arpeggio.
If you have an arpeggio that sounds natural and feels natural, start moving it to places you wouldn’t normally think of using it and, presto! The doors of perception of chord substitutions is suddenly wide open.
Pat Martino thinks in minor7 chords-if he is playing over an A7(dominant) he will use a line based on an Eminor7 or, Gminor7 or, Bbminor7 or Dbminor7-that’s one trick he does to come up with those amazingly complex sounding lines.
Gatton prefers to use the Major7 with the 3rd as the top voice. Over his A7 (dominant) he will play a GMa7, a CMa7, a BbMa7, an EbMa7, an AbMa7, a DbMa7. It’s a similar thing actually.
The point is that finding these things is about taking the familiar and putting it in a different place, see what works and what doesn’t then, if you analyze it later it turns out to be this complex theoretical thing.
Link | September 11th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Sans Direction wrote,
“The Real Meat”. That’s it.
You can break most instructional videos down into a few categories. There’s the sonic tricks, like Gatton playing and sounding like a riffing B3 (search for Gatton on Youtube and his demo on that style), there’s the showing off (the mind-blowing Lenny Breau cascading harmonics) and the real meat. The meat is often the hardest to get, because it’s so fundamental that sometimes you can get lost in it. I certainly wasn’t ready to bite into the meat of it the first time I saw that video.
Link | September 11th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Pribek wrote,
The tricks are the part you might be able to digest after watching a couple of times. The thing about the Gatton video is he’s being very generous. First, he’s actually pulling the curtain off of the secret stuff. Second, he’s showing something that took him a bunch of years to put together so, there’s no earthly reason to think that it could be absorbed in short order.
A lot of these kinds of things really just end up promoting, fostering the idolatry.
Link | September 11th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Hank Garland wrote,
Hank garland loved Danny Gatton and knew Junior Brown very well. Junior Brown is an excellent player. The Hank Garland movie is coming out soon. IT is called “CRAZY”
http://www.crazy-themovie.com
We run this site:
http://www.mypsace.com/hankgarland
I have some vintage footage up of Hank Garland as well as the “Crazy” movie trailer, photo’s etc.
Best Wishes,
The Hank Garland Family
Steve Vai does a cameo appearance of Hank William’s, Sr.
The Guitar doubles for Hank Garland were done by Dan Sawyer.Guitar hand doubles for Hank’s best friend Billy Byrd were done by Neil Citron. An amazing Guitarist from Los Angeles. The music soundtrack was done by Larry Klein. The Soundtrack is excellent!
Link | September 12th, 2008 at 10:24 am
J wrote,
When’s the movie available, or how do we book a screening? I’ve got students that need to see this movie…
Link | September 12th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Sans Direction wrote,
The movie page.
The screenings page. Closest I’ve seen listed is St. Charles, Illinois, which is far more money and time than I can put aside for a movie.
I’ve wanted to see this since I heard about it. I need to see it. I need it in a theater near me. At least I need it on DVD. Something that set me blazing is Wes Montgomery being played by Tony MacAlpine, who was my favorite shredder ’round about 20 years ago.
And, I need this CD.
Link | September 12th, 2008 at 11:31 am
J wrote,
I see the listings but nothing about contacts for those interested in hosting a screening… it may be limited to film festivals for now…
Link | September 12th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Sans Direction wrote,
It seems.
Sad.
Link | September 12th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Hank Garland wrote,
Here is the screening I updated last nigt. The movie is great. They have a date Oct. 10th,2008 to hit theaters. The after that it will go to DVD..Tony McAlphine was great as Wes Montgomery! I was so lucky to meet him. It is a big time guitar lovers movie . Everyone loves it! The Hank Garland Family If you want to get the movie in a festival near you as J mentioned wrie to mcdonnelent@yahoo.com put attention “Joel” . He will help you out. The Hank Garland Family
25
San Diego Film Festival
San Diego, CA
Sept
25th - Sept 28th, 2008
27th/28th
5:00pm/5:15pm
26
Illinois International Film Fest
St. Charles, IL
Sept
20h - Sept 21st, 2008
20th
10:00am
27
Scottsdale International Film Fest
Scottsdale, AZ
Oct
3rd - Oct 7th, 2008
4th
6:20pm
28
Raindance Film Festival
UK
Oct
1st - Oct 12th, 2008
TBD
TBD
29
New Orleans Film Festival
New Orleans, LA
Oct
9th - Oct 16th, 2008
12th
TBD
30
New Hampshire Film Festival
Portsmouth, NH
Oct
16th - Oct 19th, 2008
TBD
TBD
31
Savannah Film Festival
Savannah, GA
Oct
Oct 25h - Nov 1st
28th/30th
11:30am/2:30pm
32
Nashville Special Event
Nashville, TN
Oct
PREMIERE SCREENING
8th
TBD
33
Rehoboth Film Festival
Rehoboth Beach, DE
Nov
5th - Nov 9th, 2008
TBD
TBD
34
Paso Robles Digital Film Fest
Paso Robles, CA
Nov
20th - Nov 25th, 2008
TBD
TBD
35
Bahamas Int’nl Film Festival
Bahamas
Dec
4th - Dec 11th, 2008
TBD
TBD
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Link | September 16th, 2008 at 7:47 pm