Pribek

Tomorrow morning, six seconds after 4:05 AM…the exact time and date will be…

04:05:06 07/08/09!!!

That is a photo of Freddie Green. He played with one of the most successful bands of all time (Count Basie’s Orchestra), from any genre, for over 50 years. He played on scores of records that sold millions, traveled the world and influenced every jazz guitar player that came after him. He did all of this without ever playing a guitar solo. Just rhythm, that was Freddie Green.

Count Basie said this…

“You know what I call Freddie Green? He’s a tie-up man, because he’s not only very steady for the rhythm section, but he actually holds the band together.”

It’s all about playing in a complimentary fashion. If you are in a band and you want it to have some success, play in a complimentary fashion. Your main focus should be to play in a way that inspires the other players to be their best.

Freddie Green said…

“Now I’ve played rhythm so long it’s just the same as playing solos as far as I’m concerned. The rhythm guitar, I’ve found, is very important, though I didn’t think that way in the beginning. For one thing, it kind of smooths the beat out. The rhythm of a performance has what I call a ‘rhythm wave’, and the rhythm guitar can help keep that wave smooth and accurate.

“As for whether I play altered chords or otherwise experiment harmonically, it depends. If I feel the other half of the rhythm section is getting out of the groove, I have to keep playing the basic rhythm to bring the waves back even again. Or if the drummer takes a break, there’s a tendency for the rhythm section to get out of the groove when he comes back in, so I have to keep the beat going.

“In general, being a rhythm guitarist, I have to concentrate on that beat from beginning to end, listening for how smooth it is. If the band is moving exceptionally smoothly, then I can play whatever comes to mind, but that doesn’t happen too often. Almost all the time I’m concentrating on the rhythm wave.

Here’s a little video that shows a bit of what Freddy was about.

Count Basie Quartet – “I don’t Know” – May 1968

Count Basie (piano), Freddie Green (guitar), Norman Keenan (bass), Sonny Payne (drums)

One thing that’s interesting is, when the bass solo and drum solo sections are going on; Freddy lays out and he’s stone faced. Freddy said that; “When you play rhythm, there isn’t time to smile”. Even when he’s not playing, he is still concentrating on the beat from beginning to end. Even when he lays out, he’s playing rhythm.

There is an excellent website called, freddiegreen.org. It’s a fantastic resource for musicians. There are lessons, transcriptions, photos and interviews. It’s just packed with content. Any music lover, anybody who swings or wishes to should check it out as well.

You are Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. You are a “citizen of the new digital democracy.” If you are viewing this you are “using or creating content on the World Wide Web”, and therefore, Time’s Person of the Year.

Time thinks you are pretty important.

Don’t let it go to your head though.

First off, Time Magazine is only relevant if you are in the doctor’s office.

Second, here are some past selections:
Joseph Stalin twice, George W. Bush twice, Bill Clinton and Kenneth Starr, Gen. and Mme. Chang Kai-Shek, and Adolf Hitler

Third, here’s what the managing editor Richard Stengel said,

“If you choose an individual, you have to justify how that person affected millions of people.” “But if you choose millions of people, you don’t have to justify it to anyone.”

Doesn’t that sound like somebody trying to duck some work?

Meanwhile, there here is an article about a prediction that blogging activity will peak in 2007. Evidently a lot of people like to start blogging but don’t stick with it. So, the trend is levelling off. The prediction is made by a company called Gartner.

I am just a humble guitar player from fly-over country and I have never heard of Gartner so, I looked them up. Gartner is a company of researchers, analysts, and consultants that specialize in internet technology. They are keeping their eye on trends and such. This is an industry that would not exist without you Time Magazine’s Person of the Year.

I guess you can feel good about that. Although, I don’t think they are seeing you as an individual rather, as a group of individuals trending a certain way.

So, here’s to you “citizens of the new digital democracy” and fellow “People of the Year”. We are all in this together; we must continue to use our powers for good and not evil. Keep creating and using content and our voice will collectively be researched, analyzed, and maybe, understood.