Wednesday Night Jazz in St. Louis

[L5Larry]

For immediate release, calling all St. Louisians (and other Midwesterners).

 

I'll be playing with the 20-piece jazz big-band this Wednesday, April 27, 8:00 p.m., at the Black Cat Theatre in Maplewood, Missouri. Tickets are $10 ($5 with student ID) and available at the door. This is a "cabaret" style theater, with table seating, full bar, and plenty of free parking.

 

We will be performing two full sets featuring the music of Count Basie, Sammy Nestico, Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Gordon Goodwin, Billy Strayhorn, Chick Corea, George Gershwin, Johnny Mercer, Buddy Rich, and others. Having just seen that lineup in writing, I think we've just about got it all covered, pretty much a who's who in big band charts. Looks to be an educational event as well as musical. Host and MC for the concert will be radio personality Ross Gentile (KSHE, WSIE and others).

 

http://www.blackcattheatre.org/Special_Events.html

 

The Black Cat Theatre is located at 2810 Sutton Blvd, Maplewood, MO 63143 (314-781-8300), caddy-corner across from the famous Saratogo Bowling Alley.

 

Come on out and say "HI".

[L5Larry]

Shameless Bump

[DAS44]

Wish I could come, I have a whole CD of Duke Ellington (24 songs plus), and I snagged a couple Count Basie CDs from my grandmother's collection and they're two of my favorite things to listen to. Good luck though

[milod]

Dear Larry:

 

It just ain't fair you're way far away and tease those who'd love to be there.

 

#@$%#$%#$

 

Just teasing, but I hope anybody on the forum who can, will take advantage of the extra notice here.

 

m

[charlie brown]

"Break a Leg," Larry...and, have a ball! Are you

going to use your L-5, or ES-345? Just curious... ;>)

 

CB

[damian]

You always promote yourself, which is fine.............but the rules clearly state.........;

 

Post video, or it didn't happen................ :unsure: .............

[L5Larry]

Are you going to use your L-5, or ES-345? Just curious... ;>)CB

 

With this band it is (usually) strictly big body hollow boxes. I switch around between the L-5 and the L-7. I prefer the L-5 for soloing, so if the program has guitar solos, which this one does (Gordon Goodwin's "Count Bubba" and Chick Corea's "La Fiesta"), I'll play the L-5. If the concert has me mainly chunking chords, I'll play the L-7. Our book contains about 150 songs, and a regular concert for us is 16-18 songs, I try to pick the ONE best guitar I have for the entire program.

 

I have been known to pull out my Alvarez classical for some Latin tunes, AND (believe it or not) we do two tunes that just scream for (and on) a Stratocaster (Gordon Goodwin's "Jazz Police" and Brett Spainhower's "Not By A Country Mile"). Neither one of these tunes would even work on a hollow body.

 

The 345 hasn't cracked the big band yet, but it is my main blues band weapon. I'm also looking for a big band chart that I can pull out my 1932 Gibson TB-1 tenor banjo for. I may have missed my chance for on our last concert program we did "Sweet Georgia Brown". It wasn't until after the show that I realized that the tenor banjo MAY have worked for that song.

 

How about some cheesecake:

[stein]

Those boxes, particularly the L-7, really make get to me. I wish I could hear them in action. And the rest of the band.

 

There is nothing like a band of musicians playing accoustic jazz going at it.

 

Just a thought: Have you thought about an electrified bridge for the L-7? Does your bass player use one?

[Californiaman]

Larry,

May God bless you in these up coming shows.

If I could be there I would be. My roots are in St. Louis.

My grandfather was a baker there. He took care of the homeless and down-and-outers as much as possible.

I think your band would do good here on the Central Coast of California. We have a Jazz festival every year in Pismo Beach called Jubilee by the Sea.

It's been the hippest place to play for many of America's best big band jazz ensembles. Look into it. It happens every October. Often, right on the sands of the Pacific Ocean.

So good luck to ya'. Knock 'em out. Leave 'em gasping for air Larry.

[zigzag]

Knock 'em dead L5.

[L5Larry]

Just a thought: Have you thought about an electrified bridge for the L-7? Does your bass player use one?

 

I've experimented with a couple of different "floating" pickups for archtops. The L-7 is setup with a Benedetto pickguard mounted pickup made by Seymour Duncan.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_archtop/Benedetto_Pickups/Benedetto_Suspended_Jazz_Pickup.html

 

I have been 100% satisfied with this setup. The pickup and volume control are mounted to the pickguard, and I installed an end-pin jack. Here's a photo of the test installation. I've since installed the electronics on a repro L-5 non-cutaway multi-bound pickguard with a vintage chicken-head knob.

 

 

Our bass player does use some kind of exotic under-bridge pickup. She's from the symphony world and runs in different circles than most of us. I'm sure it's not "just" a Fishman or something I've ever heard of.

[stein]

I've experimented with a couple of different "floating" pickups for archtops. The L-7 is setup with a Benedetto pickguard mounted pickup made by Seymour Duncan.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_archtop/Benedetto_Pickups/Benedetto_Suspended_Jazz_Pickup.html

 

I have been 100% satisfied with this setup. The pickup and volume control are mounted to the pickguard, and I installed an end-pin jack. Here's a photo of the test installation. I've since installed the electronics on a repro L-5 non-cutaway multi-bound pickguard with a vintage chicken-head knob.

 

 

Our bass player does use some kind of exotic under-bridge pickup. She's from the symphony world and runs in different circles than most of us. I'm sure it's not "just" a Fishman or something I've ever heard of.

thanks for that. I used to see a lot of jazz when I was in SoCal and even when I was aware the bass was miked, I usually had a hard time knowing when it was "on". Surprising what a good sound they get. And if I remember correctly, Art Davis had a fishman.

 

While I didn't see too many jazz guitarist, the ones I remember had obvious electrics. You're the only big band accoustic guitarist I've had the occasion to ask, so I thought I would.

 

 

With jazz boxes being so accoustic in heritage and sound, and being as they seem to work so well in flat tops, I am curious if the saddle pickups are ever used in a jazz situation with archtops.

[L5Larry]

With jazz boxes being so accoustic in heritage and sound, and being as they seem to work so well in flat tops, I am curious if the saddle pickups are ever used in a jazz situation with archtops.

 

I've not seen (or heard) any archtops with an under-saddle type pickup. Jazz guitarists, including myself, are pretty much "purists" when it comes to their instruments and equipment (OK, we're SNOBS). Freddie Green, the great guitarist with the Count Basie orchestra, refused to play an electrified guitar of any sort. He played an 18" Stromberg archtop into a mic.

 

There are two schools among jazz archtop players regarding pickups. Those who swear by a top mounted humbucker, and those who swear by the floating pickup. Most players are deeply entrenched one way or the other. If I had to choose one side or the other, I would be in the "floater" camp. Having one or two holes cut in your soundboard, and then screwing giant heavy humbuckers into them drastically changes the sound of the guitar.

 

To me, there's nothing sweeter than the sound of a big acoustic archtop chunking tri-tone chords in a tight rhythm section. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to do just that.

[zigzag]

To me, there's nothing sweeter than the sound of a big acoustic archtop chunking tri-tone chords in a tight rhythm section. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to do just that.

 

Amen to that! I'm envious. A big band gig is the only kind I'd want on a regular basis.

[stein]

I've not seen (or heard) any archtops with an under-saddle type pickup. Jazz guitarists, including myself, are pretty much "purists" when it comes to their instruments and equipment (OK, we're SNOBS). Freddie Green, the great guitarist with the Count Basie orchestra, refused to play an electrified guitar of any sort. He played an 18" Stromberg archtop into a mic.

 

There are two schools among jazz archtop players regarding pickups. Those who swear by a top mounted humbucker, and those who swear by the floating pickup. Most players are deeply entrenched one way or the other. If I had to choose one side or the other, I would be in the "floater" camp. Having one or two holes cut in your soundboard, and then screwing giant heavy humbuckers into them drastically changes the sound of the guitar.

 

To me, there's nothing sweeter than the sound of a big acoustic archtop chunking tri-tone chords in a tight rhythm section. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to do just that.

I get the purest thing. I even get the super purest (bluegrass) thing. It seems that for jazz, we kinda skipped a generation, don't it?

 

I mean, in the world of jazz, ONLY the guitarist is allowed, or "supposed" to be electric. Every other stringed instrument is "allowed" to have a piezio pickup, flat tops when used in other music uses them, but why not archtops? It would more replicate the sound of an "accoustic" archtop, the way it was before ANY stringed instrument was before we had any of these pickup technologies to replicate the accoustic sound.

 

Kinda ironic also that the one musician most likely to play to loud is the only one allowed to be electric.

 

I have a better idea. Lets make a giant 26" archtop. THAT would do it.

 

I hope you record your show tonight. I would like to hear it. I really liked the other one I saw you put on here.