Nashville Blog: The art of jamming and reading the room
On a recent trip to Nashville, I had the opportunity to see and hear some world class music from some world class performers. The first being the East Nashville Guitar Club’s monthly meet up and The Underdog. Here Guthrie Trapp and Headstrong Endorser, Jack Ruch paired up with a stellar rhythm section of Tim Marks and Dave Racine (you’re doing God’s work fellas).
If you are not familiar, this is an idea spawned from GT’s desire to unite and showcase some of, what he considers (I’d say that carries some weight) to be the most talented neighborhood of guitar players anywhere. The house band starts off with a couple of tunes and then rotate in 2 guys per tune (dependent on number of jammers, I assume) that not only get to jam with that rhythm section, but also play through the rigs of GT (amp was a Kendrick build, a higher powered Tweed Deluxe) and Jack (1X12 Verbrovibe aka Brown 6G16 Vibroverb replica)….Not to mention, basically rub shoulders with some of the highest level talent Nashville has to offer…It was one of the BEST jam formats I have ever witnessed.
A little backstory…Blues jams are a great way to get out and play, but the underside of this can be a loud mess, therefore I have not attended one in MANY years. I find them to be self serving, too loud, a bit sloppy, and just really frustrating. It has been years since I was a gigging musician, for many reasons, but one thing I do know is that listening, reading the room, playing WITH your stage/band mates, etc, seems to be something that is totally lost in these settings, at least in my experience. I assume we have all had these things happen to us…volume wars, longer than appropriate solos, stepping all over the others’ sonic footprint/space. This is because as we all know, when most get up to jam, it is usually about what they want too say in a solo, NOT in backing everyone up, or locking with the bass and drums. We all LOVE to solo and stand out, but in my 20 years building amps and working with some of the best in the world, I have noticed one thing about the difference in jammers and pros….EYES and EARS!
When you hear pros jam, they almost always listen first and play second. By that I mean, listen to where everyone on stage is sitting in the mix and finding an area, sonically, where they sit and fit in. GT actually asks the jammers to be conscious of where the amps are set up, how to properly use the pedal boards available etc. In other words, let’s not crank the amps and engage all the pedals at one time, blowing each other off stage and basically taking from the tune, not giving to it. Well his words do carry some weight in the guitar world, so people really seemed to listen and the results were pretty impressive! After this many years of playing and building/testing amps, live shows (I am talking to you Black Crowes) I can only take so much volume before ear fatigued sets in, and since I came for some specific shows (keep reading), I didn’t stay very long…You have to conserve your ears at my age. I had an opportunity to hang with Jack a bit after their set and talk about the next amp I am building for his YouTube videos, I headed out to check in to our condo.
The ENGC meets on the last Sunday of the month (pending schedules) and I think EVERYONE should check these out if given the opportunity…There are some great unknown players in that town…I heard some great stuff and the fact that Jack and GT, as well as The Underdog are providing a place to let players be showcased and to network is so generous and selfless (in a selfish business no less). But to me, even more importantly, learn the valuable skill of listening and playing WITH, not against others on stage is VERY important for that next guy who wants to break through or get a gig touring in a working band.
So, the main reason I went to Nashville other than to connect with and talk to Jack a bit about his next amp, was to see and meet, someone I consider to be one of the best young talents (only my opinion, and I have many) in blues/roots/soul/R&B in a traditional sense, McKinley James.
If you are not familiar, he is worth a listen. He has a Sunday night residency at the Underdog when he is not out touring the world. At 21, he has a sense of tone and feel that few, at any age, do in my opinion. He plays old amps and guitars so he is set up for the proper tone for this type of music, but he seems to really nail the feel and his voice and songwriting are equally impressive…I know, I know, another young blues guy, blah, blah, blah…Trust me, this is not the case and his reach is beyond blues. In fact on Sunday it is a duo with his drummer, Jason Smay (who is also his Dad and a seasoned vet on the kit). This gig had elements of punk rock, garage rock as well as soul and blues. Traditional blues numbers mixed in with his own original tunes, they really have something unique going on. Again, his voice is something worthy of more than one mention. His guitar tone is another discussion! He plays a host of guitars, but his ’61 (players grade) ES330 with Tim Shaw Humbuckers (out of phase) through his 1968 Fender Super Reverb (plugged straight in) is just fat and buttery! He also had an early 90’s reissue Tweed Bassman with the Blue Frame Eminence built Alnico speakers (everyone’s favorite from what I hear) to cover some low end…He also uses a big 147 Leslie powered by the Super Reverb. He has been playing with his Dad since he was 11 or so, this is very evident…Drummers, you need to google Jason Smay…his shuffle is a big slushy pillow of goodness that any blues or roots player would kill for…You blues players know how hard it is to find that in a drummer…(here’s a tip, four on the floor guys! Its all quarter notes down there!) I have not seen Ali, my Fiancé, be that taken in by blues music before, she was blown away by Sunday night, as was I! After many Instagram messages and post likes, I finally had a chance to meet McKinley. He was clearly raised right by his parents…A true gentleman, well spoken, cordial, and just a light happy demeanor….AND a total gear head! I knew we would hit it off! Also on another note…seeing the look on Jason’s face, watching his son play and sing like that? Worth 10X what they charge at the door! You Dad’s can probably relate.
Man, what a night!
Back to the room for a few hours of sleep…We had big plans to do some retail therapy for Ali, and myself…I like clothes and shoes, OK! We live in a small city so the choices are slim at best…and my lady has taste that stretches beyond Mountain wear we mainly see here in Asheville (time and place for everything)
I loved Sunday night and the duo, but I am a DIE HARD traditional blues guy and my friend Patrick Sweany has cultivated an unbelievable scene over the years on Blue Mondays at The 5 Spot! He has put in the work and really created something there! I usually have to go out West or to ATX for this type of thing….NOT anymore! An early 6-8pm set, The Tiger Beats is a rotating band of top notch players, this particular Monday was Jason Smay on the kit, McKinley on guitar and vocals, Dave Jacques on bass (KILLER) and PS on guitar and vocals and overall vibe curator! I Love PS and what he is doing…We are working on a build for him as well
I have attached a picture of his amp settings and a few videos to show you what this article is about…Although a small room, McKinley had is 68 Super Reverb on stage…I did not need earplugs this night…The tone reminded me of early-mid 60’s BB King…fat, LOTS of reverb, and just great feel and note selection! He could have easily blown the room out with that amp…but instead, proper volume, great rhythm playing, GIVING to the song, and what a result. Same with PS, never stepping on any toes, showcasing others while showcasing himself! These are real pros guys and there are tons of videos on YouTube out there!
We have all been to Blues shows, usually TOO loud, way too may slow blues numbers, and the solos…my god man, enough redemption solos…if you blew a few notes in the last 12 bars, live with it and move on….Trust me, the next 12 bars ain’t gonna save you! I speak with experience on both sides of this! We’ve all done it!
So in closing, at your next jam or hang with your friends…
Find the right amp for the room, listen to what the other guys are doing and find your spot…stay there until its your turn to blow….Be a giver on stage, think of music and these opportunities as a charitable cause if you have to, and add to the music and vibe…When you find a group of guys that do this (even in your basement), it is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have as a musician AND as a listener!
Sorry if I got off point on this, but I am prone to rants!
Thanks for reading!
Wayne