Slim, the stacatto trumpet tone comes easier with an old hollow body guitar with med to heavy strings. The head on Duke's version of the song has some very nice chord melody movement, the bulk of the song is a regular blues progression but you can use alternate voicings for the I, IV, and V that are jazzier.  When I initally copped it off the record I figured out the chord melody parts and we played it as a trio that way. The head chords I simply used three note voicings, which I seem to recall were all on the first 3 strings, with riffs interspersed.  Then later on we wrote the same parts Duke referenced into horn arrangements.  The way Duke arranged this song it holds it own either way trio or w/horns. I have listened to many others versions of this song, Charlie Parker, and some of the bebop guys, I prefer Duke's version the best, all other recordings of this I don't feel they swing quite as good.  If any of the other players out here don't have Duke's "SWING" album add it to your list, it's essential.  One of those "if I were stranded on a desert island" records I would have with me.

Steve

PS: Mike, add a spell check button in the text box icons above if you can...I have no idea how to spell interspersed. LOL

You got it Slim. Jumpin the Blues will be the next song we work on.......

I wanted to play drums originally because one of the cool guys in the neighborhood was in a band and let us hang out with them.  He was the drummer and I thought the whole concept of "head - hands and feet going at the same time was amazing.

Mom and dad said - NO WAY!

So then I gravitated towards the bass gtr because holding down the rhythm and working so closely with the drummer seemed like the next best thing.

Mom and dad said - NO WAY!

They bought me a very nice nylon string accoustic and said that I could play that if i was willing to learn.  457 guitars later I guess you could say it stuck.  While mom and dad never envisioned Marshall stacks and fx racks rattling the china out of the cabinets I suppose I have to give them credit for starting my path with the guitar.

Somewhere along the way it seems like the guitar also chose me and it really has grown into an experience more than an excercise.   Not being gifted with Angelic vocal ability the guitar allows me a range of expression unequalled by any other medium. 

any talent that I may have is a gift from my creator and on a good night when the band is really in form the guitar allows me to show my praise and appreciation for this gift by taking me to another plane of existence as well as putting smiles on the faces of those that come out to see us.

Mike,

I want to second the kudos from Bruce and Steve. This is one of the best and most helpful resources I ever encountered. I hope that you'll keep this going for a very long time. I certainly will be willing to pay generously for a service that provides lessons and access to personal feedback from greats like Duke Robillard. THANK YOU!

Mike, 

Superb job in creating Sonic Junction.  I hope you have great success with this.

As Bruce mentioned the site is very clean.  I like the fact that you have given the ability to upload video, audio, pictures right from the text box area natively into your site.  It keeps down the effort of posting to YouTube, or SoundCloud, or Picassa, then re linking.  Plus I have seen when someone does a remote link, chances are later the native site will have missing pictures, etc over time as the hot links ineviteably change or are altered sometimes.

I noticed you have a personal blog.  Will regular members be able to have a blog?

I would like to have the ability (If Duke has time) to share a short video of material I'm working on and get his feedback, like a remote private lesson.  I'd pay extra for this service if he had the time and your site had the ability.  I could envision a private link, like YouTube has a method of only being able to see the video if you know the link.  Or if the member wished, he could have the video public and allow other members to give feedback as well.

It will be very interesting to see how you grow this site.  It is a unique and fresh concept.  As a businessman in the technology industry, I am very intrigued at what you are doing.  Building revenue for the artists with this concept must be a creative and challening effort.  I believe this type of forum will increase the artists brand awareness, as well as trigger sales to older recordings and promote live shows, (I would recommend there is a link to this stuff somehow for the artists).  It's all in line with the new Social Media world we live in, and Sonic Junction is cutting edge.

PS: It's a great diversion to FB with a smaller subset of people with the same interests.

Steve Marinak

For me it was my Dad. ALthough he never played an instrument or sang a note, he was always listening to great music. In the early 70's when I was 7 or 8 years old, I discovered through his record collection Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Boots Randolph, Duane Eddy, Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Scotty Moore, Bo Diddley, and many others. Thanks Dad. 

Maybe I come down for a little break. Love the Bahamas!

Not only was the playing great but I loved the scream at the end! :)

Now that what I call some Catfish Blues Jimi!

Thank you Duke! I'm flattered you remember me and the band...but how many Roomful tribute bands were there I suppose!

About a year or so ago I purchased your Gibson Les Paul '56 Goldtop via your jazz guitar dealer friend.  It's a wonderful guitar and I'm taking very good care of it.  Love the setup, it plays itself.

The band played Jumpin' Blues (and actually all songs) as a trio as well, there were times when a trio fit the job, although strangely it became easier to sell the big band as no one had anything like it down here and it was unique even though it was more expensive.  I've believe as long as you have a very solid rhythm section, adding horns after that fact is much easier than initially practicing the song with them.  I'm working on a whole new repertoire of Christmas songs for 2012 with that same logic and the hopes of putting that lineup back together.

Very glad to see your lessons and forum on the internet, it makes absorbing information quick and fun.

You'll have to come visit us in Hope Town, Bahamas next Christmas season and sit in with us.

Steve Marinak

That one's coming up soon Slim!

I believe I just used a pick on Jumpin The Blues

Hi Floridaskater, I believe I rember comunicating with you years ago. Nice version of Jumpin Blues. Thanks, Duke

The Sapphire Kings did "Jumpin' Blues".  I modeled the band lineup after the original Roomful of Blues...even had 3 saxphones.  This was a live show we did at SunFest in West Palm Beach, FL in 1996.  I was able to record off the sound board into a DAT tape.  Please excuse any mistakes in there, I muffed the words and repeated verses, I recall being surprised by something on stage and it flustered me, I played guitar and sang, and did the bookings, arrangements, everything, etc! LOL!  We disolved the band shortly after this, we did this for 10 years, 1987-97.  Had 3 kids and I had to make more of a living.  Hoping to put the band back together late 2012 finally, my kids are now grown and great musicians. My daughter is 12 just started singing and is fabulous, our oldest is a dynamite jazz drummer, and our middle son I just convinced to take up bass.  I wouldn't have changed a thing we are having a great time together and hope to show you some of their material someday.

Pic of the band below, and my kids and our boat, appropriately named the Duchess.

BTW, whoever put together Sonic Junction did a superb job, very professional site, with many features.

I'll paraphrase from my profile description:

In grade school, my dad wanted all of us kids to play an instrument in band.... clarinet and flute for my sisters, a trumpet for my brother and a tenor sax for me. Played it for several years... but just didn't think the sax was cool enough back then (should have stuck with it). Wanted to play guitar or drums... now THOSE were cool!

One of the first albums my dad bought me as a kid in the late 60's was Creedence Clearwater's "Willie and the Po Boys".... man, I was hooked at that point. Fogerty's swampy guitar and vocals slayed me. Played the grooves off that record and begged for each new album they came out with.

I noodled with guitar during my teen years - power chord stuff and things friends showed me. Started to play by ear once I learned chord shapes.... I IV V stuff came pretty easy to me.

In the 80's while living in Austin and digging SRV and the T Birds, I decided I wanted to learn how to play for real. Saw an ad in the Austin Chronicle from a guy named Duke Robillard giving lessons. I didn't know who he was.... just thought he had a cool name and had to know how to play. Duke had just joined up with the T Birds and was living at the Lexington Suites hotel and giving lessons from his room. My first lesson, Duke asked me what I wanted to learn and I said "how to play like Jimmie Vaughan"....LOL. What a numbskull.... but I didn't know any better. I had the sounds in my head but didn't know how to get them down to my fingers.... Duke showed me how and for that, I am forever greatful. He also told me that it is equally, if not more important, to listen to lots of music...starting with all of the blues greats - T Bone, Wolf, Muddy, Sonny Boy, etc. Been listening and playing ever since.... actually gigging now here in Dallas.

Believe it or not, back in 1976 when I was about 14 I saw the movie The Song Remains The Same. I fell in love with the guitar after that. I started taking lessons but I didn't want to learn any of the songs the instructor was teaching me. Jim Croce stuff. I never practiced enough and never got good. Then I heard a guy named Stevie Ray Vaughan in the eighties. He had a bigger effect on me than Led Zeppelin ever did. But even then it was the Blues that I liked so much even though I didn't know it in 1976. I started looking at all his influences and have never stopped being completely in love with the Blues ever since. College didn't leave a lot of time to play guitar either, although,I did spend some time getting much better than I had as a kid. Now I'm older, don't care about being a famous Blues player and putting so much pressure on myself. I just love Blues guitar. I will spend the rest of my days enjoying playing and learning as much as I can. Best thing I ever did was start back playing again.

I started very young, and was attracted to the guitar by the bands of the time.  In 1971 I was in 2nd grade and The Monkey's were my first LP album, although I wore out 45 from the Surfari's with Wipe Out and Surfer Joe on the flip side...my mom wouldn't let me trade with a neighbor kid for Jerry Lee's, Great Balls of Fire, she thought it was too suggestive I suppose for a 7 year old.  I never thought of switching instruments.  Although as I have gotten older I really wish I could play piano, drums, clarinet, upright bass, so many things...there's still time I suppose to learn.  But the cool thing about guitar is that you can get so many emotions out of it, string bends, slurs, let alone equipment changes and the never ending number of tones you can get.  I find that just playing a different guitar will make me play differently and it will make me come up with different stuff.  How many pianos can you have in your house or fit under your bed?

Thanks for putting up the lessons Duke, I've been a longtime fan.  Great to have a forum of like minded musicians here too.

Steve

I needed a way to express myself. Living on a Farm once milking was done at night It was nice to sit on the porch and play. We were poor and an aunt give me a guitar to use but it was an old slide guitar that just cut my fingers. I had to save and buy a Silvertone from sears.  Now I have too many guitars...if thats possible. I learned how to play by reading and listening to the Radio. Later I hooked with a local group and Started playing in the South Dakota area.  The lead guitarist was special. He could hear a song on the radio once and play it...he told me chords and he played the lead.  He is now the Chief of the Tribe but he can still play. I want to thank you for this site. You all seem like old friends. 

I really like the site a lot.   Cool stuff to work on with excellent musicians.   

Thanks a bunch, 

Arthur

Hey Corey, 

I'm new to the site and your music.   Just bought Fish Aint Bitin on Itunes and love it.  Your my new favorite Blues artist.  

Enjoying the Catfish lesson too.  You explain things really well.  

Thanks, 

Arthur

Here's one, then: In lesson 5 of Blues A Rama, the  2^nd and 3^rd 8^th notes of the 3^rd beat of the 5^th measure should read 5 7 not 7 5.

--Catya

Absolutely, it's great to know if you see anything.  It's exactly what we want to find in Beta so we can correct.  

Just let me know where you think things aren't quite right and we will take a look.  Thanks!

Hello again,

 Is it useful, or pesky to tell you about tab errors/corrections?

--Catya

By Jove, I think he's got it! <said in whatever the heck specific British accent is suitable>

  Yes, the lag was in slow mode. The first lesson was timed perfectly to "force" one to try to read slightly ahead--a useful skill (I need to develop better), but the page turn anticipation got to be too much on other lessons--hence my posting. 

  Size-wise: When the lesson frame is launched, things are proportional, but too small. A full screen frame would be a solution I, for one, would like. One thing, though, if one were to use the <CTRL++> command, I'd like to see it affect the full screen, not just one of the two embedded frames (video/tab), if you follow me. 

I'm using Firefox on a PC.

Thanks, Mike.

--Catya