Rick,

Thanks for the detailed comments and for making your knowledge of the blues harmonica available to learn from. So cool!

thanks Vinny..I'm glad you like it..:)) about singin, Corey did a very interesting and usefull series of lessons. This lessons helped me a lot in developing above all my ear on singing...capture rythm, accent...In this months I didn't even had enough time to work on it as I started a new job and you know how is in the beginning...so I'm playing less and less the guitar and about singing it's the same....but I understood that if you put enough rythm even in the singin line, it's not so bad...plus just a little more of vocal technique...and it's a lot of fun, first of all...and I didn't even have much time to practice as I have to organize an important event as you could see in my left hand! :DDD

Please post your version of love in vain...:)) But are you of italian origins?!?? I didn't remember this!

Hi Rick,

Thanks for the tips and the great teaching!  I'll work on getting my swingin' groove on...

Hey Harvey, Thanks for the comments and I'm working on Dennis' "Boxed Up",  about 75% through and want to get the last of it.  I'm a fellow New Englander in MA, so equally interested in making good use of the long winter!

Thanks Bruce. Must be the Canadian freezin temps. Or the beer.

Very nice stuff, Steve! That vibrato of yours is really something. 

Ok not be left out, i thought i'd try my hand at At the Lake Shore by Los Indios Tabajaras. My fingers are very raw as i had to do this a couple of time since my interface wasn't interfacing. Hope you enjoy.

Steve 

So cool to see more videos being posted! Great stuff everyone!

Here's another short thing. It's not a blues number, but the guitar part to Bert Jansch's great arrangement of a traditional Irish tune called Blackwater Side, which was stolen by Jimmy Page (without any credit, which I'll always hold against him) for a Led Zep album and he called it "Black Mountain Side". After mentioning to Duke this morning in my reply that I was working on it, I decided to "go for it" and make a video. Not perfect, but not bad. I've been working on it for almost two years!!

Alex - beautiful job man - you really captured that haunting rythm and articulation in your playing. But what I really like is what you have done with your voice.  Not only have you neutralized the accent, you have really got a very cool groove going on in your vocals, including the little falsetto section there.  You took a bold step, and have turned what you thought was your biggest liability into a big asset.  That voice is extremely pleasant to listen to and very expressive.  I know you have been working hard on that.  You have really accomplished something.  I must say you have stolen my thunder though, because I was going to post that song too.  Something about italians and Robert Johnson. 

This is something that was inspired by Rick Estrin's Chicago Shuffle and the other Chicago Shuffle videos posted on this open mic.

Hello everyone, it's been a long time since my last post here. I thought Open mic would be the right time to say hy to Mike, Peter, JD, Vinny, Corey and Duke and all the friends here, playin one of my fav song of one of my fav bluesmen...please continue support this fantastic website and its teachers

Alex (Italy)

Hey - Harvey and Paul! Both of you guys really did an excellent job of learning that shuffle! I'm real impressed - both of you really put in some time learning those verses! One thing I might suggest thinking about and focusing on would be the concept contained in a favorite Thelonious Monk quote of mine...it's something like: "When you're really swingin' - swing harder!" In other words, really feel that groove with your body and keep the pulse of that groove going in your head at all times - something like developing your own subconscious, organic mental click-track. Also, you may want to listen to the piece again and try to detect where I'm using 3 blow as opposed to 2 draw. Having that note as either a blow or draw at your disposal and working them off each other can really be useful when you're trying to achieve buoyancy in your groove. Overall, I gotta say, both of you guys make me feel like maybe I'm doing some good here at Sonic Junction.

Hi Kevin, Nice song, band and vocalist. I'm really enjoying all the performances I'm hearing here today! Ya all making me proud! Duke   

Thanks duke too for your comments. It means a lot to get  a thumbs up from a guitar great like yourself. Thanks 

Hi Roger, Nice tune and it's cool hearing a shool band playing with you. I enjoyed it very much. Duke

Thanks, Duke! And thanks also Mike for the kind words. It really is like learning a classical piece. It's not really ever been my thing to learn pieces note-for-note like classical music, but I think there's a lot to learn from doing it. I've been working on another thing by Bert Jansch called Blackwater Side; it's short but very intricate. And Bert was such a great player.  I'd hate to tell you how long I've been working on it and still don't have it down! ;-)  But it's still getting better all the time, and as long as I'm improving, I guess I can't complain.

Thanks again, Duke. Your lessons have had an incredible impact in my musical life. And thanks again to Mike for making all this happen here at Sonic Junction! 

Hi Mtathew, Nice progression and execution there.Good tone also.I've never tried that style for some reason. I guess you'd call that a samba I believe.Duke   

Hi Richy, That's a nicely put together blues jam, good ideas and I really like the bass solo also and the main guitar theme! duke

you sound great Harvey, good work. Duke

hey Bruce, Great job! It's funny, solo acoustic blues like that can be like a playing a classical piece in a way with all the arrangement involved.You played it very well.Part of developing a style is realizing your limitations and making something of your own out of it. I bet you're very close the the original though! .Duke   

Hey Tom, Great job. You got trhe vibe down really well! Duke

Paul,great job! You've got the chops. Thanks so much for posting.  It's good to hear others who are working on these demanding harp tunes  on Sonic Junction.  What's next for you?  Are you going to take on Rick's Sonny Boy's Groove? Man, that one is really daunting!  Good luck and I look forward to hearing you again at the next Open Mic.

"TAKE a BREAK" composed and performed by Matt Hunt. Tasmania Australia.

gear head info: Gibson ES175 > Peavey delta Blues 15" Amp. Rec on iPad.

I'm here because of Duke, been a fan for years and yes his Cds are available Downunder!

Thanks for the comments. The set up is just a tele plugged straight into a fender blues jnr   the volume is set really low. just got the amp a few weeks ago great wee amp . Gigged with it too and it was perfect. i like to keep things uncomplicated as I've no clue when it comes to gear. 

Rick Estrin's Chicago Shuffle.  Harvey inspired me to post :)  We do need more harp players posting up here...