Days marked

This past week was good.

Quiet at work.

It's been a very long time since i have seen a 

decent Stallone film.

We recently viewed "Bullet to the head" a 2013

film where Stallone plays a hit man.

It was actually a decent movie--and a part that seemed to fit him.

I just ordered a Schecter 8 string guitar.

Delivery on Thursday. 

My concept is that a guitar with 2 added bass strings will

make melody/chord jazz playing have that bit of extra sound.

This guitar is tuned F#BEADGBE .

I have absolutely no experience with this concept--

but i am willing to experiment and see what happens.

as they say, what could possibly go wrong?

I have been practicing.

Working on both technique and a personal gig/song list.
Things have been going well---- well.
Of course one always wants bigger and better results however
I am happy with the progress so far...things are actually
beginning to sound semi-decent--although there is a long way to go yet.

I am still working however on figuring out how to use my little digital recorder.

Perhaps to combine it with my practicing as background tracks.

"If I'd had good discipline,

I might have gone into music."

Clint Eastwood

Handmade

A quiet day for us today.
Although i bet the rest of the world is somewhat occupied?

This appears as if this is my last year at work.
Retirement.

This January i will be requesting the paperwork 
and will probably choose 01-01-15 as the end date. 

This week we received ElYSIUM.

Pre-ordered on DVD from Amazon.

An excellent film--I highly recommend.

I spent Saturday morning working on a beautiful big blond, Washburn Archtop

 I purchased multiple years ago.

This is no longer a stock guitar. I've installed black pickup covers and 

antique styled volume and tone controls.

This Washburn is one of my guitars I have started using 

for my solo Jazz practice.

Today i changed the strings to a light jazz set and added a vintage style strap. 
While i was working i discovered that transport packing had been

left under the tail piece which had apparently been muting the guitars tone. 

Strange what you find when you finally detail out a guitar. 

The Washburn is back together, and sounds very good.

I am practicing--currently arranging and working out

 Misty, Georgia on my Mind, Someone to Watch over me, and Masquerade.

I attempt to organize my practice sessions to 

accomplish the most i can over the weekends.

I just don't have the energy to practice on weeknights after work.

I have been running my Archtops through a smaller 1-12 MarkBass amp.
This is a great amp for obtaining that mellow jazz guitar sound of the 60's.
Plus it is small but powerful and should be excellent 
in case, i ever get a chance to solo jazz gig.
I do need though to remove the garnish yellow emblem from the speaker screen.

"Tell me, and I forget.

Teach me and I remember.

Involve me and I learn."

Benjamin Franklin

all that Jazz

Cold all week long.
The cold it does
simplify things.

I received my last watch.
I'll be retiring next year. 
Watches had been my one thing that i would style while working.
No one would ever notice, but it would make me feel better, to face work,
wearing a watch i considered to be interesting.
I time things, how long it takes to do a task or anything really.
Chronograph watches are my favorite since they allow for an accurate
accounting of time.
Based on this desire to account for moments in the stream of time.
I ordered this new Casio Chronograph.
Very simple, very rugged and pretty cheap.
My last watch for work.

After i retire i will go through my watch collection and sell off
the items i no longer require.
This one tho i will keep.

I continue to practice on solo Jazz guitar.
At the moment i have no real concept of what i am doing or where i am going with it.
In practicing I am running scales and working on Misty, a jazz standard.
To advance i need direction so i have purchased the below book.
It may not have everything i need to know but it will allow me
to work through the practice process step by step.
Direction of some type is necessary for progress.

I pulled a second Archtop out of my stored guitar collection.

To play and practice with.

A guitar that i purchased for an investment but have decided 

to use rather than sell untouched. 

This return to playing the guitar is costing me.

Below, my D'Aquisto Avant Garde Archtop.

Big, Blonde, handmade, carved top, all wood, acoustic only.

I've never played this guitar.

But i am about to.

I have an acoustic pickup that attaches to the soundboard, 

I do not wish to modify the instrument for electric.

I should tho wear a suit whenever i play this guitar, it deserves the respect. 
As part of this back to the guitar process,

I just received a Tascam DP-006 digital recorder to

use in my practice sessions.

I am planning on recording drum machine tracks 
and lay a bass line for the standards i am working on.
Perhaps in the future use this process in gigging out.

" I don't know anything about music.

In my line you don't have to."

Elvis Presley

how do you make a million dollars in jazz?

I've been playing again.

Stopped this last time for about 6 years or so.

I do that.

I'll play my ass off for a few years and then just stop for a few years.

Reasons behind this protocol are unknown to me.

Really.

Picking the guitar back up this time I am focused

on solo jazz guitar.

Chord comping or chording with melody.

I'm working on a set of jazz guitar standards.

Those songs that were played by a solo guitarist

in a smokey, but upscale barroom, years ago.

Why?

I have no fucking idea.

There's no place to gig any longer.

Places that would appreciate what i am attempting play do not exist now.

The only remaining answer to why is:

 That it pleases me.

I am working on building my chops back up on a

Gibson ES-165 Herb Ellis model, that i had in storage and was going to

hold onto un-played but, what the hell.....

through a mark 1-12 bass amp.

Working an Archtop electric through a bass amp provides that 

very, very mellow electric guitar sound that this particular playing style requires.

Scales, wrong notes, sore fingertips----again....

Cold, icy and snowy here in the desert today and

I am happily inside with the wife and the dog.

" Hell is full of musical amateurs."

George Bernard Shaw