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OK, I lied. This is the last music post (for a while). Then on to e-books and a few other odds and ends.
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| Uncle Sugar Pops (inside band joke) with Nikkos' full stack of Marshalls. He just got a bottom cabinet, and together it is a wall of sound that blows you away. That's my new Rickenbacker 4003. My 4001 (which I used in Abalone and Disciple in the late 1970s and early 1980s) was stolen some years ago. I know who did it, but I forgive him. |
Enjoyed Sunday dinner with my brother Anthony and his son Nikkos (of JAXX) and then we moved into "the studio" (formerly the dining room--boy my brother has a great and understanding wife) for some real fun.
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| Nikkos and I jamming. Nikkos is playing his bright yellow Ibanez, which is a guitar built for shredding (speed). It is lighter than his Les Paul and has a much thinner neck. I think he is looking into new DiMarzio pickups for it. Nikkos--use this guitar for "The Jammies" competition! Thanks for making this old man happy. |
Nikkos has a looper (see the pedal board on the floor), which allows you to play and record, and then play back out of your amp while you play something else. So he laid down some jazzy chord progressions, I picked it up, and then he played it back (with a drumming background) and experimented with some great leads. It was challenging because I have very little jazz experience. Even with all the piano I played it was 95% classical. Now I wish I had worked in the jazz arena more deeply.
(Sigh) God I wish I was 20 again. Nikkos has no idea how good his life his right now at 16. I have high hopes for this one.
5 comments:
This is special. How many nephews get to play the music they love with their uncles? Nice work Teddy. You are lucky. So is Nikkos (I love the name and spelling.)
So what is this uncle sugar pops moniker?
A 1977 MCHS alum who shall remain nameless
Ted, is that the smell of a midlife crisis coming on? Well, better an electric guitar than an over-priced convertible. Chicks still dig guys with guitars.
That's Awesome that your Nephew is following in your foot steps. I'm sure you can tell him a few band stories too . Ron Lewerke { our old guitarist} is in the K.C. area , he's got some videos on youtube , and Jim Surat {bass} is teaching at Newman , I'm at Curries .I'm still buying stuff for the music room I don't have yet . I guess once it's in your blood it's hard to get it out . Take Care Ted ! Jay
Barron, might be a midlife issue, but I have long wanted to do this but had no time and with kids in private school, just no money either. Now I decided to do something for me. I will keep the Honda Accord, though, but a girlfriend is a consideration.
Jay--wild the curveballs life throws at us. Remember when our bands played North Iowa Jam? I don't think you guys played the second one, but that was a riot too. I try to be selective in the stories I share with Nikkos and his mates. They aren't quite ready yet . . . :) Seriously, his band JAXX is so good it is scary. Their originals are unbelievably complex and layered with wonderful textures--a mix of classic rock, blues, and progressive (think Emerson Lake and Palmer and some early Rush). And they are all good young men. I wish them the best. College starts in a little over a year for both guitarists, so it will be a big decision for them. Tell your former band mates hello for me if you see them.
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