sultry, edgy, and pressing the envelope blues guitar, Fran! I love it. I love the way you just get into the moment, the riff... letting it take you wherever it leads, and leads you to... finding places unplanned and yet from your own resevoir of experience. This is great Classic live blues.

Jack

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Glad that we have some real blues fans here on this site. I love recording slow blues. I have created a half a dozen blues grooves and recorded them, so I have something to practice too. Once in a while I hit the record button and record a take. More often than not...the takes suck because I start to practice some particular thing, or I just get to noodling.

I knew right away when I started practicing that I was having a good day so I hit record. So the solo is all one take, except for a punch at the end, when my son came in the room and started a conversation about his need for some gas money.

The very best thing about playing improvised music, is that every once in a while, you play in a truly inspired fashion, and in doing this, you acheive a spiritual state...one of bliss and excitement...it is like sex with a person whom you are deeply in love with. It is a high form of non-verbal communication. If you are friends with band members, friendship turns to brotherhood. If you dont get along with band members, the music alone makes working together a mainstay in keeping a band together. You grow up and learn to work with folks you may not like, to acheive a common goal. Either way, the pursuit of these musical moments can keep a band together. Hardly EVER are these times of true inspiration recorded. It usually happens on a off night gig at a club with 15 people in the audience, with no tapes rolling.

Creating great, spontaneous music is as close as you can get to talking to god. Doing that has been a lifelong passion for me. Doing that with a computer instead of a band is challenging, but it does happen. But it is a solitary thing, not a shared experience. Very personal statements can be made. But to play spontaneous music that is WORKING with other humans that you really love, is the greatest thrill.

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sounds like you recorded this after you got home Sat nite. Very limber. I believe you captured the essence of stretchin out in the thrid set. Takin some chances. Playin a lil on the outside. Tasty use bends, chirps and harmonics. As usual a great Phat tone. Your playing really encompasses all of my fav legends, and then you add your own unique element that sets it apart.

ditto on Ed.

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I recognize your description of how your playing gets more aggressive as the night goes on... I'm very easily led into that kind of mood, and will attempt most tricks I know and didn't know I was able to pull off. Sometimes it feels good, and sometimes it leads me into places I wished I didn't go;) But for me, it depends on the mood and groove of the rest of the band. I believe its a kind of energy that you get from feeling that the whole band gets that mojo workin':)

This was a treat to listen to Ziti. You play some sweet licks, and its like that guitar is an extension on your body.

Great playing! As you would say... deep bows:)

And Ed.. he is one of the nicest people I've stumbled across on this site. Always listening with ears for the details, and willing to give a thorough review. Thank you Ed, and thank you Ziti for dedicating this to him, and for making a sweet blues for us to enjoy!

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BTW that cozy cat looks really big in the picture... Is it a well fed pet, or is the wide angle playing a trick on me..?

---
Imagination is more important then knowledge!
- Albert Einstein.

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My cat Hubris...re-named Bloofus as he grew...and grew...and grew. He is about 35 pounds now...it's like holding a three year old kid or something. He doesnt eat anymore than any cat...just has the HUGE gene, I guess!

thank you for the kind words about my playing, and I am happy you have experienced the same "energy" in the last set...it is a scary, thrilling place to be. And it is highly addictive!

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...I l-o-v-e the blues. And you are right there on it.
Another great piece, ziti.
Hope the gig went well.
(Nice switch in tones just then...right in the middle of a line. Man...that's soooo nice)


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Ziti, you da man! You really ripped this one up and it sounds amazing. Love the monster kitty, too -- my cat was the small version, same coloring but about a third of the size. The cat, the blues, the guitar, it all just works so well.

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Man, some of these leads are just too cool. These days I'm pretty good at warding off both frustrated and pissed off... but I listened anyway and thought this was really cool. The fact that you're a long time pro comes through loud and clear. I wish I could have made the gig, that would have been exra cool. Bloofus looks like he may be biting your beard, which is what my cats sometimes do.

Excellent dedication, and I agree that we are lucky to have Ejh here!

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I thought this was sort of mellow at first but then you really got into it! Inventive and expressive picking, with a feel that the bartender is putting the chairs up, and the set has been wrung out and there's nothing to do but mop up the floor with the blues. Nice playing as always, you always blow my mind!

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Well, not quite ;) I listened in a very positive frame of mind, and loved it. Loved the aggression, loved the harmonics in particular - I feel a certain sympathy for your strings though. Fran, we are really fortunate to have you here at MJ, sharing so generously your time, your music and yourself. I'm also pleased to hear that Ed is not some weirdo pretending to be Mr Thoughtful, Nurturing, Nice Guy - what a relief!!!!
Peace,
Neil

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I could only hope to pull off something like this in the distant future (very very distant future, if at all hahahaha..) You are a true inspiration Sir Zetes. Like I said, I can only hope to get there one day, so keep the inspiration comin'! SRV Lives!!

Now see people, THIS is an example of a tune that deserves 10's all around!!

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thanks ronnie...coming from a guitar junkie such as myself, these words mean a lot!

I will be looking you up if i ever go to colorado again!


z

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lordyjesus......amen..amen...amen.......!

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ah yes... nobody does it better, makes me feel sad for the rest. nobody does it half as good as you - bb - you're the best - lol - fab as ever ziti - ty xoxox

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...whenever I take a break from my weird life, pretending to be a thoughtful, nurturing, nice guy on Internet music sites and practicing minor pentatonic scales over folk changes, I always like to kick back with a tasty Black Angus burger on a baguette, a glass of Cabernet, and a hairy Italian guy five feet in front of me playing some last-set-of-the-night blues... THAT, my friend, is the life...

Failing that... coming home from a long day's counseling and settling in wth a South Beach Diet pizza, Sennheisers on my head, and a tune like this...

Let's see... how loud can this go?

Not as loud as last Saturday, I bet...

[I would like to briefly interrupt this funny commenting thing to very seriously say, to anyone who had money on it, that Fran actually returned my acoustic guitar tonight. Actually, that probably means I owe several of you money...]

Fran, thank you for this lovely dedication, AND the return of the guitar... You have now officially passed The Wife Test AND The Dog Test...

Although the dog is of the opinion that he could go three rounds with Bloofus... My money is on the cat...

This tune really is a sort of microcosm of your third set approach... soft and thoughtful and then just taking it out to the edge of aggressive... taking chances... playing with dynamics... letting pure feeling alternate with the fun of screwing around and reveling in your chops... It really does offer a distiillation of your end-of-evening playing...

And alll kidding aside, I'm honored...

And listen, Ronnielong says I can give you tens...

Ed

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ahh. ya gotta like days like those. really enoyed the intensity build up. you have absorbed and channeled a lot of the greats.

yeah i to had to laugh at the cat picture. i have a oversized cat that looks much like that. when i try to record vocals he's right in my face. i'm still not sure if thats a good or bad thing!

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Some VERY sweet tones coming out of that axe of yours. I'm honored to share this site with guys who can play as well as you do. Gives me something to strive for!

I say don't wait till you are "pissed off or frustrated" to listen to this one. Just be in the mood to FREAKIN ROCK!! My little iMac speakers are breakin' up worse than a '55 Champ trying to squeeze all the volume I can out of this one....

Faved and downloaded

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this is supposed to sound like the guitar amp is just about to explode...amazing how line 6 captured the sound of tortured tubes...I LOVE my Line6 POD....I am now using it on gigs...run it thru a small tube amp set on clean...I have just resurrected an ancient AMPEG Reverbrocket...circa 1965 or so...clean sounding, but powerful little amp...with the POD...it is just a JOY...I also tried gigging with the POD powering a TWIN reverb, which was powering an EAW stage monitor cabinet....THAt was really sweet as well, but too much to lug around...

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I knew there would be some great guitar bues playin' around. You're flying quite hight, Ziti and took me on board. Thanks, man.

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Some VERY sweet tones coming out of that axe of yours. I'm honored to share this site with guys who can play as well as you do. Gives me something to strive for!

I say don't wait till you are "pissed off or frustrated" to listen to this one. Just be in the mood to FREAKIN ROCK!! My little iMac speakers are breakin' up worse than a '55 Champ trying to squeeze all the volume I can out of this one....

Faved and downloaded

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Tasty licks here.Thoughtful, lots of ideas. Love it.

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My second post was supposed to say this:

QUOTE from Ziti's description above:

....by the third set I am willing to attempt anything...not because I am some hotshot player...but because you get off on the crowd vibe and they urge you on to go for it. Very often you are kind of embarrassed because you begin to play jibberish sometimes...but once in while you take your music to a different level, and you play things that are effing ROCKIN!...on these occasions the things you've played that were so daring, slowly get worked into your regular thing...and you wait for one of THOSE nights to come along again, so you can add more ...and on it goes. Soon, it's 35 years on, and you have a pretty good supply of ammo...ammo you even FORGET you have...until the last set somewhere when you catch fire,and pull out some of the old ammo, and load into a new gun...does any of this make sense?? prolly not....
END QUOTE

Does any of this make sense!? This so "right-on" it bores a hole into my brain right down to the very spot where the essence of the late night third set lives! The third set is all about cuttin' loose and lettin' your fingers do the walkin' and following and hopefuly climbing up to that place where you're getting what you came for and the crowd feels it and they're getting what they came for and its what keeps us coming back out to play and listen another night and maybe we'll all get there again! I aint got 35 years of it under my belt, but I got a few third set memories. I even get it some nights playing for 15 drunks in a smoky bar in Alaska! Does any of this make any sense??? prolly not...

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you got it, my brother!

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I'm not pissed off or frustrated and I didn't play this particularly loud, but man did I ever enjoy this. Great ammo, great tune, as always.

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A master class in the electric blues.
I salute you sir
To me this sounded like SRV playing a Garry Moore tune.
I love the way that at the very beginning of the tune you can almost hear the bartender call last orders and friends telling each other they will see them later. This sounds as close to being there as you can get IMHO. Also love the tone, it's amazing to think that a modeler can get level of realism. Will have to spend more time tweeking my GT-8 in the future.


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Works well without being pissed off or frustrated. Wasn't a bit, and digged it a lot anyway (am the kind of temperament that prolly would have to wait for months so I didn't have the patience). And loud .. yes as far as my oldish ears can take it .. yes works very well loud.

Glad you make the dedication to Ed whom I like so much without having ever met him .. glad to hear he is as he seem to :-) because that's a lot!

Really nice peice of music by the way! Hot, cool and foxy!

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raw and emotive playing. Some real sensational moments in this. Nice tone and phrasing. I especially enjoy your arm work. Hot playing man!

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I have been checking out your material as well....yo cook brother!!

welcome!

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Love this man, totally diggin. I will be playing in the truck the next time I'm stuck in Atlanta Traffic, HAH! Great stuff, keep it up!

-SK

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stimulates my lachrymal gland.
The blues!!!!!


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this captured so many of the elements I have in mind when i search out good blues. So often i just end up listening to the same stuff because i get so frustrated with trying to find something new.
I've been thinking lately that i want to record some blues, but it has to be real, which is probably why i never have. I don't want it to be one of those "Hey, look how good I am" things, it's just gotta have that groove I've always loved but have never even attempted to capture. I think perhaps this is just the inspiration i need. Thank you.

Also, yes. Line six is the bomb-diggity!

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Some great phrasing, but sound sometimes with toomuch overdrive.
Salutations.

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Ziti,

you just truly "jammed away" so to speak. The fluidity (is that a word) and the change in tones was incredible. as was the fret work. this is just what I needed to hear to get me really pumped. Keep up the incredible work. If you ever want to do a collab hit me up.


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What a cool guitar solo, all through the song... You're really good at playing.... I'm simply dreaming away, while listening... Thanks for sharing....

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