Author: mikeslayen

Guitarist/Instructor

American Idol Live! Tour, San Diego Concert Review -July 26, 2012

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Let me say I do watch American Idol. I didn’t see the first five years or so but every season since I have, but I never vote.  Growing up a rocker into Van Halen, Zeppelin, Judas Priest, etc., it is a bit out of my element.  However, when my wife’s cousin Mary (of Mama Mary) got tickets and asked us to go I was actually pretty excited. Maybe even a little afraid that it would be a cheesy pop concert but I was excited to see the show and hang out with Mary and her husband.

The kids did not disappoint!!

My fears that it might be a Brady Bunch Popfest were unfounded. Surprisingly, as well, the stage setup was not beastly over powering the singers. With all the hype Idol brings I expected a huge overbearing scene. It was, however, state of the art and perfect for letting the singers do their thing.

So here are some of my thoughts on the show…keeping in mind that I am a guy that loves music but not usually into vocals so much.

The Good!

First of all let me say there was no pitchiness Dawgs!

All the girls sounded amazing! So much serious musical talent for such young musicians. They don’t just sing but use their voices as instruments.

Highlights included;

Elise Testone’s version of Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love.  Since I usually go to rock concerts it was a chance for me to feel in my element and rock out a little.

Erika Van Pelt, nailed Pink’s Glitter in the Air!

The duo of Skylar Laine and Hollie Cavanagh hit some serious harmonies together and their musical phrasing was impressive! Their respective solos were great as well.

Very cool to see San Diego native Jessica Sanchez return to a hometown hero’s welcome. Sixteen years old are you kidding me? That girl can flat out sing!

On the boys side I would have to say my biggest surprise of the night was Colton Dixon. He sells it out! There is a difference between good singers and good singers who put their heart into it, good job my man!

Phillip Phillips, what can you say? First of all he was my pick from day one of the auditions when he sang Michael Jackson’s Thriller. All bragging aside he like Colton, but even more so, has stage presence, a great voice and likeability.  I would say he even stole the hometown crowd away from Jessica, a bit.

But the best singer of the night maybe one of the best ever is Joshua Ledet!!!! The boy can SANG! I said it not sing…SANG! His version of James Brown’s It’s a Man’s World was PHENOMENAL. Regarding my earlier statement that I like to attend concerts of musicians over vocalists does not APPLY to Joshua. Not sure what else to say but AMAZING!

The Not So Good?

Deandre Brackensick with his super falsetto and Heejun Han with the sweet crooner voice just did not quite live up to the others…keep at it though guys!

The flow of the concert was also a little off especially in the first half. I think it is just the nature of the show not being one recording artist and their own fans creating a bond.

Valley View Casino Arena…come on San Diego we can do better than that worn down piece of junk! I remember seeing shows there in the 80’s and it was not a great venue then…lots of memories though.  And sorry to Valley View…everyone is San Diego just calls it the Sports Arena!

The Must Be Mentioned!!

The band! Yeah, believe it or not there are real musicians backing these kids up and they have the best backing them up. Flawless rocking out in the band and some great guitar work throughout the show but most notably on Testone’s version of Whole Lotta Love…Don’t forget these guys!!!!

Alright, there’s my thoughts. I am going to go read Mama Mary’s blog  for her thoughts and you should too!

 

Click here to view the American Idol Live! Tour Setlist

A Musical Tribute to the 2012 Olympic Games in London

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Can you believe the Olympics are finally here? You might not have noticed the pre-coverage going on EVERY SINGLE DAY for the last several months….if you don’t own a TV, computer or radio that is. But, if you didn’t then you wouldn’t be reading this now would you!

I have come up with a musical tribute of sorts to pay homage to the London Olympics starting this evening.  This was meant as a light-hearted musical tribute with a touch of humor and cynicism thrown in for good measure.

So without hesitation here is the list….LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

 

TO THE WINNERS

Sweet Emotion – Aerosmith

Controversial Olympic Logo

Rapture – Blondie

Victory is Won – Santana

Shinning Star – Earth Wind & Fire

Nobody Does it Better – Carly Simon

 

TO THE LOSERS

Cry Baby Cry – The Beatles

Last Child – Aerosmith

Last In Line – Ronnie James Dio

The Party’s Over – Willie Nelson

Dammit – Blink 182

 

WHAT OLYMPIC OFFICIALS WANT TO HEAR

Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles

Sunshine of Your Love – Cream

Mr. Blue Sky – E.L.O.

Anything by K.C. & The Sunshine Band

Sunny & 70 – Slayen & Fox Guitar Duo (Pardon the shameless plug!)

 

WHAT OLYMPIC OFFICIALS DON’T WANT TO HEAR

The Rain Song – Led Zeppelin

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head –  B.J. Thomas

Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 – Bob Dylan

Have You Ever Seen the Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival

One Rainy Wish – Jimi Hendrix

 

IF MICHAEL PHELPS BREAKS THE ALL-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL RECORD

Fast as a Shark – Accept

Iron Man –Black Sabbath

Big Shot – Billy Joel

Bad to the Bone – George Thorogood

One – Metallica

 

TO THE MARATHON RUNNERS

Run Like Hell – Pink Floyd

Long Distance Runaround – Yes

Runnin’ Down a Dream – Tom Petty

Running Wild – Judas Priest

The Long Run – The Eagles

 

REGARDING THE CHINESE ‘WOMAN’ ATHLETES (Yes I know this isn’t nice but kind of funny)

Three Times a Lady – The Commodores

Dude Looks Like a Lady – Aerosmith

Inject the Venom – AC/DC

(reference to steroids etc-which unfortunately may apply to many athletes in the games)

Lola –The Kinks

 

GOLD, SILVER & BRONZE

Heart of Gold – Neil Young

Golden Lady – Stevie Wonder

Silver & Gold – U2

Maxwell’s Silver Hammer – The Beatles

😦 Honestly I could not think of one song with bronze in the title…but does any one really care besides the athlete’s families?

 

FOR EVENTS WITH CLOSE CALLS

Thriller – Michael Jackson

Skin O My Teeth – Megadeth

Heartbreaker – Led Zeppelin

Ain’t That a Shame – Cheap Trick

Nothing I Can Do About it Now – Willie Nelson

Well there it is a musical tribute to the upcoming Olympics.  Out of full disclosure, every song here is in my ITunes library. For those of you looking for new music I strongly recommend you give a listen to any and all songs listed!

Also, this post was inspired by a fellow blogger’s. He is always a great read…be sure to check him out Every Record Tells a Story.

Here is to a safe and exciting Olympics in the true spirit of sport!!

Sun Kissed the Sea by Shores of Apollo

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This is a treat for me! Shores of Apollo is one of my former student’s, Victor’s, band. It is always cool to see someone who has taken lessons from me that continues to make music, but, even cooler to see them flourish!

Victor was always really musical even at a young age. Must run in the family as his dad is a pretty good drummer too.

This song has a really cool mix of heavy-ness and dream like melodies. The bands Facebook page states that, ‘all current recording are works in progress.’ Can’t wait for the final versions then. Keep on rocking Victor…and please keep me posted of your upcoming shows and projects!

Check this video out, there are some great guitarists and musicians coming out of the Poway area!

Shores of Apollo Facebook Fan Page
Enjoy!

Sabicas- Arabian Dance

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I posted a Debussy piece earlier today one if his Arabesques. A friend of mine commented on the post that I should check out Sabicas’ flamenco piece entitled, “Arabian Dance.”  I agree it is a great piece!

Sabicas is one of the huge legends of flamenco guitar and a pioneer in spreading the genre outside of it’s native Spain. I have heard a lot of his stuff but never this one. It is a very virtuoso piece for sure lots of runs and very ‘Arabic’ sounding in its use of the harmonic minor scale. Arabic sounds have always been a big part of flamenco as the Moorish influences moved into Spain and combined with the existing culture.

Enjoy!

Music to Relax – Debussy Arabesque #1

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Hope everyone had an easy Monday! Regardless you might want to unwind a bit and I am here for you. This issue of ‘Music to Relax’, features the impressionist composer Debussy’s piano work “Arabesque.” Debussy wrote a pair of these and this is the 1st one.

The music of the Impressionist period began near the end of the 19th Century in reaction to ‘Common Practice,’ music with its roots in the Medieval period (500-1400), through the Renaissance(1400-1600), stylistically heightened in J.S. Bach’s hands in the late Baroque(1600-1750), continued through the Classical period(1750-1820) of Beethoven and Mozart and exploited through chromaticism and virtuosity of the Romantic composers(1820-1910, some say it has never truly ended.)
Regarding the chromaticism of the Romantic Period pretty much any note was fair game, but, the music still followed the basic rules of tonality and rules of the ‘Common Practice.’ All twelve notes could be used in any key…the basis of my blog name 12 Notes & the Truth!

Impressionists, who followed the art movement broke with these traditions. The result tended to be very lush relaxing wide open sounding music. They tried to make different sounds. Non diatonic scales and non functioning chords were trademarks of this period. However, Debussy and another composer Ravel were not fond of the term applied to their music.

If you want to play this and relax it should do the trick.

If you are looking for a music challenge try to think how this music sounds different than Bach, Beethoven, Mahler…etc.

Click here for previous ‘Music to Relax’ posts.
Enjoy!

Got Your 1979 Who Tickets? They’re Still Good!

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Remember back in 1979 when there was a tragic event at the Who concert in Cincinnati? 11 concert goers were trampled to death running  to get seats. The problem was that the whole event was festival seating meaning it was all general admission with no reserved seats. Imagine everyone barreling in to get good seats. I was barely old enough and think I mostly remember it because of an episode of the old sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. The show was based on a rock n roll radio station in Cincinnati and the oddballs who worked at the station…Herb Tarlik, Les Nessman, Dr. Johnny Fever, Venus Flytrap and of course was the launching pad for Loni Anderson’s career. Obviously the show had to confront the situation.

The Who’s Pete Townshend reacts to the tragedy

One of the following concerts in Rhode Island was subsequently cancelled. Most of the ticket holders received refunds for their unused tickets. There were, however, some who kept their tickets as keepsakes. Turns out those tickets may be more valuable than anyone ever thought. Now as the Who is touring again in 2012, 33 years later, in support of their 1973 rock opera, “Quadrophenia,” those unused tickets are going to be honored for the upcoming concert.

1979 Who tickets to be honored

I just hope that they let those ‘kids’ who held on to their tickets keep the old stub…but the article in the above link seems to suggest the venue manager Lawrence Lepore, wants the old tickets. Even with his intent to donate the proceeds to charity…let them keep the tixs and generate a social media campaign for the charity….win win!!

Good Times, Good Food, Good Friends, Good Wine & Music at Orfila Vineyards & Winery

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This week was filled with projects, students, arranging music and rehearsals. I finally have a chance to write about last weekends event at Orfila Vineyards & Winery in Escondido! What a great time!! There were lots of friends who came out to relax on a Saturday afternoon. It was great to see you all, play for you and hang too.

If you haven’t been to the winery yet it is a must see San Diego destination. Great place to enjoy a picnic lunch a beverage and just relax. It is kid friendly and they have a blast running and playing as parents rest their bones! All the employs  are chill and super helpful. Nice selection of wines and the best…you dont have to drive to Temecula or take an extended trip to Paso Robles or Napa.

Relaxing at Orfila Concert

In addition to the music, the wine and the food they also had Katy Doherty of KD Custom Jewelry with some very cool items available. From my seat on stage she seemed to be a fan favorite keeping busy ALL day and the kids loved her too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I definitely recommend you pay them a visit…and how about on Aug 24, 3:30-6:30 as I will be back there for another go and looking forward to it!

Hope to see you there!

My custom picks have arrived!

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Excited to get my custom guitar picks delivered today!

They’re  basic but I think they look really cool! Next, I need to get a logo!!

Had them made by InTune Guitar Picks. They were super cool and great to work with!

Thanks to everyone who voted in the online pick contest. Design #1 won by a landslide.

 

 

 

 

 

I guess it is a little ironic that I don’t use picks any more since I play mostly classical/flamenco styles with my nails but they are cool ‘business cards’ anyway.

Hope I don’t lose them…check out this previous post about picks mysteriously disappearing.

A Lighter Shade of Purple, RIP Jon Lord

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2012 continues to be a sad year in the music business. Today we lost Jon Lord keyboardist for Deep Purple.

Being a die-hard guitarist since I was about 14 I only had a mild interest in most keyboard music. Jon Lord however had an aggressive, unique and heavy sound that always stood out to me and I enjoyed. Even though Deep Purple was obviously guitarist Ritchie Blackmore’s project, they certainly would not have been the same without his keyboard riffs!

Jon Lord’s official website

Definitely sad to hear the news but once again the band above’s talent grows!!

RIP Jon Lord!

Check out Lord’s unique sound in the intro of this song. This is his signature tone which really was unique and worked perfect for Deep Purple’s metal sound. Also his ‘Egyptian’ sounding harmonic minor solo at the end is very musical as he switches to a completely different sound.

Deep Purple, “Perfect Strangers”

Music to Relax – Horace Silver “Lonely Woman”

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I love this song! I cant hear it and not relax. It soothes my brain like no other song I can think of.

There are certain recordings that you hear and know the stars were aligned as it was being created and for Horace Silver’s, “Lonely Woman,” it might have been the stars, the planets and the universe all in phase, much like my last Music to Relax post of Miles Davis’, “Blue in Green.”

The song is  mellow in it’s sonicity but has an intensity that breathes life into it’s dulcet  tones.

Silver creates the relaxed mood in Lonely Woman in a handful of ways.

-First, his quartet is downsized to a trio of piano, bass and drums.

-The spacing is so open rhythmically and sonically. Rhythmically, the bass line and drum accents are almost entirely half notes.

-Brushes are used on the drums to lighten the percussive nature.

-The chords Silver uses on the piano accompaniment are mostly open spacings with just the right dissonances mixed in.

-When soloing Silver  uses  pentatonic scales which eliminates chromaticism.

The intensity comes when he does blend chromaticism and dissonances to contrast the vibe of the piece. Then the final bars just lift you up.

You have to think if more people were exposed to this piece the world would be a better place.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this song!!

Enjoy!