The Jump/Swing Blues Thread

edenfield99

Welcome

This has come about from a thread in the classifieds for a Vintage47 Micro Mini amp and the conversations that built up around that. I suggested starting a seperate thread to stop the highjacking of that thread so we could discuss gear, who we're listening to, what we're learing etc. So @JMC, @DB1, @billzabozo, @pinstripephil, @surfguy13 and anyone else who wants to join in...let's begin

So, I've been trying to learn this stuff for the last couple of years, I didn't really know people like Bill Jennings, Tiny Grimes etc. until I started looking for ways to play blues rhythm guitar that wasn't your usual boogie guitar line and lead that wasn't a pentatonic box. Came across Tommy Harkenrider online and it began there. I bought his jump blues lessons and signed up to his subscription lessons and it's slowly coming together. Difficult to find anyone around here (Manchester) who's into this sort of stuff to actually jam on or start a band but that's my plan going forward.

telehack

One of New England's finest:

edenfield99

I wouldn’t narrow it down to New England...he’s one of the finest anywhere! 

DB1

I'm down the road from you (a bit far possibly) in Stafford, and have only started playing (again) over the last couple of years, but jump, swing, blues, etc, and the jazz side of blues (as opposed to the blue side of jazz!) is where I'm at. I have haven't subscribed to Tommy H yet, but I do subscribe to a few TrueFire courses and a Keith Wyatt course. Tutors/players that I like are the two already mentioned, Damian Bacci (rockabilly, but jazzy as well), Mark Wein, Rodney Gene Jr, the Old School Blues Channel, Kid Ramos, Jonathan Stout (swing etc) Chris Corcoran and a fair few others. 

Jalapeno

Listen to some Louis Jordan !

telehack

Lots of names to check out from you guys. @edenfield99 - if you manage to start a band playing this stuff - good on you. Finding a drummer for it may well be your biggest challenge.

DB1

Jalapeno said:

Listen to some Louis Jordan !

How could I have forgotten to mention Louis Jordan? I was buying his records 30 years ago! :-)  T-Bone as well, also (you can hear where Chuck Berry got a lot of his inspiration from)

edenfield99

telehack said:

Lots of names to check out from you guys. @edenfield99 - if you manage to start a band playing this stuff - good on you. Finding a drummer for it may well be your biggest challenge.

Yes, plenty of drummers out there but they’re all modern blues guys, not the swing drummer you need for this sort of thing. 

Wynnonie Harris also has some cool guitar players (Mary Osbourne), also check out some of the Nat King Cole Trio’s instrumentals for a more swinging feel...and it’s no less cooler for that! 

jdgm

edenfield99 said:

I wouldn’t narrow it down to New England...he’s one of the finest anywhere! 

Duke Robillard's CD "Swing" (on the Rounder label) is just totally superb though it might be hard to find now.

SimonC

guitars4you

My dad is a sax player and brought up listening/playing to swing/jazz blues from the 40's and 50's  - As such I've always been influenced by sax players and the music of this era, which in many ways were rock n roll came from - I love the type of music that is not pure swing, jazz, blues etc but takes interest from all, inc rock n roll and indeed country

So Little Walter to Ray Charles - Louis Jordan to Eddie Cochran - Love artist today like Duke Robillard and Pokey La Farge

Call it swing, call it jazz, call it blue, call it jump n jive - They all borrow from each other

I love the genius of a song like 'Hit the road Jack' that it has no solo - Yet if you covered it you can add solo if required, or indeed just drop on to a bass guitar + drum groove and sit on it for a couple of chorus

Great aspect of youtube in that you find an artist but on the right hand side it lists so many similar songs/artists, styles etc that before you know where you are you've spent an hour touring, discovering etc

edenfield99

guitars4you said:

Great aspect of youtube in that you find an artist but on the right hand side it lists so many similar songs/artists, styles etc that before you know where you are you've spent an hour touring, discovering etc

I know that!! I call it going down a YouTube rabbit hole! I ended up watching drumming lessons last week and I don’t even drum!! Swing music...Buddy Rich....Quick aside to the muppets...drum Battles....drum lessons! 

TimmyO

Forumite @Lewy used to play some sweet jump blues 

tekbow

loved when Brian Setzer had a go at it.

robinbowes

It's about time someone mentioned Charlie Baty, esrtwhile of Little Charlie & The Nightcats.

Here's a starter-for-10

telestratjazz

Hollywood Fats is good one and William Clarke            

Lewy

I love this style - Gatemouth Brown, Hollywood Fats and the amazing Junior Watson. 

A pretty obscure guy who you are unlikely to stumble across but who does have some stuff on iTunes is Job Striles, especially his album “Sings and Plays”. There’s a track on there called “Coffee” that kills, as well as a great version of Okie Dokie Stomp.

I find a big part of getting that sound is “playing the II-V that isn’t there” especially going from the I to the IV. Then the judicious dropping in of Charlie Christian and bebop licks here and there. 

If I was looking for a drummer I’d be looking amongst jazzers instead of people who considered themselves blues players. Ditto for bass.

guitars4you

This fats Domino track almost sums up this style and era for me in one track - I know there are shed loads of options etc etc, but in one track this does/says a lot - along with this by Little Walter

Phil_aka_Pip

I should start taking notice of this stuff. It's what I've been wanting to play for a while

Matt_McG

Jimmy Sutton's Four Charms do some great swing and jump style music. The guitar player (Joel Paterson) is fantastic: rhythm time feel, and soloing. Lots of tasty playing.



Joel Patterson playing live (in a swing style): 

Or with a looper at home, copping Les Paul: 

Older live video:

Live show:  - check about 14 minutes in for a lovely bit of playing.

billzabozo

Excellent thread @edenfield99 my first of many possible gear questions, strings.

I assume flatwounds? I currently have all my guitars strung with flats even my telecaster & love the sound and feel (it forces me to play in a certain way) but I do find I need quite bright amps to compensate.