Performing Again

I'm playing music live again; a few gigs in the Seattle area with the Lonnie Williams Group. Lonnie will be putting up a web site soon, with band and gig details. Stay tuned...

New Demo Songs Recorded

I have some new demo songs on my own web site. They're original Funk tunes, recorded at home, with electric guitar and drum beats. The recording quality is pretty rough, but the song ideas are there. I'm looking for other musicians who share a love for Funk, maybe someone will hear these tunes and have an interest in playing music together.

Along with the newest tunes are some solo acoustic songs I recorded almost a year ago.

http://stefan.phatfunkjazz.com/media.htm

peace...

Funny How Things Change

I moved to Olympia from New Hampshire in August 2006, after living for three years in a town that had NO Funk bands. Added to that was the fact that I had no car to transport myself to meet musicians in other towns. I spent a lot of time alone, practicing acoustic guitar and writing solo fingerstyle picking songs.

When I moved here, I had high expectations that I would join an established group of friends and musicians, and that we would collaborate in putting together a Funk/Jazz/Soul band. That hasn't manifested, leaving me feeling pretty disappointed and bitter for a few minutes. But life offers opportunities in many disguises, this is a lesson I have faced often. I have continued to forge forward, finding my own voice and passion in Blues and Funk music. I realize that I can't lean on others to make my life successful, it's really a matter of dedication and hard work. Of course, when the time comes to form a band, it will be nice to trust that everyone is into the music and each other.

Learning a Musical Language

Practice, practice, practice...for hours, days, weeks, months, etc. That's great for getting technical facility on the guitar (or whatever instrument one plays). But what about the particular musical genre/style? It's like learning to speak another language, absorbing the different voices and regional differences that comprise that music style. Then there's the aspect of "hearing" the music in a deeper way that allows the musician to converse with others in that style.

That's the level I'm seeking to attain, one where I can "feel" the spirit and become one with the music as I'm playing it. I watch other musicians who have that spirit and, to me, they seem to "own" the moment while they're playing; they're not just playing a bunch of licks strung together, hit-or-miss, but they're raising the music to a higher level by feeling the spirit of it. So it's not so much a matter of technical skill as it is a dedication to the soul of the music

The Groove Is Everything!

Sitting here, practicing away...I remember the past few years, working on my Jazz chops, trying to find ways to improvise like "The Greats" that I've listened to. Just isn't there anymore, that desire to be a world-class Jazz musician. I leave that for the musicians who have a personal concept and vision. As for me, I just love to play Funk grooves, over Blues changes, vamps, whatever. I love to discover the "drum machine" inside me, the ability to "be" the groove, instead of just being the guitar player who floats on top of the drums and bass, soloing while they lay down that funky shit. We ALL got to participate, to testify, so to speak.

Another Blog

Well, I already have a blog on my own web site:

http://stefan.phatfunkjazz.com/wordpress

But I've got many friends who have their blogs posted here on blogspot, so this way I can easily keep up with them. That's why I'm here. Other than that, hmm...guess that's it for my first post here.

peace to you and yours,
Stefan