Cool Clean Strat Blues Sound From Romanian

[Hurricane]

Hello Guitar Slingers & Slingerettes :

This is my present project , the song [ Chan Chan ] written by Compay Segundo the legendary Cuban guitarist . I have learned it and now am working on an arrangement for it to record . I am not generally interested in covering any song , but this one is different to me , seems like it's custom tailored for me in that I see an avenue to pursue .

I am trying to persuade a certain killer electric Blues guitarist to collaborate with me on this project , he's down with the idea , just have to coordinate our respective time tables .

I have been looking for a [ link ] between certain genres from the western hemisphere - mainly the fusion of American Blues - Pop Rock - Jazz - CW & the Latin side of the equation .

Santana did it and I like what he's done with it and do it too , but , I know/knew there was/is more to this equation .

Jazz and it's permutations from the Latin influence are many and varying . Dizzy Gillespie was among the first who looked into it seriously in Jazz .

Buddy Holly / Bo Diddly with Rock-N-Roll/Rock-A-Billy & R&B .

So I am looking and sometimes I find something that makes me go yeah I can get behind this :



The harp / vocalist kills it man and then a slice of nice with the guitarist doing his thang . These guys are from Romania and rip really good in my opinion .

This hits me and shows a fusion of Cuban style from the 30s reaching out and grabbing the Blues hard and seeing ( AFAIK ) the fusion of Rock-N-Roll - Blues wrapped up in one neat tight viciously wicked killer groove .

Here's it in the traditional arrangement performed on guitar and sung by the writer of the song " Compay Segundo " @ 87 years of age :



I play guitar , it's taken me over ten years to get my chops up to near what I can rip on my harps . Not bad when you consider I have been blowing harmonicas since 1954 .

Built my musical reputation with the Blues harp and , took a while to do that but life's priorities are what life's is about . Been working hard to get my guitar chops up to match all the genres I play on my Blues harps covering Standards ( including Broadway Show Musicals & Dixieland / Tinpan Alley & Ragtime ) - Jazz ( Traditional - Modern & Smoove ) - CW - Rock and all it's permutations like Jazz has and the like . It's been an interesting challenge it has .

I wondered a lot at first when I began my guitar pilgrimage on October 12th. 1998 , if I would look stupid trying to get my act together learning guitar and failing , - - well I am past that worry .

I am quite happy with were I am on guitar today . I know there will never really be and end to learning on the guitar and that really is intriguing and cool with me .

My harmonica playing has been going on so long now I don't think any more I just play it , a harp on my lips is like another body part that I control with out thinking at all . I see that my guitar playing is heading there too now and that makes me really happy .


Easy Blood Brothers & Sisters :

Hurricane Ramon

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[crusty philtrum]

Re: Cool Clean Strat Blues Sound From Romanian

Some great tones in that first clip, and a really interesting juxtaposition of styles ... I really liked the first couple of harp phrases after the guitar solo. Funny how certain styles and sounds tend to lead our ears into expecting specific things to follow, and wonderfully fresh to be surprised when it takes a different but still very cohesive path.

btw, I know i'm not the only one who is very happy to see you posting again. Hope you're well and enjoying good health Ramon. I hope this project unfolds well for ya. Keep us posted.

 

[Hurricane]

Re: Cool Clean Strat Blues Sound From Romanian

Some great tones in that first clip, and a really interesting juxtaposition of styles ... I really liked the first couple of harp phrases after the guitar solo. Funny how certain styles and sounds tend to lead our ears into expecting specific things to follow, and wonderfully fresh to be surprised when it takes a different but still very cohesive path.

btw, I know i'm not the only one who is very happy to see you posting again. Hope you're well and enjoying good health Ramon. I hope this project unfolds well for ya. Keep us posted.

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Yes that guitar caught my ear , when coupled with a monster harp player like the Romanian Ripper it's totally killer .

The second video shows the project Ry Cooder put together was among the first of the recordings made while in Cuba , when they got these out to the world ( the vids ) they got booked world wide . The concert at Carnegie Hall shows the star guitar players with new guitars and looking good . I met Ry a long time back on a beach campground ( Harry K. Brown County Park is no mo - lava got it ) on The Big Island Hawaii , he was with Gabby Pahinui and Gabby's two son's Blah & Ceril . Just a few people there including myself , I was treated to a fantastic display of Hawaiian slack key that I will never ever forget .

I wondered how Ry got involved with the " Buena Vista Social Club " with the Cuban artists . Seeing the DVD of that project he explains how a German music video director had gotten in touch with Ry and that's how that project began .

Growing up with a grandfather who was born in Cuba makes this music special to me in that I have listened to it since I was a baby in a bassinet ( radio next to me always ) . I was exposed to all styles from those radio days when every radio station on the air played every type of style and genre , not like it has been for far too long with radio stations catering to only one genre .

Granddad played it all on his Zenith console with the " cobramatic " turntable heh heh

I ended up with it -

Before stereo was around I sat and listed to that or music on his Zenith Transoceanic short wave

. Shortwave was how I discover the world around me , how I found your country listening to Radio Australia and the like in the early 50s .

I really believed in the common thread of the Blues and it's different cultural differences between north and south America and sought this commonality and this song done by those Romanian's in their interpretation of Compay Segundo's song [ Chan Chan ]with the electrified harp and electric guitar combo band was it for me .

Thank you for your show of appreciation on my posts , I enjoy the camaraderie here and have gained a lot of really useful practical knowledge of guitars and related stuff about guitar performance and how to improve a guitars sound and not spend my left nut doing it heh heh .

Thanks Crusty for your well wishes in regards to my health , I feel great over all for an old fart , and thank you to all who read and have found my humble , and not so humble at times ramblings interesting enough to spend time reading and commenting on them .

Peace All :

HR