Every once in a while you pull out an album that hits you like a ton of bricks.
I recently pulled out Lenny Kravitz’s Mama Said from the archives. Something about that riff from track 2 just blows my mind. I’m working with a couple of younger guitarists right now, trying to find great references for riffs. This one immediately came to mind. Getting the feel for these two guitar parts is a really good place to start for any aspiring guitarist. Very loose. Tons of personality. Tremendous pushes and pulls inside the timing.
Lenny Kravitz’s work is always so engaging. Subtle, but extremely assertive and bold at the same time. Bringing Slash in for the riffs and solos on Fields of Joy and Mama Said was a master stroke. When you listen to the playing on these songs, you can really hear what so much of modern music has lost; going to click tracks, quantized drums and super-compression.
Tie Domi, frozen lakes, and the quintessential Canadian weekend. Last weekend was pretty much the penultimate Canadian weekend. As a musician, you find yourself oddly affected by hockey. I’ve played in roadhouses where we’ve had to schedule sound checks and sets around playoff games. Odd, but true.
Last Friday, Tie Domi was at the Riverside Grill in Peterborough. I didn’t get a chance to chat with him, but it was nice to perform for hockey royalty. Saturday at Viamede Resort on Stoney Lake was amazing. There were a number of hockey teams staying at the resort. It couldn’t have been more picturesque, people playing hockey on the lake, a bonfire on the shore, performing in the beautiful main room.
Many thanks to the staff and patrons at both venues.
Jake Dudas, Guitarist
Viamede Resort, Stoney Lake, ON, January 2011
