MICK GREEN WITH BILLY J. KRAMER, "I CALL YOUR NAME"

Here's a textbook example of how guitar players can benefit from listening to also-ran recordings. Briefly, I'm talking about the phenomenon of lesser recordings containing stellar guitar playing. Many would probably dismiss or ignore this Billy J. Kramer clip, since it's a weaker version of the Beatles song "I Call Your Name." Okay, Billy J. is no John Lennon, but I'll let others engage in that debate elsewhere. We Tele pickers are concerned with Mick Green's A+ playing. I love George Harrison, but whereas George was a little-engine-that-could type of instrumentalist, working harder than many contemporaries to develop technique that didn't come naturally to him, Mick Green is one of the technical greats of British rock. Ignored in this country, like Hank Marvin, Peter Green, etc., Mick Green kills on cut after cut. I'm slowly working my way through these youtube clips, looking for classic Mick Green playing. There are tons of clips of Green with the Pirates, a solid and in fact pretty intense hard rock band, but these Dakotas clips are a different animal. In a less rocking setting, Green does what James Burton, Nokie Edwards, Jimmy Page, George Barnes et al do so well-- he brings some raunch to a pop session. This kind of approach gives me an almost religious feeling when I hear it.

I'm in the process of putting together some videos where I demonstrate some playing inspired by Green, Burton, and others in that elite group. Look for these to show up soon, knock on wood. (I suppose that wood should ideally be alder, or swamp ash.)
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GUITAR INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

I'm in the process of learning how to make guitar instructional videos. Most likely I'll begin with some short ones, and eventually move on to longer ones with more detail. Please feel free to comment here with any suggestions about what you'd like to see. I'll have a fair amount of free ones up here and elsewhere, and I'll be trying to figure out how to make money from them. My current plan is to post the shorter "teaser" videos for free, and make more in-depth lessons available for sale.

I've found that few people want to pay for tablature and transcription, and those who are willing to pay don't want to pay very much. Given that putting notation and tab together takes a huge amount of time, I'm refocusing my efforts on videos rather than notation. I'm gambling that instructional videos will be more enticing-- we'll see!

Now is a good time to send me suggestions, because in the short term there's a good chance I'll be available to make a video available for free that incorporates whatever you're looking for. Here's an incomplete list of things I'm considering.

VIDEOS FOCUSING ON SPECIFIC PLAYERS
DON RICH
FREDDIE KING
JAMES BURTON
ROY NICHOLS
CLARENCE WHITE
BILLY BYRD/LEON RHODES

VIDEOS FOCUSING ON SPECIFIC SONGS OR PROGRESSIONS
UNDER THE DOUBLE EAGLE
I IV V
my song "TONIGHT"
MY BABE (open E swampy/bluesy a la Burton, Fogerty, Mick Green, Little Walter, etc.)

VIDEOS FOCUSING ON MY APPROACH to PUTTING LINES TOGETHER
my style is a blend of country, rock, blues, and jazz

VIDEOS FOCUSING ON LEARNING THE WHOLE NECK
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ORDERING INFO FOR TRANSCRIPTIONS

ORDERING INFO FOR TRANSCRIPTIONS

To order, please send an email to Karl Straub, address karlstraub@hotmail.com. List the items you're interested in, or request anything not on list. After I get your email, I'll give you a total so you can mail in payment. (please note-- I can no longer do transcription work for people without receiving payment up front. After I receive your payment, I will send transcription, if it's one I already have done, or I will begin the work and send on completion.
Please send checks to
Karl Straub
406 Cloverway Drive
Alexandria, Va 22314
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STEVE MORSE W/ THE DREGS, WABASH CANNONBALL ETC.

Okay, I'll admit, lickety-split fusion-type playing isn't my favorite thing. It's nice to hear it done very well, though, and who does it better than Steve Morse? Mixing in some country doesn't hurt, either. Great execution here; a lot of stuff worth stealing for those who have plenty of time to kill.

They play a medley of Wabash Cannonball and another polka-esque fiddle tune whose name escapes me. Hey, do I have to do all the work around here?
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MICK GREEN WITH BILLY J. KRAMER, "MY BABE"

Here's Mick Green with Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. Billy J. and his group are one of the many also-ran British groups that popped up in the wake of the Beatles-- pretty limp, but any Mick Green sighting is important. Green is better known for his intense work with Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, but even in this more subdued setting he plays some good stuff. The second solo is a little more raw, the first a little less exciting, but there's good playing throughout. Little Walter's "My Babe," much like Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning," and Dale Hawkins/James Burton's "Susie Q," is ground zero for open E bluesy/swampy licks. You don't have to play this stuff on a Tele, but it helps.

Thanks to Bob Craver for posting this on facebook.
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LEON RHODES AND BUDDY EMMONS, "JAMMIN' WITH JIMMY"

Here are Leon and Buddy (version one) doing Speedy and Jimmy.

Thanks to Howard Parker for sending this along.
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DANNY GATTON, "REMINGTON RIDE"

More vintage Gatton, this time with Herb Remington's steel guitar classic "Remington Ride," which turns into one of Gatton's crazy medleys.
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