Pasti's in Roswell: Friday Night's Alright For Dancing

Glen hipped me that he wouldn't be on this one, and he was grateful to have a frequent sub in place for Fuji.  Always a good time here at Pasti's, and this night was no exception.  Sitting in for G-Clef was none other than Mike Little from Platinum Soul.  Mike is so laid back in person, but as a front man he was very outgoing.  It was a refreshing night of oldies but goodies, from his perspective.  There was a concern from Randy that we weren't as tight as we could be, but I think it was only an issue with one song.  Not bad for a gig with a leader I haven't seen in a good long time.  Derek was the star of this night, nimbly pulling off his 6-string flights of fancy without a pick.  Hard to play funk and solo without a pick, unless you're Lindsey Buckingham, Nils Lofgren or Jeff Beck.  D-Mac pulled it off.

There is some HVAC/exhaust apparatus that has been installed in the corner of the stage since the last time I was here.  It forces Randy to set up a bit to the right, which takes up some of the space where I would stand.  That puts me on the actual floor.  No big deal, but I am among the pressed hordes once the music settles in.  It makes for an intimate show, to say the least.  I have to reclaim my spot on the floor after the breaks as well.  A minor price to pay for the chance to groove and bump and grind with the unwashed masses.  We had some big fun and the shorter sets really fly by.  Stopped by Chaplins, down the road on S. Atlanta St. (Roswell Road or Hwy. 9).  It's a place I've passed hundreds of times so I was curious as to what the vibe was.  It is a big karaoke hot spot, so now I know.  I wondered around and then left the party as they noshed on wings.  Money has been tight, so no wings for me.

Michael Little

Randy Hutchinson

A good friend passing by in my limited space on the floor

Mike & Derek McCoy

Same Place Next Month: Back at the Cherokee Town Club ~ A Tribute to Derek McCoy

This was one of those classic hurry-up-and-wait scenarios.  It was a 5-piece version of Platinum with V fronting us.  One distinguishing note is that I set up without my pedalboard for the soundcheck.  It sounded great, playing my Stingray straight into the amp, which I guess I rarely do as it felt so unusual.  I ended up using the pedalboard after all, largely as Glen needed to run out to Guitar Center for a power supply for his keyboard and would have been able to use mine if I weren't using the board.  I figured I'd better have it in the chain to justify his trip.  Plugging straight in is fine.  It gives you that "it's all in the fingers" mindset that we all ultimately need to be in.  Even with effects, it's still all in the fingers.  I like to reiterate that I typically use compression and little else.  I love the compression for certain things, namely a level signal during the all-out funk-fests that the night brings on, harmonics that ring out loudly as the groove continues to bubble below, and tapping.  It's a peace of mind to know that my notes are almost always about the same level.  Granted, a great player uses dynamics in a very musical way.  I do as well, but they probably are compromised to an extent.  If I really need to get quiet, I have a volume pedal in line that can really be effective.  I can also lighten the touch and manage to get rather soft.  It's not like I've got the compressor set as a "brickwall limiter".  Other than that, I like an octave setting that is great for hip-hop and synth settings a la
Stevie Wonder.  Plus, it allows for a tuner to be always at the ready.  So what if it's a giant tone suck!  So I've heard.  To me, I don't hear that taking place.

So we ate our meal and waited upstairs for our time to play.  And we waited some more.  In the interim, I organized a rough draft of set lists for another band that I am playing with at the end of February.  I figured I could help with that and it kept me busy, doing the list via email on my phone.  It worked out, with some minor changes made later on.  Sometimes a key to getting through a long period of waiting is to have a book or a project to tackle.  Otherwise, boredom sets in and then one's energy is low.  There is nothing worse than waiting around to play and then feeling run down when the time finally arrives.  A good little e-project can be just the ticket for keeping the mind active and feeling good about the time slipping by.  Another good thing to do is practice, but it isn't always conducive when there are other band members hanging around, at least for me.  The gig went well.  I like the 5-piece gigs when I can sing some backups with Glen and Virginia, although I end up stepping on Glen's notes every so often.  It would be good to discuss or rehearse in this configuration at some point.  That's the way it goes.  We sounded good and the people danced and really had a good time.  It was a holiday party in January, so that is a nice way to break up the winter doldrums.

As I finished typing, I realized that this little gig might have been the last Platinum gig with Derek.  He is pursuing other musical ventures and the band is going to miss him greatly.  I have left the band and returned; perhaps the same will hold true for Derek.  He has been a highly musical force that has only helped to elevate our show.  His jazz, rock, and bluegrass chops are unparalleled.  I don't really know how his shoes will be filled.  Nobody has played Landslide, Don't Stop Believing, and Purple Rain as well as he can - come to think of it, those were his audition tunes all those years ago.  I admire how strong and fluid his bop vocabulary is.  We've torn through some killer renditions of perhaps my favorite jazz standard Stella By Starlight, as well as the Freddie Hubbard neo-standard Little Sunflower.  I also will always marvel at how quick he (and Glen for that matter) can pick up on a new tune.  I hope to play with Derek again (I did play with him at Pasti's shortly after this night, in the Third Party band).  As different as we may be, we are kindred spirits, going through some turbulent times in our lives as frustrated musicians with family responsibilities.  Good luck in your new directions D-Mac, and here's hoping we see you again real soon, hopefully on stage right between Gus and Anton at a venue near your home.  Fly on, little wing...

Derek McCoy

Callanwolde Junction

I have to plan ahead to make sure I'm on the job with this supergroup of heavyweights!  It's impressive as they do it on their own terms.  When everybody is on the same page like these musicians are, it makes the whole process effortless.  Soundchecks are a simple run-through of the first dances for the reception.  The PA system is continuously getting upgraded, in this case, new powered mains and a new digital board.  Everybody gets a separate monitor mix.  They've recently acquired new LED lights.  The setlist is plucked from their extensive repertoire by the bridal party, as it should be.  This does indeed keep us on our toes.  I made certain to learn the Phish tunes requested: Down With Disease, Sample In A Jar, and Chalk Dust Torture.  We've played the first two listed, but CDT was new for me.  I learned the seemingly oblique (until one learns the pattern) form and the fast runs near the end (Audacity is my friend for transcribing - I use it for lowering the tempo and changing keys as well.  No musician should be without it!).  

We went over the new one as well as the Otis Redding classic That's How Strong My Love Is and John Lennon's Rubber Soul standout In My Life.  Between the keyboardist and myself, we had the harmonies sounding nice.  The rhythm uitarist Chris effortlessly nailed the vocals on these.  With his broad range and smooth tenor voice, he really made it look easy.  I've played Gimme Some Loving a bunch, but nobody ever wants to sing it in the original Spencer Davis Group (with young Stevie Winwood) key of G except for Chris.   That tells you something right there.  Speaking of young, the eternally youthful Mark is the drummer who ups the ante on the groove.  It's his fine new digital mixing board that helps to deliver the crystal clear audio.  It's also his drive for organization and communication that keeps this band climbing up the ladder of success.  Big Tyme, who deals with much of the behind-the-scenes responsibilities, brandishes the sweet liquid tone on his white Fender Stratocaster and Divided By 13 amplifier that is perhaps the signature sound of this band.  His chops allow us to really emulate and transcend the jam-band genre that perhaps separates this group from the plethora of so many other wanna-be's out there.  Word of mouth shall only continue to serve these performers well. 

My pontifications can be a bit self serving.  I just haven't played with these guys much lately.  We were back at the Callanwolde Fine Art Center once again.  It's a typically loud room, but we weren't too worried.  The volume seems to be kept in check.  We had a small amount of time to eat what they brought to us, change into our stage clothes, and write out some sets.  We did play an extended jazz set and I did indeed play my NS electric upright for it.  I think the last time I had used it was during that torrential rain storm at Java Monkey, so at least I know it still works after getting rather wet!  We did the usual stuff, with a great Moondance thrown in as we introduced some vocal tunes.  I also used my Fender Jazz and the Stingray 5 for the main sets.  I always feel it's good to have a passive bass in the mix, just in case.  The dances went well, as expected.  These people really got into it and had a great time dancing.  Odd that we didn't play any Phish tunes after all.  Better to be over prepared than under.  It was an early hit and an early end, so we were packed up and out of there by 11:30.  

Ceremony musician

Chris

Mark

Brian

Daniel

Pics of me courtesy of Daniel

Billy Batts Ensemble is on my_____ in 2014: Grateful Dead at the Country Club

The Billy Batts Ensemble
Walt Austin, Brian Molin, Mark Letalien, John Hancotte

We take requests!  At a private club nestled in downtown Atlanta, that can be a dangerous proposition.  For The Billy Batts Ensemble, it's really no sweat.  If a member wishes to hear some Grateful Dead, they've come to the right place at the right time.  After all, our keyboard wizard and vocalist Walt Austin was found sent out running and taking his time in the ongoing Dead tribute band Cosmic Charlie.  Even my old band Jellyroll Blue was noted as being a Jerry-fied experience.  So many great songs.  We played Friend of the Devil, not the slow version and not as peppy as American Beauty either.  The patrons ate it up.  We also did Wild Horses by the Stones, which I ended up singing with help from the boys.  Loved how we went from All Blues, certainly a favorite jam tune to call, into a later Miles staple Tutu, with the riff and melody from the War classic Low Rider tossed into the mix.  That's the kind of stuff we can get away with on this gig.  We closed the night with an impromtu take on Bob Marley's Jamming, although we had discussed playing Natural Mystic.  I have vowed to work on that one.  Here's the intro, tabbed out with rhythms:

It was good to see these buds of mine once again.  I missed out on the December date as I had another job that night.  I am plagued with conflicts that overlap, followed by weekends with nothing.  Why is this gigster's calendar so uncooperative?  I corralled the lads into having our picture taken, just for the sake of having one.  I also used it as a the basis for our new myspace (my_____) page, found here: Billy Batts Ensemble on myspace.  We are the Atlanta division, as drummer/vocalist/businessman extraordinaire Seth Hendershot still maintains an older version of the band from his Athens standpoint.  You know you're big time when you have to be concerned with multiple acts licensing the same name!  Check out our new web presence and look for more "Batty" activity happening this year!

Thanks for reading!