Susanne is teaching her first quarter up at Western Washington University, so we're having to skip a couple of weeks on the blog as she adjusts to her busy schedule.
In the meantime, however - and as a little celebration for her good fortune - here's a link to her favorite Faces song ...
We are letting the late great jazz guitarist, Barney Kessel say it all through words and playing tonight. Here he is on the program Jazz Scene USA, circa 1962 - enjoy!
Short and very sweet in words tonight - because her absolutely brilliant playing and wonderful commentary say it all (you can skip ahead to 2:13 to see just the performance of "Crazy on You" - but the backstage stuff at the beginning is pretty cool too) ...
Back in the day (around the time of this concert), a fellow guitarist and friend told Jesse about seeing Heart in concert - and as Jesse recalls, the guy was completely blown away by Nancy Wilson's playing. She became one of the most influential female rock players out there, and still manages to wow the crowds at concerts - just do a search on YouTube for recent performances by Heart to see her kick up the dust on stage. Here's one more video of them, performing "Barracuda" at the Sky Church in 2010, with sister Ann giving every young female vocalist out there today a run for their money ...
Incidentally, Heart's bassist, Steve Fossen (who plays on the first video in this entry), joined Jesse's band Strypes in the mid 1980s. He is great bass player and a really nice guy, and played with them for a couple of years. Yes, it was quite the small world back then in the Seattle/Tacoma music scene - as I suspect it still is! :)
I love the play back and forth between Santana and Schon in this version - amazing technique and tone in both these guitarists, which is only enhanced by that killer percussion section throughout the entire song.
Bill Graham moved his Fillmore Auditorium to the Carousel Ballroom on South Van Ness Avenue in 1968, and renamed it the Fillmore West (he also owned the Fillmore East in Manhattan). Building on an already world famous reputation, Graham would continue to feature the best of the best until the venue's final days in 1971. Everyone who was anyone on the scene performed at the Fillmore West, from Jimi Hendrix to Jefferson Airplane - and Graham was known for mixing it up in his bookings for a single night, featuring pure psychedelic rock acts on the same ticket as major blues and/or jazz groups. These were the days of affordable ticket prices and pretty intimate settings - so the crowds packed in and history was made night after night. Graham also hired professional artists to create some of the most iconic posters of the era - here are a couple from 1968 and 1970 that feature Santana alongside a handful of other amazing bands ...
Ah those heady days of colorful swirls and black light ballrooms - it must have been fun!
Feeling a bit under the weather today, so I decided to post a video tribute to some of our favorite slide players tonight - hope you all enjoy this lovely little trip down memory lane!
First up the legendary and absolutely brilliant Ry Cooder, performing "Vigilante Man" live on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973 ...
Second on our bill, the ethereal, but oh so solid Bonnie Raitt, performing "Sugar Mama" live on Burt Sugarman's The Midnight Special in 1977 - she's scary good in this ...
And last up, but far from least - those absolutely lovable English boys, The Faces, performing "Richmond" live on the BBC's Top of the Pops in 1971 (featuring both Ron Wood and the late Ronnie Lane on slide) ...
Also, a bonus track I chose for tonight - which has nothing to do with slide guitar - but man, Ron Wood kills on the guitar solo in this live performance by The Faces of "Maybe I'm Amazed" for the BBC's Sounds for Saturdays in 1971 - and the rest of the boys in the band are crazy good!! They were all so young here, and so happy - watching this put a smile on my face, and made my day just a little brighter ...
This will be the first of many entries that Jesse and I will post about Jimi Hendrix. One of the most important figures in the music scene from the mid 1960s until his death in 1970, Hendrix's influence remains a constant in the world of rock and pop today. He was, and still is a legend - someone who took electric guitar playing to a whole new level of creativity, while at the same time paying homage to those who came before him - and a player who approached performance with the sensibility of a fine artist.
Towards the end of his life, Hendrix was on par with some of the more socially conscious players of his era, bringing a sense of intellectual importance to the music he and other artists created during those years. For him the guitar was a tool that he could use to reach out to people through the language of music - and in interviews he had an almost metaphysical way of looking at how music was linked to the social issues of the day. Part playful trickster and part elder statesman, his turbulent childhood and tragic death were eclipsed by the heights he reached during the peak of his career. And throughout it all, he left a lasting impression on those who he encountered - and a lasting legacy for those of us who discovered him long after he was gone.
Hendrix with the amazing Buddy Miles during their Band of Gypsys days
Here are a few clips of Hendrix in action ... a) from a press conference in September, 1969, promoting a benefit concert for the United Block Association (UBA) in Harlem, at which he performed ... b) his interview and performance on the Dick Cavett Show in 1970 (if you who would like to skip Cavett's monologue, just fast forward to 5min 35sec) ... c) his absolutely brilliant performance of "Machine Gun" during the New Years concert at the Filmore East in 1970 ... and finally, d) a clip of Hendrix performing "In From the Storm" from the film Rainbow Bridge, filmed during the concert on Maui (July, 1970) ... enjoy!
It is almost 90F (32C) outside - a lovely but sweltering day for Bellingham - and Jesse and I decided to let a pro do the talking for us today ... the amazing and brilliant Mike Stern. Not only is he one of the most widely respected jazz guitarists around, with strong roots in the blues and rock, but he also happens to be one of the most charming professional artists who we have met over the years. A frequent visitor at the University of Washington Music Department (where Jesse's brother Marc teaches), he is fabulous in the workshop setting with students, generously sharing his knowledge and wonderful stories, and making everyone feel at ease.
I cannot find any information about where this two-part interview/mini-workshop was filmed - but it reminded me a lot of when we saw Mike a couple of years ago at the UW. He has absolutely perfect technique and an amazingly positive attitude about everything - a real joy to watch and learn from!
And here is a recording of a live performance by Mike in Paris a few years back, featuring Richard Bona on bass, Dennis Chambers on drums, and Bob Franceschini on sax - enjoy!
Jesse Seales has taught guitar for 10 years in the Pacific Northwest, specializing in rock, blues, jazz, and country. His students come from various backgrounds, including beginners to advanced players, and he teaches a wide range of age groups. With a teaching method that blends practical theory with an emphasis on learning songs, and strengthening improvisational skills and confidence, he is one of the most sought after teachers in the region.
Jesse worked as a full-time professional musician from 1975 to 1990, with several tours throughout the western United States, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Although his focus is now on teaching, he continues to perform on a part-time basis, and has contacts with working musicians throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Jesse earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from The Evergreen State College in 1996. He maintains connections to the academic music world through his brother, Marc Seales, who is a jazz professor at the University of Washington.
Susanne L. Seales is the author of the blog on this site, and occasionally helps with administrative duties at Jesse Seales Guitar Instruction. When not attending to business over here, she guides university students through a variety of historical landscapes, and works from time to time as a freelance writer and editor. In short, her life is a wonderful adventure, which she feels quite lucky to be traveling through -- including her off days, which are spent dreaming of crossing the Sahara on camelback, whilst strumming songs by the Faces on her ukulele.
About us ...
Jesse and Susanne met in 1989, and were married in 1991. They have enjoyed many adventures together over the years, including an absolutely brilliant summer in Greece, and an even more spectacular year in France. At present they live in a century-old apartment in Bellingham, Washington, which they share with their cat, Miss Penelope-Nut. In general, J and S spend their days reading, looking at art, collecting books, antiques and old photographs, and taking day trips to Vancouver, BC ... while Miss P-Nut spends most of her time napping.
