Any other musicians out there?

[UrbanKnight]

Anyone open up for someone famous?

Not opening, but I sang in the choir for the West Coast premier of Wynton Marsalis's All Rise, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen at the Hollywood Bowl, and also for the CD recording that same week. My pay barely covered gas to get to rehearsals, but picking the brains of 2 of my favorite musicians was priceless.

 

[GaryT]

Playing Drums my whole life, Rock/Metal/Prog. My drums and drumming come before everything!

 

[stealth6]

Playing Drums my whole life, Rock/Metal/Prog. My drums and drumming come before everything!

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Ok that's it. Basically the real key to getting any "band" started is the drummer. Gotta have a good drummer or the rest is just fail.

So.

We should start a TRF "band"! At one of the big national rocket events, we should try to get a few of the musician's on board to bring their gear and jam! I know a lot of you travel around and go to more than a few of the bigger events. If we can get a critical mass together - musician folks who would be going anyway - it could be fun to make some noise.

waddya think?

s6

 

[Wayne's World]

Started playing clarinet in 1973, at age 9. Switched to tenor sax in 7th grade, and played sax through high school. Mom bought a piano in 78 or 79, and I took lessons for 3 years. After high school, I picked up a Fender Mustang bass in a pawn shop and played in bar bands for 15 years so. I cut up my hand in a lathe accident in the 90's, and pretty much lost the use of the pinky finger on my left hand. I still have my bass, a few synths, my sax, my clarinets, and some recording equipment. I play every once in a while, but not regularly.

I played in a country band in the mid 80's, and we opened for Alabama and the Oak Ridge Boys. I don't like country. It pays the bills, though.

 

[Astro-Baby]

Fabulous DW kit there Gary.

I always favoured Rogers myself. Never had a double bass kit though, my weak bit was always my kick foot.

i'll see if I can find a pic but most if its on old 35mm slides.

Famous openers, yes sort of. At least they were famous for a while. Noe one in the Led Zep league for sure

 

[Tronman]

ok, this has nothing to do with rocketry, but I'm excited so I want to share.

I started playing bass when I was 15 (almost 35 years ago...man I'm getting old) and was lucky enough to buy a Rickenbacker in 1978. I was told it was a 1968 model when I bought it. Played it for many years, but I know it was worth more than average, so I started gigging with my "cheaper" basses. I haven't played in quite some time, but my son is starting to get interested in playing now. Got out the 68 to play in in order to give him some lessons, and was curious to find out more about it so I ran the serial number. Hard to believe, but it's really a 1964 4001!!

I've been posting on a Rickenbacker forum and it sounds like this bass is really rare and could go for as much as $10k. I paid $325 for it in 78! I wish rocket stuff would gain value like that.

Here's a pic of it.

That's one fine axe!! Rics are my favorite bass. I don't have a picture of mine handy, but it looks like this:

That one is a '76. Mine is a '74. I almost sold it once, but failed to make that mistake

Other guitars:

Epiphone EB3 (wish I still had my olde Gibson EB3 :sigh
Fillmore Mosrite '65 Mark I reissue with pickups handwound by Dana Moseley (Semie's daughter)
Agile AS-1000 2TS (Korean-made Gibson 335 clone)
Agile ST-802 RN 3CA (Strat clone)

 

[jFlds]

We should start a TRF "band"! At one of the big national rocket events, we should try to get a few of the musician's on board to bring their gear and jam! I know a lot of you travel around and go to more than a few of the bigger events. If we can get a critical mass together - musician folks who would be going anyway - it could be fun to make some noise.

waddya think?

s6

:y::y::y:

As if a bunch of rocketry folk together isn't bad enough...:y:

I'd drag my carcass up and voice some metal or punk with almost anyone.

Some Hetfield and Co. goes great with APCP! op::grin:

 

[Stymye]

I've built up quite a collection over the last 25 years ,several bands , mainly just noodle around anymore.

 

[GaryT]

My Latest recording, Revolution by Chaos Kings

 

[ndzied1]

Not really a mucisian but I spent most of my child hood in the Cavalier's Drum and Bugle Corps. Here is us at Winter Guard International in 1982 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDvSwn4BfYc

The kids are both pianists and right now that is where my son (12 yr. old) wants to go with his life. They each have another instrument as well. Son does trumpet, daughter does flute. I just supply the instruments or as I like to remind the kids, "The bank has a piano that they let us play."

Since Monday is the Martin Luther King holiday I thought I would share this:

On the Importance of Jazz


- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Opening Address to the 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival

God has wrought many things out of oppression. He has endowed his creatures with the capacity to create—and from this capacity has flowed the sweet songs of sorrow and joy that have allowed man to cope with his environment and many different situations.

Jazz speaks for life. The Blues tell the story of life's difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph.

This is triumphant music.

Modern jazz has continued in this tradition, singing the songs of a more complicated urban existence. When life itself offers no order and meaning, the musician creates an order and meaning from the sounds of the earth which flow through his instrument.

It is no wonder that so much of the search for identity among American Negroes was championed by Jazz musicians. Long before the modern essayists and scholars wrote of racial identity as a problem for a multiracial world, musicians were returning to their roots to affirm that which was stirring within their souls.

Much of the power of our Freedom Movement in the United States has come from this music. It has strengthened us with its sweet rhythms when courage began to fail. It has calmed us with its rich harmonies when spirits were down.

And now, Jazz is exported to the world. For in the particular struggle of the Negro in America there is something akin to the universal struggle of modern man. Everybody has the Blues. Everybody longs for meaning. Everybody needs to love and be loved. Everybody needs to clap hands and be happy. Everybody longs for faith.

In music, especially this broad category called Jazz, there is a stepping stone towards all of these.

 

[GaryT]

My Latest Recording :headbang:

Guitars - Don Joray
Drums - Gary Tortora
Bass - Todd Nicholson
Vocals - Marc Amendola

[video=youtube_share;t7ypzP3wl00]https://youtu.be/t7ypzP3wl00[/video]

 

[blackbrandt]

:grinoes pianist count?

 

[dr wogz]

I play a mean Jaw's harp..

twang twang twiddly twing twang twingy twang twang..

Hard to find anyone to play with tho..

 

[stevem]

amazing how many rocketeers are also musicians. Not a surprise I guess as both are incredible ways to express creativity.

RandyM - I'm like you, started playing bass guitar at 15. Wound up playing bass in bar bands in NW Iowa and SW minnesota for over 25 years. My first bass was a 1969 Fender Precision. Man I sure wish I hung on to that guitar like you did with yours.

That Rikky of yours is INCREDIBLE!