CMJ Sampler

It never ceases to amaze me how little real credit is given to musicians and the music they create in a world that would be VERY different without it indeed!

Can you imagine the lack of suspense in even the greatest thriller movie without some chilling music creating the tension? How dull the atmosphere would be in a Saturday night town centre bar without music! Many TV & radio adverts just wouldn't work without music. Are you starting to get my drift?

The truth is that without realizing it music is an extremely important part of most peoples' lives and as such needs to be given great consideration when choosing a band for an important event like a Wedding, corporate event, function or the like. Having some form of musical entertainment is almost a must to ensure a great atmosphere, but just as important is which form!

As a professional musician myself, I have vast experience in many types of ensembles, from acoustic Jazz, folk & country though to electric blues, rock, funk and pop. All these genres have their place and some of the more obscure or specialist styles are the ones a musician will enjoy the most. However when choosing entertainment for a wedding, corporate event or party usually 'music lover' genres like blues, country, jazz etc. are completely the wrong choice! "Why?", you might ask.

Well the majority of the general public aren't what I'd call 'music lovers'. Many people can't hear a guitar solo on a record, they don't know what a bass is and quite frankly they don't care. They DO, however, know ALL the words to 'Come on Eileen'; they'll sing at the top of their voices to 'I Will Survive' and will ecstatically 'strut their stuff' to 'Car Wash' and 'Celebration'! Are you getting the picture? I've known bands with some of the finest musicians in their field, some which are so famous and renowned they have guitars named after them, be 'paid off' at weddings and asked not to play their last set because they were playing blues or the like. Probably the finest music you'll hear but non music lovers will simply never get it.

So if music's so important at an event, but great music in the 'music lover' sense is the wrong choice, how does one find a band that is made up of professional highly skilled musicians, yet plays out and out dance floor-filling classic pop tunes? Surely this is a contradiction in terms almost?! Well it's not - in fact there are many bands doing just that at an extremely professional level these days, usually made up of some of the UK's top session musicians too! One example of this kind of band is the function band 'Boogie Express'. Boogie Express is made up of only fully professional musicians who've played on lots of records, CD's and so on and have all worked with some of the biggest names in the business! What bands like this have done is to channel all their years of experience in both the music business and in show business into creating an 'ultimate' party band experience.

There are many bands similar to Boogie Express out there, and if you search Google and the like with terms like 'function band' you should find many more.

I do hope you find this article helpful in understanding the best way to incorporate great music and entertainment into an event and wish you all the best - what ever your musical tastes!

About the Author:

Professional bassist for over twenty years. Experienced teacher of music and leader of a professional function band

Also runs a specific Wedding Band service.

Worked with many, many famous named musicians.

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Blow-Up! (DVD: EMI Video) (Some of the most cutting-edge artists from 2003 are featured on BLOW-UP)

DVD. 2003. Some of the most cutting-edge artists from 2003 are featured on BLOW-UP, a video compendium that is sure to delight indie-rock fans everywhere. The wide range of artists include familiar faces such as Liz Phair, The Dandy Warhols, Radiohead, and Coldplay, as well as up-and-coming talent such as The Music, Fischerspooner, The Vines, and Ok Go.

Big Band Swing and the Lindy Hop come up together...

It was around 1927, it was new and it was hot!... It was big band swing and lindy hop, and it was happening in Harlem at the Savoy Ballroom, New York city. It wasnt called the Ballroom just because there were bands there.. no, the Savoy is were the kids went to dance. The Charlston was on the out and the lindy hop was coming in. The dancers took the name from Charles Lindbergh after being the first man to fly a plane across the atlantic ocean from New York to Paris.

Swing dancing, or Lindy Hop as it was being called, grew up with swing music. It had elements from the Charlston as well as the 8-count structure from the European style where partners danced close together. The great thing about the lindy hop is the dancers can break away from the structured 8 count and do improvisational steps which could include big twirls and turns and throwing your partner in the air. This improvising element was obviously a big part of the swing music as well.

I think its interesting how lindy swing dancing evolved alongside the big bands that performed regularly at the Savoy Ballroom which became famous for their >b>battle of the bands and dance competitions. Imagine how much energy those big bands in the late 20s had during one of those battling sessions! They didnt use microphones yet but there were a lot of musicians on that stage to fill the room with sound, a sound that fuelled the lindy hoppers with energy and excitement.As every musician knows, that energy bounces right back from the dance floor to the stage, its totally reciprocal.

One influenced the other

This was the pop music of the day so going to the Savoy wasnt just to go and listen to a band, theyd be there to dance and party. Not only did the music influence the dancers but you can bet the good band arrangers were making sure their music would be knocking out the dancers. Things like instrumental breaks, long ferocious drum solos, horn solos that gave time for the soloist to take it over the top which in turn made for some over the top moves on the dance floor. One affected the other. Big band swing and lindy hop... a perfect match!

Ive had the opportunity to play for many swing dance events and Ive also experienced dance events that used recorded music, its just night and day, two totally different things. Even the difference in energy that a 5 piece band and a 15 piece band can create is huge.

One of the most important bands from the time was the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. Henderson is credited for establishing the instrumentation and many of the arrangement techniques that lasted throughout the swing era. He also hired some very important musicians, the two most notable were trumpeter Louis Armstrong and tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins.

The other key figure from the Savoy Ballroom was Chick Webb who had the most popular band among the dancers. Webb was a lovable little guy, literally cause he was only about 5 feet tall due to a spinal disorder. He was the first drummer to lead a big band and was considered the best among his contemporaries like Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, and Louie Bellson.

Two notable members of his band were a 17 year old Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan. But it was Chick Webb who really drove the band with his excellent drumming and wild solos which always had the potential to drive the dancers into a frenzy.
This era of music and dance started to fade in the mid 40s as people started to open up to other styles but neither has ever totally disappeared. Today there are people dancing the lindy hop and bands playing swing music all over the world.
Big band swing and lindy hop... 80 years and counting!

Johnny Ferreira is an award winning saxophonist, international touring and recording artist. Advocator of saxophone music that rocks, jumps, and swings. For more information, music, and articles including audio samples of big band swing see you at http://www.JohnnyFerreira.com

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Best of

Many years ago I asked a good friend of mine who is now a very successful professional musician, what my next step in learning was as a musician. I was so surprised with the fact that he could play anything he heard without fumbling for notes; and not only on the keyboard, but also on the bass, the guitar and several other instruments.

He told me that the most important thing a musician should learn is HARMONY. Now, I fully understand why:

When you study harmony, you are not only studying guitar, but all instruments at the same time. Harmony is notes and chords in their context. You start to understand the relationship between note intervals and scales, scales and chords. You know what will work effectively in a musical situation and what will not. You can consciously combine genres (i.e. fusion).

Once you've started learning harmony, you literally 'take off' musically. You have so many directions you can go that you'll never get bored. There's always something new to discover once you get 'out of the box'.

But the problem is which direction to take, what to learn first and what to leave for later on. When people are looking for online jazz guitar lessons; are they just looking for information, or how to put the information to good use?

If it were just a matter of information, the web is filled with hundreds of sources to find out what the Lydian Mode is, for example. Wikipedia itself has the definition and an explanation for anyone interested in knowing about it. But how to put it into use effectively is an entirely different matter.

Good online Jazz guitar lessons are well structured in a step-by-step manner and this takes the guesswork out of your learning. You learn step-by-step through watching videos and seeing it written in musical notation and TAB, practice it and consolidate it by playing along with backing tracks so you get the right feel. By learning in this way, you can clearly see how much you've progressed; and being able to play exactly what you hear is one step closer every time.

Ruben Cardos has been a non stop studio and live musician as well as sound technician, electronics technician and sporadic guitar teacher for well over 25 years. Learn more about the #1 recommended "Play What You Hear" guitar method for learning harmony and improvisation by Chris Standring at BandSuccess.

BAND SUCCESS: WHAT YOU NEED TO GET THE SHOW ON THE ROAD!

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Runaway

Origin:

Rueda de Casino originated in Havana, Cuba in the 60s. Rueda is a particular style of Salsa where dancers form a circle and dance in pairs (leaders and followers). All dancers perform the same moves as they are called by the "caller" and dancers swap partners quite a few times during one dance.

Music:

Rueda's music is exactly the same as Salsa music, as it is just a variation for the dance and not the music. The music is played in 4/4 with beats 4 and 8 representing a pause and the other beats representing steps. Claves, Congo or the tin drum are often used to mark the main beats of the music.

Dance:

Rueda is a particular style of Salsa where dancers form a circle and dance in pairs (leaders and followers). All dancers then perform the same moves when the moves are called by one person in the circle. Most of the moves involve dancers changing partners and so, dancers find themselves moving around the circle during a dance. A lot of the moves have hand signals to represent them, which is particularly useful when dancers are dancing in a big circle or in a noisy environment when it is not particularly easy to hear the caller. Most Rueda moves are common to partner dancing in Salsa, whereas some are specific only to the group variation of the dance.

Latinos NZ Popularity Scale: 7/10

Rueda is quite popular in New Zealand and is quickly gaining popularity with more dancers getting used to the dance. On an average night out in a Latin Club in New Zealand, you will often see "Rueders" get together for a few Ruedas.

Why dance with just one, when you can dance with them all?!

Article taken from Latinos.co.nz (http://www.latinos.co.nz)

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A Taste of Salsa, Volume II (Spanish & English Language)

In Volume II, Lisa and Andres build on the steps and lead/follow techniques that were introduced in Volume I. In addition, they show you more advanced turning combinations and new ways of moving across the dance floor. They also pinpoint suggestions for developing your own style. In addition, equal attention is paid to both the leads and follows so that you become a dynamic couple and a solid individual dancer. With these new patterns, your passion for Salsa and your confidence on the dance floor will continue to grow.

In this volume, the following steps are covered:
Basic three turn combination
Hand over heart turning combination
Hand over shoulder turning combination
The wrap
Adding style to your dancing
The walk
Putting it all together

With a bit of practice, you will soon become a Salsero.

Instruction for all volumes in the A Taste of Salsa series is given in both English and Spanish.
Customer Review: Great basics
If you are a novice and looking to learn in a correct and structured way, these videos (Vol I & II) are very sound and easy to understand. The videos are introductory, so if you already know the basics, perhaps they are not for you. Don't pay attention to the criticism of those who weren't smart enough to read the description and look for more information about the videos from the internet or the instructors' website. The videos are clearly labeled basic. That's why they are titled "A Taste of...." I gave it four stars because even though the intent to make the tapes universal by making them bilingual is good, it does tend to slow the lessons a bit. Why not use subtitles for the alternate language?
Customer Review: Salsa Instruction Starts Here
For those who wish to learn salsa through videos, this is the one for you. True, there are excellent intructional videos in the market; but without a strong basics, all those fancy moves shown in more advanced videos will not work for you. The dance instructors give you enough tips and alert you of common pitfalls so you can start dancing with proper form and style.

World Salsa Champion Ships | Links
world salsa scene, music ,calendar of events, plus local/international ... workshops, interviews with your favorite artists , reviews on CD's, books and ...
http://www.worldsalsachampionships.com/links.htm

Salsa Celtica + The Weekend Planet + 29/04/2006
On paper our featured artists & #8217 particular brand of ... It was tfirst ' salsa ' song ever heard by the young Scottish ... music .com ) ...
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/music/planetweekend/stories/s1615627.htm

Philadelphia Salsa Congress - Official Website
... salsa education and awareness, as well as bringing the dance and music alive in the city. ... ever " Salsa on the Parkway" bringing together artists such as ...
http://www.philasalsacongress.com/producer.htm

Cincinnati Salsa Festival 2008
... (as an extra), several salsa music videos (beginning in 1992), traveling ... to perform alongside major salsa recording artists formerly of the Ralph Mercado ...
http://www.cincinnatisalsafestival.com/performers.html

Hispanic Magazine.com - February 2006 - Features
Salsa fans attending a Larry Harlow performance may be subjected to a familiar ... Sure, those artists were the rock stars of the Latin scene, but they were also ...
http://www.larryharlow.com/newcontent/Hispanic%20Magazine_com%20-%20February%202006%20-%20Features.htm

Salsa , Latin Dance, Rumba
The Rough Guide to Salsa (New Edition) Artist : Various Artists . Manufacturer: World Music Network ... Music products for Salsa : I Love Salsa : Essential Dance ...
http://danislaclave.com/uk/Keyword/Salsa/

..:: DJ HENRY KNOWLES ::.. 2nd SALSA FESTIVAL CANDELA & FRIENDS ...
Home Artists Programm Workshops Hotels Galerie Reviews Tickets ... of knowledge about Salsa music and its history, his music library, and ability ...
http://www.salsafestivalcandela.de/2008/artists_dj_henry_knowles.php

Genres: National Geographic World Music
... GEO MUSIC MAIN ARTISTS VIDEO & DOWNLOADS ... Scottish salsa ? ... Get weekly audio downloads and meet the international artists behind the music . Subscribe Here ...
http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.co.uk/worldmusic/view/page.basic/genres

2006 West Coast Salsa Congress - Musician Seminar
THIRD ANNUAL SALSA MUSIC SEMINAR. Where: LAX MARRIOTT HOTEL. Los Angeles, California ... have been associated with top artists , such as; Tito Puente, Machito, ...
http://www.alberttorresevents.com/congress/2006/musicseminar.asp

Summer Salsa Extravaganza
... combine many music and dance styles with lively salsa music and choreography. ... and performed with many recognized artists such as, Michael Jackson, The Buena ...
http://www.peoplewhodance.net/summer/salsa/instructors.php

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