As you titled this an "exploration," I suppose it's fair to call it a real jazz odyssey.

That's amazing,my cat played that same song when I laid my Strat on the floor!!!

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Jazz stuff so often sounds out of tune I really can't listen to it. I suppose that was good, I really can't tell.

if someone first picks up the guitar and makes out of tune, out of time note choices it's considered bad playing, but when a jazz guy who's been playing for 20 years does the same thing it's considered genius. I'll never understand that.

You'll never understand it because it isn't true.

Jazz is not an exercise in playing out of tune and out of time, although some players use this perception of the genre to try to convince others that what they are playing is jazz, when all they are doing is making random noises.

For example: THIS is jazz guitar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rvl8ddQhok

I love Jim Hall! All the jazz guitar greats from the 50's are cool. That was radical $@!& for the times. Kenny Burrell, Wes, Barney Kessell, Grant Green. I can play in that style.... but I'm trying to move forward.

It's hard to be completely original on the instrument. So many great guitarists over so many years. It's 2009. Who's going to remember a guy today, that sounds and plays like Jim Hall. Nobody.

It's ok if you don't like my sound. I'm playing outside the diatonic scale sometimes. Hey, if you liked everything you'd be an idiot! Got to draw the line somewhere.

Today's strat heroes are guys like Wayne Krantz. Well .... he's my hero anyway.

Now it's time to practice playing chromatic scales.

I like Jackson Pollock's paintings. I like avante guarde jazz... and free jazz. I like prog rock too (shudder). Though I dislike hip hop and country and western. Vive la différence!!

You should check out the next wave of weird stuff coming down the pike. Take a listen to the Noisefest. It's an annual music festival that happens every year on the north west coast. I played there last year when it was in Eugene Oregon.

I forget where it is this year. Sacramento?

Anyway if you think my music is too strange, you need to get out more.

Well, I wasn't going to tell you, but since you've decided to pretend that what ou're doing is somehow "advanced," I have to respond.

Thatmusic isn't strange: it's terrible. Your playing consists of blues/rock licks (usually in the wrong key) interspersed with bursts of junk noise. It demonstrates that you don't have any theory knowledge... or, if you do, then you're not using it. It's not avant garde and it's certainly not jazz: it's just bad. Real bad. Risible, in fact.

You should follow Jim Hall's advice: "Make musical sense."

Yes! Your opinion is valid. I liked hearing the sincerity in there. Life is hard enough without having to listen to music you don't like.

Sometimes I want comfort food when I'm stressed. It's pancakes for me. Even at dinner. A plate of pancakes is nice. Music can do that for me too. I can put on Ornette Coleamn stuff, or Derek Bailey guitar solos when I'd like to be challenged, but sometimes I need to be soothed. I have a secret that I'll share with you. I like the music of Sade. Super saccharine pop stuff to be sure. But sometimes.... that's what I want.

I would like to hear some of your stuff too. Any place on the web I can hear you?

Ok. You've got me. I'm going to play 50's bebop guitar from now on. Maybe I can get a gig playing in the corner of a steakhouse while people are eating dinner. YES!

No more atonal or arrhythmic music for me by gum! I'm a changed man!
I'm throwing out all those Derek Bailey records right now!

Derek Bailey no more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XE2N4mxeRw

Come on SlapChop. How about a Youtube link of your stuff. I really want to check it out.

Even an audio clip would be good.

I've got lots of stuff on Youtube. I can't hide my terrible taste in music. It's all out there for the world to (painfully) hear. My own dreadful compositions and improvisations right out in the open.

Please?

Slapchop, how about a band website? A MySpace page?

Here's a couple of mine:

http://www.myspace.com/heustis

http://www.myspace.com/barnyardnewton

Come on buddy.... I'm putting out my hand.