Back Online and On Track

It's been a very busy beginning of 2013! Like I mentioned before in a previous post, quite a few of my steady gigs are completely gone. Even though my weekends have been pretty slow, I ended up staying pretty occupied.

Some memorable moments.......

taking acting classes at HB Studio and at SAG, been on few recordings as a sideman with wonderful musicians, saxophonist TK Blue, and vocalists Myriam Phiro and Scot Albertson.  I am happy to be part of the Aaron Gottlieb Agency jazz artist roster (he just booked me at the Blue Note on May 18 for the late set) and with Burning Gums on the Price Rubin artist roster. I also had a great time performing in a series of concerts with soulful saxophonist Sedric Choukroun and the heavenly vocalist Hilary Gardner for the opening of the Orchid show at the New York Botanical Garden.

The project that I've been working for almost 6 months and just completed is my jazz guitar learning website PracticeJazzGuitar.com I was working on this myself and finally I broke down and got some help. Aaron Gottlieb referred me to Scott Feldman at D.I.-Why. Scott is a wonderful website developer. He got me straight on the project and now I'm happy about the way it turned out, especially my students. 

I'll be back with more news soon. 

Peace, Ron

Spectrum Travel Size Acoustic/Electric Guitar (Google Affiliate Ad)Emedia EG07097 Guitar Accessor (Google Affiliate Ad)

 

NAMM January 2013 Anaheim CA

The NAMM SHOW January 2013 Anaheim, CA was quite a big adventure!

I got to meet all my endorsers, see old friends, play a little music and listen to great music.

I played at the JodyJazz Mouthpiece booth with alto great and founder Jody Espina, the Eastman Guitars booth with Jon Pisano and solo 7-String guitar and at the Hammond Organ booth with Dr. Lonnie Smith. Also I worked for the Thelonious Monk Jazz Institute teaching amazing students at Los Angeles County School for the Arts. It was over the top with people (100,000), constant music,

people I hadn't seen in years and endless walking through miles and miles of booths!

Guitar Master Frank Gambale!

Drums Master Peter Erskine!

With Organ Extraordinaire Dr.Lonnie Smith

Playing with Jody Espina at his JodyJazz Mouthpiece Booth

Jamming with Jody Espina at his JodyJazz Mouthpiece Booth

Some Hawaiian dancing, anything to sell Ukeleles!

Vocalist from the Rock Band Boston demoing some new product!

with great bassist and old friend Ira Coleman

With Amazing Drummer old friend Marvin "Smitty" Smith

My friend Seymour Duncan the pick-up genius :) and my endorser!

with talented young drummer Adrian Cota from the Thelonious Monk Institute High School Program

With youtube guitar sensation Phil "X" from

with jazz guitar great Gil Parris

with great bassist Christian Fabian

NAMM crazy guy!!!!!

with Reggie Padilla and Jody Espina

Ernie Isley from the Isley Brothers!

Ernie Isley from the Isley Brothers Signing with Michelle Debus from my Endorser Reunion Blues Cases!

With jazz drumming legend Ralph Peterson

With Jon Pisano at my endorser Eastman Guitars booth.

with my talented guitar student Mason Sacks

with the incredible saxophonist Don Braden

Muriel Anderson and Stanley Jordan!

with my old friend trumpeter Rashawn Ross of Dave Matthews!

Stanley Jordan, Dan Gottlieb and Mark Egan

Stanley Jordan!

Larry Goldings jamming on the Hammond Organ!

Seeing my Good friend Jack Wilkins at Bella Luna.

I finally started hanging out again after years of just gigging,then going home.
I decided to go at least once a week to see music, old friends and sometimes sit in. I used to do this all the time when first moved to New York. It became too much and expensive!
A couple of weeks ago I decided to go see Jack Wilkins at his weekly guitar hang at Bella Luna in Upper West Side. He had Ethan Mann on guitar as a guest that night. They sounded great!  I hadn't seen Jack for at least 10 years. The last time we played together was with the 5 Guitars Play Mingus in mid 90's( that shows how old I am!) We really had fun in that band. Everyone played back then, Larry Coryell, Russell Malone, Peter Leitch, Vic Juris, Peter Bernstein, David Gilmore and some others that I don't remember. When I saw and spoke to Jack, it was like yesterday.
He asked me to sit in and I accepted with pleasure. I played my new Eastman 7 string, which I still don't feel comfortable playing. I am still lost especially when transposing tunes. Most people say they don't notice but I do! Anyway it was really fun. I got to see old friends like guitarist Peter Mazza,  and play with percussionist Vanderlei Peirera and his wife Susan on vocals.  I was honored when Jack asked me if I want to play there. So I'll  be playing on July 31 Bella Luna with Jack.

New Endorsement - Eastman Guitars

Ron using his NEW Eastman 7-String Guitar!


I have been studying with 7 string jazz guitar master Bucky Pizzarell on and off since 2003.
I never realized that he was in his mid 70's when I started! His spirit is so young. I only wanted to learn his Freddie Green style comping technique. I swear it took me 2 years to get that together. I can explain more about his comping style in another post. Ever since I started studying with Bucky, he's insisted on me buying a 7-string guitar. I was thinking whenever he asked me, "is he crazy, that's too much, I already find it difficult playing 6 string."

For you guitarists, would you ever switch to a 7 String?

 Well, we had a concert together at Flushing town Hall in December 2011. After really hearing Bucky play that guitar again so well, I decided to finally buy one. I spoke to Bucky's right hand man on guitar Ed Laub who I met playing with Bucky at the same concert. Ed told me that Eastman makes the most affordable, well-made, great playing guitars. He said the guitars are made in China (what isn't made in China) but that they read the by book Bob Benedetto on arch top building and studied in the USA. Well they have in down. I ordered a used Eastman 810CE-7 online from Guitar Center in late December 2012. This 810CE-7 is a 2007 in great condition. The day it arrived, I took it right to a gig with saxophonist Sedric Choukroun and vocalist Lezlie Harrison. It was the perfect gig for 7-string guitar no bass. I was lost!!!! I had the 7th string tuned to a low B since I was use to playing my 5 string electric bass like that. I spoke to Ed Laub after and he said to tune it to a low A to double the 5th string. I didn't understand that at first. Bucky explained to me later during a lesson that George Van Eps used this tuning.

Well I love my Eastman guitar. It has great tone, playability balance, at a great price. I love the rich low bass notes of the A string. On a solo or duo it's ideal. Bucky says bass players hate it! I have played my 7-string with bassists. All I do is avoid playing the low A string. When the bassist takes a solo or when I want to use power of the A string for endings etc. I play the low A. The 2007 Eastman I own has no volume or tone control built in, so I need to use a volume pedal on gigs.  

Since getting my 1st Eastman I had gone the NAMM show in Anaheim in January.
I met with their people there. I met LA jazz master John Pisano and jammed with him at their booth. Now I am an Eastman 7 String artist. I own 2 different Eastman 810CE-7 7 String Guitars, a 2007 and 2012 with a built in volume and tone control on the neck. I am also having an Eastman AR403CE customized adding a 7-string neck. They are great affordable arch top guitars.

Learning the 7-string has been a challenging learning curve. I still mistake the 7th string for the 6th,sometimes I can't name chords I am playing, sometime I'm lost especially when I am reading or transposing. Otherwise I really enjoy playing 7-string guitar. I love all the possibilities of the low a string. It's keeps me on toes, always thinking, learning and discovering. I am practicing even more now because I am very inspired. Bucky who is 86, practices everyday at 7am,while maintaining a busy touring and recording schedule. I feel in my case that Bucky wants to pass on the tradition to me because not many guitarists play 7-string. Music really does keep you young.

The "Burning Gums" Debut CD !!!

Come check out The Burning Debut Gums CD  !!!!

  “Burning Gums” is a CD you will no doubt appreciate through and through. This recording is exquisitely original, tasteful and a must for your music collection."
 Eric Frazier 

Jazz Journalist

Jazz Inside Magazine

 

 

“Burning Gums is Jazz that Burns and Spreads”
www.burninggums.com 

Representing three continents, Burning Gums is a fresh new color on the seemingly endless palette of jazz guitar bands. The trio's debut album contains nine exciting tracks showcasing high caliber musicianship expertly navigating between the many styles of music from samba to swing. Interesting compositions  and unusual arrangements of classics like So What and Killer Joe will keep listeners pleasantly alert. Norbert Marius’ smooth bass grooves provide solid foundation for guitarist Ron Jackson’s sophisticated improvisations, which are expertly matched by Matsu Hiroyuki’s energetic drumming, all creating the very special sound of Burning Gums. A sound that will make its mark!  A true jam.

 The Burning Gums is Ron Jackson-Guitar (USA)Norbert Marius-Bass(Hungary) Hiroyuki Matsuura-Drums and Percussion.(Japan)

What a Summer!

It was busier than normal for me this past summer,even though I didn't do any touring. I focused on finishing projects here at home.

I am in the final stages of finishing my acoustic guitar CD. I am doing everything myself, producing, arranging,writing,mixing,editing,worrying (going to the Applestore and taking One To One Classes) . It takes hours doing this, but I am learning so much. My CD will feature all original tunes, on nylon and steel string guitar. Styles include ragtime, fingerstyle,modern jazz, calypso, bossa, new age, flamenco, my youtube rendition on Danny Boy and 99 Baloons as the only covers.



I did some recording work with alto saxophonist Carl Barlett Jr., which we rehearsed this one song. This was the hardest melody I ever had to learn. You'll be hearing alot from this guy.
I also did a recording session vocalist Lisa Kirchner, which was great.Willie Jones, Dwayne Burno, Xavier Davis, Vincente Archer and Sherman Irby were on the session as well. We did jazz renditions of classical composers Charles Ives, Leon Kirchner, among others.

Still holding the fort at Night of the Cookers with Greg Lewis-Organ and Chris Brown-Drums every friday in Fort Greene Brooklyn. Also every week with Sedric Choukroun at Brasserie Julien and at Private party agencies, Bud Maltin and Touch of Jazz. I had some fun performances with violinist Gwen Laster and bassist Damon Banks as well.

There so much other stuff that happened this summer, but I'll write about that later.

Peace, Ron

Danny Boy Irish Cover Ron Jackson Solo Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar

This is my arrangement of "Danny Boy", with a modern twist, which will be featured in a future CD of traditional songs, anthems and ballads.Danny Boy, is widely considered an Irish anthem, although written by Englishman Frederick Weatherly, based on the Londonderry Air in 1910. Nonetheless, "Danny Boy" is considered by many Irish and Canadian Americans to be their unofficial signature song. Transcriptions and music is available for this arrangement.