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.
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.
