PhatFunkBlues

The holiday season is here; I have decided to delay the purchase of a Jetter Jetdrive Dual Overdrive pedal until after the first of the year. There are a number of kids in my life whose needs are more important than the acquisition of another effect pedal. I did buy a low budget DigiTech Bad Monkey to hold me over temporarily until after Christmas.

I must say that, even though I previously owned a Bad Monkey and was fairly unsatisfied with it, I have since been using a Jetter Gain Stage Red (GSR). The Jetter GSR really brings the Bad Monkey to life, and I am surprisingly very satisfied with the overall phat boost it gives my solos. So the combination of the two pedals will have to suffice until I can raise the funds for a Jetter Jetdrive.

After much more consideration, and again, NO hands-on testing, I have revised my decision to purchase a Jetter GS3 Dual Overdrive Pedal, instead I am now going with the brand new Jetter Jetdrive Dual Overdrive Pedal. I contacted Brad Jeter, the owner and designer of Jetter Pedals. We discussed the comparisons between the GS3 & Jetdrive, he gave his own opinions on them. But ultimately, I have to choose which pedal is right for me. If I’m correct, the Jetdrive is designed to sound more like the tone of a guitar amp just on the edge of breaking up, whereas the GS3 is designed to sound more like an overdrive pedal (if that makes any sense).

After much thought and research, although NO hands-on testing, I have decided to purchase a Jetter GS3 Dual Overdrive Pedal, to complete my guitar pedalboard. This should give me a wide array of lead tones, when soloing on either of my guitars, a Fender Strat & a Fender Tele, each of which have radically different tonal capabilities.

Come to Blue Bottle Espresso on Sat, Nov 21 to see and hear Kevin Christensen, the new drummer for “Be Hear”. I just met Kevin at our last gig, two weeks ago. I am impressed by his big ears, chops, and overall enthusiasm. We’ll also have a few more new songs to play.

I’ve been busy working at my day job, which has just increased from 20 hours to 40 hours per week. The challenge for me now is to maintain a healthy music practice schedule. I know I can do it but it’s going to take some organization and dedication on my part.

Like, not watching a movie after work so I can play guitar instead. Even 60-90 minutes per day can make a difference in keeping my guitar playing skills up to par. I got spoiled, having entire days to play. At least I can pay my bills more comfortably now, plus have a little extra funds to keep my music gear intact. Hmmm, I’ve been wanting a Cusack Screamer V2 overdrive pedal lately.

The first-ever “Be Hear” demo recording is online.

Recorded at Step-Headed Studio, in Tacoma, WA in August 2009, it features Cara Clarke (vocals), Stefan Abuan (guitar), Steve Bartlett (bass), and Merwin Kato (drums).

A special “Thank You” to Merwin Kato, who came in, completely unfamiliar with our music, and laid down the drum tracks; this was the first time we had ever met. He is a complete professional, a gentleman, and he plays super funky!

A big “Thanks” goes to engineer Joe Strom and producer Mikel Rollins (who also added a few touches on the bass & guitar parts).

The fantastic Lonnie Williams will be playing at The New Orleans Cajun Restaurant, in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. The show runs from 9:00 PM-1:00 AM, on Saturday, August 29. Come party with the band and the rest of the crowd.

Lonnie hails from Beaumont, Texas and plays saxophone like there’s no tomorrow…who knows? There may be no tomorrow, so why not play for your life every opportunity you have? That’s Lonnie’s philosophy whenever he steps onto the stage.

The band features Lonnie Williams (saxophones & vocals); Steve Nowak (guitar & vocals); Mikel Rollins (electric bass & vocals); Eric Wilcox (drums); and Stefan Abuan (guitar & vocals).

We will be playing a mixture of Jazz, Funk, Blues, with a heavy infusion of Soul.

Join the band “Be Hear” when we perform at Blue Bottle Espresso on Saturday, August 22. The band features the soulful singing and stage presence of singer Cara Clarke, electric bassist Steve Bartlett, and myself on guitar. The music will run from 8:00 PM-10:00 PM. There is no cover charge, but donations are joyfully accepted.

Flyer Artwork By Cara Clarke

“Be Hear” will be playing a few tunes, along with many other bands on Sunday, Aug 23, 4:00 PM. The place to be is Uncle Sam’s Bar & Grill, located at 16003 Pacific Ave, Spanaway, WA 98387. The gig is hosted by the band Big Nasty.

Cost: Donation
Phone: 253-507-7808

Join the band “Be Hear” when we perform at Blue Bottle Espresso on Saturday, August 15. The band features the soulful singing and stage presence of singer Cara Clarke, electric bassist Steve Bartlett, and myself on guitar. The music will run from 8:30 PM – 10:30 PM. There is no cover charge, but donations are joyfully accepted. There will be a special surprise for the audience (and the band); we will be joined by drummer Tom Murphy for this show. I’m very excited about playing with Tom; although I’ve never met him yet, he has BIG credentials, having been with Robert Cray’s band in the beginning.

Flyer Artwork By Cara Clarke