Stacy Phillips- The Afro-Semitic Experience

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

This past week I had the opportunity to see and hear "The Afro-Semitic Experience" headed by pianist Warren Byrd (no relation to Jerry

) and bassist David Chevan. Stacy Philips plays resophonic guitar & violin (also lap steel on their recordings)

The music is a kinship of Jewish music and African & African American music with a jazz, blues, European, & Americana influence.

Piano, bass, saxaphone, clarinet, violin, steel/resonator, drums, hand drums and percussive chachkas are employed in a unique and creative manner.

This is beautiful, and beautifully played music. Nothing typical, cliched or redundant about this music.

That being said, I was anxious to see Stacy in concert as he is an important instructor and innovator who has reached many of us with his books/recordings of the various styles of resophonic guitar playing.

pretty long sentance, huh?

Stacy played mostly resophonic in the live concert. It was an education (a very pleasurable one) to watch him apply all of the techniques that I have read about, in a practical, live application.

One of the things that is not easy to do (at least for me), is to take the 6 string G tuning out of a bluegrass sounding context. I believe that the tuning itself, along with the tone it produces, coupled with finger picking rolls, tends to corner the instrument in this context.

I really enjoyed seeing & hearing the instrument played so proficiently in quite a different form of music. One of the techniques that Stacy employs so well, which takes the guitar into another realm, is simultaneous slanting and string choking. He is certainly a master of that. The chords and harmonies that he was getting from this is truly an aural work of art. The solos taken (by all the musicians) were truly wonderful. You would think that this music, much of it ancient as it is, was made for the resonator.

More concerts are listed on Stacy's website. If you are in the area, do yourself a solid and don't miss The Afro-Semitic Experience.
http://www.stacyphillips.com/

Ok, this post was rather long winded for me, but I'm getting my 5 bucks worth out of this forum. $4.00 to go 'til I break even.

Thanks for the heads up Stacy. BTW, both CDs are on very heavy rotation right now.

[This message was edited by HowardR on 26 September 2004 at 08:08 AM.]

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

I Wish I'd seen that show, Howard. I've admired Stacy's take on reso for many years. I ahve to disagree with you only about the G tuning being limited... so many players do keep their playing in the "bluegrass" roll-based direction, perhaps becuase there is so much stellar playing in the bluegrass reso genre to admire! But I think the G tuning is only limited by the intent and direction of the player. It lacks the swing and easy minors of a 6th chord tuning, but there's so much just laying there...wish I had two extra lifetimes just to study reso!

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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

Mark, I didn't mean to say or imply that the G tuning is limited. It certainly isn't. It certainly takes technique and innovation to get it out of the bluegrass type sound that it inherently has, and into a completely different genre.

In the 70s, the was a group in NY called The Central Park Sheiks. Matt Glaser, who some of you may know of, was the fiddle player, although that's besides the point. Bob Hipkens was the dobro and trumpet player. His playing was nowhere near bluegrass and he played 6 string G tuning. He played a real swinging horn style on that pie plate.

Rose Room, Cherokee, Honeysuckle Rose, even San Antonio Rose (I guess he had an affinity for roses) had not even the slightest bit of bluegrass to it.

John McGann · From: Boston, Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.

And Tom Morrell wails up a storm on swing tunes in open G as well...and Rob Ickes did a whole jazz CD (which I haven't heard yet, but have heard good things about) in open G...it's 1/2 a normal guitar, tuning-wise, so it's logical that it would work, especially for single note lines. I have done a bit of it as well.

Stacy is a true adventurer on the instrument. His work in the 70's with Tony Trischka and Andy Statman really inspired me to play acoustic music.

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff.

Joaquin Murphey solos book info and some free stuff : http://www.johnmcgann.com/joaquin.html

[This message was edited by John McGann on 27 September 2004 at 06:27 AM.]

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

I found this on his site about an upcoming NYC gig;

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

Ah, John, now that you mention Rob Ickes that is just what I was trying to convey.

His foray into jazz on G tuning, "What it Is", is a good example.

I've enjoyed that CD enormously and consider it breaking ground & cutting edge. I wish I had a one thousandth of his talent because I'm not worthy to carry his guitar case or Stevens steel, so please don't get me wrong on this. It has a bluegrass sound playing in a jazz context with a lot of bluegrass technique and phrasing.

That's just how it sounds to me. It's not a criticism.

Travis Bernhardt · From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

What Howard said (about the Rob Ickes album).

-Travis

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