Andy Waddells' transformation from technical guitar playing kid into world famous creative force moved a step higher after last night's TEN SESSION.
Maybe it was the Nancy Sanchez effect? She does have that effect.
Or is it AFFECT? Nancy is proof that while microphone quality is important, the quality of the voice speaking or singing into has a greater impact. Nancy forgot her microphone. I had brought one, and trust me, it was not a very good one. Now, look at the way Andy is looking at Nancy.
Seriously, yes, ok, he has this thing for her; but, besides that, her voice is mesmerizing!
But even beyond this viceral thing, Andy Waddell is singing back to her. His fingers are his vocal chords. And he's finally allowing them to really say whatever they want. Every one of his other senses, while fully engaged and focused, give way to those fingers and the heart strings they're attached to.
Truth is more likely that every single time Andy plays now he gets a little bit better. A little more experienced. A little more focused.
All these young people are trying to figure themselves out and what they're style is and which direction they should be heading off into and who should they be listening to because ervybody is telling them to do this and to do that and ...
It doesn't matter.
Because they're al begining to understand that the most important voice is their own.
That's what maturity is all about.
Taking responsibility for your own actions, your own life.
For some of us, myself included, this realization can take many more years than we'd like. And for others, the realization comes early.
What we do with the realization is another story.
Andy's loosening up. He's more relaxed. He's More confident.
More humble.
He's playing is maturing.
It's calming down a bit. It's hearing pretty well right now.
It's like the hurricane is gone and the dust is settling and what is emerging is a most beautiful work of art.
Maybe it's the other players in the room who each are bringing a degree of their own passion and vision to the scene, maybe it was Evan Stone who popped in a played a few tunes.
Evan Stone.
What a gracious man.
What a talented drummer.
I like seeing that.
I like watching the ephiphanies sprouting likes grass in the yard, reaching for the sunlight.
I like having this around me.
"Yaay!", says Chuck, aka Alphabet Man.
"It's the scene Mike. This is a scene! It's a cool scene!"
You can see the smile on Tom's face through the shadows cast by the position of the house lights. As a photographer I prefer to be able to control the lighting on my subjects; however, I've found that when I'm working as either the still photographer on a movie set, at a concert, stage or other live performance, I am restricted to the venue's lighting.
Andrew Marks sets up the lighting at Table Ten, and I really don't like to mess with it. Andrew's been gracious enough to allow us to use both the lighting and the PA system he's set up for his own Thursday evening shows [1] which have been running continuously for five years, making Andrew Marks the longest running act in Fullerton. [2] Terry Alexander's band TAG is likely Number 2. If there is an act that has been scheduled the same night of the week continuously for more than five years in Fullerton, let me know and we'll go and check it out.
Andew altered the lights recently and I like what he did. He's using a little more bounce off the rafters and I like the way it splashes from the ceiling down. I also like how it seems that everyone on the 'stage' is lit a litttle more evenly. In the past, the light was focused more on the back corner, which is where Andrew plays, and of course, makes sense, given that it is Andrew's show and the light's are Andrew's; but a big part of Andrew's show are the players and singers that join him, and as a rule, the singers seemed to always get the worst lighting. Andrew seems to have recognized this because I'm noticing more even lighting.
But enough technical jargon. Look at the faces of the players. There's your story. In part told by the lighting. In part by the style of the photographer. And in part, the major part, by the emotions and conversations of artist to artist and artist to self. I am always excited to see such focus, intensity, control and pure abandonment and enjoyment of the experience on the artist's faces.
This is why I do what I do.
If I can somehow manage to give someone who was not there, the sense and experience of being there through the images and the sounds recorded ... if I can do this, then this idea of creating community through art, music .... food, beverage ... conversation, etc ... it all comes together.
Matt and Greg, who showed up on Tuesday's Generation Gap, came back for the Ten Session and I believe are emmisaries of the evolution that is coming. These talented musicians seem to have a love for music and not the specific genre and this is exactly what we're looking to nurture.
The fact that they seem to favor the rock n roll side of the spectrum definitely brought a smile to Tom Bremer's face, which as I've said, could not be obscured by the shadows of the house lighting. Nor could Tom's voice, which seems to becoming much more comfortable with extending it's audible range.
I can clearly envision a day in the future when Tom Bremer (did I spell it right TOM?) is playing and singing on a major stage.
I am excited, as should anyone reading this, for the Dec 27 show at Table Ten, when we inaugerate the our rock n roll jam with Terry Alexander. I've got the coolest house band in town assembled to provide a sound and visual backdrop for Terry Alexander that will seriously define the word JAM.
What is a JAM?
Yes, we all know it is a fruit spread.
Which is commonly eaten on toasted bread.
But why call a group of a musicians, who may or may not know each other, who may or may not be playing music that is actually written down, a JAM SESSION?
Why is that? I could do an internet search.
Sure.
But, just off the top of my head. Why?
Is it because Jam is composed of this collection of ingredients whose sum total tastes better than the individual parts?
I don't know. I've got think about this for a moment.
What I do know is that a JAM SESSSION is about allowing the creative juices to take risks and feel free to abandon expectation and the metrics associated with classroom lecture and homework assignments.
The JAM SESSION is an attempt to allow the Ethereal MUSE, the unknown, the seventh sense, and subconscious ID to give EGO some personal time away at the movies [3]
For better or worse, The Ten Session is truly becoming a Jam Session! People want to play. People are coming to play. The key element at this point which will keep this from turning into a competition is for everyone that participates to not allow negative comments about the musicianship to be bandied about. A Jam Session is just that. A Jam Session is an opportunity for people who might not have the time, the resources and/or the motivation to play in a group, to become part of a 'band'. It matters not how good it sounds; rather, it matters that a good balance of enjoyment is created between those participating and those listening.
Because the Jam is in a commercial setting, where the end motive is to make a profit, those managing the jam must be able to be omnicient enough to be able to gauge audience reaction vs individual satisfaction and keep both these levels at a high enough point without letting distortion ruin either.
If the individuals coming to the jam don't feel welcome; or, if they feel intimidated; or, if they feel like they are being judged in some sort of competition, then the only musicians that will show up will be those whose playing skills are already at a semi professional/professional level. If amateurs and beginers are given to much reign, then the audience will dissipate into the bars next door and down the street. If the volume levels get to loud, then the music becomes to self-indulgent and the audience is no longer a participant in the experience. The responsibility for maintaining this balance falls on whomever is managing the event.
[1] Thursday's from 6-10pm, and Andrew is usually joined by the informal non scheduled TABLE TEN ORCHESTRA, which does not exist
formally, but is nevertheless, the Yin to Andrew's Yang.
[2] Andrew has been playing every Thursday at Table in the same time slot for 5 years. Can anyone in Fullerton lay claim to that schedule?
Can anyone in Orange County lay claim to this run? How about Southern California? This is a testimony to Andrew's understanding of the
audience, his willingness to share the spotlight and his love of, both the piano and the genre of music he plays.
[3] perhaps with David Frost and Richard Nixon
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