Thursday, August 28, 2014

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

This week's freebie features a tune that comes with a warning label!

Our band manager, Pamela Bowen, almost never makes pronouncements about the music we choose to play, but last night she made an exception.

After hearing us play the following bit of fluff at the end of our 90-minute rehearsal session, she ruled that we may never play that song that late ever again.

The reason? Well, it's something of an ear worm, a melody that you can't get out of your head, and not surprisingly, Pamela doesn't like to wake up throughout the night still hearing that damned song.

So here it is: "Never Swat a Fly" from a highly forgettable 1930s movie called "Just Imagine." But remember Pamela's warning: Don't listen to it after dark or you may be just imagining it all night long.
Click here to hear the tune.

Tunes from the rehearsal sessions make up our weekly Flood podcasts. You can subscribe for free and get the music automatically delivered to your computer each Thursday. For details on that, click here.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

This week's freebie features an audio smile from Doug Chaffin.

Now, Doug is the most even-tempered musician you'll ever meet. Day in and day out, he just delivered solid solos, and never complains, even when sometimes the rest of us -- beginning to feel the effects of those cups of strong black coffee, perhaps -- start running away with the rhythm.

But if you want to see Doug smile when the subject is the blues, keep that tempo down to a nice, steady heartbeat speed.

Listen here to how Doug and his guitar just own this improvised blues we used to warm up at last night's rehearsal. Click here to hear the tune.

Tunes from the rehearsal sessions make up our weekly Flood podcasts. You can subscribe for free and get the music automatically delivered to your computer each Thursday. For details on that, click here.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

This Week's Freebie from The 1937 Flood

In this week's freebie features a study in ensemble work. One of the good things about rehearsing each week is that the ensemble gets tighter and fresher all the time.

For instance, on this track from last night's practice session, listen to Joe's intricate, imaginative fills behind Michelle's vocal on this 1930's jazz standard. It's no wonder that for decades now, singers have wanted Joe Dobbs to back them up -- his fiddle is like a second voice!

Then listen to how the whole mood and color of the tune changes as the ensemble brings it down to back up Doug's sweet mandolin solo in the middle of things.

Then after that, the dynamic changes again as Charlie and Randy kick it up a notch to support Michelle's rousing final chorus. Click here to hear the tune.

Tunes from the rehearsal sessions make up our weekly Flood podcasts. You can subscribe for free and get the music automatically delivered to your computer each Thursday. For details on that, click here.