Rob MacKillop plays some jazz-blues

[@marcweber4599]

Groovy! Brings back memories of when I saw Jim Hall at the Village Vanguard and Herb Ellis at the Blue Note (both in NYC) back in the early 1980's. All your videos are great to listen to, no matter what instrument you are playing!

[@RobMacKillop1]

Ha, thanks Marc. Those guys are gods, of course, while I’m a little snotty-nosed punk when it comes to jazz! You were lucky to have seen them at those iconic venues!

[@Trombonology]

Rob, I always enjoy hearing you on an archtop. That pickup sounds really lovely! You certainly evoke those greats in your homages but in a personal way, which means so much more than mere mimicry.

[@RobMacKillop1]

Cheers, Old Friend. Like you, I’m not interested in mimicry, but allow a hint of the dedicatee to be heard and felt. Glad you like them. yes, I’m pleased with the pickup as it doesn’t take away too much of the acoustic sound, and indeed amplifies it. It’s still my favourite pickup.

[@RobMacKillop1]

PS Here's a link to my free pdf with all these pieces in it: www.jazzguitar.be/forum/chit-chat-introductions/91579-rob-mackillop-saying-hello-again-10-studies.html#post1207697

[@Trombonology]

@@RobMacKillop1 Thanks much, Rob! -- great to have access to this material. Your discussions of each piece, too, are excellent. ... Yes, the acoustic sound was strongly detectable, though I figured the mic was picking it up. Acoustic archtop is where my heart is, so that pickup is very intriguing.

[@RobMacKillop1]

@@Trombonology At the volumes I play, I always hear half-acoustic/half-amp, unless, of course, I play unplugged. I like this in-between sound. Have fun with the scores!

[@BobPerrone]

Ah, that wonderful woody tone from a good archtop

[@RobMacKillop1]

Cheers, Bob. Yes, I love it.

[@63swarren]

Love it

[@RobMacKillop1]

Cheers, Sue! A bit of fun.

[@PringleJD]

Hey Rob, Jim here in Texas USA. I picked up my bass an played along with your F blues. Sounded good man! :) 1-2-6-2-5! I play electric bass with a singer songwriter here in Texas and have to keep my I and M finger nails cut, so I started back to my classical practice a few weeks ago after watching you play. Thank you for all that you do!

[@RobMacKillop1]

That’s a great post, JD. I wish I’d heard you jamming along. The Jim Hall homage is just a regular jazz blues in C, with the harmonies R, 3, 5, b7, 9, #11, 13. The Barney Kessel is just a Jazz-Blues in Cm, oh and the weird chromatic blues is a simple blues in Bb. As for playing classical guitar without nails - don’t let anyone stop you! If it was good enough for Sor and Tárrega, then who can argue against it?

[@PringleJD]

Thanks for the reply, Rob. Do you have a good recommendation for softening the fingers tips? The bass playing unfortunately produces calluses. Ive trying a lip balm that helps but something better is out there I think. JD@@RobMacKillop1

[@RobMacKillop1]

@@PringleJD I haven’t any recommendation, really, Jim. I think they all do the basic job. The key is to do it before and after you play, not just occasionally. That’s how I do it.

[@kevincage1641]

@4:43-4:48 This is one of the schweetest changes I’ve ever heard. It reminds me of my Dad.

[@homeofomfilms]

Very nice, sounds beautiful! 🙂

[@RobMacKillop1]

Glad you like it!

[@Isbin_]

Georgeous Rob !

[@RobMacKillop1]

Thanks, Gilbert!

[@luziiluizth.8742]

Wow 😮 Awesome awesome guitar performance dear friend ❤️🎸🎸🎸🎸 Really enjoyed watching and listening Thanks for sharing this with us giving another a big Big like thumbs up 👍👍👍👍👍 See you again take care Keep intouch ❤️👍

[@RobMacKillop1]

Many thanks, friend. Sorry I missed this comment earlier! Rob

[@gregb91401]

Great tone. I really like the dissonant phrases you’re doing. Reminds me of Monk.

[@RobMacKillop1]

Monk! Yes, I love the old Monkman. It’s funny, the more you work with dissonance, the more consonant it seems…

[@RYwoodview]

Love that sound, Rob. The guitar reminds me of my Gibson ES 125T. I must say, I hear more heart in this than your classical transcriptions--and I am primarily a classical guitarist. Generally, I really enjoy your well-modulated, gently paced style. It's a nice change from the more frantic, "see-how-fast-I-can-rip" fashion so prevalent.

[@RobMacKillop1]

Ha, I’m apparently genetically incapable of playing fast, and I can’t physically play faster than my brain works, and it moves at a glacial pace - though with global warming, that is speeding up! I get the Gibson ES 125T connection, it’s a good one. But as for heart, I hope that’s present in everything I do, otherwise what’s the point? I’ll never be a professional jazzer, but it is part of my musical makeup. Cheers, Rob.

[@RobMacKillop1]

PS Here's a link to my free pdf of scores, including all the pieces from this video: www.jazzguitar.be/forum/chit-chat-introductions/91579-rob-mackillop-saying-hello-again-10-studies.html#post1207697

[@RYwoodview]

@@RobMacKillop1 Thank you, Rob! (from Robb)

[@Kacper_Wierzchos]

Brilliant! I loved both homages to Hall and Kessel. I wonder how a homage to Kenny Burrell would sound :)

[@RobMacKillop1]

Ah, good suggestion, Kasper! I wonder too 😂 It might pop out someday…

[@isaacbeen2087]

that octave displaced chromatic scale was beautiful, love the different ways you resolved it...reminds me of Pat Martino?

[@RobMacKillop1]

Cheers, Isaac. Wow, I never thought of Pat. I was thinking of Joe Diorio. I have a free pdf of all these scores, and I think that one is indeed titles Homage to Joe Diorio. Pat Martino is way-too complex for me!

[@isaacbeen2087]

@@RobMacKillop1 I think he calls it octavistics! he does a very similar thing. I need to get more into Diorio, he's blown me away in the past.

[@RobMacKillop1]

@@isaacbeen2087 Here's a link to my free pdf with all of these pieces in it: www.jazzguitar.be/forum/chit-chat-introductions/91579-rob-mackillop-saying-hello-again-10-studies.html#post1207697

[@isaacbeen2087]

@@RobMacKillop1 Brilliant! just read through a few of them...will be stealing some of those licks! I love it. Many thanks.

[@RobMacKillop1]

@@isaacbeen2087 Good. I play them better than I did in this video, but haven't played them for about a year. Back to the woodshed!

[@zakbraverman]

I don't care what musicology says, this definitely shares some spiritual DNA with yearerday's French lute music!

[@RobMacKillop1]

As I always argue, it’s all music, just different haircuts!

[@bluesjmoon]

Ah...So beautiful

[@RobMacKillop1]

Glad you think so. Best wishes to you!

[@guitarhans]

Great playing, love the archtop. I can now stumble through Hommage to Barney Kessel without too many mistakes.

[@RobMacKillop1]

Me too 😂 I haven’t played it for a year or so, and was pleased I got through it. Glad to hear you have learned it, Hans! ❤

[@GarySchiltz]

Out of curiosity, what didn't you like about the Eastman that you had?

[@RobMacKillop1]

As I said in the video, just the neck. It’s a feel thing. It felt a bit stiff to me, which is an odd thing as you wouldn’t want a floppy neck! Maybe it is just the contour of it. It’s a perfectly good guitar, especially with the Creamery CC pup installed, and lots of people feel perfectly at home with it. For me, though, the Peerless Cremona ticks a lot of boxes.

[@GarySchiltz]

@@RobMacKillop1 Thanks for the explanation. I have an Eastman acoustic (E10 00) and it has a pretty stiff, chunky neck. Which works fine with my stiff, chunky fingers 🙂 I had never heard of Peerless guitars. I read that they have gotten popular in Europe, but I don't know if they've made it much to the USA.

[@RobMacKillop1]

@@GarySchiltzYes, they are one of those companies which made guitars for Gibson, Fender, Ibanez - if I remember correctly - then brought out their own line. My guitar tech said they are the equal of the Gibson Custom Shop for a third of the price, at least to Europeans.

[@midisixnineseven1527]

Sir! Could you tell us which pick do you use in thid video?

[@RobMacKillop1]

Same pick in all tracks: Gibson EH (Extra Heavy). Available in a tin of 50 :-) Sometimes I use the rounded ends for a warmer sound.

[@revenagames2582]

@@RobMacKillop1 I will try it. Thank you!

[@Gs2132]

The Cm is beautiful Rob…

[@RobMacKillop1]

@@Gs2132Thank you! I put a lot of work into it. Rob