Music Stuff - Cool Stuff

I had a very surreal dream last night (this morning).   There was a unique device placed over the water just offshore (I don't think it was a sea or an ocean; it seemed like a freshwater lake).  The device looked like the combination of a work of art, a gyroscope and a satellite dish .   It was a lot different than this pic, but you get the idea. There were four individuals who all looked basically the same (like twins), but they were different people, and they were standing in the water and were going into the water for awhile and coming back up. For some reason, I decided to swim out into the water.  In a very short time I reached what looked like a small island, with a small cove.  In the small cove, there was a platform with a small building on it.  I climbed onto the platform and went inside (the front door was open).  I entered a larger room (but not too big) and I found what looked like the art work gyro satellite dish.  It was tracking stuff (not sure exactly what)

I almost forgot to tell you the story about our experience at the 26th Bull Durham Blues Festival in Durham North Carolina back in September.  The Bull Durham Blues Festival is one of the oldest running Blues Fests in the USA.  The Jimmy Haggard Band was honored to perform at the Hayti Heritage Center ( www.hayti.org)  in Performance Hall, on a stage that the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. stood upon to deliver his message.  The Durham Blues Festival show started off with Jason Damico and the New Blue ripping it up with their brand of Texas style Stratocaster guitar slinging.  Then the Rhonda Robichaux Band (2012 Triangle Blues Challenge winner) gave the crowd a taste of her sultry, sexy and saucy blues, with her smooth New Orleans and jazzy grooves.   The Jimmy Haggard Band was in the middle of the show card.  Wow!  The guys in the band were tight and on fire, playing those good ol' Electric Blues.  We had a full band that night, with Rodney Winley on Bass, Syneca Foster

It seems like forever since we last talked.  How have you been?  It has been kind of nuts for me. The Recording and Rehearsal studios are picking up steam and keeping me hopping.  The Recording side of the business is really picking up.  Thank God I am blessed with an ear and the talent to listen to artists and understand what they are trying to achieve (sound wise) with their music, and then translate that into getting the mix just right.  It always takes a little back and forth discussion, but we get there fairly fast.  I have my ideas on what I want something to sound like, and artists have their ideas.  From the perspective of the recording studio, it is important to understand what the artist wants.   After all, they are paying for it.  Well, if there executive sponsor is paying for it, then have to listen to the sponsor too.  Ya know what I mean?  It is my job to make it happen and to make the artist sound better than anything in their wildest dreams. Enjoy the Musi

Yea, okay, so don't get excited or anything.  Stop it please, not everyone at once.  Please, you are too kind.  Thank you so much.  You are wonderful. I am diggin' ya. Super cool.  ------------------------------ Seriously though..... (was that a lame line or what?).  I would like to thank the St. Joseph's Historic Foundation / Hayti Heritage Center for inviting me to join them on ABC 11 TV, and especially thank Angela Lee, the Executive Director, for inviting me. The ABC 11 show was "Heart of Carolina Perspectives" and we were there to talk about the 26th Annual Bull Durham Blues Festival in Durham NC.  We also talked about the deep blues roots in the Triangle and in Durham in particular. Man, was that a blast! If you are ready for it, here is a link to the program segment that aired on August 11 at 11:30am:  http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/video?id=9198406&pid=null Until next time.... Enjoy the Music! Jimmy

Like many other guitarists in the world I am always in search of "the tone."  You know, that perfect sound - that amazing sound - that pure ecstasy sound - ear orgasm sound! Part of that quest has been to try a lot of amps over the years, a lot of guitars and a lot of different speaker combinations. Since this little post is about speakers I will save you the sad stories about the amps and guitars I have had and traded or sold over the years.  BEFORE THE SPEAKER CHANGES So, I picked up this Fender Blues Junior amp for about $300 a few years ago.  It did not have the sound, but I could hear the sound lurking somewhere inside.  Now, how do I get the sound out.  I did an online search and read about a bunch of resister and capacitor changes that you could do to the little Blues Junior.  So, I bought a bunch of electronic components and dusted off my soldering gun.  The changes helped a lot, but did not quite nail the sound. Next, I put in a Mercury output transformer

A lot of artists say they must have a click track to record.  Others don't want any kind of click track.  There are good arguments both for and against using a click track.  Of course, my preference is the proverbial, "it depends." But, it depends on what?  Some musicians who have come into my studios will speed and slow down for no reason at all, and sometimes it messes up the song.  In these instances I will throw a click track into the mix. On occasion I have sent musicians back to rehearsal with the guidance to download a metronome app to their smart phone or computer and practice with a metronome. There have been times when I've put a click track into the mix and told musicians to play a song through a few times with a click track, each time making the click track softer in the mix, until finally the musicians are laying down the song with no click track.  By the time they get to no click track, the tempo is steady, yet it has some of the subtle tempo changes

Ok, so my day job starts around 1pm and isn't over to 1am, what can I say?  That's the music recording studio and rehearsal studio business.  Sometimes my day starts around 10am, but not often. Anyway, the other night my day was wrapping up after several great sessions and I had a chance to break off and shoot a short video. Late Night at Haggard Studios! Until next time my friends... Enjoy the Music! Jimmy

What a great night!!  It started with Robin and I enjoying dinner at Shuckers in Wake Forest NC (she got started with a Peach Bellini-Tini and had a Manhattan on the rocks with a splash of cherry juice).  Then to Odwyer's to shoot video of the No Limits show. They rocked the house!  Up next - audio enhancement and video editing - news at 7 - later ya'all...

The recording session last night wrapped up at 1:30am... man, some serious Reggae vocals were laid down last night by Carl Meeks.  I didn't get out of the studios until after 2am.  Not complaining, just saying... Today I rested all day :)  and then made it back into the studios to get setup for the next bands rolling through.  Tonight, we've got Full Wilson tearing up some heavy metal grunge punk.  Heavy stuff folks.  

Today started off crazy, jump out of bed, in the shower, in the car, haul ass from Raleigh to Durham in order to be on time for Guitar Summit 2013 at Griffith Theatre at Duke University.  Luckily, I had time for a breakfast burrito and coffee!  Thanks to Kevin Wilson for putting this annual event together, which attracts some of the best working guitarists and inspiring guitarists from around the world for a day of sharing tips, tricks, experience and philosophies.  #GuitarSummit