All Aspects of the Music Industry ... Where It All Comes Together.

Are there any open stages in this area that do Latin music? (Shouldn't there be?)

Hey folks,
Are there any other choices in open stage styles in this town besides Blues music? There are SO MANY and I'm not trying to disrespect the many Blues musicians in this area but I've been to other cities and seen some killer open stages with a Latin flavor to it.
There are also Jazz and Rock based open stages in this area but no Latin or Tejano (Tex-Mex) music. I think this should really change! What do you think?
Derrick Edwards

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Danny Gochnour on October 13, 2008 at 7:11pm: C/mon, dude? Seriously??? Bluez is all there iz. You got the tricky ones that start on the V and the ones where ya gotta watch for the stops in the middle. Some are slow, some are fast and maybe some are in a minor key. Ain't that challanging enough for you...you gotta go all latin and syncopated on us. How RUDiment of you.

Just kidding Bro. I'm not dis'n the blues either. I love playing them and listening to them. Latin music takes a certain level of musician and with a certain level of kowledge and theory that in a town like Pittsburgh...outside the dwindling jazz scene...is not too common. I'll tell ya what. I'm hitting Smilin' Daves Session this week..if we can a bass player to throw down with us you and I will go off on the middle of Howling Dog Blues:)

You just wanna hit all those noise makers you got!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Derrick Edwards on October 13, 2008 at 8:06pm: My brutha!
Haha! Yeah, I know it's too complicated to lower your bottle of I.C. and actually THINK about where you're at in the song after NOODLING AROUND on I, IV, V chords for WAY TOO MANY MEASURES!! LOL!
Well, it does raise the bar for the musician and isn't thats what it's all about for a musician's personal goals? To better their musicianship? The people I saw down in Florida were killer musicians and I told them how we don't have anything even close to what they had going on! I wish you've could've been there to see and hear it bro! Wow!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Danny Gochnour on October 14, 2008 at 6:49pm: Derrick
I hope folks on here know we're joking and our comments are tongue n' cheek.

Seriously. You might want to ask around. Start with Tommy B and Sabrina. Eric Defade was doing the Salsa thing for awhile...maybe he knows some players looking for another steady gig (aren't we all)?

Funny story..besides the true story where the band leader actually turned around and said "This one's tricky. It starts on the V. Watch for the stops."

I was hosting an open stage and I had Chismo on stage with me. I called another guitarist up to sit in. Chismo turns around like he always does and says "Slow blues in Am." and starts counting the song off.
1,2, 3...the other guitarist taps me on the shoulder and whispers in my ear, "How do you play an Am?"

True story!!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Derrick Edwards on October 14, 2008 at 9:51pm: Hey Pamela,
That is a good idea. The only problem is that I've never been the leader type though. I'm always the sideman (hired gun) that shows up to play the gig for whosoever (for $$$ of course.)
I'm going to talk to some of the folks I play with and see what happens though.
Thanks again,
Derrick
BTW, Did we ever work together in a band or do some freelance gig in the past? (I'm gettin' too old to remember anymore! LOL!); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Derrick Edwards on November 7, 2008 at 9:34am: Yeah, I guess we need a larger Hispanic population in the Pittsburgh area for this to happen. Oh well I'll have to go to Florida or New York City to see an event like that again!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Derrick Edwards on November 7, 2008 at 9:53am

Check out this version of Coldplay's Clocks and you'll hear what I mean. I just love that Latin sound!

Attachments:

04 Coldplay and Buena Vista Social Club - Clocks.mp3, 7.3 MB

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Paul Baughman on January 19, 2009 at 10:00am: They were doing Latin DJ thing over at the Altar Bar for a while.
There used to be a salsa band that played the rhythm house cafe for a while too. I don't think that's going on now either. It was a weekly event.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Derrick Edwards on January 19, 2009 at 10:12am: Hey Paul. Yeah, I think I heard about it from the trumpet player in the Latin Salsa band "Azucar". I told him about my idea to have a Latin jam session in town and he too said there just wasn't enough players locally that knew how to play Salsa. That's too bad. :^(; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ken Lamison on February 28, 2009 at 7:29am: Derrick,
Apparently, the Tango Cafe' has occasional performances at their space. I think you should pitch the idea of a weekly jam. http://www.tangocafepgh.com. Que bueno.
Ken; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Derrick Edwards on February 28, 2009 at 11:38am: Hey Ken,
Thanks for the info bro! I'll look into it this coming week (Lord willing...) :^); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rowen S. Poole on May 29, 2009 at 12:23am: Derrick,

Some Latin flavored music would be awesome! So would some middle-eastern and Indian. Dare I mention Prog/Art rock too?

Oh wait...this *is* Pittsburgh. Blues it is....

-R; ▶ Reply to This