People // Joel T Johnson // Blog

I attended the Monday night blues jam at that well known club I had referred to in earlier blogs. I got stuck with a pretty lousy group of players. The drummer was especially bad so I felt all my energy was going into keeping the groove together. I left the stage feeling I did pretty well, all things considered. Even though I had given a number of people who played earlier, positive feedback on their playing they said "thanks" but offered none of their own for me. I went home feeling kind of down, as if going to these blues jams was costing me $5 to be seen with a stage full of mediocre to poor players by a bunch of people who care about nothing but being seen and heard themselves, like a room full of 100 yapping mouths and not one ear. I did enjoy hearing the host play and my buddy who plays the harp; masters both. I learned a lot. Tonight, Tuesday I came form from Jeopardy and eventually picked up the bass and played along to a bunch a BB King (iPod alphabetical). I found I played a lot better when I didn't look at the fret board at all. I hit some bad notes but a lot less than I thought I would. The feel was great though. As time went on I deliberately allowed my tendencies to go their own way. I started taking more and more liberties: Fancy licks, funky rhythms and solos whenever I felt like it. Eventually I shut off the iPod. It was time to really blow off some steam. I had been behaving well for far too long, playing my little parts, working and playing well with others, coloring inside the lines. Fuck it, it's time. I took off like a 5th grade class towards the playground; whacking and strumming that bass in ways it would be pointless to try to explain—I'll upload a video someday soon. I almost immediately came up with a great little groove with a lot of bite and intensity. Soon it had a bridge and I could almost hear the vocal line. I was standing tall and proud. Shit, I was feeling cocky and full of bravado. The next time I play a blues jam (tomorrow night) this is how I will warm up. I'll barely look at the neck and I'll play free and hold little back. No solos though. I had to record this new groove, lest I forget it. As I opened up a new project I was prompted for a title… With practically no thought I typed "Beater B. Beeton". I don't know what it means or what the lyrics will be. I just know I'll be leaning forward when I play it. I walked out to the living room and stood before Audra with a shit-eating grin. She took the ear buds out of her ears. "What?" she said. "I'm back!" I said.