Jam Class

"That would rob you of the joy of grooving for 5 mins."

Greg Phillinganes on playing the “Thriller” bass part #michaeljackson #keyboards #synth #shorts 

Let There Be Rock:

10/25/2025

I clicked to see if it was Kevin Smith. It was not, to my great disappointment. But, I feel that the last bit perfectly evoked my disappointment in it not being not being Kevin Smith.

Beautiful harmony ▶️ #slash #guitar

SICK new board for Eric Johnson by L.A. SOUND DESIGN

Check out Jas Obrecht’s recently unearthed interview with Steve Morse from his Dixie Dregs days.

Steve Morse Steve Morse Back in June 1978, while the groundbreaking instrumental band Dixie Dregs were on their "What If" Tour, I did interviews with Steve Morse and Andy West for Guitar Player magazine. Three weeks ago Steve and Andy gave me permission to retranscribe the original tapes, and it turns out that about 80% of the material was never published. A lot of the stuff in Steve's 10,000-word interview is amazing! Steve starts by going way deep into his gear -- at the time, he was playing the hybrid Telecaster with a Strat neck and five pickups, all of which he assembled himself. Then he covers his background, with many funny and insightful stories that have never before been published.

Highlights include his descriptions of the culture shock he endured after moving from Ypsilanti, Michigan, to Augusta, Georgia, how he kept getting kicked out of school, and his entry into the underground hippie scene in what he describes as a redneck community. There are also a lot of details about the evolution of his playing style and bands, the formation of the Dixie Dregs, the band’s first three releases -- The Great Spectacular, Free Fall, and What If -- and their strategy for recording. Steve also covers his approach to composing and how to arrange guitar with violin and bass. If you’re interested in seeing the whole conversation, it’s posted here: http://jasobrecht.com/steve-morse-complete-1978-dixie-dregs-interview/🧬✨🇺🇸

Just in case you need a reminder for the new year 😉 Happy , ladies and gents.

📸: Elliot Brown, Jr. for the The New York Times, meme courtesy of Jazz Memes

I feel seen.

The Atlantic gets it: the cognitive and other benefits of practicing music. “It’s Never Too Late to Learn an Instrument”. Gift link in comments.

Few adults play musical instruments, and even fewer do so in a group, Caroline Mimbs Nyce wrote in December. What health benefits might they be giving up? https://theatln.tc/oglkQfzJ

“Kids receive plenty of music education, but as people get older, they fall out of practice. Many stop picking up their instrument,” Nyce writes. “This is unfortunate, in part because plenty of research shows that adults could benefit from playing music.”

Playing music helps build larger brain networks and new pathways. “Musicians tend to have better attention than nonmusicians,” Nyce continues. “Banging on a drum or tooting a horn can also relieve stress, reduce burnout, and help with anxiety and depression. For older people specifically, research has shown potential cognitive benefits along with a possible decrease in dementia risk.”

Adults may be skipping out in part because music education is associated with childhood and coursework. And after people grow out of music education in their childhood, they tend to think that music is a special talent, Nyce writes, not something that just anybody can learn.

“Of course, people are busy; they simply may not have the luxury of sitting down to study Bach once a week, much less the money to pay for an instrument or private lessons,” Nyce writes.

Playing music in groups has additional benefits, such as allowing adults to feel more trusting of and connected to one another, and to the world in general. But while it’s easy to go to a park or gym and pull together a game of pickup basketball, “piecing together people at the same skill level to play a concerto or even just jam in a garage is another matter.”

Nyce herself recently began to play the recorder. “I plan to keep learning,” she writes, “not because it strengthens my neuropathways per se (though I certainly don’t mind that), but because making music, even when it’s silly—perhaps especially when it’s silly—is just a whole lot of fun.” https://theatln.tc/oglkQfzJ

📸: Photo Media / ClassicStock / Getty

NBD, just a quick hang / photo op with Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Steve Vai and Danny Carey while checking out a couple BEAT tour shows this weekend.

So much joy from the stage. An emotionally unbridled edition of King Crimson. Fun yet sophisticated. 5 Stars!

“It's past 2 billion plays on Spotify… which makes my guitar riff one of the most-played in history!” Andy Summers reveals his role in the making of the Police hit “Every Breath You Take” Although the song is credited to Sting, the former Police guitarist believes his riff earned him a writing credit