{"id":794,"date":"2013-05-27T17:59:01","date_gmt":"2013-05-27T17:59:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eng.richardaseguin.com\/?p=794"},"modified":"2022-03-29T17:39:59","modified_gmt":"2022-03-29T16:39:59","slug":"b3-project-first-instalment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eng.richardaseguin.com\/?p=794","title":{"rendered":"B3 Project – First Installment"},"content":{"rendered":"

This project has been circling in my head for years. For a long time, I’ve<\/span> admired several guitarists who choose to record in a \u201cB3 trio\u201d format, i.e. electric guitar, Hammond B3 organ and drums. A piece played by only three instruments obviously represents a challenge but also provides the possibility of attaining a minimalist beauty. A recording like John McLaughlin’s \u201cAfter The Rain\u201d is a prime example of the heights which a B3 trio can attain. I’ve often wondered what I could do with this format so here are a few examples.<\/span><\/p>\n

First, the technical stuff – <\/span>I recorded the guitar parts on my Fender Stratocaster going through Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig 5; the drums were generated by Steinberg’s Groove Agent 3 program, with several of my manual corrections to the MIDI files; I achieved the organ sound by playing my Z6S MIDI guitar through Native Instruments’ Vintage Organs software. I did the recording and mixing on my digital audio workstation, Steinberg’s Cubase Studio 5.<\/p>\n

In choosing the <\/span>B3 trio format to record, <\/span>I also wanted to showcase pieces from my favourite composers<\/span>, something new since I’ve <\/span>never recorded any compositions other than my own<\/span>. Also, my favourite composers tend to work in the jazz field while my guitar roots are in Chicago Blues and 60’s Rhythm & Blues. As a teenager, I particularly loved instrumental groups like The Shadows (Apache, The Rise and Fall of Flingle Bunt) and The Ventures (Telstar, Walk Don\u2019t Run). Consequently, my interpretations of these pieces have a strong R&B flavour.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are four recordings in this first instalment, which total more than 25 minutes of music. <\/span>I’ll follow up with more recordings in this B3 trio format as time will allow. Here are the pieces<\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n

This music is protected and any commercial use is strictly forbidden.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On Stream<\/strong><\/p>\n

Composed by Nils Petter Molv<\/span>\u00e6r<\/span><\/p>\n

Published by ECM Records<\/p>\n

The Norwegian trumpet player Nils Petter Molv\u00e6r plays music that combines several genres to create a sound that is entirely his own<\/span>. I had the priviledge of seeing him live and his group projects a wall of sound, sometimes overwhelming, sometimes transparent, continuously morphing throughout the entire concert, giving form to his pieces like air gives form to clouds<\/span>. Like all my favourite composers, he’s a leader, not a follower. \u201cOn Stream\u201d comes from his 1997 recording entitled \u201cKmer.\u201d Click on the arrow below to hear the piece.<\/span><\/p>\n

On Stream<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n[audio:http:\/\/eng.richardaseguin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/On-Stream-MP3-Test.mp3|titles=On Stream]\n

The American guitarist Bill Frisell has been creating music for more than 30 years. He’s at home with several styles and his compositions showcase a particular intimacy with tonalities and their correlation. Frisell has recorded \u00ab\u00a0Strange Meeting<\/span>\u00a0\u00bb many times but never the same way twice! Click on the arrow below to hear the piece.<\/p>\n

Strange Meeting<\/strong><\/p>\n[audio:http:\/\/eng.richardaseguin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/Strange-Meeting.mp3|titles=Strange Meeting]\n

Compare with one of several original recordings of this piece:<\/p>\n