Art van Damme à la mode...🙂
- Thread starter Dingo40
- Start date
One of several of my AVD albums
micahcowan
Active member
Well, this has been my first introduction, and a real pleasure it is. Something tells me it will soon be "one of several" of mine as well!
I like the “jazz lounge” Van Damme with the guitar and vibes. And there are other cool tunes from back in the day on this “outer space lagoon” channel of interest. Who here remembers playing “Jazz lounge” back when it was actually a thing in the 60s or 70s? Ventura? Probably not too many here who played in the 40s or 50s. I was too young, which is hard to imagine. Anyone play, or know anyone who plays it now????
Ventura
Been here for ages!
part of the problem is being able to keep a band
together long enough to get second nature at it..
the AVD Quintet were one of the longest running combo's
of the 20th Century, partly because AVD got tons of studio
work for them and himself, as well as touring together.
Hey, it made a good living for all concerned as well as
the incredible satisfaction of their music and connection.
while he is still amazing when he just uses his charts and
hires pick-up pro's in towns and appearances around the world,
there is just a smoothness and certainty to him and his
Quintet and they were the envy of many accordionists
who, whether jazz or not, desired and attempted to put their
own Bands together with them as the inspiration
my personal approach to Cocktail hour music/Lounge music
was different, as i was never a Jazz accordionist.
together long enough to get second nature at it..
the AVD Quintet were one of the longest running combo's
of the 20th Century, partly because AVD got tons of studio
work for them and himself, as well as touring together.
Hey, it made a good living for all concerned as well as
the incredible satisfaction of their music and connection.
while he is still amazing when he just uses his charts and
hires pick-up pro's in towns and appearances around the world,
there is just a smoothness and certainty to him and his
Quintet and they were the envy of many accordionists
who, whether jazz or not, desired and attempted to put their
own Bands together with them as the inspiration
my personal approach to Cocktail hour music/Lounge music
was different, as i was never a Jazz accordionist.
Pray tell, Ventura, what music did you play in the Lounge? Did you do solo with your Cordovox and midi or ?????
You’re right about the band. I was fortunate in my life to gather together one successful band. It was awesome. I haven’t been able to replicate it, nor have I found one person to play consistently with in my new locale. Maybe I should take a shower.
Ventura
Been here for ages!
well since you ask LoL
warning.. long winded poorly punctuated answer to follow:
it seemed to me that much casual music especially piano lounge
was largely sweet noise in the background, seldom rising to
noticeable or to interfere with conversation. Even when a Vocalist
was present in the lounge for Torch songs, they were just a brief
floor show then back to wandering instrumental Jazz in the background..
my usual stuff was too strong for that, Swing and Big Band or
Rock and Roll and so i just avoided casual gigs, but then i began
to work with MIDI and scored a lot of my music so that i could
do the same stuff with or without a band, or a half band, or just a
Duet plus tracks. Then i noticed many of the songs could also be
performed in a subdued but still cool way. I first began to test this
by playing the half hour BEFORE an event started in a casual way,
merely so that the people looking for the party could follow some
nice Pied Piper music from the Hotel lobby or parking area to the Tent
and get a glass of wine, find their friends, grab a seat, have a snack,
in a pleasant musical atmosphere maybe not even noticing the guy in
the corner of the stage was actually playing and controlling the music
except
the songs were all very well known and familiar and played to be
recognizable and most especially the "hooks" were perfect
so
every once in awhile that casual music penetrated and someone
would have an OMG moment of "can't believe he is playing THAT
on an accordion " and the sound is Studio Quality and lush
maybe it's an iconic Bass line or a 4 measure Organ riff that is
dead on, and then for a moment they are singing the song
in their heads, but this just gives so different an experience
from MUZAK or the Piano Lounge, yet still low volume and
very chill.. No-one in the room is distracted from their
conversation by force..
