TJ's Lesson Notes:
    In this lesson we looked back at  8 bar traditional New Orleans Jazzy spirituals and 8 bar Blues. Songs included Just a Closer Walk with Thee, Peace to the World, Trouble in Mind & Key to the Highway. 
    The 1 to 5 intervals bass pattern, relating in music of the  African Diaspora and traditional American  folk music, was further researched. Examples included African Highlife music, Brazilian Sambas,, Caribbean Calypso, Reggae, Bluegrass, Old Timey  Country & Western and finally New Orleans Traditional Jazz - R &B, Rock & Roll - Funk. The New Orleans Creole Jazz - R & B bass line of the 1,3 & 5 intervals was also looked at and rehearsed.
    The cultural context of the New Orleans Spiritual was also discussed i.e. the Jazz funeral slow & mournful Dirge - celebratory second line, upbeat Jazz..
     Jim Crow, Black codes, share cropping, chain gangs & other aspects of African Americans living in the Post reconstruction south were examined that led up to the Great  Migration were also further explored.
     Blues Jazz solo techniques such as playing behind the beat, emulating vocalists, injecting humour & other strong emotions, tension & release were also researched more with playing examples.
     The subject of the importance of performing ballads with a relaxed state of mind & emotion was strongly stated and practised. This led to a practise suggestion of learning new songs in at a consistent tempo so slow that the player can play the piece without breaking time.
   We then studied the history of Jug Band Music and how the standard instrumentation resembled, if not intentionally replicated, African instruments that had been banned in most slave holding states, with the exception of New Orleans. Aubrey learned how to play the washtub bass, and checked out such African percussion instruments as the Au Go Go.
   We ended the session with Aubrey's Mother filming, Aubrey's Father on drums and myself on guitar & vocals performing three songs. A Jug Band song, with Aubrey on the washtub bass & her dad on washboard entitled Walk Right In ( By Gus Cannon),  Just a Closer Walk with Thee,, (with Aubrey on Upright Bass) and Peace to the World with Aubrey on electric bass. Her dad was nice enough to sit in on almost the entire session, providing great insights as well as drumming.
 Aubrey to research for this week /ongoing  ...learn by ear the melodies of Just a Closer Walk with Thee, Trouble in Mind & Peace & Peace to the World. Start  sight reading new songs with the above slow if fast technique.  

Aubrey's Journal:
This week, we reviewed and played some 8-bar blues tunes called Just a Closer Walk With Thee, Peace to the World (B.B. King), and Trouble in Mind. I learned how to play what they call a funeral dirge which is a very a slow and somber beat, and also the classic New Orleans upbeat second-line groove. Then I had a chance to play the original washtub bass on the song Walk Right In (Gus Cannon), which was a lot of fun and a cool experience!  Click the picture to see the video!

TJ's Lesson Notes:  

What we covered: 1 Watched /studied videos of historic Bass players demonstrating traditional Jazz & Blues techniques i.e. Willie Dixon, Milt Hinton,& Ray Brown.Talked over the impact Willie Dixon had on the Blues as a Baa Man, songwriter, record producer, talent scout/A&R man, tour manager, sideman, soloist & educator. Related the importance of the bass as a foundation instrument, setting the groove, its symbiotic bond with the drums and their combined essential in keeping the groove. The role of the Blues as a roux in Jazz & other American & world music genres.
    2 Discussed the role of New Orleans as the Northern most tip of the Caribbean..in its historic exception of being the most renown exception to the rule of the banning of African Drums & dance (and arguable other African points of culture) Talking points: Congo Sq. the Two Beat feel /1to 5 bass line, Maddi Gras Indians, the role of the Seminole nation & other Native American tribes with African Americans escaping slavery, the Neville Brothers Congo Sq song.
   Music Played 2 different Blues tunes with a jazzy feel/ / tempo. Worked on the art of storytelling through soloing and the vocal qualities of the Jazz soloist.   STUDIES   Study traditional upright/electric bass lines of above bass players including the slap techniques. Research more on Congo Sq. and other factors that contributed to NOLA being the birthplace of Jazz.

Aubrey's Journal:
At my first lesson with TJ Wheeler, we watched videos of some of the old great upright bassists who started it all such as Willie Dixon, Milt Hinton, and Ray Brown. He explained how the bass is literally the base or foundation of music and keeps the groove, which is especially important in jazz and blues music. Later, he talked about how New Orleans was one of the only places where African music and dancing was not banned, so people would gather down at Congo Square to play music and dance.