stringsnthings
Strings & Things
Guitars, FX, Stage, Studio, Records & more...
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Raised on Rock...
It's been 2 weeks since the passing of Jack Bruce, the former Bassist and Lead Vocalist of the legendary '60s power trio, Cream, and I can't help but reflect on how much of an impact he had on my musical upbringing...
For the past few months, I'd been pondering the idea of starting a blog to discuss my thoughts and experiences on everything related to guitar and music in general, but not until Jack Bruce's death did I decide that I had to get this going now. Although he was never my favorite bass player nor Cream my favorite band while growing up, his name seemed to be in every discussion I ever had with my uncle Augie (or anyone who discussed music with him for that matter). So you see, this post is actually more about my uncle Augie, Jack Bruce's biggest fan. Don't get me wrong, I do like Cream and I do respect Jack Bruce's work, in fact I was lucky enough to see him live, thanks to guess who? You guessed it!
My uncle Augie was definitely my biggest musical influence as a kid. Whether it was listening to records in his room, going to record shops, or going to concerts, hanging out with my uncle was like getting a Master's degree from the walking encyclopedia of Rock! He had all, and I mean ALL the great records of the '60s and '70s (and I'm pretty sure he still does have most of them safely stored in the man cave, hehe) and gave me my first records to blast on my home stereo system! We'd talk music and argue about the best bands or musicians and inevitably the names Jack Bruce and Cream would come up. So to me and to anyone who knows my uncle, he and Jack are synonymous!
He also gave me the first chance to play a guitar. I still remember him showing me the first riff that the majority of guitarists out there learn, Smoke on the Water, and there was no turning back! Until then, as a kid growing up in the '70s in New York with the great Yankees teams we had, all I wanted to do was become a professional baseball player. All that changed once I struck those first few chords.
And then he showed me a live videotape of AC/DC in Paris in 1979... Angus Young dancing around the stage and jumping off of speaker cabinets... I was sold! Forget baseball, i was gonna be a Rocker!
At the age of 14, I started saving up for a guitar. I began working part-time mornings delivering newspapers and afternoons at the local deli. I even started bugging my father for some weekend construction jobs, carrying wheelbarrows full of rocks... I was busting my ass but I had to get my hands on a guitar and it was all thanks to my uncle Augie!
Well I finally bought that first guitar, and the rest is history as they say. It all seems so long ago now because time flies when you're having fun. So, I was fortunate enough to go on and have a career in music and I'm thankful that I grew up in such a rich musical climate. I was raised on Rock, but my uncle Augie also turned me on to a variety of other musical styles, some of which I only came to like a bit more later on.
I hope this blog can be a fitting tribute to my uncle Augie, as well as, my teachers, fellow musicians, students, colleagues, family, friends and everyone else who has had an effect on me in one way or another on this lifelong musical journey... Cheers!
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