Ray Benson has been leading this wonderful group, Asleep at the Wheel, since 1970. The band falls into the Western Swing category pioneered by people like Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys. Their newest album is dedicated to Wills and is called Still the King. Their latest stop – The Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.

Benson carries on the tradition with the twin fiddles. As a fan of The Allman Brothers Band, I had to see this for myself. This is where Dickey Betts got the idea for the harmony guitars that made them famous. Katie Shore and Dennis Ludiker handle the job admirably. Shore also handled lead vocals on a few tunes. Ludiker doubled on mandolin and did some background vocal work.

The band has David Sanger on drums and Josh Hoag on Bass, compiling a very solid rhythm section - very much in that Texas tradition. Professionals make it look easy. Both musicians did exactly that.

The rest of the band includes Eddie Rivers on steel guitar and sax, Connor Forsyth on piano and background vocals and Jay Reynolds on sax and clarinet. Each member added melodic and harmonic coloration to the swing line up that put a bit more focus on the fiddles.

Oh, wait…what about Benson? Ray Benson sings a lot of the lead vocals and plays lead guitar. I found him to be quite the guitar player. Rhythm guitar is actually what he did more of than anything, but he did play some tasty leads. I really found him to be rock solid and he had an outstanding chord vocabulary. His vocals are strong and low, very Texas.

The band was formed in Austin, Texas, a place made up of a real pot pourri of music. Actually, Asleep at the Wheel is that all by themselves. At times, their sound was that of country. At times, we can hear early Rock and Roll. At times, there were even hints of Swing. There were even moments of Jazz improvisation with solos being traded all around. One could really appreciate this band as a musician or just a music lover.

A lot of familiar songs were in the set. “Route 66” is a staple of their repertoire. I love their version of the Bobby Troup penned classic. “Nobody Here but Us Chickens” is a great old song from Louis Jordan and it fits in well in their set. “I Taught the Weeping Willow How to Cry” is another familiar tune. A surprise to me was “Hot Rod Lincoln”. Well, maybe it shouldn’t have come as that much of a shock, but I haven’t heard that song in a while.

My only complaint is…you guessed it…I wanted more! What can I say? One set was not enough! I am still glad I saw them, of course. Old Town School has a nice little theatre and I love going there. Also, the band almost always does a meet and greet after the show, which is nice. Go see more live music...whenever you can!

In my estimation somewhere around 90% of all musicians can read music to one extent or the other. I would also venture to guess that 90% of all guitarist read very little or not at all. This is why a lot of serious musicians look guitar players as some sort of lower life form in many ways. Should we even care? If you wish to communicate ideas via a piece of paper, you just might want to be able to do that. If not, carry on without it.

I want back to school almost three years ago to obtain a degree in music. I was forty-eight years old and thought…piece of cake, right? The only problem is even though I have a very good knowledge of theory and how to apply it to the guitar, I am still a rudimentary reader. I need to commit everything I know to memory. In the end, you should do that anyway, depending on the musical style. When you are learning a song, it is much easier if you can read. If you write a song, it is much easier to hand a piece of paper to someone than explain the whole thing.

I had a conversation with Jazz guitarist Pat Martino a year ago. He said once he started writing, he needed to learn how to read and write music. This accelerates the learning process. A high percentage of Rock musicians never do this. This is especially common with guitar players. Some of us almost wear this as a badge of honor. A lot of music has been passed down through aural traditions. Most of the folk music of the world was passed down from generation to generation. This follows story-telling patterns that existed before books were not just for the elite social classes. Nowadays, most of us can read a newspaper or a book or just about anything…...but…...there are still are guitar players out there…including myself...that struggle at reading music.

Is this really important? Some of my favorite musicians never read a note. Does that make it right? Some of my favorites read very well. It is a common thought that the paper gets in the way…somehow limiting your expression. If that were true, every Classical piece would sound exactly the same. I have recently listened to the same overture played by two different orchestras with different conductors. They were almost like two distant cousins with only very little family resemblance. Musicians are still going to add their own interpretations. The paper gives you notes, and dynamics, etc. There is a lot more. The way the dynamic marking “forte” has many variations and levels.

The paper serves only as a guideline. It is like a road map, another good thing to be able to read. For the same reason too…not getting lost. I am not a fan of being lost playing something. I like to know where I am at all the time. I am pretty good at improvising but that doesn’t always work.

Lead sheets are an effective compromise between the reader and the non-reader. I am getting pretty comfortable with that as long as I don’t need to read the melody. Me personally, I want to do better. The next few episodes of “For The Guitarist” will be addressing this. Since, I myself am at a student level in this capacity, my attention will be well focused on how to make this work. This doesn’t need to be as hard as it seems to be. I appreciate your thoughts and drop me a line if you like at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. anytime. Peace, RR.

Welcome to “For the Guitarist.” I am Ron Reis. I have been playing guitar for around forty years, studying theory for over thirty and teaching on and off for over twenty. This column/blog is aimed at all things related to our six-string friend. My guitars have been the best therapists I have ever had. When I need to calm my “monkey brain,” the best thing I can do is pick up my guitar.

Many people underestimate the meditative power of music. As a performer, you get lost in the music. As a listener, you are drawn into someone else’s thoughts and ideas. If you combine the two, you enter a state of nirvana. Music is one of the highest forms of communication. Real musicians do not play together. They carry on a conversation. They bounce ideas off each other’s heads. The audience gets to listen in on this exchange of sonic imaginations. I have even witnessed the two forces interact.

I saw The Grateful Dead in 1988. The last song they played in the second set was a Buddy Holly song, Not Fade Away. The beat was stolen from Bo Diddley. Bop, Bop, Bop...Bop-Bop. The crowd assumed the rhythm of the song. The band left the stage…the crowd kept the beat going for what seemed like five minutes…singing the chorus over and over. I was absolutely amazed. This was communication…real…honest…communication.

Not every musical situation gets this accomplished at that high a level. There should always be a mutual exchange. Both entities give the other what they need. How does this relate to playing the guitar? Well, it seems to me that should be the ultimate goal. Becoming successful on a financial level playing music is a wonderful idea. Having said that, most of the people that actually do are “performers” and not always “musicians.” There is a huge difference.

My goal with “For The Guitarist” is to help point the way. I do not claim to know everything on the subject. The idea is to assist in a somewhat guiding way, while learning for myself as well. I will discuss topics from theory to equipment and everything in between. I am also open to suggestions on topics for future articles. Anyone who likes can contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to drop me a line or two. I am serious about this, but let’s have a little fun too…the more fun the better!

The Buffalo Theatre Ensemble presented John Patrick Shanley’s “Outside Mullingar” at The MAC this past weekend. BTE has put together some very nice plays at College of DuPage and their latest falls into that same category once again. A relatively light-hearted romantic comedy, the play is set in rural Ireland and though the timeline is not really specified, the story has a timeless quality anyway.

Its small cast consists of four players, each important to flow of the story and adding the perfect touch of humor, which was very well received by the audience.

Robert Jordan Bailey plays Anthony. His character has the strongest connection to the rest of the cast in many ways. Bailey plays the part very well, which he must since Anthony is not your stereotype Irish farmer. With more than his fair share of issues and a lot of the jokes are on him. Playing Rosemary to perfection is Kelli Walker. Rosemary is a tough, young Irish woman who Anthony is interested in…or is he? The two show strong chemistry through the play, both very believable in their roles.

Rounding out the cast is Norm Woodel who plays Anthony’s father Tony and Milley Hurley who plays Aoife, a neighbor. They make up a durable support system to Bailey and Walker. Both are vital in the first set, as the second set focuses primarily on Anthony and Rosemary. The story is a simple but entertaining. The humor is what makes it a great play and it does not invoke heavy thinking or have the audience scrambling to search for hidden meanings. Theatre goers will, however, get a good laugh in. That is important these days or any day, I suppose.

“Outside Mullingar” is finely production directed by Steve Scott. The sets and sounds are excellent, which is par for the course in BTE plays. If you are in the mood for a good laugh, give it a go. Those seeking well-produced theatre experiences do not always need to go into the city to see a quality play. For us suburbians, this one is right in our backyard and the ticket price seems quite reasonable.

I am becoming more and more a fan of smaller productions. One of the reasons being the size of the theaters is small enough that you can see the faces of the actors – it’s intimate. You can hear the dynamics in their voices and catch the slightest facial subtleties. Buffalo Theatre Ensemble offers excellent actors that clearly enjoy what they do. It’s difficult not to respect these professionals that work so hard at their craft for somewhat small rewards. Having said that, they do need the support – and deservedly so. For little more than a meal at your favorite overpriced restaurant, you can visit The Playhouse Theatre and be thoroughly entertained. And in this particular production, not only will you save the calories, you will burn some off laughing. So, support local theatre companies. For some of you this involves getting out of the house and shutting off your phone. Both are…at times…good ideas…you can play Candy Crush when you get back home.

“Outside Mullinger” is being performed at The Playhouse Theatre inside the McAninch Arts Center through June 3rd. Visit www.atthemac.org for more info.

“The Diary of Anne Frank” is a familiar story to many people. While two Jewish families are hiding out from the Nazis in Holland during World War II, the story centers around the diary of a young girl, Anne Frank, belonging to one of one of those families. Such circumstances sound like a setting for a story one might find difficult to watch. That being said, it is a play well worth seeing.

Despite the fact this is a student production, the performances rival that of many established theatre actors. Director Connie Canaday Howard directed, and the play was adapted by Wendy Kesselman. All the actors are students at College of DuPage and they were very good overall. The quality of theatre at this level should really not be this good, thus a pleasant surprise. Though not professional actors, bright stage futures are certainly in store a handful of its cast members.

The set design is well crafted. I really liked the cutaway walls that allowed an open view of rooms other than the main room in the upstairs location where the families hid for nearly two years. Imagine that if you will. Hiding in a relatively small space for almost TWO YEARS. No sunlight. Having to remain silent for a good portion of the day because the space you are occupying is over a business that operates during the day. And in spite of all this, the people did still function. The ending is unfortunate, and I am sure not too uncommon during World War II.

There are some feel good moments even though the overall mood could be rather dark in a situation like this - one being the concept of people risking their own lives attempting to save someone from death. That alone gives someone a sense of the fight for survival spirit that humans must have at times. This play needs to be seen. The world sometimes needs to be reminded of how a madman came very close to taking control of Europe and the atrocities that occurred during his attempt. I was personally close to a few survivors of the holocaust, so this play hit close to home. Another thing worth noting is that this occurred less than a century ago.

I do not wish to discourage anyone to avoid watching the play because of the horrors in this heartbreaking story to which we are firmly reminded. Instead, seeing the playwright’s point of view may shine some light on the human element of war. There is so much that has happened that the history books do not tell you. The battles are all documented, but the story of how people were – and are - affected often never gets heard. The fight for survival never goes away.

“The Diary of Anne Frank”, A Tony Award winning play, is being performed at Playhouse Theatre at the College of DuPage through April 15th. For more show information visit http://www.atthemac.org/events/diary-anne-frank/.

All five piano concertos on one bill? Gulp…Yes. This is a rare treat. For those of you do not know what a piano concerto is exactly, I will tell you. First, you have the piano. But you probably guessed that. Second, is a medium sized orchestra. You may not have known that. What basically occurs in such an event is the exchange of virtuosic piano player and the majestic power of an orchestra. I heard some describe it as a battle between the two forces. I did not see it as that at all.

Wael Farouk is the talented pianist featured in the three-hour event, “Beethoven: Five Concertos – One Pianist”. In addition to his remarkable piano skills, he is an assistant music professor at Carthage College. The Egyptian-American Farouk has performed on five continents with venues that include Carnegie Hall. His resume is amazing to say the least and taking on a task such as this gives some serious padding to his already spectacular credentials.

While Farouk impressed The McAninch Arts Center audience with his talents as a classical pianist, the New Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by Kirk Muspratt and was nearly as remarkable. Muspratt conducts several orchestras in the area and also has an impressive resume. With the stage presence of a classic concert master, his sense of humor adds a touch of lightheartedness to the evening’s entertainment.

The music was essentially flawless and the playing top notch. One couldn’t help but be very awestruck with Farouk. There are only a handful of players with the chops and stamina to tackle all five concertos in one performance – and he’s one of them. It’s a lot of work playing the piano, as it can be a very physical instrument. The amount of practice and rehearsal time exhibited in Farouk’s playing must have been what would equate to a lifetime of devotion to the instrument. The orchestra was the perfect foil to the Farouk’s piano.

The concertos were played in the order that they were written. That being the case, you could hear how Beethoven matured in his harmonic sense with each piece. The forms of all five concertos were very similar. Going back to the thought of this being some type of battle, I found it more like a musical conversation. The interplay between piano and orchestra was more playful than attacking. I personally prefer conversations to word battles myself. This extends to musical ideas as well.

The pieces performed went as follows:

Piano Concerto No. 1 op. 15 in C major, written in 1795, revised in 1800. Although Beethoven performed at many private occasions during his first few years in Vienna, his official Viennese debut did not
occur until April 1800, when he was the featured soloist and composer in an afternoon concert featuring this Concerto. Running time: 36 minutes.

Piano Concerto No. 2 op. 19 in B-flat major, composed primarily between 1787 and 1789. The concerto was first performed by Beethoven in Vienna March 25, 1795 and was dedicated to Carl Nicklas Edler von
Nickelsberg. Beethoven often referred to this as “not one of the best,” however the work was quite successful. Running time: 28 minutes.

Piano Concerto No. 3 op. 37 in C minor, composed in the 1800’s, was the first of Beethoven’s concertos to use a minor key and features the dynamic tone and the turbulent emotions for which he was become
known for. Running time: 34 minutes.

Piano Concerto No. 4 op. 58 in G major, composed in 1805-1806. With this concerto, Beethoven began to create concertos that were considered genuine solo instrumental symphonies. Running time: 34
minutes.

Piano Concerto No. 5 op. 73 in E-flat major, “Emperor” written between 1809 and 1811. The powerful themes and heroic note of the composition inspired the name for this concerto. It is commonly believed the name was not given by Beethoven but by one of his friends. Running time: 38 minutes.

Over three hours of music can make one really feel for the performers, and the audience was there to meet the challenge as well. With so much music crammed into three hours, it was a lot to digest, but as a musician, I found it very educational. It was a great way to see the evolution of the mind of someone considered to be one of the greatest composers. Ludwig von Beethoven was a compositional genius. It was nice to witness how his musical mind grew, despite the fact that he was almost deaf. It was simply amazing.

The Dixie Dregs reunited for a tour recently their latest stop being The Vic Theater in Chicago. For those of you who don’t know who they are, they were one of the finer instrumental groups of the late 70’s/early 80’s. Some may put them in the category of Fusion, but they are more of an instrumental Rock band with influences that suggest sources from Jazz, Classical and Country. Essentially, the band has always been led by guitarist Steve Morse.

Morse has won Guitar Player Magazine’s best all-around guitar player award five consecutive years in a row, and even though that may have been thirty years ago, his playing is still right where it always was. Morse also kept himself busy in between touring with Deep Purple for twenty or so years and has released several solo albums throughout his long and brilliant career.

The Dregs current tour features the band’s original line up – something you don’t see that often today with bands from their era. Accompanying Morse, was Andy West on bass, Rod Morgenstein on drums, Allen Sloan on electric violin and Steve Davidowski on keys. The band gave the crowd exactly what they had hoped for, playing material from their first six albums. The Dregs’ music live is even more intense and just as technically-minded. Most of the band’s material is penned by Morse, who has a degree from Miami University in Jazz Guitar. In fact, it was while at Miami University when the band originated, then known as The Dixie Grits. Many of the members of the band also are degree-holding musicians.

The Dregs played two sets of impressive material. As concert goer and fellow guitar player, seeing the band play live was a stark reminder as to why Morse is so highly regarded in the guitar circle. In fact, I probably wouldn’t be far off in saying that more than half the people in the audience were guitar players. I had the luck (with a bit of well-planned timing) of getting there early enough so that I was able to stand right in front of Steve and his loud amplification set up. In retrospect, I should have worn ear plugs but that is my own fault. No matter - I got one of the best guitar lessons of my life.

The style of the band’s music is very distinct – truly unlike any other. It is comprised of a highly recognizable mixture that blows you away so much, it almost overwhelming. Often over the top most of the time, subtlety is not the band’s forte. Every song is overstated, as the music is so tightly constructed, it leaves very little breathing room. I would best describe their music as an adrenaline rush of sonic energy.

I really did enjoy seeing one of my idols in action. To me, Steve Morse was a superhero and am sure the same is true to an entire generation of guitar players. I would bet most of the audience went home and instantly started practicing their guitar, maybe attempting to play something they stole from Morse that night. I know I did. That’s how influential he is. I can remember trying to copy Morse over thirty years ago and can say with certainty his licks are still worth learning. No question about it, decades after they made strides in the music world as the new musical prodigy upstarts, the band still holds up to their legacy today - audience responded with nothing but admiration to that legacy. They don’t make bands like The Dixie Dregs anymore. I feel a lot of the appreciation for this type of music is gone. I am fifty-years-old and I was probably on the younger side of the age bracket of the crowd…but so what….old people rock, too!

Set 1:
Divided We Stand
Free Fall
Holiday
Assembly Line
Twiggs Approved
Take It Off the Top
What If
Country House Shuffle
Moe Down
Odyssey
Set 2:
Rachel
(violin solo)
Northern Lights (Steve & Allen duet)
Go for Baroque (without Rod)
Day 444
Refried Funky Chicken
Leprechaun Promenade
Wages of Weirdness
The Bash
Cruise Control
(with drum solo)

Encore:
Bloodsucking Leeches

At The Ready, a small theatre on Chicago’s Northside is currently hosting the classic parable play “Round Heads and Pointed Heads”. Penned by Bertolt Brecht in 1936, its current Chicago run is being brought to you by Red Tape Theatre - a fine theatre company I would urge one to become familiar with. The play is a sardonic anti-Nazi tale that takes place in in the made-up land of Yahoo where its leaders explore maintaining and strengthening their control by pitting “round heads” against “pointed heads” which replaces racial relations for their aggressive class relations.

Composed of 11 scenes in prose and poetry and 13 songs, the story unfolds in two acts that include an intermission. I found the play a bit long-winded but very well done. Multiple plot lines intertwine throughout and is sometimes quite a bit to digest in one sitting, but its overall message is quite poignant. Having said that, the play is very entertaining.

Several actors in this extremely well-acted production successfully take on more than one role, showcasing a wide variety of talent. Despite the fact that “Round Heads’ is not really a musical per se, there were a good handful of interesting songs that helped tell the story in a unique way.

Social issues like racism, revolution and prostitution made up some of the plot lines. Like I said, it was a lot to digest. As much as I enjoyed the play, the fact so many serious topics are brought to the table and are condensed into a couple hours, can overwhelm one’s attention span at times. However, the story ties together nicely.

Directed by Max Truax, the cast features Maryam Abdi, Ambrose Cappucio, Ben Chang, Casey Chapman, Nora King, Peter Laughlin, Diana Lee, Felix Mayes, Emily Nichelson, Brandon Rivera, Caleb Roitz, Kelsey Shipley, Stephanie Shum, and Ann Sonneville.

What I really like about productions like this set in intimate settings, is that the audience feels they become part of the scenes taking place. I guess having a powerful play so rich and meaningful presented up close and personal is not much of a surprise with a group like Red Tape Theatre. I felt some on the audience consisted of fellow thespians who were there to support the theatre community. Works for me. I like that idea.

Small theatre in Chicago has a lot to offer. There is much to see, and the price of admission is generally reasonable…in this case, free but they do appreciate donations. This production is well worth your time to see, and I look forward to checking out more Red Tape productions. These actors are not doing this to be rich, although it may be a stepping stone to greater things. So, go give them the lift they need…it all comes back to you.

Red Tape's “Round Heads and Pointed Heads” is being performed at At the Ready (4546 N Western Ave, Chicago) through April 21st. https://redtapetheatre.org/  

I was 16 years old, digging through a used record bin at a flea market. I came across an album by a Fusion band named Return to Forever. I had heard of the guitar player, Al DiMeola, so I bought the used LP for a dollar. It was money well spent. At that time, I was a relatively new guitar player and I was already getting onto Progressive bands like Yes. At first that is how I saw Fusion. It was kinda like “Prog Rock” sans vocals. It was at that time I first heard Stanley Clarke. The man’s name translates to the word bass in some language. I am sure of that. I know of very few players that have the kind of command over the instrument the Clarke does.

Stanley Clarke just hit Chicago on his latest tour and his performance at City Winery was top notch from beginning to end. His lineup included two keyboardists, drums, electric violin and Clarke on electric and upright bass. What, no guitar player? Blasphemy! I was devastated. Not exactly. There was no void in the music by the lack of having a guitar player that evening. With such a large ensemble of musicians, I’m not sure that there would have been room on the stage anyway. Needless to say, Clarke was already playing through one of the largest bass rigs I have seen in a venue of that size. It really wasn’t even all about that bass either, all the musicians were of the highest caliber.

Beka Gochiasvill and Cameron Graves were the two keyboardists, and both were outstanding. Beka is from Georgia, not the state, the nation that formerly belonged to the USSR. Only 22 years old, his playing reflected someone with much more maturity. Graves is a West Coast cat who has a reputation of his own and is also known for a lot of his own music.

Drummer Mike Mitchell was a solid groove machine, really holding down the fort with Stanley’s melodic monster bass lines. I love jazz drummers, they are never boring, and Mitchell was no exception. The art of being creative without showing off is another level of performance that takes time to achieve. There is an old joke: “A drummer is a person who follows musicians around”. When the drummer is really a musician, it makes all the difference in the world. It really does.

Last but not least in the lineup was the electric violinist. I feel terrible that I cannot recall his name and was unable to find out at the time of this writing! Ugh! I’ll just say that his performance was fantastic and that he was a very animated person. He gave the music a serious melodic boost, and almost upstaged Clarke yet his name is not listed in the band line up.

I say this in all my reviews, but go see live music! I am especially adamant about this when it comes to jazz. Clarke at age 66, is one of the younger players from back in the day. The newer generation does have the talent, no doubt about it, but it’s very educational to see the legends that were so influential in the genre. Thanks to venues like City Winery, this is still a tangible thing that is greatly available for people to seek out. City Winery also gets a great review from me, once again. They have a great staff and the sound there is always amazing. The wine is also fine.

Cheers!

About Face Theatre’s Time Is on Our Side is a wonderful play that carries a LGBTQ theme throughout. This might make some people uncomfortable – and for those it does, this play is a must see. The subject matter is very open. The characters are very open. I found it simply charming. The story is truly timeless.

Sexuality has been one of the biggest topics of discussion since the beginning of time. Actually, in many cases, it is the topic of no-discussion. Fears and phobias run amuck when you start talking about sex. The fact that there even needs to be an LGBTQ community is ridiculous. Labeling is only counterproductive to the evolution of our species.

The play starts with two people, Curtis and Annie, producing a podcast to “queer history” that ultimately has them stumble upon a secretive family journal belonging to Annie’s Grandmother that prompts an investigation into the history of the LGBTQ movement. Their examination takes them on a journey down many roads from Rosa Parks to the AIDS Quilt as more and more past events are brought to the open.

Well-written and superbly performed, Time Is on Our Side is a very entertaining play filled with several hilarious moments while also bringing to the surface many thought-provoking topics. The first act set up the second very well. It was full of surprises even though there was some serious foreshadowing taking place. A well-conceived production, director Megan Carney and writer R. Eric Thomas should be proud of their achievement.

“This is a hilarious and deeply personal story,” comments Director Megan Carney. “It brings together rich characters of different generations who share a longing to connect, which makes it such a perfect play for us at About Face Theatre. The play weaves a range of stories in which younger folks uncover their roots and elders pass on what they know. Altogether, a powerful story emerges revealing acts of resistance and queer magic through the decades.” 

Rashaad Hall as Curtis and Maggie Scranton as Annie are outstanding in their roles. Riley Mondragon plays Claudia and plays the role amazingly well. I thought she stole the show until we are introduced to Rene played by Esteban Andres Cruz, who is a true scene stealer. Cruz also shows his versatility by playing another character in the play, as does Mondragon.

I believe the LGBTQ labeling needs to stop so that one day we can just refer to everyone as people. We come in all varieties. What people do is their own business and not and not anyone else’s. The fact that there needs to be a community based on being “different” is unfortunate. What is different? The more you dig, the more you realize how similar we are, not how different.

I wholeheartedly recommend this funny and highly-stimulating play.

Time Is on Our Side is being performed at Theater Wit through April 7th. For more information on this play, visit www.aboutfacetheatre.com.