"Giant Steps" Sol Hoopii style

[Mike Neer]

Joke or not, I dug it. What's next? How about Lady Bird in the style of Speedy West or Dick McIntire?

Andy, you know weird things happen when you least expect them--while this was just meant to be a "for fun" thing, it's kind of got me thinking....

The one thing that makes listening to great players like Sol, Joaquin, etc. so much fun is because they had so much personality. I'm just trying to get good enough at the instrument to get some credibility playing jazz tunes, but the one element missing is personality. If I can invoke the essence of these other players, it helps me overcome that. That's really something to keep in mind. I would like to harness some of that energy, but keep the content in a more modern language.

[Carl Mesrobian]

Mike - it's great. I'm going to start doing some jazz on my steel.

[Andy Volk]

Mike, real individuality on an instrument is one of the hardest aspects to grow into as a musician IMO - especially with improvisational music because there are so many factors in play. Guitars of all stripes make the equation even more complex because we're one of the few instruments that can play the same pitch in multiple places. It's interesting to note how many musicians we revere as being supremely individual developed their styles as a result of not being able to do something on the instrument that they tried to achieve or because of a handicap.

[Jim Robbins]

Very nice & refreshing & well-played -- joke or not, you don't hear Giant Steps with a relaxed feel too often.

[David Mason]

I'm not sure you can just "do jazz" like you can "do" Lindsay Lohan, buttermilk or cocaine. To put it the other way, there are a lot of people out there "doing" something but it ain't cool like Neer's.

The ugly word "work" is scratching at my brain... must need some buttermilk.

[Orville Johnson]

Just back from a week with no computers and I stopped by and checked this out...I love it! The song sounds really cool to me done this way. Thanks, Mike.

[Stephen Watson]

Betty Boop Bop!

[Mike Neer]

Many thanks, gentlemen!