Goodbye Porkpie Hat - Chapman Stick - Two-handed Tapping

[pencert]

Killer performance. You're obviously a musician of a very high caliber, I want to play like you.

That's a really fascinating alternate evolution in amplified music. The predominant forms have been based on styles of distortion, but this thing really blows my mind in that it takes advantage of the amplification to create something entirely new. I've thought to myself many times that I wish you could make a guitar sound like Bill Evans, and I think if anyone will it will be with the Chapman Stick.

[gregplaysthestick]

@pencert Thanks for such a kind comment.  I really like your take on how The Stick presents a new avenue for amplified music. Sounds like you've got the bug....:)

[digitalramyun]

Amazing performance - Greg Howard and other great Stick players, make me consider seriously, giving up guitar and switching to the Stick. I don't think I could play both!

[CsawIvu]

Wow, this moves Greg.  Rare these days that anyone 'feels it". I really enjoyed this and look forward to more after subscribing to gregplaysthestick.

SAW

[don56texas]

wonderful greg.... a friend bought a stick in 1977 and played it around Ft Worth and Austin. A Stick also provided the traditional music at my wedding in 2000. I have to ask...are you a fan of Bruce Cockburn, the musical poet laureat of Canada?  I hear that same ' high lonesome' in the Stick that I hear in his open tunings and phrasings.

[dunstalker]

This really moved me. I kinda get that 80s Blade Runner neon opera sound from it. Do you have an album or mp3 i can listen to? If you do be so kind to write me a message pls.

[hueseph]

Great rendition. I love this song. Mingus sure new how to groove with the blues.

[ModernSaxDotCom]

I'm addicted, to listening to this instrument......and this vid contribute's to my addiction..lol very nice

[AchillesStandsOn]

This is one of my favorite musical performances of all time. 

[gregplaysthestick]

@AchillesStandsOn Thanks so much. What an incredibly nice thing to write.

[jbbryans]

Awesome, Greg. Thanks for sharing!

[dergeier117]

Beautiful cover on a unique instrument!

[clarkewi]

That is sooooooooo beautiful!

[stratoleft]

I guess spectacular might cover this one. If we "learn" to do this, who needs a bass, or a guitar, or piano, violin, or I think I heard a clarinet in there somewhere as well.

[MomoTheBellyDancer]

Nice playing. I own an 80s polycarbonate Stick that I use for bass lines mostly... my left-right coordination is lousy, even after several years of trying. I actually should have that thing revised, but I am weary of sending it all the way to the States.

[DarkHalo08]

Wow this guy is masterful.  I know Mingus is somewhere smiling on this one.

[gregplaysthestick]

Thanks! I once had the pleasure of playing this in a club in New York. Eric Mingus and family were in the house. a real honor.

[MrBbodine1]

@DarkHalo08 Yeah, He's pretty darn good!

[Eiende]

phenomenal

[sclogse1]

John McLaughlin played this on a great album of his...one whole side of tunes like this...no flash.

The big sound always kills me on these...so I always ask...what amp and what reverb or preamp produces this big sound?

[Ubu987]

Tone, feel, phrasing, invention, blues - this is righteous. A lot of stick players ignore dyamics and play with a tinny, sharp tone. This is great!

[pocketlockit]

The intro to this is divine.

[mhoegeman]

The Bass Harmonic at :58. ... ...Perfect

[samirberardo]

Astonishing.

[ArtFeile]

You give the soul of the tunes, you are great musician, thx

[jlefvert]

Sounds Great! 5 Stars

[meshica7]

The original tune was written by bassist/composer Charles Mingus and the only resemblance is the actual melody.Mingus' version was more in the be-bop vein but not entirely be-bop. It has a cool jazz club vibe to it.One of my fav standards.

[inkfromblood]

Actually, Goodbye Pork Pie hat is not Be Bop at ALL. Its a blues.

[mickfizz]

jeff beck played this in like 1971 or so ,im pretty sure it's one of those ol jazz standards stanly clarke does a real nice job on this piece as well

[tappistrt]

Excellent playing as always, Greg! Such a killer grove!

I'm a Stick newbie but I hope to have your chops one day. MUCH more practice needs to happen!

[hettory]

WOOOOOO wonderful greg....thanks for show us your music

[mickfizz]

i really like your dynamic touch on this one , nice subtleties. you really were able to match the mood of the piece ,wonderful this is one of the vids i show people when they ask what a chapman stick is

[Kavvadimus]

"this is one of the vids I show people when they ask what a chapman stick is"

...I don't think there's a higher compliment. Excellence in every way!

[grovemaster82]

very very beautiful...you're great!

[gusletarist]

O, Jazz is Freedom!! Thank to Greg

[acousticore]

I know that Emmett always mentions being inspired by John Mclaughlin.

How about you? 

This is a great track from My Goals Beyond.

[OldenVictor]

great

[LesterBojangles]

is this based off of the short story?

[raggedy]

Very beautiful.

[shoegooguru]

I have seen this 'odd instrument' played by tony levin of King Crimson and the effects grabbed me. I searched 'the stick' and found you. Wow! What a mastery and I think this is the most beautiful and full sounding instrument I have ever heard. You have 109 subscribers now! Thanks for sharing this.

[HarpGuitarTexas]

Love the tune and really dig your version. Masterfully done!

[biusKOCH]

Great as always!!!

LG

[BistouflyTheGreat]

awesome ! you have a new fan in France !

[lbcsrw]

This is one of my all time favorite tunes, and you play it with a mastery that only comes from intimately living and breathing the music. Thank you for sharing your talent and artistry!

[birdlives2000]

Please make more jazz arrangements. You properly convey the feeling that mingus put into his music

[faynes]

bravo dude beautiful tune ,and you are an inspiration to us humble tappers

[dmkramerica]

Talent.

[jaapbaart]

I love "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" but on the beautifull of the Chapman stick it sounds so smooth, it give's me chickenskin all over the body

[theoya]

I don't normally like the sound you give your stick, despite how well you play it. This one sounds really appealing to me.

[radmin2]

This is more than stick chops, it's music!

Awesome!

[pyrox23]

Well done! It had great swing, a whole lot of soul, and it sounded like three guys, not one! Or at least two (on 8-string and 6-string guitars) anyhow. I really enjoy the way you make a tapped string sound like a gently plucked string and not a percussion instrument like some others (though that has its place as well), and your very lyrical melodic touch -- very like a wind instrument, with the phrasing and the pitch bends.

Some others can do these things, but only one of them at a time!

[646879]

so how much did this stick thingy cost you?

[nickdones]

well, I may have to get one of these things ...

[mambono555]

Excellent performance of a great Mingus composition. This is a refreshing alternative to the more common, one-chord funky Stick examples. Very, very nicely done!

[brokeneckgiraffe]

do you use the phaser to hide your tonal errors?

[fboxberger]

Greg:Great Playing to us Stick Players... I have only been playing 11 months but your videos have really been a help and very inspiring... please post more....thanks Frank

[cloudysky10]

Absolutely amazing! I love that song and you did an excellent job... makes me wish I could play the stick as well as you or... at all =P

[gregplaysthestick]

The Stick is like anything else. If it moves you, get one and study it. It's really not that hard, more mental than anything. Many thanks.

[oonaboona]

Best video on this site.

[whtfuc]

that was the best.

[Jman88]

That was excellent, great choice in the piece, and played to perfection!

[mashmeloz]

THAT WAS FRIGGIN AMASING!!!!!! tabs?

i swear i have watched this clip 30 times in 3 days

[GenocidalArchitect]

I always thought Goodbye Pork Pie hat was a Jeff Beck song....

But this is still amazing

[georiorico]

Wow. Hey and I live near Mingus' birth place in Nogales, AZ, down the street,it's a fact and I'll go tell his hosue you did good.

[TheFolksinger]

Pure blue and lovely.

[thezenrunner]

Wow - what a gift. Jaw dropping beauty. Thanks for making my day (and new favorites).

[XpanderXT]

That was beautiful! Excellent! I love this song and you really captured it's soul.

[zawi1956]

Hail to Mingus.This is beautiful playing

[laugharooster]

this is called playing with the soul....

Awesome sound dude....what's your rig ?

Cheers

[gregplaysthestick]

Thanks for the kind comment. At this time, I believe I was playing a standard pickup-equipped Stick through a Rane SP-13 and a Lexicon MPX-G2 processor. Happy Viewing.

[yocallmed]

finally a stickist who can play

[kathyd1952]

You need to hear, my cousin, Paul Edwards play.

[superjohn07]

Yeah... that was mega good.

[mathiassorofprojects]

Dynamical, musical, exciting. Great kind of expression. Very nice, Greg.

Greetings

Mathias

[Thrak007]

Wow!! Big sound here!!

[secondfiddle]

Always a treat to hear great Stick playing...

[stickworld]

Fantastic performance, Greg!

[rpmartino]

Incredibly soulful performance Greg!

[Grozeil]

Great!

[garyopenhill]

Beautiful tune and very well performed. Wonderful sounding stick.

[JaphletBA]

Brilliant!!! Wow.