More about Brent including his guitar playing www.brentblount.com

I have heard several people ask me questions to the effect of, "Is that you playing guitar on your song?" So, I am putting the two songs from Breakfast At Jim's, three songs from Coyotes, and one single that I play guitar on. I also play the bass parts on the latter, and those are not all the songs I play guitar on. In addition, I am including some more information about myself and my interview with the Daily Oklahoman.

Thank you for reading and listening!

Brent

Dancin' Man

MA Blues

More About Brent

I started playing saxophone at age eight when I lived for four years in Wichita Kansas, and the first song I learned was “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” The director said I jazzed it up too much and needed to slow down. The first song I learned on guitar was “Crazy Train” by Ozzy. Randy died a few months before I got my first guitar at Christmas at 12; and, he gave me the ideal role model by example. That was, a musician on the road dedicated to the music and not dedicated to the vices of the road. I started taking jazz lessons at 13 and my teacher, Paul Brewer, got me into Trane and Dexter. I got Dexter, but Trane eluded me until I heard Ernie Watts play in the soundtrack to “Fabulous Baker Boys” in the old Bianca’s jazz club in Oklahoma City. That movie and Ernie’s playing changed my life when I heard it in Bianca’s after having started playing in the blues jam sessions there at 16. The Bronston Blues Band, who hosted those jam sessions, used to hide me in the kitchen when identification was checked. I played in Terry McCann’s band (Big Daddy) years later for about 7 years. Before that, I was Doc Blue’s first guitarist and saxophonist.

I’ll share what changed me over to jazz from the “Fabulous Baker Boys” when I was 19. Consequently, the one person I’d like to meet would be Ernie Watts, who I heard play in the soundtrack to “Fabulous Baker Boys” in the old Bianca’s jazz club over two decades ago now.

http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/f/fabulous-baker-boys-script-transcript.html


Suzie:
 “l know one thing.
While Frank put his kids to bed,
little brother Jack
was dusting off his dreams.
 
l was there. 
l saw it in your face.
 
You're full of shit.
You're a fake.
 
Every time you walk in those places,
you're selling yourself cheap.
 
   
l know all about that.
l find myself at the end of the night with some creep,
and l tell myself it doesn't matter.
 
   
You kid yourself you've got
this empty place inside to put it.
 
   
But do it long enough
and all you are is empty.
 
Jack:  
l didn't know whores
were so philosophical.
 
Suzie:
At least
my brother's not my pimp.
 
   
l had you pegged for a loser
the first time l saw you.
 
But you're worse.
You're a coward.”

My music, I hope, helps to make the world a better place. I hope someone can come hear me and feel better when they go home. I like the idea Johnny Griffin has that I read once, “Shoot them bullets of love,” or the sentiment expressed by Herbie Hancock, “Jazz is about transforming pain into joy.” Shostakovich said once about living under Stalin’s regime, that music is people’s last hope. Those are awful big shoes to try to fill, but how many times in people’s lives would the difference be made for the better if in a moment of vulnerability they listened to something that didn’t make them feel worse and maybe pushed them over the edge? If it can’t ever be about helping someone in those delicate moments, then what’s the point? Yes, I believe there’s an artistic responsibility to help the world by letting the music, a spiritual power, speak through you to others.

Native American music for me is inspired by the land, its beauty, and its mystery. Many of the songs on “Black Kettle’s Vision” and “Coyotes” were written on the land with her. All of the ones on "To Eleazer Williams" were. I have much more of an active part in writing jazz, but let me pass on what Joe Davis, one of the greatest unknown tenor players, told me when I drove to Tahlequah, Oklahoma to take a lesson from him before he died. He said it, the music, comes into the heart as he pointed to his heart; then, he said the mind merely translates it. As to what it is that comes into the heart, I can only describe it as a spiritual power. It’s mystery.

Peace,

Brent

My Interview With The Daily Oklahoman

http://newsok.com/local-band-qa-brent-blount-blues-band/article/3338181

Q: What are your musical roots?

A: They’re an odd mixture. I started playing saxophone at age 8, when I lived for four years in Wichita, and the first song I learned was "Mary Had a Little Lamb.” The director said I jazzed it up too much and needed to slow down. The first song I learned on guitar was "Crazy Train” by Ozzy. Randy (Rhoads) died a few months before I got my first guitar at Christmas at 12. He was a musician on the road dedicated to the music and not dedicated to the vices of the road. I started taking jazz lessons at 13. My teacher Paul Brewer got me into Trane (John Coltrane) and Dexter (Gordon). Then I started playing in the blues jam sessions there at 16. The Bronston Blues Band used to hide me in the kitchen when they came around. I played in Terry McCann’s band years later for about 7 years. Before that, I was Doc Blue’s first guitarist and saxophonist. I have several "musical stepfathers.” More specifically, they are Danny White, Gene Bell, as well as Terry.

Q: How do you make every show better than the last?

A: Making the next show better is easy — practice more.

Q: What is the highest honor a band can get?

A: Seeing George Jones cry when Alan Jackson played "He Stopped Loving Her Today” at the last Kennedy Awards is the highest "award” you can get.

Q: What causes bands to fizzle out?

A: When band members put their egos ahead of the music. It also could be personality conflicts, drug use, or they record while performing much less. It all seems to come down to money. On the other hand, it could just be that it’s time to move on. Too many instances come to mind and nobody knows all of it but them.

Q: What would you change about the local music scene to help make bands more famous?

A: What I would change is, just hoping the economy comes back. But, for bands to become more famous they have to do what I’m not willing to do: have a show that even a deaf person would love, in the words of Derek Silver (I think he said that anyway). However, nobody should take my advice on becoming famous. I’m too into the concept of art for art’s sake, and I don’t use words — I’m an instrumentalist.

— Chris Colberg

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Brent Blount

Straight Ahead Jazz with a touch of the blues, bebop, and the avant-garde