Author Archives: sixstrstories

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About sixstrstories

I am the son and only child of a registered nurse & a self-employed collector of wildflowers. I went on to become: a Beatles’ fan; a record collector; a drummer; a music magazine subscriber; a guitar player; a songwriter; a high school graduate; a college student; a music major; a performing singer/guitarist; a photography student; a yearbook photographer; a student teacher; a boyfriend; a letter writer; a college graduate; an elementary school music teacher; an apartment dweller; a husband; a guitar teacher/independent contractor; a homeowner; an independent music producer; the father of a daughter; the father of a son; a bandmate; a teacher of the history of popular music in America; an instructor of music/adjunct faculty member; a grandfather (x3); a condo dweller; and a blogger.

The New Possibility – Take 2

I started learning how to play the guitar because I thought it would provide a better accompaniment to my singing than playing the drums did. At the time, I had no idea that there was a way to play a … Continue reading

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This Historic Day In Music: November 27, 1936, The Gunter Hotel, Rm.414, San Antonio, Texas – Take 2

On Friday, November 27, 1936, Robert Johnson, a 25-year-old Blues musician from Mississippi, had his third recording session for ARC Records. The location of these sessions was The Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. The ARC recording crew of A & … Continue reading

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Over The River Once More

“Oh, hear the bells ringing, ‘Ting-a-ling-ling!,’ for it’s Thanksgiving Day.” If your holiday gathering could use a festive sing-along, here’s a good one for you. “Over The River And Through The Woods” – guitar, vocal and arrangement by me. Ready? … Continue reading

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Sparklers: “Doc’s Guitar” by Doc Watson

This is the second installment of my newest category here at sixstr stories. It features recordings of outstanding performances by noteworthy guitarists – or outstanding guitarists giving noteworthy performances –  for your listening pleasure. It is inspired by whatever god … Continue reading

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Quotations Marked 8

I established this blog’s motto on April 28, 2010 in my very first posting. “Good music doesn’t get old.” That quote comes from the American Jazz musician Mr. Ferdinand Joseph “Jelly Roll Morton” LaMothe (1890-1941). I found it at the … Continue reading

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“November 7”

Here’s one for my son and all of the fingerstyle-acoustic-guitar-loving, guitar-picking, tablature-reading viewers/readers/followers of this blog out there. November 7 is my son’s birthday. In 2010, I celebrated his birthday here on sixstr stories with a “This Historic Day…” post. … Continue reading

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This Historic Day In Music: “Guitar Blues”/”Guitar Rag” – Take 2

On November 2, 1923, Blues guitarist Sylvester Weaver sat in front of the large horn/”microphone” of the acoustic recording machine in the New York City studios of OKeh Records. He played and recorded two original instrumental guitar pieces that day: “Guitar Blues” and “Guitar Rag.” The resulting … Continue reading

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This Championship Season

From the front of my refrigerator. Red squares were home games; white squares were away games. O = a win; X = a loss.

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The Ballad of “Eight Days A Week”

(Ballad: “A poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas, or verses.”) Verse 1 Most likely it was in late September or on a day in very early October, 1964. Paul McCartney excitedly arrived at John Lennon’s house with … Continue reading

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This Historic Day In Music: “Deep Minor Rhythm Stomp,” “Midnight Call Blues,” “Hot Fingers” & “Blue Room Blues”

On October 9, 1929, Blues guitarist Lonnie Johnson… …and Jazz guitarist Eddie Lang… …got together again in the New York City recording studios of OKeh Records to record what would prove to be the final four of their groundbreaking and … Continue reading

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