Joe Filisko's Rhythm, Groove, and Sway! Halleluyah!
Thank you, Joe, for legitimizing this important message.
Y'all may be interested to know that what Joe is talking about, moving from one side to the other as if walking, is actually the classic basic step of traditional blues dancing. We call it transferring weight, or just simply walking. I'm a trained blues dancer and a DJ. I only play tunes that inspire people to make this transfer of weight. If you're not feeling it in your music, you won't impart it to the dancers. It is best if the knees are a little soft, so that they're loose.
Joe describes it really great. Notice Joe did not bounce his shoulders from side to side, which is a poor imitation we often see on the dance floor, but he was moving the lower part of his body as if walking.
My dream is to see the importance of the connection between dancing and music maintained as we carry this treasure into the future. I believe that originally they were soul mates, and we only separate them to our detriment.
In Steppin' on the Blues: The Visible Rhythms of African American Dance by Jacqui Malone, the author states, "Most European conceptions of art would separate music from dance.... Most traditional African conceptions, on the other hand, couple music with one or more other art forms, including dance.... From words to the rhythms of music and the dance there was no discontinuity in the traditional society of the Kongo; they were all language, whether of sound or gesture."
Let's not get too far away from our roots and only prefer the European influence.
Musicians ask me to try to influence dancers to come to their events, but there is a lot to learn 1) on a basic level about which grooves work with swing and blues dancing, and 2) more importantly, whatever groove it is--even if there's no official dance that goes with it, that the music itself dances and causes people to move their bodies, even if only toe tapping. (Rick Estrin talks about this too in his video, but just in terms of the music, not body movements per se.) But Joe explains, and demonstrates, beautifully how that expresses itself in the body.
Thank you, Joe. You're my hero!
De nada, Jon. (I could talk about many variations and meanings of "sway" too, but you'd have to come to a dance class for that.)
Can any of you recommend some blues harmonica player videos on youtube that really have the "sway" down when they play?
-Taylor
Dennis Gruenling
Jon, You are right on the money! I was watching him at our last masterclass workshop and thought, "the man's a natural blues dancer." I just grabbed this one, for the sake of time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1axaoZHoVw Let me know if you find others.
Also, check out Shakey Horton (Big Walter Horton) especially, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsG4RwBwBeA
I have a confession, as I learn to play harmonica, I have not integrated my whole body response into the playing yet. It comes and goes, but when I get a song good enough that I can play it, instead of work it, then I can keep the rhythm with, I call it, weight transfer.
Let's not forget Rick Estrin!
James Harman is worth watching for his economical, well-place body english. A little different from the sway, but still in the important area of body movement while playing.
Watching you in the audience at the student concert yesterday told me you have total sway and rhythm in you Very cool. Why do we struggle so much to transfer what we can do naturally to a stage or performance situation. I'm confident that when you perform at a dance 'contest'? (not sure if that's the right term), you do have the sway.
Interesting topic - thanks Anne Marie
I'm always amazed at how deep any one subject can go. Who'd a thought the Sway was going to be a big part of playing the blues and how it connects to dance. Thanks for the great info Ms. Jackson!