| Rock stinks? No, but for Geils, jazz and blues smell sweeter
He's gone from J. to Jay and from rock to jazz and blues. Smoky bars and concert arenas have transformed into jazz haunts and clubs, and leather and jeans have been replaced by a jacket and tie. For Jay Geils, the days of rocking with frontman Peter Wolf and the J. Geils Band are a universe away. These days, it's jazz, blues and swing from the likes of Count Basie and Duke Ellington that make his guitar sing. So, don't expect to hear "Centerfold," "Love Stinks" or "Freeze Frame" - a few of J. Geils' '70s and '80s hits - when the now 60-year-old ex-rock 'n' roller takes the stage tomorrow to kick off the season at Maudslay Arts Center in Newburyport. The reinvented Geils will be flanked by Gerry Beaudoin and their quintet for an evening of seminal jazz in the outdoor amphitheater.
SCHOOL OF ROCK
There is nothing remotely rock 'n' roll about 9 a.m. Nine a.m. is for Starbucks lines and traffic reports and math class; it's not usually a good hour for those who favor late nights and loud music and guitar rigs. But here it is, a few minutes before 9 on a summer morning, and a few dozen rockers are trickling into a school building in north Dallas. They have on baggy shorts and ripped jeans and their favorite rock 'n' roll T-shirts: The Ramones. Nirvana. Fall Out Boy. Guns N' Roses. They're loaded down with guitars and amps, basses and drumsticks. They are trying very hard to act like they didn't just climb out of their parents' Camrys and Explorers and minivans. Yep, these early-morning rockers are all under the age of 16. Some of them are accomplished musicians; others just wanna be.
Strictly Acoustic
Surf's up this Saturday at Leonesse Cellars in Temecula's Wine Country when the Duo-Tones perform surf guitar music straight from the '60s. Paul Johnson was 15 when he cut his first record, "Mr. Moto," with the Belairs in 1961, and Gil Orr has played with the Chantays since the mid '60s. Their number one hit, "Pipeline," is still popular at surf music concerts. The two have formed a partnership in the Duo-Tones and perform the music they love. Their sound, like that of most original surf guitar, is unique in that there's no amps, no drums and no bass. It's strictly pure acoustic guitar which fits right in with the 100-person venue at Leonesse Cellars. Johnson has been playing rock instrumental music for more than 40 years. He started with the Belairs in 1961 and continued playing with some of surf music's biggest names, including the Galaxies.
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