Summit Meeting
The Acoustic Guitar Summit
Paul Chasman, Terry Robb, Doug Smith, Mark Hanson
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The Acoustic Guitar Summit has traveled many miles since we played our first concert together in 1995. We have gotten to know each other while touring, performing, recording (and sometimes even rehearsing), and we have developed a genuine solidity as a group. We no longer play solo sets bookmarked by a couple of quartet tunes, as we did in the early days. Now the four of us play the entire show, with an occasional spotlight on each member. The question is no longer which tunes we can play, but which ones we will have to leave out. We play looser and we play tighter, we take chances and rely on each other, and we have a lot of fun!
Many random touring memories give me pleasure: Riding in the back seat of a rented van, listening to Terry's endless stream of historical facts and funny stories about every guitar player who has ever lived (Q: Who played the theme to Peter Gunn, Bonanza, and The Munsters? A: Bob Bain); Mark and Doug sitting up front doing New York Times crossword puzzles together in pen! (Mark: "What¹s a nine-letter word meaning shaped like a worm?" Doug: "Vermiform." ) All of us bleary-eyed after a late concert, dragging into the Keystone Corner in Berkeley for a live, morning performance on NPR, and nailing it.
A note about our stage lineup: If you face the stage, we always sit with Terry on the left, then Mark, Doug, and me. At our first concert, it just seemed to happen that the two really tall guys sat in the middle, and the two not-so-tall guys got stuck on the ends. This worked out particularly well for almost everybody on a night we played an outdoor gig that got moved into a tent because of a very cold and blustery wind. We were stationed by the tent opening, playing in our overcoats. Our usual positioning dictated that Terry sit by the opening, taking a direct hit from the wind, and running interference for the three of us. Being on the opposite end, I had the best seat in the band!
A note about our soloing order: At some point we realized that we got utterly confused trying to figure out who soloed when. (Did that look Mark gave me mean it was my turn or his?) So we came up with the ingenious plan to keep our soloing order running clock-wise. Typically, Terry goes first, then I, Doug, and Mark. We follow this plan faithfully except when we don't.
The Songs
1. Summit Meeting
M. Hanson; Accent on Music (ASCAP)
Mark put this together as a format for each member to get plenty
of room to solo. Mark plays the head, Paul plays the
bass line, and the band takes off.
Solos: Terry, Paul, Doug, Mark (2:52)
2. Nuages
D. Rheinhard; Frances, Day, & Hunter, Ltd (PRS)
The Summit’s take on the great gypsy guitarist, Django
Rheinhardt’s classic. Contrary to what one Djangofile
told the group, this version is not “wrong.” It
is simply slower with more space.
Main theme: Paul; Solos: Terry-8 bars, Mark-8 bars, Paul-8
bars, Terry-4 bars, Mark-4 bars; Bass line: Doug (4:37)
3. Muskrat Ramble
Originally written at the turn of the century by the legendary
trumpeter, Buddy Bolden, as “The Old Cow Died, and
Old Brock Cried,” this song was made famous by Louis
Armstrong in the 1920s. Children of the Œ60s heard
an entirely different rendition from Country Joe and the
Fish.
Main Theme: Paul-high octave, Doug-low octave; Solos:
A) Terry,
B) Terry & Mark, A) Mark, B) Mark & Doug, A)
Doug, B) Doug &
Paul ; Harmonies-Paul & Doug (3:43)
4. You Make Me Feel Brand New
L. Creed, T. Bell; Warner-Tamerlane Publishing (BMI)
This beautiful Stylistics tune from the 1970s features Doug,
Terry, and a multi-dimensional ensemble arrangement.
A) Terry, B) Doug, C) Doug & Terry; Rhythm: Mark;
Harmonics: Paul (4:25)
5. Mystery Train
H. Parker, S. Phillips, Hi Lo Music and Unichappell Music
(BMI)
Terry catches fire, and everybody else tries to keep up. The
Summit arranged this one in the San Francisco airport.
Vocal: Terry; Back-up vocals: Mark and Doug (The Robbettes)
Solos: Terry, Paul, Doug, Mark (3:56)
6. Embryonic Journey
(Duet: Doug and Mark)
The Jorma Kaukonen guitar classic comes alive with Doug’s
powerful rendition. Mark adds harmonies, creating an entirely
new perspective on the piece. (3:46)
7. Good Question (duet-Terry and Paul)
T. Robb, P. Chasman; House Records & Bay View Music
(BMI)
Terry came over to Paul’s house one day, and they put
together this Monk-inspired tune. Terry asked, “What
should we call this thing?”
and Paul answered, “Good question...”
1st solo: Terry; 2nd solo: Paul (3:03)
8. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
(Duet: Paul and Doug)
Paul recorded this piece on solo guitar in the1980s. Doug has
lived with and loved the Nutcracker Suite all of his life.
Paul arranged “Sugar Plum” for two guitars based
on his faulty memory of fifteen years earlier.
Doug corrected Paul’s mistakes, rearranged his own part,
and they had their arrangement. Paul plays the harmonics.
(2:37)
9. Spouting Horn
A lilting Hawaiian-inspired Mark Hanson original. He
tunes his guitar to Wahine tuning: C-G-D-G-B-E, low to high.
Main theme: Mark; Slide: Terry; Harmony-Doug; 2nd verse
solos: Terry, Paul, Doug (3:51)
10. Mr. Sandman
The Summit gave a workshop in which they arranged a couple
of songs from scratch, giving the participants a first-hand
look at the process.
This is one of the tunes from the workshop.
Harmonies: Paul, Doug, Mark; Main Theme: Paul; Solos:
Terry, Paul, Doug, Mark (3:18)
11. Would You Like to Play the Guitar
Lyrics: P. Donohue, Salspot Music; Music: J. Burke, J.
Van Heusen, Bourne Co.,Musical Sales Corp (ASCAP)
Doug astutely turned on the tape recorder when he heard Pat
Donahue singing this song on “Prairie Home Companion.” It
should be the anthem for every guitar player.
Vocal: Doug; Guitar quotes: Paul, Terry, Mark, Doug (2:59)
12. Sultans of Swing
M. Knopfler, Straightjacket Songs Ltd, Almo Music Co.
(ASCAP)
Recorded live for the inmates at the Men’s Correctional
Facility in Klickimett, Oregon, where the Summit was temporarily
detained due to a case of mistaken identity.
Bass: Doug; Theme: Paul, Mark, Terry; Solos: Terry, Paul,
Doug, Mark; Guitar Hero Lick: Terry (2:23)
13. What a Wonderful World
“And I say to myself, what a wonderful world.”
8 bars-Paul & Doug, 8 bars-Mark & Terry (throughout); Solos: Terry,
Mark, Doug, Paul (4:27)