Reg Schwager – 10 Questions

Within all my travels and hearing jazz guitarists I can say Reg is one of my favourites.  He has a brilliant mind for jazz.  His abilities to hear and play off other musicians is astounding.  Tonight he is performing with Canada’s best: Steve Wallace on Bass and Mike Murley on Sax.  Enjoy!!!

1. What guitars and amps do you own?

I have a few different guitars but usually I play an Eastman archtop. Live I use a ZT Lunchbox for an amp, and sometimes a Henricksen in the studio.

2. What will be your set up this weekend?

Eastman archtop and either my Lunchbox or the Jazz Room’s ZT Club.

3. How do you believe you achieve your tone?

(strings, pick, hands, effects, etc) All of the above, plus the amp, but not usually many effects for straightahead jazz stuff. I do like using effects for other styles though.

4. Tell us about any original music that will be performed this weekend?

The tunes will be chosen by the leader Mike Murley. He may play a few of his own songs. We’ll find out when we get there.

5. Tell us about your approach to composing?

I like to write with the guitar, noodling around till I find an idea to follow up on, sometimes watching TV so that I don’t overthink things.

6. What are your favourite songs to play?

I don’t know – too many to list. I do like the classic bebop songs though, like Hot House, Moose the Mooche and Scrapple From The Apple.

7. Do you have a favourite scale or lick that you play?

Scales and licks are secondary to playing and feeling in the moment. But I do like practicing different intervallic ideas. I have fun with symmetrical scales – whole tone, diminished and augmented, for example. Or what was the jazz scale that really changed your playing?

Working on modes of the melodic minor scale probably changed a few things for me.

8. What guitarist, song or album inspires you?

I can think of many, but Larry Young’s Talking About J.C., featuring Grant Green, is a favourite that I listen to often.

9. What do you do to practice technique?

(one or two things) I work on different intervallic patterns, using diagrams to generate different possiblities. And also right hand finger patterns (classical guitar technique) to try to develop that side of my playing.

10. What can the audience expect to hear next Saturday?

Mike Murley, Steve Wallace and I will be playing some favourite standards, trying to swing, get a good group feeling, and have fun doing it.