Hey You Play Like a Girl

Jess Lewis (as a teenager):

Guthrie himself praised her covers of those tunes. i think she may have been all of 17 years old at the time.

More recently:

She's good enough to get Marco Minneman of the Aristocrats to play on her album.

Jess Lewis | JJ Guitars

Jess Lewis plays JJ Guitars and this page gives all this information
www.jjguitars.com www.jjguitars.com

Like me, she doubles on bass and guitar.
Unlike me, she can shred like mad whenever she feels like it.
i think she's awesome.
 
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ibmorjamn said:
The ego's might not be there yet but the ladies I see playing are brutally accurate.
The ability is there.
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When i said that we weren't quite there yet it was in reference to a mindset i've encountered (the 'you play pretty well for a girl' thing) as opposed to a lack of ability.
From soulful groovers to shredders to avant garde jazzers, there are monster women players everywhere.
Feel free to share more of your personal faves here!
 
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Headache said:
…repeat after me: "I play guitar because I like to, not because I'm good at it."
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About 22 years ago, I left a band totally dejected and seriously considering hanging it all up. I was contemplating selling all my gear and just giving up music entirely.

The other guitarist couldn’t stand when I got any onstage attention at all, including when I sang or played harmonica (we were supposed to split vocal duties, kinda like the Arc Angels; also, I’d play slide guitar, rhythm guitar or harp while he played lead guitar).

The other guitarist could play circles around me, could sing better than me and was younger and better looking…I didn’t care, I was just happy to be playing and “played for the song”. I didn’t demand or even seek the glory of being the “frontman”…I wasn’t trying to be rich or famous, I wasn’t even hoping to do this for a living. I was playing because I enjoyed it.

But he (as band leader) repeatedly took out all my solos (including “let’s have you not play slide any more, and only do one song with harp, ok?”), then slowly took out more and more of the songs on which I did lead vocals.

At one point, I asked him if he’d like me to stand off to the side of him, waving a feather like an Egyptian slave so he can stay cool and fresh onstage…

So I left the band, totally disheartened and depressed. I wasn’t enjoying it any more.

Then a guy who I’d played with a few times over the years called me and said, “Hey, we need you for a gig next week. Bring 15 or 20 songs you like to sing and play guitar or harp on, and we’ll probably use ten of them…it pays $100 to each of us…you in?”

“Sure! But why’d you call me? Y’all play significantly better than me!”

“Dude, you’re a good frontman and a GREAT sideman—you lift the whole band up and make it sound big and full, just with your Keith Richards/Jimmie Vaughan fills and rhythms…then you play slide and harmonica, which nobody does? That makes you a good bandmate.”

There’s more to the story, but not to make a long story longer, I rehearsed on Friday night with them, then we played Saturday night (and they ended up using about 16 of the songs I brought—including several that I wrote).

The day after the gig, I called the drummer in my old band (that I’d just left) and asked if he’d be willing to pull double duty, then I called a guitarist I’d played with a decade or so prior. We rehearsed on a Friday and played a gig on a Saturday, and everyone said, “Why haven’t we seen you around before? Y’all are great!”

Well, umm…we’ve only been in existence for five days…

The drummer (without me asking) said, “Man, the old band is an absolute mess…you were covering for the bassist’s lack of rhythm and the guitarist can’t figure out how to play some of the songs without your guitar, and the last gig we played four different people asked, ‘Where’s the harp player? He was the best!’, which sent [lead guitarist] into a tailspin, because it’s all about him…I don’t think I can keep playing with them…”

I told him not to quit on my account, and he said, “No, this is my own decision. That band doesn’t work without you.”

He gave them time to find his replacement, and then they imploded within a couple of months.

The bassist eventually quit playing.
The lead guitarist moved to Austin, made a big splash and then pissed everyone off with his “It’s All About Me” attitude, imploded and burned out and I’m not sure what he’s doing with music any more.

The core of my band has kept together (albeit with various second guitarists and bassists) for 22 years.

The instant I stopped comparing myself to other players, my playing improved 10-fold and everyone in the band had a good time.


So I agree—I play guitar because I like to, not because I’m good at it.

But I’m a lot better when I keep my eyes on my own paper and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing .
 
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