ROCK N ROLLED A Memoir by Jack Sonni

[dustyvalentino]

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer Jack.

I have a little Pocket Pod in my cupboard here in the North-east of Scotland and I use it to record and play while my kids are sleeping - funny to think that you came up with the name and shape, I had no idea.

[Love Expresso]

P.s. Sure as hell hoping you are gonna stay on here for a while.

I do the same! But please, Jack, do not feel overrun by this "avalanche" of queries that comes from us!
And please feel free to ask yourself any question to US - if there are any... 
("what the heck is it exactly that you guys are doing with all these autographs and stuff...")

LE

[Jules]

I remember that some years ago a message from you was posted in the Mark Knopfler News Official Site, asking for pictures of you with all the artist you played on stage, many of them already mentioned by Pottel. I wonder if you managed to compile many of them, and if there is any online gallery of those pictures...

[koobaa]

@LE & Kooba - your questions regarding MK's solo recordings/playing of late. First off, I will be honest and say I have not listened to any of his solo work in any real depth,  But that fact, in of itself, should suffice as a testament to how much interest what he's doing holds for me. The internet music station "Radio Paradise" which I listen to pretty much all-day plays MK's music with quite a high frequency so I'm not entirely unfamiliar with it. At that cursory level, I don't hear much that's for ME is exciting, fresh or interesting musically enough to dive any deeper.

As far as his playing goes - what could be interpreted as his being lazy and resting on his laurels - "slower, less precise, too relaxed" - can be seen as a player honing his voice and refining his style just as easily. He's "mellowing" into a subtler approach like Sinatra's singing did as he aged. I respect him as a fantastic player, he certainly taught me a great deal (there may be a thing or two that he picked up from me as well!) but outside of a few odds and ends (the groove on "Coyote" comes to mind - it's one thing I'd like to solo over actually!!) it's not my cuppa tea.

jack

Thanks for answering, Jack! I liked the way you answered the playing part, I agree with this view.
I have another question if you don't mind. During the last BIA tour concert we could see you running around with the camcorder (MK even called you "Francis Ford Sonni", remember?  ) Do you still have any footage from these days? Is there any chance for us to see maybe some short clips on your website? Of course I understand if you choose not to share these, but thought it does not hurt to ask . Thanks for stickin' around!

[dustyvalentino]

I'd still like to read this book.

[xardas]

hello!

glad to see jack here on AMIT!

one question for you jack..

what is the story about the so called Calypso version of so far away? it was played in sydney, last concert of the BIA tour i think. who gave the idea, who made that awesome intro?(my quess is that was mark ), was it specially rehearsed? any other interesting detail about it?
I have a lot other questions too about those days, i dont know why i chose that one, but it is a start no?

[Pottel]

mmm, xardas, jack was on here 3 years ago, i would be happy to think he still comes here, but i guess it is not the case...or are you jack??

[vgonis]

maybe if we biff up this thread Jack will pay attention. 

[Fletch]

Jacks a willing conversationalist on facebook... He likes his wine, food, rocknroll and will throw a curveball comment, he's not shy. Probably a better place to catch up with him ?

[Jules]

Sorry for bringing a very old thread back, after a conversation with Pottel, I dug in the forum and found these posts from Jack Sonni which were very interesting and I think it worths to be read again:

Greetings all...more traveling and just getting caught up here. Some interesting questions!!

@Jackal - That's pretty much me although I'd reverse the order! I am a rock n roll/blues influenced player. Although I spent a great deal of time studying/playing r &b, funk and disco as well as African & Latin music. I love rhythm guitar - locking in with the drummer, being part of the groove & creating a solid foundation for the band....whatever one I'm playing in - is where I get my kicks. I find the guitar playing on Motown, Stax & James brown recordings to be far more interesting than "rock" records. As Keith would say...they may have the rock but they forgot the roll. And it's the grooves on Howlin Wolf & Muddy Waters stuff I love rather than the soloing. Hendrix, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, Jimmy Nolan (James Brown) Leo Nocentelli (Meters), Carlos Alomar (Bowie), Hubert Sumlin (Howlin Wolf) these are the players I love and return to time and time again to learn & be inspired. Jimi, Duane Allman & Jeff Beck top my list of "lead" players that have influenced me and my approach to soloing although Miles Davis - who I have listened to intensely for years - is in there as well.

These days I find myself listening to singers more than anything. Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Joni Mitchell and believe it not Bob Dylan - who has turned into a great singer IMO...I've always wanted to be a soul singer more than anything really!! and listening to these greats inspires my approach to playing solos and how to serve the song as a player.

@Jbaent - I know exactly how you feel about the high discomfort level...at times it IS painful to watch...very similar to the Larry David show - "Curb Your Enthusiasm" here in the states....but Gervais is truly a comedic genius in his ability to make that character lovable & very human at the same time. I do love "Extras" - The Bowie episode is a classic!! and agree on the US version..I can't/don't watch it at all.

@LE & Kooba - your questions regarding MK's solo recordings/playing of late. First off, I will be honest and say I have not listened to any of his solo work in any real depth,  But that fact, in of itself, should suffice as a testament to how much interest what he's doing holds for me. The internet music station "Radio Paradise" which I listen to pretty much all-day plays MK's music with quite a high frequency so I'm not entirely unfamiliar with it. At that cursory level, I don't hear much that's for ME is exciting, fresh or interesting musically enough to dive any deeper.

As far as his playing goes - what could be interpreted as his being lazy and resting on his laurels - "slower, less precise, too relaxed" - can be seen as a player honing his voice and refining his style just as easily. He's "mellowing" into a subtler approach like Sinatra's singing did as he aged. I respect him as a fantastic player, he certainly taught me a great deal (there may be a thing or two that he picked up from me as well!) but outside of a few odds and ends (the groove on "Coyote" comes to mind - it's one thing I'd like to solo over actually!!) it's not my cuppa tea.

And LE I'm flattered at your comment about hearing me play of those tunes...so I'll check them out.

Now I'm off to read the thread & reviews about my what those other FMO's got up to at the Royal Albert!

all the best & let it rock!

jack

@jbaent - by all accounts - and I've heard from Alan & Ed B - the show was really fun & was extremely well received by everyone there. And, yes, in the end, music is about having fun and sharing an experience that lifts the spirit...which is exactly why The Straits were formed.

@dusty - thank you very much for the kind words. who knows what the future holds!!

regarding Line 6 - I have always been an "early-adopter" of guitar technology. While I love classic tone & gear, I have always been inspired from listening to Jimi Hendrix to experiment and explore new sonic possibilities. I was seriously addicted to effects pedals in my early playing days and embraced guitar synthesizers in the early 80's, at one point refusing to play anything but on sessions & live gigs in NYC. My parts on "The Man's Too Strong" were done on guitar synth/synclavier. The Schecter Strat - purple metallic finish w/chrome mini-humbuckers that MK played live during the BIA tour had Roland Gtr synth electronics and was originally built for me. From my first exposure to what Line 6 was up to, I believed that while they hadn't nailed it at that time, digital technology would eventually get there and open new avenues of expression. I was working at Guitar Center as the Guitar & Amp buyer and was so intrigued & believed so strongly in the technology (and Line 6 team) that I quit GC and went to work for L6 as marketing manager. I was responsible for the early branding/marketing and was involved directly with the development of the POD (the name & shape was mine!). I left the company to go back to GC as VP of Marketing for the chain and stayed for 6 years....until I woke up one day and said.."enough" - time to go back to being a starving artist!

@LE - the pleasure is mine!

[vgonis]

Thank you for this. It is like a memorial reading again his replies. 

[benducret]

R.I.P. Jack Sonni.

Despite all his speeches on stage about playin in a band, "dire straits rock 'n roll band" and all, MK never was a real "band" musician.

The live at the Rainbow 79 shows us the energy  4 musicians who have "grown" together can produce.

Turn over and changing band members made rock history, but dire straits has pushed it à bit too far in my opinion. Much too far I think for their own good.

Dire straits 2.0 with alan, Hal and Pick/Terry was an opportunity to start again. And it went downhill from there (imo) again, replacing members again and again until it became an orchestra of session musicians. Good musicians maybe, but not really a band.

[dmg]

R.I.P. Jack Sonni.

Despite all his speeches on stage about playin in a band, "dire straits rock 'n roll band" and all, MK never was a real "band" musician.

The live at the Rainbow 79 shows us the energy  4 musicians who have "grown" together can produce.

Turn over and changing band members made rock history, but dire straits has pushed it à bit too far in my opinion. Much too far I think for their own good.

Dire straits 2.0 with alan, Hal and Pick/Terry was an opportunity to start again. And it went downhill from there (imo) again, replacing members again and again until it became an orchestra of session musicians. Good musicians maybe, but not really a band.

What's in a name?  As long as they're making good music.  What about the solo period? 

[2manyguitars]

R.I.P. Jack Sonni.

Despite all his speeches on stage about playin in a band, "dire straits rock 'n roll band" and all, MK never was a real "band" musician.

The live at the Rainbow 79 shows us the energy  4 musicians who have "grown" together can produce.

Turn over and changing band members made rock history, but dire straits has pushed it à bit too far in my opinion. Much too far I think for their own good.

Dire straits 2.0 with alan, Hal and Pick/Terry was an opportunity to start again. And it went downhill from there (imo) again, replacing members again and again until it became an orchestra of session musicians. Good musicians maybe, but not really a band.

What's in a name?  As long as they're making good music.  What about the solo period?

Good points DMG. I feel also that DS was ALWAYS a vehicle for marks songs. Everything was set up that way. We should probably (As you said) be assessing the quality of the material not who played it....

[vgonis]

It is a truly great topic for discussion, but probably not on topic, so I will be brief.  I think that the people that play together, even if they don't have equal saying, get to spend so much common time more off than on stage in between gigs, that  bonds are inevitably created, and if they are positive they show on stage too. Like army buddies...  So I think all in all a  band indeed.