What Jeffrey said about going over it again once you’ ve learned it is so important. Once you know the core of the song you can actually start listening to it. You can listen for the cool little things and all of the ear candy. It’ s definitely hard, but there’ s no way around just putting the work in. I’ ve had some tours where I’ ve worked for over a month just learning songs. Every day, waking up early in the morning so that I can put the time in before the kids wake up … whatever I had to do. I would literally be putting hours and hours and hours in, just so that when I show up they don’ t have to worry about me.
[ WM ] Jeffrey, you mentioned the nuances of learning a song, and James, you are a quintessential stylist. What do you do to balance the nuances of the parts on the original recording with bringing in your own thing?
[ James ] I definitely approach music in a nontraditional way. It’ s not always easy for me to find that balance. But it’ s the same thing that we were talking about with relationships. I have a rule that I only play with people that I like, and that I love, and that I believe in. When you’ re approaching it from that perspective, then you want to find that balance.
Steven Curtis Chapman has 30 years of music under his belt. When I’ m playing with him, that’ s not the time for me to say,“ Well, I don’ t like that part. I’ m going to do what I want to do.” If that’ s your personality, then you can just jam in your living room. I try to support the vision of the song, no matter what. Then, if there’ s a little part here or there where I can make something crazy or weird, then I do it. But I always try to make sure that I’ m playing those people’ s songs the way they sent it to me to play. I’ m not in charge; I’ m not the boss. They’ re my boss. So, I try to approach it like that and give them exactly what I think they’ re looking for. And there are lots of times where they say,“ Don’ t feel like you have to play that exact lead,” but even when they say that, they don’ t really mean,“ Do whatever you want.”( laughter). You can maybe play your own solo, but they don’ t mean to switch genres and start playing jazz or something. They’ re giving you a little bit of liberty, but you still have to respectful with that and earn their trust so that they know they can trust you and you’ re not going to ruin their songs.
For instance, when I went on a Johnny Swim tour, on one of their songs, Vince Gill played the guitar solo. And even though I really did like the solo, regardless of whether I did or not, they are so excited that Vince Gill wanted to play on their song, of course they want to hear that part! Not everyone has Vince Gill play on their songs, but the parts that they do have on their record, for the most part, they love it. Those songs are their babies. They love them. You have to appreciate that and respect that. So, every night I played that Vince Gill solo note for note. And I was just glad that he didn’ t shred too hard so that I could actually play it! I played it exact, and then later on, as the tour went on, the other guitar player and I decided to start doing harmony parts and made it sound a little like the Allman Brothers, and they would laugh and have a good time with it. But it started with me playing it the same way every night because I knew they were stoked about that part.
[ WM ] Jeffrey, you use a PRS Sweet 16 amp. What’ s in that, 6v6’ s for tubes?
[ Jeffrey ] Yes sir! 6v6’ s
[ WM ] Most backline companies aren’ t going to have that in stock. How do you navigate putting in your backline gear requests? Do you just choose the closest thing?
[ Jeffrey ] I actually had to do a little research, and this is pretty funny for me. A lot of the guys that I respect and see playing big shows love Vox AC30’ s, and I do not. I actually had to do some research to find something that, if I couldn’ t have my amp, what could I come up with?
With David Cook, we do a lot of fly dates. I used
May 2018 WorshipMusician. com
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