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Von Cello Etudes, Duets, & Songs
The videos may be viewed with Real Player. If you need to download it, click on the Real Player image link below.
The fact of the matter is, that Aaron started out in music as a rock guitarist. He was already pushing the boundaries of guitar playing in his teens. In fact, it was the search for a new guitar sound that led him to the cello. Now that he is primarily known as a cellist, some people in the rock field have criticized him as being a classical cellist who doesn't really understand rock music. That is such a joke! But seeing is believing, so here is the evidence.
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TWO CRAZY CHICKS
In his late 20's, Aaron paid a visit to his old bandmate, Perry Seigle. He hadn't seen Perry since his early college days. On the first night, Perry suggested that they go into his basement to jam. As soon as they started playing, the old magic returned. Luckily, Perry thought to turn on a video camera!
The set starts off with a rendition of some "Canned Heat" classics done in the style of two chickens! Don't ask how this happened. It just happened! That is the amazing thing: even when they were teenagers, Aaron and Perry just had a way of bringing out the craziness in each other.
The second version of the song was even more surprising as the duo went into a long improvisation that was totally unplanned and unexpected. At times the sounds that the two make are truly extraordinary. The jam goes in and out of several Grateful Dead tunes and a Beatle tune, as well as a lot of original material. It's a shame that they never got to take their unique blend of fun and music "on the road". Maybe one day...but at least it was captured here. The song ends with Aaron pretending that Mr. Forrest walked in. Mr. Forrest was the "controvesial" local guitar teacher in Canarsie, who gave Aaron and Perry, and countless other Canarsie kids their start in music.
HERBIE AND FRIENDS
The next morning Aaron and Perry jammed for Perry's wife, their kid, and her brother. Just as they used to do back in high school, when the duo encouraged their audience to become part of the show, they got Perry's brother-in-law, Richard, to join in, and even named the band "The Richard Cole Band"!
The song, "Herbie's Pizza Party" was something that came up unexpectedly in a jam that happened one night in the bleachers at South Shore High School in Canarsie. Aaron was hanging out alone one night playing his guitar when Perry and Steven Epstein happened to show up with a guitar and a six pack of beer. They started jamming and goofing around and all of a sudden this hilarious song popped up out of nowhere. It became a local "hit" about childhood in their neighborhood. Aaron and Perry hadn't played it in at least 15 years, but it came back note for note and word for word as if by magic.
The guys then do another funny old favorite, "King of the Road". This was one of the tunes that Mr. Forrest had taught them. Other tunes that they used to do were " Mary Had A Little Lamb", as a rock song. They called it "Mary". And who could forget "Johnny B. Goode" with each chorus going up a half step!
Though they took it for granted at the time, Aaron and Perry had an uncanny ability to go in and out of all kinds of songs and create hilarious jams. They had a great audience rapport that has hardly ever been matched by anyone, ever; yet within all the humor, they played some amazing improvisations.
Perhaps they could have been the next John and Paul, Jerry and Bob, Mick and Keith, John and John, Tom and Jerry, Ben and Jerry...Peter, Paul and Mary! Who knows? But at least we have these clips for posterity!
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