CAAS 2015 - Photos by Ralph Mitchell

[Admin]

[Eddie Estes]

We need to figure out how to help Mark make the convention and CAAS continue and be successful.
Even with the issues it faces this organization can still be great.
A few suggestions for the club.
Make the newsletters old and new available in digital editions that can be read on the computer. This will cut down on printing costs for those that still like a paper copy.

We need to redouble our efforts to get RCA to release some of Chet's and Jerry's unreleased material on Itunes at least if not on CD. The same with Columbia/Sony for Chet.

Scotty Anderson as well as Sonny Thomas and some of the ones there at the beginning need to be invited to play if they will on Saturday night.

We need to keep this going. It is special. As the membership gets older we need to do different things while still keeping the main focus on Chet to bring in young people.

If we let this die then a certain person has won and you know who I am talking about!

[George Beasley]

Speaking of unreleased Chet material, Martin Taylor said that two duets he recorded with Chet in 1988, and were never released, will be coming out in January.

[Jo-AnneP]

We need to promote it more. It's almost as if it's become a secret. I remember one year a fella named "Proteus" or some such thing did a kind of live stream from the convention to the Gretsch Pages website. That set the website on fire and everyone was inquiring about the convention. I'll bet those folks think the convention is no longer held because they don't hear about it anymore.

However, in terms of attendance this year, they did a show of hands during the closing show to see how many were attending for the first time. There were rather a lot of new attendees! It is still alive and kicking. It just needs a bit of promo. Youtube has some vids of CAASes past. That gets people interested. If future dates are published broadly, I'm sure people will come based on what they've seen on Youtube.

And for sure, get Scotty Anderson to come and play!

[PhilHunt]

I think the some reasons for not seeing some of the usual folks at CAAS: the price increase, people have gotten older and can't make that trip, some have passed away, loss of interest, no new released material.
I do have to say one thing I enjoyed was Tim Masters'/Ray Butts table.
I was totally disappointed in the Gretsch room. They only had basic models, no Chet models. It's not the same since Broadway Sound isn't there anymore. Mel Bay was also absent. There were also many empty tables. In viewing the audience members they did seem kind of tired. There needs to be a breath of life put back into CAAS. Although, it was a little refreshing not having Tommy there with all of that beating and banging on the guitar.

[BillB]

Jo-Anne,
You may be right. Kirk Sand was on the same flight out as my wife and I. He really feels like CAAS needs to advertise the convention more. I figure that Kirk has been involved in enough conventions to recognize that.

Bill B.

[bill_h]

I missed the past two years and estimate there's a 50/50 chance of attending next year but it has nothing to do with losing interest and far less to do with that "certain person." In fact my biggest regret about missing last year is not getting to see that certain person get kicked out!

Chet's fan base is not really getting any younger from what I can see and our economy has been a dismal failure for the past 6-7 years. I wonder if these factors could have contributed to the downturn. ( I have a source that tells me attendance was down 100 people from last year.)

Hate to hear that Craig Dobbins wasn't there. I'm sure he was missed just as much as he is here on the Chetboard.

I certainly appreciate the year round effort the Pritchers put into organizing the event. Hopefully it will keep going for some time to come.

In the 1930's an American reporter went to Germany to investigate a tin pot dictator ( I'm sure we all know who ) who was just beginning to run his mouth. The reporter has been quoted as saying "the only thing missing is the psychiatrist" in reference to the upstart despot's ramblings. I thought that exact same thing the time I visited that "certain person's" website. ( That was my first and last visit to his website! ) If he tries to take credit for CAAS not being as vibrant as it once was, only he and his 20 or so minions will believe it.

If I don't make it next year it will only be because I'm working on a long term personal project that could lead to me being self-employed. Otherwise I'm already looking forward to next year!

[Norm]

it was a little refreshing not having Tommy there with all of that beating and banging on the guitar.

Maybe it would help if people would suggest who to book for the shows. We're running out of heavyweights. I've never been to one and health issues ensure I'll not be able to attend one but something needs to be done to the roster perhaps to give people a reason.

I watched Joe Pass do a stunning "Summertime" on YouTube and even typing this I can hear minds closing because "Joe doesn't use a thumb pick" or "I don't understand (or like) jazz guitar" Joe Pass plays lots of standards and you never really lose the melody when he does it. He does play finger style now and plays it well indeed and I think Chet would have been pleased and proud to have Joe play on the main stage of CAAS. We mustn't let it die due to narrow mindedness. If Lenny were still alive and healthy he would dazzle us but most of us would probably lose track of what he was doing about halfway through. Thankfully he would always dip back into the melody to remind us where he was.

I understand we like to keep Chet as centerpiece but the danger there is that it becomes an event of musicians gathering around playing the same thing.

Guy Van Dusier, Muriel Anderson and Thom Bresh, John Knowles and our other standbys do what they can and do it very well but we must never forget Chet looked for, found and showcased new, exciting guitarists and the less they played like him the better he liked it although he did favor finger stylists.

In short...don't complain about it. Come up with some ideas

[Jo-AnneP]

I think they've got a great mix going now. This year was great because it had representatives of the finest guitar playing (Martin Taylor, Clive Carroll), amazing duos, ensemble playing, original up&comers, teen players (lots of young thumbs), jazz players, flamenco, classical, representatives playing early Chet, Chet & Jerry, Travis, and jams, jams, jams.

[billmoit]

My wife and I have been coming since 1992 and have missed very few. We did decide this year not to stay for the Saturday night finale as it seems to be the same people playing the same songs that I have already heard during the week. We always come on Wednesday.

I looked at Saturdays lineup and I think everyone listed there had already played earlier in the week. I also think that some of the best players there never make the stage.

As for the cost that has nothing to do with whether we attend or not. Its a heck of an entertainment value at any price. I think we have missed 5 since 1992 and the last one was 3 years ago when I had surgery.

I personally do not like jazz but the way Mark has scheduled it the past few years I can always find something else that I can listen to such as on Thursday night. I hope those that do like jazz or other types can find their enjoyment too.

I really miss Broadway sound and I have purchased guitars at CAAS from them as well as one last year directly from Gretsch. What I miss is the pedals and other new tech items. The guys were talking here about a pedal that was a delay, tremolo, and a harmonist. That would replace 3 pedals but I have forgotten what it was. There were no pedals and such there as in the past.

Just some thoughts.

Bill Moit CPA