Ep 251 Sam Burns

Reviews of Samuel “Sam" Burns highlight him as a talented and versatile jazz guitarist and bandleader, praised for his improvisation, stage presence, and teaching abilities, particularly within the Chicago-land area. Customers and gig-goers appreciate his professionalism, adaptability, and ability to create excellent atmospheres for events, while fellow musicians recognize his strong improvisational skills in jazz and his work with ensembles like the Heritage Jazz Orchestra.  

Transcript

Ep 251 Sam Burns
(0:00 - 45:56)
Coming to you from the studios at the Illinois rock and roll museum on route 66. It's the rock
and roll Chicago podcast Hey everybody, it's Ray the roadie. This is Hollywood Mike.
Oh, hey, Hollywood. I'm Hollywood. Yeah, I'm Hollywood again.
Everything's okay Mr. Miss I am mr. Hollywood to you. Mr. Hollywood. Yes, that's right Good to
see you.
Good to see you. You know what? I keep thinking about those cigars from last week. Yeah Yeah,
it was it was hotter than hell out on the balcony next door and a whole bit and felt like New
Orleans Those are good cigars though.
They are they're drones. Yeah, absolutely So if anybody out there is listening and you would like
to buy the hosts of this show, that's true a gift or something Yeah, we like bourbon. We like
cigars.
That's right. We like guitars Yeah, I think I know what's gonna buy us a guitar. You know, you
never know You never know they might win at the casino and just decide to come on over.
Well, I had a little crazy day What was your oh, yeah power lines exploded behind my house
Wow a little electroshock therapy. Yeah, man It's just during a storm weird. You set the pictures.
That's pretty that's scary. That's pretty intense Yeah, I did the guy that was standing out in the
middle of the street Guys literally standing out in the middle of street and puddles and there's
and there's power lines I had Sold sandal. Yeah.
Yeah. Remember I used to do this for a living That's true, but just amazing the the world's most
powerful energy source. Yep I'm can can be brought to a screeching halt by rubber sandals.
That's right. That's right. I'm keeping it at bay Little did he know that his outfit with the shorts
and the rubber sandals was the manliest That he could have possibly won.
That's right. Yeah, so we've got a guy in a studio here tonight everybody we have we have
young Mr. Sam Burns in the studio tonight. We're gonna give him the Dick crowd again Sam.
He brings nothing but dudes with him everywhere He goes, you know I figured you know I
wanted him on the show cuz I figure he's gonna bring some young ladies along with him But
nope brought a bunch of dudes on beer bottles and everything else. Yeah. Yeah, what are you
gonna do? Oh, they all think I suck.
Yeah. Well, they don't think I mean For good reason they do. Yeah.
How you doing, man? All right. Yeah Interesting day. Yeah a little bit of an interesting.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, so we've known each other for quite a while You were you were just I was a
kid you still had milk behind your ears when I met you, right? I think yeah, you literally you were
like 18.
I was 18 years old when we met. Yeah, that's right Yeah at the at the place that shall no longer
be mentioned not shout not on this program ever again in life But that's where we met and you
know where it is and Ray knows where it is Yeah, absolutely, it was a great scene for a long
time. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, cuz you you did the you did the jam Jam in the whole bit there, right? Yeah So I'll tell
you what amazed me the most about Sam was like I said when I first when I met him He was 18
years old and he comes walking in here, you know walking into the place that shall not be
named Yes, and I'm thinking okay. He's 18 years old.
He's got kind of long hair in the whole bit We're gonna get some hard rock and stuff out of this
guy at the jam, right? Nope, he gets up there and he starts playing jazz. I'm like, what the hell is
this going on here? First of a hoop really jazz, okay It's like, you know, I've never inspired to play
every note with the scale at the same time ever But apparently there are people that do and
Sam is one of them. Yeah, I mean, hey, nothing's off the table, right? you got all this six strings
and Sometimes 24 frets, right? So it's like, you know And if you make a mistake, you just do the
same thing over again exactly and reaffirms it reaffirms exactly Yeah, yeah, there's I mean look
that There might be slightly more to it than playing every note at once but that is a big part of it
Here's my experience with Funny, we're getting away Sam plays guitar, right? And that's how I
know him as a guitar player But I also play a little piano and there's this thing that you can do
on the piano where I Wish I had a piano.
I can't explain it. Yeah, but if you play so you so any set of Three black keys on a piano, right?
You play the white key the black key the white key the black key the white key the black key And
then if you play any melody that you want on all black keys, it sounds like free-form jazz You
don't need you don't have to have any musical talent whatsoever to sound like you're playing
free-form jazz on a piano Yeah, well, we call that chromaticism We call that look like a chromatic
enclosure. Yes Today, uh, right, you know Barry White would call that chromaticism Take off
that burns here my Listen to my chromaticism So jazz is basically doing that around any note in
any chord you're playing Yeah, or melody or whatever and that that's how I think about it you
know, I'm thinking about the chords of the song and trying to outline those chords and and
Then I'll add Chromaticism, you know, I'll go around the notes, you know And I play around and
sometimes you can you can go as far as you want out, you know, say that again What is
chromaticism again say that again chromaticism? Okay, that is use of all 12 notes in the key
right or technically all 12 notes in general, right? Surrounding notes within the key Okay, that
makes sense.
So you're what you basically described on the piano is chromaticism, right? Because you are
using notes from the chromatic scale to hit notes that you're targeting, right? So so we would
call that like enclosures and things of that nature Okay, so it's kind of like you're just kind of
pecking around until you find the one that feels right. Yeah Intentionality if chromaticism
gonna be a word intentionality A lot of it ends up being muscle memory, you know, you work
these patterns out on the instrument and then you're You play them, you know a lot of stuff
that I play on the gig is you know, you know Like when you play it's a lot of stuff when you're
improvising that you know And I've just I've taken it a step further than just a pentatonic scale
though I do very much enjoy my pentatonic scale. Sure, right everybody does.
Yeah So when I met you again at 18 years old, you were already Playing at a level where you
could pretty much get on stage and play with anybody that we threw you up there with Yeah,
so how long have you been playing guitar? Since I I think I was 12 years old seventh grade So
12 years now, right, right, and I've been playing music since before then actually I started
playing music at nine I joined the school band playing the trumpet because I have a grandpa. I
had a grandfather. He came from Sicily And he played the trumpet and he was a barber so that
trumpet playing barber Yeah, absolutely, yeah, yeah That sounds more blues and jazz than
anything.
I've ever heard And he played he was Sicilian. So he played with the Sicilian band of Chicago
and they'd March, you know You know All the parades and all that. Yeah, they would do all that
stuff.
I think the big one is in Niles Yeah, I don't remember. It's been so long But uh, yeah, so I
remember him playing and and he would like he put the trumpet in our hands and stuff and
you know He'd let us try it out and blow into it and then I'm like, I want to do this So yeah, and
blow into it. I get it.
Yeah We have photos And in the photos we're basically doing that I mean, you know, right,
right Yeah, just just blowing because because you got to give the Bronx cheer to play a trumpet
really you can't just blow into a truck Yeah Okay, so but so again when I first met you you were
up to and you were playing jazz I've I've never heard you just all of a sudden take out a guitar
and start playing rock and roll or anything late It's always been jazz. Yeah, so You obviously had
a very young age decided. Well, this is the way I'm gonna go I see I when I got the I went to
Joliet Junior College and There they cut they trained me right they kind of sure what they did is
they kind of tore me down and built me back up again, I Mean I was a mess when I got there
and then when I got out, you know, I did I think I did Okay, you know but before then maybe in
some time in high school I I was in a band And we were a jam band Okay Sort of deal and I also
played in the school jazz band and stuff but I was really really fascinated with the idea of
improvisation improvisational music and You know coming up with stuff and generating your
own ideas that just really appealed to me Of course, I I was a big rocker, you know, I I've um,
I've been to some great rock shows You know, I've you know, I always like bands like ACDC
growing up We saw them pretty close to on the rail.
Well, it was pretty cool at 14 years old Yeah, I saw Black Sabbath. Wow. Yeah with or without us
with us with Ozzy back in 2016 on the end or the second date of the tour.
I remember and that was really cool. Nice. Yeah I've seen Judas Priest, you know, I recently saw
Pantera so Tedeschi trucks band.
I was on the rail for Tedeschi trucks band Deep purple was my first concert. Wow. Wow.
Yeah. Okay. Yeah, so I I have parents that are rockers, you know Yeah, and they got me into
that and that's the reason why I picked up guitar is because you know, I thought it was cool
Yeah, right, right, right and I like that sound and that music so that's what initially inspired me
But then we got into I got more into that mode of wanting to be more creative with the
instrument Because I was always just learning songs and just playing the songs, you know And
that that just wasn't enough for me and that really still isn't you know, I mean, you know
There's an aspect of that that I do still obviously as a professional musician you have to but um
Yeah, so I'm I'm into the creative side of things for sure With the improvisation and composition
as well.
I write a lot of music. Okay. Yeah.
Yeah, you play with a lot of people too, though Yeah, yeah, you know, well, you know, we'll book
a date and then I'll call different musicians that I know and and You know, I have my go-to guys.
I think at this point I have some people that I really like playing with but I on a jazz gig, you
know, you can call just about anybody You know as long as they can play, you know, they can
play, you know They can they can sit in and they can do their stuff But I mean, you know, I play
with other people to groups and stuff So, you know, like I've done a lot of pit orchestra gigs and
stuff with high schools or other institutions, you know and choir concerts, you know What else
oh and then I play in Kevin goth raps band. Oh, yeah lucky in his orchestra tomorrow I was just
about to say we should probably we should probably say since this isn't video it's it's very much
like a radio show that a lot of you listening have probably seen Sam because there was a lot of
videos posted to The rock and roll Chicago podcast fan page and you guys will remember when
I was doing the Frank Sinatra stuff Well, Sam was the guitar player in the band that night Yeah
so if you've seen any of those video clips or anything and you or you've heard any of the of the
audio from that show Sam was the guy playing Playing guitar that net I'd love to do that again.
I would do that would be great. We just need a rehearsal I yes we do You know, I thought it was
That night. I thought was really cool though Because well because I was familiar with the horn
players obviously because because they are during Cadillac group and everything But I've never
heard them play that particular type of of music and they're really good at it They're really good
at it.
But that night everybody just kind of showed up and Kevin was handing out charts So it's like
we all showed up there and and I was I had I had this I had this iPad with every possible song
That Kevin had talked to me about right and and there was a there was a few of them that we
did that night where? I was literally sight reading the music to sing it Yeah We had a lot of fun
though and we did when people on the other side of the stage You know the horn guys when
they were, you know Not quite on because let's face it you got three guys over there trying to
create a chord together So they weren't always on, you know the first time and I was I was
turning around looking at what was I Lisa? I love Lisa. Oh my god, if she weren't there because I
held you together I turned around and looked at her Look at me, but you couldn't hear me. I
couldn't hear you So weird, man.
I know it is that room. It's just it's so I mean, you know, it's a cool space But it's just it's it's a very
live room, you know, and it's just on stage it's so weird We probably need to have me come
through a monitor. And yeah, no, we definitely do I we didn't because we didn't make anybody
up and so we and we didn't have any monitors available or anything We were literally it was
literally like it was like it was like a jazz jam with all Frank Sinatra It was fun, it was a lot of fun
though, but I did talk to Kevin shortly after that Let's say that they're they're working on
another date.
And yeah, let's get together and let's Gotta have a fun. It would be if we had a rehearsal. That
would be awesome It would happen, you know, there were just a lot of little things that
happened, you know that just kind of you know Made it made it a little tricky, but right but I
think if we had a rehearsal especially with the players I mean, you know a lot of great players
and you know, you were just killing the songs.
Oh, thank you That was so that was a lot of fun that was the first time I did in a full night I yeah
done a few songs right for but that was the first time I did it whole night It was it was nice
getting dressed up with a tuxedo. So it's kind of you weren't even expecting me to be there No,
that was a surprise that night That was a surprise when what you were the first person that like
liked the invite that Kevin put out Yeah, I was like, oh cool. Maybe we'll see Sam in the audience
Then he comes walking in with his guitar like he's ready to play and I'm like, oh shit That's
because he's ready to play So that was interesting that was a lot of fun, yeah, so what are you
working on? Your stuff you say I mean, you've got some music out there.
Yes. Yeah, so I currently have an album out Entitled the missing piece. I have a copy of it here.
I'm gonna give it to you my podcast, yeah This record we made back in November of last year
Well, it was a process, right? so the process leading up to that was about a year of Composing
music for this album and then play testing it in front of audiences and then trying different
Different people to play the music so I ended up with these two guys Mario Dwayne yes on the
keyboards. I call him the bus driver the style of keyboard playing he's doing He's playing the
bass in the left hand and he's playing the the chords and stuff. So your bass player hates him.
Yeah Yeah He's got a split personality Even more split than that, you know He's also maybe a
better guitar player than he is a keyboard player and he's a really good keyboard player. Yeah
Yeah, I mean he's phenomenal Wow And he's the kind of guy you want your corner when
you're a guitar player because he knows exactly what you want What's his name again Mario
Dwayne? Yes, where does he come from? He lives in Naperville? Okay He I know he's ran into
some people some mutuals of ours before like a like Al Spears and sure Yeah, there's another
guy. I can't remember his name.
I think Ed I know I'm not forgetting This I don't know Yeah They know who they are, you know,
yeah, okay All right, but um, yeah, so, you know, he's he's running with some of those people,
but he's he's a jazz guy, you know Sure, he's uh, he's quite good the the way the way that he
plays my music I really really much enjoyed it and we I had him on the gig last night. You know,
we were playing last night up in North Aurora, okay, and at the North Aurora library, huh? Oh,
no good 90 degree hot humid Outside you love that. No, I loved it.
We had fans and everything adoring fans, you know Yeah, you know blowing air on Yeah, and
then the other guy is um this uh This 21 22 year old drummer named Gustavo Flores, okay I
mean Gus he he runs a band called T what blue and has chosen few and they play sort of sort
of like a Latin spirit spiritual jazz fusion style would think like John Coltrane meets I don't know
like Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, maybe a little bit. Oh, yeah, absolutely Yeah, yeah,
right. Well, you know people out there who might go around.
Yeah. Yeah Yeah, but he also made this uh, this cool album artwork. He put this together for me
He's a very talented graphic artist as well.
Okay. Um, so yeah, I thought that was pretty cool. Nice.
Yeah So yeah this CD we made it back in November Like I said, I had composed the music
throughout the year and I found these guys to play the music and and then we just went In the
studio and we hit record. Yeah all instrumental all instrumental Yeah, it's very this album is very
chill out very chill out stuff. Very just chill music Get a glass of wine and smoke some weed.
Yeah. Yep. Yep.
Yep, and just sit back and enjoy yourself, you know he plays um He's not playing the organ
which commonly with a guitar player. You might see something called the organ trio Sure,
which has a Hammond organ player, you know drummer and guitar player But we kind of do
that similar style, but he's playing a Rhodes. Oh nice.
Yeah It almost carries like a little bit of like Pink Floyd vibes a little bit in my opinion in my
opinion, you know That's kind of what I hear a little bit Maybe some Ray Charles some Ray
Charles. Yeah It's not quite like that that super rhythmic thing Very very like he's orchestrating.
Okay, like when he's playing he's like creating like Classical music while he's playing so it's a
blend of things, you know, it's a jazz fusion album, right? Did you ask him to bring the Rhodes
or it was that his choice what I wanted? That's what you want what I wanted.
So that's that's the sound that I wanted to go for and he delivered So no, yeah, that was very
very cool. So yeah, everything on the album is a first take the first four tunes are Just one long
suite called the conversation suite. Okay, ironically enough right a conversation without words,
you know, how does that work? well, we're just listening to each other and playing off of each
other, you know and Exploring the the space between the notes or in the composition, you
know, and what have you not? right, so Yeah, that's that's what that is.
It's a it's a half-hour long suite. That's just non-stop No cuts. No nothing.
Yeah, and it's improvisational music. It's really I think it's neat, you know, it's a good effort Well,
you know, I think it's time to take a quick pause for the cause right? And we're gonna get we're
gonna get Sam all EQ'd up here in the whole bit He's gonna come back and he's gonna play
some jazz fusion for us. Yes.
All righty. We'll be right back You're listening to the rock and roll Chicago podcast your Sunday
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music from, Illinois From Chicago blues born on Maxwell Street to today's rock and roll and
everything in between 24-7 all music with its roots in, Illinois This is kind of a first because
normally people come in here with acoustic guitars or whatever and they've got their singers
and their bands And stuff, but we're gonna get a little mellowed out instrumental jazz By Sam,
so I know you got some cool guitars. Tell us about this guitar.
Well Yeah, you need that Yep Or hold them in your hand as you're talking for a second. Yeah, so
this is my 1993 Gibson es 335 all right. I purchased this actually at the place that I now work
Hidden gem guitars and floss more.
I uh you remember that SG. I had yeah, I traded that SG a fender hotrod Villa or like this amp
yeah, right under hotrod or whatever and then another fender amp a fender Mustang Yeah,
and then about I think like 900 bucks. Yeah, I got this thing He traded his life away for the Yeah,
usually do yeah look man.
I walked in that shop for an interview with him I'm like the first thing I'm looking for the 335
Yeah, right and I saw this thing on the wall and Then he and I started jamming and he picks it
up, and we're jamming playing You know some some blues or something and then um I'm like
man. I got to check out that guitar. You know I gotta play it.
I played it, and I'm just like Dude I'm coming back here next week. There's no way I'm walking
out without this guitar. Yeah, yeah, let me get Let me get some stuff together and see if we can
make a deal yeah That's what we did, and I've had this guitar since I I even christened it.
I I broke the headstock on it in the case So it was it was in the Gibson case right and the case
fell over this was about October of that Year so two years ago 23 right October 23 the case falls
over and Yeah, I opened up the case a little bit later a couple days later and on a gig and The
headstock is broken Wow so I another guy on the gig had another guitar He lived nearby so he
got me his other guitar. I played it, but then I got I got it fixed so that Everybody I know that
owns a Gibson guitar with maybe the exception of you because you want to give some guitar I
don't know how many stories. I've heard about people breaking that They break so I got a
different case.
I got this this reunion blues back. Yeah, and I've had no problem, so okay All right, so that that's
kept it from from breaking if anybody that Sam has just talked about is Is looking for some
advertisement we're looking for sponsors We're always looking for sponsors. Yeah, Gibson
guitar.
What was the case? Oh, I have reunion blues reunion blues cases Yep in the music store. Yeah
That you're working at yep. Yeah.
Yeah, we're looking for sponsors man. Give us a shot. That's right.
Yeah, okay Well, I think it's time for you to play all right. I'm gonna play for you guys the title
track from my album That's out now. It's called the missing piece all right sounds good I Love
the you know I like the way you made use of delay on that the delay effect on that it Actually
sounded a lot like accompaniment.
Oh, thank you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know I'm just um The delay has a way of kind of filling in
the space, and it's like a dotted eighth note thing or whatever You know I'm just listening and
trying to trying to use that in a way in a musical way You know and that's that's how I approach
the delay sure and I love that delay pedal. That's a delay llama by a Analog delay Yeah, I love it.
Hey put your guitar down and relax for a little bit more so you got bent over the table there
That came out wrong that came around Yeah, yeah, he's hunched over trying because he's tall
and he's trying to yeah, right Yes, he's over six feet tall trying to talk to a microphone sitting on
a table. Yeah, so that was icebreaker That was that was the missing piece. Oh, that was the
missing piece.
Yes. It was okay And there's one other pedal on there, too I don't know if you noticed it, but um
the boss OC 5 yeah the octave so that thing is really cool I don't know how well it came out but
um it can track the Your range right right right so you can have it set to a certain range And you
can still solo and stuff, but you can have a bass under you a bass line a kind of underneath it
Yeah, right, yeah, right, and I love that pedal for for solo guitar playing because it just it Makes
it sound bigger right right? What's what is it the OC 5 yes? That's the OC 5 by boss my boss
Wow yeah boss You want another sponsor I'm using my always on pedal another always on
pedal for me is the The all germanium fuzz face mini. Oh, it really you always have that's odd.
Yeah, so it's germanium Right so something with the germanium transistors when you when
you roll off your volume pod on the guitar it um it takes it takes the hair off of the Fuzz face you
know right, so it's impedance. It's an impedance based effect So basically you get like a clean
boost sure right and and there's something with it It boosts certain frequencies that I just I
really like the sound of it And then when you really dig in then you get a little bit of that uh that
push you know right and normally I play a Henrickson amplifier, which is they are totally clean
amplifiers that you remember that little one with the 6-inch speaker in it They sound great, but
it's a great pedal. They do sound great for a 6-inch speaker.
Yeah, oh, they sound big man Yeah, big and then I got I have an extension cab for that to a 10-
inch extension cab So if you're playing like outside or something right you know maybe next
time I'm playing at the Roxy with you You know yeah, and you can hear me Point one in my
direction or something yeah, yeah, yeah excellent excellent. Yeah, you know, but you know
that's interesting. You know Keith Richards is famous for saying You know people ask him
people ask Keith Richards one time Do you prefer to play lead guitar or rhythm guitar and he
says well? I don't know I you know I've never walked into a guitar You know store and saw lead
guitars hanging on the wall.
That's right It's all guitars you know if effects pedals are the same way effects pedals are effects
pedals I mean you're playing jazz a very mellow sounding Version of jazz and yet you've got the
pedal that Jimi Hendrix played the Arbiter fuzz face Oh, man, but you got to come see us live
because I'll Go Mike Stern on you. You know yeah, you know who Mike Stern is that's the name.
That's the name I was looking I couldn't think of the last name I was thinking there's a Mike
Stern, but there isn't there also a Mike McGinty.
I think so yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah If I'm not mistaken, and I've been wrong once before if I'm not
mistaken more than one. I think Mike McGinty isn't he the guy that does the jazz cover of Wind
Cries Mary and it became the Cosby show theme song does he? Realize that the next time
anybody although I don't think you're gonna catch an episode of the Cosby show anymore
because of things that have happened recently But but but the theme song of the Cosby show
if you listen to it. You're like holy shit.
Yeah, that's Wind Cries Mary And it's like a freeform jazz version. Oh wow I'm gonna have to
check that out I could be completely wrong, but I know I hear it on like the Bluesville station
every once in a while I think it's Mike McGinty that does okay, but yeah, but you reminded me,
but that song reminded me a lot of that Yeah, is the reason why I brought it up. Yeah.
Yeah, you know I mean It's a it's a tune that seems to be one that that's like a crowd favorite.
You know when we play it Maybe it's a little bit simpler and structure. You know I was thinking
about the Allman Brothers when I wrote that Oh, okay, no kidding.
Yeah. Yeah, just I wrote that on an acoustic guitar Strumming out them them triad shapes, and
yeah, I'm like that sounds like the Allman Brothers to me other people say it Reminds him like a
Steely Dan or something. I don't know I could the hook in the song Yeah, that's um yeah, like
peg or something.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yes, yes exactly Yeah, yeah, I totally get that yeah, yeah, I've tried to I've tried to
write instrumentals. I know I have Not that I'm not that I really like them You know sure, but I
could I set that one day and said okay? I'm gonna try and do it after about 30 seconds. I'm
bored to death and I gotta start putting lyrics to it.
Yeah What how are you inspired to write an entire composition of distant instrumental my
brain works different? I'm not a big words guy really you know I'm more like I've always been
about the music like that's the first thing that Hits me when I'm listening to somebody is the
music so that that's what I hear is the music now I have to focus really hard to hear the lyrics to
a song. I don't know you know I have to really focus to do that and maybe most people do I
don't know but I'm just I'm a big music guy You know so to me. It's just it's about Well, how do I
how do I write a catchy melody? You know or a good melody? You know? and What qualifies as
a good melody might depend on who you are, but I tend to come from like the camp of like Like
it like row row row your boat You know because because it has a beginning a middle and an
end right you know like or you know the Beatles were great melody writers you know and and
Pat Metheny, you know and I just think about the melody what what's the melody that's
happening here, and then I sit down and I I'll come up with an idea right an idea session is
different from a from a like a more organizing session right so my Composition is split into two
two different paths.
You know so I'll come up with ideas Whatever that may be so something like that right, and
then then I'll I'll sit down separately You know I'll record it or whatever and then I'll sit down
separately to organize that idea And then I'll organize it into Parts of a song you know and I
think about song structure Just like how you might you know the the verse the chorus. You
know it doesn't have a bridge You know I might not use those exact terms, but I I tend to think
like that right right, right? Yeah, okay interesting interesting. Yeah, it's just something I can
never grasp her hands around yeah I mean, but I love instrumental music.
You know like that's that's just me. That's what I'm into I like music with words to just as much
But the first thing that grabs me is the melody of a song or or the sound of the guitars You
know and in that kind of thing in the music. That's the thing that grabs me right right? So is so
the guys that played with you on this album.
Have you got you guys work regularly together? Are you officially a band are you playing dates
or was this? So do you problem? I do play with both of these guys on a regular basis I also play
with other people sure so I just I you know I have a new project that I'm working on that is
different people Mostly because I wrote all the music with a with another guy named Tom
Hartnett in that project All we got to do is get in the studio and record it, and then it's ready to
go gotcha Um so that's that that's like another album. That's ready to go, and that's all stuff
That he and I wrote together say for maybe like one song you know But yeah, so that project is
based around he and I and then who we feel like getting now I'm using Gus on that project as
well at this time. You know that's who we've been using On the on the rehearsals and stuff for
this So but yeah, I mean you know I would consider this like this project the missing piece
project to be like Like the electric trio or the electric band you know right um so It's got that it's
distinct in that it has the keyboard where he's playing bass So if it's me and Mario working
together, it's like the electric band You know right what that is or the missing piece band you
know so whenever I'm booking a show for it That's kind of the way.
I'm advertising it is we're playing the music That this ensemble created, but with another
project. I would I would push that project okay gotcha gotcha So do you personally regardless
of the project you have anything coming up where people can go out and see you in September
or October? I can't think of anything off the top of my head right now. We're working on getting
some dates together But currently it's up in the air You're just kind of jobbing around a little I'm
jobbing around right now, but the goal is to be playing the original music Full-time like that's
what I want to do is.
I want to hit the road. I want to get out there and Play this music everywhere. I can right right
right you have a website or anything Currently it's just a it's Instagram right now.
Okay. You can check out my link tree. I have a link tree But there I'll have all my updated
websites.
I'm putting that's one of the things on my list I have a big whiteboard of things. I need to do
most of them are not music related I think you guys might know this being a musician. I did not
know when I was 9 years old Signing up to play the trumpet that I would be doing media work
Yeah, right, and I you know and I'd be building a website And I'd be doing all this stuff that no
one wants to really do, but it's fun.
You know and it's it's it's cool But yeah, so I have a big whiteboard of things, and I'm just slowly
crossing them off, but uh yeah here Let me get you the link tree real quick It should just be Sam
sounds right Sam and then sounds right At link tree, okay Yeah, link tree link tr.ee forward slash
Sam S-o-u-n-d-s Sam sounds all right any of the music out on Spotify or anything currently just
the missing pieces out right now, okay? And it's it's available there for listening and there will be
more music in the near future. Yeah, yeah I'll tell you what why don't you uh why don't you play
us out? Yeah, okay, grab your guitar and play another a little bit as we I will play you something
shuffle off the Buffalo Yeah, yeah The rock and roll Chicago podcast improvised song all right
sounds good to me Does this reflect our personalities? We're about to find out we're about to
learn a little bit about ourselves exactly exactly okay? It already sounds like dirty old men I Sam
Burns everybody Thanks for coming out Sam. Thanks for coming out man.
Thank you for having me great. I really appreciate it absolutely man The rock and roll Chicago
podcast is edited by Paul Martin theme song courtesy of M&R rush the rock and roll Chicago
Podcast does not own the rights to any of the music heard on the show the music is used to
promote the guests that are featured