Rickys Bounce - Swingin' Jazz Guitar Original by Ricky Molina

Hi everyone! It's been a while since my last video on the Ricky Molina Youtube channel. I was finally able to produce this video showcasing an original piece called "Ricky's Bounce." Inspired by Charlie Parker's "Billie's Bounce," "Good Rockin' at Midnight" by The Honeydrippers' Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, as well as the incredible guitar work of Brian Setzer (founder of The Stray Cats), this is my own little contribution to the swingin' jazz sound of the 1940's and 50's.

"Ricky's Bounce" started with a riff that I was fooling around with a few years ago. Over time, I just kept developing the idea, practicing and tweaking the phrases until I had something that felt like a complete song. It's a fun tune to play. It's supposed to be played around 125 bpm, to keep up with all those swingin' dance hall cats of the jazz age.

This was also a period for me where I was looking for that vintage flat-wound hollow body jazz guitar sound. I finally found it with the Ibanez AF95, the guitar that you see me playing in the video. The guitar isn't all that expensive, but it sounds like something that costs ten times as much (think Gibson L-5 or George Benson's big box Ibanez GB10 or GB20). When I test-drove the Ibanez AF95 at a local Guitar Center, I just couldn't put it down. I'm primarily a fingerpicking guy, so for me to say this while playing a guitar with flat wound strings, is sayin' alot. I used to hate playing flats, but this guitar changed my whole perspective on the matter. The neck, fretboard, weight, and shape of the guitar are incredibly comfortable to the point that I can't put it down. (While I still prefer round wound strings for fingerpicking, there are certain styles of jazz where there is no substitute for flats. And if you want that Wes or George Benson (picked solo guitar) sound, you have to go with flat wound strings.

I hope you like the song! If you do, don't forget to Like and Subscribe to the Ricky Molina YouTube channel. This gives me an incentive to produce more videos like this one.

If you have any product review requests or questions about playing guitar or about composition and music production, please let me know. I'll do my best to answer them.

As far as the music gear used for "Ricky's Bounce," here's a summary list:

Guitar:
Ibanez AF95 Brown Hollow Body with D'Addario XL Chromes 11/50
Boss GX-100 effects processor
Amp: Fender Blues Junior
Mic: Roswell K47 mini condenser mic

Percussion:
Sabian Hi-Hat
Sabian AAX 20" X-plosion Crash
Shure MV7 dynamic mic
Kick drum: Yamaha Motif XF6

The following are affiliate links for products discussed in this video. I am not sponsored by the manufacturer to recommend them; I only recommend products that I actually use and that I would recommend to my viewers and listeners.

You can find all the products noted above by visiting Guitar Center online at https://guitar-center.pxf.io/o4ynnn and at https://amzn.to/42SQztt

I recorded, mixed, and mastered the song with the UA Apollo Twin and Luna, my first since migrating from PreSonus Studio One Pro.

Hope to see you again in another music video!

Take care,

Ricky Molina