jakenewmanbass

I think it has to be: A Lump.

I've had a gig come in for this date but it's just off the M25 and will be a 7pm arrive so at worst I'll have to duck out a little before the end, I'm down to do a sort of teaching/pro/workshop bit so the timing of that will have to earlier rather than later. Now I have an evening gig I will def keep the daytime free.... yipeee... my first bass bash

Hamster is alluding to the most obvious way of understanding this by referring to a double bass. If you slap a huge hunk of ebony (shaped into a fingerboard) onto a bass it has a massive effect on the quality of the note, the same is true of the ebony stringers that Alembic use in their neck thru design (you can choose various woods) So when you say 'prove it', not being a physicist I would struggle to explain the science of 'how' but being both a double bass player and an Alembic player I can reliably inform that it 'does' through experience of double basses that have had ebony boards put on (formerly some less dense wood) and owning one and playing some other Alembic basses with a variety of neck woods. There is of course an aesthetic element...

I think Walter is SDs most appropriate player he just does the the right thing for the music closely followed by Chuck Rainey, and that attribute is why Donald had all those guys on Nightfly, they were all just right for the track, Jackson on Ruby Baby is the epitome of accuracy with oodles of groove, the very slick New York session vibe of Marcus on Maxine, timelessly great feel and spirit on walk between the raindrops by Will Lee (who is a friend of a friend and just was made for the kitch of that chart) all those individual characteristics make each track a must have in the line up so if you have the budget why WOULDN'T you have those guys. Schmendrick

[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='596109' date='Sep 11 2009, 10:27 PM']Great thread! Speaking from experience, there are:[/quote] Pah, you speaking from experience, all you've got is 65 basses

[quote name='ironside1966' post='595981' date='Sep 11 2009, 07:27 PM']I can tell when something is out of tune often when others can’t but I sing out of tune and often in monotones even though I am quite a musical person, Is this normal?[/quote] The singing needn't be out loud, it can be in your head just as long as the idea is heard before it's executed (that's at first and for practice) eventually it's a simultaneous process, and it doesn't matter how good your singing is for it to work, listen to Oscar Peterson or Keith Jarrett, while improvising they sound like they are mumbling, manic, toilet strainers, but the music is awesome.

[quote name='funkmunky' post='594408' date='Sep 10 2009, 12:00 AM']Thanks guys! Really appreciate the feedback. I had a really hard day on that session feeling like I wasn't making any of the chord changes at the tempos we played at so feel a bit more inspired to practise now![/quote] I'm surprised to hear you say that... I think the lines are very musical and swinging. The best compliment I was ever paid was by a whacky composer in Kent who said "you've got no ego and you play great lines" I think "lines" are underestimated by quite a few jazz bassists and eschewed in favour of theoretically correct groups of notes that just somehow don't cut it for me. You by contrast seem to have a natural sense of line even when (and it's not often) you are not entirely on top of the changes. Familiarity and a little more confidence and generally being on top of the changes would result in some great playing. I would guess you like Ray Brown one of THE great line players IMO. Keep it up, it will only get better

I played that bass when John (slobluesline) brought it over when we were discussing a swap (turned out not) for my upright for his '64 jazz, He brought the '71 along too, very nice and I'm sure it will make you happy

A great line and played with a fabulous feel from Will Lee, if you listen carefully you can hear that the part is doubled on a synth bass. Donald and Walter were some of the early users of sequencing, on Gaucho first I think, and then Donald used it on Nightfly too. It was a seminal album for me and it's what got me listening to Jazz. Thanks mate...

As well as singing your ideas and at first THEN playing them to make sure you're not doing the reverse which is a common error (which Bilbo kindly attributed to me, but is not exclusively my idea ) I would also advocate playing through changes on a familiar tune, one which you have heard many people improvise on so might have some ideas and doing this completely without accompaniment. This leaves it to you to ensure that the sound of the changes is carried through your ideas. When playing with the best soloists you can always hear where they are unless they are particularly free, but that should come later.... and yes the blues is everything in jazz and you should be able to blow quite freely over them in any key.

[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='589544' date='Sep 4 2009, 11:50 AM']Just a heads up to anyone in the NWest that Preston's premier gig venue - The Lamb (which closed a few years ago) is having a reunion next weekend (11th/12th/13th) - details are on their MySpace page. I'll be doing my first gig with The Silver Dogs on the Sunday evening if you've nowt better to do. [/quote] eee, I used to gig in the Lamb in the early nineties, glad to hear it's re-opening.

[quote name='jacko' post='590116' date='Sep 4 2009, 08:12 PM']Not surprised you regret it. I bought my first Alembic after trying (pre gibson) tobias, warwick, Status etc and nothing could compare even to Alembic's base model (the Epic). 13 years down the line I've added 2 custom builds and I'm planning for my 50th birthday pressy (in 2 years) which will need a visit to the factory. I chat online with the makers via the Almbic forum and they're just like a big happy family. Customer care is second to none so I guess what I'm saying is, sell all your worldly goods and get back on board [/quote] I can testify to the same a huge +1

My Alembic pisses on anything I've ever played. It plays and sounds exactly like I want it to, what more can you ask? but.. as Doddy said I do love my old Fender Jazz too for it's own thing.

[quote name='51m0n' post='562401' date='Aug 6 2009, 11:37 PM']I think you should be seconded to Brighton for a long term sabbatical stay [/quote] Lol funnily enough I've got a gig there tomorrow.. and I've got friends in Brighton so I can always justify a visit....

oh yes, music... it's a beautiful thing

The band I work with most has a peavey PA and for years (with them) I used a Peavey head and BW 1x15. A superb sound.

WOW, I love Grusin's arranging, his best attribute, and he's a damn fine pianist too... Pattitucci's Pollmann sounds awesome and the whole thing is really swinging, great great playing. Thanks Garry Jake

Very nice playing Bilbo, some nice little things in the solo there. I do have one comment and I think you're man enough to take it, I would play less notes in the basic groove, less is more, make the simply played stuff [i]really[/i] count. I can say that with no shame as it's something I have to constantly tell myself. And as the great Mike Walker said to me: "chops can be the devil in disguise, whenever I get on a train to planet sh*t I always sing my ideas, that way it's music not finger movement" Other than that though mate, really nice

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='559266' date='Aug 3 2009, 02:59 PM']Jake raising some interesting points and the majorlabelartists response is collusive (don't worry, I'm not having a go but 'that's just the way it is' is a cop out). If you go and look at a lot of artists from around the world, i.e. non eurocentric performers, there are some great examples of young people working with older musicians to wonderful effect. This contemporary occidental obsession with youth culture is actually self defeating (particularly as most of the sessions guys on the cds released by these 'young' artists' are actually well established professionals, many of who are 40, 50 or even 60 +). Try YouTubing Marissa Monte or look form some flamenco cantaores. The old folks have got a lot to offer us kids PS didn't want the gig anyway [/quote] Stanley Clarke Jimmy Johnson Abe Laboriel Marcus Miller Will Lee All approaching or past 50 And as I said in my first post I wasn't revealing my view rather I thought my questions might reveal some other views which we may find interesting.

Donny Hathaway live is one of my all time favourite albums, I realise you were using a sensationalist headline and I think it's hard to say 'best' at that level as each of them has so so much to offer... So it's subjective but Donny's voice reaches into me just that little bit more than Stevie. But I do think they are both true true greats. It has to be said though that as a songwriter Stevie is way out in front of most of the world. I also love Donny with Roberta Flack, another of my favourite voices. Jake

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='558971' date='Aug 3 2009, 08:50 AM']Jimmy Johnson on Allan Holdsworth's Panic Station from his Metal Fatigue album. Just a great melodic solo.[/quote] +1 I have a transcription of that somewhere, very melodic...

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='558384' date='Aug 2 2009, 11:47 AM']It can't be taught, only learned.[/quote] While there is a smart circularity to that statement, if you have any experience of teaching musicianship alongside teaching bass (and I have years of experience) one would have to disagree. I have a myriad of tiny defintitions about what details to impart in the way a style or line is approached and ultimately taught. Ask any of my students (and there are a few on here) it's something that I place emphasis on and I do have a ton of ideas to explain how to create a feel. I have a very detailed understanding of what elements go into creating a feel and if I can blushingly say, it is the thing I have singularly been complimented upon the most throughout my career. Everyone always says to me "lovely feel" So yes it can be taught, and definitely it can be learned. Just not by everbody

[quote name='sdgrsr400' post='558175' date='Aug 2 2009, 12:15 AM']Hmm, this looks like a prima-facie example of age discrimination. The specification of age ranges is a highly incriminating factor in such cases. Further, the clearly exclusionary word "young" appears twice. If I was a 25-year old bassist (I wish) I would see them in court! P.S. It's also 'lookist' [/quote] I'm genuinely interested in this view and have a few questions to posit: If someone is signed on the basis of a certain standard of image are they not entitled to ask the same of any potential employees? Is age discrimination a workable ethic in this scenario, if I as a 41 yr old bass playing pro applied do you think that the law should afford me equal opportunity despite the fact that the act would almost certainly miss many promo opportunities because of a person my age in the band? (assuming that my application was upheld in law) Can we not just see things for what they are in this type of situation and allow a thing to exist as it should for the purposes of success? As I said, I am genuinely interested to hear views on this and my questions do not necassarily reveal my view. I do realise that your post had an element of humour, but I am interested in knowing where you stand. Jake