funkypenguin

Playing with a friends band at her final band exam, may 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4aZa862CsU&feature=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtRVCsas48s&feature=relmfu

Cheers Kiwi!! great interview!!!

Stunning full concert from Toto, with Leland Sklar supplying some fantastic bass work (apparently he learned the entire set in 5 days...) Check it out people!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GWnveEXNro&feature=related

Nope, all mine have been on electric thus far My upright playing is nowhere near good enough to even consider recording as of yet. Thanks very much for the like! Hope you like our live stuff from Kims soundcloud, hopefully we will have some recordings and videos from the Jazz festival!!

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1342261457' post='1732427'] Please give me a shout when you come south to play! I've listened to your soundcloud. That version of Summertime is brilliant, with fantastic vocals, and I love Seven Waves, gorgeous double bass on that (re-listening to it right now!). Have you got a FB page I can like? [/quote] Thanks bluejay!! Seven waves was part of my final year composition portfolio, thats a rough-ish recording and will be re-done at some point. All the tunes on there were recorded using my Warwick Streamer LX6 its a phenomenal studio bass, tracks really well and sounds lovely and warm (even better now its got the East U-retro installed). And yeah, Kim is a phenomenal vocalist, check out her soundcloud too. We're playing 'They Say' at the jazz festival (where i hope to a better job than on that particular performance...) [url="http://soundcloud.com/kim-wellens"]http://soundcloud.com/kim-wellens[/url] The Trio dont have a FB page as of yet, but im advertising their gigs through my music page, and likes are always welcome! [url="https://www.facebook.com/funkypenguinmusic"]https://www.facebook.com/funkypenguinmusic[/url]

London is a little far Hopefully the KAB trio will be gigging south at some point before christmas! check out summertime on my soundcloud bluejay if you've a spare minute

I find the metronome is a useful tool for developing rhythmic accuracy and even technique. It also makes playing to a click in the studio feel alot more natural, if you regularly use the metronome as part of your practice routine. I use one when im warming up, for technical excercises and for working on tricky passages in whatever music im working on. I started using one regularly a couple of years ago and the timing, evenness and fluidity of my playing have improved alot. speed, i find, is something that develops with time. If you play up tempo music on a regular basis, your speed will also improve. working through tempos with the metronome has helped, but i dont rely on it for speed

Had a long, tiring but productive rehearsal with the trio yesterday, should be a really great gig! would be awesome to see some of you at the gig! Our set includes some original material and tunes by Chick Corea, Monika Lidke and Hiromi

If anyone is about in Manchester on tuesday at 3pm, im playing at the Manchester Jazz Festival with my jazz trio outside the town hall, be great to see some of you!

wow, shes a beauty!!

Hiromi - Voice - Anthony Jackson on bass, some stunning playing on here. Hiromi - Spiral - Hiromi's best album IMO, Tony Grey produced some of the most incredible bass work ive ever heard for this one. Dream Theater - Images and Words/Awake - John Myung. His best bass work is on these 2 albums, essential listening IMO John Patitucci - Heart of the Bass - One of the best bass led albums ive heard. Jaco has nothing on Patitucci IMHO, total command of the electric and the upright John Patitucci - Remembrance Rush - Moving Pictures

5 piece wenge with wenge/ebony fingerboard. Its one of the best things about my streamer LX6, it would be great to see it on the stage 1!

For me the streamer LX/Jazzman are their best models, If you can get an 80's/90's model with a solid wenge neck and seymour duncan/ or EMG pickups even better. just had an east U-retro installed in mine and its one of the very best basses ive ever played. Check them out!!

I've got an MIM classic 50's Precision and its the best P bass i've played thus far, much better instrument than the 4 american standard Ps i looked at. Give one a whirl if you get the chance

Hey Guys I'm playing at the manchester Jazz festival in july, would be brilliant to have some of you come along! http://www.manchesterjazz.com/2012/mjf-introduces-kab-trio/ Cheers Ben

I'd also like to give big thumbs up for Jack Ellis. He's just completed the following work on my Warwick streamer installation of John East U-retro deluxe (full passive) Neck reinforcement - 14 years of wear and tear had led to the bolt holes in the neck stripping. Jack drilled out the holes, put threaded steel inserts in and replaced the old bolts with new allen headed ones. The neck isnt going anywhere now Full setup and fret polish. Competitive prices and impeccable service. Checks that the customer is happy with all the work and that the setup is to their liking. Thoroughly recommended!! Ben http://www.jacksinstrumentservices.com/

I'm surprised no one has said Pino Palladino yet!

Another stormer here. Some really insane playing on this one!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLdKObM2OJ8

My favourite is Tony Grey's solo in Hiromi Uehara's "Spiral" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_klX6rQ4Sdc The one that stuns me every time i hear it is John Patitucci's rendition of "Giant Steps" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFVyia5x2uk

Hey people The jazz trio i play for have been in the studio recording for our drummer Abbi's recording elective portfolio, and ive just been sent some of the results Time was incredibly tight on this session so the delivery isnt 100% perfect, my solo certainly isnt the greatest thing ive ever recorded, but overall im fairly happy! Have a listen and let me know what you think all feedback/critique welcome! I recorded using my Warwick Streamer LX6 direct into the desk. Im not 100% sure what processing has been applied, i'm going to find out and update this Cheers! Ben http://soundcloud.com/funkypenguin-1

Hey guys Im seriously entertaining a complete rig overhaul in the next month or so and ive been looking into a whole variety of gear (see previous thread about the EBS heads). The Vanderkley 1x12s have really caught my eye, but the Epifani heads have really piqued my interest. As per the title, what do people think about them? How is the preamp voiced? warm sound? versatile? relatively lightweight? If anyone in and around manchester has an epifani head i could have a look at/play through i would appreciate it very much!! Cheers! Ben

Extended range basses have their place, in the same way that the Fender P has its place. If you play music where the bass has more freedom/more room in the mix (such as a Jazz trio or Quartet or perhaps a progressive rock band) then the 6 string gives you more options in the upper register to solo or chord, and more options in the lower register when playing a supportive role. Both are really effective when done well, chords on the 6 string sound so different and so much richer than chords on the guitar, and the low B string adds a new dimension when supporting a pianist/guitarist, or adding weight to distorted rhythm guitar. If you're playing in a band with 2 guitars AND a keys player then you will naturally end up staying in and around first position, because the frequencies/space in the upper range of the bass are already taken up in the mix. The low B string will still be completely relevant in adding weight to the ensemble however. Here is a perfect example of the 6 string being played by an absolute master of the instrument, Mr Anthony Jackson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd349Df1Ows

Aaaaaaand again.......just for good measure, and my personal favourite! AJ is one of my 3 favourite bass players and biggest influences as a bassist and musician http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd349Df1Ows

Thanks guys, im having a really serious think about overhauling my rig in the next few months. If anyone in Manchester has ANY EBS amps (not necessarily the Fafner) i could have play through i would really appreciate it!!

Thanks for the replies guys, I'm really liking the sound of the fafner! If anyone in Manchester has one and would be willing to let me have a play through it I would be extremely grateful!!