Bilbo

If I am not mistaken, it is over three months since I posted any Anthony Jackson! Unbelievable! Today's transcription is my perspective on the AJ performance on 'Elegant Gypsy Suite' from the 1977 Al Di Meola album, 'Elegant Gypsy'. A couple of hairy moments in there but is is playable! https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/elegant-gypsy-suite-al-di-meola/

A request from a Talkbass user, the head, flugelhorn and guitar solos from Mike Metheny's recording of the parker tune 'Segment' from his 1986 album, 'Day In - Night Out'. I had heard it before but not this close up. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/segment-mike-metheny-head-trumpet-and-guitar-solos/

Wow! Great work, Chris. Not heard that before.

Some Latin loveliness from Ruben Blades and the Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra featuring the bass player Carlos Henriquez. The tune is 'Pedro Navaja' which is essentially Kurt Weill's 'Mac The Knife' with new lyrics. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/pedro-navaja-mac-the-knife-ruben-blades-w-lincoln-centre-jazz-orchestra/

28 pages of dots this weekend (Friday to Sunday) and 32 year to date 😊. The gigs are starting to filter through so it is likely to slow down but at least I have something to show for the 'downtime'.

Some New Orleans gospel, the complete Reginald Veal bass performance for the tune 'Pot Bellied Dinner' from the 1994 Wynton Marsalis Septet album, 'In This House, On This Morning'. Deep stuff but playable by most of us. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/pot-blessed-dinner-wynton-marsalis-septet/

A bit more Reginald Veal lusciousness. 'Benediction' from the 1994 Wynton Marsalis Septet recording, 'In This House, On This Morning'. Something relatively simple but watch the count, it does something wonderfully peculiar. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/benediction-wynton-marsalis-septet/

I have done a Blues/Rock gig with the 4 string but it was the first time out with the whole set up so it wouldn't be fair to say it didn't work. I did a Jazz trio (no drums) with it and it sounded great but that's kind of my thing so I would have been more comfortable from the off. I have more Rock gigs lined up so will have to report back. I do like the passive pick-ups, though.

I have a Cort Rithmic 4 and 5 string, Dave. And a MarkBass Jeff Berlin combo. Do I sound like him? Do I f***. The truth is that I didn't buy the kit because I wanted to sound like him, it was just that, for reasons I am not going into on here, I had to get some useable gear that didn't break the bank and this kit is all at the affordable end. I have to say that the 5-string is really exceptional but all of it is perfectly decent professional quality kit. It has really made me think hard about cost vs. value.

Oh, my giddy Aunt! Another impossible Jeff Berlin chart, from the 2005 album by Dennis Chambers, Jeff Berlin, T. Lavitz and David Fuiczymski, 'Boston T Party'. The track is called '(Great) Ball of Issues' and has some great grooves and a massive fusion-fest of a unison part, the kind of thing I used to love trying to get my head around. Completely impossible to read. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/great-ball-of-issues-dennis-chambers-jeff-berlin-t-lavitz-and-david-fiuczynzki/

Some great swinging bass. The complete Dwayne Dolphin performance of the tune 'Daydream' from the 1997 John Hicks album. 'Something To Live For: the Billy Strayhorn Songbook'. Easy to read but hard because of the tempo. Great fun though. I always have a big smile on my face when I listen to this performance. It's usually played as a ballad but works incredibly well at this tempo. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/daydream-john-hicks/

Something simple for the developing readers, the bass part for the Billy Strayhorn composition 'Blood Count' from the 1968 album, 'And His Mother Called Him Bill', recorded in tribute to the recently deceased Strayhorn. 'Blood Count' was reportedly the last tune Strayhorn wrote for the Ellington band and this is it's first recording. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/blood-count-duke-ellington/

Something more accessible for use mortals, the Victor Bailey bass part to the beautiful Joe Zawinul ballad, 'I'll Never Forget You' from the 1986 Weather Report recording 'This Is This'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/ill-never-forget-you-weather-report/

Party's over, Dave. Back to work! The complete Jaco Pastorius part to the tune 'Young And Fine' from the 1978 Weather Report album, 'Mr. Gone'. There are a couple of 'Jaco' moments that I have had to approximate. To paraphrase the legendary U.S. Defense Secretary, Albert Nimziki. 'it may not be entirely accurate'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/young-and-fine-weather-report/

Some more Pastorius but this is Felix! From the 2013 Yellowjackets album, 'A Rise In The Road'. this is the tune 'When The Lady Dances'. Great little tune that has some interesting harmonic shifts but the groove sits nicely. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/when-the-lady-dances-yellowjackets/