Bilbo

Ella always sounds great and this is pretty cool but have you heard the Marsalis version with Jon Hendriks (same record as Winter Wonderland)?

Something seasonal - the complete Reginald Veal bass part for the tune 'Winter Wonderland' from the 1989 Wynton Marsalis album, 'Crescent City Christmas Card'. For me, this is the best Christmas album ever recorded. Steeped in New Orleans traditions, it manages to avoid that crass saccharin sweetness that most Christmas albums have. This record is brimming with Joy but remains classy and profound. Veal is such a deep player; he can do no wrong by me. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/winter-wonderland-wynton-marsalis/

I wanted a few arco pieces to work on so I put this one togethers also. The theme from the Spielberg movie 'Schindler's List'. Composed by John Williams and played by Itzhak Perlman. I wanted to try the piece moved around to make it playable on the double bass. It doesn't really work as the range is not there and some of the jumps are probably too much so think of it as a practice piece. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/theme-from-schindlers-list-arranged-for-arco-bass/

I arranged the three melodies from the Charles Mingus tune, 'Self Portrait In Three Colors' from the 1959 album, 'Mingus Ah Um' for arco bass (as that is what I am working on at the moment). https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/self-portrait-in-three-colors-melody-arranged-for-arco-bass-charles-mingus/

One from my man - the (nearly) complete bass performance of Paul Chambers on 'Blue In Green' from the 1959 Miles Davis classic 'Kind Of Blue'. I didn't get the arco part from the closing section, not because it is hard (it isn't) but because it is quite difficult to actually hear the details. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/blue-in-green-miles-davis/

His sound on that album is huge (and the duet album he does with Sofia Rei). I got them both through Bandcamp. Got me inspired/motivated with my own double bass playing.

I can't believe it has taken my this long to get to a bit of 'arris! The complete Steve Harris bass part for 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' from the 1982 Maiden classic 'The Number Of The Beast'. Monster! https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/hollowed-be-thy-name-iron-maiden/

Another short solo bass piece from Jorge Roeder's 'El Suelo Mio' album. The tune us called 'Bounce'. It's a choppy little number and will test the best of us, even if the reading is not massively taxing in itself. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/bounce-jorge-roeder/

It's been a whole week so it's time for some more Dave Holland. The complete bass performance of the Kevin Eubanks tune 'The Watcher' from the 2013 album, 'Prism' that features Holland, Eubanks, Eric Harland on drums and Craig Taborn on piano. A wonderfully grungy sounding quartet with a real edge in terms of the compositions. Fairly demanding this time as the tempo is fairly quick and the lines fairly unpredictable and the time signatures are constantly moving. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/the-watcher-dave-holland/

From the same gig. Cilla Black performing Lennon and McCartney's 'It's For You'. Easy read, easy play but a great tune. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/its-for-you-cilla-black/

Personal nostalgia - I did a gig with an Essex singer called Helen Abbey that featured some great tunes including Lulu's 'To Sir With Love' from the Sidney Poitier film of the same name. The track has been credited to several bass players but my instinct says Bob Lang. Don't hit me with a 1,000 'no, it was....' posts because, 'Frankly, my dear. I don't give a damn'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/to-sir-with-love-theme-song-lulu/

Some more Bob Mintzer, have a crack at the Will Lee bass part from the tune 'Truth Spoken Here' from the 2013 Live Bob Mintzer Big Band album 'Get Up'! Meaty as ever with a lovely Fender Jazz growl. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/truth-spoken-here-bob-mintzer-big-band/

Another one I am really proud of (see the health warning on the website). This is the complete Reginald Veal performance of the Gershwin tune 'Embraceable You' taken from a live video of Wynton Marsalis recorded 27th December, 2013. A wonderfully profound performance of incredible depth and musicality. Took me most of a week to get through it but worth every second. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/embraceable-you-wynton-marsalis/

40 stunning seconds of the Dave Holland Quintet from 1985. This is the horn lines on the closing bars of the tune 'Celebration' from the 'Seeds Of Time' album, transcribed for onto bass clef. It's playable but the read is a bit tricksy in terms of changes in bar lengths (at least, that is what I am hearing - I may be wrong). https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/celebration-closing-head-dave-holland-quintet/

Ridiculously easy but I need a bit of respite as I am grinding my way through something more challenging, the Kermit Driscoll bass part tot he tune 'Bill The Kid - Celebration After Billy's Capture' from the 1993 Bill Frisell album, 'Have A Little Faith'. About five notes in the whole thing. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/billy-the-kid-celebration-at-billys-capture-bill-frissel/

Stunning achievement, Chris. I can see how much work you have put into that.

A new voice to my ears, Jorge Roeder in duet with vocalist Sofia Rei performing the tune 'Rosa' from their album, 'Coplas Escondidas'. Recommended. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/rosa-sofia-rei-jorge-roeder/

That's my 300th transcription this year. That was my target.

I love the SF Jazz Collective version Jobim's 'Chega De Saudade' from their 2018 album of Jobim tunes. The vibes player on this, Warren Wolf, is a new name for me (I had assumed it was Steve Nelson and had not checked until today) and the opening choruses of Wolf and pianist Ed Simon are thrilling. The part is a very challenging read and has that awesome Latin groove that upsets most bass players who aren't familiar with Latin music. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/chega-de-saudade-sf-jazz-collective/

Another from the 2016 Richard Bona/Mandekan Cubano 'Heritage' album, this is the track 'Kivu'. Lovely Latin groove. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/kivu-richard-bona-mandekan-cubano/

That was a great little album, Chris. I used to have it but I don't know where it is now.

Something from the Bob Mintzer book. The tune is 'San Juan Shuffle' from the 1998 Mintzer Big Band album, 'Latin in Manhattan'. The bass player is Jay Anderson but he is just playing the part. Not a long chart as the solos are essentially two bars repeated and there is a long percussion solo in the middle during which you will have time to soak your fingers in vinegar. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/san-juan-shuffle-bob-mintzer-big-band/

Another Chris Squire chart, 'Run With The Fox', the 1981 single he did with Alan White whilst waiting for everyone else to make up their minds about who was playing with who. Sounds very much like the 'Fish Out Of Water' record to my ears. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/run-with-the-fox-chris-squire-alan-white/

I wish I was you, Dave. 😊 To hear all that music for the first time again would be sublime.

Another Rodby one that came to mind after doing the one above. The tune is 'Dream Of The Return' from the 1989 PMG Group album, 'Letter From Home'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/dream-of-the-return-pat-metheny-group/