Bilbo

Some great ideas here. Some I would rather leave alone

The X or Z has to be the name of the tune, not the artist.

Don't worry! You don't have to do any! I just reviewed the index of my transcription site and realised that I still haven't got any tunes transcribed under X or Z! Any suggestions?

An important player in my day, DIll Katz featured with Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia, Ian Carr's Nucleus and the South African band District Six. This is Dill's lucious bass part for the tune 'Little Annie Ooh from Thompson's 1980 'Live In Concert' album. A relatively easy play and read but fun, nevertheless. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/little-annie-ooh-barbara-thompsons-paraphernalia/

Is Dood still up that way?

John Giblin's bass part to the tune 'Song Of Seven' from Jon Anderson's 1980 album of the same name. I saw this tour - what a great band - I think I still have the programme somewhere! https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/song-of-seven-jon-anderson/

Difficult to disagree.

I spoke to Percy recently (about something else) and he hinted that the issues around organisation and logistics were getting more and more complex and the whole thing was becoming a pain. I am guessing (and I do not know this) that a lot of these guys are getting older and older and things like travel insurance are getting more and more complex/expensive. Also, some (not all) older people don't like travelling overseas as they are more inclined to have health issues and are anxious that they will be taken ill and be stuck in a foreign country with no support etc etc. The impression I got from Percy was that 'stuff' (he gave no details) was getting in the way. I think there is a tendency in the average punter to accept that this business is made up of individuals and that these indivduals have their own struggles; health, financial, family issues etc. Disappearing on tour can be a major pain if there is stuff going on at home. I remember reading Phil Collins' biography and getting the sense that he felt obligated to tour because so many people behind the scenes were relying on the band for their livelihoods. That was something I had never thought about before. I don't think people really have any idea how close to the bone some touring bands are finacially. I was speaking to someone the other day who had to leave a tour early becasue, if they hadn't, they would not have been able to afford the petrol to drive back from Italy to the UK. Those big money tours are very last season and a lot of bands, especially in minority interest music like Brand X would be, won't be in flash hotels etc. A lot of it is done on a shoestring. As we all know, Brexit is likely to make this a whole lot worse. Jeff Berlin is not better or worse that PJ, just different. Massively different but just different.

Early Solstice. From their 1984 debut album, Silent Dance, this is a full transcription of Mark Hawkins' bass part to the tune 'Earthsong'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/earthsong-solstice/

I have been asked to spread the word. I am not involved in this event but know the chap who is putting it together. It's a live interview set up this Monday evening 19/4 with Jimmy Haslip so I thought I would forward some links. If you fancy it or could recommend to any students the promoter would be very grateful. Please do share if you are happy to, Tickets https://thejazzfix.com/product/19th-april-international-session-tba/ YouTube https://youtu.be/W3TKmXWs378 Twitter https://twitter.com/fix_jazz/status/1381969653099065344?s=20 Facebook https://fb.watch/4Rnout5YNz/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CNmh6mEolPl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

This went up on my transcription website yesterday. If you read through this, you will see Jaco's genius and why he was the perfect foil for Ms. Mitchell. The bass part to Refuge If The Road from Hejira. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/refuge-of-the-road-joni-mitchell/

Taken int total, there is no way you can accuse anyone of over playing on this album. Jaco's lines are no busier that James Jamerson's on 90% of the Motown stuff. His melodic inter-playing is exquisite. Even 'Dry Cleaner' is just a slightly funked up 12 bar really. I get that some don't like it but 'overplaying'? Not to my ears. I have been listening to the S&L lp for four decades and it remains my favourite album of all time. I like a lot of Joni but I LOVE the Shadows and Light album because of the band who are, to my ears, one of the most musical enembles ever to have graced a stage. Greater than the sum of it's considerable parts.

I have a suspicion that DJ played electric on TDOTBT whilst Sting played the Jazz section. The bass on that section is actually a bit clunky which it probably would have been if Sting had played double bass in a setting like that. It's just that I have never seen or heard DJ play a double bass in any other settings ever. We all know album covers are not always accurate. Who knows? I am simply speculating.

The other tune, a bit of throwaway virtuosity, the title tune from the same album, 'The Dream Of The Bllue Turtles'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/the-dream-of-the-blue-turtles-sting/

A couple of tunes from the 1985 Sting album, 'The Dream Of The Blue Turtles', this is Sting's own bass part for the tune 'Moon Over Bourbon Street'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/moon-over-bourbon-street-sting/

I am really pleased with this one. I have wanted to do something off this album for years and this track has long been a favourite. Jaco's bass part from the tune 'Refuge Of The Road' from the 1976 'Hejira' LP. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/refuge-of-the-road-joni-mitchell/

Another one today. Jimmy Johnson's bass part for 'Tricycle' from the 1983 Flim and the BBs CD of the same name. Watch the volume on your stereo at the start. That Ab will blow your speakers. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/tricycle-flim-the-bbs/

Great fun to play, this one. Steve Rodby's bass part for the tune 'Beat 70' from the 1989 Pat Metheny Group album, 'Letter From Home'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/beat-70-pat-metheny-group/

Laurence Cottle and a million flautist probably could but the list of ready bass players is likely to be short.

I would definitely need to work on it in advance and would probably struggle even then. It's a real toughie. Kudos to Kottzen and Wilson both.

Unreadable and unplayable - by special request, this is Dylan Wilson's bass part for the 2018 Richie Kotzen tune, 'Riot'. I am not convinced that the first bar is correct. If you hear it differentIy, do let me know and we can fall out over it. Riot – Richie Kotzen – Bilbo's Bass Bites

Anyone up for a crack at this?

Another short transcription, this is the John Giblin fretless bass solo on the tune 'Everybody Loves You' from the the 1980 Jon Anderson album, 'Song Of Seven'. Everybody Loves You – Jon Anderson – Bilbo's Bass Bites

I think it is an emotionally limited vehicle. Its full on or nothing. I may be missing the nuances by avoiding the genres where it is used but I just don't hear the emotional depth I look for in music when the clanking and clunking starts.

I don't think I have replied to this yet. I am in the odd position of finding myself being strangely attracted to the skill of slapping but of having almost completely failed to find any application of the technique that does anything for me. It is like having a fantastically sophisticated power tool that you don't know what it is used for. I cannot even post any 'this is what I call great slapping' because, whilst there is some great juggling out there, I just don't like the music it is used in. Any of it.