Bilbo

Another monster Anthony Jackson bass part, this is the complete transcription of the tune, 'The Suitcase' from the 1984 Steve Khan album, 'Casa Loco'. There is one section I am not happy with in the middle, a mad octave thing in C. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/the-suitcase-for-folon-steve-khan/

They can have mine for £30 and a (big) bag of Revels.

That would have been Slim Hopgood but Slim is no longer with us, I am afraid. Much missed by those who knew him.

A tricky little sucker, this is Alain Caron's bass part for 'Right After 4' from his 2013 'Multiple Faces' album. The main themes are accurate but the grooving solo sections are only approximations due to Alain's prolific and unpredictable use of ghost notes. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/right-after-4-alain-caron/

It is important to remember that no every bass player plays with one band and sometimes some of them play with three or four bands in a week. Victor Bailey with Madonna and Weather Report, Tony Levin with Peter Gabriel, King Crimson and Al DiMeola. Anthony Jackson with Chaka Khan and Michel Camilo. Lots more examples. Its a profession based almost entirely on freelancing and there aren't many people who can make a living out of one band, especially nowadays.

I am a Transcribe advocate. I use it almost daily for my transcription website. Does what I need it to do.

I think about very little else......

Have been scooping them feckers out since I had a Trace Eliot in the 1980s. Since had SWR, Eden, Phil Jones and Acoustic Image. Mids have been dialled out on all of them. Bloody hate them. I like the sound of the wood in the instrument and the mids, to my cloth ears, emphasise the electronics so I dial them off. As a consequence, I sound like a God when I play.

A GIRL playing bass? Who'd have thought it. This is Esperanza Spalding's bass part for the tune Bird Blue from the 2009 Mike Stern album, 'Big Neighborhood'. A very easy read, which is why I transcribed it not because it is ES at her best. She's a monster but I wanted something really easy to read today and this one appeared on a shuffled ipod. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/bird-blue-mike-stern/

Not sure what you mean? Do you think that isn't a photo of JB? It's old but it's definitely him.

The complete transcriptions pdf for the Jeff Berlin 'Pump It' album https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/pump-it-full-album-jeff-berlin/

A final chart from the 1986 album of the same name, this is Jeff Berlin's complete performance of the title tune 'Pump It'. Not nearly as chopsy as the rest of the album, there is a challenging opening section on harmonics that requires some attention. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/pump-it-jeff-berlin/

The secret of the big jumps is to know which finger to land on to begin the next phrase.

I was scrolling through my transcription list the other day because I thought I had already done this one but apparently not 😵. Here we have the complete performance of Jeff Berlin's 'Freight Train Shuffle' from his 1986 album, 'Pump It'. It's mostly quite playable although the reading is a challenge as it is all over the neck and that solo is a bit chopsy (is that a word?) to read cold. I will finish the title track later this week and then we have another 'full album' available. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/freight-train-shuffle-jeff-berlin/

Wally Lowe's bass part from 'The Teacher' from the 1982 Magnum album, 'Chase The Dragon'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/the-teacher-magnum/

Jerry Peek's simple bass part for the tune 'The Whistle' from the Steve Morse Band album, 'The Introduction' (1984). A little light reading!! https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/the-whistle-steve-morse-band/

I am posting this one today as an excerpt as I have hit a wall. I didn't do this one today and have been looking a it for a couple of weeks but, where the solos start at around 5:28, the 'dead' notes are difficult to pitch and I want to take a break from it. In the meantime, here is the first 5:40 of 'Suite Sandrine Pt. III' from the 2009 Michel Camilo live recording, 'Caribe'. One of my all-time favourite albums. The opening sequence if a bit loose time-wise so a little creative licence was called for but it settles eventually. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/suite-sandrine-pt-iii-excerpt-michel-camilo/

Got time for a second one today, Bert Ruiter's bass part from 'Sylvia' from the 1972 album, 'Focus 3'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/sylvia-focus/

Mike Rutherford's bass part for the tune 'Alone Tonight' from the 1980 Genesis album, 'Duke'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/alone-tonight-genesis/

I have been using these charts for my own reading practice and, whilst I keep finding errors and kicking myself, they really are the resource that I wish I had had access to when I was learning to play 40 years ago. A bloody goldmine even though I say so myself. Along with Chris Dev and Tom Read's sites.

Another request from the website, this is Dave LaRue's bass part from the tune 'Pompous Circumstance' from the 1994 Dixie Dregs album, 'Full Circle'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/pompous-circumstances-the-dixie-dregs/

I often get comments about the 'eclectic' nature of the catalogue of transcriptions on Bilbo's Bass Bites. All I can say is that it is a reflection of my chaotic mind. I transcribe what I want to transcribe, not what I speculate what people might want me to transcribe. Some of the tunes are things I have been listening to for decades and have just thought, 'that'll be a good one'. Some are requests etc. None of them are there because they are popular (most of them are really obscure). Plenty of other people have transcribed 'the hits'. I thought there was a lot of stuff missing so I thought I would try plugging the gaps. Anyway, this is the complete Tony Reeves bass part for the tune 'Gettysburg' from the 1976 Dave Greenslade solo album, 'Cactus Choir'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/gettysburg-dave-greenslade/

A special request from someone on Talkbass, this is a complete transcription of Tom Hill's bass part for the tune 'Going Down' from the 1974 Geordie album, 'Don't Let The Name Fool You'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/going-down-geordie/

The Andy Gonzalez written bass part to the tune 'Butcher's Death' from the 1988/89/91 (depending on which website you believe) Astor Piazzolla recording 'The Rough Dance and the Cyclical Night'. A simple part the repeats a lot of sections so the whole chart is only about half a page! https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/butchers-death-astor-piazolla/

Me too 🤣 I find a great way to use the charts is to put the tune into Transcribe or some similar 'slower downer' software and then try playing the charts. If I struggle, I slow it down to 70%, then 50% or 35% and so on. It's then a great way of practising the concentration skills necessary to stay focussed on a chart (the hardest thing to do in the practice room on 'paper only' exercises). You can then get a sense of your progressing. My ambition would be to get one a day in for a year - 365. Some of them are too 'kin hard, though, like the complete Anthony Jackson parts, the Jeff Berlin things etc. Sometimes, you can knock one out in an hour, others take days 🤪 Another Prog 'classic' today, this is the complete Dik Cadbury bass part for the tune 'Everyday' from the 1979 Steve Hackett album, 'Spectral Mornings'. A bit more realistic that the Jeff Berlin stuff!! https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/everyday-steve-hackett/