Bilbo

Do the sums, he's 73 now!!

I think the secret id to understand the relationship between the notes you are playing and the beat (i.e 1,2,3,4). If you play even quarter notes, on the beat, same note, you will get a sense of whether you can play 'in time'. When you put a fill in, there is a tendency in developing players to focus your attention on the lick in its entirity and not on how it moves around the beats you already know you can play. If you know which notes of each lick land where in relation to the pulse, you can focus your attention on ensuring that you maintain the integrity of that pulse and don't destroy it with your fill. Its easier to explain this with a bass in your hand that in a straight narrative!!

And a poem by Theodore Roethke. Genius

I just found out that The Waking is based on a Keith Jarrett improvisation. Bloody marvellous!!

We all have out heads turned by the frantic playing of the Wootens, the Sheehans, the Manrings etc but, in an effort to achieve Basschat Balance, I wondered what are people's favourite slow songs. I am not using 'slow songs' in the perjorative 'last dance at the wedding/fundtion' sense. I mean what pieces of music move or excite you without the histrionics or even without a backbeat or a bass. Some of mine..... Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings. Faure's Pavanne. O Solitube by Branford Marsalis Veja Esta Cancao by David Sanchez Fool No More by Peter Green First Snow - Dave Holland Guide Vocal - Genesis Arrimate Mi Amor by Claudia Acuna Alfonsia Y El Mar also by Claudia Acuna and, new to the list, The Waking by Kurt Elling

+1 for Seconds Out but other favourites include Joni Mitchell - Shadows and Light Weather Report - 8.30 Cheap Trick - Live at the Boudakan Sammy Hagar - Loud and Clear (All Night Long in the US) Blue Oyster Cult - Soem Enchanted Evening Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East SF Jazz Collective - Horace Silver Tribute Antonio Sanchez - Live at the Jazz Standard I guess the bizarre thing is that 99% of jazz albums are by definition live anyway!

I remember the 40+ year old singer in my first (HM) band announcing to the audience at the Bristol Granary that I was a virgin. I was a typically self conscious 17 year old at the time (1980?) so didn't take it particuarly well

Yeah - I learned some stuff about recording vocals. Time well spent.

Take a Kindle....

Black Velvet was a synth bass, wasn't it?

I just play my 11 minute improvisation based on a theme from Moondance. They tend to leave after about 15 seconds.

Its an interesting point. There are so many great players out there doing incredible things and with great tones but, when you start to look into them to see what you can glean from them, you realise that they are very much centred around the musical personalities and product of the people concerned, be that Miller, Manring, Sheehan or whoever. I have found that the greatest wisdom came from guitarist Mick Goodrick. The trouble with finding your true path is in realising that you are already on it. Each of us already has a 'tone' that is our own and chasing the details of other people's voices is a fool's errand. For better or worse, I have my sound, you have yours. Celebrate that fact by honouring it.

Works for me, Jake.

PS Wal's also have low and hight impedence out puts so you can plug it straight into the desk.

I have never taken a DI to a studio or gig in 30+ years of recording/playing. NOw my Metro has a DI out so its not a problem anyway but I would expect a studio to have its own DI boxes.

SAm was a great time/groove player, absolutely. Not sure underrated is the right word but certainly under-reported! Not enough solos or double thumbing, I guess. Spent a couple of hours on the weekend with a copy of Jazztimes and Spotify listening to new things. Time well spent!!

I'm a jazz musician. What's applause?

Good luck to those who are working. Commisserations to those who are not. Spent a lot of time composing for my sax/bass/drums trio so the time is not wasted but my drummer of choice hasknackered his back (really badly) and can't play so I am in limbo a bit with it (can't book it out or rehearse). Done some recording etc as well but still want to be playing as that is what keeps your chops up to scratch. Maybe 2012 will be better?

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1320353653' post='1425850'] No double bass and no beard, are you trying to pass that off as yourself?[/quote] Beard went nearly a year ago and the double bass only appeared after 28 years of electric playing!! Keep up!!

I have had a dreadful year. 2008 was a great year and I had 120 gigs in 12 months. In 2009 I had 50, 2010 saw 40. 2011 has seen me playing 30 gigs. I have two more (making the 30) this month and NOTHING in December. I walked away from a regular gig I had in 2008 so expected some reduction but this is terrible!! Anyone doing well this year? PS anyone in a tribute band need not reply

That's how it works, Pete. Like reading English. You start reading words like D + O + G = Du Uh OG = Dog! And then, one day, before you even know you are doing it, you just 'see' DOG! First its a phrase, then a bar, then two bars and then, gradually, the reading passages get onger and longer and longer. Its a great feeling as it develops.

A couple of old Latin things I found, the first is fun and I love the feel of the the second track, despite the shaky bass solo, has a lovely feel! http://soundcloud.com/robert-palmer-1/que-vale-la-pena http://soundcloud.com/robert-palmer-1/algun-dia-me-olividaste

A September wedding gig....

It is important to recognise the difference between weakness in your hands and the absence of effective hand positioning. In truth, you had the strength required to play the bass in your hands at the age of about 3. At the moment, you are just not used to holding the string down with your pinky so it isn't working efficiently and fatigue sets in really quickly (I had this recently when I took up the double bass). If you practice your technique gently and systematically, you will see an improvement very quickly, in a matter of weeks rather than months. Be patient. Almost every thing that you need to learn to be a good player comes incrementally and not in epiphanies.

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1320081626' post='1422076']That U2 bassline. You know, the one that goes "dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum..." it's brilliant! [/quote] That's just dum.