Bilbo

The technology is there. Its the other stuff; microphones, microphone placement, rooms, isolation booths, live room, multi tracking with several players without spillage and, most of all, the skills of the engineers and producers. The gear is only the half of it. Here is something I recorded a couple of years ago (Xote De Alegria) followed by something more recent (Clandestino). The difference is not the gear, (its the same), its my experience in recording. The difference, to me, is massive.

I entirely understand peopole's preference for more 'melodic' thematic bass playing a la Dreamland but, for me, hearing that once is enough. I can't get excited about 'pretty' tunes. Got into and out of that 20+ years ago. It all sounds very predictable to me now so I look for more interesting things. I totally get that this is less accessible but I guess that's what I am looking for. The layman's accessible is my predictable. My favourite Jaco track is John and Mary off Word of Mouth. Has everything.

I guess the stretches for AJ on a six are not that much worse than those of a 5-string double bass. You just preactice and practice and then practice some more. I just spent the last couple of days on an AJ feast. He is SO together. For me, its applied study over 'the mojo' everytime.

I would love one of those Fodera AJ basses. Did anyone here buy it for me for my birthday next month? Did you? Did you?

Welcome to my world. The journey I have been on is, in some ways, similar. I want to be the best musician I can. A long time ago, I bought into the 'you can learn something from every gig' ethhos and took all the work that came my way. I earned some money. Great. I have spent all of my working life (as a musician) playing music in situations that are less than ideal but, in many ways, that goes with the territory. But there came a point, about 2 years ago, when I realised that some of the work I was taking was doing me harm; I was emotionally undermined by the poor standard and was projecting the bands failings onto myself. I realised that, in order to do what you do as well as you wish to, it can be counter productive to do other things that subvert your momentum. I know lots of drummers who play jazz and rock and they always say that too much rock makes it necessary for them to woodshed before a jazz gig in order to regain the flexibility they require in their wrists. I think bass players can be the same. If you want to function at the highest level you possibly can, you need to spend a lot of time there and too many 'Mustang Sally' gigs will subvert your technique and, more important, your mental disciplines. For me, as an improvising musician, you need to be mentally sharp and too many 'lazy' gigs which are well within your comfort zone (which, for me, means most function type gigs) push you into a space where your skills are blunted. Spending gigs metaphorically staring out of the window or just people watching is an easy way to make money but, when you want to excel, its not necessarily good for your mental discipline. It applies at all levels: Branford Marsalis and Kenny Kirkland said the same when they did the Sting gig. After a few months on the road with Sting, they really had to 'shed to get their jazz chops back. Not their physical skills but their mental/physical coordination. It sounds to me like your raga gig is demanding a mental investment that you are not used to delivering. I say stick with it and make it happen. Your bandleader has invested in you; trust and respect her vision and watch something special grow. Or go back to 'Good Times'. 'Ain't Nobody' and 'Son Of A Preacher Man'.

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1262114' date='Jun 8 2011, 11:37 PM']You do make me smile sometimes, Bilbo! I'd hate to think music was invented as some form of 'entertainment' Love the Jaco though, good clips, thanks[/quote] I know what you are saying. I just meant that the drivers for a lot of his live playing are 'the 'show' not 'the music'.

Two. So What and Impressions.

Another great lp with AJ on was called French Toast. Mostly Michel Camilo tunes but a bigger band with horns. Worth looking for. Peter Gordon – french horn Lew Soloff – trumpet Jerry Dodgion – alto sax Michel Camilo – piano Anthony Jackson – bass Dave Weckl – drums Steve Gadd – drums Sammy Figueroa – percussion Gordon Gottlieb – percussion

Jaco was, in many ways a lick player. If you listen to a lot of his stuff, you will eventually hear his cliches. But his take on the bass was very much from the perspective of a musician not a bass player. He played stuff that noone else could touch. By the time he was getting ill, he wouldn't have been practising and his ideas would have started to get stale. But from 1976 to about 1980, he was carving something special. His cliches have a rock sensibility; they are based on entertainment not music. He wasn't a hardcore improvising jazz musician as such but he was a creative guy who, when allowed to, was capable of greatness. He pitched a whole load of new concepts at bass players, most of which are still being processed by most of us today. I think it is important to respect what he did and not what he didn't and not what he became.

I rarely see other bands any more. I am very choosy so, if they are crap, I probably wouldn't be there as I rarely see bands I don't already know something about. Unless I know them well, I also wouldn't talk to a bass player after the gig unless he approached me. Its not in my nature to be pro-active in these kinds of situations.

And this one has a really great bass solo from the master himself. 1980 - No Fodera, but he still sounds like AJ.

Yum yum, pig's bum

Don't play in direct sunlight. Its a killer and you could get ill.

I don't care if some don't like it. Its beautifully executed. No rhythm? Yeah. Like a train A lot of popular music is based around a definitive and explicit beat. Boom, Whack, boom, whack, boom whack. All beat and no grove. Listen to Bach. No beat there either.

[quote name='Mike' post='1259293' date='Jun 7 2011, 08:22 AM']Ah, never saw this post. How annoying. You would have been very welcome to borrow mine, set up by Martyn Bailey. Let me know in future![/quote] I will, Mike. Many thanks (likewise the other way around - although mine is a five string so be warned!!)

And something else gorgeous from Michel Petrucciani with Jackson doing his thing.....

Jackson is left with no nuts after grooving them off w. Robben Ford (guitar), Jimmy McGriff (organ), Bernard Purdie (drums), and the horn section of Phil Woods (alto), Bob Berg (tenor) and Art Farmer (trumpet). If you don't 'get' it, you have no pulse.

You can't get away from it. When he was on, he was ON!

I am finding that the best way to build up your left hand 'muscle tone' is to play the thing. I don't think you need strength as such, just finesse. If all the muscles in your left hand are working together efficiently, you probably had enough strength in that hand before you even started. PS I got three hours double bass practice in yesterday with no tension in my hands at all. A good action and tried and tested technique and it all comes together. Gain without pain

I seem to have convinced some people here that I can read anything. I can't. I can read well enough to do most gigs and I can 'get' hard passages after a run through or two but, in a high pressure reading situation, I would be found wanting. Still working on that. But my biggest praise for reading is the value it has in enhancing your practising/rehearsing/composing/arranging/recording etc etc.

Been working at reading the Parker solos in the Omnibook. If anyone is interested in working at reading accidentals, the whole book is pretty much in C so all the sharps and flats are written as such. Good for getting you used to reading changing accidentals. Remember: you don't have to read them at the speed Parker played them to benefit from the practice (I can't).

I love this instrument. That's all

[quote name='Mike' post='1255976' date='Jun 3 2011, 09:36 PM']Very nice Bilbo! I play bass for Andi from time to time and it's always a fun experience. Is it Alex on drums?[/quote] Certainly is, Mike. It was just a demo for his Blue Rondo Jazz Ensembles website. Simon Brown on piano (a lovely Steinway!!) and Gareth Lumbars on sax.

[quote name='ShergoldSnickers' post='1251927' date='May 31 2011, 07:26 PM']Quietly proud... it's much better than that and you know it.[/quote] Its not false modesty, mate. I love the performance overall but I find my own playing on it is not write as 'on' as I want it to be. There is nothing wrong with it per se (which makes a change) but I am of the view that the bass sound could be 'thicker' in some way. I did it with a mic and a K&K pick up which was a 4 string model (the bass is a 5). I have a 5 string pick up on the order and hope that may give a little more depth to the sound and, consequently, to the performance. It is, despite my reservations, one of the most 'convincing' jazz pieces I have for my 'cv'.

[quote name='lettsguitars' post='1255608' date='Jun 3 2011, 03:51 PM']how come as a bass maker i'm not allowed to advertise my wares on basschat and posts are instantly deleted when all i'm asking for is a few opinions, and yet it's fine for every man and his dog to try and flog their cd's? sort it out mods. this is BASSchat after all, not sellmemusicchat. one for all and all for one![/quote] The purpose of the OP was to highlight a new technological development in music marketing, not to sell the Kaiser Chief's CD/download.