Bilbo

I [i]knew[/i] it!! I did a trio gig last night at The Fox Inn in Bury St Edmunds. It was tenor sax, bass and drums. I have played this venue on an off for about three years with different bands and know the landlord and the bloke she uses to book the bands reasonably well. The bloke approached me about putting something together for last night and I asked him if I could do this trio thing as I had wanted to do it for years. He was a bit 'ooooh, Shelia (the landlord) won't like it' but he agreed to let us do it. Anyway, sorted the line up and set about getting some charts together based on the fact that I would be playing double bass and needed to pace things so I wasn't a spent force at the end of the first (of three) set. Charts done and sent to the sax player and drummer. All set to go when, on Friday at around midnight, I was unloading my double bass from the car and clipped the bridge on the side of the vehicle, causing it to explode into three pieces. So I had to do the gig on electric and most of the charts were inappropriate. I have to admit that I was feeling more than a little nwevous before we started, something that has not happened in decades. So, gieven the forced change of plan, we knocked up three sets of old faithfuls on the day. We were doing funk versions of standards, some hip hop derived stuff (with a hint of reggae), the odd shufffle, some fast 'sh*t off a stick' be-bop, some Latin tunes and a couple of ballads per set. Damned hard work for a trio and a lot of really focussed effort by all involved. More to the point, and herein lied the risk, it demanded something of the listener. The gig was not only a 'musical/artistic' success but the (hard to please) landlady loved it, the punters loved it and we got an immediate re: booking in June. The clincher though came to me third hand from guy who told me that another regular (who really knows his stuff) said it was 'exceptional' and 'by far the best thing [he] had ever seen there'. It had its flaws and I would do some things differently next time but, for a first gig. it felt like a real affirmation. I have always believed that the punters will respond to the energy and the quality of an intelligent performance and didn't need to be spoon-fed 'smooth jazz' or 'the Great American Songbook' to be engaged. What we did last night was 'commercial suicide' in conventional terms and many venues/bookers would balk at the idea of a 'harmony-less' trio but it nevertheless went down a storm. Left with a very big smile on my face.

I do play guitar (have more guitars than basses) and have gigged in a prog rock band and a Latin band as well as a running few pop tunes if the occasion warrants it. I know I could play better given time and work it up to a pro level but we can't do everything, can we?

And it was going so well..... Got home after a gig last night and, in taking my bass out of the car, managed to break the bridge in half . Now need a new bridge and a full set up I can't afford (but will, somehow). And, to make it worse, I have a gig tomorrow which, whilst I can do it on the Wal, is based on an acoustic concept that is entirely compromised by the absence of the double bass. I'm going to re-name the double bass 'The Money Pit'...

I had a guy came up to me when I played the Torfaen Jazz Festival in the 1990s and say ' You're better than Richard Bona'. Total b***ocks but flattering nevertheless The best compliment I ever had from a fellow musician was the result of my complaining about repeatedly being asked to play s*** gigs with young jazz bands that were not very 'advanced' when my peers were not being hassled to do the same. My (best) friend (a piano player) said 'it's because you are approachable'. I kinda got off on that.

Jonas Hellborg's double neck Wal and Chris Squire's triple neck Wal need a mention. Also, big up for Paul Herman. Not only a great bass maker but also a great guitar player and all round nice bloke.

Miles said a lot of things Most advanced jazz musicians will say 'learn the theory and then forget it' and play what you hear. The point is, what you hear is informed by what you have learned. But this is missing the point. We are not talking about complex musical ideas here, we are ralking about the ability to communicate basic information like 'its a C chord'. WIthout that knowledge and communication, I am afraid I would get increasingly frustrated and quickly move on. I've been there with people like that. I just don't find it rewarding to hang around. I did a session once with a guy like this who said 'I have this jazzy thing you might like'. The chords (one per bar) went Emaj7, Fsharp min7, G sharp min7, A maj 7. Thrill of my day.

The golf analogy doesn't work because, if I am not mistaken, you always play golf alone (i.e. you are responsible only for your own piece of the process). If a non-solo musician doesn't know the names of stuff, everyone else has to do that work for them. Of course there are the occasional savants who are instinctively able to make great things happen without technical knowledge but I have never met one for those of us who work with them, they are, to a greater or lessor degree, a pain in the ass and slow things down dramatically. It is also important to acknowledge that most uninformed musicians are only ever playing really basic song forms so it doesn't take much to 'find a root note'. If you were playing with Allan Holdsworth, every chord would have at least 3 root note options so your choices may be incorrent in terms of the composers intentions. If he couldn't explain the chord, it would be that much more difficult to see it happen. So, if the music is that basic, it is less likley to inspire me and I won't want the gig. Game over. Its not impossible to think I will play with a musician who lacks basic knowledge but, as my horizons expand and my available time contracts, it is increasingly unlikely.

[quote name='Earbrass' post='1200584' date='Apr 15 2011, 12:50 PM']I thought this was a bit ironic, as it's pretty much how I would feel about doing Bilbo's day job. [/quote] Maybe that's why I feel like I do about musicians that lack basic knowledge. I use up all my patience in the day job....

[quote name='Wil' post='1200499' date='Apr 15 2011, 11:47 AM']As much as Bilbo will claim otherwise, in 10 years of playing in various originals bands I've not met a single reader of music.[/quote] That's not what I meant (although readers do save a LOT of time - did a session yesterday and, in 6 hours, we recorded 5 arrangments of tunes I didn't know*)). Not even knowing what chords you are playing is a rare inadequacy nowadays and one I won't indulge. * that included setting up time and a lunch break

No, its not normal. I wouldn't waste my time with them. Others may feel differently (and are entitled to do so) but I would not want to spend time solving the kinds of problems that these people create in their ignorance. Life's too short.

I bought my Wal without playing it and it is the only bass I have kept and the only one I have left. The other 5, which I did try out before I bought them, came and went.

Let's face it. Anyone who buys a signature model of any description is seriously missing the point anyway and asking to be exploited

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1198817' date='Apr 13 2011, 10:27 PM']Anything that makes Moondance last any longer is automatically worse [/quote] I can't possibly argue with that

Its starting to come together! I recorded a practice session a couple of days ago and am pleased to hear some credible ideas forming and the gap between my head and my hands is starting to narrow. A way to go yet but all of this is pain free so the ghosts are pretty much laid to rest!!

I recorded a practice session the other day and tried polishing the turd...I was making this up as I went along Better, worse or just different? You decide!, WARNING! Its about 3x longer than the original!!!

Lose the hats, guys, you're giving us jazzers a bad name. Any biog details? Not heard of the band and I am interested to know who the players are.

When I dep (or when I get a dep in) its almost always 'turn up and read the gig' (chord charts or dots). An originals band is going to struggle because your replacement will not know the tunes so, without charts, you would need rehearsals and that is unlikely to happen fwithout payment for rehearsal time. As for costs, you could get someone to do it for nothing or it may cost you £50 minimum (gig only, another £50 for the rehearsal?). If you have dots, you haven't got a problem. Without them, you are likely to struggle.

Not a style of playing I like, Stuart, but this very well executed and a well paced and musical arrangement. Very creditable.

[quote name='Mykesbass' post='1192416' date='Apr 7 2011, 11:23 PM']Herbie Hancock's Quartet album (with Wynton Marsalis)[/quote] That was another early one for me. I had a mate who was into Jazz/Rock/Fusion etc before me and he turned my onto all sorts of obscure (to me, anyway ) bands and this Quartet double LP was one of the early proper jazz records (even heard this before I heard the Miles/Shorter Quartet). A great record.

I'm in Felixstowe. You are welcome to come over and plug stuff in.

I just put on a Miles compilation cd I had in the office and the first track was the 1958 version of 'Milestones' with Davis, Coltrane, Cannonball, Garland, Chambers and Philly Joe. I had entirely forgotten this until that moment but, as soon as that groove started, I immediately remembered that I had listened to a lot of fusion and jazz rock etc but had never really got excited by the real deal. Then I got hols of a 6 LP Readers Digest compilation of The Modern Jazz Quartet, Ella, Louis, Brubeck. Basie and Miles (wot? No Ellington ). The first track on the Davis LP was Milestones and I remember thinking 'wow' and then, when Cannonball Adderley's solo starts..... a real 'hairs on the back on the neck' moment. I didn't understand it but I just knew that this was special. Funnily enough, several horn players I have spoken to have acknowledged that solo as an epiphany as well. What was the first 'real' jazz (not fusion, jazz rock or jazz funk) tune, album or gig that instinctively made sense to you?

If Fender don't like it, they shoudl have made him a better offer. I am always a little suspect of these kinds of endorsements. Wal never have endorsees, only people who buy the damn things. THe process has far more integrity that way. If Geddy has a Wal, its because he wanted a Wal and bought one. Speaks volumes. WHy does Jeff Berlin, the 'greatest bass player in the world', only ever get cheap and nasty basses made for him? Is it because he is not a household name? I think so

Good idea but here are similar things on the Gollihur site and the String Emporium site. No harm repeating it here, though.

Major Minor (who I also have never met) loaned me a set of Evah Pirazzi strings (£150?) to try and, when I had finished with them, asked me to forward them on to daflewis (who I think he also hasn't met) so Daf could try them to.

Jakesbass leant me a £3K double bass for 6 months. I had never met him in my life until I picked it up. Will owe him one forever for that kindness.