Bilbo

I listened to a bit of that cd on emusic and it was exactly what I expected. An over processed and insipid sound playing tired old standards in a tired old way. What I heard of it is horrible (in the same way as the 4 cds I bought (ond subsequently sold on) of his were). I grew up listening to Jeff Berlin and loved his stuff with Bruford and Holdsworth. I liked his first two LPs (yes, I got them on vinyl) but I just find his more recent stuff just yucky. This standards cd is superficial and unengaging. The rock kids like his playing because it is fast and involves lots of notes. His presence on the jazz scene is limite because his playing is insensitive and, in many ways, unmusical. I want to like his stuff but I don't.

I hate tribute bands - not the people in them (I get the people need to make a living) but the fact thay they exist and what they are doing to music overall. I look at the listings for my local venues and they are full of tribute bands. It makes it so much harder for ordinary bands to get a gig. Theatres that should be presenting new and creative music are chock full of Pink Floyd tribute acts. The vital rock music I grew up with has been bastardised into some form of naff 'pretence'. Whenever I see a tribute band, I think of all of those 'James Gaway plays the Beatles' lps that used to do the rounds when I was a kid. Tribute bands are an extension of what made punk necessary in the 1970s. The drive for mainstream (financial) success leads to mediocrity, to all bands soounding the same in the same way that all orchestras sound the same (yes, I know they don't exactly sound the same but the repertoire is very narrow). 100 years from now, rock music will be a tired and uninspiring and played in dusty lofts to 'afficianados' who split hairs over every detail. Playing in one or behind a tribute act is the same thing.

Its the sequence that defines it, as skej21 says. If you work on the principle that you have to have a CDEFGAB in every scale F goes FGABbCDEF, whereas G goes GABCDEF#G as opposed to GABCDEGbG. If, say, the key of Db had sharps in, it would read DbEb[b]FF#[/b]G#A#CDb. It matters a lot more if you are reading to key signatures as having say a B and a Bb in a scale would mean every B woudl have an accidental which would make it harder to notate. Most rock music is written in E, A or D so its sharps whilst most sax orientated music is in Bb or Eb (generalisations I know) so its flats all around.

Or Gedo Musik's mid range basses (also Czech). Best to find someone to talk to, if you have no other reference. There must be someone in Glasgow? Teachers are generally willing to offer a first lesson to someone without a bass so they can get a handle on what its all about.

[quote name='Count Bassy' post='963752' date='Sep 21 2010, 08:27 PM']Plus lots (except that I don't slag off songs like Mustang Sally etc.). If only everyone took such a balanced view. PS: never played Mustang Sally in my life, but would given the chance.[/quote] I have a problem with reasonableness where music is concerned. It leads to mediocrity. Give me arrogant passion any day.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='962384' date='Sep 20 2010, 04:47 PM']We play an extended version of Moondance at any gig where people are either ignoring us or eating etc. It passes the time.[/quote] Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect £200 An extended version on Moondance? That is a crime against humanity.

Fever, Moondance, Canteloupe Island, Watermelon Man, Song For My Father, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.......

mmmm.... tough one.

I'm with Faithless. Bass solos are generally pretty dull compared to saxophone, trombone, trumpet, piano and guitar solos. Try Gerry Mulligan baritone sax solos, they are generally playable.

That Jarrett/Haden stuff is sublime. Proper jazz without that kind of macho competitiveness that marrs a lot of the music. Coincidently, I downloaded it yesterday (I have not had a chance to listen to it properly yet).

Yeah, it sounds like Ron (those slides at 2.38) and it certainly doesn't sound like Jack DeJohnette. I can hear something of the Gadd off Chhick Corea's Friends album but Gadd doing jazz is not something I am that familiar with - I heard him most with fusion bands..

[quote name='Faithless' post='958696' date='Sep 16 2010, 07:21 PM']Bilbo, don't get angry on me for Autumn Leaves, but it's just too musical.. And the band is just killing it - but what else would you expect from Gadd and Carter.. And that pedal point is nice too! Desmond's has been probably my favourite sax for a while, but this is just sick - that laid back vibe and sound is just what enslaves me.. Definetly the next one I'll be transcribing.. enjoy.[/quote] Bizarre video. A young Chet Atkins (1950s) playing with a 1970s Steve Gadd and a 1980s Ron Carter. Bit of a montage thing going on there. Are the players on the audio definately Gadd and Carter? Something is not right here.

Wiry little sucker, ain't he?

One of the issues to think about where odd time signatures are concerned is that of bar lines. If you take a tune like Apocolypse in 9/8 by Genesis, it is performed as a mathematical exercsie as follows: one two three FOUR one two THREE one TWO and repeat. I thought it was so clever and hard when I was 14. Now it sounds pretty remedial! Dave Brubecks Take Five is done in a simialr way: ONE two three ONE two - and the tune is built around that endlessly repeating riff (for the record, the reason the track is essentially a drum solo is because the other band members of the Brubeck Quartet couldn't blow in 5:4). Its a same with a lot of King Crimson or generic prog rock stuff: the odd time signature refers to a one bar pattern/phrase that is repeated ad infinitum. To take it to the next level, you have to start thinking about crossing bar lines, whether as a soloist or accompanist. The trick is to try and avoid those little boxes that the riff creates for you and to develop ideas that are more organic. Its hard but worth pursuing.

I saw this years ago and it has been on my youtube favourites ever since. But the applause goes to Ian not Bona. She is what makes this perfect. I think he would agree.

[quote name='mildmanofrock' post='954993' date='Sep 13 2010, 04:29 PM']No, not on escape. Randy Jackson was on Raised on Radio. The shame of knowing that.[/quote] Yes, that's the one

Round Midnight - is a biopic of a Bud Powell and Lester Young hybrid Bird - Charlie Parker biopic (a bit Hollywood but its ib there) Mingus (b+w documentary) Triumph of the Underdog (highly recommended) Made In Heaven (documentary about Kind of Blue) Not heard of the Norvo Farlow film.

I have not really played anything but for 24 years so can state categorically that a fretless is entirely at home in any situation.

[quote name='RhysP' post='952804' date='Sep 11 2010, 03:23 PM']There's some great bass on the Journey stuff - "Escape" is just full of really excellent bass parts . It's been one of my favourite play-along albums for years.[/quote] Isn't it Randy Jackson on half of it? Or did I invent that?

You learn by repetition. The best way to 'learn' tunes to play them without charts is to just play them without the music and to not rely too much on the chart (Bill Evans told Marc Johnson this). Put the charts away and just do it. It will sound crap at first but you will soon develop that ear.

More to the point, I love Jazz. I have been playing all sorts this week (funk/pop, Latin, Shows etc) but, when its time to put the ipod on and listen, you can't beat the sound of surprise. And anyone that don't get it is now a 'Cheryl Cole'!!

[quote name='Faithless' post='929573' date='Aug 19 2010, 11:31 AM']Continuing that, what would be the [i]movies[/i], that every jazz-cat should see? Bilbo?[/quote] If you are looking for films that feature jazz content as opposed to just soundtracks, try..... Mo Better Blues The Fabulous Baker Boys Round Midnight Bird The Man WIth The Golden Arm Bring On The Night (Sting) Mingus (b+w documentary) Triumph of the Underdog (highly recommended) Young Man With A Horn Kansas City Made In Heaven (documentary about Kind of Blue) Miles Davis, David Sanbourn and John McLaughlin had a cameo in Scrooged (they were buskers) Branford Marsalis was in Throw Momma From The Train and in an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Watch the prices at Quinns. I needed a five string set of Evah Pirazzi Weich's and, in order to get the best price, I had to buy a 4 set from String Mail and the high C from Quinns. Good service from both, however, so its a win win.

Just finished 8 gigs in 9 days. A bit knackered but nice to pretend I was a pro for a week or so . Nothing in the diary now for a month. Feast or famine!!