Bilbo

There is a bluesy Rock guitar sound I have always loved and, in my mind, it comes out of Clem Clempson. It never sounds 'good enough' to me if it doesn't sound like that. There are other great sounds, Holdsworth, Metheny, Scofield etc that come to mind but the CC sound is home for me and the one I try to get when recording myself. I dislike strummy guitar players, electric strumming particularly. Seems juvenile to me. Like the player hasn't got to grips with the instrument yet.

I got to do a cover track with Prog band Also Eden - their bass player couldn't record virtually during the lock down so I got the call. It has just been posted on Facebook so I guess I can put it on here. I am thrilled with it. This is Also Eden's version of Peter Gabriel 's song' Here Comes The Flood' https://www.dropbox.com/s/xvsqwy7vcgh7w0d/Also Eden - Here Comes The Flood.mp3?dl=0

Goldie McKee man & his Rhythm Boys exploding bass - YouTube

Swing so hard the bass explodes. Mar23,twenty14 #socialmusictour - YouTube

Thanks, Chris. It never occurred to me to see whether you or anyone else had done this. I will look yours over when I get a chance. I am amazed at how rarely we 'double up'. Many thanks for the link.

I am not entirely convinced of the accuracy of this one so would welcome any feedback. Jaco's bass part of the live version of 'The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines' from the 1980 Joni Mitchell album 'Shadows and Light'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/the-dry-cleaner-from-des-moines-joni-mitchell/

The discussions are fun but unresolvable. I love Al DiMeola, Ralph Towner, John Abercrombie, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Stephanie Jones, some of the new guys are monsters. Are they the best? I don't think there is such a thing. Who speaks to you? That's the only question.

Glad it is of use to you, wrinklers. 😊

I looked at that but there are chunks where it gets difficult to find the details. There are loads of tunes like that where I struggle to pinpoint things.

Some great ideas here. Some I would rather leave alone

The X or Z has to be the name of the tune, not the artist.

Don't worry! You don't have to do any! I just reviewed the index of my transcription site and realised that I still haven't got any tunes transcribed under X or Z! Any suggestions?

An important player in my day, DIll Katz featured with Barbara Thompson's Paraphernalia, Ian Carr's Nucleus and the South African band District Six. This is Dill's lucious bass part for the tune 'Little Annie Ooh from Thompson's 1980 'Live In Concert' album. A relatively easy play and read but fun, nevertheless. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/little-annie-ooh-barbara-thompsons-paraphernalia/

Is Dood still up that way?

John Giblin's bass part to the tune 'Song Of Seven' from Jon Anderson's 1980 album of the same name. I saw this tour - what a great band - I think I still have the programme somewhere! https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/song-of-seven-jon-anderson/

Difficult to disagree.

I spoke to Percy recently (about something else) and he hinted that the issues around organisation and logistics were getting more and more complex and the whole thing was becoming a pain. I am guessing (and I do not know this) that a lot of these guys are getting older and older and things like travel insurance are getting more and more complex/expensive. Also, some (not all) older people don't like travelling overseas as they are more inclined to have health issues and are anxious that they will be taken ill and be stuck in a foreign country with no support etc etc. The impression I got from Percy was that 'stuff' (he gave no details) was getting in the way. I think there is a tendency in the average punter to accept that this business is made up of individuals and that these indivduals have their own struggles; health, financial, family issues etc. Disappearing on tour can be a major pain if there is stuff going on at home. I remember reading Phil Collins' biography and getting the sense that he felt obligated to tour because so many people behind the scenes were relying on the band for their livelihoods. That was something I had never thought about before. I don't think people really have any idea how close to the bone some touring bands are finacially. I was speaking to someone the other day who had to leave a tour early becasue, if they hadn't, they would not have been able to afford the petrol to drive back from Italy to the UK. Those big money tours are very last season and a lot of bands, especially in minority interest music like Brand X would be, won't be in flash hotels etc. A lot of it is done on a shoestring. As we all know, Brexit is likely to make this a whole lot worse. Jeff Berlin is not better or worse that PJ, just different. Massively different but just different.

Early Solstice. From their 1984 debut album, Silent Dance, this is a full transcription of Mark Hawkins' bass part to the tune 'Earthsong'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/earthsong-solstice/

I have been asked to spread the word. I am not involved in this event but know the chap who is putting it together. It's a live interview set up this Monday evening 19/4 with Jimmy Haslip so I thought I would forward some links. If you fancy it or could recommend to any students the promoter would be very grateful. Please do share if you are happy to, Tickets https://thejazzfix.com/product/19th-april-international-session-tba/ YouTube https://youtu.be/W3TKmXWs378 Twitter https://twitter.com/fix_jazz/status/1381969653099065344?s=20 Facebook https://fb.watch/4Rnout5YNz/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CNmh6mEolPl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

This went up on my transcription website yesterday. If you read through this, you will see Jaco's genius and why he was the perfect foil for Ms. Mitchell. The bass part to Refuge If The Road from Hejira. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/refuge-of-the-road-joni-mitchell/

Taken int total, there is no way you can accuse anyone of over playing on this album. Jaco's lines are no busier that James Jamerson's on 90% of the Motown stuff. His melodic inter-playing is exquisite. Even 'Dry Cleaner' is just a slightly funked up 12 bar really. I get that some don't like it but 'overplaying'? Not to my ears. I have been listening to the S&L lp for four decades and it remains my favourite album of all time. I like a lot of Joni but I LOVE the Shadows and Light album because of the band who are, to my ears, one of the most musical enembles ever to have graced a stage. Greater than the sum of it's considerable parts.

I have a suspicion that DJ played electric on TDOTBT whilst Sting played the Jazz section. The bass on that section is actually a bit clunky which it probably would have been if Sting had played double bass in a setting like that. It's just that I have never seen or heard DJ play a double bass in any other settings ever. We all know album covers are not always accurate. Who knows? I am simply speculating.

The other tune, a bit of throwaway virtuosity, the title tune from the same album, 'The Dream Of The Bllue Turtles'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/the-dream-of-the-blue-turtles-sting/

A couple of tunes from the 1985 Sting album, 'The Dream Of The Blue Turtles', this is Sting's own bass part for the tune 'Moon Over Bourbon Street'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/moon-over-bourbon-street-sting/

I am really pleased with this one. I have wanted to do something off this album for years and this track has long been a favourite. Jaco's bass part from the tune 'Refuge Of The Road' from the 1976 'Hejira' LP. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/refuge-of-the-road-joni-mitchell/