Bilbo

I think you get it, Dave. It's about hearing as much as you can, evaluating what it is about a player that you like or dislike and taking things you value forward in your own playing. That's what makes you different from me and everybody else.

I do enjoy our chats.

Actually, in response to the criticism of my tendency towards criticism, in my defence, I would suggest that most musicians are overly impressed by what amounts to journeyman playing and get awfully excited about players who, whilst enjoyable to listen to, are not doing anything too difficult (Pino is a perfect example). I repeatedly hear comments like 'Chris Squire is best bass player ever'. As I said before, I LOVE his playing but 'the best'? Patently nonsense. Berlin can be vapid, I agree. Chops for chops' sake. Squire is probably better to listen to. The great thing is you don't have to choose and can listen to both. I agree re Manring. Most tappers are harmonically limited and annoyingly repetitive. Same with Wooten, Alan Caron etc. Great players but I don't own many of their recordings because they don't move me in any way whatsoever. They are impressive but lack emotional content. The point is only that some things are easy to play and some things aren't. The adoration of Squire as an artist is entirely legitimate but, as a craftsman, he is not leading the field. It all subjective and my opinions are as valid and as invalid as everyone else's. If you don't like my opinion, don't worry. If you wait around long enough, it is likely that I will have others. 🙄 I probably think about this stuff far too much.

Well they are 😁

I guess so. It's not a question of it being more worthy, more a case of recognising the kind of things that are worth investigating if you are looking to explore the potential of the instrument. Nobody 'studies' Steve Dawson of Saxon because everyone can understand it pretty much off the bat. No one can do Michael Manring because it requires a complete adjustment of every shred of technique we have. Everyone else is on a continuum in between. Squire's playing (which I love, by the way, and have done for about 45 years) is nearer Dawson than Manring on that continuum. His lines, whilst interesting and creative, are, in the main, not that difficult to play.

Levin would be a better bet stylistically every time.

I agree regarding Relayer (I wish there was an isolated bass version of that).

I measure chops based on the capacity of others to execute the parts. What Squire plays is, to my mind, reasonably easy to recreate whereas, say, Jaco, Jeff Berlin etc are tougher to cop by mere mortals.

Another Chris Squire part, this time 'South Side Of The Sky' from the LP Fragile. Again, nothing chopsy about this one, just great simple bass parts. Some interesting Proggy time changes etc but, otherwise, a fairly easy read. I don't thin it goes over eighth notes throughout. Again made easy by one of those isolated bass videos on YouTube. South Side Of The Sky Bass.pdf

A bit more Jeff Berlin. This one is the most difficult solos I think he ever recorded outside of his set pieces (Dixie etc). The solo starts at the 1:30 mark. If anyone ever nails it, please video yourself - I can't get anywhere near it!! The tune is 'Manos de Piedra' (Hands of Stone) from the LP 'Pump It'. The transcription is a FULL transcription (although the second run through the head is a cut a paste from the first so not entirely accurate). Manos De Piedra Jeff Berlin Bass.pdf

I think that six year old kid playing Chromatic Fantasy or the 11 year old Japanese kid playing YYZ on an organ show that chops is the easy bit. It's the ideas that matter. Craft vs. Art.

I love his playing and I love his ideas. He is a perfect example of how great players/musicians/artists don't have to be chopsmeisters to make a massive contribution.

It's all tone and arrangements. He had fairly limited chops by any standards.

I went to school with that 'Korean' guy. He is 57 years old and comes from Ystrad Gynlais in S. Wales. He was doing these party tricks in the early 1980s at the Ebbw Vale Garden Festival dressed as a gnome. He has that brittle bone disease that stops him growing. He even nicked that bass from Percy Jones's dad's shed in Llandrindod Wells, the little turd.

Our own Kevin Glasgow doing what he does best..... REALLY pissing me off Seriously, though. In trio with Nelson Veras and Asaf Sirkis. Stunning. 😎

They certainly have their place and I know many people who have benefitted from using them. I guess it depends where you are in your learning as to how valuable they would be. If you are just starting out with Jazz, then, yes, they are probably worth the money (it is generally a lot less to buy one of these than to have a private lesson). Let's be honest, it's a lot less to buy one of these than a large pizza with a side order of coke and a coleslaw)

Yes. It is being developed by a IT savvy relative for free but he is busy with other projects that pay so obviously I am put on the back burner whilst the other projects are completed. We are progressing, though, so hopefully we will see Bilbo's Bass Bites up and running before long.

342 hits in 7 days and over 500 downloads. I am happy with that

I thought I would have a crack at this one even thought I don't particularly like it. The piece is a straightforward blues with a couple ripping 'guitar' solos by JB. Lots of guitarist tricks so you will need to listen to this as you read it to get the feel of the phrasing etc. I couldn't be arsed to put in every slur and bend. It's a but of fun, I guess. You can hear his Jack Bruce influences clearly on this one. Crossroads Jeff Berlin Bass Part.pdf

It is complicated isn't it? Some of this is about the fact that instruments are physical instruments that have a range the is different depeniding on the physical characteristics of the artefact itself. A tenor saxophone is bigger than an alto which is bigger than a soprano. A tenor and soprano are both Bb instrunents whereas an alto is Eb. The way that the written note deals with this is to make the C on a tenor the same as a C on an alto. This means a sax player only has to learn to read one clef rather than two different ones depending on which horn he or she is playing. In short, whenever anyone reads a tenor clef, the C is in the same place. In short, the instrument changes not the written note. Theoretically, a pianist can read a saxophone part if he is playing a saxophone and a saxophonist can read a piano part if he is playing a piano. I guess whichever way around you do it, you will have the same problem in reverse.

Nowt wrong with a bit of 'approximation' or, indeed, considered omission at the appropriate moment.

Yes. Absolutely bangin'.

Try this one, MGB. It is even better. Jaw droppingly so. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Caribe-Michel-Camilo/dp/B00KUJTP3Y/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=michel+camilo+caribe&qid=1589799233&sr=8-2

I just wanted to draw people's attention to another epic transcription I have posted in my transcription archive. This is the full bass part for Anthony Jackson's performance on 'Why Not'? from the Michel Camilo Big Band recording 'Once More Once'. Monstrous playing and stunning accuracy. I recommend reading this one along with the track (i.e, not playing it, just 'watching' the dots). You really get a sense of how good Jackson is as a player. Just follow the link.

This was great fun to transcribe and reading the transcription along with the recording (i.e. not playing it, just looking at it) is really entertaining. I wanted to do the trio version from the 'Michel Camilo In Trio' CD but I couldn't find it so I have used the big band version from the CD 'One More Once'. The tune is 'Why Not'? and features the legendary Anthony Jackson on contrabass guitar (that's a six string bass to you and me). Incredible playing and the syncopation in the arrangement is astonishing. Hold on to you hat! Why Not Anthony Jackson Bass.pdf