Bilbo

Ashdown have a fair rep but I would plump for an Eden Metro - 300W at £1500 tho' so maybe not? I recently got a (another!!) post from Jeff Berlin off MySpace and he made a very valid point. Get the best you can and f*** the money cos it will pay for itself time and time and time again and the pounds per gig cost for a great amp will be negligible. I guess some of us live in a different world but I would advocate a top notch professional amp if you can afford it. I have lived to this maxim for 10 years now and have great gear and no regrets. I think GAS is usually created by people who want great gear but repeatedly settle for just good gear. I know it was like that for me. But since I decided 'nothing but the best for me', I have never wanted anything more than the gear I have.

I struggle to see why anyone would mistake trad jazz for the stuff I like. Its chalk and cheese. I spend my whole time thinking about jazz, listening to jazz, yearning for jazz - all because I can't get to play it as much as I would like. Sounds like you have some nice gigs, Mikey. Need any deps? Birmingham is only a three hour drive from Felixstowe!!

I don't think anyone was ever advocating scales over chord tones as an approach to learning. I understand the chord tones approach but wonder if that is, of itself, a partial response (i.e. chord tones without scales tones would be pretty shallow). I think the two are symbiotic and can't see how you can understand the concept of a Bmaj7sharp11 chord without an understanding of scales that relate to it. If a chord is made up of the first, third, fifth, seventh etc, surely you need to know what it is the first, third, seventh etc of? It's a bit chicken and egg to me...

I still love it, peeps. I have spent the last 2 - 3 years getting into Brazillian, Argentinian and Cuban music, all of which I still enjoy a lot, but I can't help but keep returning to the sound of surprise and still love the spirit, energy and passion of jazz SOOOOO much. Joe Lovano's Landmarks CD - perfect! Joe Henderson's Double Rainbow - Henderson plays the arse off Jobim. Keith Jarrett's Still Live - subliiiiime! Michael Brecker's Don't Try This At Home - Itsbynne Reel!! Pat Metheny's 80/81 - the dogs danglies!

Still got the gig - couldn't get in last week for all the Basschatters!

Lower the action, thinner the tone. Higher the action, better the tone. Also, lighter the strings, thinner the tone but the easier it is to play, heavier the strings better the tone but harder to play. Its a complex little formula which you will be fiddling with for the next decade or so!! I would recommend you try a few basses at a shop that does repairs and see what feels ok for you.

I was around when Warwicks first appeared and I tried a load at the time but I found their necks to be too thick for my tastes and stuck with my Wal. Thinking about it, I haven't played another bass than my Wal or Status 6 for at least 8 years (and I only play the Status if the Wal is not around)! I think the last few basses I tried were a couple of Sei Flamboyant 6 strings at the Gallery. Didn't like the string spacing. Maybe I should get out there and try some new basses...

I don't have a Mac but I understand that the main argument for a Mac relates to the stability of software and its interfacing with other programmes and with hardware. All Mac related software is designed with the Mac in mind but PC software is more of an industry standard in an industry whose standards aren't! So its more of a lottery and introducing new software onto a PC is risky in terms of both whether it will work properly and also how it will interface with other pieces of kit (e.g certain plugs ins in Cubase as opposed to Sonar etc). I am not that IT literate but I think that's the gist of it.

I agree - the industry has changed beyond recognition. I think the market is so disparate but believe that another one of the factors we rarely note is the increasing absence of touring live bands. I used to go out every weekend to see live bands in small venues across S. Wales and the B Bristol area. I used to see Iron Maiden, Yes and loads of other name bands t Colston Hall, bands like IQ, Solstice and Pendragon at the Granary in Bristol, Gillan, Magnum or Rory Gallagher at the Cardiff Top Rank (leave me alone, I was a kid!), The Enid at Cardiff students Union etc. I used to regularly see credible US, European & Canadian bands (Rush, April Wine, Frank Marino) who travelled to the UK and TOURED! 2000 seater venues, clubs, small and large festivals etc - and I got all this on piss poor money. Nowadays, these venues don't deliver this kind of ready diet (or anything like it). All of the bands we hear about play stadiums and massive London venues and most bands don't tour to the extent that they used to. Rock n Roll has become the voice of corporate America, of 4 major labels and an infrastructure that demands million sellers or death. The cost of seeing most of these bands is out of my grasp and I earn more now than I ever have! I think the call for a new Punk is about kids making the noise in garages and making it happen at that level and not just seeing the whole thing as a corporate investment requiring a precentage return. I actually know a ludicrous number of musicians that never perform live - I think its a crying shame!

I think its a mouth swab, Tom...

Hey Fran! - My wife and I visited Santander once a few years ago - had a fantastic week there. Its a great town. I remember beautiful food, long walks late into the evening and great, great weather.

I once jammed with Richie Haywood of Little Feat. Had never heard of them at the time... (actually, as I write this, I remember the other people in the no-name band who Richie was jamming with - it was an 18 year old Grant Nicholas of Feeder and then guitarist/keyboard player Brian Sperber, now a big time NewY York Producer (Blues Traveller, Ric Ocasek, Whitney Houston). I am a now a Senior Probation Officer - where did I go wrong?????

I have a regular gig at Benson Blake's, a bar/bistro in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk (I think its 4 years now). The gig has Keith Virley on drums and myself on fretless bass and the guest pianists/guitarists for the next few gigs are as follows: Feb 28th - Chris Ingham (huge reputation as one of the best). March 20th - Chris Simmons - great quirky piano and the voice of the 1970s Ski yoghurt advert!! March 27th - Phil Brook guitarist - fanbloodytastic! I want to bear his children. Music starts at 9 p.m. and goes through to 11.30 p.m. Good food if you get there earlier. Another nice gig in the town is the Sunday night at the Fox on Eastgate Street - I am there with pianist Matt Hodges on 23rd March. The room at the Fox sounds a bit better than at Bensons but don't tell anyone I told you!!

Haven't read whole post so sorry if these are repeats: Alphonso Johnson on the Phil Collins 'Face Value' version of 'Behind The Lines' Same player/same LP - 'This Must Be Love' Billy Sheehan - 'Ladies Night in Buffalo' on Dave Lee Roths' 'Eat 'Em And Smile' Anthony Jackson - Michel Camilo's 'Why Not' Darryl Jones - John Scofield's 'Techno'

No probs. Just a chip on my shoulder. Our local scene here is Suffolk is 96% covers bands. I just wish the percentages were a little less weighted against something fresh.

I agree 'first come first served ' is the main rule but, as some bands are rehearsed and some are pick-up bands, sometimes this is compromised for practical reasons. The most just argument is 'first come first served' as this inconveniences less people but, if a prestigious gig some in etc, people are generally approachable but only if you have generally been reliable, commited etc. It is important to let people know whats what from the outset so there are no surprises. I guess its a case of 'do the right thing'.

Just got to listen - great, love it but can't help wondering why people don't do their own thing? As good as it is, its only second hand glory... Would do the gig in a minute, tho'

There is a jazz Hanon by Leo Alfassy (see amazon - less than £8). Not seen it up close but thought you might like to know...

Peter Erskine.... Bill Stewart.... Joey Baron....

Should have done it with the Fez on.....

Learn the piece thoroughly, relax and don't let any mistakes go through. They will p*** you off for decades!!

If I recall correctly, there is a blooper in Jimmy Page's guitar solo on 'Stairway To Heaven'. Two decades since I listened to it so not 100% sure. Can anyone conform (I don't have a copy)?

There is a great Christmas album by Wynton Marsalis called 'Crescent City Christmas Card' with great jazz arrangements of classic Christmas tunes. Great versions of 'Let It Snow, Let It Snow , Let It Snow' (with a great Jon Hendricks vocal) and everything from 'Silent Night' to 'Little Drummer Boy' and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' - have a listen to clips on Amazon - its the best (only?) Christmas CD I have ever liked.

And what about the John Abercrombie Trio with Marc Johnson? That live trio album is sublime. And 'So Near. So Far' by Joe Henderson - John Scofield, Dave Holland and Al Foster. 'kin 'A' Jazz is life.....

Rotosound Solo Bass have worked for me for nearly 20 years on the same bass. Still no need for any repairs to my ebony fingerboard.