Bilbo

Thanks, Chris. I will return the courtesy when I get to a links page. 😊

Here we go, folks. I have uploaded about 40 transcriptions (all ones you have seen already) and have another 70 odd to go so bear with but I thought there was enough on there for folk to start to have a look. Let me know what you think. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/

Try this, Drax. https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/mr-pc/

This is taking a while. I can upload about 4 an hour onto the new site. I have uploaded 30 of the charts in the archive so far and have 79 to go which is going to take me a few weeks to do as I can only put in an hour or two a day at most. In the meantime, I am not transcribing any new stuff. I have also got about 6 hours of interviews to write up (another book project) on top of a day job. Not enough hours in the day but we will get there. 'I am bored during lockdown'? You are 'avin' a laaaaaarf.

Interestingly, I know of teachers who are very self conscious with regards to their public profile and who stay away from social media and jam sessions in order to 'protect' themselves and their reputations as TEACHERS, as opposed to players. They are often employees of Music Services or Universities/Colleges etc and, young people being what they are (i.e.often full of fosters and vinegar) they need to be cautious when out and about.

I have taken delivery of my website and am now uploading the above transcriptions ready for the website to go public. It is taking me about 20 mins per chart at the moment as I am just finding out how to make all the different links and buttons work but it is exciting to see it coming together.

If you spend any time reading dots you will quickly realise that the patterns repeat themselves invertedly and that the ledger lines are the gaps on the stave and the gaps in the ledger lines are the lines on the stave. You can thank me later 😎

One more off the Bruford LP 'Feels Good To Me'. Featuring the eccentric vocals of Annette Peacock, the beauty of Kenny Wheeler's flugelhorn and the wonderful guitar of Allan Holdsworth, this is the bass part for both halves of the two part 'Seems Like A Lifetime Ago'. Remember, this is my take on it and I am perfectly happy to be challenged on the details. Lots of weird bar lengths alternating time signatures etc. A tough read but worth spending time on for the pleasure for hearing Jeff's wonderful bass parts. Seems LIke A Lifetime Ago Pt. 1 & 2 - Jeff Berlin Bass.pdf

I have found that improving my reading has opened up a lot of the books to me. I can rattle through a book of transcriptions in a few hours now, rather than spending days on one tune.

Start with one note. Then add a second. Keep doing it, a lot, and be patient.

This is a trap. YOu need to learn how to recognise each note independently. If you have to start with 'All Cows Eat Grass' whenever you want to know what the note in the top gap on the stave is, you are putting is a delay in the process of recall. Imagine if every time you want to spell the word sky, you had to go Abcdefghijklmnopqrs, then Abcdefghijk and finally abcedeghijklmnopqrstuvwxy…...you would never get anywhere. Learn the names notes where they are. There are only 8 of them. Your mobile number has 11 digits, your address 5 lines long and is made up of numbers and letters and the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody are massive by comparison. you need to remember ABCDEFG. How hard can it be?

Another Martin Briley part from the Greenslade LP 'Time and Tide'. This track is called 'Newsworth' which has some great lyrics from singer/second keyboard player, Dave Lawson. (Newsworth) I've heard that, a Newsworth) A newsworth lives in his pen. May I suggest, It's likely that he lives in one then (Newsworth) What happens, after you lie down at night. In your case the lying's not reclining, you can lie best upright. A relatively easy read (next one is another Jeff Berlin part so don't get complacent) Newsworth - Martin Briley Bass.pdf

It's not heavy but I play a Wal and don't find that heavy either. It is not a Fodera but it is certainly good enough to be going on with.

The idea is that you develop your reading and can read these charts in 5 minutes 😃

Takes about an hour to two hours for most charts. The more complex charts can take three or four hours which I do over several days. The issue is how complex each bar is. Lots of time changes slow you down as well. That last Bruford charts was lunacy. It's a labour of love, though, so no real hardship. I decided I wanted to do 100 over 2020 (that's only two or three hours a week so, bearing in mind we are not gigging, it's no biggie) and have done 65 so far. What am I like?

Something simple after that ridiculous Bruford nonsense yesterday. Prog obscurity with Chris Squire's bass part for 'You By My Side' off the 'Fish Out Of Water' album. The 'live' video I have attached is just him miming to the recording so it is the same lines as the chart. This is a really easy read so a good one for new readers.. You By My Side - Chris Squire Bass.pdf

The entire career of Miles Davis.

Bernie Marsden on guitar.

I remember leaving a band over musical differences. I was musical, they were different. I remember playing a gig in a prison on 11/9/2001 (an easy date to remember). The singer, a serving prisoner, asked to room for a minutes silence for the World Trade Centre victims. Nobody asked him to do it. It was his idea. And he sang like Marvin Gaye.

Oh, my giddy Aunt. This one is all over the shop. I am not at all sure whether this is an accurate transcription or a bit 'Heath Robinson'. There are passages where there is one bar of 4:4 followed by bars of 9:16, 3:4 and 15:16. I have no idea whether this is legitimate or whether I am missing a trick but the notes are all there, just not necessarily in the right order There is one passage in the late 80s (numbered bars) where I am not altogether sure whether I am hearing it right but, hell, these guys can play. Jeff Berlin's bass part on Bruford's 'If You Can't Stand The Heat' from the LP 'Feels Good To Me'). If You Can't Stand The Heat - Jeff Berlin Bass.pdf

I remember attending a Jazz Summer School in Pontypridd in the mid 90s. There was a woman there who was a professional actor who wanted to have a go at Jazz. We rehearsed a tune with her for four hours, A Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square, and we really arranged it. We performed the tune in the evening's open mic session in front of all of the students and tutors on the course. You could have heard a pin drop. The singer's first ever time singing Jazz in front of a room full of Jazz musicians and she got a standing ovation. Made the hairs on the back of my neck stick up.

And I means moments. I was listening to Steve Ray Vaghan's 'Couldn't Stand The Weather' this afternoon and I remembered doing a gig with a band I had never played with and never rehearsed with although they played together often. The singer called CSTW and the guitar player looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I had heard the song but never played it. When we got to 'that' bar (an extended gap in the groove which is 'wrong'), I don't know where it came from but it was there. There was a lot of grinning, mainly from me because I knew I could have fallen on my derrière and didn't. I remember another time playing a 'Blue In Green' by Miles Davis/Bill Evans with a guitar player and saxophonist. We were about to play the last chord (standard V I) and the guitar player whispered 'Fmaj7#11' and the most beautiful modulation I have ever heard happened. It was a rehearsal and no-one heard it but us but I still remember the feeling more than 20 years later. Then there was the jam session about 6 years ago where the pianist called 'Beatrice' by Sam Rivers and played the SLOWEST and one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever had the honour to play. Playing 'Isfahan' with Tony Kofi and the band performing a most exquisite and beautifully tense ending entirely by intuition. Then there was that posh, middle aged lady that sat in at a wedding gig and did the most amazing 'Tina Turner' thing I have ever heard. It's not always the big things; sometimes it is just the magic of the moment. Does anyone know what I mean?

I got this seven string a while ago for about £245 new. Ridiculous.

I am still working on these old Bruford albums I loved when I was starting to get my playing together. Jeff Berlin's bass part of 'Back To The Beginning' from the first Bill Bruford album 'Feels Good To Me'. The 'jamming' section is a tough transcription as the bass is not particularly well placed in the mix but, if you want to play along with the recording, the main details are there. Back To The Beginning - Jeff Berlin Bass.pdf

I have seen the first draft of my forthcoming website. Tweaking is now happening. Won't be long now 😎