Bilbo

Never heard it all through. Will look it up.

Haven't heard that in years!! Had it on cassette!!!

I had thought he was already dead so this comes as a double surprise. I only discovered recently that Jessica was a Allman tune. Great sound.

More on the Gedo basses here. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/93958-i-did-it-now-with-photos/page__fromsearch__1

Bastards. Hope you get it back, mate

Plenty of choice at that price level. Get shopping!!!

I sang in Eisteddfods at school and had my fair share of tennis racquet guitar moments and I liked the feeling I got from singing some of the hymns in Sunday school but the real inspiration came from Ravel's Bolero and Peter and the Wolf. That was what sent me home wanting to get involved.

Just listened to the OP's link. Sounds like a bag of spanners being thrown down a fire escape. I get that there is a lot going on but, for me, one of the most important apsects of bass in terms of groove is timbre/tone. If the timbre doesn't work, the notes can be absolutely correct and it still won't groove (think some of the early electric bass playing with big bands). This guys clanking and fret buzz is so distracting, it detracts from his ideas. Is it bass playing? Of course it is. Is it good bass playing? Subjective.

It's three choruses, Doug. One head, one solo, one head and out. The time didn't occur to me until I had finished it. Wasn't paying attention!

I'm in. https://soundcloud.com/robert-palmer-1/corpuscle-mule

Finished mine today. Will upload as soon as I can get to it.

'Latin' is a massive genre or set of genres. The modes used are generally the same as with all Western music's. I.e. Diatonic.

I did my Jazz East gig last Sunday with harmonica player Adam Glasser. I just got this feedback. 'Dear Rob, Thanks once again for inviting me to play - you are my absolute favourite group of musicians for a listening supportive musical jazz experience, getting together on spec!' How lovely!!! Makes it all worthwhile.

Yes. There are a couple in the Music Warehouse in Colchester. 200 yards from the office!!

I have done one but I don't like it so I am going in again!!

Just reading another thread on this subject and it occured to me why this is so often a difficullt and intense experience. I would argue that in most working class families, music is discovered by people through informal routes at the mid to late teen stage and mostly through popular music genres. The most common first instruments are probably electric guitars and basses, amybe keyboards and, less commonly, drums (because of cost, space and noise issues). As a result of this, many people who come to the double bass do so late in their careers and after they have ALREADY started playing gigs. As soon as they take the plunge and buy a double bass, the people around them are immediately putting pressure on them to play the instrument on gigs. I was playing for a couple of years before I did my first electric gig and during those years was unemployed, single, living at home with my parents and shedding for hours and hours. When I got a double bass (thanks, Jake), I was a lot older, in full-time employment and had the full range of obligations that come with early middle age. As a result, I was gigging well before I was even close to ready. No stamina, no technique, lousy intonation etc etc. When I think about it, we don't really stand a chance, do we?

Think Ralph Towner rather than strummy guitar. I am following this thread and checking everything out as far as one can.

The chart is in one of the real books. Are you looking for a transcription of Berg's solo or just a head chart?

I had an Eko 12 when I was about 17. It had telephone wire strings and an action to match.

The next on my wish list. Any thoughts?

I spent years doing every gig that came my way but several years ago culled anything that was a bit sh*t and now only play gigs I want to do. Comes out at around one a week but I am happier for it. I have also stopped practising bass as I have all the chops I need for the gigs I do. This means practice time is fun too.

A lot of the issues referred to throughout this thread are things that I recognise from my own career. The first is getting like minded people to play with. I gave up trying to find singers when I was in my 20s and got into instrumental music and Jazz. I have always struggled to find musicians who want to play anything fresh and new and have found it much easier to find people who want to play the tried and tested. The same applies to bookings. Could do more gigs playing more accessible material but that Isn't where I get the buzz from. We grew up in a world with three tv channels and no internet, no dvds, no computer games. Music mattered more to us because there was much less to choose from. I play fewer and fewer gigs but those I do are of a much higher standard than they used to be. I am 'winding down' a bit now and playing guitar more because it is a stand alone instrument in a way that the bass isn't. It's not that I don't want to gig. It's because I don't want to play what is required to get loads of gigs.

[quote name='LITTLEWING' timestamp='1492249322' post='3278936'] Bring back The Old Grey Whistle Test. End of story. [/quote] Fcukin' A

My 'not hard' comments are actually a reference to the fact that musicians have a tendency to be drawn to exceptional technique but it's guys like Squire and another favourite of mine, Steve Swallow, who are able to make massive contributions to the canon without being monster chopsmeisters. They have the chops they need to execute their ideas and that is all that they need. The same can be said of people like Bill Frissel, Paul Motian, Charlie Haden etc etc. Chris Squire was a major influence on me as a kid and I can now probably play pretty much everything he could but I still consider him to be infinitely more creative than I have ever been.