Leonard Smalls

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1437570354' post='2827132'] Having said that, there is the simple fact that the doulbe bass and electric bass sit in radically different places in the sonic mix and, for most Jazz fans (and Jazz musicians are all Jazz fans), the double bass sounds better in terms of it sitting at the bottom of the ensemble sound and holdin it together. The electric sits higher up and further forward and creates what is essentially a completely different effect and which also leaves a gap at the bottom. [/quote] You can place an electric bass anywhere in the mix with either pedals or eq! The simple fact is that double and electric bass sound different; they have a different tone, attack, intonation, overtones etc, but both have a place in jazz, though for those who believe that jazz ended in 1963 electric is heresy! Funnily enough I was taking a couple of beer barrels back to our local pub today and was introduced to a jazz muso type - though it wasn't stated what he actually did. Somehow the conversation got onto Jaco Pastorius - this chap would not accept that he was in any sort of jazz band, nor that he was a bassist of any sort - "he's a rhythm guitarist" he asserted! For me, jazz is about innovation and skill - in other words it's alive, not something that stopped 50-odd years ago - though that's not to denigrate past glories. They did their thing - it was cool. Now new folks do their thing and it's cool as well. Talking of which, here's Hiromi with my favourite guitarist (electric!!!!) [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXsuPkyFQuQ[/MEDIA]

And mustn't forget Jamaaladeen Tacuma and my brother Derek.

Bootsy Les Claypool Bill Laswell Norman Watt-Roy Stanley TheManley Jah Wobble Klaus Flouride Larry Graham Cordell Mosson Flea

Talking of Ron, here's one my favourites by him - just love the intonation of those BC Rich Warlock basses: [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lgrQnX9fHg[/MEDIA]

I once went to our local folk open mic night with a Marshall bass amp plus 4x12 cab, a Qtron and valve distortion pedals. It was unfortunate that I didn't realise that a)it was an open mic night (it was advertised as a "jam night"), and it was run by a local "I saw a prettye Mayde" type dyed-in-the-wool folk chap. I got very dirty looks as I wheeled the stack in, and was told there was nowhere to plug in... I knew I should have taken a generator as well!!

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1437491489' post='2826484'] PS I have a Jazz gig on Saturday and [b]I am going to do it on electric[/b] [/quote] Excellent! I hope you're also taking a pedalboard with a full array of distortion, wah and envelope follower pedals!

Aye - most folks idea of jazz is your double bass/drums/sax/perhaps piano combo playing either something light'n'cheesey in the background, or something horrifically tuneless and widdley (nice!) In the first case, double bass is a given. In the case of the second, it matters not a jot. Each to their own, but being a bit weird I much prefer the latter. [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQDDIwcS1z4[/MEDIA]

Screaming Headless Torsos...

Fair enough! Though Prime Time is much closer to the spirit of jazz, than a little Suffolk Trio playing "Fly Me To The Moon"! There does see to be an attitude among some jazzers that electricity has no place in jazz, that somehow, introducing a pick-up makes it something else entirely. I was speaking to a chap just the other day who plays sax in a jazz standards trio; he'd heard I'd once played in a jazz band. When he discovered that not only were members of Lol Coxhill's collective involved (that's not jazz, it's just a noise!), but that I played electric bass he appeared visibly hurt, like he'd been betrayed! It's similar to the attitude among some classical music fans that the music must be played exactly as it's written - and they sit on the front row and take along a score to make sure that there's absolutely no deviation. This attitude continues with the belief that somehow electric instruments play themselves, or are at least easier to play, and that no [I]serious[/I] musician would play one - cries of "Judas" spring to mind!

Dodgy photo...

Indeed -you don't innovate by being conservative (with a small c!).

When I first discovered jazz I thought it was an incredibly broad church ranging from the Dixie type 20s stuff all the way to the free improv of Peter Brotzmann and Derek Bailey... That it was about both innovation, huge skill [I]and[/I] tradition. How wrong could I be! It seems that jazz is only about playing other people's music (or variations of) using the legally-allowed instrumentation. If it doesn't fit into those exact parameters it's no longer "real" jazz, it's some sort of bastardisation, like it's been diluted by rock or funk and become (spits) [I]fusion[/I]. It's as if all the folks who wrote the standards did so in isolation, without having heard any of the melodies or other musical genres of the time. And here's some Prime Time: [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQmOv3TCUsM[/MEDIA]

I play loudly - often at full gig volume, especially if the Mrs is out. The neighbours can swivel! However,as they're a least 100m away and my walls are 3' stone rubble-filled I'd need to be playing through Motorhead's PA for them to hear me. Living in the middle of nowhere is excellent for playing loud music...

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1436998386' post='2822781'] That is a track I always loved. I never really liked that much else they did. But I am going through the 80s and 90s at the moment, looking for other covers for a 3 piece! [/quote] Twas 1979, but I always wanted to cover this: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jSqLJsDJgw[/media]

And Bauhaus. And the Cramps. Later (85ish), the Chilli Peppers appeared before they were a pop band...

That's cos he's round my house. This time he's brought Omar Hakim, James Carter and David Fiuczynski along with a case of Woodford Reserve and 2 cases of Newton's Unfiltered Merlot... Which reminds me, must get Rentokil round. I've been infested with [i]musicians[/i]!

I normally just give him a ring and he pops round with Dennis Chambers and Maceo Parker.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1436355176' post='2817362'] T Hope this helps [/quote] I'm afraid it doesn't, as now I might have to spend money! I had no idea things like this existed - I'd been laboriously building midi parts or splicing loops in new and strange ways when I could have had Herbie Hancock to play it at the push of a button!

The Nescafe wave is often appropriate in cases of excessive crooning.... Shoobedoobiewah!

Full noise removal isn't cheap... You'd need to buy Cedar or Sonic Solutions No Noise - both of which are £000s! However, you might find that a combination of Audacity's noise removal tool, plus notch filtering, with perhaps a noise gate done in a few passes (little bites often sounds better than few big bites!) might sort-of sort it!

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1436343750' post='2817195'] All good now. Like it, I'm listening whilst enjoying my first very lovely coffee of the day. Enjoying the smoothness of both the coffee and your tune. [/quote] Cheers! Not often one of my choonz gets called smooth!

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1436340021' post='2817136'] I can't have a listen to your work as the link won't work for me [/quote] Oops.. I'd just deleted it as I wasn't happy with some levels. Hopefully it's all fixed now!

'Ere's mine: [url="http://soundcloud.com/dredd-and-the-badass-weed/superman-dont-need-no-seatbelt"]Superman Don't Need No Seatbelt[/url] There's no bagpipes or chickens but be warned - it's got me singing....

Mine's got a title, and vocals... Just a liberal smear of reverb, and the too-loud stench of an electric bass guitar and we're away!

Handsome!