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Discipline and Simplicity.


Jazzneck
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Mrs Jazzneck and I have been listening to The Temptations 'cause it has been hissing down outside.

Two tracks for me are absolute standouts as wonderful songs, arrangements and production.

The thing that hit me smack between the ears when listening to them again today was the absolute simplicity and discipline of the bass lines.

Have a listen:

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNn361umypM"]https://www.youtube....h?v=YNn361umypM[/url]

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJV2pWFyfn4"]https://www.youtube....h?v=pJV2pWFyfn4[/url]

I've now sat down and played along with them - not easy, methinks, to keep that groove and accuracy on a wet afternoon.

What do you lot think?

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[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1442942862' post='2870842']...
What do you lot think?
[/quote]

There's no muscular drummer drowning everyone out, either. No overdrive, no howling guitars... It must help enormously when everyone can clearly hear what all are playing. A different time, a different place; maybe some good 'weed', too..? Happy daze. In any case, a good listen; thanks for the memories.

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[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1442945642' post='2870873']
I believe Bob Babbitt is the bassist on "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone".

Apparently James Jamerson was on the session and walked out when they told him to play the same riff over and over. Bob Babbitt took over.
[/quote]

But the track is perfect for a Delta funk band ... We did this just the other day... Monster jam and went down a storm..but you need a good band leader/MD.

Cutting teeth tracks...

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[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1442947329' post='2870891']
But the track is perfect for a Delta funk band ... We did this just the other day... Monster jam and went down a storm..but you need a good band leader/MD.

Cutting teeth tracks...
[/quote]

Two / three questions;
You did it as a Monster Jam the other day - did you keep the bass line as simple as this or was it tarted up in any way?
Do you mean "cutting teeth tracks" in the sense that they are thought to be easy?

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[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1442948255' post='2870900']
Two / three questions;
You did it as a Monster Jam the other day - did you keep the bass line as simple as this or was it tarted up in any way?
Do you mean "cutting teeth tracks" in the sense that they are thought to be easy?
[/quote]

Cutting teeth as in standard track that you spend ages and ages learning in your bedroom. I'm old enough to have to have done this with
a record player and we just played it over and over almost wearing the record out. As a school kid, I learnt all my early catalog like this...endless repeats of a record.

The 'monster jam' really referred to the singer/MD starting it on the piano to create the vibe and the band just all fell in so no one knew how it would go until the '1' as it were. My role was just was just to riff it and keep the groove.. and IIRC it morphed into
'Low Rider' when the Band Leader cut down the band and just segued into Low Rider after teaching me the riff...
I already knew it in my head but for Theatre...as that is the way the gig was going, he played the riff... told the audience he was going to teach me it..and then let the song go.. I did do a little solo...as did the rest of the band.
It lasted about 15mins and we ran massively over time... but a great gig was had by all.

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[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1442949011' post='2870907']
Cutting teeth as in standard track that you spend ages and ages learning in your bedroom. I'm old enough to have to have done this with
a record player and we just played it over and over almost wearing the record out. As a school kid, I learnt all my early catalog like this...endless repeats of a record.

You and me both. :) and it was with the ubiquitous rhubarb and custard Dansette, too.

The 'monster jam' really referred to the singer/MD starting it on the piano to create the vibe and the band just all fell in so no one knew how it would go until the '1' as it were. My role was just was just to riff it and keep the groove.. and IIRC it morphed into
'Low Rider' when the Band Leader cut down the band and just segued into Low Rider after teaching me the riff...
I already knew it in my head but for Theatre...as that is the way the gig was going, he played the riff... told the audience he was going to teach me it..and then let the song go.. I did do a little solo...as did the rest of the band.
It lasted about 15mins and we ran massively over time... but a great gig was had by all.
[/quote]
Sounds great and interesting. Did you record it? coz I would love to hear it.

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[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1442949998' post='2870916']
Sounds great and interesting. Did you record it? coz I would love to hear it.
[/quote]

I did plan to record it... but just didn't have time to se it up. And of course, becasue the gig was a jam pretty much all following the leader
we didn't know how well it would all go. I wish I had and all the guys are up for doing it again so I 'hope' we gig it on the 29th Nov.
Just waiting on guys to confirm theri availability and I'll definitely record it then.

The set will go something like this

yes we can can Allen Tousaint
Respect yourself staple Singers
Key to the highway Freddie King
Cut the Cake AWB
Chicken heads Oscar Brown
Hey pokey a away The Meters
Bloodshot eyes Wynonie Harris
when will be mine AWB
I don't need no doctor John Mayer live
Same Old Blues Freddie King
Pack it up Gonzalez
Mary Ann Buddy Guy
Let me love you Baby SRV
Nothing fom nothing Billy Preston
I wouldn't treat a dog Bobby Bland
Familiy Affair Sly Stone single version
Love and Happyness Al Green
Bop to the Boogie Fred Wesley
Papa/Low Rider

And any thing else the singer throws at us... it is all comping on a groove laid down by paino... there is very little format but sometimes you'll have turn round chords and off you go again.

But.... there gigs can fly very high or fall very flat, so you have to be very careful. Fortunately...and you really need this, IMO.. the guys have great
ears and busking chops but the audience doesn't really have to understand that... it just has to come across and work.

We had such a good reaction to it... I think I'll be able to ram the pub again...but even so... it will be fraught and seat of your pants stuff, for sure.

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