Gunsfreddy2003 Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 I was at Marlborough Jazz Festival yesterday and watched a band called Protect The Beat who play there every year and their bass player Winston Blissett was using a Ken Smith bass through a little Mark Bass combo. I have to say that the tone he got was awesome - loads of bottom end but with a nice high end sizzle that I thought you could only get with basses like my GB!!! I tried Mark Bass amps at The Bass Centre once and the only thing that I remember about them was that they were very light and looked like a wasp!!! Perhaps it is because Winston is a top session player that he can get a great sound like this but maybe I need to look closer at Ken Smith basses and the Mark Bass stuff. Oh no here comes the GAS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 "the funk's in the fingers" Steady on that GAS attack ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Was Wilson using his BT5 though that CMD121 combo of his? Last time I heard him live, he sounded really scooped, in fact there was virtually no high end at all. Was it like that this time or was the sound better? I've tried the same combination myself live and found it really difficult to hear myself because of the lack of mids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsfreddy2003 Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 Definitely a BT5 bass but not sure that it was a CMD121 (I am not really up on Mark Bass stuff) but I am sure that it had dials on the front of the amp. Either way there was plenty of high end believe me. He did a stunning bass solo - very Stanley Clarkesque and the sound was fantastic. Top player a very nice bloke to boot. [quote name='Crazykiwi' post='538319' date='Jul 12 2009, 10:25 AM']Was Wilson using his BT5 though that CMD121 combo of his? Last time I heard him live, he sounded really scooped, in fact there was virtually no high end at all. Was it like that this time or was the sound better? I've tried the same combination myself live and found it really difficult to hear myself because of the lack of mids.[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 If you hear Protect The Beat on one of their pub gigs, like Boaters in Kingston, you'll get to hear WB's sound. At Marlborough you were hearing the DI and the PA, so that was probably just the bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 [quote name='chris_b' post='538357' date='Jul 12 2009, 11:20 AM']If you hear Protect The Beat on one of their pub gigs, like Boaters in Kingston, you'll get to hear WB's sound. At Marlborough you were hearing the DI and the PA, so that was probably just the bass.[/quote] Did a youtube search for Protect the Beat and found Roger Innis playing his Shuker.. Do they take turns? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 [quote name='OldGit' post='538369' date='Jul 12 2009, 11:33 AM']Did a youtube search for Protect the Beat and found Roger Innis playing his Shuker.. Do they take turns?[/quote] I guess he's the dep? Roger plays with many people including John O'Leary's band. Darby, PTB's drummer knows John so I guess that's the connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsfreddy2003 Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 Does that mean his normal sound through the Mark Bass stuff is not as good then? [quote name='chris_b' post='538357' date='Jul 12 2009, 11:20 AM']If you hear Protect The Beat on one of their pub gigs, like Boaters in Kingston, you'll get to hear WB's sound. At Marlborough you were hearing the DI and the PA, so that was probably just the bass.[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsfreddy2003 Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 Last year at MJF Roger Innis was on bass and Darby was drumming and I have to say that it was much better with those guys playing. Although they were good yesterday they just lacked a bit of the funk element. I also thought that stand in drummer was a little poor - I think I could have managed his drum solo! [quote name='chris_b' post='538379' date='Jul 12 2009, 11:45 AM']I guess he's the dep? Roger plays with many people including John O'Leary's band. Darby, PTB's drummer knows John so I guess that's the connection.[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urb Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 [quote name='chris_b' post='538379' date='Jul 12 2009, 11:45 AM']I guess he's the dep? Roger plays with many people including John O'Leary's band. Darby, PTB's drummer knows John so I guess that's the connection.[/quote] As far as I know Winston is PTB's main bassist - I keep hearing great things about him - but try and see them live sometime - Gareth Lockrane the flautist who leads the band is a badass - he's also on the last James Taylor Quartet album 'New World', and rather excellent it is too. M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsfreddy2003 Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 Derek Nash is the sax player - have never seen them with a flute player! [quote name='urb' post='538815' date='Jul 12 2009, 09:17 PM']As far as I know Winston is PTB's main bassist - I keep hearing great things about him - but try and see them live sometime - Gareth Lockrane the flautist who leads the band is a badass - he's also on the last James Taylor Quartet album 'New World', and rather excellent it is too. M[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Winston was the bass player for Massive Attack and I've only ever seen him with the same Smith BT5. He and Randy Hope-Taylor share the bass chair in a functions band called the All Stars who are playing a series of free concerts at The Scoop by City Hall. In fact there's one on July 17th. [url="http://www.theallstars.co.uk/"]http://www.theallstars.co.uk/[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 [quote name='Crazykiwi' post='538987' date='Jul 12 2009, 11:31 PM']Winston was the bass player for Massive Attack and I've only ever seen him with the same Smith BT5. He and Randy Hope-Taylor share the bass chair in a functions band called the All Stars who are playing a series of free concerts at The Scoop by City Hall. In fact there's one on July 17th. [url="http://www.theallstars.co.uk/"]http://www.theallstars.co.uk/[/url][/quote] See? Not much wrong with function bands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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