Bilbo

I think the criterion is whether you like it more than all the others you have heard

SF Jazz Collective plays Stevie Wonder (ipod shuffle)

I found it helpful to think not of whether I liked the composition but whether or not it reflected the image in any sense. That narrowed it down for me.

The reason behind Jazz pun thing is simple: no lyrics = no obvious hook onto which to hang a title! There have been some great puns over the years. Jeff Berlin particularly likes playing this game: 'Hello Dali', 'Lumpy Jazz', 'Everybody Knows You When You're Up & In'. Steve Swallow does it well also; 'Second Handy Motion', 'Muddy In The Bank' are two that come to mind. I have a few 'in waiting': 'For All We Know, We May Never Eat Again', 'Almost Like Being In Debt' and 'Four Funerals and A Wedding'. My own existing titles include 'I Didn't Do It' (based on the changes for 'I'm Confessin'), 'Second Guest', 'Escape From The Country' etc etc. It's nothing more than wordplay to over the fact that describing music with words is not always simple.

I have a simple approach to this. If the bandleader wants me to play a song once, he either supplies the dots or he gets a 'near as damn it/flying by the seat of my pants/never heard the original anyway' approximation. I play in one covers band and have held the gig for about 3 years. We play a range of covers from 60s to now and I have never heard the originals of most of the tunes and those I have heard I heard years ago once or twice and have certainly never worked on them. We have never had anyone come up to any of us and say 'that bass part was wrong' but this is probably because they are SO wrong that it is obvious we are not trying to play them right When I do shows, every note is written down and the product is 100% accurate. To expect people to learn every nuance of a cover when they are working in several bands/situations in between gigs is pretty naive.

Foudn this too. Lovely rendering of Small Day Tomorrow by Janis Seigel (form The Manhattan Transfer featuring the lovely trumpet of Lew Soloff) [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAtJXSodaDQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAtJXSodaDQ[/url]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mG1OrQ3DGc&feature=relmfu"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mG1OrQ3DGc&feature=relmfu[/url]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuK8tKMTDis&feature=relmfu"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuK8tKMTDis&feature=relmfu[/url] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-tRy9OCzh8&feature=relmfu"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-tRy9OCzh8&feature=relmfu[/url]

Major league interactive trio playing. Anyone whon knows this trio will be thrilled to find these videos (I have loved this trio for 30 years and the material never dates). Great Jimmy Joihnson bass solo on an Alembic 5 string (one of the first) (I think - never get a good shot) but the real music is made by the three guys together. Sound is poor but the content is so good. Enjoy [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k5EQWfqVOQ&feature=related[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gdvVHEQCnc&feature=relmfu[/media]

Works for me.....

I just want to confirm that the only reason I entered mine was to show that I had tried but noted that I had given up because it wasn't happening and, as I was away last week, I was aborting it, hoping that I could do something next month. So don't vote for mine cos it sucks . Oh. Somebody did. Kindly leave the stage.....

Francis Lickerish's Secret Green album 'To Wake The King' [url="http://secretgreen.co.uk/king.html"]http://secretgreen.co.uk/king.html[/url]

I am a bass, guitar and saxophone player. I do one well, one poorly and one extremely badly. You are a bass player as soon as you start playing a bass. You are just a beginner. Ownership is not enough. The clue is in the verb 'play' and the noun 'bass'. If, in your life, you verb the noun. then you are, by default, a noun verber. If the verb is play and the noun bass, you area bass player. You may wish to add a caveat that gives greater detail (good, bad, professional, amateur etc) but you are in the gang!

Not read the whole thread but...... Dean Basses - dreadsul looking things Alembics - like the Series II shape but most of the custom models look (and, IM humble O, sound) feckin hideous Anything that is pointy (Thunderbirds, BC Rich etc). Might be okmwhen you are in a HM metal band but as, everyone grows out of that eventually, you are left with an unusable piece of comic book art JayDees - little more than Alembic copies but why copy an Alembic when it looks and sounds hideous (see above) Ken Smiths - fugly, every one of them Gibson Les Paul basses - ain't right Gibson Grabber - no-one had one except Kelly Groucutt Ovation Breadwinnder bass - yeeeuch

My point is that learning to read is one thing (i.e. what each phrase means). Learning to sight read is about developing that other skill until it is automatic and requires no effort. That needs repetition. Stopping to fix every error is learning 'reading' not practicing 'sight reading.

I know this is not a universally agreed approach but I recommend you read lots of stuff once, play it and, even if you get it wrong, discard the piece and read another one and another and another. Don't give yourself the chance to 'learn' what you are reading, just read it.

I knew who a guy who bought his kid a bass and set up some lessons for him. After the first lesson he asked him how he got on, The kid said 'It was great, Dad. I learned all about the E string. It goes E F F# G G#. His father was chuffed to see he was getting into it. After a week, the kid went for his second lesson and his Dad asked hm again how he had got on. 'Dad, I love this instrument. Today I learned about the A string. It goes A A# B C C#. HIs father knew he had found something valuable for his son and gave him a pat on the back. After another week, the father said 'How was your lesson this week, son'? 'Cancelled it, Dad. I had a gig'. .

Sometthing that may help. \[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XYOptXkE9k"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XYOptXkE9k[/url]

I just think he is one of the most creative 'non groove orientated' bass players out there.

I can get A gig. I want THE gig..: lol:

I am moaning about the fact that I never get to play with Dave Liebman and Adam Nussbaum. That and the fact that I am an ungrateful little s***

Not a gig but a recording session last Saturday night in which my trio recorded 6 of my tunes wot I wrote. I am purposely leaving the tapes alone until I come back from an imminent holiday but some of it felt pretty much ok so I am looking forward to seeing whether or not I have a credible demo at last. If I have, I can progress on my website trioeast.co.uk (which is not currently up and running).

You are, of course, correct but that kind of compromise is occasionally a little wearing when there are no standout moments Having said all that, I am waiting for news today of a possible weekly session where I will be part of as rhythm section playing with visiting frontline players like John Etheridge, Jim Mullen, Don Weller, Alan Barnes etc etc. So maybe things will pick up there.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1350472634' post='1839231'] There is a simple answer to your troubles, Rob. Stop living in Felixtowe [/quote] You're gonna laugh but the drummer in my trio, who has played with Martin Speake (alto), Pete Oxley (Guitar), Mark Lockhart (Sax), Richard Fairhurst (p), Steve Melling (p), Simon Spillett, Don Weller, Claire Martin and 1000 other leading players, actually lives in Felixstowe!!