Bilbo

Like a great swing groove, its indefinable but, when you find it, its the BEST feeling. Its the 'magic' bit, the bit you can't buy, the bit that all the lessons you can every have and all the gear you can ever acquire won't make happen. Its the thing that some people have naturally, on the day they are born, and others spend their life making futile efforts trying to find. Its why Jeff Berlin isn't Aston 'Family Man' Barrett. Its why Steve Bailey isn't Steve Swallow. Its why Neils Henning Orsted Pederson isn't Ray Brown. Its soul. Its groove. Its the point where man and machine are operating in perfect harmony. Its why Michael Brecker and Bob Berg aren't Stan Getz and Paul Desmond. Its why Simon PHillips isn't John Bonham. Its why most people don't like jazz and why most jazz doesn't move most people. Its why Louis Armstrong is greater than Wynton Marsalis and why Slash is better than Yngwie J. Malmsteen. As Louis Armstrong once said 'if you have to ask..., you'll never know'

I would recommend you play with your ears and not your eyes! Violins, Violas, Cellos and Double Basses don't have lines and manage to stay in tune! The dots are a useful guide but, without your ears, you will be out of tune. I find, after 20+ years of playing only an unlined fretless bass that my relationship with the intonation is defined by my head space as much as the dots. If I am not concentrating (i.e. listening), the intonation slips very quickly into 'eek'. The Ashbory's are a special case and it doesn't help that, if I recall correctly, the intonation changes as the strings warm up (they may have nailed that; the last time I saw an Ashbory in the flesh was in 1987)!! But, as I said, the mechanics will only get you so far; you will always need to rely on your ears to fine tune. That won't change ever.

I had heard something but no details. Could be that he needed to lose weight for surgery (this was some years ago as Petrucciani died a while back).

When Jackson toured the UK with Michel Petrucianni, he was about 8-stone. Thin as a rake. Bizarre but he didn't look much like Eddie Murphy (more like a thin Anthony Jackson )

'Ladies Night in Buffalo' - Dave Lee Roth - the best thing Billy Sheehan ever did.

Not which Shire. THE Shire. where I come from! Bilbo Bag End Hobbiton The Shire Middle Earth

Its not deep, folks, just a goreat groove and high energy playing. Even jazz musicians can have fun.

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='319723' date='Nov 1 2008, 05:56 PM']Songs without lyrics shouldn't be allowed to have names.[/quote] It has got lyrics; it was recorded by Manhattan Transfer for their 1983 album 'Bodies and Souls' .

He can be a bit of a easy target! But AJ is SO IN THE POCKET!

Go, big guy.... [url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gUWIQ8nHTko&feature=related"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gUWIQ8nHTko&...feature=related[/url]

I don't think that was up to much and, for the record, that had nothing to do with jazz

I just make sure I turn up early so I can set up in a calm and collected state of mind with some chill time before the off. I really hate to get there, switch on and play straight away. Can't get into the Zone that way. I read that the Mahavishnu Orchestra used to ask for a minutes silence before they played and then hit the audience with a wall of sonic chaos! Cool

That'll be 20 out of a couple of thousand Bit like a local council election, then!

Most Popular....(one fingered fool)

I sound like me. Sod all I can do about it, I am afraid. Where are you in Suffolk, YouMa? I am always looking for deps.

Well now I know!

Bugger that, mate. Get some WD40 on it. It's always worked for me! Squirt a little tiny bit on the pot on the outside of the amp and then turm it all of the way back and forth several times. The crackle will quickly reduce and then stop in matter of seconds. I would guess that the Maplins stuff is chemically the same but don't know that for a fact.

[quote name='4000' post='317904' date='Oct 29 2008, 08:19 PM']To use the Pat Metheny analogy again, he's both very technically gifted and knowledgeable. However I hate everything about his playing, from his tone to his note choice. I know you really like him. Is he technically more gifted and knowledgeable than Dave Gilmour? Absolutely, by far. Is he better? Not where I'm standing; to me he's not even in the same league. You would probably argue otherwise, and I believe we'd both be right.[/quote] How can you not like 'Rejoicing', 4000? Its perfick!!

Just listening to the Bill Evans 'Paris Concert - Edition One' CD with Marc Johnson and Joe LaBarbera on bass and drums respectively. Their version of 'My Romance' is an absolute diamond, really takes you somewhere new. Marvelous trio.

That is one ugly mother..........

[quote name='4000' post='317904' date='Oct 29 2008, 08:19 PM']I once had an argument with an upright player who insisted that Ray Brown was "better" than Neils HOP. How on earth can anyone decide something like that????[/quote] Better tone and swings better (which is, after all, the point). NHOP is flash, has poor taste and sounds [i]really[/i] nasal to me. I fully accept the 'best is subjective' argument and know perfectly well that Jeff Berlin couldn't do what Lemmy does without a serious change of perspective but, if you take the full range of skills; technique, musicality, groove potential, tone etc. it is defensible to suggest that someone like Will Lee is probably more likely to be able to fill the shoes of Paolo Gregoletto (Trivium) than Gregoletto is to fill Lee's shoes on the Letterman sow. That doesn't diminish the contribution that each individual makes to the music they play but it would let you argue that he is 'better' as in 'more skilled/more rounded' as a player. The truth is, it's all completely irrelevant unless you are a producer looking for a session player, then knowing whose is the best man for the job is your bread and butter

A LOT of Rush is like that! Actually, if you can do it, a great way of getting singing parts and bass parts to work together is to write them out on two separate staves (like a piano part). You can then see how they interact and the process makes more sense. Oh, and practice, practice, practice.

Some Bass Players who are worth looking for but who are less well known but nevertheless bloomin’ marvelous bass players anyway. Not necessarily favourites but highly creditable players some people may not have heard of. T.M Stevens – John McLaughlin, Whitney Houston, Tom Kennedy – Bill Connors Brian Bromberg – Solo artist, Dave Grusin, Stan Getz (also a jazz acoustic player) Lincoln Goines – Mike Stern, Dave Valentin Jeff Andrews – Mike Stern, Mike Brecker Victor Bailey – Weather Report & Madonna Jimmy Johnson – Wayne Johnson, Flim & The BBs, James Taylor Alphonso Johnson – Weather Report, Phil Collins Andy West – Rama, Dixie Dregs Tim Landers – Al DiMeola Sylvan Richardson – Andy Shepard Bunny Brunel – Chick Corea Mark Egan – Pat Metheny, Airto/Flora Purim, Randy Tico - Airto/Flora Purim Steve Swallow – Gary Burton, John Scofield Kermit Driscoll – Bill Frissel, Dave Douglas, Buddy Rich Marc Johnson – Bill Evans, Eliane Elias, John Taylor Scott Colley – Jim Hall Chris Lawrence – Andy Shepard, John Paricelli, Norma Winstone Dudley Phillips – Womak and Womak, John Paricelli, Perfect Houseplants Mike Mondesir – Billy Cobham, John McLaughlin, Human Chain Ben Wolfe – Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr. Robert Hurst – Wynton Marsalis Marcus Shelby – solo artist Christian McBride – Wynton Marsalis, Pat Metheny Steve Rodby – Pat Metheny, Simon and Bard Group Reginald Veal – Wynto Marsalis Eddie Gomez – Chick Corea, others Malachai Flavors – Art Ensemble of Chicago Kim Clarke - Defunkt Leyland Sklar – James Taylor, Phil Collins Nathan East – Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Fourplay Carles Benavent – Paco De Lucia, Gil Goldstein Well, you asked....

I may be mistaken but I don't think I mentioned jazz..... My point was non-genre orientated on purpose. I don't care if you are talking about Bakithi Kumalo (afro-pop), Carles Benavent (flamenco), Will Lee (session monster), Mick Karn (pop), Percy Jones (weird electro fusion hybrid) or James 'Hutch' Hutchinson (country/pop), there are some exceptional players out there that loads of us don't know and who are objectively 'better'. So 'most popular' is defensible; 'best' isn't. Or is it just the ones who 'play for the song' who make it into the top ten? As for my top ten? it is of no consequence.