Bilbo

One thing to remember is that bands have great expectations of managers and it is possible that the failure of a manager to deliver is actually the failure of the band to think strategically. For example, if a manager says don't do those gigs, many musicians will see that as a retrograde step as it means they are not working. The manager, however, may be thinking about overexposure, about something that is going to happen later on that creates a conflict. I know a lot of managers will say don't gig for less than £X whilst many bands 'just want to play'. Being a manager in any situation is a difficult job to do and remain popular. Being a manager in the music business is even worse. If it all goes wrong, its his/her fault; not the band, not the agent, not the Producer, not the industry, not the venues, noit the music press - its all the manager's fault. Many of the 'scare' stories are true but some of them are masking the real issues.

That's a big question, BBC. A good manager is a Godsend but there are very few of them about!! The role is complex as it is often the case that bands that are starting out are looking for someone to get the gigs as well as to manage them. A good manager should help you define your product; image, sound, PR stuff, direction of travel etc (does he try to get your band played on Radio 1, 2 or 3...) and advise you on the best ways to move your brand forward. A good manager could be saying to you, 'love what you are doing but you need to sack your drummer'. 'Great CD but your image sucks', 'don't play that venue, play this one'. It is likely that s/he will be looking at your professionalism; timekeeping, staying sober, overall performance standards etc and trying to keep you delivering on your contracted obligations. The list goes on. A good manager is as valuable, if not more so, that any member of the band but, be warned, a bad one can drive you into the dust. There are plenty of people out there who will offer to do it but not that many that knwo what 'it' is!!

'The Jazz Theory Book' by Mark Levine

Whilst I am aware that these polls are a crock, it is interesting to note that NONE of my favouries even registered. Why? Because the importance of a player is proportionate to the popularlity of the band he or she plays in, the public profile of those bands and the number of records they sell. So, even though there are some astonishing players out there that noone here has mentioned, they won't get any 'votes' because their music appeals to a minority, doesn't get played on tv or radio and doesn't get acknowledged by high volume sales. So, lets call this a 'Most Popular' poll rather than a 'Best' because, objectively, most of the players everyone here is raving about are pretty limited and, considering the full basket of skills, are likely to be found wanting.

I guess its as much an attitude as anything (for the record, I am not a pro). Many people who freelance, particularly in the Arts, engage in a range of activities that generate income. An actor, for example, may do tv, adverts, repertory theatre, voice overs, radio plays, corporate videos, live work, school workshops, acting lessons, etc. A musician is no different. One will play live every day, sometimes twice or even three times, and earn a good living. Another may never see the outside of a recording studio. Some may teach only, others may write library music. But I guess most people will operate in a mixed economy and do a bt of everything. I guess the secret is to have as many irons in the fire as time allows, get as broad a range of skills as you can (e.g. a jazzer who doesn't play double bass is in trouble!!), learn to read chord charts and dots, play as many genres as you can, write music if you can, build networks, do studio and live work, teach privately, for local authorities and for colleges, teach bass and guitar (and piano and cello and anything else you can), do the job, stay sober, be cool. Personally, I couldn't really cope with the chaos, the not knowing from one month to the next whether the work is going to dry up. No sick pay, no holiday pay, no pension fund etc etc. It is, as has been said, a lifestyle choice. I wish I could but I can't (I am not a natural born risk taker, never was). I respect people like Jake a lot and a big part of me envies them but, until something substantial comes in (an unlikely event), its the criminal justice system and a monthly paycheck for me.

‘Its what’s best for the song’ Yes, we all get that. Flashy fusion bass all over the average wedding gig is not ‘de rigueur‘. Yes, we get that double thumbing through ‘Annie’s Song’ is bad form. Yes, we get that functional is often what is necessary to deliver a professional performance. But Keith Harris and Orville are professional (well, Harris is. Orville is a puppet). Su Pollard is professional. The late Leslie Crowther was professional. As are Des O’Connor, the Cheeky Girls and Timmy Mallet. Doing the right thing professionally is often the same as ‘good enough’. But ‘good enough’ and excellence are not nearly the same thing and, frankly, ‘good enough’ is not what gets me excited. What happened to ‘the best it can be’? What happened to interesting, to innovative, to intriguing or provocative? What happened to exciting, challenging, emotional, scary, flying by the seat of your pants? Every third post on this forum is about mature musicians ‘doing the right thing’ as players and ‘delivering a professional job’. Hurrah. But what about risk taking? It’s the difference between walking along a well-worn footpath and climbing over a fell in extreme weather (topical, eh?). Or between painting a landscape for a chocolate box or throwing paint at a canvas from 12 storeys up just to see what happens. I get that people have certain professional standards and want to deliver but please let’s not forget that playing something out of left field offers some new flavours, some new experiences. If we all just play ‘good enough’, nobody will ever get better.

Electric: Steve Swallow, Anthony Jackson & Jimmy Johnson Acoustic: Dave Holland, Marc Johnson & Charles Mingus

Saw Rickey Medlocke with Lynyrd Skynyrd a couple of years ago. They did a load of the old standards; Swing Home Alabama, Freejazz, Gimme 3/4, Tuesday's Gone, Maaaan, Solid Gone Grrrrrrrrrrrrreat!

Try practising in the dark Or whilst wearing varifocals You'll soon figure it out!

I'm all aquiver with anticipation.....

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='312951' date='Oct 23 2008, 01:31 PM']I personally have enough problems dealing with a 6 string. For me the biggest difference between a 5 and a 6 is that the 6 sits on my body in such a way that its difficult to see the fingerboard. So a lot of the note choice for me relies on muscle memory - effectively I'm playing blind! I can't even begin to imagine the confusion that a 7 or 9 string would cause me.[/quote] Most reading musicians on most instruments do so without looking at the instrument they are playing and, as such, are reliant upon muscle memory so this is not a credible argument against ERBs. My argument is that the physical demands of the wide neck militates against the effective execution of much that would warrant the effort. My earlier 'I am still waiting' comment relates to a previously expressed willingness to accept the potential of these instruments but I have yet to hear anything played on an ERB that I would consider sufficiently beautiful enough to justify the effort and expense of their production. The day I hear something that moves me (rather than impresses me), I will salute the ERB as an instrument that has come of age. Until then, I consider it to be nothing more than a curiosity.

Still waiting.......

Miles Davis used to say that noboby knows what it does but you sure miss it if it isn't there. Sometimes its like astronomy; you don't see what you are looking for but evidence that it is there. The doubled guitar parts or piano parts may be higher in the mix but the bass is underpinning them and its absence would be obvious if it was not there. Sometimes you can recognise the required notes because of the piano or guitar voicings and the harmonic movement in a piece. In a nutshell, what you are experiencing is the subtlety of our shared instrument. The Victor Wooten/Marcus Miller/Jaco stuff is great; in your face, high in the mix, can't miss it kind of bass playing but most bass playing is much more sophisticated in terms of its place in the music and it takes a practised ear to locate it. But keep trying. Its a bit like those 'magic eye' pictures; once you have learned to see it you can't not!

[quote name='Merton' post='308132' date='Oct 16 2008, 08:32 PM']I'd try Charlie Chandler's Guitar Experience in Hampton Wick to get hold of Paul Herman there, or get another contact no. for him [/quote] What's the chances of this: Paul once fixed my bass and I have gigged with him (Paul is a great guitar player) and Charlie, who I only met once, was my line manager's partner (I used to manage a Probation Hostel in Kew which is near Hampton Wick. In fact, I got promoted to a Senior Probation Officer because Charlie's partner was carrying his child!). Small world!

Good for you - just take it slow and don't damage your hands like wot I did!!

Did you know Plonk is an anagram of Pkonl which is Russian for Pkonl? Welcome on board

{ardon? But seriously, I dealt with it another way. I got everyone to turn down. Radical, eh?

[quote name='casapete' post='308620' date='Oct 17 2008, 02:28 PM']Just great to see players supporting the songs, not afraid of leaving space where required etc.[/quote] Not on my watch

Cheap Miles Davis starter - 2 classic LPs for £1.13 (Amazon Marketplace) [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Round-Midnight-Cookin-Miles-Davis/dp/B0011XDIUO/ref=pd_ys_ir_all_66"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Round-Midnight-Coo...pd_ys_ir_all_66[/url]

Strange New Flesh - great LP - 'Down To You' was a favourite! That was when Gary Moore was sounding great and not generic!

Mark Levine's ' The Jazz Theory Book' has it all. You don't need to buy anything else. And all of the examples are evidenced with references to tunes. For cds, just try your local library and ask around' everybody has a copy of Kind of Blue (except you, obviously )!! If I can help at all, PM me. I have mountains of this stuff.

Long before he hit the mainstream with Whitesnake, Gary Moore etc, Murray was the bass player with a UK jazz rock group called National Health. He has some quite credible fusion chops hiding behind the hair and his ability to nail that gig at short notice comes as no surprise. [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Health"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Health[/url]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='306382' date='Oct 14 2008, 04:37 PM']Do they do an Ampeg 810 version?[/quote] Fcuk me! How big are your cows?

[quote name='thedontcarebear' post='306306' date='Oct 14 2008, 03:24 PM']Looks like a Fender amp to me? Do you sit on a Fender Amp to milk your cows?[/quote] Best way to get a good sound out of one

Has he still got the gig? Some great music being played on there. Cuban, Salsa, Rumba....