bassace

If it's ES it'll be easy for him to screw it in, but if it's BC the whole forum will want to pile in. Sorry 'bout that.

Yes, I prefer paper. There's nothing easier than turning up for a gig and you're given a sheaf of numbers, mostly in set list order. I've got a CD, priceless to me, that has at least eight real/fake books stored on it. I use this for home study and there was a time when I attempted to make a condensed file of the numbers I thought might needed on the gig. This didn't always work because, playing with all sorts of musicians, you can't anticipate all the tunes. And, shock horror, a lot of people refer to play in 'their' key rather than the written one. But I'm beginning to find it more useful to take an iPad to any gig I do, most of them as a freelance. iRealPro has 1300 jazz tunes stored and although I play stuff mainly by ear or from memory there are times when you need to ref that elusive chord that starts the middle eight, for instance. And it transposes into any key. And I find it easy to read, it's back lit.

White splitter alert! Oh wait, I suppose it's OK as its not on stage.

Keep the melody in mind. You could start playing round that and when you're confident with that your improvising could become more adventurous.

Funny thing, the double bass. You can have lean periods with nothing in the diary then you get a call. Then another. So stay optimistic, Rob.

Yes, welcome back. Be patient, I've found that it takes a lot longer to get over it than you would expect. But it does come good.

Thanks, I'll try again.

It keeps saying price needed, which I've put in. So what's going on?

Steve, that's a great resource and not just for 'starters'

I've played it!

That is quite a question and, as Bilbo said, the list is endless. I have a CD loaded with eight various fake/real books and the iReal Pro loaded on my iPad lists 1300 numbers. Jazz, though, breaks down into all sorts of genres. A Dixie band will play all the old Trad numbers but will not be above including some up to date stuff. Assuming it's got a clarinet, there won't be many gigs without someone asking for Stranger on the Shore! A pickup jazz trio will play mostly stuff from the American Songbook, the old Gershwin/ Cole Porter/Jimmy Van Heusen et al stuff. Safe numbers that all the musos, even though they haven't played together before would be able to handle there and then. And a singer would have his or her favourites that could bolt on the front. Last night I played in a five piece. We did stuff by Miles, Sonny Rollins, Adderley and four by Benny Golson whose stuff I enjoy very much. The sax player brought charts along for all of us to make it easy and although it was not quite the safe standard stuff usually played it was a thoroughly enjoyable and satisfying gig because it stretched us a bit. Just a quick PS re the standard American (and a few British ones) show tunes. There are some sublime old shows that compare favourably with the guff that gets on the stage today - see also the dire stuff Elaine Page puts out on a Sunday. What makes a tune adaptable as a good/great jazz standard needs a whole more discussion. Hope this helps.

OK, I'll try. In a four in the bar tune you're not counting a regular 1234. The 2 and four will be syncopated, they'll be slightly in front. That gives rise to the whole in front of the beat discussion. It is this 2 and 4 snap that gives the tune it's swing or energy and by clapping on that you're fuelling that energy. That's the analysis but you should be able to feel it, a bit like riding a bike without considering how you're actually doing it. But consider the Strictly sig tune; that's got a two in the bar feel to it, it's not meant to swing. So the audience appropriately clips on those two, which is 1 and 3. Although I'm sure I saw Carol Kirkwood clapping on 2 and 4 on Saturday.

As the lady said.............'oh dear'

It was all summed up brilliantly during a recent interview in a BBC Prom concert devoted to swing. Singer Elaine Delmar was asked to define swing. She said something along the lines of 'you know, you meet the man of your dreams and the music starts. He starts tapping his foot on one and three and you think................oh dear'.

Quite a few Pumas at the SE Bash yesterday. I recall at least (probably more) a BonaFide, a 900, three 500s and a 350. It's fast becoming my default amp for DB. Such a clean sound with the right eq easily achieved.

A great day seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Thanks for everything, Nik and Colin. We were very lucky to have such a great venue. Looking forward to next year, the Tenth. PS, thanks for the great eats, Sarah.

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1443180400' post='2872867'] Definition of perfect pitch? [/quote] You throw a banjo in a skip and it hits an accordion.

He's tried to write something atmospheric and in the process it's become tuneless and formless. Won't be remembered as one of the good ones. IMO, of course.

And bass fours as well! Well done Spencer, sounded good.

[quote name='Maude' timestamp='1442350439' post='2866348'] I laugh at your white four way mains, I use a white six way . . . ha! To be fair though I use one of those aluminium hop-up things to put my amp on, I put a black flag over it before the amp goes on..... [/quote] Is this a hark back to Victorian times when they used to 'dress' grand piano legs to avoid the possibility of the family/guests harbouring unseemly erotic fantasies?

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1442311213' post='2865884'] You'd love my black mains splitter then .... into which I plug my two orange mains cables. [/quote] Orange?!