bassace

I read an article in this month's Musician, The MU magazine, that Bill Bruford hasn't worked for two years because he doesn't feel up to the job. He just doesn't want to play. If Bill's not up to it what hope is there for the rest of us? Anyone else heard this story?

I've constructed a large cupboard/wardrobe out of OSB at the back of my garage. It can take two double basses, stacks of cabs and heads. The tight door ensures that climatic nasties (cold, damp etc) don't get in. And it's very convenient to load the gear into the car.

My final gig with the seven piece on Saturday. Drove to Sidmouth, Devon to play in a large carpeted room but the PJ Super Flightcase dealt with it well. 320mile round trip with no overnight accommodation. I dropped the sax player off in Stroud and saw minus 7.5 degrees on the car's gauge. Got home at 3.00am. Up at 9.00 to help Mrs Bassace muck out her four horses. Today the band (minus me) goes to Gran Canaria for two weeks. Hey Ho.

[quote name='endorka' post='1001832' date='Oct 26 2010, 10:26 PM']Just listening to some Red Mitchell; Clark Terry / Red Mitchell - It Don't Mean A Thing : [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOWaUR6ta0c&NR=1"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOWaUR6ta0c&NR=1[/url] Red Mitchell & Bill Mays play "Well, You Needn't" [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA_8CV_h2hg&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA_8CV_h2hg...feature=related[/url] I can't believe how good these guys are! Jennifer[/quote] Thanks for that, Jennifer. I'm conversant with the Clark Terry stuff but hadn't heard Red with Bill Mays before. There's a lot of good stuff on the youtube 'tree'; I've just listened to them doing Round Midnight. Great! - or should I say 'nice!'

MB150 seems OK enough on the lows but I don't like that mwah you get with piezos unless you kill the middle. I do agree that a lot of its attraction seems to be in its smallness.

[quote name='Earbrass' post='992077' date='Oct 18 2010, 11:38 AM']In my view Jools Holland is a serial offender in this department. He will often play boogie-woogie left hand parts even when playing with a band. It seems to me that the whole point of the boogie-woogie left hand is to simulate a "chugging" band rhythm section, and as such is essentially a solo piano style. If anyone listened to the recent memorial show/concert for Humphrey Lyttelton R4, they will have heard Jools ruin the classic "Bad Penny Blues" by doing just this, and muddying up the bass.[/quote] Well done Earbrass; that was exactly my reaction when I heard the prog. Johnny Parker he ain't. Keep those good ears tuned!

I expect Yehudi was easily grade 8, yet when he played 'jazz' alongside Grapelli he was - well, not very good. I wouldn't book him. It's horses for courses and I suspect that a lot of graduates haven't had too much time between the shafts. Most improve but some take longer than others. And don't get me started on NYJO.

Do these people actually exist?

Phil Wilkins, tenor/sop is the only ex LCM I've played with and he is very good inded. Could it be that the OP's disappointment is down to the musicians' initial lack of band experience on graduation. Phil was a bit like this initially but it took him no time at all to get up to speed.

Count Basie Orch. Behind those horns...................wow!

[quote name='Doddy' post='981083' date='Oct 7 2010, 11:35 PM']Try a blues in F and B flat[/quote] That'll be a great start for you. It'll get you into shape for playing jazz along with the horns - which is what the double bass is meant to do. IMHO of course!

Thanks for the interest, guys. Very gratifying. I'll have to get my head together to try to satisfy everyone geographically - maybe not possible to please all. If in the meantime anyone has any ideas it would be good to hear them. I'm looking at Nottingham or Northampton, both with reasonable motorway connections, but what do you think?

Thanks for the great response, guys, keep it coming. It may be geographically impossible to satisfy everyone and perhaps someone may have to run a northern meet. But we'll see how the responses work out. Now, if thisnameistaken could bring his two friends........................................................

[quote name='tayste_2000' post='970744' date='Sep 28 2010, 02:57 PM']I don't know sounds difficult to create 12 hours of slappity poppity fury dead loud on DB[/quote] Well, isn't that just the point?

Reading all the posts re technique, gear etc It got me thinking; is there any interest in a DB get together, perhaps in the M25 area ( or wherever)? This would not necessarily be an annual thing (or it might?), probably early next year. Any interest? and please indicate the sort of area you would like to meet up at.

I once sold a DB to a BG player who wanted to take up the instrument. I explained that, as a jazzer, I played mainly in the flat keys - Bb, F, Eb, Ab, Db - compared to the rock sharp keys. His reply was 'is that because of musical snobbery?'. Oh dear, as has been posted previously, it is because the horns are tuned so that their C scales (no flats or sharps) are in the flat keys. Trumpet and Trombone Bb, Saxes Bb, Eb. I don't know if it's because I've been playing so long in 'flats' that I now have the utmost difficulty in playing the sharp keys - something a slab player could do in his sleep.

Useful topic Beedster. The holy grail has got to be mic to FOH plus monitor(s). However this could lead to fedback problems with a (DB) inexperienced sound engineer. So a nice compromise is mic to FOH and pickup to back line. Only two drawbacks here; I find that most DB gigs don't have FOH unless I'm in a good theatre or the gig is a big outdoor one. Also, you're unlikely to hear the beautiful sound from your bass if the speakers are in front of you. So most of the time I go out with backline and pickup, plug and play and concentrate on making music. Strangely I never experience feedback. Well not in the electronic sense anyway.

Four basses and four Underwoods; QED. Mind you, I also have a cheeky little DPA 4099 to use whenever there is front of house.

Upton - The Prof Martin - George (name of Tom's son) Meinel - Ginger German Blonde - The German Blonde (as in 'I'm taking the German Blonde out tonight') Important to name them then you remember which one you're playing.

[quote name='dood' post='955938' date='Sep 14 2010, 01:04 PM']It'd be great up until the point that someone approached you car and asked what tackle and bait you favoured. *smacks forehead*.[/quote] I get the odd silly person coming up to me and saying 'your car's in good condition for a 55 plate'.

I Want to Live. A great film noir with music by Johnny Mandel. Gerry Mulligan did an album of Mandel's compositions from the film. Worth a look/listen. Almost jazz?...... Julie London singing Cry Me a River in The Girl Can't help It. First time I heard Barney Kessel.

I bought a new double bass from USA some years ago. I met the proprietor's wife at Gatwick and she walked through with [i]two[/i] bloody great flight cases (actually had a baggage handler carry them for her). They came in as personal posessions. So bring your Fender in with confidence.

[quote name='BigJim' post='952811' date='Sep 11 2010, 03:26 PM']Cheers mate. Are AI still distributed by Overwater? Jim[/quote] Yes they are. Laurence will sort you out. They also do EA.

So sorry but I have a gig down in Sidmouth that day. It'll be my last gig after five years with the band so I can't really dep it out. I'll be thinking of you guys; it was such a great do last year and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who hasn't been yet.