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mangotango

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Posts posted by mangotango

    Who did you see live last?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by mangotango
    I can't type. I know what I'm saying; I just can't type it.

    On ‎20‎/‎05‎/‎2019 at 10:26, mangotango said:

    Mrs. Mango and myself have just been added to a group going to see Marcus Miller on Sunday 26th. 

    Massively excited about that. Report to follow......

    Report follows.....

     

    Got there late and only saw the last two numbers by the support, Emma-Jean Thackray and her band. She played vocals/trumpet/electronics; band included keys, a v. good drummer...and the bass was played on a Sousaphone, which from my seat in the rear stalls, sounded like a whale gargling. Shame really, some interesting musical ideas going on overall. Won't be adding one of those to the instruments of Bass Destruction any time soon...ever.

    Marcus....last time I saw him at this venue, there were real sound problems and the band sounded out of time with one another, particularly the trumpeter. This time started off exactly the same, and everything sounded a bit quiet and polite. Things got much better by the second number, though the trumpet still sounded out of time occasionally.....weird.

    Anyway, loads of stuff from the new album, none of it bad; plus, since it would have been Miles Davis' birthday, he played 3 Davis tunes, beaches Brew, Amandla and of course Tutu, the last two of which he composed for Miles. Dramatic rearrangements of all 3.

    Usual signature bass played, plus a sunburst fretless that sounded good. Wasn't sure from way back in the rear stalls, but it might have be one of his Sire basses? And despite what you might think, with a walking bass-line on Tutu, much old-school pluckage on the Davis numbers and the fretless included, it wasn't just a non-stop slapfest. Yes, this was Marcus Miller, so of course there was still a load of gank bass going on, but there was more to it than that.

    Marcus also brought on a young English saxophonist, Sam Healey from Beats'n'Pieces, to play on a few numbers and he absolutely stormed it!! There's a really bright future for him I think.

    Inspiration

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Birthday soon - I hit 61 next week. And starting to feel my age.

    I invested in new gear just a little while back, but I did think twice, on the grounds of "Is this a bit of a luxury? - how much longer am I going to be doing this?"

    However, I had a bit of change of heart this week. About 6 weeks ago, I was asked to dep for a rehearsal big band. Show tunes, Miller, Basie, etc. Went OK, though if I'm honest I'm not a good enough sight-reader for that gig. Age-wise, I fit in pretty well, maybe even a bit younger than some of 'em.

    Afterwards, I passed over my card to the leader for future use and he noted that I also play guitar. Since their regular guitarist had done the off, I've been sitting in on guitar since then.

    This week, the regular bassist was once again absent, but I was asked to stay on the guitar as they'd sorted out another bassist.

    And this guy turned up - smashing old gent he was, name of Ray. Had a Fender Modern Player Jazz, Polytone Amp and got the closest sound to an upright that I've ever heard emerge from a bass guitar. I had a chat with him at the break and when he realised that I too was a bassist, we talked about that and I complimented him on his sound. He said that he wasn't all that happy with bass guitar - he'd played string bass (i.e. upright) for 50 years! Clearly I had a "Well how old are you then?" expression on my face, because he told me he's 88!!!!! Eighty - flippin' - eight!!

    So, still playing , sight-reading like a boss, driving to the gig, all at nearly 90 years old!....Ray, you are my new inspiration, sir.  And I hope I'm still above ground and playing that well in nearly 30 years time!!!

    • Like 16

    What famous musicians death most shocked you

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    John Lennon. I grew up in Liverpool in the '60's, the Beatles were the first band I ever saw (at age 7 - me, that is, not them!) and they'd always been part of the world in which I'd lived, as a band or as individual musicians.

    The fact that somebody could, or even might want to, kill a Beatle just made no sense in my worldview of the time. 

    Still doesn't, actually.

    Seizing up!!

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Of late, I have had an issue a couple of times, when I have been playing a lot, with the fingers on my left hand - principally my index finger - cramping up and refusing to work for a short while.

    It happened most recently on Saturday at an outdoor gig - where, thanks to European Windstorm Hannah, it was very cold, very windy (gusting up to 42mph, according to MetCheck) and damp (according to me, who was getting somewhat wet). The gig was by the Southend Jazz Co-operative, a workshop band, at the Priory Park Bandstand in Southend On Sea, Essex. I'm at the back right of the picture, visible just behind the singer and one of the saxophonists, and in some seriously dodgy headgear, though clearly I'm not alone in that, at least. You can see that everybody is wrapped up against the cold.

     

    2139521963_Co-OpPrioryParkApril19.thumb.jpg.e0c311ef9092fdcbfbb813f290826c2b.jpg

    We'd already done a normal Saturday morning session (10am to 1pm) which I thought would exempt me from further warm-up, though I did use the old Jim Hall trick of going to the bathroom just before the gig and running my hand under the hot water tap so my hands wouldn't be too cold.  Didn't help much. Anyway, the gig was due to start at 3pm; 2 x 45 minute sets. Two-thirds of the way into the first set, my left index finger seized up totally, followed shortly by my second finger (which was clearly complaining about the extra workload). I finished "Watermelon Man" with only two working fingers - two fingers roughly summing up my mood at the time.  :/

    Managed to shake it out before the next tune and took great care after that; hands in pockets between tunes, rubbing fingers together immediately before playing. The gig was called after the first set (which included the first number of the second set) and I was able to retire hurt - my pride more than anything else.

    SO.…..has anyone else had experience of this kind of cramping up of digits? I've had it once before, but that lasted only a few moments - it was at an indoor gig and caused no real issue.

    If you HAVE had this, what do you do to a) cure it at the time?  b) prevent it recurring? Do you do any specific warm-up exercises or routines to stave off this kind of thing? And could this have been mostly down to the weather, or might there be some other underlying issue?

     

    Appreciate your thoughts, people.

    Relapsing bass player in Edinburgh

    in Introductions

    Posted

    On ‎21‎/‎04‎/‎2019 at 10:51, Nickthebass said:

    Hey folks - my name's Nick and I live in Edinburgh. 

     

    Gear wise I'm pretty much a J-bass guy - my main squeeze being a through neck 5 string which wears some old flats (it looks fancy but it's basically just a jazz bass with a narrower string spacing) running through a Genz Benz Streamliner and some Barefaced cabs.

     

    5-string through a Streamliner and Barefaced cab? Nick, you're talking my language!!

    Welcome on board, feller.

    Show us your rig!

    in Gear Gallery

    Posted · Edited by mangotango

    15 hours ago, Stingray5 said:

    Haha, fair point, but I have to say almost all of our gigs are ground level. On occasion where there have been stairs, we've even been lucky enough to have a lift. I know none of this is guaranteed in which case, where I know beforehand, I can always bring my lighter Eden combo instead. 💪 :) 💪

    ...just don't expect your guitarist :hi:to be doin' any of that Heavy Liftin' stuff!! :biggrin:

    • Haha 1

    ( Not the First) East Anglian Bass Bash (EABB) Saturday 2nd November 2019

    in Events

    Posted

    On ‎16‎/‎04‎/‎2019 at 21:46, E sharp said:

    EABB Attendance & Gear List:

    01. jonunders - G&L2500 Tribute. Markbass LM111. Barefaced ST12T

    02. bassfan - funky Status S2, Fender CS 64, Shuker flea custom, Mesa Boogie M6 Carbine, Bergantino CN212.

    03. Stingray5 - Musicman SR5 & SR fretless, Tune TWB-6 & SWV-4, Trace Elliot or Eden combos, Boss GT-6B.

    04. Frank Blank’s Acoustic Corner - Godin A4, Rob Allen Mouse, Ibanez SRC6, FRFR setup (QSC K12.2, Fishman Platinum Pro preamp).

    05. Esharp (IF I can make it) - Stingray with Modulus Quantum neck , Aggy DB751 , Eden WT400 , and probably Eden 410XLT . Plus , far too many pedals

     06. Mangotango - Spector Legend Classic 5, Spectorcore fretless 5, Aria SWB-04 EUB, GenzBenz Streamliner 900, Barefaced Compact One Ten

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    EUB tryout / borrow

    in EUB and Double Bass

    Posted

    On ‎06‎/‎04‎/‎2019 at 08:15, Paul S said:

    I have a Stagg, slightly modded so that it plays on a stand a la NS Design, that you could borrow as it is getting no use at the moment.  Main problem is I am in SE Essex, best part of 100 miles away.

    If you were going to Sarf Essix, you could call in and try my Aria, which is completely different from the Stagg.

    • Like 1
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