faceman

I'm doing a quick review for my blog (as I do with all gigs, just so I have a nice personal record). Can anyone remember the sets he did from their nights? The music was so sublime that I was taken in and lost count! I know he did a RTF number as well as a cover of Pork Pie Hat. It was amazing, I will be writing a very complementary post soon

We Want Miles, Tutu and Amandla are amazing pieces of work from the 80s that I adore to listen to. I can understand why they annoy some but if you can appreciate the 80s production, then you will love these babies. I actually heard We Want Miles before any other of his albums and it's always had a special place. His first come back album (The Man With The Horn) isn't great, and some like You're Under Arrest, Decoy and Siesta are weaker but do check out these three if you are interested. [b]We Want Miles[/b] shows the first incarnation, which although Miles might not be at his strongest, the band are excellent and tunes like Jean Pierre are just groove laden. [b]Tutu[/b] was Marcus' baby in terms of the music but the play of Miles here is his strongest since the early 70s. It's pretty much all synthesied but I'm a fan of good 80s music and this fits the bill. [b]Amandla[/b] was really the final band Miles had and the title track, Mr Pastorious and Hannibal are all winners. With a little less sheen this would be a fantastic album but it just feels a bit too smooth. Most of the music was Miller's again but the band are excellent. Either way, I love these three albums. Do check out the book 'The Last Miles' which goes through all his works, bands and live performances of 80s and early 90s. Excellent read that digs deep into the music.

Evening folks, The good news of this week has been that I have been accepted as a last-minute student to do an Investigative Journalism MA at City of London University. May not sound grand but it's excellent for journalism and I'm very much looking forward to it. The bad news is that I need £7,800 in fees, plus living costs I'm probably going to sell my car (hopefully £4,000) and most likely some bass gear. The living costs are the important one, I'll probably be able to get a loan for most of the fees but along side a summer job, I need to raise some funds! At the moment, I own... Pre-EB MusicMan StingRay '83 (bit of a parts bass, I am *not* selling this as I love this beast! When I'm not playing, I often think about how good it sounds and feels in my hands. Never played anything else like it.) Rickenbacker 4003 (was bought by my grandma but the neck is too big these days and I'm not a fan) Little Mark II Ampeg 15" cabinet Ashdown Electric Blue 12" 180W combo Now, I want to keep enough stuff so I can gig if required, and hopefully I will get somethign sorted down south. All the venues I have played are small so I don't need too much. My immediate thought is to sell the Rickenbacker (£1,300 maybe?!) and all the amplification gear and get a slightly larger combo. I've played a Ampeg 15 combo at a gig at it was fantastic, although I think a StingRay would be better with a 2x10 of sorts? The LM is very small but it's worth £300 and the money could be better used elsewhere. All thoughts are welcome (plus if you have anything you want investigating or any other funding sources, do let me know) EDIT - I've also got Boss Overdrive, Chorus, Behriner Digital Delay and Chromatic Tuner (plus a PSU) I can also sell!

Mate sent me this and the first thing (besides reminding me that Squeeze can actually be rather good!) was how fantastic bass tone is. Appears to be an EBMM but it's huge, fat, clear and defiantly a StingRay. Hope that my pre-EB sounds that good in a live setting because it completely helps the track to rock. And around 2:25, watch their pianist fellow do a iPad-piano solo! That must take some serious co-ordinate but it comes off very well!

I could say so much about this album (as Pete knows!) but instead just listen. Moving listeners to that musical nirvana is the quest of any good album and the Nightfly is one of the few that does it for me. The smooth-nesss, the neo-retro feel to all the tracks, the excellent bass player and the feel of the whole album. Buy. Listen. Love!

I am seeing Muse live this September and am looking forward to it! I personally think some of the tunes from their new album are their best. I've never seen a Status live so I can't comment

[quote name='endorka' post='879658' date='Jun 28 2010, 10:39 AM']That transcription doesn't include the intro as such, if you're referring to the slightly random bass/piano straight eighths bit before the head, which is the "bah-doo-be-da-de-da-da-dum" bit . This is logical as I've yet to encounter any jazz combo that actually plays this part live, the common thing to do is start straight on the head. Outoplayjazz, would you normally play the melody on the head an octave higher? Jennifer[/quote] Yep that's what I was doing, starting around the twelfth fret, I managed to get through it, although I'm going to sit down and work it out properly because my walking bit was crap. Because I'm not 100% sure of the parameters of the dorian mode yet, I didn't want to stray too much. Pianist has got the original score of Kind of Blue so going to sit down through that this afternoon and see what Mr Chambers was doing

Cool thanks Rich, now that I can actually read sheet music this makes more sense. If I am right, does the main riff kick in and repeat at 1, and then changes at 2. Before that, is that the introduction? I just need to work out what to do on the solo wandering section now

Excellent thanks so much guys, great response as ever! Rich, do send over your bass transcription and I will see what I can do. The gig is on Friday so the sooner you can send it, the better Am I right in saying that the introduction and main riff are quite rigid but for the long solo section it's just doing something walking?

Right guys...I've got a gig next week where I'm doing a jazz set, an excellent first for me. Besides slapping some flatwounds on my 4003, I've been practising like hell. We are doing Watermelon Man, Moondance, Autumn Leaves and a few others to be decided. The quartet have also we are doing So What, which is posing a challenge. I asked the pianist about what to play but he said he couldn't explain it as his theory of jazz isn't good enough. I've followed a transcription of [url="http://www.bassmasta.net/d/davis,_miles/102723.html"]http://www.bassmasta.net/d/davis,_miles/102723.html[/url] for the main riff, which seems to be fine for the introduction and free form section. He said I [b]could not [/b]do anything on a blues scale as it would just sound wrong. So can someone with a knowledge a theory, modes and modal jazz give me a brief explanation of how I can play this and improvise where needed...I'm not looking for anything amazing, just how I can do the introduction and some walking in the right places. I've got a bit of an idea about modes but not enough Thanks

[quote name='Conan' post='862973' date='Jun 10 2010, 09:48 AM']I also think that you have rather a niche market! Bass players in the north east aged between 18 and 25? There can't be that many who are members on this forum....[/quote] I think I fall into that category....although Radiohead is as experimental as I get

[quote name='Musicman20' post='873134' date='Jun 20 2010, 11:29 PM']Id keep it as it is. Down the line you might regret it. Keep it fretted and save for a second hand or new fretless Stingray/Sterling/Big Al/Bongo...they would be my choice in fretless, or a Tony Franklin Fretless P.[/quote] This is true, I'm just concerned that defretting will destroy the neck and the value. If i got a 4003FL, could always be swapped in the future for a 4003 again. It's just I can't see it getting much playing at the moment so just thinking of getting something useful

I've been thinking about doing something with my Rickenbacker 4003 Blueburst. Ever since I have my StingRay, I've never had the need to play it live really. I don't want to ever sell it because it was a present from a family member but at the moment, it's not a massive amount of use. The StingRay is much nicer at finger style and the pick tone is almost as good. For the amount of songs I play pick it's not worth it. My interest in Jazz and Jazz Fusion is picking up momentum with each day so I'm really tempted for a fretless. At the moment I've been looking at the Squier Vintage Modifed Fretless and the Ibanez Musician for sale here. I played the Squier in a shop and loved the feel but know that I would probably outgrow it in a year or two. The Ibanez is £400 but I've heard it can't get a good growl, something which would defiantly be nice. There is a third option - could I get the 4003 de-fretted? I wouldn't want to risk it myself but somewhere like the Gallery can do it for £90. Would this be done easily and would there be any complications as it is a Rickenbacker? I was listening to Chris Brubeck (son of Dave) who plays some excellent fretless Jazz on a Rickenbacker - see this for an example Or attempting to find a 4003FL for ridiculous money (such as £1,950 here [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-Rickenbacker-4003-Fretless-Bass-Guitar-BLUE-BURST-/220618418763?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item335de1ea4b#ht_2306wt_1053&#33%3b%29"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-Rickenbacker-40...06wt_1053!)[/url] Thoughts as usual gang?

[quote name='BassBus' post='872046' date='Jun 19 2010, 07:33 PM']Well I'm Biased but what about a Status. The phenolic fingerboard can give a different sound. The link below gives you an idea of what it can sound like. This tune was all played on my Status S2 fretless. [url="http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/2712082"]Maple Leaf Angel[/url][/quote] Must. Not. Buy. Fretless. This is such a beautiful tune mate