Bilbo Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 The band footage is from the Scofield/Metheny 'I Can See Your House From Here' tour but there is a two part interview intermingled. I love the bit about having to 'eat your father'..... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qizemaNdVG0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qizemaNdVG0[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synaesthesia Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Only bass player these days that will make me get up and get tickets....and on this topic...why do these US tour agents organise European tours for top musos like Messrs. Swallow, Scofield etc that always come as close as France, Holland and Belgium but never cross the channel? Surely there is money to be made in the UK? Hotels, taxes, licensing, venues, promoters in Paris are probably as bad as those in the UK, so what's the deal? These people have no pop entoruage, and no containers of gear. Steve Swallow uses a WW head FFsake.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj5string Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 He's such a nice bloke too - was nice enough to let me interview him for my dissertation earlier this year. We ended up chatting for about an hour! And is a truely great player... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 I saw him here in Bristol a few months ago (with Bill Frisell..) so he does get here. Citron acoustic into WW and Hartke 4x10 - I was sitting right above him, so could hear his real on-stage sound, and almost read his music. It was good BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synaesthesia Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 [quote name='BassBod' post='259404' date='Aug 10 2008, 04:55 PM']I saw him here in Bristol a few months ago (with Bill Frisell..) so he does get here. Citron acoustic into WW and Hartke 4x10 - I was sitting right above him, so could hear his real on-stage sound, and almost read his music. It was good BB[/quote] Seen him a few times around the world. He rents a cab, but takes the same WW. But have a look at their tour schedules, and you'll see that they will typically play some remote locations in Italy or Finland, on a continental tour but not London. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKenrick Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 I saw him last week in London playing with Metheny and Gary Burton, I was really impressed by his tone, he's clearly still one of the top guys out there but his playing isn't really to my taste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 [quote name='TKenrick' post='259563' date='Aug 10 2008, 09:49 PM']he's clearly still one of the top guys out there but his playing isn't really to my taste.[/quote] Stick with it, T. I used to think that but, as I have matured, I have begun to realise that his is one of the most inspired and musical concepts in contemporary bass. Try transcribing some of his stuff; you will begin to realise how sophisitcated he is as a musician. I have only seen him live once, with Paul Motian's Electrci Be-Bop Band (I wanted to do the Metheny/Burton thing but I have a rool - if there is a choice between watching or playing, I play. So I had a gig in Cambridge. Would have loved to be there. Hey, aj5string! What's your dissertation about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj5string Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 The full title was pretty long winded, but its about the prejudice towards the bass guitar in Jazz. Getting to interview Steve Swallow was so useful; he agreed with all my points, so I had a big name to fall back on, but also, he had the experience to add weight to my argument.... An hour on the phone to America tho - cost about £50! Was worth every penny tho... I still need to send him a copy actually, he was very keen to read the finished article. ALex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 One point worth mentioning in your work would relate to the number of musicians who double but who are repeatedly told to bring only their double bass to jazz gigs and those who play electric but take up the double bass only to be asked to bring the double bass to jazz gigs instead of the electric before they can even play it. I am a jazzer (did I mention that before?) who doesn't play upright. I KNOW that there is a prejudice and I do all I can to counter it and to prove these critics wrong. So far, I am reasonably successful but I still lose out loads of gigs to upright players, even those who are, frankly, quite weak. Have you spoken to Mike Mondesir? I can get you his number if it would help with your dissertation - I know he has strong opinions on this issue (and doesn't play the upright) and would be willing to talk to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj5string Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 I know what you mean about loosing gigs because of not playing the double bass :-( I've already finished my dissertation - was handed in in april/mayish time. Your more than welcome to have a read if you fancy? Alex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synaesthesia Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 (edited) There is only ever one rule: if the pianist is bringing a 7 foot Kawai grand, then you take out the 150 year old double bass, otherwise if the pianist is playing sampled piano an electric slab bass is always more authentic an instrument. Edited August 11, 2008 by synaesthesia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted August 11, 2008 Author Share Posted August 11, 2008 YOU ARE SO RIGHT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatboter Posted August 11, 2008 Share Posted August 11, 2008 I saw Steve Swallow live with Carla Bley twice in concert in Brussels...incredible bassplayer and great music to listen to..And what a charisma... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XB26354 Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 [quote name='synaesthesia' post='259118' date='Aug 10 2008, 04:56 AM']Only bass player these days that will make me get up and get tickets....and on this topic...why do these US tour agents organise European tours for top musos like Messrs. Swallow, Scofield etc that always come as close as France, Holland and Belgium but never cross the channel? Surely there is money to be made in the UK? Hotels, taxes, licensing, venues, promoters in Paris are probably as bad as those in the UK, so what's the deal? These people have no pop entoruage, and no containers of gear. Steve Swallow uses a WW head FFsake....[/quote] There isn't the demand. The Victor Wooten gig at the Jazz Cafe was well-attended (by musicians, mostly bass players) but I was near the bar and they were very quiet. When a more well-known act is on and non-musicians turn up they spend more, especially if they can dance a bit. That is just one venue in the centre of the biggest city in the UK. How about if he did a gig in Northampton, or Birkdale? How many people would turn up? Tribal Tech never toured here as the cost of getting here would not even be recouped as there would only have been small audiences. Jazz/instrumental music has never been a popular form of music in the UK. I have also encountered tremendous snobbery against electric bass in Jazz. It makes me laugh really as Jazz guitar has been amplified for a long time, and at larger gigs horns and keyboards go through the PA so isn't everyone electric to some extent? The prejudice comes because electric bass players often play too busily, with too many skips when they walk, and don't swing. Double bass, being harder to make a sound, tends to make one play only what is necessary. The sound and feel of double bass has never interested me however. As Jazz is a fairly new and constantly evolving art form, who is to say that electric bass should not be as valid? Who would seriously say that Steve Swallow, Jaco and Gary Willis don't deserve to be called Jazz bassists? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synaesthesia Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 (edited) [quote name='XB26354' post='261240' date='Aug 12 2008, 10:57 PM']There isn't the demand. The Victor Wooten gig at the Jazz Cafe was well-attended (by musicians, mostly bass players) but I was near the bar and they were very quiet. When a more well-known act is on and non-musicians turn up they spend more, especially if they can dance a bit. That is just one venue in the centre of the biggest city in the UK. How about if he did a gig in Northampton, or Birkdale? How many people would turn up? Tribal Tech never toured here as the cost of getting here would not even be recouped as there would only have been small audiences. Jazz/instrumental music has never been a popular form of music in the UK.[/quote] That's my point - is there more demand in Jyvatslyka, Heidelberg or Rimini? Probably not, but they are booked to play in these smaller European towns quite a bit. I did see Scofield play in Coventry one time,.... Edited August 13, 2008 by synaesthesia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 I liked what he was playing in general, but he was using a [b][i]pick[/i][/b]!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted August 14, 2008 Author Share Posted August 14, 2008 I know - I love the fact that he is exactly the opposite if a stereotypical 'proper' jazz bass player but swings like a donkey's and has a creative, individual voice!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 I enjoyed the video, I don't know much about the guy but his technique is great, it's everywhere, without blurting over everyone else, very quirky chap it seems....I watched a vid called A Very Simple Song (think that was the title) hmmm, not my thing but that's always the case for me with bass players, I don't / can't get into everything they do. I'd rather watch Swallow do this than a slap fest though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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