Lindley Marthe with Zawinul

[JamieBenzies]

For those of you that like fusion and world music this series of a videos is a real treat. The reason I posted here is just because of the phenomenal bass playing of Linley Marthe; someone who I feel that I should be more familiar with given his wonderful playing.

This is the 3rd in a series of 3 videos from BBC4 and it's well worth watching all of them. I like it all but at about 4:30 it starts getting bass heavy.



I noticed this has already been discussed on basschat, but that was 3 years ago and I think any opportunity to share this great music is worthwhile.

The album this stuff is from is called Faces and Places and is really worth checking out, nice grooves and beautifully natural bass playing.

Nice bass too

Edited June 5, 2010 by benzies123

[xilddx]

Stunning!

I detest the keyboard sounds but Lindley is incredible, and the drummer! That's one of the best sounding kits I've heard in a long time.

Thanks for posting this.

[chardbass]

Lovely- classic sounds from Zawinul. It's like they haven't changed in 25 yrs.

He had a few decent bass players in his time- he always seemed to eyeball the bassist whoever it was. He clearly loved a 'communicator'.

Maybe Jaco started his love affair with the instrument but it's always seemed to be a huge part of his line-ups.

[Gwilym]

I saw LM with JZ a couple of times, and he is an awesome bass player. However, I think that he's obviously heavily influenced by Jaco. Maybe that's how JZ wanted him to play, but it'd be nice to hear a bit more of his "style", whatever that is.

[Faithless]

Huh, another 'Jaco victim', (as I call them), along with Laurence Cottle, Herbie Kopf and many others, innit?

And, the drummer, isn't he Ernesto Simpson, Bona's drummer?

[Spoombung]

Joe Zawinul = Warm Pad.

[RhysP]

I saw Zawinul in Cardiff not that long before he died & it was a superb gig. Linley is a great player and the whole band, which also included Manolo Badrena on percussion, were just breathtakingly good.
The support act was Bill Brufords Earthworks, and Phil Campbell from Motorhead was sat behind me. It don't get much better than that.

Cardiff being the sh*tty cultural backwater that it is the hall was less than half full. Unbelievable.

[Rich]

Hey, I was at that gig :-) They were really cooking that night. Earthworks were fabulous too.

[Rich]

[quote name='Faithless' post='858075' date='Jun 5 2010, 12:08 PM']Huh, another 'Jaco victim', (as I call them), along with [b]Laurence Cottle[/b], Herbie Kopf and many others, innit? [/quote]
How so? I hear no Jaco in Cottle's playing.

[Owen]

I did a gig once (festival thing) and the band on after us had Mr Marthe playing with them. The whole concept freaked me right out.

[alibabu]

[quote name='Faithless' post='858075' date='Jun 5 2010, 01:08 PM']Huh, another 'Jaco victim', (as I call them), along with Laurence Cottle, Herbie Kopf and many others, innit? [/quote]
Jaco and Linley both play Fender basses, but apart from that, it's not that hard to distinguish between the playing style or sound of the two great players. That said, any bass player playing in this style of music would lie if (s)he claimed not to be inspired or affected by Jaco's playing;-)

[quote]And, the drummer, isn't he Ernesto Simpson, Bona's drummer?[/quote]
The drummer is Nathaniel Townsley III, but you are quite right, he used to be in Bona's band.

a.

[Bilbo]

[quote name='Rich' post='859123' date='Jun 6 2010, 06:28 PM'] How so? I hear no Jaco in Cottle's playing.[/quote]

I agree with Faithless. I have seen Cottle several times (and have a couple of cds somewhere) and have found his playing to be derivative. Not just Jaco but lots of Jeff Berlin and several others also. Great player but not a unique voice. A journeyman craftsman but not a great artist.

As for LM, I bought Faces and Places to hear him and, whilst there are always 'wow' moments in relation to Zawinul's grooves, ultimately, the music is frantic to the point of unsettling and I find it represents musical excess of the worst possible kind. Clever, spectacular but ultimately emotionally sterile.

[alibabu]

[quote name='Bilbo' post='859677' date='Jun 7 2010, 12:24 PM']As for LM, I bought Faces and Places to hear him and, whilst there are always 'wow' moments in relation to Zawinul's grooves, ultimately, the music is frantic to the point of unsettling and I find it represents musical excess of the worst possible kind. Clever, spectacular but ultimately emotionally sterile.[/quote]

I think the music on the 'Faces and places' album ranges from the absolutely brilliant to the somewhat boring, but I don't think Linley plays on the album, the bass duties are shared between Richard Bona and Etienne Mbappe.

You can hear Linley Marthe on the 'Vienna Nights' album with Zawinul.

I also recommend the following records with Linley on bass (all of them are on Spotify, at least in Norway):
Mokhtar Samba - Dounia
Soriba Kouyate - Kanakassi, Bamana, and Live in Montreux (don't miss the All Blues version)
Karim Ziad - Ifrikya, Dawi

[benthos]

[quote name='Bilbo' post='859677' date='Jun 7 2010, 11:24 AM']...ultimately, the music is frantic to the point of unsettling and I find it represents musical excess of the worst possible kind. Clever, spectacular but ultimately emotionally sterile.[/quote]

Glad someone said what I was thinking, Bilbo.

I have no doubt that the playing is technically competent and is probably intellectually stimulating for those who have a much deeper understanding of theory than I do, but I'm failing to make any sort of emotional connection beyond an urge to turn it off.

[urb]

[quote name='alibabu' post='859730' date='Jun 7 2010, 12:15 PM']I think the music on the 'Faces and places' album ranges from the absolutely brilliant to the somewhat boring, but I don't think Linley plays on the album, the bass duties are shared between Richard Bona and Etienne Mbappe.

You can hear Linley Marthe on the 'Vienna Nights' album with Zawinul.[/quote]

Plus 1

The recent live album and DVD called '75' is also superb and I think some of you are being very over ciritical of Laurence Cottle - he's a stupendous player who'd eat most of us here for breakfast - and has plenty of original ideas - check out 'Shock!' with Gareth Williams if you doubt it.

Cheers

Mike

[Davo-London]

I also saw Zawinul's last tour. the whole band were steaming. Probably the most together band I've ever heard.

As for Lindley, how can you call him a victim with playing like that?

RIP Zawinul and Pastorius

Peace
Davo

[Faithless]

[quote name='urb' post='860197' date='Jun 7 2010, 08:54 PM']Plus 1

The recent live album and DVD called '75' is also superb and I think some of you are being very over ciritical of Laurence Cottle - he's a stupendous player who'd eat most of us here for breakfast - and has plenty of original ideas - check out 'Shock!' with Gareth Williams if you doubt it.

Cheers

Mike[/quote]


I think, that no one's arguing, if Laurence is a great player - the issue, for me at least, is how [i]he [/i]sounds, and that his songwriting ideas sound [i]very [/i]influenced by particular person, which is not good, IMHO.

[Pkomor]

[quote name='urb' post='860197' date='Jun 7 2010, 06:54 PM']I think some of you are being very over ciritical of Laurence Cottle - he's a stupendous player who'd eat most of us here for breakfast - and has plenty of original ideas - check out 'Shock!' with Gareth Williams if you doubt it.

Cheers

Mike[/quote]

+1 He's an insane musician!

[Bilbo]

[quote name='alibabu' post='859730' date='Jun 7 2010, 12:15 PM']I think the music on the 'Faces and places' album ranges from the absolutely brilliant to the somewhat boring, but I don't think Linley plays on the album, the bass duties are shared between Richard Bona and Etienne Mbappe.

You can hear Linley Marthe on the 'Vienna Nights' album with Zawinul.[/quote]

Sorry, that is the other one I had which I bought specifically to hear Marthe. Got them mixed up. Academic now because I sold both of them...

[dlloyd]

[quote name='benthos' post='859742' date='Jun 7 2010, 12:27 PM']Glad someone said what I was thinking, Bilbo.

I have no doubt that the playing is technically competent and is probably intellectually stimulating for those who have a much deeper understanding of theory than I do, but I'm failing to make any sort of emotional connection beyond an urge to turn it off.[/quote]

The Youtube video posted above, or the album Bilbo mentioned?

I don't think it takes a deep understanding of theory (or indeed any understanding) to enjoy it... but it probably would take ears that are used to listening to this sort of music.

The notion that a listener needs to be intellectually/educationally equipped to find "sophisticated" music intellectually stimulating is unfortunate... but then the music often attracts people who find this view appealling. It makes them feel intellectually superior over those who don't "understand" it.

I haven't a damned clue what Lindley Marthe is doing in the clip above, but I enjoyed it... sure it sounds a lot like Jaco's playing in Weather Report, but I wonder how much of that is due to Zawinul's direction.

[urb]

[quote name='Faithless' post='861104' date='Jun 8 2010, 03:33 PM']I think, that no one's arguing, if Laurence is a great player - the issue, for me at least, is how [i]he [/i]sounds, and that his songwriting ideas sound [i]very [/i]influenced by particular person, which is not good, IMHO.[/quote]

Fair enough - but calling him:

[quote name='Faithless' post='858075' date='Jun 5 2010, 12:08 PM']...another 'Jaco victim'[/quote]

is implying that his ideas are limited to just sounding like Jaco may be true in the case of a few of his early recordings - from about 20 years ago - for me his playing is influenced just as much by Charlie Parker, classical music and a whole load of other deep jazz influences - among them a certain Mr Pastorius - I've heard Laurence play dozens of gigs and he generally sounds just like himself on most of them IMO - he really is more than just a one trick pony. Likewise Linley is amazing and yes his technique is very similar to Jaco's but his ideas are astonishingly original and again, having seen him live several times the stuff he can do on a beaten up old Jazz bass is really impressive...

M

[Jase]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-xMHKV5E3Q"]Talking of Jaco.....hahaha! Brilliant![/url]

[Faithless]

[quote name='urb' post='861931' date='Jun 9 2010, 01:26 PM']is implying that his ideas are limited to just sounding like Jaco may be true in the case of a few of his early recordings - from about 20 years ago - for me his playing is influenced just as much by Charlie Parker, classical music and a whole load of other deep jazz influences - among them a certain Mr Pastorius - I've heard Laurence play dozens of gigs and he generally sounds just like himself on most of them IMO - he really is more than just a one trick pony. Likewise Linley is amazing and yes his technique is very similar to Jaco's but his ideas are astonishingly original and again, having seen him live several times the stuff he can do on a beaten up old Jazz bass is really impressive...

M[/quote]

It's cool, dude.

The problem, for me, with Linley is, that, if someone would have given that Zawinul live record to me to [i]listen[/i], not to [i]see [/i]it, if you know, what I mean, I'd, without much thinking, tell that it's Mr. Pastorius playing, not Mr. Marthe.

Ideas can be original, but, so should it be with the sound of musician, shouldn't it?

[dlloyd]

[quote name='Faithless' post='862134' date='Jun 9 2010, 02:40 PM']Ideas can be original, but, so should it be with the sound of musician, shouldn't it? [/quote]

Do horn players search for a unique sound to avoid sounding like Charlie Parker?

Even jazz guitarists tend to stick to a limited number of sounds... archtop, neck pup, flats, tone down, clean amp. They don't attract a great deal of criticism for going for the Wes Montgomery, etc. sound.

Why should electric bassists be different?

[urb]

[quote name='Faithless' post='862134' date='Jun 9 2010, 02:40 PM']It's cool, dude.

The problem, for me, with Linley is, that, if someone would have given that Zawinul live record to me to [i]listen[/i], not to [i]see [/i]it, if you know, what I mean, I'd, without much thinking, tell that it's Mr. Pastorius playing, not Mr. Marthe.

Ideas can be original, but, so should it be with the sound of musician, shouldn't it? [/quote]

Personally I can hear the difference between Linley and Jaco - the latter's tone and touch is so distinctive and Linley plays if anything with more aggression - Jaco was more laid back even when he played fast - and for the record as soon as any bassist switches on their bridge pup and plays muted 16th notes they are 'accused' of sounding like Jaco... it's damn hard not to. It's another part of the language of bass playing that he helped pioneer - but hey if you don't want to use it, don't use it.