Jazz Bass All Over The Place
eMusic is helping me put some more Mingus on my iPod right now, so it's a good time to take a look at bassists and their place as jazz bandleaders. The good folks at AccuJazz have put up a bass-centric channel called Covering All The Bassists that feature Mr. Mingus and many, many more. NPR has also gotten in on the act with their Take Five sampler. Some of the best are up there, and it's a shame there's only five tracks to peruse. Enjoy.
Daptone Gear Stolen
When Gabe Roth writes that recently stolen items from his studio include "A whole bunch of condensor and dynamic microphones (I still need to figure out exactly what's missing)," that's potentially a huge loss. Roth is one of the masterminds behind Daptone Records, and their recording philosophy includes a reliance on older gear. Even if it didn't cost that much, it can't be easy to find and replace some of the more unique items. A complete list of the stolen gear can be found here, among other places. Here's hoping they get their gear back soon. And if this doesn't serve as a cautionary tale to get insurance and security, I don't know what does.
Duke Spirit @ Radio Radio 12/2/08
Most notable about this night at Radio Radio was the packed house. It's a tough sell to get people out on a weeknight in Indianapolis once the temperature dips below freezing, but this band managed a big crowd on a otherwise unremarkable Tuesday. Nice work.
The fact that the performance justified the crowd level was a bonus. The Duke Spirit had an instant rapport with the audience despite the singer's admission that they were wracked with some form of respiratory ailments, and they put on a high-energy show nonetheless. Trashy, driving fun.
Also, I just found out that Dick Dickinson died Monday, and it's a huge loss for the Indianapolis music community, jazz or otherwise. The Chatterbox downtown will have a memorial show Wednesday, December 10th.
That’s Diversification
Just a quick thought regarding The Roots. Within the past year, this band has:
- Recorded a song featuring the singer from Fall Out Boy and made a video for it starring a porn star
- Recorded a track and appearance for the kid's show Yo Gabba Gabba
- Likely accepted the house band gig for the Jimmy Fallon show, which replaces Conan O'Brien this March
New IMN Podcast Up and Jef Lee Johnson
The new IMN podcast is up - download it directly from here or listen at the site or WFYI.
This is the last time I get the chance to use this picture, and it seemed appropriate to use it here because of the mention on the podcast. As is sometimes the case with tape-delayed (or hard drive-delayed, as the case may be) broadcasting, we had to do the show before the election results were known. Hence, the stupid foolishness at the beginning. In light of the actual outcome, it seems a little out-of-place now. Think of it as a quick glance back before we move forward.
Speaking of quick glances back, I've been working my way through Jef Lee Johnson's Hype Factory the past couple days, and I'm just staggered on how it fits in so well right now, seven years after it was released. The songs aren't tightly structured (some border on repetitious, others meander amiably), but there's so much virtuosic ear candy thrown in that it's impossible to set aside. Not rip-your-head-off, poo-down-your-throat shredding, but little flourishes from bass, guitar and vocals that compliment the song so well that, despite being small touches, they make the song. I remember being excited about getting the album if/when it ever came out quite a few years ago, but it took a chance reminder on eMusic to make it happen.
New Orleans Wrap-Up
The last day and night were kind of a blur, mostly because we were three days into a big festival and were probably achey and a bit dehydrated. So this is more of a list of memorable moments more than a full recap:
- The Blind Boys of Alabama were one of the most moving performances I'd ever seen. Even on well-worn songs, they managed to wring out so much soul and emotion.
- Ozomatli and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, while stylistically different, were forces of nature with remarkably similar impacts. Not a single audience member standing still.
- Did Trombone Shorty make a Juvenile guest appearance both entertaining and enjoyable? Indeed, he did. Nice work.
- Some of the most memorable occasions were getting ambushed by random musical events, whether it was a robot, a bull-shaped music cart, or a marching band (even though I think one of the cheerleaders molested my wife)
- The bass was on full display, moreso than any other festival I think I've seen (setting up stage plots on the fly is terrible and thankless work). Whether it was Wil-Dog Abers from Ozomatli, Norwood from Fishbone, or Erykah Badu's set, every bass note was clear, distinct and well-mixed. Kudos to the players and the sound techs.
We ended our stay with a quick stop at a pizza joint near our hotel. No sooner had we sat down than a Latin-tinged dance band was playing and the dance floor was filled with salsa aficionados. Great way to end the weekend.
New Orleans, nights 2&3
It's testament to the size of Voodoo festival that it's almost impossible to get a cell signal from the show due to the overloaded cell towers. I've been trying to keep up with the show via Twitter, and it's been tricky. I think I'v gotten most of it up there, though. Overall, the quality of the music has been outstanding (with one notable exception being the band preceding Fishbone), whether it was older acts like Fishbone or Shudder To Think, bigger names like Erykah Badu, TV On The Radio and Thievery Corporation, or locals like "Wolfman" Washington or Marva Wright. The festival is superbly organized and maintained, and it never feels too crowded despite the number of folks. One more night to go; highlights include Ozomatli, Sharon Jones, Irma Thomas, R.E.M. and more.
New Orleans, Night 1
Even in late October, the humidity clings down here as soon as you get off the plane. And it stuck around through an amazing Italian dinner, coffee and ramd musical happenings. Somebody in a bright pink beehive treated Frenchman St. to some free jazz-funk, and the group met all my standards for excellence:
1. Stellar bass (via tuba).
2. Horns supporting the song when not soloing or playing the head.
3. TIGHT!
Tomorrow should bring vintage guitar hunting and the first day of Voodoo. And more humidity. But the former should make the latter bearable.
Yes, I Have That
There are about six or seven guitar picks in my gig bag, and I rarely use any of them. Almost all of them are usable, except for the big metal pick I keep to freak guitar players out when they ask for a pick. And yes, that's the reason I keep them in the bag. Guitarists are always asking for them.
I started carrying them because one guitarist in particular never had a pick. Ever. Music companies, television and radio stations, and a host of other folks give these things out like candy. Cheap Trick fans probably leave every concert with enough to cover large portions of their walls. And yet there was never one in his case or in his pocket. I got tired of delayed rehearsals, I started carrying picks, and there we go.
I'm considering adding drum sticks to the bag now - at least two drummers have showed up without them at recent rehearsals. These forgetful moments did prompt some interesting research, though. In case of dire emergency, use cable ties to mimic drum brushes. They're not the same, but they'll do in a pinch.
Might as well add those to the bag, too. I need a bigger bag.
A Better Motownphilly?
The only problem with this article was that it put a subpar Boyz II Men song in my head. Otherwise, I loved the fact that the Detroit Free Press took some time off from their mayoral hijinks to highlight some of the great contributions bassists from both Detroit and Philadelphia have made to jazz and popular music. It's nothing fans haven't read before, but it's still much-due recognition.
Coincidentally, I was listening to Philly product Stanley Clarke's new project with Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten today. "SMV" sounds like . . . well, Stanley Clarke and Victor Wooten joining in on a Marcus Miller-produced album, which is exactly how it's billed on the album. Fans will know exactly what they're getting into, and I don't see much of a market outside of that, honestly. Still, decent listening.
Now I have to go pound my head with something until that Boyz II Men song leaves.
The Bass Geek’s Twitter
- Glad Dermontti Dawson can remove the "should be in" from his Hall-of-Fame status. #congrats63 20 hours ago
- Did I mention how happy I was to heartily boo Tom Brady on national television? 1 day ago
- Enjoyed our time in downtown Indy tonight, and feeling pretty good about our decision to leave a bit early. 1 day ago
- New blog post: Too Music Music This Weekend http://t.co/bwgYNEWZ 2 days ago
- Morris Day and The Time! #SuperBowlVillage #sb46 #SuperIndy 2 days ago
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