Great or Worrying?

[Goldbass]

Janek,

just wondered what your take would be on this. Laurence Cottle seems to have been trying to sell his discs off his website for a while now.

http://laurencecottle.com/buy/

however, it looks like now he is just giving them away.

Do you see this as a great piece of generosity from Laurence Cottle, or a worrying sign about the lack of interest from consumers for jazz? Have you had any trouble shifting your album? I certainly enjoyed it but I was wondering if exposure was hard to get. I have seen quite a few reviews of it around, which must be a good thing.

Thanks,
Dan

[janekbass]

Dan,

Exposure can be hard to come by for improvised music as it holds less than 2% of the market place right now. I'm not sure what's going on with Laurie's albums. I know they've been out for quite a while. Both albums over ten years now. I don't think there's anything wrong with giving away music to gain more exposure. When I release my next album I'm going to give away at least one track from the record for free, and let people hear the vibe of the album before they commit to buy the whole thing.

Reviews are obviously a good way to gain exposure if they're good reviews...... I've bene very fortunate that a few people liked the way my record came out, and gave it some good press. But reviews generally last a short period of time when you initially release an album.

For me the key is to record as much material as I can from now on, and accurately document my musical life at regular intervals. you can't get much more honest than that, and I think that honesty comes through over anything else in the end.

I would really love to hear Laurence put out another solo album of some sort. I must have transcribed every note from the two albums that he's giving away on his website. Along with him as a mentor, they taught me almost everything I know about playing the bass. He's been a huge influence on my from the start of my career, and continues to be so to this day.

If you have the chance to listen to his music, hang out and talk to him, see one of his shows, or maybe take a lesson, DO IT! it's worth every second.

Easy,

Janek

[Goldbass]

Janek,

Have you checked out the Nigel Hitchcock Snakeranch Sessions album that has Laurence Cottle on it? You know, with Robin Aspland and Ian Thomas on it also? Hitchcock's playing is amazing, and I think he is knocked way too much 'he's too 'technical'' or something. Laurence solos over Speak Low, Cherokee and others with ridiculous fluidity. This is something everyone should listen to.

Thanks
Dan

[Alun]

+1 on the Snakeranch album I've transcribed a lot of the bass from that CD and stolen loads of ideas as a result. In fact, there are quite a few players on the UK jazz scene who refer to the arrangements on that CD when doing standards.

Cheers,
Alun

[Goldbass]

Alun (and Janek)

I was wondering about that - the players referring to those arrangements, because a few days ago I saw mornington lockett and simon allen at the boaters jazz club and they played speak low just like hitchcock on the snakeranch album. It really is a lesson on how to treat standards, a mix of composition and celebration.

thanks,
Dan

[Alun]

Simon was one of the players i was thinking of oddly I know when I've played with him in the past we've done Speak Low and All The Things You Are with those arrangements.

Both Simon and Mornington are incredible players so that must have been a great gig to see.

Cheers,
Alun