| Burning jam night! MP3s and photos...
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As nobody's been blowing my trumpet it looks like I'll have to blow it myself! <br /><br />Once a month I head up to The Urban Bar in Whitechapel (in East London) for The Human Zoo, a night of singer/songwriters, poets and performance artists with free jam interludes by the house band (in which I've claimed the bass chair).<br /><br />This was IIRC the 5th Human Zoo and the first time I've taken my fretless bass for a 'solo' outing without its fretted brother to reassure it (or me). As I travel there by (folding) bike my Acme rig doesn't get to come with me (nor does my huge pedalboard) and I use the only amp in the house (everyone else goes through the PA or just acoustic) which is a Burman 50W all-valve 2x12" guitar combo dating from the 1970s - no deep bottom but plenty of growl!<br /><br />We had five jams during the night, the first four interspersed between the solo performers and then the final one playing the night out and running to almost an hour long. The night was recorded on LP4 minidisc with a stereo electret mic and the bass is LOUD on it - too loud in places but that's better than the reverse! I recorded it in stereo onto Cubase and then MP3'd it into 64kbit/s mono to get the tracks down to a manageable size (any artifacts should get relatively lost amongst the fairly dirty high end on the original recording).<br /><br />It's 99% unedited - the hip hop jam starts about 8 minutes in as the rapper took a while to get used to working with live and loud musicians - and I think stands as a good record of the energy of the night (and the fretless funk/jazz facet of my bass playing).<br /><br />Regarding the music, everything's just jammed, no pre-defined structure, harmony, groove etc. We just get up there with whatever combination of musicians, sometimes with a vague stylistic idea, sometimes not! Anyway, enough talking, here's the MP3s and some photos (rather dark) too...<br /><br /><a href="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nicola.kate.simpson/Jam1.mp3" target="_blank">Opening Jam: Jake - Drums; Alex - Bass</a> A funky bass and drums duet.<br /><br /> <a href="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nicola.kate.simpson/Jam2.mp3" target="_blank">Second Jam: Jake - Drums; Alex - Bass; Nick - Sax</a> With a sax thrown in the mix things are getting a bit crazier and jazzier.<br /><br /><a href="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nicola.kate.simpson/Jam3.mp3" target="_blank">Third Jam: Pete - Drums; Alex - Bass; Nick - Sax; ? - Guitar</a> This one's pretty burning if I say so myself, wicked tense but sloppy (like the whole night, intonation and timing) groove!<br /><br /> <a href="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nicola.kate.simpson/Jam4.mp3" target="_blank">Fourth Jam: Jake - Drums; Alex - Bass; Mark? - Guitar; Brett - Vocal; Mike - Rap</a> This starts as the 'hip hop' jam finally got going. Great vocals from Brett and everyone playing off them. Full on Jaco/Gary Willis-ish 16th note funk groove in the latter half.<br /><br /> <a href="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nicola.kate.simpson/Jam5a.mp3" target="_blank">Final Jam: Pharoah - Drums; Alex - Bass; Pete - Guitar; Nick - Sax; Jake - Vocal. Part One.</a> In comes the jazz drummer and guitarist (to go with the jazz saxophonist and funk bassist trying to do a Michael Henderson) and off we go!<br /><br /> <a href="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nicola.kate.simpson/Jam5b.mp3" target="_blank">Final Jam: Part Two.</a> Jake comes in on vocals, asking "If everything was made of tarmac, where would we all drive?"<br /><br /> <a href="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nicola.kate.simpson/Jam5c.mp3" target="_blank">Final Jam: Part Three.</a> Everything goes a bit free and loose...<br /><br /> <a href="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nicola.kate.simpson/Jam5d.mp3" target="_blank">Final Jam: Part Four.</a> And then the band starts cranking it up for the biggest craziest fusion jam of the night.<br /><br />The final jam then paused as Nick played 'happy birthday' for an audience member, and then went off into a Cuban jam on that theme. But I'm sure you've had enough by now and don't want to hear that as well!<br /><br />And now for some photos...<br /><br />Coming up to the end of the third jam, I'm pulling the strings off the bass!<br /><br /> <img src="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nicola.kate.simpson/Gank%20Gank%20small.JPG" alt=" - " /><br /><br />The hip hop jam's got going and Mike? is rapping away:<br /><br /> <img src="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nicola.kate.simpson/Hip%20Hop%20Happening%20small.JPG" alt=" - " /> <br /><br />The final jam and Jake wants to know where to drive:<br /><br /> <img src="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nicola.kate.simpson/If%20Everything%20Was%20Tarmac%20small.JPG" alt=" - " /> <br /><br /> <br /><br />Nick blowing...<br /><br /> <img src="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nicola.kate.simpson/Nick%20Blowing%20small.JPG" alt=" - " /><br /><br />We're getting down!<br /><br /> <img src="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/nicola.kate.simpson/Getting%20Down%20small.JPG" alt=" - " /><br /><br />OK, I'm done, I'm gonna go right out the door and leave...<br /><br />Alex<br /> <br /> <br /><br /><br />C.Alexander Claber <br />Chief Groove Guru<br />Vice President i/c Funk<br />"If you will suck my soul, I will lick your funky emotions"<br />
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- 1990 Hohner Jack (my first bass), minus frets, gloss black paint and passive pickups/electronics; plus car body filler for the fretgaps, polyurethane floor varnish on the board, wax finish, Bartolini J-pickup, ex-Warwick MEC2 preamp and 'Willis' ramp. I can't believe how good it sounds, I think something mystical must have happened to it!
