Clips of my playing...

Brad Maestas · #1 12-05-2005, 07:27 AM

My first installment is from a band called The Yards. We formed in the summer of 2000 in Lawrence, KS. On Sunday, November 5, 2000, we were scheduled to record the first album. I wasn't able to make the session because of bad weather while returning from a tour. Tom Johnson, the engineer of the first album, a gifted musician and a very close friend, took over the bass duties in my absence. He used a very old Vox bass that still had the original strings on it! In an effort to retain that sound with The Yards, I bought an old Hofner 5000/1 Deluxe bass and used it on and off with them until I moved back to NYC two years ago. Our new release "Wit" is scheduled for release in spring 2006. It's been more than two years in the making!

These links are from The Yards' upcoming album. They're just rough mixes but the bass is plenty clear and up front. I used a 1990 Ken Smith BT6 and a Demeter 201s (set on pre-EQ) for this session. After that it went through a channel of new Trident and right to the DAW, no outboard EQ or compression.
1. Con Permiso
2. Q Drive
3. Song for Q
4. Yards Theme
5. Down Home Style(The Yards' contribution to the "Boogaloo to Jack McDuff" tribute issued March 29, 2005 on Scufflin' Records)

This next link will take you to The Yards' page on Artist Launch. It has samples of all the albums including the final mixes of songs from "Wit".
http://www.artistlaunch.com/artist.asp?artistid=4735#

Brad Maestas · #2 12-05-2005, 08:01 AM

Now here's another group that I played with when I used to live in Kansas. This session was with Brian Baggett on guitar and Luke Stone on drums. We had always talked about doing a record together but didn't actually make it happen until right before Luke and I both moved away. At first, Brian was going to call us "Transgender Athletes" but thankfully, the group ended up being named "Dojo" in the end. On this session I'm playing a Fodera Edward 6 through an SWR Electric Blue straight into Luke's Roland workstation.

1. The Vine
2. Bad Song
3. Good Morning
4. Lunch Time
5. Number 5
6. Fun In Harmony

This next link is to guitarist Brian Baggett's site where you can hear clips of the final mixes. It's also available through Abstract Logix at http://www.abstractlogix.com/xcart/p...2&cat=0&page=1.

Soon I'll post music that I have recorded since moving back to NY. A couple of months ago I did a session with Amie Amis. It's not quite finished yet but I'll post it here ASAP. The sax player in that group has a side project that I also play in. We've been rehearsing every week for a year in preparation for our recording. We're all set to track this Saturday, the 10th. Many of the rehearsal recordings have turned out well so I will post some of those next.
-Brad

Bernie Connors · #3 12-09-2005, 08:58 AM

Sorry for the late response, Brad.

I'm really digging your playing! Great groove, wonderful phrasing and tasty chops. Everything a bass player needs!

Very good stuff.

-Bernie

gandhirrea · #4 12-10-2005, 07:41 PM

Wow, I'm in love with those tunes. The whole band sounds great. I will definately purchace the CD.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bernie Connors

I'm really digging your playing! Great groove, wonderful phrasing and tasty chops. Everything a bass player needs!

QFT.

gandhirrea · #5 12-13-2005, 01:27 PM

Update: Yards Theme is, plain and simple, BONERIFIC

Brad Maestas · #6 12-23-2005, 02:48 PM

Thanks, gandhirrea!

Today I finally received a proof of the cover art for the new Yards album, Wit.

It wasn't easy finding recent pictures of all of us. I took pictures during the session with the intention of adding them to my personal collection. Soon thereafter, I moved to NY. I returned to Lawrence last summer and Bradford (the keyboardist) requested copies of the pictures I took that day. He said he might use them for the cover. Well after a few hours of looking through stuff in storage, I found the unprocessed roll and hoped that the film hadn't gone bad yet. They didn't turn out too bad! Unfortunately I had no control over the design or layout of the album. I might have spent more time matching the photos to each other.

The picture of me with my double bass was taken some time before the Yards session.

FYI, the photos were taken with a Contax RTS III 35mm camera with a Zeiss T* 28mm f/2.8 Distagon lens.

Redhotbassist · #7 12-23-2005, 03:00 PM

Good stuff!

Brad Maestas · #8 03-15-2006, 06:55 PM

Update:
Our friends at Hammondbeat have decided to release and distribute the new album, "Wit". The final mixes are now available as sound clips on their website here:

http://www.hammondbeat.com/hammondbe...sp?k=34&r=1541
(It may redirect you to the front page. If it does, simply close the window and click this link again.)

Here are direct links to the files:

1. Con Permiso
2. Hey Watcha Doin'?
3. Down Home Style
4. Song for Quinton
5. Get Your Grit
6. Scarlet Wonders
7. Semicircular
8. Q Drive
9. Soon Come
10. Yards Theme

Let me know what you think, if you feel like it.

P.S. The Yards have secured an opening slot for organist Barbara Dennerlein at The Life Cafe and Lateroom in Manchester, UK for Monday November 6th!
www.lifecafemanchester.com

Brad Maestas · #9 03-15-2006, 07:52 PM

I recently created an Amazon Listmania! book list called "Truly Useful Bass Books". I compiled it after getting sick of writing them down so many times. What do you think?

Check it out:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/lis...254697-9783218

bassist15 · #10 03-16-2006, 08:14 PM

Man i;ve heard tons of great things about your band The Yards. Ive heard you guys are really keeping the funk alive. Lets all make Funk come back into the main stage!

Brad Maestas · #11 03-17-2006, 03:19 AM

Cool! Thanks for the kind words!
Where do you live? I'm always curious to find out how someone has heard of us.
Even though I'm no longer their main bassist I still get to play with them a lot when I go back to Lawrence, KS and visit during the summers. Depending on how many free pressings come my way, I might be giving away some copies to some lucky TB'ers so if you want one, let me know!

Brad Maestas · #12 04-25-2006, 05:02 PM

UPDATE: Unfortunately the Manchester gig with The Yards has been cancelled.

However, I have a bunch of new stuff to share.
As you can see from a few posts above, The Yards' latest final mixes are up at Hammondbeat and on The Yards' various webpages. I've also put up a couple of the new Yards tracks up at icompositions.com here:
Con Permiso
Yards Theme

Here's a new final mix from Dojo:
The Vine (Final)
Quite a bit different from the original!
The Vine (Original)

Finally, if you visit my myspace page, you can check out some of my latest recordings I've done with Nick Kadajski's ensemble. I've just finished up the artwork and the layout. Check it out and let me know what you think!
*link's in my sig

Brad Maestas · #13 04-25-2006, 05:25 PM

Oh yeah, the songs with Nick are "On The Corner" and "How Now".

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #14 04-25-2006, 06:02 PM

Wow Brad, really great stuff!

Brad Maestas · #15 04-26-2006, 03:57 AM

Thanks, Bryan!

Brad Maestas · #16 04-26-2006, 04:29 AM

Here's some brand new material!
This is another instrumental group. It's alto sax, trumpet, guitar, bass and drums. Recorded on PT|HD in Brooklyn in late November, 2005. It's mostly Nick, the sax player's, material. I recently finished mixing and mastering it. I also did the photography for the album. Nick's girlfriend Stephanie is an accomplished painter and her work is going to be featured on the album cover and the disc label.

1. On The Corner
2. How Now
3. Free Improvisation

The first link has info about the gear I used on this session. Enjoy!

fretless Bob · #17 04-26-2006, 04:34 AM

that is some nice playing and it is a shame that you cut the intro off ofthe Yards tune con permiso in the final mix, because i thought it added great tension and release.

I love the way your Edward Model sounds as well

Dave

BillytheBassist · #18 04-26-2006, 04:47 AM

Really good tunes.

Brad Maestas · #19 04-26-2006, 05:12 AM

Thanks, Dave! Just to be sure, I was playing a Smith on The Yards' stuff and the Fodera on everything else. I like the way both of those basses sit in the mix but the Fodera definitely has some extra mojo goin' on.

The intro to Con Permiso is still there it's just slightly shorter. It's very similar to the opening of Iain Ballamy's album, "All Men Amen." I agree with you about the length, though. Bradford, the keyboardist and bandleader, sort of assumed creative control and took certain liberties with the album after it was recorded. The group has always sort of been his baby and ever since he hooked up with Hammondbeat Records, I've wondered how much they would eventually become an influence in post-production. He didn't really change all this stuff behind our backs but he also wasn't very open or outspoken about it, either.