Entire Gary Willis Clinic Videos

Mike Flynn · #1 06-14-2006, 02:52 AM

I'm sure some of you have already checked this out - I've seen him play live three times but it's great to finally be able to watch him in action again - Very Early is particularly beautiful - this dude on You Tube just filmed this last week - it's wicked stuff - I think Willis is sounding better than ever:

Norwegian Wood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGajW...=gary%20willis
The Chicken
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjId2...=gary%20willis
Fast Jazz thing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlB3K...=gary%20willis
Very Early
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysd0f...=gary%20willis
Bend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ioi3h...=gary%20willis

Really makes me want to practice soooooo much!

Enjoy

Mike

stretchcat · #2 06-14-2006, 06:29 AM

Thanks for the heads up! I'll check these out when I get home. Willis is amazing!

middlebit · #3 06-14-2006, 07:09 AM

These are great!(and posted in the youtube video thread btw) I can't wait for the S3 album to come out.

DGbass70 · #4 06-14-2006, 07:43 AM

thanks for the links.......
sweet.....i'll pass them along to some fellow Bassist in Puerto Rico i know they'll love checking them out!
Cheers!

fretless Bob · #5 06-14-2006, 07:55 AM

damn those are good!

hey Mike who wrote "very early"? i know that you recorded a version of it, i wanna find the original.

Dave

Mike Flynn · #6 06-14-2006, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fretless Bob

damn those are good!

hey Mike who wrote "very early"? i know that you recorded a version of it, i wanna find the original.

Dave

The late great Bill Evans - best thing I can suggest to find a recording is check out his back catalogue on www.allmusic.com - I'm sure you'll find a version of it among his earlier albums - Willis' version is so amazing - it's a great tune to get to know as the changes are all minor or major thirds apart and are made up of mainly major chords - I just don't seem to be able to memorize the B section! Willis finds some amazing depth in his solo - makes mine sound sh!te...you can find the chart in a Real Book.

M

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #7 06-14-2006, 10:19 AM

I saw those over in the YouTube thread- I'm pretty convinced Willis' intonatino is better than anyone out there. I loved his version of Norwegian Wood- definitely one of my top three favorite players.

Erick Lam · #8 06-14-2006, 10:47 AM

The fast jazz thing is Armageddon Blues and Bend is actually Bowlegged, both from the Bent CD.

I think Willis' right hand technique should be taught to any young player. I'm a big fan of his sound and music so I'm biased but I don't mean this to sound like him. It's simply that he has the most efficient fingerstyle technique. Some say it's odd or complex but it's not! You just have to be disciplined and once to get it right, any other fingerstyle is a piece of cake.

musicman5string · #9 06-14-2006, 11:07 AM

Yeah, that's what I'm talkin about.

Gary Willis just became a new favorite of mine, because while what he was doing was technically impressive, it was also extremely CLEAR and melodic...even the fast runs. It wasn't just a bunch of bull**** 32nd notes.
Best bass video in ages.

chingas · #10 06-14-2006, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicman5string

Yeah, that's what I'm talkin about.

Gary Willis just became a new favorite of mine, because while what he was doing was technically impressive, it was also extremely CLEAR and melodic...even the fast runs. It wasn't just a bunch of bull**** 32nd notes.
Best bass video in ages.

++++1 and an Amen!

fretless Bob · #11 06-14-2006, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Flynn

The late great Bill Evans - best thing I can suggest to find a recording is check out his back catalogue on www.allmusic.com - I'm sure you'll find a version of it among his earlier albums - Willis' version is so amazing - it's a great tune to get to know as the changes are all minor or major thirds apart and are made up of mainly major chords - I just don't seem to be able to memorize the B section! Willis finds some amazing depth in his solo - makes mine sound sh!te...you can find the chart in a Real Book.

M

i feel pretty stupid now actually, i should of just checked my reels

ive been thinking of giving that tune a shot for a while, but ive finally got time now that i have got the next two months off.

any advice Mike?

Dave

Mike Flynn · #12 06-14-2006, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fretless Bob

i feel pretty stupid now actually, i should of just checked my reels

ive been thinking of giving that tune a shot for a while, but ive finally got time now that i have got the next two months off.

any advice Mike?

Dave

Firstly, learn the head - I definitely recommend also checking out the way Willis adds in the lower octave notes on some of it - it's really effective. Having just watched this version of it I'm actually going to write out all of the scales and substitutions that you need for this tune (there's a a lot) but then also look at the common notes within them - then look at the various ways of playing off these to create the smoothest and most musical shifts in key. Yeah, that's a lot of work but the advice I was given when learning standards was to really get to know a tune inside out. This approach can be applied to sets of changes that you come up with as well - see if you can get them on a loop (with a loop pedal or keyboard) and look at the relationships between supposedly 'unrelated' scales and keys - it's a great way to get away from all those II, V, I cliches - change chords slowly so you can really listen to the intervals that sound best. The aim is to - like Willis - create long flowing lines that relate to each other over any set of changes - it's tough.

Hope that helps

Mike

Coelho · #13 06-14-2006, 04:01 PM

Willis is AWESOME! Great guy too.

emjazz · #14 06-14-2006, 04:05 PM

Thanks for the head's up Mike.

fretless Bob · #15 06-14-2006, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Flynn

Firstly, learn the head - I definitely recommend also checking out the way Willis adds in the lower octave notes on some of it - it's really effective. Having just watched this version of it I'm actually going to write out all of the scales and substitutions that you need for this tune (there's a a lot) but then also look at the common notes within them - then look at the various ways of playing off these to create the smoothest and most musical shifts if key. Yeah, that's a lot of work but the advice I was given when learning standards was to really get to know a tune inside out. This approach can be applied to sets of changes that you come up with as well - see if you can get them on a loop (with a loop pedal or keyboard) and look at the relationships between supposedly 'unrelated' scales and keys - it's a great way to get away from all those II, V, I cliches - change chords slowly so you can really listen to the intervals that sound best. The aim is to - like Willis - create long flowing lines that relate to each other over any set of changes - it's tough.

Hope that helps

Mike

damn, i got a lot of work ahead of me this summer,

cheers Mike

Dave

Christopher · #16 06-14-2006, 06:09 PM

I like "Very Early" the most.

Willis really should put out an album of standards.

stretchcat · #17 06-14-2006, 07:53 PM

Wow that's some great playing! That version of Very Early is really nice. His solo from the 2:00 mark forward is very reminiscent of Bill Evans' right hand phrasing with it's reoccuring motifs (Check out 2:40 - 3:02). He really makes every note count.

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #18 06-14-2006, 10:51 PM

I only wish that he'd put out another instructional video (or just video tape the entirety of his master classes).

NJL · #19 06-14-2006, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bryan R. Tyler

I only wish that he'd put out another instructional video (or just video tape the entirety of his master classes).

+1

Erick Lam · #20 06-15-2006, 09:58 PM

Hmmm, groovy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfua86ZGCpM

emilk has another one, plus some Staley Clarke.

God bless emilk