Solo bass post: "TOCATTA"

So Low Bass · #1 09-17-2009, 08:54 AM

A toccata is a baroque form with several free form improvisation type sections united into one piece. Though usually associated with a keyboard, this is my own piece for solo bass.

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

bassteban · #2 09-17-2009, 09:11 AM

Very nice- it's refreshing to see/hear a solo piece done on a Precision, as opposed to a 6 or more string(not that there's ANYTHING wrong w/6ers or beyond- I have one- just that I don't recall a lot of solo pieces done on such a *traditional* bass).
Now give Billy Sheehan back his bass.

So Low Bass · #3 09-17-2009, 07:45 PM

Thanks for the feedback.

Funny you mention giving Billy back his bass. Here I go again with this story:

Billy Sheehan grew up down the street from me in the Town of Tonawanda, outside of Buffalo. I never met him unless…

I’ve had the ‘69P bass in these You Tube vids since St. Patrick day, 1971. I bought it in Buffalo from a kid for $120 who didn’t like the rosewood fingerboard, and the some of the frets were ground down by rounds… after two years! He tried to “age” the sunburst finish with a blow torch (!) but only succeeded in leaving craters of burn marks as he held the body with vise grips…which are still visible today after I stripped the finish in the 90’s. That winter ('71) I heard Felix Pappilardi with his EBO and routed the humbucker in to try and get that roar. Billy, who was still living in Buffalo, claims he laid his hummer in his P “wife” (with the maple Tellie neck) in 1972.

I’ve tried several times to contact him with no success. I want to know if he was the kid I bought my P from in 1971. If anyone out there want to intervene, that would be great!

bassteban · #4 09-17-2009, 07:47 PM

Small world, eh?

markjazzbassist · #5 09-18-2009, 01:18 AM

i always enjoy your stuff paul. really beautiful finger picking chords at the end there.

i still love your approach to solo bass and your emphasis on melody (and not fireworks or crazy slapping). you do more with a 4 string fender than most virtuoso's do with their 6-11 string hunks of coffee table.

So Low Bass · #6 09-18-2009, 08:54 AM

Hi Mark-

Thanks! There are two different worlds of electric bass today for sure.... the wanna be double bass players and the wanna be guitarists. They're both valid for sure.

I'm with you... I wanna be Willie Weeks!

You have a great website and I'm Jealous you live near the still great Cleveland Orchestra. What kind of strings do you have on your basses: Flats or Rounds?

markjazzbassist · #7 09-18-2009, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by So Low Bass

I'm with you... I wanna be Willie Weeks!

You have a great website and I'm Jealous you live near the still great Cleveland Orchestra. What kind of strings do you have on your basses: Flats or Rounds?

willie is so great

thanks for the kind words.

i play labella flats on my jazz and mostly flats. occaisionally i'll put on some rounds, but i prefer flats.

yes the Cleveland Orchestra is amazing, i saw them a couple times this summer and they were (as always) simply amazing. they have a lot of talent and do great interpretations of the classics.