We Recorded 3 Songs.

Jazzin' · #1 01-23-2006, 11:19 AM

Here are three songs that we've recorded. They are jazz standards but with our own twist. If you like jazz, I suggest you listen to them. Please leave any comments (positive or negative) concerning our playing or the songs. We are a quartet including a sax, guitar, bass and drums. The recordings are recorded through a simple voice recorder, so the equalisation as well as the balance of sounds is not very good, you may have to turn up the bass and lower the treble.

http://www.qquintet.com/audio/footprints.mp3
http://www.qquintet.com/audio/tutu.mp3
http://www.qquintet.com/audio/chameleon.mp3

EDIT: scroll down for the good recordings.

Tony G · #2 01-23-2006, 12:58 PM

The sound quality is so poor it makes it hard to listen to.

Sagaris · #3 01-23-2006, 01:05 PM

I reckon I'd enjoy their potential if the quality was better. Good stuff though.

Jazzin' · #4 01-23-2006, 02:30 PM

Try turning down the treble and turning up the bass. It makes it a little better.

Jazzin' · #5 01-24-2006, 10:13 PM

It's tolerable. You don't have to enjoy it, all ya'll can just point out our faults, things we could take out or add in for each song.

Jazzin' · #6 01-28-2006, 10:16 AM

OK, NOW we have quality recordings up. (Done in my living room)

http://www.qquintet.com/audio/footprints.mp3
http://www.qquintet.com/audio/tutu.mp3
http://www.qquintet.com/audio/chameleon.mp3

What do ya'll think? Positive and negative feedback is greatly appreciated.

And check out our site too, the songs are up on the site as well.
http://www.qquintet.com
Feedback would be good here too.

Llama's Rage · #7 01-28-2006, 07:35 PM

sounds pretty good, except i do think the drummer sounds a bit too loose on the hats for my taste

GrooveWarrior · #8 01-28-2006, 07:52 PM

The guitarist is better suited for thythm than lead.

Jazzin' · #9 01-30-2006, 02:33 PM

Anyone else?

reitedasc · #10 01-31-2006, 01:25 PM

I dig it

The drummer sounds great, must be fun playing with him!

Do I hear a little "run for cover" in the tutu sax solo too?

Jazzin' · #11 02-02-2006, 04:37 PM

Bump. Anyone else?

Jazzin' · #12 02-03-2006, 08:35 AM

No one likes jazz or funk?

Bruce Lindfield · #13 02-03-2006, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Llama's Rage

except i do think the drummer sounds a bit too loose on the hats for my taste

I tried listening a bit, but on my PC all I could hear was very loud and loose hi-hat an not much else apart from drums - sorry I just couldn't listen to it !

BillytheBassist · #14 02-03-2006, 11:10 AM

drummer is a lil sloppy IMHO... I thought the horn player's and the bass work was great... when i could hear them.

Jazzin' · #15 02-03-2006, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

I tried listening a bit, but on my PC all I could hear was very loud and loose hi-hat an not much else apart from drums - sorry I just couldn't listen to it !

hold on..... theres a problem with the link. all of you have been listening to the wrong recordings. the link redirects you to the bad one for some reason. let me fix this odd problem.

EDIT: there, done....please listen again. you will appreciate the great difference in sound.
http://www.qquintet.com/audio/footprints.mp3
http://www.qquintet.com/audio/tutu.mp3
http://www.qquintet.com/audio/chameleon.mp3

www.qquintet.com

sorry, i feel so bad. the link was wrong this whole time????

bearcubs9497 · #16 02-03-2006, 06:10 PM

I really like Chameleon. Good groove.

BillytheBassist · #17 02-03-2006, 06:20 PM

sounds much better

Jazzin' · #18 02-03-2006, 06:27 PM

OK, good. Now it's time to start the "-" and "+" comments on the recordings since we are now audible. Comments on the songs, the way we play, the balance of EQ and instruments, the soloing, the sound, the tone, or even the website. Anything is appreciated.

Bennet Pullen · #19 02-03-2006, 08:51 PM

Well I like it quite a bit actually, here are a few things I noticed though.

On footprints: the afro-cuban at the end is a cool idea! However the transition into it is a little "something". also, it sounded to me like the drummer couldn't wait for his solo and was a little bit jumpy during the latin groove, if he were a little more in the pocket (especially his snare) during that section it could be vicious.

On chameleon: this is a cool take on this song, mix wise I think the guitar is a little overbearing. I think though, that it is just his tone, there is a reason why the funk rhythm players used strats. That really choppy sound cuts really well without covering other instruments, he gets a sound more like it toward the end. I 2nd the earlier comment about him being better at rhythm than soloing. I dig the part you guys put in the middle. I'd like to comment a little bit about your bass solo. All of you guys take pretty long solos, but the other members (with the possible exception of the drummer) have some advantages you don’t. When they are soloing there is a groovin bass player backin em up and keeping things interesting. Because you don't have that you may have to shorten things up a tad, if you are going to play the way you were. If you want to go that long, than you need some more dynamics, both in your playing and in what the band is doing behind you. The other thing is register, as the rest of the band comes back in, if you stay in that low register your "solo" just sounds like a too-busy bass line, and everyone is wondering when the lead is going to start again. You have to find a way to stand out.

On tutu: I LOVE the groove of this song. Right off the bat it is smokin. Transition between the sax and guitar solo's was a little "loose" for lack of a better term. It was nothing you or the drummer did, but the sax solo just kind of trailed of, no epic finish, and the guitar player just kind of wandered in to the space. A lot of the things I said about the bass solo on chameleon are true here as well, but I liked this one more, you did some really cool things, and it a bit more succinct. I should mention that all the things I said about the solo are the SAME EXACT things I'm always butting heads with, and I haven’t really found a solution, or I would tell you what it was

Overall I liked it a lot, and I would love to hear some of the originals you guys have listed on your website!

If you'd like to hear my band (we do a lot of the same type stuff, we actually play footprints and chameleon) here are some tunes we just recorded yesterday actually. They havn't been mixed or anything so keep that in mind.

Watermelon Man
Rotten Apples, take 1
Rotten Apples, take 2

Jazzin' · #20 02-03-2006, 09:21 PM

All of you guys take pretty long solos, but the other members (with the possible exception of the drummer) have some advantages you don’t. When they are soloing there is a groovin bass player backin em up and keeping things interesting. Because you don't have that you may have to shorten things up a tad, if you are going to play the way you were. If you want to go that long, than you need some more dynamics, both in your playing and in what the band is doing behind you. I agree, I find it challenging to shorten my solos. I do get a little overpowered by everyone else in my solos sometimes too, I've had this problem as a bassist since I started. Once I get my loudest, and it's not loud enough, there's nothing I can do. I guess I just have to soundcheck better. Remember, these recordings were done with only the 4 of us, and no one controlling the mixer as the song goes.

Transition between the sax and guitar solo's was a little "loose" for lack of a better term. I agree with this as well. Now that I relisten to that, I can't comprehend how we could have even done that. I can't remember, but it's possible the sax player calmed down a little too much in his solo and the guitarist took over thinking its his turn.

Overall I liked it a lot, and I would love to hear some of the originals you guys have listed on your website!
If you'd like to hear my band (we do a lot of the same type stuff, we actually play footprints and chameleon) here are some tunes we just recorded yesterday actually. They havn't been mixed or anything so keep that in mind.
I love the Watermelon Man version you got, what did you use for the whistling? We used to play H2OMelon Man so frequently, we all got sick of it. That's some sick funk bass. I love your tone. Are these professional recordings? Some sexy tunes. Your original is very original, and in a very good way. I'm putting these on my iTunes, hope you don't mind.