What Album Did Gary Willis Play "Giant Steps" On?

[Bryan R. Tyler]

I've got the mp3 but I'd prefer to buy the album it's on. I figured it was on a Tribal Tech album, but I couldn't track it down.

[jeff schmidt]

I think it was for a guitar magazine. Either a single or part of a compilation. It's very "band in the box" midi sounding - but he rips like nobodies business.

[DigMe]

Have ya'll heard Victor Wooten rip Giant Steps up on the first Vital Tech Tones album? I'm not a fan of the album as a whole but that's a pretty incredible rendition. In my mind just making the changes while doing all the other stuff is, in itself, pretty outstanding.

brad cook

[Mike Flynn]

Originally Posted by Bryan R. Tyler

I've got the mp3 but I'd prefer to buy the album it's on. I figured it was on a Tribal Tech album, but I couldn't track it down.

As far as I know it's from the Bass Player 5th anniversary CD that came with the mag - he's never done it on record as it were - but boy does he take those changes apart....really awesome - Willis is the man for me on fretless.

Love the Wooten version too, just kind of silly really but unbelieveble notheless - and that odd metered intro of tapped chords is bloody brilliant too.

One more version I'd recommmend checking out is by Frode Berg (he posts here sometimes) on his album Dig It - his solo on six string is incredible, but the thing that really sets it off as original is that the whole tune is in 7/8 - talk about a headf*** - the groove is really nasty too - inspring and depressing by turns...

[DigMe]

Have you guys checked out Coltrane's version? It's great!



brad cook

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Originally Posted by DigMe

Have you guys checked out Coltrane's version? It's great!



brad cook

Meh. Coltrane was a TERRIBLE fretless bass player

[DigMe]

The incredible thing though is that he can make his bass sound just like a saxophone. Amazing.

brad cook

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Originally Posted by DigMe

The incredible thing though is that he can make his bass sound just like a saxophone. Amazing.

brad cook

Yeah, he uses a Boss VF1 rack unit to do that



Actually, I saw Michael Manring use one of those live and he got a very realistic horn sound out of it.

[jeff schmidt]

Originally Posted by Bryan R. Tyler

Yeah, he uses a Boss VF1 rack unit to do that

Don't ya think it's really just the fretless sound itself?

The VF1 is just a multi-fx unit - the same chorus, verb,eq, comp, delay as all the other Boss stuff - just in 1 box.

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Originally Posted by jeff schmidt

Don't ya think it's really just the fretless sound itself?

The VF1 is just a multi-fx unit - the same chorus, verb,eq, comp, delay as all the other Boss stuff - just in 1 box.

You mean what Manring played? The VF1 box actually has more stuff than that-you can get a trumpet/sax effect out of it. When I heard him switch to the horn sound I thought he was hooked up to a MIDI unit. Nope, just the VF1.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by DigMe

Have you guys checked out Coltrane's version? It's great!

You beat me to it, Brad!
The thing is, when Giant Steps was first recorded, Coltrane was about the only guy that could play/solo over those changes. Listen to pianist Tommy Flanagan's(a very fine Jazz player) playing on that tune.

FWIW, I don't recall seeing "Giant Steps" on any Willis solo disc(or, for that matter, on any Tribal Tech albums).
There is a nice version on Patitucci's Now album.

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Originally Posted by JimK

FWIW, I don't recall seeing "Giant Steps" on any Willis solo disc(or, for that matter, on any Tribal Tech albums).
There is a nice version on Patitucci's Now album.

There's a Real Player version of it on Bassically.net. Here's the song:
http://bassically.net/realmedia/willis_gs.ram

[jeff schmidt]

Manring also does a killer version live on his "performance review" VHS.

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Originally Posted by urb_munki

As far as I know it's from the Bass Player 5th anniversary CD that came with the mag - he's never done it on record as it were - but boy does he take those changes apart....really awesome - Willis is the man for me on fretless.

Do you happen to know where I could get ahold of this cd? I didn't see it on the Bass Player website, and I'd really like a copy. I'll check out Froda Berg as well.