Big Band Bass

ctregan · #1 05-21-2009, 07:45 AM

I was interested in good examples of big band bass playing. Does anyone have any suggestions for artists, cds, bands, with a great big band bass sound and style.

My son will be in a summer big band program, and would like to find some music for his ipod, to help get the wheels turning.

Thanks

txstatebass · #2 05-21-2009, 08:09 AM

Atomic Basie is a good starter album. Ellington (Blanton-Webster Years), Woody Herman's Thundering Herd, Maria Shneider BB, Bob Mintzer BB, Dave Holland BB

On the pedagogical side of things, John Clayton has written a good book on Big Band bass techniques.

Ed Fuqua · #3 05-21-2009, 10:28 AM

Also check out the Vanguard Orchestra recordings, WDR big band (with John Goldsby), Jazz@Lincoln Center. Not strictly jazz but a great ensemble, check out Pedro Giraudo....

**Freddels** · #4 05-21-2009, 10:56 AM

Univ of North Texas has a bunch of CD's of the 1 o'clock.

Here's a link to some video: http://www.jazz.unt.edu/?q=node/912

kph24 · #5 05-21-2009, 11:01 AM

Basie Straight Ahead, Sinatra Live at the Sands, Miller, Ellington also some great combo starters Kind of Blue and Bitches Brew by Miles Davis

ZonGuy · #6 05-22-2009, 11:07 AM

Best way to learn something about big band bass is to play in a big band.

I did two semesters in night community college, followed by 6 months in a real BB. I still play occasional. Excellent for sight reading practice, learning bass support concepts, and just paying your dues.

Tomasito · #7 05-22-2009, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by txstatebass

On the pedagogical side of things, John Clayton has written a good book on Big Band bass techniques.

I'd never come across this, so I googled and found this preview!

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6...snum=1#PPP1,M1

chop_1992 · #8 05-22-2009, 04:11 PM

Hi ctregan . . . You are a good guy (or?) for getting your son some big band music to prepare for the summer course. That is the best thing you can do for him . . . bravo.

I wrote an article recently for Bass Player Magazine about big band bass playing. You can find it HERE. I recommend some big band recordings and suggest things to think about in the big band situation.

The TBers here are also listing some great big band albums—Atomic Basie, Blanton-Webster Years, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis - Consummation. Good luck!

tomshepp · #9 05-22-2009, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kph24

Basie Straight Ahead, Sinatra Live at the Sands, Miller, Ellington also some great combo starters Kind of Blue and Bitches Brew by Miles Davis

Is the Sinatra at the Sands with Count Basie? I've been listening to I've Got You Under My Skin over and over and everything about that recording kills me. Don't mean to derail the thread..... sorry

Michael Eisenman · #10 05-22-2009, 11:39 PM

This epistle doesn't contain example tunes to listen to (the other guys are doing that), but I wanted to let you know how I got started playing in a big band.

I love swing—big-band swing, Western swing, gypsy swing, whatever. I joined a 22-piece big band last November. I had been playing DB for a bit more than two years, and I was waiting for an opening.

I had a week and a half to learn 28 songs for the first gig, and I practiced a lot. A few of the charts had chords, which I could fake my way through, but most of them were just inkspots.

At the start of the show, the regular drummer—with whom I'd played before—said to me, "I'm gonna put down four on the floor until you get the hang of things, but remember that you're the heartbeat of the band." I knew that I made a lot of mistakes, but at the end of the gig the band director came over to me and said, "You didn't mess up in any of the places where you were exposed." I couldn't have asked for more than that.

I record as many gigs as I can, and I recently had a bit of a revelation as I listened to recordings I've made. Yup, the recordings don't lie. On some of the slow songs—mostly waltzes, like "Always" or "Moon River"—the band tends to slow down, and the drummer will tell me to pick it up. I thought it was the horns dragging us down, and maybe it was. I have good time when I'm by myself, but when things start to slow down, it's hard to fight the distraction and keep it going. It's easy to let the band fall into a natural tempo, but if the tempo isn't right...

I noticed in the recordings that I tended to play behind the beat, and that naturally drags it down. I tried to figure out just what it was; maybe I'm pulling the string on the beat, but I need to pull it a bit early, so that it sounds on the beat. I began an assertiveness campaign and started to push the beat just a bit to keep it going, and now things are working just fine.

I still have trouble with some of the songs (mostly the ones with lots of accidentals), but I never thought I'd become so familiar playing in Db. My sight-reading is getting better, and I'm feeling more comfortable with the repertoire, which constantly changes. I'm loving it.

The best thing I did was to get a hand-held recorder (the Zoom H2 is great). I also record our rehearsals, so I have a collection of tunes to play along with as I'm learning them. I loaned the collection to our substitute drummer for his first gig with us last weekend. I recorded the gig, and the drummer and I were right together. We closed the gig with "Sing, Sing, Sing" (only the second time this drummer and I had played it), and man, it kicked! The crowd loved it, and it was a rush playing it.

I hope that there is something in this message that your son can use. I wish him luck and a lot of fun.

ctregan · #11 05-23-2009, 05:05 AM

Thanks for the replies, here are some details on the summer gig.

The city dept. of parks and recreation, hires local high school musicians and a musical director, for a working big band. They spend the summer playing at city parks, senior centers, and special events. Its a real summer job for the kids, and great entertainment for the local community. It should be a good experience for the kids, playing every day, (evan if some of the tunes can be a bit schmaltzy).

I went to a few rehearsals and was surprised how important the bass player is in a big band.

Changles · #12 05-23-2009, 05:32 AM

what's this? no one has mentioned jaco pastorius' big band?

chop_1992 · #13 05-23-2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctregan

I went to a few rehearsals and was surprised how important the bass player is in a big band.

Thanks for that last sentence!

I see you're In Syracuse—that is a great program they have. The players AND the audiences will benefit. Win-win.

Marcus Johnson · #14 05-23-2009, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Changles

what's this? no one has mentioned jaco pastorius' big band?

Probably because this is the DB forum... not to say that there isn't stuff to be learned from Jaco's thing. That was a killer band!

ZonGuy · #15 05-24-2009, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Eisenman

On some of the slow songs—mostly waltzes, like "Always" or "Moon River"—the band tends to slow down, and the drummer will tell me to pick it up. I thought it was the horns dragging us down, and maybe it was. .

One of the DB's main functions in the less proficient big bands is to prevent the horn section from dragging it down during a complicated measure.

Michael Eisenman · #16 05-24-2009, 07:57 PM

Yeah, the recordings made it obvious to me that I had some work to do. We're okay now.

Paul New · #17 05-25-2009, 02:17 PM

Big band bassist better have solid time, and better not be timid.

Metronome, metronome, metronome, etc...

ZonGuy · #18 05-26-2009, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul New

Big band bassist better have solid time, and better not be timid.

Metronome, metronome, metronome, etc...

+1