ICONS AMONG US and bassdogemer

Ed Fuqua · #1 04-28-2009, 10:25 AM

Has we chatted about this yet?
http://www.iconsamongus.com/
I caught part of an episode ( I guess?) last night and in many ways it's everything that the Kenston Burnsalis saga was not - it talks to the musicians more than the historians, folks talk about there own experiences and thoughts rather than trying to define what everybody else is supposed to think. More "why I'm a jazz musician" than " what jazz am and amn't". The section that I caught had the Danilo Perez trio, Dave Holland, Esperanza Spaulding a couple of cats I didn't know and they didn't label AS WELL AS our very own Andrew Emer (bassdogemer) performing with Will Bernard's quartet, VERY happening.

They had Herbie and Wayne and the above mentioned folks as talking heads as well, and the film does suffer from the Burnsalis "talking over the music" syndrome. And as a personal gripe, the piano player with Esperanza is playing just this killing solo and the camera NEVER SHOWS HIM, it's always on her.

Mike Arnopol · #2 04-28-2009, 11:09 AM

I'll have to check that out. I know all about the video stuff you mention. I can't tell you how many Patricia Barber videos where they show her response to the soloist rather than the soloist. Video guys seem to like bassists, though. I'm lucky 'cause I've got this bigass full sleeve dragon tattoo and the video guys love it, but Patty gets a bit miffed at how much time they spend filming my right arm during her piano solos! On a (dumb) DVD of Patty's one thing is hilarious. We did this live recording for Blue Note over two weeks on a tour of France. As if it's not weird enough having a recording team traveling with us they had this great idea of having video people too. In France she's like this Jerry Lewis level jazz icon. So you can imagine how dumb the interviews are. So on the video we're playing and go into a drum solo. As soon as the drum solo starts the video shifts to Patty being interviewed by this French jazz guy. The drums are going in the background and the interviewer asks her "I notice that you always have Cognac on stage. Is it a French Cognac? What brand do you prefer?" Classic.

Mike Arnopol · #3 04-28-2009, 12:38 PM

Is Will Bernard the guy that plays mostly slide guitar? We played a gig years ago in SF and I think it was Will Bernard that opened. If it's the same guy that I heard it was very cool and very happening.

Ed Fuqua · #4 04-28-2009, 02:05 PM

Prolly, but he wasn't playing slide. The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking maybe this was actually Thomas Beckham's group that Will (and Andrew) were playing with...

hdiddy · #5 04-28-2009, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Arnopol

Is Will Bernard the guy that plays mostly slide guitar? We played a gig years ago in SF and I think it was Will Bernard that opened. If it's the same guy that I heard it was very cool and very happening.

Yep. He's an ex-T.J. Kirk guy and plays lots of slide.

I don't have cable so I can't watch but looked at the website. 2 People I wish they included as part of the interviews is Kurt Rosenwinkel and Wayne Krantz. Both guys push lotsa boundaries and are doing some pretty original stuff.

As for bassists, I would've liked to see Ben Allison included... maybe McBride too.

Ed Fuqua · #6 04-30-2009, 12:26 PM

Kurt's name showed up in the credits, I assumed that meant he was somewhere in the documentary?

bassdogEmer · #7 05-01-2009, 08:59 AM

Hi guys,
Just to clear up any confusion. The band that was featured is actually fronted my Will Bernard and myself (Bassdogemer). The other member of the group is Berlin pianist Benny Lackner who was unable to make this concert because we left for a tour of Germany right after this was filmed so bringing him here just to go right back didn't make sense.
Vibes player,Tom Beckham fills in for Benny sometimes.
This band actually leaves tomorrow for a tour of Belgium and Amsterdamn and I will try and throw up some you tube footage if I can get any.
Also for anyone interested we are playing a concert at the Jazz Gallery here in New York City on June 18th. Which will Feature, Will Bernard and myself with George Schuller on drums and Tom Beckham on vibes, the same line up shown in the movie. We also had Stanton Moore playing with us but unfortunately I don't think that footage made it to the movie - but I have yet to see the documentary yet.
Will Bernard plays both slide and regular guitar as well - he has been known to grab an espresso cup and tear up a slide solo as he often looses his slide and doesn't remember until it's time for him to use it... crazy mofo he is.
It has been a real experience running around the globe with these guys! Thanks for the mention Ed!

Ed Fuqua · #8 05-01-2009, 09:50 AM

Thanks yer ownself, I was channel surfing and when I hit it, you guys were in the middle of the tune and the only cat they labeled was Tom. And then I saw who was playing bass

!
Will got some "talking head" time...

Tampabass · #9 05-11-2009, 03:58 PM

I just saw Stanton Moore's trio with Will Bernard on guitar and, keeping another bass player unemployed -- Robert Walter's left hand.

But seriously, really terrific show at the Blue Nile on Frenchman Street in New Orleans (during Jazz Fest week).

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassdogEmer

Hi guys,
Just to clear up any confusion. The band that was featured is actually fronted my Will Bernard and myself (Bassdogemer). The other member of the group is Berlin pianist Benny Lackner who was unable to make this concert because we left for a tour of Germany right after this was filmed so bringing him here just to go right back didn't make sense.
Vibes player,Tom Beckham fills in for Benny sometimes.
This band actually leaves tomorrow for a tour of Belgium and Amsterdamn and I will try and throw up some you tube footage if I can get any.
Also for anyone interested we are playing a concert at the Jazz Gallery here in New York City on June 18th. Which will Feature, Will Bernard and myself with George Schuller on drums and Tom Beckham on vibes, the same line up shown in the movie. We also had Stanton Moore playing with us but unfortunately I don't think that footage made it to the movie - but I have yet to see the documentary yet.
Will Bernard plays both slide and regular guitar as well - he has been known to grab an espresso cup and tear up a slide solo as he often looses his slide and doesn't remember until it's time for him to use it... crazy mofo he is.
It has been a real experience running around the globe with these guys! Thanks for the mention Ed!

arseniotall · #10 05-14-2009, 01:41 PM

wow this is awesome. I didn't know this finally was out. I met the people behind the filming at a gig in seattle years ago and when they asked me for my information I gave them a website that didn't exist and ran to my hotel room and created one.