Bass Playing in Folk Music

[Jason Sypher]

Ok, well now I've heard about 15 songs so I have alittle more information. So, to my ears I here a few things. The Blues, Celtic/Irish music and Jazz. Oh yeah and alittle rock (60's blues/rock). Im not sure why you say that jazz and rock wouldn't be useful to you, just the tone of the bass is pure growly jazz and the arrangments sound very rock to me. But, I realize we hear different things so another idea I have is the band Lunasa. You might find some interesting ideas there.

[Anon2962]

Originally Posted by mcnaire2004

Depends on what type of church your playing at...

But....we're talking about folk music, right?

You might want to check out or already have checked out some Piazzolla stuff for a classical/folk blend. Lúnasa is fantastic. If you like that I recommend having a listen to 'the bothy band', especially the 'Old Hag you have Killed me' album. While there's no bass, it's really great, great music, and is in quite simlar to some of the Lunasa stuff, if a bit less experimental.

[jrduer]

You might also check out the old Kingston Trio recordings, with Paul Gabrielson (among 2 or 3 others) on bass.

~John

[mcnaire2004]

Originally Posted by Conor MacCarthy

But....we're talking about folk music, right?

You might want to check out or already have checked out some Piazzolla stuff for a classical/folk blend. Lúnasa is fantastic. If you like that I recommend having a listen to 'the bothy band', especially the 'Old Hag you have Killed me' album. While there's no bass, it's really great, great music, and is in quite simlar to some of the Lunasa stuff, if a bit less experimental.

But he did mention it was for a church group, right?

[Anon2962]

Originally Posted by mcnaire2004

But he did mention it was for a church group, right?

D'oh.

[Jason Sypher]

Just digging in further to the Danny Richmond discography and beginning to understand your original question. I'm not sure who plays like Pentangle. This is quite an original group. I can't say that I like all of it but that's pretty much how I am with everything.

[oliebrice]

assuming you mean Danny Thompson...
a big part of what made pentangle so original was that they were made up of a bassist and drummer who were previously jazz musicians, with the guitarists and singer who were folk musicians. Danny Thompson went on to work more in the folk world, and thats what he's famous for, but prior to pentangle he was mainly a jazzer. To my ears, Mingus is the biggest influence on what he's playing. You could argue that their approach was a precursor to the whole ECM thing, in that they were finding a way to make creative, improvised music that used american elements but was rooted in european music.
I love his bass tone...

[RED5]

Danny Thompson. Played for Donovan, currently you can hear him with Richard Thompson, No relation as far as I know. He doubles but his upright work is dead on. refer to "Live from Austion Texas" real good stuff, trio. Also Fergus Marsh with Bruce Cockburn. Plays it all but does some nice urb and stick work.

[RED5]

Originally Posted by jrduer

You might also check out the old Kingston Trio recordings, with Paul Gabrielson (among 2 or 3 others) on bass.

~John

In this vein? Who could ignore the contributions of Dick Smothers?

[jrduer]

Originally Posted by RED5

In this vein? Who could ignore the contributions of Dick Smothers?

I agree. Dick is somewhat underrated, but he really has a nice touch.

~John

[RED5]

Originally Posted by jrduer

I agree. Dick is somewhat underrated, but he really has a nice touch.

~John

Probably attributable to the fact that his mom liked him better.

[fusionbass81]

You may want to check out the John Butler Trio, and Elvis Perkins.

[Marcus Johnson]

Originally Posted by jrduer

I agree. Dick is somewhat underrated, but he really has a nice touch.

~John

He actually does. I used to do the pit trio thing with them sometimes, playing second parts and playing while Dick did the schtick, intro/outros etc.... and he was always in tune and sounded fine for what he did.

Tom's more fun to hang with, though.

[salcott]

Tom's more fun to hang with, though.

That's fer sure. I played their act a couple of times in the late 70s, and Dick got kinda mad at me one night for hanging with Tommy between shows.....

[Marcus Johnson]

Originally Posted by salcott

and Dick got kinda mad at me one night for hanging with Tommy between shows.....

LOL! Same here!... Tom was well aware that he was in Maui, correctly assumed that jazz musicians would know a thing or two about the local "horticulture", and followed us like a puppy to the parking lot. Dick wasn't amused.

[MingusAmongUs]

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

LOL! Same here!... Tom was well aware that he was in Maui, correctly assumed that jazz musicians would know a thing or two about the local "horticulture", and followed us like a puppy to the parking lot. Dick wasn't amused.

[Dr H]

Originally Posted by oliebrice

I really, really reccomend Danny Thompson, who can be found on records by Pentangle, John Martyn, Nick Drake, Richard Thompson and countless others...
wondeful player, with a gorgeous tone. he was the first person to make me want to play the double bass.

I can only endorse this heartily - check out this earlier work and later (Whatever, Whatever Next, etc.) in which he tackles folk, jazz, Scandanavian folk tunes...

Still my favourite bassist after all the years...

[MR PC]

It depends on what you call "folk". Bill Lee, Spike Lee's father, played on lots of Hootenany era folk recordings:

Odetta, Peter, Paul and Mary, even played electric with Dylan on "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" lots of other artists too here he backed up Gorden Lightfoot on this tune

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxUVSwCKdz8&NR=1

Even players like Red Mitchell did folk sessions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DfER...eature=related

[virtuosito]

You can also check "When I wake in the morning". Gary Karr and Harmon Lewis played it together and exist a recording on youtube. It is also a folk music, canadian maritimes folk.