Great bass parts to transcribe in order to practice 2-feel?

[Danko]

Today I started transcribing the walking line for jazz standard: "The Days Of Wine And Roses", as performed by Brian Bromberg on his album "Wood". What a great line, what a feel, what a balance!!

I realized I suck at 2-feel. However I'm home when it comes to straight 4.

I guess, this is the best way to familiarize myself with some great phrasing and walking in 2-feel. I want more! So, are there any other tunes/albums with such a great line that I should do next?

Danko

[Marcus Johnson]

My favorite is Ron Carter's feel on "Basin St. Blues", from the album Seven Steps To Heaven. I love how he just...waits...and...waits, and sort of flirts with a walking feel during Miles' solo, before finally switching to four during Herbie's section.

[paulunger]

Check out "It Could Happen To You" off "Relaxin with Miles" by Miles Davis. Paul Chambers plays a two feel for the entire song.

[Scott McC]

"Dig Dis", from Hank Mobley's, "Soul Station", and definetly +1 on the "It could happen to you". Very straight ahead, archetype of jazz bass playing.

[anonymous0726]

A 'two-feel' is just that -- a feel. There's no trasmcribing to do. You have to learn the feel.

Check out everything back to Rag Time, uncluding polkas, marches, bluegrass/trad, New Orleans funk, etc, etc, etc. They'll all give you clues as to what the real feel be.

[anonymous0726]

But, thank you for noticing! So many folks my age (41) and younger have no idea how to play in two, which makes their 4/4 feel real two dimensional.

[Dave Speranza]

Although this probably isnt the best starting place for a two feel (due to the embellishments) Ray Brown's line on Bye Bye Blackbird (on Ben Webster meets Oscar Peterson) is really really fantastic.

[Boardndave]

The recording of Doxy of Bags' Groove by Miles Davis with Percy Heath on Bass has a good 2 feel through certain parts of it.

[Danko]

Originally Posted by Ray Parker

A 'two-feel' is just that -- a feel. There's no trasmcribing to do. You have to learn the feel.

Check out everything back to Rag Time, uncluding polkas, marches, bluegrass/trad, New Orleans funk, etc, etc, etc. They'll all give you clues as to what the real feel be.

Well, I come from a country where polkas and such are in our blood as heritage. The feel itself is not much different than in jazz context. BUT some tension-release rhytmic things some jazz players do within two-feel are just fantastic and worth every minute spent in transcribing. Also, harmony in jazz is quite richer, and therefore allows much more tones to be combined. So the end playing experience in jazz (2-feel) is quite different than playing bluegrass, trad, folk or polka.

Danko

[anonymous0726]

Originally Posted by Danko

BUT some tension-release rhytmic things some jazz players do within two-feel are just fantastic...

Agreed, but these things are what students focus on and end up playing extremely busy two feels that have no feel. I was pointing out that you gotta get the feel first.