Gotta love that Richard Bona!

flypejose · #1 10-04-2010, 10:45 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR9rBp5c2cI
This is one of my favorite bass player along with Tom Kennedy. Incredible feel + Monstruous groove! And what always amazes me the most is his ability to put his playing in "autopilot" as he sings at the same time!

unfortunately he's being criticized for not putting much variety into his soloing. I personally don't believe the guy is "incapable" to do it per se in as much as he can play whatever he sings!

Lorenzini · #2 10-04-2010, 11:08 AM

Regarding his soloing, who cares, when you can groove and sing like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DL0eqS8DxQ

Richard Bona is a talent unsurpassed and extremely vital to music. Let's support him!

EDIT: More great groove. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNsCStvSLwM

kamakiriad7 · #3 10-04-2010, 06:51 PM

I had a chat with my university jazz band director today about Richard. And went for a walk listening to Munia: The Tale. The guy is incredible, one of my favorite musicians these days.

I think his soloing is great! Especially this clip... how does he do it??

flypejose · #4 10-05-2010, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorenzini

Regarding his soloing, who cares, when you can groove and sing like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DL0eqS8DxQ

Richard Bona is a talent unsurpassed and extremely vital to music. Let's support him!

EDIT: More great groove. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNsCStvSLwM

Apparently this guy is of the same opinion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erbQ1w5mA0I

Another great and more intimate version (keys + bass only):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44pmO...eature=related

chicago_mike · #5 10-05-2010, 12:30 PM

I dig his soloing, and could care less of its the same or some over used chromatic lick or whatever. Unless the naysayers can play WAY better than him, they need to shut up whoever they are.

Tampabass · #6 10-05-2010, 12:32 PM

+1 on Bona - huge talent.

flypejose · #7 10-05-2010, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kamakiriad7

I had a chat with my university jazz band director today about Richard. And went for a walk listening to Munia: The Tale. The guy is incredible, one of my favorite musicians these days.

I think his soloing is great! Especially this clip... how does he do it??

Munia is a great album! I read somewhere that it came about after Richard's refusal to follow some of the musical constraints imposed on him by his then record company (I think it was Sony or one of its daughter company.

mstott25 · #8 10-06-2010, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flypejose

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unfortunately he's being criticized for not putting much variety into his soloing.

I don't buy that at all. I've read a few things on Talkbass about his soloing and it was about one lick in particular. Coltrane, Miles, Parker et al also had familiar licks that they would often repeat not to mention all the great bass players including Jaco and Gary Willis.

Richard Bona is not hindered by anything, the guy can do whatever he wants on the instrument. The people who don't criticize his playing include Pat Metheney, Mike Stern and Gil Goldstein whose opinions carry *a little* more weight than any of those expressed on Talkbass.

DannDubblewe · #9 10-06-2010, 03:07 PM

thanks for posting the link flypejose. Just incredible...

Portland1 · #10 10-08-2010, 08:07 AM

He did some really cool things during his time in Pat Metheny group. Playing percussion, guitar, singing, and more

One of my favorite youtube videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0bUIKC0E5w

camiloochoa · #11 10-08-2010, 08:23 AM

more than a great bassist, he's an incredible musician, really gifted (you just have to read about his life to see why).

in this video that i'm sure many have seen, he shows how much the instrument it's just a vehicle for what he wants to express, the bass becomes an extension of his body, truly amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v0JKvVhodA

mstott25 · #12 10-08-2010, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camiloochoa

more than a great bassist, he's an incredible musician, really gifted (you just have to read about his life to see why).

in this video that i'm sure many have seen, he shows how much the instrument it's just a vehicle for what he wants to express, the bass becomes an extension of his body, truly amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v0JKvVhodA

man...never seen that video, thanks. How can anyone not love this guy?!?

OldogNewTrick · #13 10-08-2010, 03:52 PM

yes, I have seen that video and seen and listened to most everything else from him....

I can only quote myself...

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldogNewTrick

Been listening to Richard Bona's Album The Ten Shades Of Blues.

Oh man, what a complete musician !

There many string acrobats out there, slap monsters to tapping wizzards, it all completely pales in front of Bona's effortless musicality and ability as instrumentalist (not just bassist).

I am a particular fan of his fretless playing and this album is once again a highlight.

If you can locate some of his interviews, read up on his thoughts on the pentatonic as the universal language of music.

Wow,

MrLenny1 · #14 10-08-2010, 07:27 PM

Kudos to Mr.Bona for playing and singing like that.
If you enjoy him look for a Brazilian bassist named Sergio Groove.
Caught him at a clinic this summer in New england.
Plays great bass, sings and plays timbales all at once.

Jazzomaniac · #15 10-11-2010, 04:10 AM

It is a fact that he is a little "triggerhappy" with one particular lick. In this live performance with Coryell, Lagrene and Cobham
he repeats that lick over and over again in his solo. They perform Monk's classic tune "Straight No Chaser".

http://www.mediafire.com/?giiutd6ehx1oc

He repeats this lick at least 3 times in literally
every solo I've heard him do.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Bona( I've even seen
him in concert) but in my opinion he would become an even
better soloist if he stopped over-using that particular lick.

flypejose · #16 10-11-2010, 05:49 PM

Isn’t that tune “Oleo”? I used to listen over and over to the recorded version in Larry Coryell “Spaces Revisited”. Larry and Bireli were amazing (still are).

All I’m against is that snobbishness in our culture that puts labels and trashes even great talents. Because of that, many great artists including painters, actors, writers etc., gained their deserved recognition only after they died. In many cases it happened just because they didn’t follow one or several forms set forth by the establishment. I believe it shouldn’t be so.

A groove monster like Victor Wooten for example was labeled as being too busy bass lines-wise. Victor Bailey, and a long list of bass players have a lot to say about what I’m talking about.

Jazzomaniac · #17 10-12-2010, 09:48 AM

Yes, you're right. It's Sonny Rollins' "Oleo". Sorry about that.

Anyway, it must be allowed to have a debate about a musician
with both negative and positive criticism. If someone feels that Bona's solos are often very
repetitive in nature, it doesn't have to signify a snobbish attitude or wanting to belittle his
talent( which is undeniable). Are you saying that great talents should be spared for any negative criticism?

mstott25 · #18 10-12-2010, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzomaniac

He repeats this lick at least 3 times in literally
every solo I've heard him do.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Bona( I've even seen
him in concert) but in my opinion he would become an even
better soloist if he stopped over-using that particular lick.

I can't listen to that particular link at work right now but I'm pretty sure I know which Bona line you're talking about.
I'm not sure if he does it three times in every solo he takes but I get what you're saying.

Here's the deal though: Great soloists of every instrument will play the same licks. Charlie Parker played the same licks all the time! I don't find that Bona line annoying at all. I know Gary Willis, who IMO is one of the premier masters of the instrument, plays the same licks over and over again. He doesn't build his solo around them but you recognize them. That's his personality and unique contribution coming out through his playing. I never noticed that Steve Swallow used a lot of the same lines until I started transcribing him. IMO if you take the time to transcribe one artist enough, you will see how they develop and use the same ideas frequently. But this goes for any artist/author/craftsman etc. It's part of their voice!

I think that same criticism can be leveled at any soloist or improviser out there, the only thing is that Bona's line is pretty easily recognized whereas a lot of these guys will slip in familiar phrases very quickly.

flypejose · #19 10-22-2010, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzomaniac

Yes, you're right. It's Sonny Rollins' "Oleo". Sorry about that.

Anyway, it must be allowed to have a debate about a musician
with both negative and positive criticism. If someone feels that Bona's solos are often very
repetitive in nature, it doesn't have to signify a snobbish attitude or wanting to belittle his
talent( which is undeniable). Are you saying that great talents should be spared for any negative criticism?

I'm completely fine with that, but as already mentioned, there are other famous soloists who regularly serve there prefered licks without receiving the 100th of criticism that Bona is receiving. Strange!

FunkMetalBass · #20 10-22-2010, 01:14 PM

Incredible voice:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y08aEmc2-aA

Quote:

Originally Posted by flypejose

I'm completely fine with that, but as already mentioned, there are other famous soloists who regularly serve there prefered licks without receiving the 100th of criticism that Bona is receiving. Strange!

I must be too far removed from the foreign-influenced 5-string solo-jazz-bass-with-vocals music scene, but I don't think I've ever heard criticisms of his solos.