Jazz bands / bassists

[drunkenrobot]

Well I'm 16, looking to further my bass playing from grade 6/7 to 8 and I figured that playing the genre of music sometimes described as "musical wanking" would be a good way to get there. So being a teenager and having no jazz experience, I'm asking you guys to recommend some jazz tracks or bassists to get me going. Links to sheet music or tabs would be ideal.

Thanks in advance, Rick.

[jjfret]

There is a video out there where Jaco breaks it all down, start with Jaco. Then check out the Jazz classics like Duke Ellington, Count Bassie etc.

[Corporate Boy]

The thing about Jazz and really taking it to the next level is that it doesn't involve written music at all. It is all about developing your ear. Granted some compositions have strict responsibilities for the bass, but most often you are given a loose blue print of what you should be doing and then rest is improvisation.

Jaco is definitely an entry way into jazz because his chops will blow you away, but really Jaco is so beyond chops. There is a whole other level to Jaco which involves how he builds harmony in his composition. Jazz could be considered musical wanking, but when you realize that Jaco is actually playing over a 32 bar form on Donna Lee with chord changes flying by you will think there is more then just wankdom going on. To get to point to play like that I feel you need to pay your dues understanding the roll of a traditional bass player. I think the Ray Brown trio is great for that type of thing. Ray has an amazing feel that every aspiring jazz musicians needs to listen too, plus he is pretty adventurouse in his solos and arrangements.

Anyway... the point is follow your weird, but if you want to really learn this stuff... don't hunt tabs and sheet music. Get yourself a real book and raid your local used CD store for a bunch of standardish jazz albums and figure out how the blue print from the real book fits into the recording.

Also check out some Jamie Aeibersold books.

[Rudreax]

You know what walking bass is?

If you don't, learn it and every aspect about it.