Jim Cammack's tone is awesome

unatratnag · #1 07-19-2005, 09:26 AM

I just recently heard Crystal by Ahmad Jamal the other day and the bass work and even more so the tone of Jim Cammack's bass blew me away. I tried looking up what he used by the most I could find was that it *may* have been some model of Alembic fretless... any one know what model he uses?

Ed Fuqua · #2 07-19-2005, 10:25 AM

The only bass I've ever seen him with is a late 19th century French bass....

CQBASS · #3 07-19-2005, 12:25 PM

I've also never seen Cammack on anything other than DB. His tone on some recordings has a weird fretless electric quality, but it isn't. Prime example; Ahmad Jamal Live at the Montreal Jazzfest '85. At first listen it's hard to believe someone's playing DB like that. He's the man, no doubt.

willgroove2 · #4 07-19-2005, 01:19 PM

in the last several years jim has been heard most on DB but,when he was living in chicago in the '90's he was playing mostly EB, a fretless alembic.i had heard him playing with ahmad on npr and had ran out and brought a cd(i forget the name i still have it somewere)one night i was walking into the cotten club in chicago to sit in on a monday night when i heard THAT tone and i knew who it had to be.i liked his tone because although he played fretless bass he wasn't coming out of a jaco thing and had his own sound and approach.at that time he didn't play much DB but i think ahmad asked him to start playing it again on his gig and these day's i think he's mostly playing DB.

unatratnag · #5 07-19-2005, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willgroove2

in the last several years jim has been heard most on DB but,when he was living in chicago in the '90's he was playing mostly EB, a fretless alembic.

Thanks for the facts guys....So in mythbuster fashion, i guess we can say it's 'plausible' he recorded crystal with an alembic (I was concerned with the first few because if that was a DB i'd cry and be very embarrased at the same time).

willgroove2 · #6 07-19-2005, 10:14 PM

yeah crystal is the name of the cd i ran out and got years ago and he did play EB on it(i asked him when i met him)jims DB tone is not that different than his EB tone IMO he has a very "amped" tone but i really like it

SBassman · #7 06-10-2006, 06:08 AM

So, I got Some treat last night.

I walked into week 1 of Friday evening jazz at a place right near my house, and I was treated to 2 1/2 hours of Jimmy Cammack.

Unbelievable. Man, can that guy play. And, tone was Superb.

That was Some Unexpected Treat.

unatratnag · #8 06-10-2006, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SBassman4x

So, I got Some treat last night.

I walked into week 1 of Friday evening jazz at a place right near my house, and I was treated to 2 1/2 hours of Jimmy Cammack.

Unbelievable. Man, can that guy play. And, tone was Superb.

That was Some Unexpected Treat.

It's actually really funny that you posted this since I listened to Ahmad yesterday for the first time probably since I posted this and was like... man... I wonder what he's doin now! Was it acoustic or electric? More importantly, who was he playin with?

SBassman · #9 06-10-2006, 09:45 AM

I have to go buy some Ahmad so that I have some Jimmy Cammack recordings. I don't have any.

He was actually playing with local musicians. The band leader, Matt Jordon, also lives in the area, and he's starting this weekly show at the bar/restaurant I went to.

Jimmy Cammack was playing a beautiful 5 string. I couldn't tell what it was. He was a solo monster, and he interracted beautifully with the drummer.

The whole band was:

Matt Jordan - trumpet / leader
Jimmy Cammack - Bass
Artie Dixon - Drums
Peter Tomlinson - Piano
Charles Frommer - Sax

They ended the show with an incredible rendition of The Work Song - it was out of this world.

SBassman · #10 06-10-2006, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unatratnag

It's actually really funny that you posted this since I listened to Ahmad

I really don't know much about Ahmad.
Can you recommend a good CD to get?

[I'm more into instrumental stuff, not stuff with vocalists]

Ideally, something with Jimmy on electric, if he has recorded on electric with Ahmad.

unatratnag · #11 06-10-2006, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SBassman4x

I really don't know much about Ahmad.
Can you recommend a good CD to get? Ideally, something with Jimmy on electric, if he has recorded on electric with Ahmad.

One of my favs! Don't know your style but a lot is piano trio. If you love miles you'll surely love Ahmad. Miles was heavily influenced and borrowed from him particularly in the first quintet years.

His most famous works are probably of off Ahmad's Blues.

Jim recorded Rossiter Road and Crystal with Ahmad. Both electric

Great live recordings are "Live at the Pershing & the Spotlight Club" , and "Poinciana"

Hazza · #12 06-11-2006, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CQBASS

I've also never seen Cammack on anything other than DB. His tone on some recordings has a weird fretless electric quality, but it isn't. Prime example; Ahmad Jamal Live at the Montreal Jazzfest '85. At first listen it's hard to believe someone's playing DB like that. He's the man, no doubt.

How can that not be fretless electric? I'm not saying you are wrong I just don't belive you. I feel somehow betrayed, I worshiped his work on that as a electric bass player.

Oh well.

SBassman · #13 06-11-2006, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hazza

I feel somehow betrayed

He could be playing a sock as far as I care.

The man can Play.

And, I Think I'm gonna be treated to more up close listening and watching his great stuff - at these jazz shows in my town.

SBassman · #14 06-11-2006, 08:11 AM

For Father's Day, I ordered myself

Live in Baalbeck
on DVD
with Ahmad Jamal, Idris Muhammad and James Cammack .

I'll post a review after I see it.

Ostinato · #15 06-11-2006, 08:24 AM

He's a great jazz bassist, I would love to catch him playing live someday...I read somewhere that he used a '77 Alembic through Bose speakers to get that tone at one point.

SBassman · #16 06-12-2006, 06:34 PM

They just posted the line up for this week, and Jimmy Cammack will be playing Again. This is an amazing score for me - getting a chance to see and hear him up close again, pretty much in my backyard, for the price of a drink. Amazing.

SBassman · #17 01-13-2007, 06:01 AM

After playing locally a couple of times last year, James must have gone on tour again.

But, he came back. Last night, I was treated Again to sitting a few feet away from him while he played. He, the drummer, and the piano player interacted incredibly, and it was an amazing, amazing show.

What a treat.

mstott25 · #18 01-13-2007, 08:06 AM

All these times you've seen Jimmy play live, has he been on electric? Was there ever any consensus on what albums he did play electric on and which one's were double bass that sounded unique? I'm interested.

godoze · #19 01-13-2007, 09:18 AM

He's one of my favorite players.

SBassman · #20 01-13-2007, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mstott25

All these times you've seen Jimmy play live, has he been on electric? Was there ever any consensus on what albums he did play electric on and which one's were double bass that sounded unique? I'm interested.

That was the 3rd or 4th time now. It was Always with a 5 string electric. There's plenty of DB playing at these gigs when there are other bass players, so it's not always electric, but Jimmy has brought an electric every time.