Kai Eckhardt

DocBop · #1 03-15-2007, 08:28 PM

Just got back from a bass clinic with Kai and what an amazing player. He covered some great practice techniques on playing intervals, slapping chords, and then stuff on polyrhythms and how to make jam sessons more interesting. Even more important he talked about playing and living life and making the two work together.

All I can say if you get a chance to hear Kai play do it you won' tbe sorry.

RobinBetton · #2 03-15-2007, 08:46 PM

what did he discuss about polyrythms?

lamarjones · #3 03-15-2007, 09:04 PM

http://www.archive.org/details/gm200...5.km140.flac16

DocBop · #4 03-15-2007, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinBetton

what did he discuss about polyrythms?

Just the basics. He had half the room clapping one rhythm and other clapping another to illustrate. Then he showed how he claps one rhythm and sings the other rhythm and how to get started doing that. Then briefly mentioned that saying 1,2,3,4,5 etc is hard so he did some using Indian syllables, I wish I remember the name of those syllables. I was like you hear tabla players in Indian music doing. The music he as playing was full of odd meters and so smooth.

bassksun · #5 03-15-2007, 11:04 PM

That is Kai Eckhardt in Garaj Mahal???? Wow. I've wondered who the bassist is.

DocBop · #6 03-16-2007, 12:04 AM

I just email Kai and can't beleive he got back to me already. I asked him for the name of the Indian sylables and he's his reply. The number in the first column is the number of beats per measure. So learn some cool way to verbalize beats and impress your drummer and make your grandmother wonder what you're smoking.

Konakkol:

1 Ta
2 Ta Ki (pronounced: Tuh Kee)
3 Ta Ki Ta
4 Ta Ka Di Mi (pronounced Tuh Kah Dee Mee)
5 Ta Ki Ta Ki Ta
6 Ta Ka Di Mi Ta Ka
7 Ta Ka Di Mi Ta Ki Ta
8 Ta Ki Ta Ta Ki Ta Ta Ki
9 Ta Ka Di Mi Ta Ki Ta Ki Ta

Baryonyx · #7 03-16-2007, 05:28 AM

Kai is certainly an amazing player. His work on Jon McLaughlin's Que Alegria is really awesome stuff, especially on "1 Nite Stand".

I also have Billy Cobham's "Missippi Knights Live" album, which has Kai on the bass. Again, Kai is on fine form, but the songs themselves are only so-so, not all that great, but when kai solos, I sit up and listen.

I also have his solo album "Honour Simplicity, Respect the flow". I'm ashamed to say that that record was a huge let down. Kai's playing is fine and his chops are as sharp as ever, but the songs are nigh on diabolical! The whole thing just lacks flair and passion, which is not what I expected. "In The Pocket" and "Mamba Point" are the highlights of the album, and even then, they're not all that great! Very much a missed oppertunity!

That said, I'm glad you enjoyed the clinic, I'd love to meet Kai myself one day, especially if he has his Schack double neck handy!

lamarjones · #8 03-16-2007, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassksun

That is Kai Eckhardt in Garaj Mahal???? Wow. I've wondered who the bassist is.

I think the solo is in be dope or 7 up, everyone should at least download that one if not eh whole show. Amazing stuff from an amazing crew and bass player.

jady · #9 03-16-2007, 08:59 AM

I met him once at a Garaj Mahal show in SF once. My room mate was an avid taper and we got in early. He is a genuinely nice guy and love to talk to people about bass. He has been one of my inspirations since I saw him with Trilok Gurtu and I could listen to him play for days!!!!! That was one of the best shows I have ever seen.

Garaj Mahal allows taping so there are a lot of shows out there. Try the internet archive http://www.archive.org/search.php?qu...raj%20Mahal%22 169 shows for download there!!!!!

WJGreer · #10 03-16-2007, 09:47 AM

What an excellent player Kai is. I'm a huge fan. I just picked up a Bill Douglas CD called "Sky" with Kai on it. It's meditative, almost ambient music, but there's some great fretless work.

Another neat Kai track is "Babaluwaye, the Creator", from the Vital Information CD "Fiafiaga". It's a 45 second long bass chops fest that you will listen to ten times before you are ready to move on.

I don't think he plays that Schack doubleneck too much these days - I read somewhere that he developed some back problems that the bass either caused or exacerbated and so he stopped using it. Mostly right now you see him playing a Hotwire Jazz with a caramel burst finish over a quilted top or a really cool custom fretless by Peter Coura.

By the way, Kai plays on only two tracks on "Que Alegria" - "Reincarnation" and "One Night Stand". The rest of that recording is Dominique Di Piazza, also excellent.

Baryonyx · #11 03-16-2007, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WJGreer

By the way, Kai plays on only two tracks on "Que Alegria" - "Reincarnation" and "One Night Stand". The rest of that recording is Dominique Di Piazza, also excellent.

Indeed, and Dominque is similarly brilliant!

**j-raj** · #12 03-16-2007, 11:06 AM

Kai is one of my favorites as well... Got to see him in Asheville with Garaj Mahal. He is real personable and loves to chat about music till the cows come home.

DocBop · #13 03-20-2007, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMASH

Quilted top? Has he got a new one?

AFAIK, this is his : http://www.hotwire-bass.com/index_en.htm Click "Basses" and then "Big Apple" - mine is the one underneath his

I'm also a fan, and have met him and heard hours of his playing from literally just a foot or two in front of him.

Good times, but sadly no talent gets soaked-up that way.

When I saw Kai last week he mainly played his fretless, but did play that BigApple they have pictured on a couple tunes. Sounded good, bright, but not brittle.

Baryonyx · #14 03-21-2007, 09:40 AM

I think I dig Kai most when he is on his fretless, he has such a smooth and melodic voice, and his intonation is brilliant! However, he is pretty handy at slapping too!

WJGreer · #15 03-21-2007, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMASH

Quilted top? Has he got a new one?

AFAIK, this is his : http://www.hotwire-bass.com/index_en.htm Click "Basses" and then "Big Apple"

I stand corrected. I saw some archive.org clips of Garaj Mahal a while ago, and for some reason I recall a quilted top. I can't find any pictures of him playing anything other than that Big Apple bass now.

Baryonyx · #16 03-21-2007, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WJGreer

I stand corrected. I saw some archive.org clips of Garaj Mahal a while ago, and for some reason I recall a quilted top. I can't find any pictures of him playing anything other than that Big Apple bass now.

Could this be it? Looks like a Modulus Sweet Spot...

Of course, Kai has a multitude of basses...my favourite of mine is still his Schack double neck!

lamarjones · #17 03-21-2007, 06:47 PM

what's funny is I think he showed up a couple of months ago in Raleigh with a p/j, want to say it was a fender.

DocBop · #18 03-21-2007, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lamarjones

what's funny is I think he showed up a couple of months ago in Raleigh with a p/j, want to say it was a fender.

The headstock on the HotWire bass looks almost identical to Fender, might of been his HotWire.

bassksun · #19 03-21-2007, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lamarjones

I think the solo is in be dope or 7 up, everyone should at least download that one if not eh whole show. Amazing stuff from an amazing crew and bass player.

Oh yes...downloaded 3 cds and in heavy play.

J.Wolf · #20 03-21-2007, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris2112

I think I dig Kai most when he is on his fretless, he has such a smooth and melodic voice, and his intonation is brilliant! However, he is pretty handy at slapping too!

+1 His slap style is great, and his slap/hammer on combinations are a very cool approach to playing odd meters. When you watch him do it, even when he's playing really fast, it looks effortless.

BUT... His fretless playing is just ridiculously sick. It's definitely the style that puts him over the top for me. He has some of the smoothest fretless tone and technique on the planet. Love that Coura he plays.

The Modulus (last time I saw him) had a Custom wenge neck on it which I think was made by Peter Coura (could be wrong on the maker), and sounded very un-modulus to my ears. The Hotwire was amazing!! I've wanted one bad since the moment I picked his up!