Walt Disney World Bassists

**nutdog** · #1 10-12-2010, 08:32 AM

Just got back from a little family time at Disney. Didn't take a musical instrument so it was a vacation from playing as well. I did see a few things that kept my brain in the bass mode.

One was this guy:

He was the bass player for the band in the Biergarten at Epcot. I loved this band. They did a hokey-pokey that morphed into a burlesque feel that I may have to copy sometime. He was also a doubler:

And every band needs a guitar/trumpet player that can fill in for you

when you need to go play with your ding-a-ling:

An unexpected musical highlight of the trip was finding out Kool and the Gang were playing at Epcot when we walked out of the Biergarten:

If I had known they were playing I would have got in line sooner to get a better seat, but 20th row on the right wasn't bad for an unexpected concert. This band is just bad to the bone all the way around. I don't know if there will ever be bands like this in the future. They played all their greatest hits (Get Down on It, Ladies Night, Hollywood Swinging, Jungle Boogie, Celebration) and they can really lay it down. The horns all dance and sing and Kool (Robert Bell) is a funkmaster on bass.

And then there was this guy:

I think that was a bass of some sort. Looked like the same nylon strings on my guitarron and made low notes in some sort of completely out of tune fashion (like my guitarron). And he gets extra points for the outfit. I saw him playing percussion later in the day.

Well, that's it. I saw a few others but didn't get pictures. Disney is a kool place for any age.

Tampabass · #2 10-12-2010, 08:35 AM

back in "the day," Disney World employed many, many fine musicians. You could make a good living - and get benefits and the whole nine yards - by playing there. And at some point, they got rid of almost all of their full-time musicians, and switched to mostly canned music.

lx_night · #3 10-12-2010, 08:37 AM

man all of these disney people are definatelly putting in overtime. Nice pics.

loendmaestro · #4 10-12-2010, 08:09 PM

I'm headed there in 4 days with the family...hopefully I can stumble upon something half as good as Kool & The Gang next to the Biergarten!

Ed Fuqua · #5 10-12-2010, 08:42 PM

For awhile George Morrow was the bassist at the Disney Lake Buena Vista jazz club...

Tampabass · #6 10-12-2010, 08:53 PM

Ed - For some years in the mid to late '70s, Louise Davis was the bassist at that club. She played a baby bass, or 1/2 bass.
I know, because I went there frequently during those years, when I was in junior high and high school (I grew up in nearby Lakeland). I was fortunate enough to have a friend whose parents were hip to jazz, so they took us to the "Village Lounge," as most folks called it.
That represented my first real exposure to top-shelf jazz. It was quite amazing. The house trio, with Bubba Kolb on piano and Harvey Lang on drums, backed a long list of name players, who came through for multi-night engagements.
I got the chance to see Joe Venuti, Ira Sullivan, Clark Terry, Al Grey & Jimmy Forrest, Bucky Pizzarelli, and many others. And admission was free. Unreal.
I just came across a link to pix of the Bubba Kolb Trio at the Village Lounge - http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/su/cja...Lang/kolb.html

Ruckus_Instrmts · #7 10-12-2010, 09:01 PM

The african guy appears to be playing some form of, either, Akonting or Ramkie

http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/africa.htm

blipndub · #8 10-12-2010, 09:04 PM

His ibby looks like it's done a thousand and one nights.

mellowgerman · #9 10-12-2010, 09:10 PM

Genius! And you know, all these years I've never even considered asking my trumpet/guitar player friend to take the reigns for a bit while I go play with my ding-a-ling. Good call!

Ed Fuqua · #10 10-12-2010, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruckus_Instrmts

The african guy appears to be playing some form of, either, Akonting or Ramkie

http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/africa.htm

it's not a kora? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kora_(instrument)

Ed Fuqua · #11 10-12-2010, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tampabass

Ed - For some years in the mid to late '70s, Louise Davis was the bassist at that club. She played a baby bass, or 1/2 bass.
I know, because I went there frequently during those years, when I was in junior high and high school (I grew up in nearby Lakeland). I was fortunate enough to have a friend whose parents were hip to jazz, so they took us to the "Village Lounge," as most folks called it.
That represented my first real exposure to top-shelf jazz. It was quite amazing. The house trio, with Bubba Kolb on piano and Harvey Lang on drums, backed a long list of name players, who came through for multi-night engagements.
I got the chance to see Joe Venuti, Ira Sullivan, Clark Terry, Al Grey & Jimmy Forrest, Bucky Pizzarelli, and many others. And admission was free. Unreal.
I just came across a link to pix of the Bubba Kolb Trio at the Village Lounge - http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/su/cja...Lang/kolb.html

Barry Smith was the drummer when George was playing bass; when I was at the Elvin Jones masterclass at Atlantic Center for the Arts over in New Smyrna, Barry brought George by. Hearing George and Elvin play together after 30 years (they new each other from back in the 50s) was pretty special.

The story I heard about Louise was a little less than flattering; James Moody was there for a week and the first two nights, whenever he would give the bass room for a solo, Louise would walk for a chorus and then give "big eyes" to get everybody back in for the head out. So starting on the third night Moody would give it to the bass and, when it got to a couple of bars from the end of a chorus, would yell out "Yeah! Take another one!" For chorus after chorus after chorus. All night. Louise subbed out the rest of the week.

M0ses · #12 10-12-2010, 09:51 PM

When I was there, I saw a guy in the Animal Kingdom playing a Fodera on the sidewalk with this great calypso-ish band. The drummer was rocking away on his three-piece kit, there was keyboardist and a steel drum. It was great.

bassist4dalord · #13 10-12-2010, 10:04 PM

This is so cool. 10 years ago, when I was a wee little 8 year old, I experienced the magic of Disney World for what it is to an 8 year old. I'd love to go back when I have kids and experience it from an adult's perspective. Good stuff.

Brad Hanback · #14 10-12-2010, 10:39 PM

I always liked this guy that used to play for Tarzan Rocks in the Animal Kingdom. He was always friendly and I enjoyed his playing. I still can't believe that they replaced this show. Anybody know who he is or what happened to him?

bucephylus · #15 10-12-2010, 10:49 PM

I last took the family (now grown up) there in 1991. The thing that stays with me was in the Streets of New York set at MGM there was this all brass quintet blowing hard bop that was just crazy amazing. The tuba player was blazing through the Parker chops like no one's business. Absolutely stunning!

bassteban · #16 10-12-2010, 10:56 PM

Bayou Brass Band FTW

JimmyM · #17 10-12-2010, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad Hanback

I always liked this guy that used to play for Tarzan Rocks in the Animal Kingdom. He was always friendly and I enjoyed his playing. I still can't believe that they replaced this show. Anybody know who he is or what happened to him?

he's playing at the live karaoke bar at universal city walk. or at least he was last year.

sound of bass · #18 10-13-2010, 01:31 AM

Before I got into healthcare I was an art major, and one of my instructors put several of us in touch with Disney for potential employment. WHOO! Yeah right! The 4 of us students combined didnt have what it takes to qualify as a Disney artist! BIG time talent and training, and since then Ive always had alot of respect for the quality in all their artistic and musical productions.

macribas · #19 10-13-2010, 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad Hanback

I always liked this guy that used to play for Tarzan Rocks in the Animal Kingdom. He was always friendly and I enjoyed his playing. I still can't believe that they replaced this show. Anybody know who he is or what happened to him?

+1

That was the best live show I've seen at the parks. I was able to catch it a couple of times.

Sundogue · #20 10-13-2010, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad Hanback

I always liked this guy that used to play for Tarzan Rocks in the Animal Kingdom. He was always friendly and I enjoyed his playing. I still can't believe that they replaced this show. Anybody know who he is or what happened to him?

Cool. I saw the same bass player doing the same gig (Tarzan) about 6 years ago. It was an awesome show with the musicians all wireless and running around with other poeple as animal characters on rollerblades. Great bass player!