Local bassists

aks_29 · #1 07-26-2008, 03:50 AM

I was thinking the other day (like in my thread in Miscellanious) about the local bassists in Montreal. I feel like my teacher, Adrian Vedady and other montreal bassists (Remi-Jean Leblanc, Clinton Ryder) are exceptionally amazing and have their own very unique style.

Is it just my close-mindedness that keeps me from imagining this happening somewhere else? Does your local jazz scene have such unique/amazing bassists?

bolo · #2 07-26-2008, 08:51 AM

I live near Raleigh, NC. Unfortunately there aren't a huge number of places to hear live music. But the local scene includes some seriously legit players like Rick Jones, the #1 man at Acoustic Image, and Paul Ingbretson, the #2 man at Acoustic Image. Both really, really great DB players. Paul also plays jazz guitar extraordinarily well. I find that pretty amazing.

John Brown is the Director of the Jazz Studies program at Duke University. He is also on staff at UNC and NC State I believe. Here's an excerpt from allaboutjazz.com:

"John has performed in the United States and abroad with artists Wynton Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, Elvin Jones, Diahann Carroll, Nell Carter, Rosemary Clooney, Lou Donaldson, Frank Foster, David “Fathead” Newman, Nicholas Payton, Cedar Walton, Fred Wesley, Mark Whitfield and Nnenna Freelon, and he boasts a Grammy nomination for his performance and cowriting on Nnenna Freelon's 1996 Concord release, Shaking Free. His extensive experience includes performances at notable venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Blue Note, the Kennedy Center and the Hollywood Bowl, as well as major jazz festivals including the Playboy Jazz Festival, the JVC Jazz Festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival and Jazz à Vienne."

There are lots of other players in this area, some I know and some I don't. No wonder I have trouble breaking into the "first call" list around here.

Will Yager · #3 07-26-2008, 10:54 AM

Rusty Holloway is definitely a badass. He's teaching at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

jakusx · #4 07-26-2008, 11:01 AM

No, you're totally spot on, the only good bassists in the world come from Montreal.

mattfong · #5 07-26-2008, 01:21 PM

Toronto's got a ton of fantastic bass players. Dave Young, Jim Vivian, Neil Swainson, Mike Downes, and Kieran Overs are a few. I'm starting lessons with either Dave or Jim in September, I'm really excited for it.

Theres also a bunch of amazing up-and-coming players. Toronto's jazz scene is pretty great.

Sam Sherry · #6 07-26-2008, 08:46 PM

If everybody played bass as well as Jim Lydon this world would be an even better place.

Matter of fact, if I played bass as well as Jim Lydon I would be pretty damn lucky.

He's a lot nicer than me too.

aks_29 · #7 07-26-2008, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakusx

No, you're totally spot on, the only good bassists in the world come from Montreal.

Good, that's what I thought.

aks_29 · #8 07-26-2008, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattfong

Toronto's got a ton of fantastic bass players. Dave Young, Jim Vivian, Neil Swainson, Mike Downes, and Kieran Overs are a few. I'm starting lessons with either Dave or Jim in September, I'm really excited for it.

Theres also a bunch of amazing up-and-coming players. Toronto's jazz scene is pretty great.

I worked at Justin Time last summer and because of that I have like 8 or 9 cd's with Dave Young. They're some of the only cd's I listen to that I got.

jazzbasser535 · #9 07-27-2008, 10:33 PM

A really great bass player (and my teacher) in the Delaware Water Gap region of PA is Paul Rostock, a really great jazz musician on acoustic and electric bass. If you've ever been to the Delaware Water Gap Celebration of the Arts (COTA) chances are you've seen him.

juuzek · #10 07-28-2008, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jazzbasser535

A really great bass player (and my teacher) in the Delaware Water Gap region of PA is Paul Rostock, a really great jazz musician on acoustic and electric bass. If you've ever been to the Delaware Water Gap Celebration of the Arts (COTA) chances are you've seen him.

I have heard Paul's playing and thought he was very good. I have taken a few lessons from Tony Marino, also a Water Gap fixture.

jazzbasser535 · #11 07-28-2008, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juuzek

I have heard Paul's playing and thought he was very good. I have taken a few lessons from Tony Marino, also a Water Gap fixture.

Another great player from the Water Gap is Steve Gilmore, there's a load of stuff on youtube of him playing with Phil Woods.

Bass Boy · #12 07-29-2008, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattfong

Toronto's got a ton of fantastic bass players. Dave Young, Jim Vivian, Neil Swainson, Mike Downes, and Kieran Overs are a few. I'm starting lessons with either Dave or Jim in September, I'm really excited for it.

Theres also a bunch of amazing up-and-coming players. Toronto's jazz scene is pretty great.

I studied with Jim for a while. It totally changed the way I approach the instrument.

mattfong · #13 07-29-2008, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bass Boy

I studied with Jim for a while. It totally changed the way I approach the instrument.

In what way? I'm curious.

I'll most likely be studying with Dave, since apparently at U of T Jim usually teaches the upper-year students. I'm going into first year.

Bass Boy · #14 07-29-2008, 03:54 PM

Basically everything from instrument balance, left hand articulation, soloing concepts, bowing tips. I could go on and on. I hadn't studied that much of the classical tradition so we focussed on the bow, interpretation of the literature for a while. I just feel that he really gave me a good grounding in the fundamentals and we expanded from there. Even the non bass stuff like musical history, gig stories and general life stuff. Jims got a ton of knowledge.

I wasn't the best student at the time as I was doing an hour commute to school every day and then driving another hour to my pit gig every night. I have since- and continue to- work on the things we talked about now that I spend less time in a car! You will really DIG studying with him.

mattfong · #15 07-29-2008, 04:27 PM

Awesome, I'm really looking forward to school, it'll be a blast.

bass12 · #16 01-11-2009, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aks_29

I was thinking the other day (like in my thread in Miscellanious) about the local bassists in Montreal. I feel like my teacher, Adrian Vedady and other montreal bassists (Remi-Jean Leblanc, Clinton Ryder) are exceptionally amazing and have their own very unique style.

Is it just my close-mindedness that keeps me from imagining this happening somewhere else? Does your local jazz scene have such unique/amazing bassists?

Well, you see, Montreal has the best jazz bassists because there are no gigs here in Montreal, so they're always at home practicing! Yeah, it's your close-mindedness. Guys here are no better than any other cosmopolitan city - except for maybe Saskatoon! Montreal used to have a decent jazz scene. No more, my friend. This city only supports jazz ten days out of the year, at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Best to start working on your top 40 repertoire if you want a paying gig!

koricancowboy · #17 01-11-2009, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aks_29

I was thinking the other day (like in my thread in Miscellanious) about the local bassists in Montreal. I feel like my teacher, Adrian Vedady and other montreal bassists (Remi-Jean Leblanc, Clinton Ryder) are exceptionally amazing and have their own very unique style.

Is it just my close-mindedness that keeps me from imagining this happening somewhere else? Does your local jazz scene have such unique/amazing bassists?

Harrison Motherf@#$%#* Bankhead!!!!

aks_29 · #18 01-12-2009, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass12

Well, you see, Montreal has the best jazz bassists because there are no gigs here in Montreal, so they're always at home practicing! Yeah, it's your close-mindedness. Guys here are no better than any other cosmopolitan city - except for maybe Saskatoon! Montreal used to have a decent jazz scene. No more, my friend. This city only supports jazz ten days out of the year, at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Best to start working on your top 40 repertoire if you want a paying gig!

I'm not sure how true that is. I've spoken to my two teachers about it and they've both said that it's not that bad. My first teacher has a jazz pianist for a wife, 2 kids and a house. He told me that he was living pretty comfortably.

Also, the fact that at the Upstairs jam, the Diese Onze jam and the Grumpy's jam I've never seen more than like 3 or 4 of us there at a time (as opposed to the 10 drummers who show up) reassures me that there a lot of gigs for bassists.

aks_29 · #19 01-12-2009, 12:38 AM

Also, if it's not too late I'd like to take back my original statement. Rereading it, I find it's in general a stupid thing to say. (though I do love the montreal jazz scene in general)

bass12 · #20 01-12-2009, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aks_29

Also, if it's not too late I'd like to take back my original statement. Rereading it, I find it's in general a stupid thing to say. (though I do love the montreal jazz scene in general)

Okay - you can take it back! I kind of regretted my response to you, AKS, as I don't want to be discouraging. There are some great players - Adrian among them - but there are fewer and fewer venues in this city to play in. Keep in mind, too, that a lot of bars don't pay - you make the door money and that's it. It's always been difficult to make it as a musician and it isn't getting easier. Whatever the case, don't limit yourself to jazz if you want to work!