Our Chris Fitzgerald...

[Francois Blais]

Guess who I found while browsing Aebersold's website?:

http://aebersold.com/Merchant2/merch...ry_Code=BASBOO

(pictured at left)

I didn't know you recorded with Aebersold, Chris!
On which Play'Along is it?

Regards,
François

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Actually, I'm not on any of the play along records - Jamey usually gets the heavy touring players like McBride, Goldsby, Seaton, etc. to play on those records...and who can blame him? I've played a bunch in Jamey's quartet, though, and have taught at the camps since '95 or '96. The first seven years were as piano faculty, and the last three he's been kind enough to let me join the bass faculty after letting me play bass on the faculty concerts for the previous couple of years. It's good to see I'm getting listed with the dark side guys these days. For the first two years I was teaching bass, I still showed up with the ivory ticklers on the flyer and website.

Not to spam for the camps or anything, but the hang with the bass department every summer is a gas. Amazingly, none of the guys carries a bunch of ego baggage around, and everyone's very chill and approachable. And to get the chance to sit literally at the feet of Rufus and Lynn and the rest of the guys for two weeks and soak up the vibe is fantastic. At first I was terrified to go read the sheet where he announced who was playing with who on the faculty concerts each week. Imagine being a relative newcomer to the bull fiddle and suddenly finding out that you'll be playing a set with Eric Alexander, Don Braden, John Riley, and David Hazeltine in two days, often reading their originals down on stage in front of 400 people! But once the abject terror wears off, it always ends up being a blast, and a very educational one at that. When it comes down to sink or swim, there really only seems to be one viable option....especially if you include "dogpaddling" under "swimming".

[Aaron Saunders]

Hey Chris, is the summer camp down south close to where you are?

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Yup, right here in my hometown, in fact. We used to do one week in Chicago and then one week in Louisville, but then Jamey had problems getting the facilities in Chicago and just moved the first week here as well. Of course, while I liked Elmhurst and everything, I must say I prefer sleeping in my own bed.

[nicklloyd]

.............one.............two.................o ne, two, three, four...

...does he count off like that all the time? I usually find myself laughing through the first couple bars of those play-along tunes after hearing Mr. Aebersold's psuedo-robot voice. Chris, are there any recordings of the quartet with you on bass? I'd love to go to the summer camp and see you guys in person, but Jersey's a long way away from Kentucky.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by appler

...does he count off like that all the time?

Nah, in person he kind of half grunts: "One....two...uh..uh..uh..uh". Probably has somethng to do with the sax mouthpiece garbling his diction?

Chris, are there any recordings of the quartet with you on bass? I'd love to go to the summer camp and see you guys in person, but Jersey's a long way away from Kentucky.

I don't have anything with Jamey's quartet at hand, although there are probably some VERY rough live sets around here somewhere. But two of the cuts on my sounclips page (Sometime Ago and Funk in the Deep Freeze) were recorded at the camps with other faculty a few years back. Does that count?

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

Nah, in person he kind of half grunts: "One....two...uh..uh..uh..uh". Probably has somethng to do with the sax mouthpiece garbling his diction?

I was in the London Underground the other day and I heard that exact familiar sound and was really shocked - then I realised there was a Sax-playing busker, who had a portable CD player and was playing along to the CDs!!

[Johnny L]

I recently picked up a couple of Abersold play-alongs (the first book and the major/minor book)...and it's really cool to hear Goldsby and Reid playing alone.

I'm just playing scales along with the records right now though

[Bruce Lindfield]

John Goldsby has a "special" Aebersold : "Jazz Bass Notes" , where he analyses the basslines to 10 standards from the playalongs with CD etc.

I noticed this today, as I got a mail-out from Jazzwise magazine store - I'm tempted to order it!