WHO are YOU and WHO have YOU worked with?

powermans · #1 03-06-2003, 04:38 AM

Over the past 12 Months or more I have got to ask / read and receive GREAT advice from MANY members on MANY issues on these Talkbass Forums.

What I would find interesting is to know a LITTLE more about the people I've had advice from through these pages over the last 12 months or more.

eg:- What's you're background in DB ? Why DB and not another instrument? Do you play for a living? or is it just for fun ? If it is your Bread & Butter DO you make ends MEET? And what's been your Greatest Gig to date? and who have you supported or even had in the BAND!!!!?(I'm talkin Jazz Legends )

It's YOUR moment of Stardom!

I'll start off... I'm a 51 year old nobody who grew up playing Rock N Roll and about 20 years ago happened to get VERY SERIOUS into JAZZ and at the same time moved from BG to DB and along the way fell in LOVE with the Double Bass.I formed a half reasonable Trio of Piano ,Drums & Me on DB. We work about twice a week... more if we could get the work ( No I don't do this FULL TIME....I'd STARVE) Remember I'm at a disadvantage being here in Australia..... Jazz is NOT big here! And NO I havn't work with any Jazz Legends!

YOUR TURN !

Monte · #2 03-06-2003, 11:08 AM

Ooh, Ooh, time for the big EGO HEads!!!!

You know I get to play with lots of greats, since I live in THE jazz mecca of Oklahoma City. Well, at least Oscar Pettiford and Cecil McBee were from here!!

I'm 30 and play for fun, although I do it seriously. I'm constantly striving to get better, and I really have to push myself, because there aren't many players around here to do that for me.

I started later, going to college as a piano and guitar performance major. I was woefully unprepared for this. I wanted to play either in the jazz band at college, but he really needed a bassist who could read, so I gave Fender bass a shot. By second semester, I decided to give the real thing a shot, and took enough lessons to learn positions and the very basics. I stayed a very basic bass player through all of college and the few years after. I had loved jazz, and decided I wanted to get serious, and was getting a few gigs around town. I decided I was no longer interested enough in guitar to keep it up, so I sold everything and bought a bass of my own.

Then I started playing a lot with Stephen Fulton, who is a great jazz educator, trumpet, and decent drummer in his daughters quartet. He has worked with some of the best (he was director of the Clark Terry Jazz Camp when it was in Oklahoma and later at the Clark Terry Institute in Iowa) and I got serious over the last 2 years. I've spent a lot of time developing my sound and walking, and have started this year on trying to develop a soloing concept.

I work about 2-3 nights a week playing jazz, play in a church orchestra, play in a community orchestra, and freelance. I have a day job, which allows me to turn down gigs with Robert Goulet wannabees who have had their sense of taste removed.

I've been fortunate to back a few really good musicians who have come to town, and learned lots from them. I played with Don Lanphere (sax, played with Fats Navarro, not well known but his recent recording made Ira Gitlers Top 10 last year) twice, once in college and once in Wichita. I backed John Hicks when he was here this summer at an after-concert jam session. That was heaven; Louis Hayes on drums!! Freddie Bryant, who spends part of his time in Oklahoma as an Arts Council artist. Pete Christlieb a few years ago, at several local colleges where he did workshops. I have also managed to finagle short lessons with Ray Drummond and Christian McBride.

Monte

powermans · #3 03-06-2003, 03:23 PM

A GOOD READ MONTE!

Christian Mc Bride...... That would have been a buzz!

olivier · #4 03-07-2003, 12:06 AM

Powermans, we love you babe but this is TalkBass, not SHOUTBASS. You're not on TV, please behave.

olivier · #5 03-07-2003, 02:09 AM

But there's no room in the profiles to type in your story...

kip · #6 03-07-2003, 03:23 PM

Powermans:
I find this very interesting and a fun idea.

I have, however, just read the thread on Henry Grimes in this forum which reveals more about the character of many on th Dark Side than any bio would provide. Reaffirms the faith. Thank you Gentlemen.

powermans · #7 03-07-2003, 05:09 PM

To Oliver & Kip.... My sincere apologies if I have introduced a topic that might appear to ask YOU to tell me/us about yourselves!
I understood the heading of this particular Forum was "BASSISTS"... I didn't read in the fine print that the questions had to addressed to a certain level of Bassist.
I can pick up any bass mag and read about the likes of Ray Brown / La Faro/ Gomez/ Clayton.....etc
however, I sit here everyday and read GREAT info and ADVICE from MANY fellow "BASSISTS" from around the WORLD In THESE pages and, at the end of the day don't know "JACK ****" about that person except to see beside the print " Ed Fuqua New York"( Sorry Ed.... EXAMPLE). As it turns out I NOW KNOW TRUCK LOADS about ED. And I don't consider he has TICKETS on himself by telling ME and YOU about his background.... I happen to find it very interesting!

I'm NOT asking you for your Credit Card Details or how many times you get to BONK a week!

Finally, Oliver & Kip, IF THIS QUESTION IS CONSIDERED BY YOURSELVES AS OUT OF ORDER, would you kindly inform me and others WHO I should get CLEARANCE from to address this forum PRIOR to asking a question?

PS :- "ED.... OH TO LIVE & PLAY IN NEW YORK"!

nicklloyd · #8 03-07-2003, 05:44 PM

powermans-
I think OLIVIER was referring to your USE of CAPITAL letters when you are TYPING text. Capitals are generally read as a SHOUT. It's just a little annoying TO read when it IS here and THERE. Imagine talking to somebody and all of a sudden THEY START SHOUTING. Just back off the capital letters, man. That's all.
And, this thread is a fine topic, and nobody is annoyed by it.

powermans · #9 03-07-2003, 09:39 PM

It's the case of listening and playing too much led zepplin as a younger fellow! I type as I hear in real life... slightly deaf. however,nicklloyd point taken and received.
ps:- notice no capitals.

kip · #10 03-08-2003, 04:53 AM

???? I've got no problem here, never said I did.
I also like the idea of extended profile space.

Rob W · #11 03-08-2003, 09:17 AM

I don't really play Jazz, but I can talk of some of my other gigs, which are mostly orchestral.

In general, I am a freelancer in Toronto but my main orchestra gig is The Hamilton Philharmonic (Hamilton is the closest big city to Toronto - about 45 min away). I've been playing Assistant Principal there for 9 years, although for most of the current season I've been acting Principal. Recurring freelance gigs I play include, The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Orchestra, Sinfonia Mississauga/Mississauga Philharmonic and this season I've been subbing with the Toronto Symphony quite a bit since Joel Quarrington is away on leave. I've also done a rather large amount of chamber music this season which has been quite interesting.

Beyond that, there are always misc. pickup orchestras for anything you can imagine. This spring I'm going to be working on two such projects. One is a new kids show based on aboriginal folk tales with accompanying music and actors. The other is a concert performance of a new chamber opera followed by a CD recording of the opera.

One other main staple of my playing is playing electric bass for a Scottish Country Dance band called Bobby Brown and the Scottish Accent. The band is extremely busy playing for balls all across North America and has recorded extensively. This year we will also become the first band from outside of Scotland to record an album for the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society.

One of my past gigs was as bassist for 'The Phantom of the Opera' in Toronto. I subbed in the show for about 5 years and played fulltime for about a year and a half.

As for who I've worked with, the list is pretty varied:

Anne Murray
Rita McNeil
John Alan Cameron
Paul Stanley (of KISS)
Moe Koffman
Peter Appleyard
Carol Welsman
Skitch Henderson
Ray Charles
The Irish Tenors
Luciano Pavarotti
Placido Domingo
Michael Schade
Yes (Chris Squire, et al)
Andy Stewart
Jim Witter
Sherril Milnes
The Rankin Family
Marvin Hamlisch
Dudley Moore
Sir Andrew Davis
Jukka-Pekka Saraste
Elisabeth Batiashvili
Christopher Seaman
Anton Kuerti
Leila Josefowicz
Angela Hewitt

Orchestras are good that way - lots of big stars get booked during the seasons. The other thing that happens is big acts will come to town and need a local orchestra.

powermans · #12 03-08-2003, 05:02 PM

Rob W,

That's the thing in your line of Music, you get to work with such a wide range of talent... I mean the likes of Chris Squire and Paul Stanley to Pavoritti, that would certainly keep a broad spectrum on the music you perform.
I know a number of classical performers here in Brisbane who perform with the QSO. Most tend to gig outside of the orchestra whether, Jazz , teach ,or do recording sessions...as they say it's a nice way to add Cream to the Cake!

Nice read Rob!
Best Wishes

1smileymn · #13 08-20-2007, 04:51 PM

Again, I'm a newbie and would like to learn more about you guys. So here's a little info on myself...

I am about to graduate from James Madison University under Sam Cross, a wonderful man and teacher, if you haven't met him, you should!! In a short while I'll be moving out to Colorado to study at UNC in Greeley with Erik Applegate, and hopefully Ken Harper. I just bought a Kai Arvi bass, and have been playing now for 6 years or so. I've been fortunate enough to perform at the Montreal Jazzfest, North Sea Jazzfest, The Kennedy Center, and the Montreux Jazzfest. I sure don't make my living on the bass, but maybe down the line...It helps pay some of the bills currently though. Here's a list of who I have been lucky enough to play with over the past few years:

Lalo Davila, Andy Connell, Bob McChesney, Dick Oates, Jovino Santos Neto, Dave Pope, Gregory Yasinitsky, Vincent DiMartino, Aashish Khan, Salar Nader, Andre Leroux, Remi Bolduc, Hod’o Brien, Stephanie Nakasian, Paul Ellison, and Wells Hanley.

Best gig to date would have to be playing a few concerts with the great Sarode maestro Ashish Khan, Ali Akbar Khan's son and Salar Nader on tabla, a student of Zakir Hussein. The gig was for an indian music festival in Virginia, that I performed with them on three different occasions for in the span of a few weeks. I have never been so honored to play music in my entire life, and will cherish that for some time. The piece was a crossover jazz/indian piece written with a very basic raga form, included a jazz drummer, sax and trumpet and myself.

Anywho, that's enough about myself...I would like to hear more from the rest on board!

Marcus Johnson · #14 08-20-2007, 05:59 PM

Cool, smiley.... looks like a good start.

Gufenov · #15 08-20-2007, 07:36 PM

I get to BONK about once every six months...

Gufenov · #16 08-20-2007, 07:37 PM

And TONIGHT's the NIGHT!

Ike Harris · #17 08-21-2007, 02:11 PM

Here's a quickie snapshot - a little hypey due to the nature of the site, but a pretty good idea of what I've done. I'm mostly self-taught on bass outside a handful of lessons, although I was a tuba major in college then went back to teach string bass for several years. The bass in the pic is attributed to Bates C.1850 - Prescott school. I was trying to purchase it at the time but couldn't sell mine quick enough before it was sold out from under me.(Dang! - Had THE sound) Outside of playing two road gigs and free-lancing in town, I'm currently working on a book about doubling on electric and upright.

http://titanhotseven.com/bio_harris.htm

Ike

casio · #18 08-22-2007, 05:34 AM

Well,
I'm a 20 year old bass player with about 5 years of proffesional experience live and in the studio.
Most artists I've played with aren't really internationally popular, but as far as Croatia is concerned I've shared the stage with some really big folks and have managed to get my band out as much as possible, getting the top selling debut album in the last 15 years in Croatia.
just the fact that I got signed 3 years ago was a huge thing for me.
As far as live shows are concerned, I've managed to vary in venues and genres going rom blues and jazz to extreme metal (well, depends how you perceive extreme), and I'v done it in clubs of 50 people up to shows of thousands!
thats a short resume.
But i see some really cool folks here on the forum I'd love to get to know better, so this is an awesome thread!

Marc Piane · #19 08-26-2007, 07:51 AM

I played a gig with Loretta Swit. Ya know, Hot Lips Houlihan.

Sam Sherry · #20 08-27-2007, 07:57 AM

That's funny. 20+ years ago I played a few times with Gary Burghoff (sp?), the guy who played Radar O'Reilly in the MASH movie and the TV show. Nice guy and a perfectly decent jazz drummer, twice so when you consider the fact that he has one genetically small hand.

As for me, I am a struggling player.