I've been unemployed for the last month or so after being laid off (
), so I've had a good amount of free time lately. When I'm not looking for work, I've been playing a lot of bass and once in a while, when I'm really bored, I'll go down to my local GC just to kill some time.
So I was there yesterday playing a used Squire Jazz bass that some previous owner completely hotrodded (vintage Sunburst paint-job with no pick guard, Seymour-Duncan pups, new bridge (not sure on the specs), and an fretless fingerboard that looked like an ebony mirror
) I was also toying around with my usual obsession (Schecter Stiletto Elite 4). I was messing around for a while when a guy, probably around 45-50 years old, came out of nowhere and said "damn, you have great tone!". I said "yeah, it's probably the bass more than me". I showed him the bass, but he was obviously more interested in hearing me finish playing Continuum (as I said, I've had some free time so I'm getting my chops in shape big-time).
So he sat down on an amp across from me and we talked music for a while. Apparently he had seen Jaco live back in the Weather Report days, which I was thrilled about having been born only one year before his death
. We exchanged stories and opinions on a bunch of different bassists ranging from Jamerson to Flea, basses, bands, genres, and all the while he kept asking me to play this or that as he was apparently impressed by my skillz
. And thank God I had nothing to do, because we lost track of time and ended up sitting there for nearly 2 hours.
At some point, I realized that I hadn't seen him so much as touch a bass the whole time. When I asked why, he said he doesn't really play any more. He hasn't been in a band in years and just kinda "lost it", which I completely understand. And he went on to say, much to my liking, that he was content just chatting and watching me play.
But get this: After talking with me for so long and listening to me play, he was apparently (for lack of a better word) moved by the fact that such a young guy (I'm 24) knew so much about the old school bass legends and could play so much of the music that he grew up with. He told me that I made his day and that he was going to go home, pick up his bass again, and start practicing. We shook hands and parted with big fat smiles on our faces.
I can't tell you how awesome that felt.
