Why has this guy hardly been mentioned at TalkBass?

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

I think he's an awesome musician/band leader. His band is terrific and the bass player, Lamar Jones, has a great tone and groove.

Brian Culbertson - So Good (live, 2009) - YouTube

[Jhengsman]

Perhaps because his genre of choice is smooth jazz and we get little love from the pop side, or the jazz side. But maybe just a little love from the funk side

[DiabolusInMusic]

What the previous guy said, nobody listens to jazz anymore. People like basic stuff made by a machine these days, with lyrics about waking up drunk somewhere or partying....


On a side note, I think "proposition Joe" from HBO's "The Wire" is on guitar.... haha

[RyanJD]

That was excellent. Thanks for sharing.

[SlingBass4]

Yowza! THAT was not only a ton of fun by roomful of impressive players - it was smokin'

[nutdog]

And yet another bass player I've never heard of that's much better than me.

They did tear that one up

[MrLenny1]

I have been grooving on Sergio Groove for 2 years now.
He is a Brazilian bassist who is amazing yet no one knows him in the USA.
US audiences are not into diverse music at all and certainly not Jazz.
Thanks for the You Tube clip.

[Ayce]

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

I think he's an awesome musician/band leader. His band is terrific and the bass player, Lamar Jones, has a great tone and groove.

Brian Culbertson - So Good (live, 2009) - YouTube

Same reason we don't see this guy discussed here much.
Alain Caron - No Left Turn On The Tuesday - YouTube

I was introduced to this guy through a french (as in from France) drummer, of all things.

Out in left field there somewhere.

[Hopkins]

Wow thanks for sharing. That was some high energy awesome right there.

[tekdiver500ft]

He is hardly mentioned because he's nothing special, plays in an unknown band, in a genre that isn't hugely popular. He's good, but not showy, and showy is popular around here.

[nutdog]

Originally Posted by multiman

Could be because, as good as he is, it's pretty generic (somewhat outdated) playing. And the music kinda sucks.

Wow, man!?!

Jammin your hiney off with a high level of skill and musicianship will never be outdated. Comments like this should always be accompanied with a video link of yourself performing music that doesn't suck in a less generic fashion.

[tdub0199]

Thanks for sharing that!!!! Full of Awesome!!!!

[JAUQO III-X]

I've known Lamar for forever and he's always been a talented and very versatile bassist.

Here's more info on Lamar.

Welcome to the OFFICIAL Lamar Jones Website



Larry Graham
Brian Culbertson
Nick Colionne
Nelson Rangell
Soleil Moon Band
Issac Hayes
Sylenna Johnson
Steve Cole
Jeff Lorber
Paul Jackson Jr.
Marion Meadows
Bill Dickens
George Duke
Silk
Eric Darius
Ledisi
Boney James
Earth, Wind & Fire
The Thompson Community Singers
Yolanda Adams
Fred Hammond
Tramaine Hawkins
Kirk Franklin
Mary Mary
Mike Manson
Kirk Whalum
Steve Vai
Dave Hollister
Down to the Bone
Brian Culbertson
Kevin Whalum
Craig Chaquico
Maysa Leak
Mary J. Blige
Remixes: Janet Jackson
Lashell Griffin
Brenda Russell

And here he is with Larry Graham.

Larry Graham, Brian Culbertson & The Funk All-Stars Live in Osaka, Japan - YouTube

[DWBass]

I'm quite sure he's been mentioned here. I'm almost sure I did. Great player. Lots of chops but not an overplayer!

[SteveC]

Originally Posted by nutdog

And yet another bass player I've never heard of that's much better than me.

They did tear that one up

Yet an entire room of musicians that are better than me!

[DWBass]

Nobody listens to Jazz anymore? Really? Show up at a Jazz Fest sometime and check out the patronage! You'd be surprised!

[KJung]

Great players. IMO on the OP's question, smooth jazz has kind of turned into that 'one chord modal vamp' thing at this point. Great chops, amazing production/sound/recording, good energy, and very little musical content of interest.

As a bass player, I can still enjoy this stuff on a technical level (i.e., all these 'smooth jazz slapper guys' are cool to listen to from a technical perspective).

However, most sound VERY much the same, and are of little interest to 'non bassists'.

NAMM was full of these guys slappin' in E, and by the second day, I wanted to buy a handgun (to use on myself).

IMO. Fun music to play, and it takes a lot of talent. But, not much there for the non musician listener, and again, there are a TON of these types of players around. Just spend a couple hours listening to the smooth jazz station on XM radio.... pretty much sounds like one long song with the same players (especially bass and drums) playing.

IMO.

[DWBass]

In defense of the genre, many times what you get in concert is NOT what you hear on the radio! It also depends on the act as well. Brian Culbertson ALWAYS puts on a good show! Spyro Gyra ALWAYS puts on a good show!

[KJung]

Originally Posted by multiman

Nah, that wouldn't do any good because it's too easy to say you don't like something -- especially if you have a motive to do so. Besides, it's all subjective.

But I stand by my comment. i said he was good...he's real good... just nothing extraordinary and the music is boring. And yes, jamming IS outdated. Today, even among instrumental bands, tight arrangements, short solos and strong compositions are what relates. Slapping on E pentatonic over a funk vamp in E is not gonna sell any records. Who CAN'T do that? lol

+1 Has nothing to do with the player's individual skill, but that context is pretty overdone at this point.

I kind of describe this sort of playing as similar to watching a monkey juggle at the circus

- It is difficult
- I can't do it
- It took the monkey a long time to learn it
- who cares!

[GrooveWarrior]

I've been digging Culbertson for years. I guess he structures his recording sessions like this. Would be a lot of fun to play with.

The guitar player is Ray Parker, Jr. He is the one who did the song Ghostbusters back in the day. He is a session player who shows up on a lot of credit lists now.