Playing out for the first time this week!

JimmyM · #1 04-25-2005, 02:26 AM

Well, after a month of serious 2-3 hours a day practice, I shall be playing my first gigs with my upright this week. I'm really stoked about it, too! At first I was just going to do some slapping and light ballads in my 50's-60's band, but I was just informed that another band I do gigs with wants us to do a jazz quartet for dinner before the main show on Thursday, so I told them I was bringing the upright. I got a bit of flack from the guitarist, but I told him to stop whining and get ready to be amazed...er...mildly impressed.

I have to double on electric on both gigs, so I bought an ABY box and I'll be running everything through one amp, an SWR SM-500 with a Tube Works 4 x 10". Should be fine. I can pretty much use all the same settings with my upright as my Fender Jazz, maybe just adjust the volumes a little and that's about it.

But I wanted to ask you guys for any advice or pearls of wisdom that I might not have thought about before I play out. So if you have anything to share, please pipe up.

Marty Forrer · #2 04-25-2005, 03:14 AM

Yeah Jimmy, when you're doing a jazz gig, standing on your bass or any other rockabilly tricks are a no-no! LOL!

JimmyM · #3 04-25-2005, 10:50 PM

Good one Marty! Yeah, I'll have to put on the stone face and hold my left arm up really high to be convincing at the jazz gig.

Well thank you all for the advice...got some good tips from Sam Sherry in a PM but that's about it. Keep 'em rolling in!

anonymous0726 · #4 04-26-2005, 02:26 AM

Don't chicken out after a tune or two, no matter how rotten you think it's going. Just hang in there -- and leave the Slab in the case until the loud stuff starts, just to help keep you honest...

mje · #5 04-26-2005, 06:49 AM

... and if you get totally overwhelmed, play roots. But play them with feeling!

JimmyM · #6 04-26-2005, 06:47 PM

Ray and mje, very good advice. I doubt I'll play roots all night, but I doubt you'll hear a lot of thumb position octave jumps out of me.

Ray, how did you know I was going to have my Fender Jazz right beside me as a backup in case I'm a dismal failure?

anonymous0726 · #7 04-26-2005, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Ray, how did you know I was going to have my Fender Jazz right beside me as a backup in case I'm a dismal failure?

After about 20 years of teaching I have seen your breed a few times

JimmyM · #8 04-27-2005, 02:30 AM

Well that tears it. The Jazz stays in the bag until the main show. I can stand being called a newbie, an amateur, or even a crappy double bassist, but I will not stand for being called a wuss! I'll make ya proud, Ray!

anonymous0726 · #9 04-27-2005, 08:07 AM

You go, girl!

thebeatcatcher · #10 05-02-2005, 08:32 PM

just remember to play louder than the guitar player and make the drummer follow you, no matter where you go...

JimmyM · #11 05-02-2005, 10:42 PM

Oh, I guess I should update...so Thursday night, we did our jazz trio thing before the main show, and I was really nervous but I didn't back down and I played the big bass both sets. But the instrumentation ended up being sax, piano and me, so I had to carry the beat as well as try to play in tune. And I did for the most part. It was far from perfect, but it really was a lot better than I had expected.

The next two nights I introduced the double bass to my oldies band. Again, I was nervous, but it was a lot easier playing oldies, and I didn't have to do the whole night on it. But by the end of the night, I'm slinging that bass around over my head, on the floor riding it like a horse, playing it like a guitar, and spinning it. You classical and hardcore jazz players would have been so proud of me! The crowd really dug it, too, so now we're going to learn more songs to work it in more, and once I get a little better, a feature solo or two.

So thank you all for the advice...I had so much fun I was almost disappointed when I played the Fender!

anonymous0726 · #12 05-03-2005, 12:40 AM

Cool beans!

I hope you were kidding about the aerobatics?

JimmyM · #13 05-03-2005, 04:31 AM

Well Ray...you see...um...yeah, sure, I was kidding...yeah, kidding...

I play in a high energy oldies band, and when I start playing those rockabilly and swing tunes, things happen and next thing you know you've got the bass over your head and the crowd is going nuts. When I get as good as you maybe I won't have to resort to them, but that's quite a ways off, you know?

Doug Ring · #14 05-03-2005, 05:49 AM

You've got the bass over your head? You mean you fell down?

anonymous0726 · #15 05-03-2005, 06:28 AM

Marcus Johnson · #16 05-03-2005, 10:53 AM

Good going, Jimmy. The first is the hardest, just because of the psych value. Now you have that out of the way.

JimmyM · #17 05-04-2005, 01:51 AM

Thanks, Marcus. I'm seeing what you mean now. It does get easier and I get more confident every day.

BTW, good one, Doug, and if I thought I could get away without breaking something (namely my leg or arm), I'd fall down with it in a New York minute!

Bass stunts are silly, I know, but the crowd really gets into them. I learned all these stunts from my new pal Marshall Lytle of Bill Haley and the Comets, who pretty much invented them. I've been working with them a lot lately (I have a gig with them this Friday at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City as a matter of fact), and a finer band you will not find. They are all virtuosos and a real inspiration to be around. They're between the ages of 70 and 84, and they have more energy than 20 year olds. So when people goof on me for doing stunts, I just tell them to check out Marshall.