talk amongst yourselves

[Marc Piane]

So the cover of this month's Downbeat features the Branford Marsalis Quartet. There is one part in there where the article that I found especially thought provoking. Read and discuss.

Branford: In 1941 Duke Ellington's band was playing with two mics placed about 18 feet in front of the band, 18 feet high and 16 feet away, and you can hear the bass crystal clear with no amp or mic. That's the sound I want. The bass player had to think about the team.

Eric Revis: I've had this argument with several bass players. They say "why can't we play lines? I want to play like Charlie Parker.

Branford: Then get a guitar

Revis: The misconception exists that the bass has to be liberated. Liberated from what? Did Wilbur Ware need to be liberated from anything? Does Charlie Haden?

This is just an excerpt. Eric goes on to talk about developing his own voice and the process therein. Interesting read.

[damonsmith]

Originally Posted by fingers

So the cover of this month's Downbeat features the Branford Marsalis Quartet. There is one part in there where the article that I found especially thought provoking. Read and discuss.

Branford: In 1941 Duke Ellington's band was playing with two mics placed about 18 feet in front of the band, 18 feet high and 16 feet away, and you can hear the bass crystal clear with no amp or mic. That's the sound I want. The bass player had to think about the team.

Eric Revis: I've had this argument with several bass players. They say "why can't we play lines? I want to play like Charlie Parker.

Branford: Then get a guitar

Revis: The misconception exists that the bass has to be liberated. Liberated from what? Did Wilbur Ware need to be liberated from anything? Does Charlie Haden?

This is just an excerpt. Eric goes on to talk about developing his own voice and the process therein. Interesting read.

- I think both are possible. I can play the full range of sounds the bass can make in most situations I play in with no mic or amp.
I decided to use an amp for my last three double bass gigs, it does help with making the time more crisp and easy.
If an ensemble can play together in real time a two mics out front recording is no problem.
In other periods I read Duke recorded the band through the bass mic.

I saw Matt Brewer unamplfied in a big hall with the Lee Konitz trio and he had no trouble taking his share of the solos, and played with a really interactive concept.

If you look at small groups as boiled down orchestras it is not just the low end the bass needs to take care of but the string section.
It is rare that an orchestral piece has low end pumping the whole time.
Working with extra colors give the lows more power when you bring them in.
So, I sort of agree, and at least don't totally disagree.

[Zachmozach]

There's no one way that's right to play bass (or to live). I personally like the concept of being able to play many different ways so that you have the freedom of choice to choose what's right for you and the group in the moment. Playing horn lines on a bass is cool, but so is playing like a bass. Why limit yourself to one even if your voice means you'll play one way. So amp or no amp is fine and I appreciate both sounds but prefer for myself to have an amp on as low as I possibly can and still be heard and more importantly felt.

[Sam Sherry]

It all comes down to the player, the band and the situation. The last time I saw Branford's band was at Newport on the big stage. I was sitting five feet away from the PA booth. The crew was not on coffee break.

I don't want to be liberated from anything. I don't want to play like Charlie Parker. I sure would love to be able to play what Branford Marsalis plays!

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Different players having different approaches to what they're trying to do with their bands is what makes the world go around. These statements are only a challenge of/criticism towards the rest of the music world if someone decides to bother taking them that way. I happen to really like a lot of Branford's music. It doesn't really bother me what he says as long as the music is happening, and in his case, it usually is.

[Marc Piane]

Agreed all around. Branford likes to stir stuff up. I remember him slamming Brecker's playing on a ballad in a Blindfold Test and going of on the bass player on a Von Freeman record.

So the other thing I found interesting was that this view is very neo-traditionalist. Eric said that at the time he was really into Peter Kowald and William Parker (though he admits that Branford gave him lotsa of sh** about it). In a different interview Eric talk about how he got into the Knitting Factory scene for a while and was also playing a bunch of live hip hop stuff.

I guess it just goes to show what a well rounded player he is. He landed where he landed because that is what moved him... not from being closed minded.

[Marc Piane]

Here's that interview. It's long.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

http://www.csufresno.edu/kfsr/Jazzinterviews.html

[damonsmith]

Being an artist often means taking a stand. If Eric was into Kowald and Parker he would probably play like them.
I can get into Eric's playing because it is so fundamental.