Solo Bass Recording

jfkbass · #1 03-13-2009, 12:33 PM

I wrote/recorded this piece a few weeks back for a dance company. The writing is a little "program-atic" (is that a word), but generally, i'm pretty pleased with the bass playing. Just wanted to share with my fellow-TB-ers...Don't be shy, I can take some constructive criticism. Thanks to everyone's ears.

Have a good weekend.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/3xzulzzddnh/Off the Grid.mp3

I'm new to this, so hopefully, the link works. If not, someone let me know and I'll try something else.

Scroller · #2 03-22-2009, 05:14 PM

Nobody's posted any comments to this..???

I really enjoyed it. Nice tone. Nice, sensitive playing. Something tells me you could really cut loose if you wanted to though. If I had your talent, I would have thrown a few a few psycho passages in there ala Avery Sharpe (see McCoy Tyner's Remembering John - amazing!), just to keep the listeners on their toes

. Loved the closing riff. What a great tune you could make out of that!

(edit) Whoops, just saw that you wrote this for a dance company, hence the laid-back nature of the piece...

Paul Warburton · #3 03-22-2009, 07:15 PM

I really liked that, man. Very original. Nice, warm and woody sound. Good feel and vibe.
Right on.

JtheJazzMan · #4 03-22-2009, 07:28 PM

if youre going to try the bass-drone approach, a cool thing to explore is using different modes over the 1 drone note, or "upper extension" progressions over the drone.

john coltrane tried that sort of thing

Paul Warburton · #5 03-22-2009, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JtheJazzMan

if youre going to try the bass-drone approach, a cool thing to explore is using different modes over the 1 drone note, or "upper extension" progressions over the drone.

john coltrane tried that sort of thing

No ****?

RDW · #6 03-22-2009, 08:51 PM

I like the entire piece, but the groove you hit from 4:02 to about 4:50 is especially nice.

jfkbass · #7 03-23-2009, 05:04 PM

appreciate all the input gentlemen....

scroller--i have u fooled. i couldn't whip out any fast licks!! but seriously, i'm 32 years old and have finally realized that i always sound best when i just try and play what i hear in my head and it almost never includes anything fast or notey.

PW--i'm honored. i take alot of pride in my sound, so to get a compliment from a b-mfer like u, well damn, it feels pretty good.

two gut string on the top, steel on the bottom, couldn't tell you what either of them are. our own BAJO gave me the guts a few years back so maybe he can chime in. someone else asked me to write another short solo piece, i should be done with it in a month or so.

much love for everyone's time..

Scroller · #8 03-24-2009, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfkbass

scroller--i have u fooled. i couldn't whip out any fast licks!! but seriously, i'm 32 years old and have finally realized that i always sound best when i just try and play what i hear in my head and it almost never includes anything fast or notey.

Well, that's a good philosophy. I'm 39, and these days I am more of a listener/enthusiast of the instrument rather than a player...

My problem is, much of what I hear in my head is waaayy too fast and notey, and the chances of me ever playing it are closer to slim and none

. I would say just keep developing what you're already doing. It sounds great.

damonsmith · #9 03-24-2009, 01:39 AM

Nice sound. I prefer the solo bass to when the other elements are added. I am working in duo with a great dancer now, I find the pizz playing a real challenge, an arco line just seems to fit better even when the dance gets angular, so I am working on pizz a lot with her. I actually got some nice, light and quick pizzicato flurries to work last time. Of course, at a certain point I just give in to the impulse to play arco.

As far as pitch/harmonic content, the interesting thing is that specific pitch and harmonic choices are not going to make as much difference with dance, it is more about the arc of tension and release and the overall gesture.

As for playing what is in your head, John Cage, who made lots of works for his partner Merce Cunningham's dance company, said if you can hear music in your head, just listen to there! He was more interested in finding music he could not previously imagine.
So I think just keeping that in mind as another option could be a good thing, very often the music we hear in our head gets
same-y.

"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones." - John Cage

jfkbass · #10 03-24-2009, 08:54 AM

i really appreciate you guys giving my piece a listen. i know there's lots of music posted, so for you guys to take the time to not only listen, but create dialog, is really inspiring.

i grappled with adding the other instruments as well. when i used to play the piece live, it was just me. where the flute plays, i would, well, i wouldn't call it "singing", but rather vocalize. when i was doing it in the studio, it just sounded bad.

i didn't explain myself very well when i said "i try to play the music that's in my head"...what i should've said is "i'm trying to play the music that i want to play". i think that more clearly states my feelings. the way i originally stated it sounds too contented, which, we don't know each other so this wouldn't be clear, but i'm FAR from content.

thanks again