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ALAIN CARON-GIVE HIM HIS PROPS!!!!

#2
Well, what can I say about Alain Caron...except that he's in my top 10 of favorite bassists and probably my greatest influence on the fretless bass!!!
Man, I just love Caron!!!:D
He's got everything: monster chops (also with slapping technique), major harmonic knowledge, exquisite tone, great feel and melodic taste...I love his solo albums, but Uzeb were in my opinion the best fusion band in the eighties (along with Yellowjackets and Elektric Band)...Alain had his own sound and style since the beginning, but he developed them in a major way...
He's just a bass giant!!!!:bassist:
 
#4
I am a huge fan of Alain Caron, since longer than I care to remember. I am one of the few who actually prefer his solo records than the UZEB period (gee, I saw them many times when they were called Eusebe Jazz, before they even recorded anything).
I concur with Bottomzone on the need to "give him props". I noticed, over the years, that less interesting bass players were getting far more recognition and credit, even within the bass player community, than Caron. Let's face it, there are not much players out there who are as competent on the fretless, the slapped fretted six-strings (he's been doing the double thumb technique and playing slapped melodies way much before - and better - than other bass players who somehow got recognized for "inventing " this style), the URB and on the six-strings acoustic fretless.
The only other that I know of who is in his league in terms of versatility and proficiency would be Brian Bromberg. But then, I think Caron is a more interesting musician than Bromberg, but this is of course, a matter of taste.
 
#8
About 12 years ago I was at "Top of the Senator" to see him play in Toronto. I distinctly remember those horrible leather pants he wore everywhere back then.
I was in the washroom minding my business when he comes in to take a leak, then a guy comes in and occupies the urinal next to him and starts talking to him and offers to shake his hand.

We had a good laugh at the bar about it afterward - although at the time I didn't get his autograph.

He's got a big ego though, and his English is such that he comes off a little arrogant...
 
#11
I think one of the reasons is that he's huge in France, Quebec and the Francophone world, but UZEB was pretty much off the radar in the States until Bass Player did some articles on him.
I was on a tour of Cafe Campus Clubs in Quebec in 1982 and they were using Live at Bracknell as walk-in music. The last day I was in Quebec City I went and found a Record Store and bought it on LP. From then on, any time I toured Canada it was a UZEB hunt. The ultimate score was a slightly used Compilation UZEB 7 disc set I bought while on a Canadian tour with Engelbert Humperdinck. I have UZEB in vinyl, cassette and CD. Needless to say he totally gets his props from me. What a genius and what a genius band!
 
#15
I love his ability to play lyrical fretless lines and then switch to his fretted bass to play amazingly precise thumb grooves. Watching his right hand when he slaps is as interesting to me as watching Gary Willis play. He's a machine. His ability to slap bop-esque solos is especially cool. My own slap technique is in large part a product of his cover story in bass player some years ago, vis a vis how he holds his right hand and uses his thumb, index and middle fingers in sequence on one string or across several.
 
#17
I always say this whenever an Alain Caron thread pops up, but I am really impressed with his authentic jazz playing on fretless acoustic bass guitar.

Check out his solo album "Conversations" as well as Frank Gambale's "Natural High" album. Mostly walking bass, plus he solos with an upright approach.
 

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