Agreed. A unique voice. I remember seeing him and AJ backing Paul Simon a long time ago.
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Anthony Jackson
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Agreed. A unique voice. I remember seeing him and AJ backing Paul Simon a long time ago.
I just bought the Steve Khan CD 'suitcase', it's a fantastic album musically, but it also really highlights Anthony's bass playing, you can hear every note played.
I was also watching the Michel Petrucciani DVD last night, that's a must for any AJ fan.
You get some very good close up shots, you can see the high action on his bass, and his thumb playing technique is really weird looking, but great never the less.
I was also watching the Michel Petrucciani DVD last night, that's a must for any AJ fan.
You get some very good close up shots, you can see the high action on his bass, and his thumb playing technique is really weird looking, but great never the less.
I agree! I think Khan's bands are some of the best showcases for the power of Jackson's work, and Suitcase is no exception.The recording quality is great, I don't know why they never released it before now. In the liner notes Khan talks about how highly Chambers though of it.
This is a little obscure, but if you can find the 'Quintet Live' CD by Roland Vazquez, Anthony's playing and tone is just stunning. Roland is a Michigan drummer/precussionist who is associated with the University of Michigan, and has been playing with Anthony on and off for many, many years. I saw the quartet version of this group a couple years ago in Ann Arbor, in a 'concert hall' that sat about 50 people (more like a living room) and it was just totally smoking!
As others have mentioned, the Lee Ritenour DVD is also a 'must have' to sample Anthony's approach to fusion and pop jazz.
Totally amazing DVD. I didn't want to buy in the beginning but then I decided otherwise. I also enjoyed a lot Mevin Lee Davis on the same DVD, I didn't know him before.
As said in other posting, I really like a lot as well the Michel Petrucciani "non stop travel" DVD, a very classy playing by all members, plus I had a great time discov ering a bit of Petrucciani in the several interviews on the DVD: a person whose talent, sense of humor and intelligence was definitely way bigger than what his small body would ever contain....
The Vazquez album 'Further Dance' also has the band with Anthony going live & direct to two track, awesome sound!
On that Ritenour DVD, it's kinda cool to see AJ sitting next to a GKRB800.
My copy of 'The Suitcase' (Kahn, Jackson, Chambers live in 1994) just arrived. Oh my, oh my, oh my!
If you are a fan of that Anthony era where he attempted to make his bass sound as close to a 9 foot grand piano as possible, this is the disc for you. Anthony even does a long, unique intro on the title cut that is really something, and Chambers is in all his 'chops and groovin' glory.
This is a special performance if you dig Anthony. It's a double CD and the recording is beautiful, with great liner notes. At the moment, it's an import only, or was when I ordered it a while back from Amazon for around $30 (Edit: the US version is now available for a great price... just get this!). I'm sure the price will come down.
Worth every penny IMO.
If you are a fan of that Anthony era where he attempted to make his bass sound as close to a 9 foot grand piano as possible, this is the disc for you. Anthony even does a long, unique intro on the title cut that is really something, and Chambers is in all his 'chops and groovin' glory.
This is a special performance if you dig Anthony. It's a double CD and the recording is beautiful, with great liner notes. At the moment, it's an import only, or was when I ordered it a while back from Amazon for around $30 (Edit: the US version is now available for a great price... just get this!). I'm sure the price will come down.
Worth every penny IMO.
There'll be a new cd with that turkish piano player whose name i can't remember just now.
I was not into the first one all that much but this time he has a bigger band with him( I think it's the current mike stern group but with el negro on drums) might be interesting.
+ BIG NUMBER on the suitcase!!
It was one of the best gigs I ever saw at that venue.
Great to get the chance to hear it all again!!
I was not into the first one all that much but this time he has a bigger band with him( I think it's the current mike stern group but with el negro on drums) might be interesting.
+ BIG NUMBER on the suitcase!!
It was one of the best gigs I ever saw at that venue.
Great to get the chance to hear it all again!!
It's this one...
I'd love to hear more of Aydin Esen . His name I had not forgotten...I think he's quite excellent, judging from the very limited exposure I have had to his work
I just ordered anadolu.
Ooohps, I just received the new fahir atakoglu album.
Well it could really be good, given the band ( stern,krantz, hernandez, francescini)
but the piano playing completely puts me off as I just think it is not up to the standard exhibited by the others on the album.
I find the compositions rather lame too, and the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired( it is too dense to me...similar thing I feel about the Flashpoint album with aydin esen).
On the whole, I think I'll sell it again.
I felt the same thing about the previous album by him( with hernandez on drums and jackson on bass)on which I felt that he was completely blown out of the water by those stellar sidemen...hmmm
Well it could really be good, given the band ( stern,krantz, hernandez, francescini)
but the piano playing completely puts me off as I just think it is not up to the standard exhibited by the others on the album.
I find the compositions rather lame too, and the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired( it is too dense to me...similar thing I feel about the Flashpoint album with aydin esen).
On the whole, I think I'll sell it again.
I felt the same thing about the previous album by him( with hernandez on drums and jackson on bass)on which I felt that he was completely blown out of the water by those stellar sidemen...hmmm
This has probably already been posted elsewhere, but what the heck. Great tone!!!
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That's great ElMon! I have stills from that vid but have never seen that one.
Lots of footage of his palm muting technique(s).
And Paulinho's no slouch, either.
He kills me with his continuous roll technique on the pandeiro.
Thanks!
Lots of footage of his palm muting technique(s).
And Paulinho's no slouch, either.
He kills me with his continuous roll technique on the pandeiro.
Thanks!
One other important factor to mention about AJ is that he was and is very influential, but seems to have few soundalikes, partly because his profile is lower than "famous" guys Marcus Miller or Victor Wooten, and also, he is a player and doesn't appear to compose (he doesn't have a solo album AFAIK), but mostly because it is so damn hard to even try and sound like him!
I am in the process of transcribing all the tracks I can find with AJ, and believe me he is way beyond "chops" or "technique". One thing that, imho, sets him apart from most bass players is his note choice. Even at the most rapid tempos and demanding situations, when you write his bass part out and analyze it, you could make another song out of it. Also, I have heard people say how other players have more "chops", but AJ's execution is among the best there is. Check out tracks like El Realejo from Rendezvous, Captain Fingers on the Overtime DVD, or even Heed The Warning from What 'cha Gonna Do For Me - they are very, very hard to play with the same clarity and feel! At the other extreme, check out his work with Steely Dan and Donald Fagen - I.G.Y on The Nightfly is a masterclass in almost machine-like evenness and consistency, but still with feel and groove. It seems to me he has studied a fair amount of classical music too as his playing has real dynamic changes, sounding less like an electric and more like an acoustic instrument at times.
I feel no shame in trying to imitate as much of his style as I can, because it will only make me a better player, and I may even find more of myself on the way...
With regard to slapping, I am sure he would do it, and do it well, if he thought it would be the right part for the track or where he wanted to go with the bass... perhaps he feels he has enough different techniques to hand already?
Oh, +1 for the Ritenour Live at the Coconut Grove DVD, absolutely fantastic playing - at times you can't believe this is a one-take live situation, they're so tight... great musical drum solo at the end of one of the tracks by Harvey Mason too...
All musicians lose gigs. As he has played on probably hundreds if not thousands of tracks it is not surprising if he got called by someone who didn't know who he really was, or couldn't see past the lack of strap buttons on his bass! Maybe he didn't want the gig either, who knows?
He is also amongst the most versatile of players - there are very few bassists that have played in as many different styles and situations. As his recordings show, he is a master of latin, flamenco, jazz, avant garde, pop, rock, funk, you name it. When I saw him at Ronnie Scott's last year he and Dave Weckl were playing in almost a hip-hop style at times, very contemporary in feel. Perhaps the nicest touch was that before he went out to play he sat in the audience and watched the house band. He was really digging it and tapping his foot. He is here for the music and nothing else. A genius.
I am in the process of transcribing all the tracks I can find with AJ, and believe me he is way beyond "chops" or "technique". One thing that, imho, sets him apart from most bass players is his note choice. Even at the most rapid tempos and demanding situations, when you write his bass part out and analyze it, you could make another song out of it. Also, I have heard people say how other players have more "chops", but AJ's execution is among the best there is. Check out tracks like El Realejo from Rendezvous, Captain Fingers on the Overtime DVD, or even Heed The Warning from What 'cha Gonna Do For Me - they are very, very hard to play with the same clarity and feel! At the other extreme, check out his work with Steely Dan and Donald Fagen - I.G.Y on The Nightfly is a masterclass in almost machine-like evenness and consistency, but still with feel and groove. It seems to me he has studied a fair amount of classical music too as his playing has real dynamic changes, sounding less like an electric and more like an acoustic instrument at times.
I feel no shame in trying to imitate as much of his style as I can, because it will only make me a better player, and I may even find more of myself on the way...
With regard to slapping, I am sure he would do it, and do it well, if he thought it would be the right part for the track or where he wanted to go with the bass... perhaps he feels he has enough different techniques to hand already?
Oh, +1 for the Ritenour Live at the Coconut Grove DVD, absolutely fantastic playing - at times you can't believe this is a one-take live situation, they're so tight... great musical drum solo at the end of one of the tracks by Harvey Mason too...
All musicians lose gigs. As he has played on probably hundreds if not thousands of tracks it is not surprising if he got called by someone who didn't know who he really was, or couldn't see past the lack of strap buttons on his bass! Maybe he didn't want the gig either, who knows?
He is also amongst the most versatile of players - there are very few bassists that have played in as many different styles and situations. As his recordings show, he is a master of latin, flamenco, jazz, avant garde, pop, rock, funk, you name it. When I saw him at Ronnie Scott's last year he and Dave Weckl were playing in almost a hip-hop style at times, very contemporary in feel. Perhaps the nicest touch was that before he went out to play he sat in the audience and watched the house band. He was really digging it and tapping his foot. He is here for the music and nothing else. A genius.
How good is Anthony?! Wow... I love that DVD. So many stand-out moments for AJ on there.
That's great ElMon! I have stills from that vid but have never seen that one.
Lots of footage of his palm muting technique(s).
And Paulinho's no slouch, either.
He kills me with his continuous roll technique on the pandeiro.
Thanks!
You need to pick up that DVD, Brad! It's a must for every AJ fan.
