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Anthony Jackson

#85
cnltb said:
There is a number of discs by roland vasquez, one of them a life album.
The Playing on all of them is qui9te good, I'd say.
Hamp's Blues is another interesting one and the same goes for "opposites attract" by paul dresher and ned rothenberg.
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The album ' Further Dance' from about the years ago was recorded direct to two track and is excellent AJ!
 
#86
Belka said:
:hyper:It's not a complete album but one of the most ridiculous AJ basslines I know of is on an old Harvey Mason album called "Funk in a Mason Jar". The track with AJ on is an instrumental called "Phantazia" It's pre-Fodera so I presume it's the career girl and features the pick in a big way.That's one insane track.
Also check out Quincy Jones' "Sounds...and stuff like that"
That album is mainly Anthony and the bass playing is sick.

Oh, one more killer Anthony track to hear, this time a ballad, is "Being with you" from George Benson's "In your Eyes" He turns that simple ballad inside out. By the way, does anyone know what bass he'd be playing on that, it's a 1983 album so I'd guess it's pre-Fodera but doesn't sound like his jazz bass at all? Might it be a Smith?

By the way, as a request, has anybody got any photos of Anthony with his earlier Fodera contrabasses, I mean right back to the early eighties, twin pickup-equipped double cutaway ones? Would be much appreciated.
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I'm lucky enough to own one. I can get you pics of the bass only... I know, not quite the same thing.
:D
 
#87
JimK said:
One of the best-ever interviews by Guitar Player mag was the AJ feature (Jan '86/Robert Fripp cover). It's roughly TEN pages long...
Anyway, when asked about his preferred wide-string spacing on his then 6-string basses (e.g. Ken Smith)-
"...solely to duplicate the string spacing on my Fender 4-string, which I've owned since 1972 & feel very comfortable with.
It's odd, because the instrument has a Precision neck on a Jazz body, which means that it has Precision nut spacing, although mine was narrower than usual, & Jazz bridge spacing."

I recall another interview where he went into more detail about the Fender/'career girl"...IIRC, it's in a Bass Player mag.

More from the Guitar Player article-
Carl Thompson built AJ's 1st 6-string in 1975. It has a 34" scale & was not used too much because the strting spacing was too tight (AJ admits he did not spec it out properly for Thompson). Also mentioned is a 44" scale Carl Thompson bass that was never played in public (impractical to finger, would have had to been played in cello position).

At this time (Jan '86), AJ is using two(2) 34" scale Ken Smiths...he does mention that Vinnie Fodera(ex-Ken Smith partner) is building an "Anthony Jackson" model that is a 36" scale.
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I remember reading that article. I was always a big fan and it was pretty cool that we had the same taste in instruments, spacing and setup. Made me feel like I might at least be on the right track;). At the time I had (and still have) a 68 Jazz... with a P bass neck.
:bassist:
 
#88
Some more pics...

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AJ40.gif


AJ34-1.gif


AJ27.gif


AJ-Cliff.gif


Trioankarasahne3.gif


TrioFaces.gif
 
#89
Dr. Cheese said:
The funny thing is that in terms of sheer chops, Randy can hang with Anthony. I don't believe that Randy can equal Anthony Jackson's musical vision, but I suspect very, very few of us on this Earth are in AJ's league as a bass visionary.:cool:
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I remember listening to Randy doing fusion back in the day. Around the same time AJ did "Race with Devil on Spanish Highway" with Al DiMeola.:eek:. Doubling Al's guitar lines.:eek:. I never heard Randy do anything like that. In terms of sheer chops, IMO, AJ doesn't sound as predictable. Randy's nice but when it comes to note choice (much harder than playing a lick faster and faster)... well, it's all a matter of opinion.
:cool:

The Chaka Khan projects are great examples of seriously outside the box bass playing.
 
#93
pmaraziti said:
I ordered it just now together with Lee Ritenour DVD "Overtime"

Anthony is a great player, he's one of my idols !

I have also a question on his current Fodera, what's the string spacing at bridge, 18 ? 19mm ?

Thanks a lot !

Paolo
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I like that Lee Ritenour DVD, although,for the most part, the music is not quite my "cup of tea".
My favourite songs are the ones with Ivan Lins...by a loooong way!!
 
#95
JimK said:
...then you're about as bad as I am.
(at least you have a basement).
;)

I wouldn't mind seeing your '68 Jazz with the P-neck. Back in the '80s, I went the other way...I outfitted my '64 P-bass with a Jazz neck.
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I bought it back in the early 80's. A guy sold me the bass and a 2-12 Silvertone tube amp for $125. Apparently someone at a store convinced him his neck was bad when had the store change his strings (remember when people did that?), put the new 77 P Bass neck on and kept his neck. I know the 68 necks were problematic so maybe it was all above. Then again this guy was pretty clueless about bass so maybe it wasn't.

The neck is still like new and the body has very mild checking and is otherwise original. I did try a Bad Ass II but didn't like how it seemed to suck the life out of the sound. It's a nice Jazz but once I played an Ash one (this was Alder) it was all over for me.

It kind of figures I'd put it in this picture with my AJ (I was just grabbing five basses, sticking them on the couch and taking pics):

DCP_0945.jpg
 
#98
I saw him at ICMP in London last year, he was, need I say fantastic.

When he came into the place though, he was wearing splints on both wrists, quite worrying, he had used to use a very heavy strings and have a high action on a 36' scale instrument.

I was told the other day about him being sacked from one tour because he refused to stand up to play, he suffers from arthritis in his feet, I can't remember who the artist was.

When I saw him he was playing through an Ashdown rig, he didn't seem very happy with it, but his sound was fantastic never the less.
 
#99
Do you have an idea what gauges of strings he actually uses?
When you say "very heavy" how heavy is that?

Also; What are splints?

Interesting to hear he was sacked off a tour for not standing up... how would one suggest he play that bass,as it has no strap buttons?
I heard he once lost a gig for not wanting to learn the music and rather read.--But don't quote me on this as it was a mere rumor I heard a number of years ago.
 

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