• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Bass is extinct!

#162
You watched What? I had a bad time like that once, too. Coming out of the unemployment office I got knocked over by a clumsy pickpocket, tripped over a black cat and fell under a ladder. When I got up, a crowd pushed me into the next door of the mall. It was a GC with a bunch of kids playing loud, distorted guitars out of tune, unintentional syncopation from the drum room and a duel between two showoffs slapping Ibanez basses. Running out of there with my hands over my ears I accidentally stepped on the support halibut of a girl on her way to a rally... … by the time the judge stopped laughing he let me go with a wink and a stern warning.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: retslock
#164
higain617 said:
Ahhhh, yes. The miracle of EZ Cheez.
Click to expand...

Indeed! Right up there with Pop Rocks, clip-on neckties, and Sea Monkeys!

Where is the Johnson Smith Company Catalog when you really need it? Now there’s a company that really “got it”!

1E93E3A7-0AE5-4648-AC5F-F11444841FE5.jpeg
 
#165
I'm bass player.. I enjoy all forms of bass.. synth or string.. it's like the superbowl it's a show- not really of any musical value.. so just take it for what it is.. it's not truly live.. I don't want anyone to mime it... just diminishes the instrument
 
#166
I remember when I started playing bass back in the early 90s. I was a band nerd and since I played trombone I was asked if I could play bass guitar for a band that was forming.

Eventually I fell in love with the instrument, but I remember when people asked us what instruments we played and I said “bass”, people had no idea what that was. One girl thought I played the bass drum.

Over the last 20 years I’ve watched the bass guitar become a much more popular instrument. It’s actually a first choice instrument for a lot of players now. Girls have gravitated towards the instrument as well.

Electronic music is more popular now than it ever was, but just general knowledge about the bass and the popularity of the bass guitar is far greater now than it was 20 years ago.
 
#167
40Hz said:
They had individual patrons. That’s a work for hire arrangement. The economics are totally different than flogging your talents in a public marketplace.

But that’s interesting in that most artistic endeavors were historically amateur in nature. The advent of professional artists initially came about through the grace of individual wealthy patrons and the nobility. Professional artists who are paid through performance fees (a share of the gate) are a relatively recent phenomenon.
Click to expand...
That's a pretty narrow definition of "professional." In a feudal system everyone needed patronage as there was no middle class. The idea of "work" as we understand it today is an Industrial Age concept.
Middle Age and Renaissance musicians that had royality or gentry patrons did well.
Again, to tie this back to The Voice, these singers are trying to earn the coach's patronage, who themselves rely on the patronage of media corporations. Seeing how as the American middle class is failing, this seems like an appropriate response.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fdeck
#168
The bass guitarist (Sasha Krivtsov) for that show is a solid player. He always has a great selection of basses and plays his parts perfectly. My wife watches it and I pop in to see what bass he’s got on. Lots of times it’s a Pino P or a 60th anniversary P. Lots of Guild, Gretsch (White Falcon) and other cool basses. The house band is full of solid players.
The final episode is always the worst to watch as a musician.
The live shows have some good stuff (well, a few real good songs per episode) and some pop and fluff. (Sounds like an episode of The Monkees as I look at that statement) but Sasha is plenty good enough for me.
 
#170
socialleper said:
That's a pretty narrow definition of "professional." In a feudal system everyone needed patronage as there was no middle class. The idea of "work" as we understand it today is an Industrial Age concept.
Middle Age and Renaissance musicians that had royality or gentry patrons did well.
Again, to tie this back to The Voice, these singers are trying to earn the coach's patronage, who themselves rely on the patronage of media
corporations. Seeing how as the American middle class is failing, this seems like an appropriate response.
Click to expand...

Possibly the only response when these people devide to play in a game with crooked opponents and a stacked deck.

To me it’s not worth it. So my response was: non serviam. But that’s me. If somebody else is comfortable playing that game they’ve got far more gumption and tolerance for nonsense than I have. But as Woody Allen so famously said: 80% of success is showing up. And the remaining 20% is being last to quit. So I wish those contestants well.

Interestingly enough, Michael League of Snarky Puppy and their label
Ground Up Music have a new distribution model project in the works that plays outside the industry rules and promises hope for a viable alternative to the same old same old. Check out this interview. The whole thing is worth listening to IMO. But the part I’m talking about starts around the 9:00 mark.

 
  • Like
Reactions: socialleper
#172
40Hz said:
Possibly the only response when these people devide to play in a game with crooked opponents and a stacked deck.

To me it’s not worth it. So my response was: non serviam. But that’s me. If somebody else is comfortable playing that game they’ve got far more gumption and tolerance for nonsense than I have. But as Woody Allen so famously said: 80% of success is showing up. And the remaining 20% is being last to quit. So I wish those contestants well.

Interestingly enough, Michael League of Snarky Puppy and their label
Ground Up Music have a new distribution model project in the works that plays outside the industry rules and promises hope for a viable alternative to the same old same old. Check out this interview. The whole thing is worth listening to IMO. But the part I’m talking about starts around the 9:00 mark.

Click to expand...

As much as I razz the "mainstream" and the Grammys, I tend to like Jazz Grammy winners. I dig Snarky Puppy and Bela Fleck.
I use Tidal for streaming because they pay musicians less terribly. If this guy gets a reasonable digital distribution system up, I will check it out.
 
#173
MasterMonkeyMan said:
Well. I am not a big fan but I did pay some mind to this year's "The Voice". I watched this evening's finale. Where's the bass?!?! I could hear it, but bass players were seriously missing.
The Doobie Brothers were there - 5 guitarists - Long Train Running - not a bass player to be seen! Okay, so I knew Esperanza Spalding was due up. "She'll make up for the lack of bass playing!" I thought to myself. But nooo!............. She came on with John Legend and sang - no bass! There was a standup bass player but it wasn't her. Most of the performances lacked a real bass. Keyboard bass yes. Bass players seriously lacking. Amazing.
I know it's commercial mainstream pop but......
I was happy with the winner though.....she's good, cute and from New Mexico!
Click to expand...
***** reality! : (
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back