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Bill Dickens

#62
C'mon guys, it's a namm show. You're supposed to wank all over the bass at those. Don't judge the man out of context. If he was doing a folk gig, I can almost guarantee he'd play for the song. Jesus, bass players are always the first to cast stones. In the words of Richard Pryor, "be happy for any brother doin' anything.." We know it ain't easy gettin paid to play bass in today's environment. Why knock somebody for succeeding when I bet most of you peoples ain't? Opinions are like ********, everybody's got one... IMO.. dig?

There's a time and place for everythang, that was the time and place to wank, fer sher.
 
#64
dhadleyray said:
C'mon guys, it's a namm show. You're supposed to wank all over the bass at those. Don't judge the man out of context. If he was doing a folk gig, I can almost guarantee he'd play for the song. Jesus, bass players are always the first to cast stones. In the words of Richard Pryor, "be happy for any brother doin' anything.." We know it ain't easy gettin paid to play bass in today's environment. Why knock somebody for succeeding when I bet most of you peoples ain't? Opinions are like ********, everybody's got one... IMO.. dig?

There's a time and place for everythang, that was the time and place to wank, fer sher.
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+100

and for the record, he's still got a solid groove going through that whole thing.
 
#65
dhadleyray said:
C'mon guys, it's a namm show. You're supposed to wank all over the bass at those. ....Opinions are like ********, everybody's got one... IMO.. dig?

There's a time and place...
Click to expand...

Indeed, and this forum is the place to share our opinions. That said, if I could wank like Bill and was at the NAMM show, I'd probably wank all over the place! Previous opinion rescinded and revised. :D :eyebrow: :D
 
#67
I'm quite sure that he's an amazing player. He's got signature basses and cabinets FCS!! :)

Seriously though, why are there more 'wanking' vids of him than vids of him playing in a band setting just ridin' some delicious groove? I mean, all the 'wanking' vids sort of pidgeonhole the brutha as a "wanksta"! Just my opinion!
 
#68
Because there's not a lot of videos from when he played. Dickens didn't play bass throughout most of tht 90s- he spent that time producing. The majority of his band playing was before that on tour with Ramsey Lewis, Barry Manilow- guys like that, whom you don't find a lot of videos from in the 80s.
 
#69
Hey DWbass, just because you are mature and hip, and want to see the brother layin' it down, don't mean the kiddies can comprehend the unpopular word RESTRAINT. :) That's why Victor Wooten's gigs are bound to have bass anoraks staring and a droolin'. The "squeaky wheel" will get the clinics, while the songwriters sit back, stay at home, and get paid.

You know where I'm coming from brother, I'm sure...;)

Talk to him Bryan! Preach brother, Hallelujah!
 
#70
DWBass said:
I'm quite sure that he's an amazing player. He's got signature basses and cabinets FCS!! :)

Seriously though, why are there more 'wanking' vids of him than vids of him playing in a band setting just ridin' some delicious groove? I mean, all the 'wanking' vids sort of pidgeonhole the brutha as a "wanksta"! Just my opinion!
Click to expand...

I saw Bill here in Minnesota several years ago at the G.C in Roseville, Mn....he did his slap stuff, but I can tell you, he can finger style, chord, and everything else:eek: he may have a rap as a wanker in some eyes, but make no mistake, he is a all around player who is a FIRST CALL if he is avail. I do remember leaving thinking about how silly I felt about calling myself a bass player after seeing him do his stuff.:hmm: I am over it now:cool:
 
#71
Oh, I'm not doubting his skills as a complete player! I just wish there were more vidz showing what a complete player he truly is! I do enjoy solid groove (band based) playing though as opposed to all the solo speed slapping he's known for. But that goes for most bassists and not just BD! I can definitely get more into the bass playing of a Will Lee, Nathan East, Rocco, Jimmy Johnson, Roscoe Beck and the like.
 
#72
No shortage of technique when it comes to Bill Dickens. His fingers work wonderfully and his time is great.

I have to say that it's apparent to me from his instructional DVD that his knowledge of chords and harmony is not at the same level as his chops. On his video, he attempts to explain the ii V I progression as a learning tool. His lack of understanding on that subject is blatant. Stick to what you really know if you are gonna try and teach others. He is prone to blithering barrages of notes without that the understanding of of harmony that makes fast, slow or any notes really meaningful. That's my opinion and I know plenty of guys will disagree but his solos sound noisy more than anything else, what some guys refer to as wanking or jiving.

Aside from that, there is beauty in the space between the notes provided you leave some.

I love his god given technical talent and I bet he's the bomb on a funk or R&B gig.

I hate to be critical but I think that's a fair criticism... if you are gonna put out an instructional set of DVDs, don't go to subjects where you are not the bomb.
 
#73
I was just talking to Bill a couple of days ago and he mentioned that his instructional DVD has done so well that he's in the process of doing another one.


And for the record Bill has gigged with every one from Pat Matheny to Josef Zawinul and every where in between.
 
#74
Dbassmon said:
No shortage of technique when it comes to Bill Dickens. His fingers work wonderfully and his time is great.

I have to say that it's apparent to me from his instructional DVD that his knowledge of chords and harmony is not at the same level as his chops. On his video, he attempts to explain the ii V I progression as a learning tool. His lack of understanding on that subject is blatant. Stick to what you really know if you are gonna try and teach others. He is prone to blithering barrages of notes without that the understanding of of harmony that makes fast, slow or any notes really meaningful. That's my opinion and I know plenty of guys will disagree but his solos sound noisy more than anything else, what some guys refer to as wanking or jiving.

Aside from that, there is beauty in the space between the notes provided you leave some.

I love his god given technical talent and I bet he's the bomb on a funk or R&B gig.

I hate to be critical but I think that's a fair criticism... if you are gonna put out an instructional set of DVDs, don't go to subjects where you are not the bomb.
Click to expand...

I found that very odd as well. He kept describing it as a "technique." My best guess was that he was trying to dumb it down to a level where a kid starting out could understand it, and calling it a "technique" would make it more commercial-friendly than offering to teach music theory on an instructional video. That was my guess anyways- with the amount of playing he's done with Ramsey Lewis and other jazz guys (as well as the jazz tunes he's played on and even the chordal stuff he did on his videos from the 80s), I can only assume he'd HAVE to know that stuff like the back of his hand. II V7 I is as fundamental as jazz gets, and with all his schooling and playing he'd have to know it.

Again, that's just my guess though- he certainly presents it as if he was very unknowledgeable on the subject.
 
#76
*** are "anoraks"? Sounds like awesomeness to me! :)

dhadleyray said:
Hey DWbass, just because you are mature and hip, and want to see the brother layin' it down, don't mean the kiddies can comprehend the unpopular word RESTRAINT. :) That's why Victor Wooten's gigs are bound to have bass anoraks staring and a droolin'. The "squeaky wheel" will get the clinics, while the songwriters sit back, stay at home, and get paid.

You know where I'm coming from brother, I'm sure...;)

Talk to him Bryan! Preach brother, Hallelujah!
Click to expand...
 
#80
"Bill did a clinics years ago where he's playing fingerstyle and just killing and he had Jaco Pastorius on drums(Bill has it on video)."
__________________

I think I might have been on the bill in that clinic. Jaco played drums for me as we soundchecked. It was 20 years ago last April, in Manhattan. I sure do miss him. I don't recall any video shoot that night, but hey, hard to say after two decades.

I was introduced to BD by Jeff Berlin at a NAMM show a couple of years before that. He was amazing, and a really nice guy. I certainly stole a couple of licks from him.
 

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