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Bona improvisation

#61
hello,


Nice topic:)

But doesnt anyone have a "lick" ? i heard all the time in top bass players...Bona is truly genuine, you hear him and you just know its Bona.
Same lick? yes, but why it sound great everytime he plays it....:hmm:
Bona have what others dont...he just has it.
I hear a bunch of bass players with all the homework done and they dont sound any good or authentic.
You hear Marcus and you know its him, same with Vic ...licks?!?
I love your work Janek and i did BUY your albuns:cool: amazing stuff really!

Thanks .
 
#62
QDS said:
hello,


Nice topic:)

But doesnt anyone have a "lick" ? i heard all the time in top bass players...Bona is truly genuine, you hear him and you just know its Bona.
Same lick? yes, but why it sound great everytime he plays it....:hmm:
Bona have what others dont...he just has it.
I hear a bunch of bass players with all the homework done and they dont sound any good or authentic.
You hear Marcus and you know its him, same with Vic ...licks?!?
I love your work Janek and i did BUY your albuns:cool: amazing stuff really!

Thanks .
Click to expand...

i really think that richard bona is an awesome player, very genuine and inspiring... but there is something in his soloing that i don't like, and it's that he ALWAYS play the same thing. it doesn't matter what song, or chords changes,...

i have his DVD and a lot of gigs of him as an artist or sideman, and in all of them, he ALWAYS plays the same thing... even if you watch to his DVD (that i like very much) you will see him playing in 20 different solos EXACTLY the same thing... i'm not talking about playing the same lick, i'm talking about playing the same solo that consists on the same phrase again and again.

for me it's ok if he likes to do it, but i'm sure that he can do it better! but hey, it's just my opinion...
 
#63
I watched a clip of him the other day, soloing over Bright Size Life, with Metheney. Or what should have been the changes to bright size life.

While he surpasses me in solidarity and consistency, and sheer speed, I can say that I found his improvisation uninspiring. More of a show. Instead of being expressive through melody within the changes, he plowed over them with his own licks. I trust that he's a great guy, and I know he can play the bass guitar...A little aggravating why a person with that much command over their instrument doesn't take it to a level others dream of.

Just observations.

Andrew
 
#64
Andrew.Glose said:
I watched a clip of him the other day, soloing over Bright Size Life, with Metheney. Or what should have been the changes to bright size life.

While he surpasses me in solidarity and consistency, and sheer speed, I can say that I found his improvisation uninspiring. More of a show. Instead of being expressive through melody within the changes, he plowed over them with his own licks. I trust that he's a great guy, and I know he can play the bass guitar...A little aggravating why a person with that much command over their instrument doesn't take it to a level others dream of.

Just observations.

Andrew
Click to expand...

Well - Jazz is another "culture" and it is something that the players devote their lives to - you have to listen to a lot of it and study - plus you have to want to do this!

I bought a Richard Bona solo album and it was very nice - African feel mostly songs ...presumably it was what he wanted to do - but whatever - it certainly wasn't Jazz!!
 
#65
Bruce Lindfield said:
Well - Jazz is another "culture" and it is something that the players devote their lives to - you have to listen to a lot of it and study - plus you have to want to do this!

I bought a Richard Bona solo album and it was very nice - African feel mostly songs ...presumably it was what he wanted to do - but whatever - it certainly wasn't Jazz!!
Click to expand...

Bruce,

I feel ya. The stuff I've heard of Richard's, I've really dug. His own material.
 
#66
Funny. After ripping a couple of Janek's solos I keep seeing that planed augmented triad...:p

Everyone uses licks. Analyze enough of any guy and you'll find him/her using ideas over and over. What would Bird be without melodic 6ths and enclosures?

Devil's advocate here. I'm just happy to have a "Janek lick" in the bag!!!
 
#67
chicagodoubler said:
Funny. After ripping a couple of Janek's solos I keep seeing that planed augmented triad...:p

Everyone uses licks. Analyze enough of any guy and you'll find him/her using ideas over and over. What would Bird be without melodic 6ths and enclosures?

Devil's advocate here. I'm just happy to have a "Janek lick" in the bag!!!
Click to expand...

Lol, yes, the "Janek lick." Actually, there's about two or three things he likes to play often, it's just that the aug triads are more distinguishable to the ear.

But here's the thing:

I don't have to wait for that lick to know that it's Janek playing.

Andrew
 
#68
Oh You Know the Rest,

As Brother Wooten has preached, there are only twelve (12) tones in Western music. However, there are infinite ways to manipulate them with rhythm, space, groove, and etc. of those 12 notes. Maybe the orginal post person dislikes not the notes, BUT the others things that are foreign to them. Remember, the Western world is a small part of the music making world...

Learn to appreciate the uniqueness which Bona brings to the table and lastly do not hate the player hate the game. How have you contributed to the world of bass players? Critic or Player?

My $.02 only! :confused:
 
#69
well, everyone use licks, we all now it. licks are good! but i think that what bona do isn't to play always the same lick. what i think he does is playing the SAME solo again and again. it doesn't matter what song is he playing, and that's what i dislike. janek plays that lick a lot, but he doesn't play always the same solo!

anyway i think that noone here hates richard bona... he is an awesome musician that i like very much... i love his records, his singing,... BUT i don't like his soloing. it's just that!
 
#71
janekbass said:
I'd be really interested to see which solos containing the "janek lick" got transcribed. and see how many people could differentiate between augmented and major triads......

easy,

Janek
Click to expand...

hahaha! yes because i think they are not aug triads! i think the "lick" is like: GCEC - BbEbGEb - DbGbBbGb - ... (major triads in 2nd inversion moving in minor third intervals) am i wrong?
 
#77
chicagodoubler said:
That first clip has exactly the motive I was talking about @ 50 sec. Janek plays this idea several different ways and it f*n kills. It's one of those licks that makes trumpet players jealous- #5 1 3 #5 planed esp in whole steps.

Rock.
Click to expand...

are you sure? i think they are major traids! 3 5 1 3... janek?
 
#80
So Bona "Never did any homework" & " Doesn't have any depth to his improvisational voice" . What about the lick that Stern plays in every solo & with the same formula of a clean sound for a while then stamping on the stomp box after 3 minutes ?.
Would you say the same of Mike ?
Playing a 'lick' also doesn't equal "can't play changes" either .Bird had quite a few licks that he played a LOT , but he wasn't too bad at playing over changes.
You play well etc ; But to diss Bona on a public page is rude man .

Johncq ---Just because you consider a musician 'World Class' (whatever that means) doesn't mean they have "wisdom" . Stayin' in touch with the regular bass-folks is often more about promoting their careers to other bassists than about generosity of spirit.
Just my opinion.
Invalid Link Removed :)
 
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