Double Bass Christian McBride's short bebop masterclass.

[bassmanbrent]

They are pop in the worst sense of the idea. Mediocre players just crassly using bad pop covers to get their foot in the door.

Wow

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Wow

Agree. Who's next, Punch Brothers? I'm not a huge BP fan, but to categorize them as somehow objectively mediocre musicians strikes me as extremely...subjective.

 

[yodedude2]

it's okay. through this thread, i have discovered just how much i prefer stale mediocrity & rehashed retro to visionary futurism & true modern artistry. my musical taste must really suck! i'm okay with that.

 

[damonsmith]

it's okay. through this thread, i have discovered just how much i prefer stale mediocrity & rehashed retro to visionary futurism & true modern artistry. my musical taste must really suck! i'm okay with that.

I think there are a lot of reasons to play and listen to music! Taste, trends, innovation. One of those things doesn't mean the other and one doesn't override the other.
My main point is that they should not be confused, not that one is better than the other.

 

[834federal]

The criticism of pop and progress has to do with the rhythmic ideas involved. A boxed in, static rhythm is a ten steps back from the earlier jazz. End of story.
Relating to contemporary culture is one thing, moving the music to a new place is another.
Christian plays a lot of music with a lot of people. There is this:

If progress and modernism means interfacing with pop to you, then the guy also plays with Sting and other pop projects.
When you look at the avant garde, ideas move fast, but at the same time, the ideas need time to develop and move forward before they are abandoned. If we look at classical composition, few listeners and performers have come to terms with Webern, much less Cage and Xenakis, few reading this will have any idea about the Wandelweiser movement.
If was to say who was at the forefront of jazz innovation right now I'd say it was Roscoe Mitchell. It is not a quick turn over like pop music. The idea has to be born are worked through by many different hands to get anywhere.

Lastly, even I don't think "new" is the end all be all. I am not willing to go as far as some of my colleagues with that as the primary value.
In visual art the new ideas are very often refined into a pure version of just the idea.
In music, we often use the style we are playing in to frame a few new ideas mixed with older ones, the older ideas serve as a frame and a context. When Christian "plays like Paul Chambers" he is using that to frame the ideas he has from his own experiences.

Just want to point out McBride's dad Lee Smith here. Great, great bassist here in Philly who clearly had a huge impact on Christian's approach. Baddass.

 

[damonsmith]

Just want to point out McBride's dad Lee Smith here. Great, great bassist here in Philly who clearly had a huge impact on Christian's approach. Baddass.

That makes sense he is on this great album:

Odean made one of the most incredible albums of all time, he is very underrated, I post this every chance I get, it is the best bass guitar playing I've heard to this day:

 

[834federal]

That makes sense he is on this great album:

Odean made one of the most incredible albums of all time, he is very underrated, I post this every chance I get, it is the best bass guitar playing I've heard to this day:

Thanks! I haven't heard this! Check out Lee's solo recording too. This is a cool little video

 

[834federal]

Thanks! I haven't heard this! Check out Lee's solo recording too. This is a cool little video

One more. 20 years ago.

 

[Dave Tompkins]

Odean made one of the most incredible albums of all time, he is very underrated, I post this every chance I get, it is the best bass guitar playing I've heard to this day:

Many thanks for the recommendation. Having mainly only heard him with Joe Zawinul, Gerald Veasley would have been a very late guess. I now have a vinyl copy making it's way to me from Germany.

 

[longfinger]

In other scenes like art, dance, painting, score based music, "modern" is usually older in chronology than is "contemporary".

Keep in mind, like evolution, traditions do not always develop to be more complex than before. Sometimes, they develop to be simpler than before. What sticks and stays is usually what is right for the moment and place.

The older style being "too complex" and replaced by a newer simpler "more memorable" style has happened many times before.

 

[longfinger]

Great video, the sound and the transcription are excellent. The content available to study now online is wonderful. Lucky us.

 

[ericsmith]

Open Studio has a new McBride course out!
Been waiting for this, it's fantastic!

Also, it's done beautifully with that modern technology.

 

[damonsmith]

More fuel for this fire:

I have really found his videos inspiring, actually. As someone who is interested in making "new music", I actually get what he is saying about bebop language being up to date.
One clear aspect of is that there is still a ton more do with the logic they laid down. Another thing to point towards in this the is the INCREDIBLE remasters of Charlie Parker on the Swiss Hat Hut label. Only on CD, no digital easiest to get from Squidco. Two studio albums and double live CD. They have done wonders for Sun Ra, Albert Ayler and Marion Brown if you are into that sort of thing.
Startseite
Squidco: Parker, Charlie: Be Bop Live [2 CDs]
&
Squidco: Parker, Charlie : Selections From The SAVOY Recordings
&
Squidco: Parker, Charlie : Selections From The DIAL Recordings