Double Bass Composition Critique

[Marc Piane]

Here are couple new tunes I penned. I have experimenting with form.

The first tune, Clean and Clear, is a tune where I tried to let the melody drive the form of the tune. It ended up being 14 bars long.

The second tune, Inspiration, is an attempt at a circular from of sorts. The Mobius Strip of jazz. Blue n Green is a good example of this. Greg Osby writes some great tunes like this too.

I am interested to hear what you think, good and bad, of the writing in particular. Critique of the bass playing is good too but I am wondering about how successful my composition experiments were.

I put them on a site for TBers to listen. They are going to be on an upcoming release.
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Thanks in advance.

 

[Marc Piane]

These songs are due for release on an album by Jazz Conspiracy. The release date is tentatively set for Oct 1. Check us out at Link Removed.

 

[fcleff]

I'd love to hear 'em but can't seem to get them open. I am normally a 'classical composer' but have been playing around with some jazz ideas of late.

 

[Marc Piane]

Thanks for trying. I think you might need to make sure your quicktime player is up to date. Leeme see if I can post them another way.

 

[fcleff]

Thanks for trying. I think you might need to make sure your quicktime player is up to date. Leeme see if I can post them another way.

If you can post them using some kind of Windows Media Player format then I should be able to get them open.

 

[Marc Piane]

Ok. I tried posting them another way. See if they work now. Thanks.

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Worst case I can post them on my ftp site but see if this works.

 

[Scott McC]

Killing, I'd buy it. I really dig what your whole crew is doing, good work.

 

[fcleff]

Ok. I tried posting them another way. See if they work now. Thanks.

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Worst case I can post them on my ftp site but see if this works.

I still can't get them. My computer is kind of a dinosaur and I am kind of a dumba$$ with technology. Sorry.

 

[fcleff]

I just logged out and, low and behold, on my screen was the link that you had posted. It seems that my quick time wasn't so quick in opening the file. Well, there it was, ready to play. That is some nice stuff, man. The whole group sounds fantastic. Your compositions are really fine. Let me know when the recording is released and I will buy it. Thanks for posting.

 

[Clay_Bass]

Well I really like the mix and overall sound. Your bass sound is good too. Composition wise clean and clear is very cool. Im actually having my first "official" composition lesson tomorow with a guy who you might dig. His name is JC Sanford. Link Removed . Anyways Im listening to inspiration now. again I like it. Ill buy a cd when theyre available. What was your recording setup? Everyone in the same room or were there barriers? Also what mics did you use on the bass. Im recording in November so Im trying to get as much information as possible from people with good recorded sound.

 

[Marc Piane]

Thanks for the nice words. I will definitely let folks know when the cd is released.

As far as recording... It was recorded at Riverside Studios (Delmark's studio). I was in a booth. The rest of the band as in the main room together. The sound is a combination of things. Shen Willow with Obligatos, Neuman U47 (I believe), RCA ribbon Mic, Realist/K&K mic. Most of the sound is coming from the Neuman which is positioned about six inches out from the bridge. The RCA is near the G side f hole and is getting more of the thump of the sound. The line is beefing up the mid range.

I am a engineer myself so I spent a fair amount of time with this guy getting things just so. I've found that after you get the sound of the bass the way you like it you need to compare how it is mixing with the bass drum. In this case it turned out that the bd was killing the bass. With a little tweaking... mostly rolling off a little midrange on the bd... we were able to effectively seperate the two.