This has been an interesting topic, but I'd like to take a little different course about the problem of arco sound in jazz. First, considering the starting post, I'll try not to comment on a bassists artistic aspect of their arco soloing. Second, Id like to discuss the changes/problems in strings.over the last 40-45 years. Although changes to other aspects of the bass have made some improvement in sound, changing the strings can immediately change the voice of the instrument.
Comparisons are made between bassists performing arco solos from different eras, and that needs to be recognized along with the realization that string technology has changed significantly since the early 1960s. Recalling that someone stated the problem was the gut strings, before the 1960s, thats about all there was for both classical and jazz. Oh, you could get different gauges of strings and choose between wound silver on gut or plain gut A and E strings, but that was about it. (Someone mentioned Slam Stewart. A great player who did a lot of arco solos, as did Major Holley and I believe they both used gut on their recordings.) One type of gut string that I liked and wish some manufacturer would pick up the rights to make them were the Red-O-Rays, red gut strings made with a wound-like surface. They lasted better than regular gut and also sounded better IMHO, for both pizz and arco.
Around the late fifties, there were some string manufacturers delving into metal strings. Metal strings in the early 60s were a painful process, aurally and physically. Some were made with different metals for the winding, some with solid cores. I recall I tried a brand that was made with aluminum winding. After every set, you had to clean the black off your fingers. They had a better jazz sound than other metal strings. And I recall that most I tried were murder as far as decent arco sound. As the sixties progressed, there was a Danish company, Lycon, that produced some fine strings for jazz bass that were imported to the US. I used a couple of sets, and in the mid sixties, Ray Brown became an endorser and Lycon made a signature string for him. Those were a little different that the earlier Lycons, but were still great sounding pizz strings. I dont recall that their arco sound was very good. The emphasis I think was to produce a good jazz string for pizz. Lycon went belly-up around 1970 and I tried a few different brands and finally settled on medium gauge Thomastik Spirocore orchestra strings, which I still use to this day. The only other brand I liked for strictly arco were the old Pirastro Flexicores, which I still have a usable set that Ive used on a flat-back German bass that belonged to my father.
I read some opinions elsewhere that basses set up for legit music dont always sound good for jazz and I have to agree with that for the most part. Although for me, the old Pirastro Flexicores were an exceptionally fine arco string, pizzicato on them just sounded dead, and that was on more than one bass. So, although I think Thomastik Spirocores are a great jazz pizz string, they have always sounded scratchy and almost unacceptable when bowed. Even as much I loved Ray Browns sound with pizzicato playing, arco on Spirocores was a disheartening listening experience. I think DAddario attempted to remedy this situation with their Hybrid Helicore strings, they still dont have the sound I prefer for pizz if you want a compromise to perform both arco and pizz on. I understand that Thomastik-Infeld is working on a string as a compromise for arco/pizz playing. That will be interesting and Ill probably try a set, even at the cost strings go for today.
Id have to take a remark from Quincy Jones he said about trumpet and apply it to arco bass, that you have to sound bad for a long time before you sound good. And being able to execute fairly complex and sometimes almost horn like passages with accurate technique and intonation is difficult for pizzicato, let alone arco. The amount of practice necessary to do it right would probably take more time than most have available. So Im not inclined to do arco solos for the same reason that Jeff Guevin mentioned.
As far as some of the players mentioned in earlier posts, I think John Clayton has a fine arco sound, better than the other two members of Super Bass had. As far Eddie Gomez, listening to his presentation at David Gages shop on the recent DVD was just pure enjoyment and hes no slouch with a bow.
As for the earlier post which included the remark As to "blue grassers", ever check out Edgar Meyer?, Ive never considered him just a blue-grasser. Yes he likes that music (so do I, and I used to sit in with a group when I lived in Virginia near the North Carolina border), but I think he represents a player whose musical interests spans many types of music, similar to Bela Fleck, which is probably the commonality they have that allows them to work together. I heard Meyer for the first time about 4 or 5 years ago when he appeared with the Buffalo Philharmonic as guest soloist. He also did a duet with the first chair bassist, with whom Meyer went to music school with. It was just some great arco playing with exceptional sound and technique. I also caught Meyer and Bela Fleck when they came through Buffalo on their tour a couple years ago. I am amazed by and enjoy his performance every time I can hear him.
Finally, I agree with Ben Ralston's remarks in the below extract from his post and think it represents a common sense attitude about arco bass soloing in jazz:
Ben Rolston said:
I think one of the main problems is that jazz acro isn't practical. Truthfully playing an arco solo, while it may be personally gratifying isn't going to pay the bills of a working bassist. . . . .
Lloyd Howard
On the head, I'm a little annoyed by hearing his string smacking against the fingerboard because of the low action. </gripe>
I wasn't "dissecting McBride from a theoretical standpoint". I said:
