Double Bass Double Stops

[Marcus Johnson]

I wish we could gang up on the music industry and force them to realize that Red was a full-on genius, and that the stuff that he did with Jim was irreplaceable, classic music. That CD is at the top of my dream re-release list.

 

[Larry Holloway]

I love the little Baroque-ish tag at the end of that tune, too. I'd love to (gasp) burn a CD copy of that one if possible, Larry. If it was available to buy, I'd just do that, but since it's out of print...desperate times and all...

Are the CD police watching ? I'll send you an email.

 

[Marcus Johnson]

You da man.

 

[Paul Warburton]

You da man.

See Marcus.....he's my BOY. I don't mentor just anybody.

 

[Paul Warburton]

Oh, and Jason....Invalid Link Removed
For Diane Mitchells site and Red's complete catalogue as a leader (with the exception of the Sweet Basils w/ Jim Hall.)
With the exception of Milt Hinton, Red was the most recorded bassist in history. Including most of the Sinatra catalogue.
The Jimmy Rowles stuff are some of my favorites. Roger Kellaway and Red are also Primo.
Larry and I both worked with Roger after Red by the way.

 

[Marcus Johnson]

Sorry to lead this thread down such a circuitous path, but... Jimmy Rowles! I just got turned onto those Ray Brown duos he did; believe it or not, I'd never heard them before. When I grow up, I wanna be Jimmy Rowles. I think I'm going to hunt down the stuff with Red as well.

 

[Marcus Johnson]

OK, so I got my copy of Red and Jim at Sweet Basil from my new best friend Larry Holloway (he printed out the liner notes, for chrissakes ). You know how some CDs just aren't as great as you remember them, and you just think "hmmm, what was I hearing back then?" Well....this CD ain't one of them!

If anything, it's even more amazing than I remember it. First of all, it's surely one of Jim Hall's best performances ever recorded. He's a genius, and this album shows off a lot of the stuff that I really love about his playing.

And then, Red ...good lord. He just eats up every track on this album. He does things that most slab players would be happy to be able to pull off. Unbelievable. I think I appreciate this CD even more now, since I have a few more years under my (growing) belt, and a deeper appreciation of what it must take to get music like that to come out of the double bass.

Together, these guys demonstrated remarkable telepathy. There are lots of moments where you really can't believe how tuned in to one another they were. Why this album is out of print is beyond me.

 

[AMJBASS]

Marcus: I'm back. I played cello for a semester in college(and I really sucked...I was a bass player!). Albeit it helped me understand the tuning & fingerings. So, before I changed my bass tuning, I got my old practice cello out of the closet. Played tunes on it for a day & then slapped the 5th tuning strings on my bass and never looked back. I could read chord changes, notes, play walking lines, etc., but I couldn't solo. Everything was upside down & backwards! I lost all my 'licks', so it MADE me use my ear. I started playing 'music' again. Of course now I have licks in 5ths. I think I'll change tuning about every 10 years so I can use my ear again. Just kidding. With the open sound and logical fingering, I'll never go back to 4ths.
I made the change while I was on the road with Buddy Morrows band. We had a week off & I went for it. It was a big band gig, so there weren't a lot of solos. I pretty much had the book memorized and it was all notes & changes, but I had to start reading the book again with numerous clams. It was a great way to learn the new tuning. I think I had another 4 months on the road to experiment & let it fall under my fingers. If I had changed while playing a jazz gig, show, or jobbing locally, I'd probably be selling shoes right now. Red told me he changed and wood shedded for a month. He was working with Andre' Preven at the time.
We could probably start a new topic or thread with this subject.

Especially concerning this.....I lost all my 'licks', so it MADE me use my ear. I started playing 'music' again.

That is one of the main reasons why I have decided to switch to fifths. I haven't been using my ears enough lately. I have as you say a lot of licks I use, and I have "shapes" that I play with but I want to get away from that completely. 5ths tuning will force me into that. And although it has already been said....Red swung hard in 5ths! Larry, if you don't mind, I'll send you an email regarding the switch to 5ths...