First electric bass in jazz

[inconclusive]

Hey everybody !

say i have a backing track in C maj,
i know i can play the good old C maj scale notes on it, but:

1) if the rithm guitarist plays a certain set of chords consonant with that key like C,F,G,G
do I as a bassist need to switch my rootnote for each chord switch or may i keep a riff solely revolving on the scale with the root note c? or solely on the 5th (g) ?

2) Viceversa if the guitar keeps on strumming a c for example may i play riffs based on roots other than c?

i hope i expressed the question appropriately, this is something i would really like to understand. would Really appreciate ur help! thanks guys

 

[GastonD]

well, I did some research and it seems Montgomery was NOT the first jazzer to play an electric. According to Jim Roberts' article on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Fender bass (Bass Player, October 2001), it was another Hampton's bassist, Roy Johnson. who played it. He was at first booed by the audience, but Hampton liked the sound, so Montgomery was demanded to play the Fender when he joined the band.
The Downbeat mag had an article (July 30, 1952) on the "strange occurrence" and it was entitled "Hamp-lified Fiddle May Lighten Bassists' Burdens". The article tells a story of Roy Johnson playing the electric bass.

I hope this was of some relevance and help.

 

[bluesdogblues]

@inconclusive.. I think you're typed in the wrong thread

@Gaston,.. Monk Montgomery may not the first jazz bass player to play electric bass, but He certainly is the First who popularized its use in music industry, and He is a true innovator for me. AAMOF I'm listening to "Monk Montgomery Live In Sweto" right now... Deep Man

 

[design]

I did a TB search on Monk Montgomery and found this thread and wanted to add some info on the subject; last Sunday I was at a flea market and found a double LP by Lionel Hampton. The album is called "The Complete 1953 Paris Session" by Lionel Hampton and his Paris All Stars and it was issued on the French Vogue label in the 1970's. The inner gatefold sleeve has full liner notes, complete personnel credits and recording information, stating the music was recorded on September 28th, 1953 at L'ecole Normale de Musique in Paris.

I haven't found any recordings of Roy Johnson on electric bass in 1952 or 53. The earliest recording i have found, in any genre, is four tracks with Monk Montgomery on "The Art Farmer Septet" LP. This was recorded in July 1953 and so predates the live recordings of Monk with Lionel Hampton in Europe in September 53. One of the tracks is called "The Little Bandmaster", so I wonder if this is named after the Fender Bandmaster Amp which was first issued in 53? The Art Farmer Septet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia