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Double Bass Great comping

Don Higdon

Don Higdon

In Memoriam
Dec 11, 1999
4,345
66
Princeton Junction, NJ
www.donaldhigdon.com
#1
I didn't want to hijack the Horace Silver thread, but Wallbutton reminded me of something:
Paul Warburton said:
When I was about 16 I used to sit by the hour and listen to his comping behind the soloists. His comping says more than many solos to me. That little jabbing and rolling effect back there always kills me. :D
Click to expand...
I can't remember the last time I heard anybody talk about comping. Horace was an absolute master, funky, inspiring. My favorite compers were Silver, Russ Freeman, Pete Jolly, and Ross Tompkins.
Showing my age again.
 
#2
OK, OK.....I'm here. What am I a multitasker?
I think this is a great idea for a thread. Piano comping is one of my favorite things to listen to.
I think the obvious stuff is punctuation and articulation with the way the chords are attacked. Horace always sounds like a little shout chorus back there by himself. No wonder he came up with all those written shouts for the front line. I'm wichoo on your guys. Did some jazz parties with Ross....he's a good one. Pete Jolly is one of the best kept secrets of jazz piano. Russ too.
My list is like this: (besides Horace) Early Bill Evans, Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, Roger Kellaway, Mike Wofford (husband of Holly Hoffman, the great jazz flute lady who was just here and dedicated "You're A Weaver Of Dreams" to yers truly because, for some odd-ball reason she calls me one of her mentors and teachers). I used to listen to Mike when he was with Shelly Manne and his Men in L.A., then he ended up with Sarah and Ella. They brought me out to San Diego a while back for some dates. Enough about me....what do you think of my playing? :help:
Comping is an art form in jazz....it's a little world unto itself and many listeners, IMO, don't spend the little time to really dig on it. The only times I considered playing another instrument were when I thought about the fun you could have back there in the section coming up with all that popping stuff on a piano while everybody was showing off in the front line.
 
#10
Chick Corea throws more ideas comping than most people do soloing.

+ + +

McCoy Tyner, ditto. 'Twas a time, hard to remember that it may be, when Mr. Tyner was the go-to model of How To Play Jazz Piano and Mr. Evans, temporarily, was not. That day will probably return not long after the unfortunate moment when Mr. Tyner leaves this mortal plane. (Reminds me of that song by Richard Thompson that starts, "Now that I've deceased my record sales increased . . ."

+ + +

Dave Brubeck.

Go ahead, hit me. But Dave Brubeck atcha anyway.
 
#13
Compers?

It's not piano, but Jim Hall. (DuH! :p)
I also like Monk's comping. I just like everything Monk did. :cool:

Also, I want to pose an curious open-ended question:

When you are soloing, what is the relationship that you expect as a bass soloist from the comper? Can you describe how you interact with the comper? What do you want from them, as a player? I'd like to hear lots of different perspectives as I doubt if it's the same for everyone.
 
#14
I was gonna go there too, bout Jim. Really, he does some amazing comping. From rhythm guitar, to kicking suff and those beautiful reharms.
I was thinking today that he may be my favorite living musician.

EDIT: Huy, you were editing your post while I was busy agreeing with you about Jim.

On your question.....for me it's the forward propulsion thing in relation to where the bass player is/was putting the quarter notes. (or, as you asked for the bass solo....same deal).The players I like to play with seem to have a way of getting down under your butt and kind of "goosing" the time feel. That "popping" thing is big for me. Some players actually use the sustain pedal while trying to comp.....that drives me crazier than having them put the bass note on the bottom of all the voicings.
Trey and I mentioned early Bill Evans in our posts as a great comper. Somehow, even in the last trio, he could pull this off with the only guy in the trio, Paul, playing solid four. Scott and Bill were SO strong they were able to propel themselves. IMO.
Another thing make me want to kill is when the piano player likes something you play and decides to play it back to you.
 
#16
We agree comping is essential to the music. There are many examples of how to comp on piano. There are nearly as many comping on Guitar. George Barnes is my favorite followed closely by Bucky Pizzarelli.

Gary Burton, comping Pat Metheny on Vibes - "Quartet Live" track 2, Olhos de Gato in particular, illustrates how to support the soloist.

I can't say why the examples here are so on the mark. If you can explain it in terms other rhythm players will understand, I would love to be able to circulate your posts to the friends I jam with. TIA 8-)
 
#17
In jazz, IMO, there is a big verbal diference between the words comping and accompanying. Usually, IME, when we talk about "comping" we're talking about how the pianist plays behind the soloist in a group of jazz instrumentalists on a medium or up tempo.
OTOH, when we say "accompanist" we're speaking in terms of how he plays behind a singer on a more "feature" kind of experience. The names of the guys mentioned already stand out to me....Jimmy Rowles, Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones and Mike Wofford. Those players are legendary vocal accompanists...Sarah, Carmen and Ella just to mention a few singers who would tell you the same.
EDIT: I worked with Anita O'Day for a while. Jimmy did some gigs with us and Anita told me that rather than him following her on a rubato feature, she would let him lead her. That's true respect and trust and I heard those two do some unbelievable stuff together. Bill Evans behind Tony Bennett works for me too.
 
#19
I would like to add Monk to the list as well, but as an anti-comper. That new biography features several comments from horn players who weren't comfortable with Monk behind them, most famously Miles. But I'm not sure Monk cared about the classic support role of the piano behind a horn, and was more interested collective, exchange, communication, interjection. Some horns got it, some didn't. Classic comping or not, there is nothing better than hearing the final output: Griffin, Sonny, Trane, take your pick, put Monk back there and you have something extraordinary!
 
#20
Thx Paul, for generously sharing your experience here.

I have some learning to do before I can hang out with musicians of that caliber. I do have some jam friends who set the bar high for me & playing with them is a joy. Other friends need a word or 2 about comping that is more helpful than "give me half notes with the root as the lowest note in a triad" or "just strum the ink as quarter notes".

Discussions like this, leave me better able to improve the jam & be better prepared to make the best of the situation in which I am playing.
 

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