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I joined a "bass-friendly" band!

tZer

tZer

Mar 9, 2006
6,328
36
58
St. Louis // St. Charles, MO
#1
After my last cover band experience, I pretty much resolved to only do gigs that were interesting to me and skip the 'money' gigs.

Well - who new I could get both in the same package? I subbed for a band a month or so ago and was invited to join as a permanent member after a really great gig. Since we could use the extra cash and because this band's set is so damn fun to play, I accepted.

The make-up of the band is:
drums
keys (also does lead and backup vocals)
guitar (some lead and backup vocals)
female lead vocals + percussion
trombone
bass (I'll do some backup and lead vocals)

Talk about bass-friendly... Included in our set list are:

"The Love you save" - The Jackson 5
"I want you back" - The Jackson 5
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"Peg" - Steely Dan
"Tell me something Good" - Rufus and Chaka Khan
"Hear Me Lord" - Bonnie Raitt
"Rock Steady" - Aretha Franklin
"The Impression That I Get" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
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... and many, many more.

Just about every other tune on the list is equally fun for the bass player.

The band doesn't really make tons of cash (6 piece - and not on the "A" list for gigs here in St. Louis) - but I have a feeling it's going to be worth it.

We'll be playing 'intimate' bars (code for 'small') - but I think anyone who comes to see us is in for a real treat!

OK - Just needed to share. Now back to your regularly scheduled bass-talking.
 
#5
Everyone in the band (except the singer) is really low-key, personally. It was a real surprise when I found out that they jammed so well! The singer (Mae) has a great voice and a really extroverted on and off stage personality. Looks great too. I've been in female-fronted bands before and along with resolving not to join another "Sweet Home Alabama" cover band, I also resolved to stay away from the generic "Sarah McLachlan" (she-first, band later) model. Not to say Ms. McL is a diva - what I mean is a group that's all about the singer - band is dime-a-dozen.

Since Mae can really dig down for the blues, belt out the Janis, Etta James, Winehouse and Aretha, groove on the Jamiroquai and Jackson 5 era Michael Jackson, and does a really good Chrissy Hynde - I'm happy to say this is not one of those. The band gets to enjoy every minute of every song. No "fade away" stuff here!

I'm looking forward to adding "being able to sing complicated backups and leads" to my resume' as well as taking my chops up a notch!

Everyone's mature - no delusions - just a focus on doing good gigs playing music we really dig at places we really like. I don't wanna jinx things, but it sure does sound like a good gig!
 
#6
I'm with you on everything but the trombone. Why have a horn section that consists of only a trombone? If you're going to have horns at all, why that particulat one, only?

I've never been a regular member of a band with a full horn section, but it sounds like a lot of fun. The coolest gig I ever played, we had the horn line from another band sit in.

We were the second band on a three-band bill. The horn section from the opening band had just recorded on the headlining bands CD. So the trumpet player, got with my keyboard player WITHOUT TELLING ME and worked out horn arrangements to go with our set.

So the first band finishes and MOST of them start breaking down their gear while we start setting ours up. I was confused by the three guys seeming to stay there and asked my keyboardist what they were doing. He said "Oh yeah. I forgot to tell you. They're playing with us too, today."

Okay. So I'm about to do a festival gig in front of one of the biggest crowds I've ever played in front of. And there are three guys who I've never worked with joining in. Sure. There's NO chance of disaster there. Panicpanicpanicpanicpanic...

It was great. They were awesome. We sounded like everything had been written with the horns already in the band. And the crowd loved it.

Then the third band came on. And several members of a church choir came on with them, so they had the normal band lineup, plus trumpet-trombone-alto sax from the first band, and twenty five or so members of a gospel choir as backup singers.

It was a great day.

If anyone is from D/FW and old enough to remember, the lineup in this story was: Goodfoot, then Fuzzy Logic with speial guests The Hung Low Horns, then Soul Food Cafe featuring The Hung Low Horns and Kirk Franklins Gospel Choir.
 
#7
Bard2dbone said:
I'm with you on everything but the trombone. Why have a horn section that consists of only a trombone? If you're going to have horns at all, why that particulat one, only?
Click to expand...

Well, it's really not a horn section - believe it or not, he fulfills the same role that a sax player might. It seemed odd to me too, at first, but it actually works out a lot better than you'd think. He's really good at what he does - so he can lead with the best - but then when he slips back into a support role, it blends really nicely.

Besides - I had no say in the matter. Hell, the band's called "Bones Jones" - it's sort of in their DNA! ;-)

He's been a part of this band forever. And this band's been together for a long time. But again, believe me when I tell you - as odd as a bone as a singular horn in a band may seem - it's really a cool thing.
 
#9
tZer said:
Well, it's really not a horn section - believe it or not, he fulfills the same role that a sax player might. It seemed odd to me too, at first, but it actually works out a lot better than you'd think. He's really good at what he does - so he can lead with the best - but then when he slips back into a support role, it blends really nicely.

Besides - I had no say in the matter. Hell, the band's called "Bones Jones" - it's sort of in their DNA! ;-)

He's been a part of this band forever. And this band's been together for a long time. But again, believe me when I tell you - as odd as a bone as a singular horn in a band may seem - it's really a cool thing.
Click to expand...

If you were closer, I'd check it out.
 

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