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Double Bass jazz quartet

#41
chris1125 said:
No I realize that nearly all of these songs would be better with a vocalist.............................................
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That, more than anything exposes your lack of experience.;)


My thoughts in my typical random delivery.:atoz:

Without a chording instrument, you have to REALLY have hour s**t together. Your walking lines must outline the harmony very clearly.

Choose a strong horn player and then agree on 25 tunes that you both know well. That's melody, changes and the ability to solo well over them. Allowing for 6-10 minutes per tune, that's anywhere between 5 and 8 tunes in a 45 minute set. That should give you enough material for two three hour gigs and allow some variety. Tune choice is up to you based on your tastes and abilities.
In putting together a set list, be careful of playing tunes in the same key and style. Two swing tunes in F back to back is not cool. Break it up with some bossas like Autumn Leaves and The Shadow of Your Smile. Include some blues tunes. If you can play the blues in all keys and the horn player knows the heads, that's 2-3 tunes and your learning curve is much easier. Just keep it interesting.

I totally agree with the comments about playing with more experienced cats. There is nothing better for growth than a kick in the pants.

It's hard for anyone on a forum such as this to give you the any significant feedback because we don't really know your current ability or potential but really learn the tunes. If you need to look at a chart, fine but use it as a reminder or crutch rather than staring at it the whole time. I play 2-3 gigs weekly and need to see a chart for a few tunes but definately play better when I really know the tune.

There is no better experience than that gotten through failure. Go play some gigs and learn the ropes. Respect the music and the musicians you play with, the audience, and the people hiring you. Know your limits. Also remember that in many cities, many top players with decades of experience are struggling for work. Be careful not to take their gigs so seek venues that currently don't currently hire jazz groups. If you play well and respect those you meet you will be fine. :D

Good luck to you.
 
#43
chris1125 said:
I feel like this thread is going in a wierd direction...
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It kinda started out weird. While the rather negative tenor it's generated is doubtless realistic, it's probably unnecessary; if these guys get together and start working on some tunes and have any capacity for self-reflection and criticism, they'll know when they're ready for gigs. "This summer" seems charmingly optimistic to me rather than offensive.

FWIW, I would suggest working out arrangements for the instrumentation you've got for the stuff you already know from your big band repertoire. Jam on the standards in your rehearsal space and see what happens. I claim no expertise here, though. My gigs are kind of alt. country, and I listen to and play jazz just to keep myself sane.
 
#44
This thread is realistic mainly because most of us have been through this and with a similar amount of naïveté at some point. If only it was just easy as throwing a bunch of players together. Yielding good results is never easy without a good amount of hard work.

Making good music is always more about what you play not the tunes you choose. Tbh most of these response are prob more in the vein that we're giving warnings that the OP is expecting too much and that things go wrong quite easily.

Asking whether or not you should include a Bari sax player is kinda silly to me. You either make it work or you don't. I dunno. Maybe it's better you ignore what's said here and go out and make some mistakes. Best way to learn is by doing.
 
#53
Almost forgot I started this thread haha. Let's just say i've found another source of income, not in jazz. We have played and worked through some standards but unfortunately there's not a pianist and I think that chord instrument will really start putting everything together. Right now it's not terrible but I wouldn't call it gig worthy either. Luckily I just found a guitarist, we had a pianist for one day but they really just had no clue about jazz structure or following a lead sheet, oh well. I have found that the new real books are very helpful, much more then the original real books for amatuers. Anyway, I'll let you guys know when we are gig worthy and try to record it, I like to keep pretty high standards and so do the other two musicians (I went with drums and Bari btw), we may not be experts but we will certainly never be laughed at, in person atleast lol
 

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