Double Bass New Stuff From Sam

[Sam Sherry]

Hiya all. I've posted up several new pieces, including another DB solo improvisation, at the newly-revised SamSherry.com. Please let me know what you're thinking about what I'm playing . . .

Thanks in advance.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

Wow, it's almost 12 hours later and nobody has responded, so I guess I'll bite.

Sam, sounds great! I totally dig your new solo piece and had to listen to it a couple times back to back. I like the growly growl sound you're getting from your bass too.

 

[Sam Sherry]

Huy, thanks so much. You know I've been working on playing solo. I have SO far to go . . .

The solo and "Beatrice" were played on my 20s Czech bass. Mark Carlsen set the neck and planed the board and I agree, it's ace.

The other pieces are on the 80s Westover bass in a broadcast studio with the AMT. That bass is interesting -- it sounds "flat" when you play it but microphones have always captured it as rich and growly.

Thanks again, hombre. Your comments mean a lot.

 

[Michael Case]

Sam, very nice solo improv. beautiful tone, lovely ideas. I'm downloading "Beatrice" right now, so I'll have to comment on that after. One thing I want to ask, how do you come to your solo improv? Is it based solely on an motif, or do you have a tonality in mind and try to go from there, or are you basing it on a tune? I'm curious because it's an idea I'd like to explore more and want to get some perspectives on how to go about it.

 

[Michael Case]

"Beatrice" is so good, I really love your tone and time feel. You and the drummer seem to have a good connection, very in the pocket. I thought your solo was very lyrical, I like your ideas alot.
My only criticism is on production, I noticed the volume for the bass solo boosted up. It was a little shocking almost like cutting and pasting a solo from a different take into that one. It's tough I know, I have some minidisc recordings from a recent session that I'm in the process of trying to clean up sound wise and hate the fact that for walking the bass is find but the solos are not fully there. I'd say try to boost the volume, but maybe not as much, try to make the transition smooth.
That's just my opinion and probally doesn't mean all that much. But I do think the playing is magnificent. Great work.

 

[Sam Sherry]

THANKS for your gracious comments, Mike. You're a gent for taking the time to listen and offer something.

How do you come to your solo improv? Is it based solely on an motif, or do you have a tonality in mind and try to go from there, or are you basing it on a tune? I'm curious because it's an idea I'd like to explore more and want to get some perspectives on how to go about it.

Solo playing is something I've worked on. When I practice (alternating Thursdays in months with no 'R') I try to find things that sound neat and then I forget all about them when I'm in concert.

When I'm in concert I try to play with an open mind. Some things I've wound up doing: I've taken a snippet of a tune and modulated it all over. I've taken the first four notes that appear and done the same (as on the Westbrook Arts Fest solo). I've exploded a melody by playing it so slowly that it was unrecognizable.

Although playing in the moment, there are some things I actively try to do. I try to develop whatever idea I'm working. I try to move around the instrument. I often try to use wider intervals. I try to vary velocity -- the Westbrook solo did not achieve that goal. I try to play in tune (and fail, as always). I try to play for about three minutes -- it's damn long enough! The solo usually leads into "Kids" which is in C minor so I usually try to end on a nice, long low G. Above all, I actively try to avoid doing whatever I was doing last time.

Playing solo is a really cool thing to work on because even if you only have about fifteen minutes to devote to practicing you can actually accomplish something. Good luck with your efforts, Mike.

"Beatrice" is so good . . . you and the drummer seem to have a good connection, very in the pocket.

Here ya go: I went to my first jazz concert around 1973 -- a local rhythm section backing John Faddis and Lew Soloff. The drummer was Mr. Billy Arnold. What a fine musician. And yeah, that band is an all-time winner.

My only criticism is on production, I noticed the volume for the bass solo boosted up. It was a little shocking almost like cutting and pasting a solo from a different take into that one.

Point well taken. That was a field recording and I have to go back and touch it up. Obviously the solo was played live; I just wanted to goose it up so it could be heard.

Thanks again. When do we hear some more from you, too, sir?

 

[Paul Warburton]

Yeah Sam! This solo is really interesting when compared to the last one. This one is not as technically full as the other.....which is fine with me 'cause your chops really piss me off! I like both, but this one is more thoughtful IMO.
Haven't had the chance to hear the others yet.
Keep it up!!
I still wanna hear the story on that bass.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

Oh BTW Sam, I really like what you did with the lyrics on Lover's Meet. I've kinda always been a Khalil Gibran fan and I know that passage about what the prophet said about love quite well - something I'll probably never forget. As you know it's something truthfully wonderful yet painful at the same time. I think you captured the meaning pretty well without veering too far away from Gibran's writing. I thought it was kinda ironic you used "Miss Jones" for that too considering what that song was originally about. Thanks for sharing, dude.

 

[Sam Sherry]

This solo is really interesting when compared to the last one. This one is not as technically full as the other.....which is fine with me 'cause your chops really piss me off!

Aw, give it up, man. I'm a struggling amateur. To mix phraseology from two TB mentors, the last posted solo-piece was full of "broad gesture" (Chris) but "lacking intention" (Ed). Fast but sloppy -- a rough approximation of that which you, T-Bal, Durrl and so many others actually achieve constantly.

I still wanna hear the story on that bass.

It was built for me in 1981 by folks in Walpole, New Hampshire named Harold and Alene Westover. The Westovers made a frugal living building beginner violi da gamba, baroque harps and such. Their instruments were built to be cheap enough so that people could get started in baroque music before moving on to masterwork instruments from Peter Turin or whomever. They built about 2, 000 instruments (including two double basses). Alene Westover carved the woman's head; the great Lou DeLeone did the varnish. I am a very lucky person to own it and play it. I'm also very lucky to have known the Westovers: They are the kind of people who, just by being themselves, remind folks that it is possible to be a good person if you let yourself do it.

I've kinda always been a Khalil Gibran fan . . .

Thanks again, Huy. There are a few other big-time Gibran fans around here too. I was worried that the Gibran Estate would say, "You impudent poser -- you DARE to change the Master's words!" Fortunately they realized that I was doing my best to massage the spirit of his incredible work into the realm of melodic modern jazz. I was happy but humbled when they gave permission to move ahead with the project. I'll never walk in bigger footprints, for sure.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Just checked out "Lovers Meet", and I also like what you did with the tune - the upward halfstep modulations make it sound like "Have You Met Joy Spring", which is nice. I like the use of rhythmic motives in your solo, too. The whole solo is good, but I like the sparse parts best - they seem to be the time when I feel like I'm being "spoken to" rather than passively listening. Nice stuff, all. And regardless of what anybody else might think, I kinda like hearing the vocals on these standard type of tunes - it reminds me again (and I forget all too easily these days) of where so muchof our music came from, almost like an affirmation of the roots. That's always a good thing.

 

[Michael Case]

Originally posted by Sam Sherry: When do we hear some more from you, too, sir?

I haven't done a recording lately except for some sessions recorded on a minidisc. The quality isn't the best (the MD mic is partial to the drummers ride and hi hat) and I'd like to post something a bit better sounding.
But I may be recording another demo soon.