Tal Wilkenfeld on (2) Herbie Hancock Tracks

[Bernie Connors]

Any of you guys catch this video on youtube? Great video of Herbie and Tal trading solos over Watermelon Man.

Very cool.

KEYTAR NEVER DIE!!!!!

 

[pdbass]

Just caught Herbie's show in Pittsburgh tonight.

AWESOME. They came to PLAY. Started the concert with Actual Proof and never let up.

PINO PALLADINO on bass, only his second gig with the group. He played his ass off, as did everyone (and sing, too, in Greg Phillingane's case). The trademark fretless Music Man sounded incredible from the 2nd row, as did his P-Bass (which he used most of the night). He had 2 pedals onstage: an old OC-2 Boss Octaver pedal, and a Boss tuner. He also ran into all Phil Jones gear, including (what looked like) an 18b cabinet and some PJ head. There was also some kind of pre he was using on top that was white and half a rack space wide. Unbelievable sound. That P-Bass is so dark and fat, and hearing him with Vinnie was just special.

 

[KJung]

Just caught Herbie's show in Pittsburgh tonight.

AWESOME. They came to PLAY. Started the concert with Actual Proof and never let up.

PINO PALLADINO on bass, only his second gig with the group. He played his ass off, as did everyone (and sing, too, in Greg Phillingane's case). The trademark fretless Music Man sounded incredible from the 2nd row, as did his P-Bass (which he used most of the night). He had 2 pedals onstage: an old OC-2 Boss Octaver pedal, and a Boss tuner. He also ran into all Phil Jones gear, including (what looked like) an 18b cabinet and some PJ head. There was also some kind of pre he was using on top that was white and half a rack space wide. Unbelievable sound. That P-Bass is so dark and fat, and hearing him with Vinnie was just special.

\

I'm seeing them tonight. Cool that he is playing the fretless MM on some tunes. I dig that1

 

[KJung]

Intersting show. The venue was just fantastic (Chene Park)... beautiful 6000 seat outdoor theatre right on the water.

Cool set list... some stuff from Thrust and Headhunters, a wonderful 'career retrospective' medley with 'Round Midnight', Cantaloupe Island, hints of Maiden Voyage, etc., one tune from the Joni Mitchell tribute CD, and then most of Imagine.

Pino... well..... I've heard him twice live now, and while his playing was great, his tone was just simply awful. Literally nothing coming out over 300hz (maybe not even that). I was sitting very close to the stage (only about 50 feet from him), and you could see all this amazing stuff he was doing (beautiful technique), but literally none of it came out into the audience...pure mush. He must turn that passive tone control all the way off.... much worse sounding than that John Mayer trio recording, where at least you could hear most of the notes. Very disappointing. His fretless MM sounded a bit better.

The rest of the mix was amazing... beautiful acoustics. He needs to get a wireless and listen to that tone out front sometime IMO.

I missed Tal a LOT on this show... that tone would have been the bomb.

IMO of course.

Edit: Got to briefly speak to local great Ralphe Armstrong at the concert. What a nice cat. It is so cool to walk into a jazz club in Detroit and see Ralphe just BURNING on the DB. Scary player.

 

[4-string]

Reminds me of seeing Willie Weeks w/Clapton. I caught 2 shows on the 2006 tour, one in the Albert Hall, and later one here in Oslo. I could hardly separate a single note, it was all mush.

In fact, I have only once in my life experienced a P-bass that sounded great live (and that was a Lakland!).

P-bass w/flats and tonecontrol turned down, is a recipe for disaster live IMO. Works GREAT on tape though.

IMHO and all that. I know others disagree, and that is fine.

 

[KJung]

Reminds me of seeing Willie Weeks w/Clapton. I caught 2 shows on the 2006 tour, one in the Albert Hall, and later one here in Oslo. I could hardly separate a single note, it was all mush.

In fact, I have only once in my life experienced a P-bass that sounded great live (and that was a Lakland!).

P-bass w/flats and tonecontrol turned down, is a recipe for disaster live IMO. Works GREAT on tape though.

IMHO and all that. I know others disagree, and that is fine.

+1 Freddie Washington was the same way with Fagan a while back.... pure mush live. It is really a shame, since these guys play so well.

 

[Roy Vogt]

Interesting, I will see them this Sunday at the Ryman in Nashville. While I was in the balcony last time (hard to hear the bass there and it was Nathan East-Drat!) this time I'm on the floor about 10 rows back. I'll be looking forward to hearing what it sounds like and I'll send a report.

 

[KJung]

Interesting, I will see them this Sunday at the Ryman in Nashville. While I was in the balcony last time (hard to hear the bass there and it was Nathan East-Drat!) this time I'm on the floor about 10 rows back. I'll be looking forward to hearing what it sounds like and I'll send a report.

If you run into Pino, tell him to just turn that passive tone control up a bit

That should be a great venue to see them. My guess is, the bass will sound awful there also

 

[peterpalmieri]

What a shame I really dig Pino's playing too. I was going to say that maybe you were just sitting to close to the subs but if the rest of the band sounded clear that's not it.

I can't say that Nate Watts tone was much better last year when I saw Stevie at Jones Beach, also a large outdoor venue.

Did you get a chance to walk around during the show? Maybe possibly it sounded a little better where the board was located?

How about the guy that posted a pic from another show in the Phil Jones thread, I don't remember him commenting on the sound good or bad

 

[KJung]

What a shame I really dig Pino's playing too. I was going to say that maybe you were just sitting to close to the subs but if the rest of the band sounded clear that's not it.

I can't say that Nate Watts tone was much better last year when I saw Stevie at Jones Beach, also a large outdoor venue.

Did you get a chance to walk around during the show? Maybe possibly it sounded a little better where the board was located?

How about the guy that posted a pic from another show in the Phil Jones thread, I don't remember him commenting on the sound good or bad

The opening act bassist (The BlackByrds... pretty cool.... the 'Walkin' in Rhythm' band founded by Donald Byrd... a Detroit native) sounded KILLER (I think he was playing some sort of Curbow... some sort of modern humbucker instrument Yes, even he had the typical 'too much deep low end' that curses bassists playing large venues through massive PA's, but you could hear every note... nice midrange and a bit of upper mid grind... beautiful!

Not much you can do live with a PBass with old flats and the tone control cranked down. Just awful live... large room, small room, whatever. I almost weeped during 'Actual Proof'... pure mush.

Also, nothing to do with his rig... he was going direct.

 

[Jerry Ziarko]

That's too bad Ken. I was fortunate I got to see Tal, and as I mentioned, James Genus. JG's tone was simply amazing! (OK, playing a Fodera doesn't suck) It was an outdoor venue and the guy at FOH had it goin' on. Evey note was crystal clear.

 

[Bernie Connors]

The opening act bassist (The BlackByrds... pretty cool.... the 'Walkin' in Rhythm' band founded by Donald Byrd... a Detroit native) sounded KILLER (I think he was playing some sort of Curbow... some sort of modern humbucker instrument Yes, even he had the typical 'too much deep low end' that curses bassists playing large venues through massive PA's, but you could hear every note... nice midrange and a bit of upper mid grind... beautiful!

Not much you can do live with a PBass with old flats and the tone control cranked down. Just awful live... large room, small room, whatever. I almost weeped during 'Actual Proof'... pure mush.

Also, nothing to do with his rig... he was going direct.

If you're not diggin' the P, then you really need to check out his stuff with PSP. Look for it on YouTube. The Jaguar, his MM fretless and his 5 string MM fretless copy really sing. Incredible musicianship, of course.

 

[KJung]

If you're not diggin' the P, then you really need to check out his stuff with PSP. Look for it on YouTube. The Jaguar, his MM fretless and his 5 string MM fretless copy really sing. Incredible musicianship, of course.

+1.... been a Pino fan since the Paul Young days. His current tone choice continues to make me a bit sad, given how articulate his chops are, and what an amazing player he is (again, not so much the P Bass in general versus a P Bass with the tone control dialed way down with old flat wounds on it being used on a gig that has so much articulate ensemble playing, etc... strange choice to me).

However, it still blows my mind that guys like Genus and Pino can step into a gig like that on a moments notice and just nail the thing... no charts, and just nailing all those intricate changes and ensemble parts. Amazing.

 

[Phil Smith]

However, it still blows my mind that guys like Genus and Pino can step into a gig like that on a moments notice and just nail the thing... no charts, and just nailing all those intricate changes and ensemble parts. Amazing.

I think it's more than a moments notice. They've had at the very least July 31st to get up to speed and it's not like they have to learn 40 tunes. I would expect no less from them under those circumstances.

 

[KJung]

I think it's more than a moments notice. They've had at the very least July 31st to get up to speed and it's not like they have to learn 40 tunes. I would expect no less from them under those circumstances.

I agree (although I think Pino only came on board recently... James Genus was doing the tour until about a week ago I think). I guess it is an 'everything is relative' sort of thing. I know that some players are amazed when they hear about freelancers like me going into a sub situation with no rehearsal and no charts and doing a 4 hour gig (which is a typical 'day at the office' for me). However, I could have worked on those 15 tunes for a lifetime and not played like Pino.

I guess that's why I play corporate gigs and weddings, and Pino plays with Herbie Impressive to me though, even putting his playing level in the equation.

 

[Bernie Connors]

I'm with you, Ken. Continually amazed by guys like Pino, James and Nathan East.

 

[Jerry Ziarko]

I think it's more than a moments notice. They've had at the very least July 31st to get up to speed and it's not like they have to learn 40 tunes. I would expect no less from them under those circumstances.

I think JG had a few days. He slayed two hrs with killer chops and beautiful melodic lines. As Ken mentioned, the intricacies of some of those parts were off the charts. (no pun intended)

 

[Bernie Connors]

I think JG had a few days. He slayed two hrs with killer chops and beautiful melodic lines. As Ken mentioned, the intricacies of some of those parts were off the charts. (no pun intended)

And these guys nail them time after time. It's amazing. But that's why they're the best.

 

[Roy Vogt]

In Nashville the band sounded fine. Pino was more audible and played mostly P Bass for the Paul Jackson era stuff and the Music Man fretless to simulate upright. He was fine, but Vinnie and Herbie were standouts. Pino seemed way into the support role.
IMO, Pino played the gig more like a session than a Jazz gig. He sounded to me like he was more focused on the parts (there were some really cool stop time moments in Actual Proof). It was sort of like seeing Tony Levin do the gig. He did great but I kept wondering what someone like Christian McBride would have brought to the party.....

 

[Dr. Cheese]

In Nashville the band sounded fine. Pino was more audible and played mostly P Bass for the Paul Jackson era stuff and the Music Man fretless to simulate upright. He was fine, but Vinnie and Herbie were standouts. Pino seemed way into the support role.
IMO, Pino played the gig more like a session than a Jazz gig. He sounded to me like he was more focused on the parts (there were some really cool stop time moments in Actual Proof). It was sort of like seeing Tony Levin do the gig. He did great but I kept wondering what someone like Christian McBride would have brought to the party.....

That's an interesting observation. I take it you would have prefered someone with a stronger jazz background and maybe doubling ability?