When I grow up and become a 'proper' bass player - I want to play like Tom Kennedy...
I saw the man last night at Ronnie Scott's in London and it was just fantastic. Obviously I know Tom's playing from the Weckl band CDs and I have the Drummers Collective 2002 Anniversary thing (which I heartily recommend to anyone who digs Wooten, Patitucci and Kennedy, plus Steve Smith and Gadd) - but hearing Tom and Dave go head to head on some of the deep, deep funk stuff was just awesome. The guy's tone is always sublime, his Fodera makes the most beautifully sweet noises (through an SWR rig), not to mention the B-string (which got used ALOT) was just so fat it made just the two of them sound like a band on their own. Add the incredible keyboard chops of Steve Weingart and sax of Gay Meak and it was one scary gig. The oe overriding factor though was the sheer tightness of the interplay between soloist and backing - I tried listing to all four parts to hear what each of them was reacting to and their thought processes were on some kind of binary warp speed such was their lightneing fast responses to the slightest harmonic/rhythmic motifs that anyone of them threw out.
Just one other thing is Tom's solos - he really has a unigue style and I can only guess that he has developed by playing upright bass as well. His use of open stings and lots of slurred and syncopated pull-offs is just so effective - he's one of the few bassists who rarely solos 'above' the 12th fret - and when he doubles up his speed he really makes the hairs on your neck stand up - the crowd went nuts for him when he did this, his rolling 32nd note triplets were just breathtaking - and if nothing else it was a lesson in getting to know your finger board at the bottom end as thoroughly as the top - whatever, he was just incredible.
If any UK TBers are reading this they are there all week doing two sets a night so if you have the time and the opportunity I urge you to check them out - this band are the business.
I saw the man last night at Ronnie Scott's in London and it was just fantastic. Obviously I know Tom's playing from the Weckl band CDs and I have the Drummers Collective 2002 Anniversary thing (which I heartily recommend to anyone who digs Wooten, Patitucci and Kennedy, plus Steve Smith and Gadd) - but hearing Tom and Dave go head to head on some of the deep, deep funk stuff was just awesome. The guy's tone is always sublime, his Fodera makes the most beautifully sweet noises (through an SWR rig), not to mention the B-string (which got used ALOT) was just so fat it made just the two of them sound like a band on their own. Add the incredible keyboard chops of Steve Weingart and sax of Gay Meak and it was one scary gig. The oe overriding factor though was the sheer tightness of the interplay between soloist and backing - I tried listing to all four parts to hear what each of them was reacting to and their thought processes were on some kind of binary warp speed such was their lightneing fast responses to the slightest harmonic/rhythmic motifs that anyone of them threw out.
Just one other thing is Tom's solos - he really has a unigue style and I can only guess that he has developed by playing upright bass as well. His use of open stings and lots of slurred and syncopated pull-offs is just so effective - he's one of the few bassists who rarely solos 'above' the 12th fret - and when he doubles up his speed he really makes the hairs on your neck stand up - the crowd went nuts for him when he did this, his rolling 32nd note triplets were just breathtaking - and if nothing else it was a lesson in getting to know your finger board at the bottom end as thoroughly as the top - whatever, he was just incredible.
If any UK TBers are reading this they are there all week doing two sets a night so if you have the time and the opportunity I urge you to check them out - this band are the business.
). 
Stunnig. Tom has been my favourite bassist for some time now and I'd really like to see him playing live once.
