Double Bass Tricotism

[Craig Rasband]

Thanks -- so, um, what does it mean? Any idea of the history of the title?

According to my old Webster's college dictionary:
tricrotic ...designating or of a pulse having three separate rhythmic waves to each beat -- tricrotism

Different spelling, so who knows? Sounds musical, though.

I first heard the tune played by Andy Simpkin, when he was with George Shearing. He later sent me a copy of the tune as he played it, with the changes; unfortunately, I lent it to a piano player I was playing with (by then I had learned it on electric bass), and I never saw it again.

 

[Jason Hollar]

Good 'ol Webster!

 

[Ed Lee]

Yes, that is the definative version. That Ray version you mentioned, is the big band one? Damn, that's a smoking band! And Ray's walking and soloing is dynamite as usual.

Also check out Ray playing Tricotism with the Oscar Peterson Trio on "The Sound of the Trio." Ray tears it up!

Just downloaded it on iTunes... man that swings!
Been looking for a good version of Tricotism as I'm trying to learn the thing... anyone know where I might find a bass clef lead sheet? The 2 or 3 versions I've heard have had slightly different versions of the head so I'm a bit confused...

 

[Jason Hollar]

There's a great chart in Todd Coolman's The Bass Tradition book.

This is the one I originally learned from. If you don't have this book -- buy it anyway -- great stuff!

 

[dfp]

speaking of Pettiford with Lucky Thompson, that drummerless trio stuff with Tricrotism is some of my very fave music. the cd I have has 8 tracks of that band. is anyone aware of anything else they did? I seem to recall the tracks were from an LP called Dancing Sunbeam...anyone got that in their collection? is it just those same 8 tracks? those are some hip little tunes, happy-fun-jazz.

 

[jhelsley]

Does anyone have or know of a transcription of Ray's solo from "The Sound of the Trio"?

I assigned it to a student to transcribe (...so now I'M transcribing it...!)

I've got most of it...but there are some pretty ghosty, hard to hear phrases, and would be curious to look on someone else's homework to see what they put there.

 

[Fletcher Lanning]

One of my favorites is still the Joe Pass\NHOP version you can find on youtube. Grooves like mad.