• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Wasn't RED a GREAT Player?

#242
Folks, I caught the Red Mitchell thread, looking to see what else was going on today. I skimmed through most of the entire thread, reading Warburton's stories and then I found the clips on Youtube.

Though jazz is not my forte, I was really impressed with Mr. Mitchell's playing on those clips. So very fluid and it's also refreshing to see a player that is "into" what he is playing.

Thanks for introducing me to another wonderful player of the furniture!
 
#243
I like both sides of Red, but I have a special affinity for his playing in the 50s and early 60s. there's just something really special about the bounce and drive of his comp and the melodicism of his solos from this time.
 
#244
Marcus Johnson said:
I really hope that Diane could somehow facilitate the re-release of "the album" someday... just so more people could hear it.
Click to expand...

I was listening to it again last night, and I really think that "Blue Dove" should go on that 5-gotta-listen-to-classic-jazz-bass tunes list that's going on in another thread. That's just plain superlative, high-level playing from both those guys. The record's so hard to get, though....
 
#246
Paul Warburton said:
You could write a tune, which Red often did, off of any of his solos.
Click to expand...

I think that was one of the most important things I got from Red, and something that I try and impart to my students. Red would have his own alternate melodies to standards, so when he was improvising on a tune, he might play his alternate melody first as the basis for his improvisation. So, he's improvising with a few different reference points: the original melody, but also maybe an alternate melody over the tune -- and he had a lot of his own melodies to How Deep Is the Ocean, Out of Nowhere, Stella, If I Should Lose You, etc. So his improvisation was based on a mix of the original melody, plus another melody that he might often play over those changes, plus whatever else came into his head.

To comment on DamonSmith's comment about early vs. late Red: I hear his personal way of approaching melody even in the '50s on the gut string bass in fourths. I love the All Night Sessions with Hampton Hawes, and I think those bass lines and solos epitomize great bebop playing with a little melodic spark of something extra -- and that's the amazing part that I think we all are drawn to.

And to jump to the '70s: That bowed solo on "God Bless the Child" with Guido Manusardi that Paul mentions is also one of my all-time favs.
 
#247
By the way,
It's GREAT to see this thread just won't lay down and die!
Shows that there's a little Red Mitchell in all of us!
Anyway, as I'm writing this I have on Media Player in the background :-"FOUR" Hamp Hawes and the gang!.... I am interested to know a couple of things...being recorded in 1958 does anyone know, (possibly PW... Hi Paul) is Red playing on Gut for this recording and, is the recording straight through a Studio Mike(ie:-not amplified).
Lastly, it states in the liner notes, that this is Red's FIRST recorded bowing on track 3 " Bow Jest". (Red's Composition...I presume with his $10 grand bow???? sounds VERY NICE!
 
#248
powermans said:
By the way,
It's GREAT to see this thread just won't lay down and die!
Shows that there's a little Red Mitchell in all of us!
Anyway, as I'm writing this I have on Media Player in the background :-"FOUR" Hamp Hawes and the gang!.... I am interested to know a couple of things...being recorded in 1958 does anyone know, (possibly PW... Hi Paul) is Red playing on Gut for this recording and, is the recording straight through a Studio Mike(ie:-not amplified).
Lastly, it states in the liner notes, that this is Red's FIRST recorded bowing on track 3 " Bow Jest". (Red's Composition...I presume with his $10 grand bow???? sounds VERY NICE!
Click to expand...
Hey man...
I think he hadn't changed to all steele Lycons yet, but that probably is THE bow.
Red was going to be " an engineer " so he got way into sound. He had his own studio mic. But no, no amp just the mic. I still have this outing on LP, but I remember the bow did sound a bit scratcthy. I'd bet on the guts with Lycon A & E.
 
#249
I think the other factor about the late work is all those duos and drummerless trio, his playing is way more out front and equal than the older stuff. I must have 15 or more Red LPs like that.
I also have a great Max Roach LP with Red, Steve Lacy and Abby Lincoln.
It is fantasic. There is also that George Russel LP where he plays with a young Jan Garbareck and Terje Rypdal.
 
#250
damonsmith said:
I think the other factor about the late work is all those duos and drummerless trio, his playing is way more out front and equal than the older stuff. I must have 15 or more Red LPs like that.
I also have a great Max Roach LP with Red, Steve Lacy and Abby Lincoln.
It is fantasic. There is also that George Russel LP where he plays with a young Jan Garbareck and Terje Rypdal.
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with either of the albums you mention Damon. Please tell us more. Especailly the George Russel.
 
#251
The Roach is a bootleg I think, Italian release, great record. I think the Russel is on Flying Dutchman, It may have been reissued by Soulnote. It is very advanced stuff.

Also, I am posting this youtube link here, because toward the end I was able to work in some very Red-influenced chordal/double stop stuff under the trombone solo that is hard to get across in free music most of the time:


Quartet Improvisation

Phillip Greenlief - saxophones
Jen Baker - trombone
Damon Smith - unamplified Double bass
Spirit - percussion
 
#253
just found an album on amazon I'd not seen mentioned here. Paul Bley, live at the Sweet Basil, with Red Mitchell, Barry Altschul and John Abercrombie. Anyone know it?
I've ordered it, so I'll report back. I'm very excited, Paul Bley is one of my very shortlist of favourites, as is Barry Altschul. Red with them should be quite something...
 
#255
oliebrice said:
just found an album on amazon I'd not seen mentioned here. Paul Bley, live at the Sweet Basil, with Red Mitchell, Barry Altschul and John Abercrombie. Anyone know it?
I've ordered it, so I'll report back. I'm very excited, Paul Bley is one of my very shortlist of favourites, as is Barry Altschul. Red with them should be quite something...
Click to expand...

I have it, it is a good one. On Soul Note.
 
#259
For those RedHeads with an eMusic account, I've put together a list of everything I could find with Red Mitchell that's available for download. I'm sure I missed some, since there's no facility to search for sidemen on a recording or in some cases sidemen aren't listed. If you find something I missed let me know so I can add it. Or if something is there that shouldn't be, I'd like to remove it. eMusic's cataloging leaves a lot to be desired.

The eMusic list is at

http://www.emusic.com/lists/showlist.html?lid=25233611&nickname=DrDude&cs=1

I've still got a lot of downloading to do, but there's some great stuff here. :D. - Ron
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back