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Your favorite complement...

J

Josh Emmons

Apr 26, 2009
221
9
Castle rock, Colorado
#1
Ok, i just wanted to hear what your favorite comment was...
Here is mine: i played with a very good band that has been around the block a few times, and the leader came up to me and said, (this is actually word for word): "you got one of them white-chocolate bass play'n soles cat! Im diggin' ya!" Cool! that for what ever reason was my favorite complement ever. Whats yours?
 
#5
About 6 years ago, I was in the studio helping a friend record a demo for the John Lennon songwriting contest and the producer quipped to me "you know, your playing reminds me alot of Stanley Clarke..."

I've been compared alot to Jeremy Plato of Cross Canadian Ragweed and Stefan Lessard of DMB, and under the right circumstances even Les Claypool (yes, certain 'herbal' remedies and other livations were involved, hehe), but NEVER in my life would I have thought I came even close to being compared to Stanley Clarke's TOENAIL shavings, much less the man himself. That was pretty wild.
 
#6
1. respected local guitar player (actually jerk) came to me after couple of times I've seen him and he had seen me playing and says: "Every of your bands sounds so tight!"
Well. That's because of bass player, I responded.

2. We played open air gig and someone came to me and said: "Oh, cool Lakland bass. Sounds so mighty"

It was Yamaha BBG5S and Acoustic 330 with 402 cabinet.
 
#7
not really a compliment, but..

"you need to work on your timing bro.. your there to hold the band together"

it came from a guy i respected alot, he said it in a very nice constructive way, that comment alone sounds out of context but ive grown alot as a player from it
 
#10
At SOB II (School of Bass II) a number of years ago in Arizona, there was a panel discussion going on with all the instructors. I stood up to ask a question (don't remember what it was), well Chuck Rainey stood up to answer my question and he said, "I've heard this guy and he can play!"

The whole class turned around and looked at me and said pretty much said, "you just got a complement from Chuck Rainey......wow!"

Pretty cool!
 
#13
My band was playing a small club in a resort area not too far from where we live. The place was full to capacity and we were playing a pretty jammin' version of ABB's "Southbound." When we finished, I turned around just in time to overhear the three people closest to me say "Wow!" at the same exact time. I thought that was pretty cool!
 
#14
I have this friend who recently started playing bass. I listened to him playing in a video he made and gave him some tips. I said something in the notion of "I know I'm not the best bass player but..." he interrupted and said "dude, you're the reason I started playing bass."
 
#16
The biggest compliment I have had as a bassist comes when someone from the crowd says "You guys sounded great" after the show, when I have subbed for another bassist for the first time. When that happens, I know I did what I was paid to do: offer support in such that the crowd didn't know a sub was involved.

Sounds kinda strange, I know, but in essence, that is what I do. It's blending in so well that it can't even be seen.
 
#17
Back in the 80s I was playing in one main band and a couple of side bands, as well as doing some pickup gigs.

A local musician was looking for a bass player for a few shows and the guitar player in my main band told him "Well, you can't find better than Dave. He can get as intricate and fluid as you want, but what he's really best at is just being rock-solid and reliable. He'll hold your stuff together like glue but he has the ability to uncork an avalanche if you need him to."

That was praise far and above my actual skills, but very nice things for him to have said, and I think he was being sincere even if I don't feel I deserved that kind of credit.
 
#18
As a bass player; we had a jam in my basement. A friend who is also a bass player had a new song he had written. Since he was showing it to the other guys, he was playing guitar at the time. After one verse I picked up on the pattern and played along with him. When we finished, one of the guys said, "How could you know that song? He just wrote it!" To which my friend replied, "Oh he can play anything." Felt quite good.
 
#19
In grade 12, my school did Eurydice as their play, and the director (a grumpy, angry, controlling guy who screamed at everyone...) wanted to have a four piece jazz band in the backround. So I had to take up the upright bass (and build my muscle strength) a month before the play. Anywho, so during one of the rehearsals, I had to work. Everyone in the play said the band sounded like crud and it threw them off. The director came to me and said "I've never had so much respect for the bass, or even realized how much they did in a band until I saw the full band, and then heard them yesterday without you in it".

...Made me smile.

Also, any compliment my father (my inspiration) gives me.
 

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