Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Showcase => Artists and Their Alembics => Topic started by: reinier on October 03, 2004, 03:16:35 PM
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Mr. Series II since 1976 (unfortunately I haven't yet located my copy of Wayne Johnson's 1980 release "Arrowhead" with a nice studio pic of his first SII with fan peghead, but I'll find it one of these days) at work with Lee Ritenour (1984) and his current gig, James Taylor (2001):
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/13112.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/13113.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/13114.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/13115.jpg)
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HAllo Reinier,
there is a video of a James Taylor rehearsal concert at a barn somewhere. I think even at James home where you can see Mr. JJ at work on this bass (not the fan-head). Anyway ...a very nice and intense concert and those bass-lines are sooooooooooooooooo nice and ...well ...economical describes it but I don't like the word.
Paul the bad one
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Wow !
I want to see such photo.
I have never seen Graphite 5 bass except Mr. J.J.'s and mine.
His current bass has cone head, but neck width and control knobs are same dimension as his 70's 5 strings (with fan head).
And these has nice Walnut top too.
I love narrow neck 5 st.
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Found it! Here's the pic of Flim in the studio while recording one of the best free Alembic ads ever: "Arrowhead" by the Wayne Johnson trio. Lots of melodies and solos by Flim on both fretted & fretless SII. In a May '89 Guitar Player interview Flim reports this bass was stolen 1.5 yrs earlier when touring with Allan Holdsworth. Could be the fan peghead SII in the "Stolen Alembics" section?
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/13127.jpg)
And for you as a graphite neck lover, Eiji, here's the (only) pic from the '89 GP interview (apologies for the page cut; I didn't want to cut up the mag). Reportedly, the other side of the neck doesn't have frets either ;-)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/13128.jpg)
Paul, indeed Flim's playing with JT isn't themost flashy stuff around. Still love to see that video by the way. If you want to hear some "uneconomical" playing, just listen to "In the mystery" from Allan Holdsworth' "Metal Fatigue". Talking of videos: is anyone the happy owner of Allan Holdsworth' "Tokyo dream" video disc (or the VCR bootleg) released in Japan only? Supposed to be a killer trio (Chad Wackerman on drums?). Take care, RR
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Hoi Reinier,
let's not take this the wrong way. I just LOVE JJ playing that economical way. Being the most unflashy bassplayer of all time myself I always look for this economical way to play ...it just feels so ...well ...oh ....huhuhu ...right. There is nothing to add nothing to do another way ...just precisely right. I am a HUGE fun of JJ.
On the flashy side I would choose for Armand SL ...but well >>>>
oops (I installed an automatic off-topic censoring device ....huh ...it will work for about a day I guess)
Paul the bad one
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Hi Reinier,
Thank you for great photo.
I saw this photo in B/W.
Burl Walnut on back side is just like Graphite !
I have Tokyo Dream disc.
This live act was done at Tokyo 1984.
It was released in Japan.
Mr J.J. play his Graphite 5 st.
Yes, Chad Wackerman on drams and Paul Williams on vocal.
I will try to upload these pict.
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Hi, This photo is included Japanese Alembic catalogue in late 80's. Another photo is in "stolen Alembics" 76 AC 418
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/13221.jpg)
Next pict is J.Johnson signature bass. The bass has 3/4 body and both scales medium or long. I saw only a few this model in Japan.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/13222.jpg)
My favorite is standard omega body. I love it than 3/4 body. (Message edited by room037 on October 07, 2004)
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Hi Eiji,
Thx for the great pics! I have asked Alembic if they would know how may JJ signature basses have been produced but haven't heard from them yet (perhaps I should use a different e-mail than the general Alembic@Alembic.com (mailto:Alembic@Alembic.com)?). You've partly answered that question now. Thx! Would be interesting to know where they've been shipped to. Could it be a model mainly for the Japanese market?
It's a real beauty, the JJ from the folder. Fan peghead (WOW!), Deluxe neck laminates and classic knobs, so I guess there was no real standard for the JJ model. But then again, the words standard and Alembic don't mix too well anyhow ;-) they're all about being non-standard!
I now have a digital camera but I'm still waiting for my classic hat knobs to arrive. As soon as they're on, I'll experiment to see if I can match the pro shots above....
Take care,RR
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Hi Reinier,
Yah, I am also interested how many made JJ Sig.
There is only 2 JJ Sig. bass in this club. (one is your's Reinier !)
I saw the bass only two time in late 80's to eary 90's, one was long scale, and another was medium scale.
I was looking for it again, but I can't find it.
I think this JJ sig (with 3/4 body) were ordered by Japanese dealer, after the boom of Alan Holdsworth with JJ.
This bass's neck was slightly wide than 70's 5 st.
I think it was standard 5 st width neck in late 80's.
Then, the neck was not deluxe laminates (like series 2), it was standard 7 piece for 5 strings.
My Graphite 5 has slightly wide neck.
May be it is same construction as JJ sig in 80's.
Each strings space is 15mm.
I think, 70's 5 strings has 14mm space.
How do you think the 5 string neck width ?
I love the narrow one !
room037 from Japan
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hey does anyone know what jimmy johnson's rig is?
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I know he doesn't use a backline at all. I saw him last summer at a Drum Workshop clinic with Chad Wackerman and Alan Hodsworth, and he was straight into a small power supply and then the mains. He only had two floor wedges on his side of the stage. The JT concert videos for Live at the Beacon Theatre and Pull Over look like the same setup.
Mike
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wow that awesome. very orgainic with the alembic. that and his fingers. do you know if he ever had a backline, and if so what?
also, what's your fav FRETTED styles jimmy johnson album? ?
he didnt have leds did he?
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Just for the record (as indeed Flim hardly tows anything with him nowadays), in the abovementioned '89 Guitar Player interview Flim lists two sets of backline he used at the time: for small gigs and rehearsals, a Walter Woods head, powering two Thiele-design cabinets with 12 EV speakers. For big venues, he had a small PA, built up as follows: separate PU outputs from Alembic power supply >> Simon Systems 19 DI >> stereo crossover >> Yamaha power amps >> Meyer Soundlab speakers (highs stereo into two 12 + 1; lows into a single 15 subwoofer).
A few years earlier I've seen Flim on tour with Allan Holdsworth here in The Netherlands, using only a poweramp into a pair of stacked JBL 15 3-way cabs. I was close enough to the stage tie his shoe-laces together and must say I wasn't thrilled by the way his Alembic sounded (rather mid-heavy, with an added edge of a solid state system being pushed to its limit, not very hifi so to say).
As for hifi: you can clearly hear the improvement in sound reinforcement technology over the years. Just compare Flim's sound on Allan Holdsworth's 2002 live release All night wrong or the two James Taylor DVDs Mike mentioned to the (non official) release I.O.U. Live of some 20 years earlier. It seems as if sound reinforcement is (finally) catching up with the unsurpassed sound quality of Alembic basses.
Best Flim Johnson album must be the Wayne Johnson Trio's 1980 release Arrowhead (unfortunately never made it to CD). Most songs fretted, the fretless songs are hard to spot though, at least until Flim's solos start. Contains one of the prettiest bass solo's ever recorded or, as our guitar player once stated, this is how a bass solo should be.
Take care,RR
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Reinier; thanks for the info on Jimmy Johnson. That's interesting that he was playing straight into the power amp.
Oh, and no fair saying something about one of the prettiest bass solo's ever recorded and also saying that we can't hear it!
I did go look for it, and found mention of the LP on Wayne Johnson's site (http://www.waynejohnsononline.com/cds.html). Maybe if we all emailed him.
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Ordered the Hybrid SuperAudio CD 'Tricycle' by Flim & The BB's and it should be here in about 3-4 weeks. Their albums are very hard to find, in fact this will be my first Flim recording, but I'll check out the James Taylor DVD's or the latest albums with JJ on bass.
Wilfred
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As for e-mailing Wayne Johnson, perhaps a nice anecdote to share here (don't burry the guy with e-mails upon reading this pls): in the pre-Internet days (we're talking 1988), the 1980 audio cassette copy I had from the Arrowhead album didn't have any highs left on it, so I decided to write a letter to Wayne, asking about the Arrowhead album availability in the US (what did I know; just took a gamble writing to Zebra Records with whom he just released his CD Spirit of the dancer, asking them to pass my letter on). Many weeks later - I had almost forgotten about the letter again - the mail man rang the doorbell delivering a big cartonboard envelope with a letter from the man himself, thanking me for being a fan and saying he had found an audio cassette of Arrowhead and an LP Everybody's painting pictures he had - still sealed - lying around somewhere in his house anyway.... As you can imagine, I even still have the envelope.... As an expression of my deep gratitude, I sent him an album of my then fusion band to which he diplomaticly never reacted ;-D!
Anyway, a few years ago I came across an Internet store in LA (www.aeonmusic.com (http://www.aeonmusic.com)) where I was able to purchase a sealed album copy of Arrowhead, paying next to nothing (the B/W picture shown above is off of its cover). I transferred it onto a CD-R, using a crappy turntable I still keep in the attic and it sounds good enough for my taste. I just took a peek at AEON and they still list an LP for US $ 12,= and an audio cassette for US $8,= (go for the album, the cassette sounds a bit dull).
Alternatively, I'd be more than happy to provide club members with one or two mp3s (it's for the good cause of Alembic proliferation I would say), but on the other hand, compared to our Dutch practices, US law suits are a bit too impressive for my taste (and budget). You reckon there's any harm in that (after all these years)?
Take care, RR
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The one Flim & The BB's that I have is Neon, the first track of which is an overdubbed bass only piece called Fish Magic. Very nice!
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Reinier; I'm not a lawyer and I don't know the laws relevant to this issue. However, if the album has never been released on CD and if the album is no longer in print, then I can't see the harm in making some MP3s for close friends if you are not seeking remuneration. But I could be wrong.
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I'm no lawyer either but I think you would be ok if you did not provide the whole piece, just selected passages (correctly creditted) to demonstrate a certain technique. Also since these are albums and not CD's I believe the DMCA does not apply. Maybe one of the attorneys here could weigh in.
Keith
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I'm no entertainment/copyright lawyer, but if I remember correctly from law school I believe as long as you are not selling it or receiving any economic compensation, copy away. (No warranty, either express or implied created by this posting).
Bill, tgo
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I'm also not a lawyer, but here's how I understand the copyright laws:
If you want to make copies for your own personal use, go ahead.
You can copy small extracts (much less than a complete song) for educational purposes.
You cannot distribute copyrighted material to others. You can't sell it, you can't give it away. It doesn't matter that you're not making any money, you can't do it.
Just because a work is out of print (not available on CD, no LPs available, whatever) does not change the law.
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No offence to anyone, but please accept some friendly advice on essential Flim recordings from a totally uncritical Flim Johnson fan (that's how you end up owning all 6 Flim & the BB's CDs.....): although all 6 contain at least one or two Flim-featured treasures (Fish Magic is indeed a winner in this respect), they also contain quite a few songs that don't do justice to his talent and taste. So, before anyone may decide that all the fuzz is much to do about nothing please try and listen to anything from Wayne Johnson or Allan Holdsworth, featuring Flim. Most Allan Holdsworth albums are readily available in record stores or on the Internet (Metal fatigue and Atavachron are good Flim showcases). Take care, RR
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Thx for all the legal advice. I guess the conclusion is warranted that there is no law against sharing only the solo (after all that's what it's all about here). It's strong enough to go without the context of the whole song anyway ;-) Any suggestions as to how? Take care RR
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flim's work with the bbs isn't so hard to find. i just ordered a copy of 'tricycle' from http://www.dmprecords.com/CD-443.htm (http://www.dmprecords.com/CD-443.htm) . dmp's catalog includes 'big notes', 'big notes gold', 'further adventures of', 'neon', 'tricycle gold' 'vintage bb's', and 'tunnel', all by flim & the bbs, as well as titles by a number of other artists. many titles are available in sacd as well as red book
marc
p.s. somewhere out there there's a video (now possibly a dvd) of james taylor playing with his band in the barn at his home on martha's vineyard. the performance was about 15 years ago, and i can't recall the title of it, but flim plays bass and he was sounding very nice indeed
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Reading this thread sparked me to put Holdsworths' 'Secrets' on the turntable last night. It's the first time I've listened to it in about 20 years and up until now I hadn't paid proper attention to the bass. I got it when I was into Bruford and naively expected Jeff Berlin to be playing but as I'd never heard of Jimmy Johnson I kinda lost interest.
Apart from rather too much 'noodling' from Allan, the album holds up very well indeed with Flims' playing standing out as being exceptional. looks like I'm going to have to do some research and spend some money ;-)
graeme
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And there's more, I received the James taylor live at the beacon DVD yesterday and boy did it bring back memories. I listened to Mud Slide slim and Sweet baby James almost non stop during the first half of the 70's, so much so that the LPs are now really badly scratched and almost unlistenable so it's been a long long time since I've heard any JT. Apart from looking really old, his voice is exactly how I remember it and he really looks like he's the happiest guy on earth when he's performing. It's also good to see so much footage with Jimmy in it. A really nice bass and there are quite a few close ups. His playing, whilst not as busy as the holdsworth material, is still quite exceptional and exactly what's required, and, like phils' bass sound on Live/dead, it comes through the mix beautifully.
Even Mrs J likes it which is remarkable in itself;-)
Graeme
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Isn't James' playing wonderful? I love his playing behind his singing.
As for the mighty JJ: Someone told me the secret to great playing is knowing what to leave out . . he could certainly overpower the JT gig, but his taste is impeccable. He SURE knows what to leave out!!
J o e y
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it seems like jimmy johnson was into seriesII electronics since 1976... when was it made available as a regular in the alembic line up? you dont get to see a lot of old series II's
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I believe old #16 was a series II. Come to think of it, we sure haven't heard from Keavin for a long, long time.
And what about Paul TBO?
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Hi Brothers
yes ...my daily quotum of posts is declining tremenduously.
Due to worksituations (no car, looooooooong train travels to get to job every day, ...short nights sleep ...) I cannot follow club life as actively as I would like to do.
Though I have a nice gig story I'll tell you all in the appropriate departement.
So please carry-on lads and ...dank je voor de gedachte broeder Adriaan!
Paul TOBO
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Forest, thanks for the fabulous ideas! I'll hit the hardware store and the auto parts store and see if I can button that right up.
Joey, I am the ultimate slow mover when it comes to updating any of my gear. I believe ghs sent me a set of the round core Boomer variations to see what I thought ... but I have yet to put them on.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, I forgot to ask as well: Back in the thread about a Series guitar straight into a commercial power amp, you mention a 'boost amp' to get you to the right level for it's inputs. So what would that be, and I'm guessing it wouldn't be the typical channel strip or mic pre with all the extras for EQ, etc.
I'm NOT the most electronically-fluent, so I kept trying to think of an impedance matching box/transformer, but that does nothing for signal level, only impedance right?
I can do a hell of a setup, just DONT hand me a soldering stick and a wiring diagram !
Joey
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Yeah Joey, I'm self-taught on this stuff so don't really know what I'm talking about. When I get stumped I direct my questions to Mica, Ron, or somebody with actual knowledge...
What I was writing about was my understanding that the output of a cranked Series II might not quite be full +4dBu kind of line level and so may not drive a power amp to it's max output. When I've run the bass this way it's worked fine for me, plenty of level, super-clean and super-fast. (I may have, years ago, changed one resistor on my preamp boards to get a touch more gain, I'm sorry I can't remember the details...)
What I was thinking about was, if you needed the amp to run to peak power output you could insert a very clean buffer amp between bass and amp for a few db of extra gain. But this kind of defeats the purpose of our straight wire magic trick. Ha! And the sound of that buffer would be important if you wanted to keep it all pristine.
Plus, once you think about adding something into the signal chain you might as well look at a line level EQ maybe with a gain adjustment, or a channel strip. Then you will have created a unique amplifier rig.
The outputs of our basses are considered low-impedence although I have no idea what the value is. And my crude understanding is that as long as the output of one piece of gear has a lower impedance than the input of the next piece of gear you are good to go. Power amps seem to be in the 10k-20k range so I think both sides should be happy. We shouldn't need any transformers between the output of our bass and the input of a power amp UNLESS we need to isolate the ground of the different gear involved (think ground lift switch on a DI box).
I've just started experimenting with a new tiny rig based on the API 500-series gear. So I'm trying to learn or relearn a few things (even at my advanced age) about transformers, impedance, etc... If I discover anything I'll let you know!
Jimmy J
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Stanley Clarke gave a rig rundown (vice versa, in my case) for Premier Guitar:
http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Rig_Rundown_Stanley_Clarke (http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Rig_Rundown_Stanley_Clarke)
He uses two F-1Xs and a Swedish-made EBS Microbass II:
http://www.ebssweden.com/content/microbassII.php (http://www.ebssweden.com/content/microbassII.php)
As does our own Chalie Holmes:
My question is if the EBS Microbass performs the function(s) you're discussing? (Bear in mind that if that's the case, I have to talk my Scottish wife, the Foghorn, into letting me get one.)
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Looks like that EBS box does everything but make you breakfast. I'm sure that combined with a power amp and speakers of your choice would make a fine bass amp combo. It looked like Stanley was using it for his upright and not his Alembics but it wasn't clear to me.
What we're talking about in this thread is minimal gear in the signal chain. Not everybody's cup of tea. Stanley's rig is much more ... maximal. Ha!
Again, no right or wrong. Whatever works for YOU is the way to go.
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy,
I'm comming to see you play with Steve Gadd Band at Osaka. It's second time for me to see you play since you came with Allan Holdsworth. I'm looking forward to this time too!
Toshiaki
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Very interested to hear/see what you are experimenting with on the API 500-series rig Jimmy.
I see that one would have to buy a lunchbox base unit with XLR only outs, to connect these modules? Which specific modules are you experimenting with and for what scenarios (recording, live, both)? Thanks again for sharing.
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Fear not, Joey - I once was as you are, and there is hope! Your assignment: Cross your fingers, read/watch some how-tos, then just jump in and rewire a semi-hollow. It'll do worlds for your confidence (or drive you to madness).
Peter
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In this interview with Guitar.com (from November 2014), he says he runs both his upright and Alembic(s) through the EBS Microbass, so he can A/B through separate rigs:
https://www.guitar.com/articles/stanley-clarke-interview-school-days-revisited-bass-legend (https://www.guitar.com/articles/stanley-clarke-interview-school-days-revisited-bass-legend)
This interview with Bass Player (from March, 2015) includes a complete list of his equipment. It's where I discovered that we both use Thomastik Spirocore strings on string bass, despite the fact that he never asked my opinion :
http://www.bassplayer.com/artists/1171/stanley-clarke-reflections-of-a-root-revolutionary/51275 (http://www.bassplayer.com/artists/1171/stanley-clarke-reflections-of-a-root-revolutionary/51275)
This topic is of vital interest to me because I have disc disease and have to lighten my load (I blame the Ampeg SVT I insisted on hauling around for years, instead of following everyone's advice to install an engine and wheels and just drive the damn thing to gigs). My Scottish father-in-law warned me that marrying a Scot could result in a little loss of spine, though, but I wasn't expecting this.
The worst case scenario is that I'll wind up in a wheelchair, which should make playing my long-scale Series 1 interesting (it's 148, I think). But I'll do it anyway, if I have to fret it with my toes. After playing bass for 49 years, I'm finally learning how to play the damn thing. No sense quitting now, right?
On the upside, I'll soon get to have a Da Vinci robot fire a laser beam at my spine - honest - and I'm just enough of a geek to look forward to it, but not so much that I'd wear a costume to a Comic-con (the Foghorn says I look enough like a Klingon as it is).
While I appreciate your endorsement of the whatever floats your boat approach, the Foghorn is a rabid JT fan and we've seen him approximately umpteen times (I've managed to talk her out of throwing her underwear so far, on the basis that maybe he doesn't need a spare car cover) so if I told her; well, James Taylor's bassist (no, not the one who looks like Gandalf) said I simply MUST have the Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator ... that'd be enough to pry the checkbook from her iron grip.
Like Stanley Clarke and James Jameson, upright is my first love (I like to slap it, too. Yeah, I said it) so the rig I've worked out over the years is amenable to both upright and Alembic, biamped high/low so I can just A/B between them. (With a nifty Paula Abdul-like dance move to switch instruments.)
So far, the power amp/F-1X(EBS?) combination sounds promising, as does using the Cletus method to saw two or three feet off the neck of my Alembic, if worse comes to WAY worse.
Either way, I've got some downtime coming up to think about it. Thank you for your help.
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Of course we'd have to say that whatever it is that Stanley is doing is working just fine!! What I get from that video and article is that I think he's mostly using the MicroBass for his upright. 'Cause how many tone controls does a guy need? The Microbass is the frontend of a 2-channel bass amp complete with effects loop, overdrive and balanced DI out. Then he's got two Alembic pre's, presumably one for each pickup of his electric basses. Then he's got even more tone controls on his Ampeg amps... To me that seems crazy - like 3 preamps in a row - but that TONE he gets is undeniable!
So like I say, to each his own.
And furthermore - 97.2% of the sound comes from our hands! If you or I were handed Stanley's bass we would not sound like Stanley. The last 2.8% is all about our personal choices in gear and the right gear for you is whatever makes you smile and inspires you to play.
Brian, I'll let you guys know what I get up to with the experiments. I'm looking for a bit more options in a mini traveling rig.
Jimmy J
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This appeared on my Facebook feed today, It appears you have an appreciation group on Facebook Jimmy.
https://www.facebook.com/jimmyflimjohnson/ (https://www.facebook.com/jimmyflimjohnson/)
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Well . . . . then that would be the second one !
Joey
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My understanding is Stanley goes into the Alembic preamps and these go into the effects or aux in of the Ampeg bypassing the tone circuitry. So basically he is just using the Ampeg as a power amp. When I saw him at an acoustic gig with Hiromi he had an Ampeg 4x10 and was using what at the time I assumed was a Fishman preamp. My guess after seeing this is it was the Microbass. And yes it is all in the fingers. I just wish mine would show a little more team work but somehow they always manage to get in each others way.
Keith
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OK my appreciation group is just plain weird. I guess anybody can post anything... But that's weird. Ew.
Yeah Keith, that makes sense. In Stanley's video I believe he's running the upper Ampeg head as a stereo power amp with the Alembic pres. The lower Ampeg head is for the upright and, since he's plugged into the front of it, a second set of tone controls after the MicroBass. Glad we figured that out!
Now don't encourage that Facebook guy. Ew.
Jimmy J
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Here's a 'rig rundown' for SC from PREMIER GUITAR from his 2011 campaign:
http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Rig_Rundown_Stanley_Clarke (http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Rig_Rundown_Stanley_Clarke)
Only Stanley would run an upright thru an SVT !
Joey
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Hi JImmy,
Thank you for tonight's very exciting or beautiful music at Osaka!
I could see closer to you than before so I could also see your right hand techniques well. But it's still like magic that your making many tones only with your fingers. BTW I was surprised at much more powerful sound of the band than I expected. So cool!
I hope you will come to Japan again sooner.
Toshiaki
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Hey Toshiaki,
Thanks for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed the music, some nice moments tonight from all the band members. But sorry we didn't get the chance to chat. Feels strange to do autograph sessions after these shows (!!) but all drummers must get Gadd's signature. I understand.
Next time please introduce yourself.
Jimmy J
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I want to apologize, because I may have committed a disservice to you by bringing up another musician. You are unique, and I regret inadvertently implying comparison..
I had the honor of playing with Nokie Edwards of the Ventures, because the Foghorn and I went to a restaurant where he and his friends had been meeting since the 70s to have breakfast and play guitars. So we got to know each other over waffles and hash browns.
It was like a musical cocoon. Just to be there was an honor, because he has to endure the fame. The collectors, who happen to show up with stacks of albums for him to autograph. Or lunkheads bringing up other musicians and peppering him with questions about equipment. (Ahem.)
And that's not who he is at all. Nokie Edwards is plugged into the same place As Mozart and Django and Holdsworth.
And you.
Mark Twain said that the curse of fame is having complete strangers stop you and tell you what they think of you.
The only reason I dragged Stanley Clarke into this is because I use this for my upright:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/213021.jpg)
You can use all the outs at once (though I can't imagine why anyone would want to). The mute button is a godsend, especially with the way I play
This thing is idiot proof, and I am both. I have it mounted on a mic stand exactly 42 inches to my left. Done. No more turning around to twiddle. Like you said, after that it's all in the hands.
They stopped making them a long time ago, though. So finding something that will do the same thing - simply - for the Alembic is just my gear addiction talking. I'm afraid it's a symptom of the poor impulse control that comes with playing such a bombastic instrument.
I regret doing that guitar geek thing to you, especially here. I'll try to keep it under control.
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I could give you only few words with my poor English at autograph session but I was very happy. I'll try to introduce myself better next time. See you again!
Toshiaki
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Ed Zeppelin, I know I've been pushing this thing like crazy, but I just love it to death: The Grace Design Felix will do all that and more. It also sounds leagues better.
OK, back to Facebook idol worship!
Just kidding. I hate getting geysered as much as the next guy (as in You guys're ).
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Hey no prob you guys, no offense taken. I'm just in here to shoot the breeze with you all. I count Stanley on my short list of influential players from way back, so I'm a fan if his too. And all is fair in gear-talk mode, right? Whatever!
I'm sure that you will find a combination of gear that works for you Forest. I'm not licensed to operate an upright so I don't have much input (get it?) on the subject. But we're lucky that these days there are so many pro frontend pieces to choose from. You'll find it.
Ah, Toshiaki. Nice to meet you ... but sorry I didn't realize it was you! Next time please just say Alembic and I'll know.
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy,
Wow, you are playing tonight and tomorrow at Tokyo !?
Unfortunately, I can't join your gig at this time.
I wish to meet you next time with Toshiaki.
Eiji
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Eiji-san,
Also sorry to miss YOU on this trip. At one point I was considering asking to rent your 5-string for this tour!
I'm kidding, but someday I would love to try it and see how it sounds. I think I know how it feels ... but I'm curious!
Maybe next time.
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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Nice video with Jimmy & Steve Gadd band!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwXCpG9za_Y (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwXCpG9za_Y)
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Sounding wonderful as usual JimmyJ!
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Hi Jimmy, Meant to also add earlier; what did you use to make this recording? What was included in your signal path as well as the approx settings on your bass if you don't mind sharing? I am just amazed at how much you are clearly cutting through in the mix in addition to your tasteful performance. Thanks, Brian
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Superb playing Jimmy. Next time you're over here with JT you should bring Steve's band out in the interval. Most of the band would be there anyway and I doubt I'll get to see you all playing otherwise :-)
Graeme
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Next time please just say Alembic and I'll know.
I know this sounds really bizarre ,or maybe not so;
I dreamt I was backstage after one of your shows and saw you walking towards the green room...I quietly shouted Alembic to catch your attention.
I hope someday that'll really happen
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Thanks friends. It's a treat to play with those guys.
Brian, signal chain was DS-5 power supply into a DI box. (I think that day I was using the house's generic Countryman DI.) Bass controls are almost always the same for me; pu volume and tone controls wide open, slight Q boost on the bridge pu, master volume down a bit from the max. The trimpot balance of the two channels slightly favors the bridge pu. That's it.
Graeme, this band is playing Ronnie Scott's mid-November, that's the closest we're coming to you for the moment. And I understand it's sold out so maybe we'll be invited back.
Elwood that's pretty funny. The name remains a code word for bass and guitar players. Only chemists might otherwise speak it.
Jimmy J
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I think we're on to something here.
'Just say ALEMBIC and I'll Know . . . .' That's as good a slogan as I've ever heard. Beats the hell out of a secret handshake.
Joey
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Jimmy J, someone's bound to have asked you before, and I hate to pile on with a pesky question, but what's the story on your right-hand technique? Specifically, positioning as you do, up next to the fingerboard. I gotta' think it's deliberate, but how in the cat hair do you do it?
Reasoning - I've been experimenting lately outside my comfort zone. Typically I will end up slightly behind my neck pickup, often resting my thumb on it. (keeping in mind, my current Alembic is a Persuader 5 equipped with P/J activators) There's a lot of real-estate between that P and my fingerboard that I haven't really been using, and I do like some of the things about playing up near the board... for one, I'm able to get some of that deep upright-ish response, I guess from the extra string travel, but I find it very difficult to get any speed there. Plus, the eq'ing I'm used to is all wrong. Then there is my action, which is just stupid-low, also not condusive to playing up there.
So, a penny and a half for your thoughts or pointers. As always - you da' MAN!
PS - some of this will hopefully carry over to my Custom fretless 5-string build, as Mica and I discussed pickup locations a while back, ultimately landing on the neck PU offset 5/8 from the fingerboard, and the bridge PU offset 5/8 from the bridge.
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Gregory,
Good question! The short answer is: I don't know what I'm doing and I'm fairly unaware of what my right hand is up to.
Remembering that my output trimpots are set to feature the bridge pu more than the neck pu, where I pluck the string is just me responding to whatever tone I'm hearing. If it needs to be deeper I end up near the neck. If it needs more bite the hand moves closer to the bridge. I think I do it automatically but I'd have to watch some video of myself playing and I'm just not up for that. HA!!
Now standby for a VERY long followup to this as I put some graphics and ideas together.....
Jimmy J
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I could see Jimmy's right hand from very close to stage at Osaka.
I'm going to try to explain Jimmy's right hand.
In addition to plucking position, he has many other variations.
He plucks his finger tip or belly, vertically or parallel to string, soft to hard.
soft to hard is very simple in words but I can't express more about this.
There might be more.
He uses these techniques phantasmagoric!
I dno't know how many tone variations he have.
I hope my English is correct.
Toshiaki
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Thank you Toshiaki-san, that is a very kind description! And you've saved me from trying to figure out what the heck I'm doing. Ha!
Now for my long silly thoughts...
Excuse me while I put on my amateur scientist?s hat. We all understand the principle of the vibrating string. The combination of tension and length dictate the pitch of the fundamental note. There are also several overtones which speak with the fundamental (I think they?re called ?partials? when they are part of the tone) plus some mechanical noise like fret rattle which together makes up our overall sound.
I believe ? because the neck pu is closer to the center of the string it ?hears? more of the fundamental. The bridge pu nearer the termination of the string ?hears? more of the overtones or shorter vibrations. I think that generally explains why our two pickups have different tonal character, just because of the physical location in relation to the string. Make sense?
Now about this overtone series, which we can also play as harmonics (a finger resting on the string above the 12th fret divides the string into 2 equal parts and sounds the pitch one octave above the fundamental).
The overtone series continues with smaller and smaller equal divisions of the string. Split into 3 equal parts creates the next overtone pitch which happens to be an octave and a 5th above the fundamental. 3rd in the series, 4 equal parts, sounds 2 octaves above the fundamental. Etc.
The next few start to get a little squirrelly. The pitches produced are not all in line with the ?equal tempered scale? which we are used to hearing (in most Western Hemisphere music).
The worst offender is when the string is divided into 7 equal parts (the harmonic roughly above the 3rd fret of our fingerboards). The pitch produced is a very flat 7th to the fundamental and pretty painful if heard as part of a chord for any length of time. (Just ask Mica about the time she could ONLY hear that ugly overtone as she was testing instruments!)
Now the good stuff! (Finally). What?s the easiest way to prevent or limit the amount of that particular partial in the sound? That would be to initiate the vibration right on that ?node? so that the string has little chance of dividing into 7 parts. This is not a new idea, check this out:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/217914.jpg)
I learned that from my dad who was a piano technician as well as a bassist. The best sounding grand pianos purposely strike the string right on that node so as to limit the amount of ugly 7th in the sound. This is almost impossible to do in a small upright piano and that?s why the lower strings often have a gnarly sound.
Now, what does this have to do with this thread? Well, one of the nodes of that overtone happens to be just on the bridge side of the neck pu. If you were to want the least amount of that clashing overtone in with the fundamental you would pluck the note right there! That could probably be considered the sweet spot for fundamental and overtones.
Of course, that sweet spot moves as you move up the neck and shorten the string. If you played a note on the 12th fret, the node would be 1/2 way from the spot I describe above to the bridge, etc.
So in conclusion. A-hem. This probably has NOTHING to do with the question you asked - but I believe I do generally seek this sweet spot when playing. That said, lately my right hand seems to be lurking closer to the fingerboard so I must be reaching for a deeper sound and this entire lengthy story is MOOT. But maybe interesting, I hope.
Best to all,
Jimmy J
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Wow, fascinating... Thanks Jimmy J!
Must confess, I went back and searched for videos with you doing gigs other than with JT, and found that Toshiaki is spot-on. (this means exactly correct Toshiaki, your English is excellent) Watching your solos with the Gadd ensemble, and Holdsworth, I see a whole different side to your playing.
Funny thing is, (hang on a minute while I reach for the dunce hat) that's exactly what I learned to do in the same subconscious manner with the upright... simply move my right hand closer or further from the bridge according to what my brain tells me what bass tone the song is calling for at any particular moment.
Guess it boils down to, I just don't have the experience yet, but I feel like an important bridge has been crossed here, just with the realization there are so many possibilities with altering right hand on bass guitar as on upright.
My dunce hat fits just fine - Thanks!
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Good stuff Jimmy,
This reminds me of Asimov's Music to my ears, a cool little essay(that apparently isn't online).
I didn't know that about the hammer placement on grand pianos.
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Just struck me that today it's 7 years and a month since you jumped in on this thread in your honour and there you are again with yet another very educational & inspirational contribution, on top of all the great music you played already. Thank you for being here.
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Greg, we don't hear the shift in tone with your right hand position on two pickup basses as easily: Next time you're around a P-Bass or any single p/u bass, pluck along from the fingerboard end to the bridge and it's REAL obvious. Play at the bridge with a heavy pick, and it's instant Telecaster; pluck with the fat part of your fingers at the last fret and it's instant EB-O.
I'm with Jimmy on the partials. That's why lots of basses have that dead 'B' on the D-string up the neck (interacting and increasing or restraining it depending on the neck materials as well: REAL stiff neck material like an ebony striped Alembic neck or a composite neck you never hear it. Get a funky, soft wood neck on a more simple axe, and in some cases you think there's almost a missing fret at that spot). And different axes present these partials on an individual and unique basis. This is why you have an axe that records well, but may be only so-so on stage, and vice-versa.
This sort of thing is more obvious on acoustic instruments, but it is still very present in solid bodies. The electronics are the constant, but the snowflake-like variation in wood (as in acoustics) is what gives them their sonic fingerprint for those with good-enough ears who've been able to listen to many examples of the same axe.
Joey
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Excellent post Joey, thanks for that.
I'm amazed you point to the 'B' on the D-string because I have a semi-dead B-flat on my D-string. That is the only note which doesn't want to sustain like the others. And only that B-flat on that string - all other B-flats are fine.
Thing is, if I lean the headstock into the wall and play that note it sustains normally - BUT - then the 'F' on the G-string goes away.
I just figured that note in that spot resonates the wood in such a way that the wood absorbs it - I think they're referred to as wolf notes on acoustic instruments. And all we can do is learn where the oddities are and avoid them or work around them as best we can.
I still use that note, it's not completely gone. Alembic basses are SO even across the fingerboard that one single spot is not a problem. It is also an indicator to me that fresh strings would be a good idea (which seems to help).
Interesting stuff!
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, someone smarter than me can nail it, but essentially it's the convergence of the tempered scale, string diameter, resonance in the neck, where the partials fall, etc., for that B and F.
Alembics are certainly not alone, and it varies from axe to axe, and I'd be very surprised it it's the same phenomenon across your family of Series axes. Interestingly, in my two axes, it's virtually non-existent on the BRB with the deluxe laminates, but prompted more easily on my green Elan with the pinstripe laminates. Not a big thing, but listen closely and you'll hear it.
We never notice this in recordings or well-engineered live shows as usually an intelligent amount of compression tends to smooth out the small variations.
Joey
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Jimmy, looking forward to seeing you with the Steve Gadd Band in Zoetermeer on November 5!
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Hi Jimmy! I will be in Stockholm next weekend for your concert with the Steve Gadd Band! It will be great to listen to you guys, two of my all time favorites. Do you have any time to meet during your stay? Best Regards, Jan-Olof
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Adriaan, hope we have a chance to chat.
Jan, it's a rare two-nighter at Fasching so I guess I'll be there on Sunday for sure. However, looking over our travel plans it's possible I will be sleeping that whole day. Ha!
Hope to see you both.
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy! Thank you for a great concert at Fasching Jazz Club!?It was amazing!! The band was smoking and the rhythm section cannot get much better. Really GREAT bass sound??...tight and deep??..Hope to see you soon again!!
Best Regards, J-O-S
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Hey J-O-S,
Thanks for making the scene in Stockholm! I enjoyed talking with you and am pleased that we agree on so many aspects of the World of Bass. From gear to sound to how we think about what we get to do. Good stuff!
See you next time,
Jimmy J
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I'm Sooo jealous you got to see this band Jan-olof. F/B pics look like you had a great time. it's high time bands realised that London isn't the only place worth playing in the UK. Glasgow, Newcastle and Edinburgh have some great venues suitable for medium sized jazz gigs. Worth keeping in mind if Steve's booking another tour Jimmy :-)
Graeme
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Hey Graeme,
I agree of course, it would be great to do a more extensive tour of the UK... Heck, we're only playing 2 gigs in Germany. I think there are a couple reasons.
One is, even though most musicians know who Gadd is (and indeed some of us sidemen) owners of venues do not know this band. There always has to be a first time around as a proof of concept. Club or theater owners are asked to take the risk in committing to an expensive band they may have never heard of and hope they can sell tickets. Fasching in Stockholm offered us 2 nights and Ronnie's in London only offered 3. I'm sure Ronnie's was surprised when it sold out several months in advance.
The other thing is, this band is kind of rare. We all play for JT, Gadd juggles Clapton and sometimes Paul Simon, Goldings and Landau have their own bands, Fowler is a busy movie orchestrator. So it's going to be a rare occasion when we can all tour together in this format. We were lucky too all be able to make this 3-week trip and so it seems they tried to cover as much territory as they could within this timeframe. Even playing 19 out of 21 nights I understand the money is tight.
And 3rd - we're all OLD dudes. HAHA!! These 6am lobby calls to make a flight on a gig day can beat you up pretty good. We all agree that we're only good for about 3 weeks of this kind of thing at a stretch.
So like that. We all hope we can play with this band at least occasionally because it's a musical treat. And the audiences have showed up and been very responsive everywhere. I expect we'll try to at least do some jazz festival work over here at some point but there's no telling because of all the moving parts involved.
Hopefully we'll get up your direction at some point Graeme!
thanks,
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy.
Sorry if I sounded like I was griping. If I'd seen a ticketmaster alert for the Ronnie Scots dates before they sold out we'd have most likely tried to get down to London for a few days - make a holiday of it. maybe next time :-)
Graeme
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Graeme,
You are always a great music supporter so I didn't take it as a complaint. I totally understand. Growing up in Minneapolis we had a similar problem. Not all US tours would include the jog north (especially in winter!!) so we missed a lot unless we were willing to drive 6 hours to Chicago...
As I said, if we can continue to get this combo together semi-regularly there will be a better chance of us making it around everywhere. We'll just have to see how it goes - and enjoy it when it happens!
Jimmy J
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This is GREAT!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4hE2S__gHk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4hE2S__gHk) I really hope Jimmy that you make a live CD/DVD with The Steve Gadd Band! This group is really great?it sounds like a BAND! The two cd's you made a really good but live its even better, more risk taking and that's what we like?? specially with musicians on this level!!
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Hey Jan-Olof,
Thanks for the kind words. That video of the final gig of our tour was sold as a Pay-Per-View by Ronnie Scott's and not meant to be posted on YouTube, so it's already been removed... Oh well!
There is talk of trying to officially release something live from this band, so that may happen.
We had a good tour but 19 shows in 11 countries in 21 days means I've got to sleep for about two weeks to catch up. I'm getting a wee bit old for this. HA!
Jimmy J
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OK!....but here are a few more great videos from the Steve Gadd Band tour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU4XnMyX5ts (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU4XnMyX5ts)
Jimmy are you going to be at the NAMM show in January 2016?
Best regards, Jan-Olof
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THIS IS GREAT!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xacF8JG-00Y (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xacF8JG-00Y)
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Jimmy,
I'm not sure, but I think Santa plays bass. How else can he wrangle thousands of elves, all those reindeer, and not have Mrs. Claus be pissed off that he hasn't made his in-law's annual Christmas Eve dinner...well, ever.
Merry Christmas to you and yours from your fans in NOLA,
Ed V
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And from this one in Virginia!
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Thanks pals. Holiday greetings to you all too. See you in 2016!
Jimmy J
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The show is back on YouTube again....GREAT!! Its The Steve Gadd Band with Jimmy Johnson!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dbxEHV4UX8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dbxEHV4UX8)
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Jimmy,
The gals and I are looking forward to seeing you with JT at the Baton Rouge River Center on 4/18. We'll be in section 115, row G, 9-12 if you have time to say hey...Also, the Old State Capitol is right next door and has some cool exhibits if you have any history buffs in the gang. Good food in Baton Rouge too if the catering isn't up to spec...
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Ed,
That sounds good, thanks for the info. I don't have a complete itinerary yet so don't know details about the gig or our time in town.
Remind me here when we get closer so I can mark it in and maybe get out front to sat hello...
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, I'm a big fan of Michael Pollan (too big, if you follow my drift), and I recently found this article (http://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/my-tragic-encounter-with-james-taylors-pig/) from the NYT about JT's terrorist pig, Mona.
I realize this has nothing to do with Alembic (at least, I hope not) ...
(Message edited by adriaan on February 16, 2016)
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Hi Jimmy,
Just saw Canadian tour dates for JT - none in Toronto, where I am, but if you are on that tour we might come down to Hamilton to see the show!
Rick
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Yes Forest, JT's song Mona is a classic example of his dry sense of humor.
Rick, as far as I know I'm still on the tour. And it looks like Hamilton is as close as we get to Toronto so I hope you can make it. Sorry I can't offer any assistance with that, but let me know here if you're able to come.
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy,
Got tickets for the show in Hamilton. Can't wait to see the band!
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Hey Rick,
That's great, thanks for supporting the team! As we get closer, let me know where you will be sitting and I'll try to find you to say hello.
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy.
I'm seeing an awful lot of US dates being posted for JT this summer. Any idea if he plans to bring the tour to Glasgow this year?
Graeme
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Hey Graeme
It's looking like the US and Canada will be it for JT in 2016. I haven't heard any rumors about next year but it's been a long time since we've been to Edinburgh so, fingers crossed.
In the fall I expect the Gadd band (in some form) to be out again doing Asia and some more EU. Probably Italy & Spain, although I hear Ronnie's wants us back... We'll keep an eye on that.
I hope to get up your way again sometime soon!
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy:
I've acquired tickets to the Fargo show. It would be great if we had the chance to say hi!
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Alright FM, thanks for supporting the team. I may have cousins at that show but will try to find you to say hi. Let me know where you're sitting.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
reminder per your request,,,the gals and I will be at the Baton Rouge River Center gig on 4/18. We'll be in section 115, row G, 9-12 in you have the time and space to chat for a bit.
I'm thankful that i was able to get better than nosebleed seats this time...I can leave my opera glasses at home and bring my GIVE JIMMY A SOLO foam finger instead ;)
Best.
Ed V
PS- Apologies to all if this double-posted...I tried leaving something a few days back and it didn't seem to take.
Thanks,
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OK Ed, thanks for the reminder. I'll do my best to get out to say hello before the gig. Maybe leave the solo finger at home though, thanks anyway. HA!
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
The show in BR was fantastic; many thanks for finding time to hang with the gals and I.
BTW, do you remember if you ever played in New Orleans with Allan? I saw him once with Jeff Berlin early on, and opened for him once when Skuli Sverrisen and Steve Hunt were in the band. I think I might have missed a couple of shows...
I'll keep wishing for the Gadd Gang at N.O. Jazz Fest. Thanks again, and safe travels to you and the gang.
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Hey Ed,
Good to see you and your team again, thanks for coming. Nice crowd there in BR.
I'm pretty sure I did make it to New Orleans at some point with Allan. It would have been just before Skuli. I also remember being in the van once on our way to New Orleans when Allan looked at his itinerary and saw we were booked to play Tipitina's. He had played that place before and remembered they had no air conditioning, just giant fans blowing hot air in from the street. Miserable he said. So in true Allan style he decided to bail on the gig (on our way there!) and go straight to the next town. Of course, about a week later we found out Tipitina's had remodeled months before and put in AC... Classic Holdsworth adventure story!
Yes, I hope the Gadd Band can get down there at some point, that would be great.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
I remember that one...the music store I worked at was hosting a Pearce amps clinic with Allan and Ronnie Montrose before the show, and Ronnie gave us the news. It was a typical nasty-hot-and-humid New Orleans summer too, as it was during the 1983 show he played there.
Funky indeed, but not in a good way!
Best,
Ed V
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I think, JJ's 76' 418 bass was series 1 with Master Volume (MV).
I don't know, MV knob was fitted originally or modified.
But MV position is JJ style. (close to bridge)
All his basses has same position.
Now the position is PU selector for regular products.
76' 418's build record info. is series 1 or series 2 ?
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My notes show 418 as being a Series II. It's the oldest S2 I have a record of, though I only have data on 49 instruments earlier than that one. I don't have the actual birthday for 418, but it's most likely mid-June, 1976.
Btw., according to my notes Keavin's #16 is a Series I.
nic
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Hi guys,
A minor correction... Keavin's series I is #12, not 16.
He has 2 threads in the series I showcase section, and confirms #12 is a series I with series II controls.
Mike
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Ah. I'll update my notes. Thanks!
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i wonder if jimmy johnson asked for the series II bass or was it just seridipity, that he was mr seriesII #1?
he has a interesting place for his MV.
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i wonder if jimmy johnson asked for the series II bass or was it just seridipity, that he was mr seriesII #1?
he has a interesting place for his MV.
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I was fortunate enough to see JJ, Mr. Economical backing up JT this past Friday night. Gorgeous playing and gorgeous sound, ah...
Then on Saturday night I was treated to Trio featuring the one and only Stanley Clarke! Wow, two mind blowing bass players in two days! Now I remember why I play bass for my own amusement and not for a living!
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i went out and bought wayne johnson's arrowhead with flim, and i must say, i'm sooo in love with flim's playing!!!i'm considering getting a series II 5 string with a fan peghead!
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I noticed in the last picture of JJ, he is wearing his belt in a different way. Maybe he has it turned around so that it doesn't cause buckle rash. Big time player and he still respects the instrument. I like this guy.
Rich
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You're right on the money, Rich. That's exactly why he wears the belt like that when he plays.
Valentino
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I've just bought all (?) 8 Flim & The BB's CD's secondhand. Got me a great deal and they should be delivered later this week: Big Notes, New Pants, Neon, Tunnel, The Further Adventures of Flim and the BB's, Vintage BB's (best of), Tricycle & This is a Recording.
Very happy!
Wilfred
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my question is this:
flim's original series II bass looks like it had series I switches instead of the the cvq roller. can somebody explain this? also did he have l.e.d.s on his bass ? if so where and what color?
anyone>?
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Just in case anyone still wants to know- that James Taylor video filmed in the barn at his home is called Squibnocket (as is his home.) Plenty of footage of flim. Don't know whether or not it's out on DVD now as well, but I found it very enjoyable.
Tom
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THANKS TOM!!!!
I DO wanted to know!
I HAD the concert on video but one of the kids copied some chick-movie over it AAAAAU-AUGH!!
Maybe it IS on DVD available!
Anyway ...I enjoyed that show very much!
AND JJ's work of course!
Paul TBO
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If you want to here an early recording of Jimmy, listen to Convoy by C.W. McCall.
Steve
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http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?srch=104&FORM=AS4&q=%22Convoy%22+by+C.W.+McCall.
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Dear fellow Jimmy (and Alembic) fans, what a great place this club is!! I can only speak out of my own experience but the number of very special contacts via this club keeps growing bigger.
Just last week I got an e-mail from another Wayne Johnson Trio enthousiast who'd found me via this thread and I was given 2 unique photos of Jimmy and his beautiful basses, I feel belong on the wall of this club.
The pics were taken in the early 80's during the recording of the 2nd WJT album Grasshopper, which, just like their 1st album Arrowhead, is an unsurpassed showcase of Jimmy's talent and the outstanding sound of his Alembic basses. There was a Mojazz re-release on CD in 1994, another must have i.m.h.o. (pls also see www.waynejohnsononline.com (http://www.waynejohnsononline.com))
The first pic shows Jimmy while recording with his original Alembic, in the second one Jimmy (I think with his graphite neck fretless he holds reversed in the GP pic above) and drummer Bill Berg are listening to Wayne laying down an acoustic part. Enjoy! and take care, Reinier
(http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/26104.jpg)
(http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/26105.jpg)
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I just love the bottom picture . . . even big-time guys have to WAIT ON THE GUITAR PLAYER . . . their expressions and body language is PRICELESS !
J o e y
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Cool pics!
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can anyone identify JJ's rig?
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(Message edited by jalevinemd on March 23, 2006)
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Well the knobs with the red caps might be an F-2B.
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Jimmy,
The rig Jimmy used at the time is described in some detail in this thread (look in the archived part on August 4th, 2005). My guess is these are his Walter Woods head and the 2 Thiele cabinets carrying a 12 EV speaker each?
With his current James Taylor gig Jimmy uses in-ear monitoring so no backline needed.
Reinier
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i see the alembic preamp, but wheres the walter woods? also how do you guys think he was using the f2b? as the preamp section with the woods as the power section?
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I took the photos. It was almost the same month that Grasshopper was recorded, but the above photos were live photos of the Wayne Johnson Trio. I did not memorize Jimmy's equipment, but I do know that it was two 12's that he played through. Walter Woods sounds familiar, but I can't guarantee that it was that amp. To help, I have focused in on just JJ's equipment in the scenes. Wayne had electronics on each side of the stage, since he played in live stereo sound. JJ's equipment was right behind him. His rack is below his left side, on the floor. His two 12's just to his right. I have enhanced as much as possible to help you all see if you can figure out what he used back then. This is a cool post.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/27072.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/27073.jpg)
BTW, for a fact JJ plugged directly in (1/4" out of Alembic into mixing board) for recording Grasshopper. I think that he did the same for Arrowhead. Peace, uswjtfan
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Hi Ray; thanks for the info!!
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I have searched around and I have not been able
to find that Jimmy Johnson video, I think it was
with Alan Holdsworth.
Thanks,
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Jimmy was backing up James Taylor this morning on the CBS morning show. Unfortunately there weren't to many good shot of him or his Alembic as he was stuck behind the backup singers.
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Kenn,
On Oct 4th, 2004, our fellow JJ fan Eiji from Japan posted a reply stating that he was the lucky owner of the 1984 recording of JJ with AH in Japan, called Tokyo Dream (pls see the archive section of this thread).
It was on video disc, the LP-sized pre-decessor of the DVD. There was also a VCR (bootleg?) cassette but as far as I can tell using the internet, both are nowhere for sale anymore. The other day I read that Mr. AH himself was far from satisfied with this recording, probably the main reason why it never came out on DVD.
Eiji: do you still have that copy (and something to play it on)?
As a small consolation: there's some JJ material out there on DVD. Noteworthy titles are:
- James Taylor Live at the Beacon Theatre (1998);
- James Taylor's Pull Over (2002);
- a VCR cassette from a JT gig / rehearsal at JT's house or barn, called Squibnocket;
- Lee Ritenour RIT Special - Lee Ritenour Live (1984) with JJ on a fretted graphite neck SII (the first 2 pics of this thread [see archived part]are actually stills from that DVD).
Take care,
Reinier
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JJ is also the sole bass player on the DVD American Drummer's Achievement Awards honoring Steve Gadd with Rick Marotta, and Vinne Colaiuta doing several songs Steve is famous for, included Nite Sprite by Chick Corea (Anthony Jackson played on the original but JJ performs it here) and a Tom Scott tune.
The house band for this event is JJ, Tom Scott, Michael Landau on guitar, Larry Goldings on keys, and Vinne or Rick on drums (plus a drum duet) with Will Lee singing a Joe Cocker tune and James Taylor performing a song with Steve as well.
Mike
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Hey Ken I remember seeing a vid liek that, with Chad Wackerman on drums.
Here was the closest I could find...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKpc-RRUtwM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKpc-RRUtwM)
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Hey Ken I remember seeing a vid like that, with Chad Wackerman on drums.
Here was the closest I could find...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKpc-RRUtwM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKpc-RRUtwM)
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Hi Reinier,
Yes, I still own Tokyo Dream.
I apologize for upload.
But I found these video on YouTube.
These video are from Tokyo Dream
Road Games (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDR-GlAz_Ow&mode=related&search=) & Tokyo Dream (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSveDtp0bGU&mode=related&search=)
Eiji
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I just saw a tribute to James Taylor on PBS last night. Lots of different artists with Steve Gadd and JJ backing everyone up. Not many good shots of JJ though.
Rich
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Health warning: serious fun ahead!
For some recent pics of JJ and his SII please go here: http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/43697.html?1190198810 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=19424)
Take care,
Reinier
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Allan holdsworth is simply a total genius..way way ahead of his time!
Jimmy Johnson has done such a wonderful job in Allans band, I remember when Jeff Berlin left the band to pursue his solo career and I thought OH NO! Full credit to Jimmy, He has been a revelation to me!
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Last night's SNL was a repeat from the 90's with Steve Martin as host and James Taylor as the musical guest. Lots of shots of Jimmy and his Alembic.
Bill, tgo
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Bill,
A friend of mine said to me (mind that he's only seen my bass once or twice), A bass exactly like yours was on Saturday Night Live last night! I was a little dubious, but I guess it was basically true.
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Hello Alembic brothers and sisters!
Thanks for all the kind words. I'm a long time lurker here and have finally decided to jump in and join the gear chat...
About the above rig, oh so long ago... The rack at that time consisted of an IN-2 input module, an F2-B and a Yamaha P2100 power amp. I ran the whole rig in stereo, two 12 Thiel boxes (directly behind me on top of the rack in the photos) for the bridge pickup and the 2-15 cabs for the bass pickup. Also, on top of the 15 boxes is a Yamaha E1010 analog delay which I used as a chorus on the B pickup while soloing. AND, maybe only for this one gig, by my feet is an old Fender spring reverb which I can't even remember using. What was I thinking? Haha!
That venue must be the Comeback Inn in Venice, CA. Looks like Wayne was busy developing a nice long intro in the 2nd photo! The graphite necked animal is my 1980 series I fretless. That bass is still getting a lot of use today.
Best to all,
Jimmy J
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A month short of this thread's 4th anniversary it's the man himself.... A 1000 questions and no words....
Welcome
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Thanks Jimmy- for the explanation and all the inspiration your playing has provided over the years.
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Yeah, took me long enough, huh?
I don't know how I stumbled onto this particular thread - and don't even know how to get back here from the front page of the forum... But I've been an Alembic nut for over 30 years now and still stuck on 'em so I should probably drop in here more often...
Thanks again for the kind words,
Jimmy J
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Thank you, Jimmy, for all the wonderful and elegant performances we've all enjoyed. I'm still immensly enjoying you and Steve Gadd on JT's October Road CD. An interview on one of his newer DVDs stated most of the album was done as a trio in the studio, then dubbed as necessary.
I saw you at a drum clinic poerformance outside Chicago probably three years ago with Chad Wackerman and Allan Holdsworth. I believe you fed sound from a small box by your floor wedges, no backline per se, strraight to the house?
If that is the case, do you ask that the monitor eq be flat, and do it on the instrument, or eq'ed for your ears in the space (leaving your instrument settings uniform)?
Inquiringly humbled,
Mike
P.S. completely unrelated... Go Bears!
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So very glad to see you on the boards sir. I as well as many here have found your playing and tones a real pleasure and inspiration for many years. Your work with AH is truly wonderful as well as a lesson in tasteful playing. Continued health, success and good fortune to you. I bought the JT DVD simply because you were on it. (though I have been a JT fan since I was a young lad)
Thanks for years of enjoyment from your craft.
Danno
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Thanks guys.
Danno, I've also been a fan of JT - and Sklar - for many years. I can't believe my own luck!
Mike, since I got into recording pretty early on I've always been a DI kind of guy. Never really enjoyed bass amps. I know, kinda weird! So I would rather play through a full range rig when I have the choice. (The exception is my tiny club rig; Walter Woods and 2x12. But even at the Baked Potato I also run through the house PA.)
So when traveling LIGHT my rig is simply a DS-5 power supply and an active DI box which I have wired in-line with the 5 conductor cable... Let me see if I can attach a photo:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/55364.jpg)
I run the bass outputs hot enough to drive a power amp directly. So when available, I will take the mono 1/4 output of the DS-5 and plug it straight into the power amp running my wedges. Flat, full range usually works for me. Then the PA gets the balanced output from the DI box which is padded down to normal mic level. OK, I admit it, I'm a bit of a wire-head / modifier too. But I only know enough to get myself into trouble...
later,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
I admire your no fuss approach to playing- I guess it's helpful to have all the tone shaping capabilities that the Series II basses offer right there on the bass.
If you don't mind me asking, how much 'knob fiddling' do you do when you play? Are you constantly adjusting filters/CVQ or do you simply alter your right hand technique to get the sounds you're after?
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Welcome to the board Jimmy; and thanks for answering our questions about the rig!!
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Hi again and thanks for the welcomes.
Toby, I almost never move the knobs. My pickup balance (set with the back panel trim pots) favors the bridge pickup and I tend to just barely boost the Q control at the highest frequency on that pickup for some extra air. Otherwise the pickup volume and tone controls are wide open all the time.
I admire players that have multiple and unusual bass sounds to offer but that has never been my thing. I kind of have one tone - well, two if you count the fretless. It's not for everybody but I have been lucky to be able to fit it into some very diverse situations.
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy, welcome to the forum - as one of my favourite players its great to hear from you!
You have one of the nicest recorded bass tones IMHO! (Im an Allan Holdsworth nut)
Are you coming to Glasgow with Allan for the show at the Ferry in Sept? Would be great to see you over here.
John.
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John. You'll be as disappointed as me to find that Allan has Ernest Tibbs on bass - as excellent as ernest is, he's no Jimmy Johnson.
Hi Jimmy and welcome to the forum from Scotland. Like many on here, I've admired your playing for a long time - you were one of the main reasons my first Alembic (and the other two for that matter) was a fiver. Since you won't be here with Allan this september, how about convincing JT to bring his band of legends to the UK (Scotland in particular). I've pestered his webmaster to no avail ;-)
Graeme
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John and Graeme, thanks for the welcome and the kind words.
Yes, I'm sorry to miss Allan's UK trip later this month but you should always make the effort to hear him when he comes to your neighborhoods. His compositions and playing is like no other! Also, Ernest plays beautifully and I think he and Chad are a great combination so you can be sure it will be an insipring musical evening...
I may be part of a tour with Allan and Gary Husband in and around Germany next March. I really hope that comes together because, well, I'm a Holdsworth nut too!
And Graeme, we are hoping that James will bring the band to Europe again soon. It would be a blast to come over with the large group, we'll keep our fingers crossed on that one.
Seeya,
Jimmy J
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Is there any other forum like this where you could talk music with one of your biggest influences??
The Alembic club is the ace of bass
P.S. Allan Holdsworths Metal Fatigue simply must be one of the finest recordings ever in my book. Jimmy's playing is as tasteful as always!
John.
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That's one I'll have to look for John. I only have 'Secrets' and 'Sand' but do have some of Allans work on various Bruford albums.
look out for me at the 'Ferry' I have my tickets ;-)
Graeme
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Anyone remember Allan when he played with TEMPEST??
I've got the album, and he was superb. Also plays violin!
G
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Yep-You can always be assured that Allan only plays with the best, and JJ is up there with the best ever!
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Graeme, I will keep my eyes peeled!
I have heard it rumoured that Allan likes to mingle and have a beer - that would be special, I for one would buy him a pint!
George, I liked tempest too! Aparantly Allan took his legato technique from the violin and adapted it to the guitar - its all part of his unique magic!
I got really switched on to Allan when he was with jean-luc Ponty and Bruford - awesome!
John.
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Hi Jimmy, I've only recently got hold of 'Grasshopper' Great sound and great playing. You have inspired many aspects of my approach to bass and I'm utterly convinced by your contribution to recorded music that simplicity and serving the music are so important. Even when ripping it up with AH you are in my view the epitome of taste and great musical choice. Thanks so much for posting here, it reminds us that great players are often great (and real) guys too.
I hope to speak with you more.
Jake
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Hello Jimmy,thanks for coming out of the ah...roadcase. Somewhere on the time line of having your second set of SII's built,I also had my very first Alembic being made not only was that a big deal but I also was able to customize it. A double wow for sure. I ordered it with a drop dead goregous Walnut burl top which Mica had said was the remaining piece from which your beauties where crafted. So I've always felt a kinship to you in that regard. Best of luck, health,and many,many more years of great music.
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Jake, thanks for the kind words. Man, Grasshopper (and the above photos) were like 25 years ago... How time flies...
Barry, I guess the Alembic World is a relatively small one but that's a cool coincidence... Your bass is probably an '89 then? I've gotten a lot of good mileage from those two basses.
Isn't it great to have a company that can build whatever we can think of?
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy,
As the other guys have said, Thanks for stopping by. Reading your posts the last few days has made me revisit the JT Pull Over DVD and Neon CD by your namesake band. Great work on those. I love the duet intro on JT's Millworker, and from Neon, your solo piece Fish Magic is absolutely amazing! Also, any chance of a Flim and the BBs reunion? The BBs are pretty darn good, too!
Thanks for all the great music,
Reid
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Reid, thanks for the kind comments.
I'm sure everybody knows that Fish Magic was TWO tracks of bass despite the liner notes touting direct to two track, no overdubs. That was a bit embarrassing.
We had lots of fun doing those BBs projects but it was never a serious hitting-the-road kind of band. No plans for a reunion but we're all still playing so who knows...
Jimmy J
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I am glad i discovered this thread as i had never heard of you Jimmy J.It's great how you can 'discover' fantastic bassists.I've youtubed you and i loved what i heard,do you have an album or to you could recommended me that you consider to be your best work,as i would love to hear more.
Does anyone else have any Jimmy J must listens!
cheers Dave
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Oh Lord, I've been YouTubed!
Thanks Dave. I've had the opportunity to play in a wide variety of musical situations but I have no solo projects as such. I consider myself a sideman. If you still want to hear more of my notes tell me what kind of music you like and maybe I can point you to something you might find interesting.
thanks,
Jimmy J
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TWO tracks - say it ain't so! LOL
Man, I don't care if it's six tracks, I still think it's a beautiful piece. I'm glad the other guys are still playing; the BBs was a talented bunch.
Have fun,
Reid
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Daveski. Listen to any of James Taylor's later albums - New moonshine, Hourgalss and October road - all feature Jimmy's sublime playing. Also alot of Allan Holdsworth's work features jimmy and has been mentioned, he had a band 'Flim and the BBs' who are well worth listening to - you'll need to order them as imports from the USA as you're unlikely to find them over here.
Graeme
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Thanks Guys,i shall start my hunt!
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Daveski, to add to Graeme's suggestion I would mention the James Taylor live album. Don Grolnick (sadly passed), Jimmy J, Carlos Vegas (also sadly passed) and Michael Landau make for a very special rhythm section. As live work it's as good as it gets. I love the album and the playing for how totally unselfish it is. James' songs are really beautiful and that band really pay homage to that beauty with sensitive and passionate musicianship.
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Hi again Jimmy,
I've also never really got on with bass amps, I will D.I where possible, full range does an Alembic justice. I see you use wedges, have you ever tried in ear monitoring? also, for wedges would you rely on what is provided by the venue/P.A company?
Jake
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Jake,
Yes, I use in-ear monitors when available. But on smaller tours, when traveling light, I will play through whatever I can find. The PA is my main amp, what's on stage is mostly just for me. I don't play extremely loud so this usually works out. I say usually because there have been a few times when my cunning plan has backfired... Oh well.
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy,
First time caller, long time listener....
For me, threads like this are what the internet is all about.
all the best,
-Mike
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Cunning plan. Do I hear Baldrick's voice in there somewhere? LOL
Keith
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Daveski - for some superb Jimmy J playing look no further than Metal fatigue or Secrets by the six string genius Allan Holdsworth. There are not only some supreme bass lines but also some extremely tasteful bass solo's featured!
Oh, and yes - you will also get to enjoy some mercurial guitar work from Allan and some awesome drumming from Chad Wackerman!
John.
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and Vinnie Colaiuta on Secrets... You guys all know where I've been! Thanks again for the kind words.
Jimmy J
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Absolutely Jimmy, Vinnie is excellent! I love Gary Novak too, he is a very tasteful stick man.
I really admired Gary and Dave Carpenter as a rythm section..Dave is such a sad loss
Do you have any personal favourite Drummers to play with?
John.
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John,
Yes, very sad to lose Carp, such a fixture in the LA jazz scene... Onward go the rest of us.
I have gotten the chance to play with so many great drummers, I truly can't believe my luck. There is no best, no favorite (I mean favourite). Beyond school, in the real World, playing is never a competition. These guys all have strong and unique voices on their instruments and they are all a joy to make music with.
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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Its not down to luck Jimmy!
I think ability might well be a factor in your case!
Reputations are built from the ability to deliver the goods - reputations lead to opportunities!
John.
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Thanks John but you're starting to embarrass me...
Yes, I've put in some hours on the instrument in an effort to be prepared for whatever I'm asked to play. And I've followed my ears on the gear quest to the sound I wanted to make (which is why we are in THIS forum). But, I have indeed been lucky with regard to timing and opportunity.
There are plenty of talented players out there who either don't get a break or can't wait around long enough for it to come. As a profession, it's the greatest job there is ... when you're working. For others, playing music as a second career works better - removing the pressure of doing it to pay the bills without decreasing the joy. And there are some amazing part-time players and songwriters out there!
Pardon the ramble. I must be on the road.
Thanks again,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, Welcome! Real nice to have you here part of the forum. Great insight into the profession. Thanks for sharing.
Play it Healthy!
Art
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I'm interested to hear that you 'don't play extremely loud' Jimmy, I'm lucky enough to have made my living playing and I've found that others perception of how loud I am differs greatly from mine. I've come to the thinking that my heightened sense of the low end means that I can hear (in the bass) what others can't. I've arrived at this from a lifetime of being asked to turn up! Early on in my playing life I was reluctant, mainly through self consciousness but now I oblige, but still not too loud :-)
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Thanks Art.
Jake, I suppose volume perception is an individual thing (maybe I DO play extremely loud and only think I don't. Ha!) I think volume is also directly related to your tone. Alembics pass such a wide bandwidth signal that engineers are shocked to discover that there is actual content at 5k that can be EQ'd. But I think a consequence of this wide sound is that if it gets too loud it can take over the World. (Entwistle had permission to do so!!)
A stock Fender by comparison is fairly narrow and doesn't stray from it's comfy home in the lower audio band area. So in a way, you can really crank up that kind of sound and it won't interfere with everybody else in the band.
For me, I just want to be able to play dynamically and hear all the notes while the drums are roaring, usually right next to where I'm standing.
Writing this out is an interesting exercise, thanks for the question.
I always say my sound isn't for everybody. Sometimes engineers make a funny face when they see it come out of the bag but they almost always like the sound once they hear it. Most of them say I'm not doing ANYTHING to your bass! And I say cool.
later,
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy,
I've had that experience a couple of times in studios, as you say when they hear an Alembic I think they are mostly pleasantly surprised. I have done some pop sessions in London where they definitely want a Fender sound though so I always take my Jazz to sessions too. There are some producers that just can't see past the badge.
With regards to taking over the world with sound, the first time I played a large venue with the Alembic (I've only had it for 18 months) I was stunned at the way in which it filled the room with sound. The most rewarding aspect of which was being able to maintain a very light and easy playing style without losing any impact of the sound. That makes me very happy as a player!!
A little unexpected plus I found when getting into Alembic gear, I also use my F 1-X for my double bass, with a Schroeder 212L It is a great sound. (amplifying upright is even more difficult in my experience)
Cheers.
Jake
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Wow, how very cool! Jimmy Johnson in the flesh so to speak.
Just gotta love the net and the camaraderie of Alembic ownership.
Hope to see you around more.
Best regards and much respect.
Kimberly
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Well, We saw Allan Holdsworth last night and I have to say it was a superb gig. The interplay between the three musicians was bordering on telepathic. Ernest's playing was excellent (sorry Jimmy) although he was reading for alot of the tunes. The only thing lacking in his playing was that extra Alembic sparkle we all love ;-) Chad wackerman was on particularly spectacular form taking two solos during the gig. The guy is a drum monster - made it all look so natural too - no flailing arms or missed beats.
Next time, it'd be really great to have Jimmy and Gary Husband (who we're seeing next sunday with Level 42) in the trio. BIG HINT ;-)
Graeme
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Greame..I totally agree!
It was a night of absolute monster playing. Ernest was awesome, I really enjoyed his playing (I thought his bass tone was really good to be fair) - and Chad? wow! lets put it this way and give it a label...drumming virtuosity!!
The best of all, however, was the man himself. Allan was superlative! I stood almost beside him for the entire gig and Im convinced he slipped into a trance whilst playing - he was definitely zoned out for sure!
Oh, and I must say he made my night by taking and guzzling the bottle of beer I offered him between songs well, I am a BIG fan after all!
One other thing that really surprised me - as I stood right beside him I was astonished at how he was shaking with nerves at the start of the gig...I mean , come on Allan, YOU ARE GOD OF THE SIX STRING AND RULE ALL YOU SURVEY!!!
What an absolute pleasure to see Allan up here in Scotland...the highlight of my musical year so far! Wunderbar!
John.
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John, Allan is a human being just like all of us :-)
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Hey Graeme and John,
Thanks for posting these reports! I'm so glad you got out to support the team and get an earful of amazing music.
I agree that all 3 of those guys are playing at an extremely high level and Allan is truly in another orbit altogether. He is a super nice guy and very humble. He never tells the band what to play (sometimes we wish he would) but his command of harmony, melody and musical form is really, really unusual and amazing. He is a one-off. The chordal solo he does as an intro to the ballad Above And Below is completely different each night, a fully-formed, IMPROVISED choral / orchestral composition. Worth the price of admission right there...
I'm a fan of Tibbs as well. I like that he can play solid bass and then switch to very fluid soloing. He'd sound good on an Alembic too! (Had to get that in).
And Chad's command of of the kit is a treat to observe. He looks so relaxed while playing so intensely - really great.
It's also good to hear that band in its different forms. Allan's music is always great and changing just one of the 3 musicians alters things in interesting ways.
I miss being out there and playing the music but hopefully I'll see you guys next time around.
Thanks again for the posts!
Jimmy J
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Well, I for one was extremely sad when I found out that you wouldnt make the UK gigs Jimmy. It would have just been the icing on the cake to have seen you in the flesh doing what you do best!
Kudos to Ernest though - fantastic player (he made it look easy) and a very very cool guy! For me Allan has always been my number one six stringer - his music touches me emotionally and intelectually...I just totally get it whatever undefinable thing It is lol!
Allan seemed embarrassed by the warm reception he got - what a lovely humble man. He genuinely surprised me with his stage fright - but then again I can only imagine that there is a certain pressure when so many expect so much!!!!
Do me a favour Jimmy, make sure you make the trip to Scotland on the next trip (hopefully soon) We always offer the warmest welcome to our friends!
Thanks for keeping up to date with the posts - its appreciated!
John.
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The Dec 08 Bass Player cover story is about Anthony Jackson's invention and development of the 6-string bass. In the interview he was asked, Are there other 6-string bassists you've come to admire? He answered, ...Another name that bears mention is Jimmy Johnson, who very early on took his chances and made an impact down low playing a 5-string -- in addition to being one of the finest bass guitarists ever to play the instrument.
Congrats, Jimmy. That's quite a compliment.
Rich
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Rich,
Wow, what a kind thing for him to say. AJ is one of my all time favorite players. Great notes, great time, amazing sound, a true Artist on the instrument. And he probably was the first guy to go low (and high at the same time) with his 6-string contrabass guitar. An excellent idea!
Thanks for posting, I'll go buy the mag.
Jimmy J
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The journey downwards was a great moment in the instruments' history from both you and AJ Jimmy, I also play upright and have always loved the low notes available from C extensions, particularly Arco, there is nothing quite like a long D or Db.
I also think AJ is an absolute master. His groove is very deep and his ideas so musical. A joy.
Jake
Edit:
I just had to add, that he would also sound awesome on an Alembic!!
(Message edited by jakebass on November 16, 2008)
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The Jan 09 issue of Bass Player has the following in its recommended CDs section:
GJ4
With his fourth CD featuring multiple piano trios, Minneapolis-based Gordon Johnson (brother of L.A. bass ace Jimmy) has become a scholar of the form, equally adept at anchoring, soloing, and group discourse. As hard-swinging host to the five piano-drum tandems here, Johnson steps forward to spin the unison melody of Bouncing with Bud and launch Blues for C.J. with a deep rubato moan, remaining a cohesive force throughout.
Jimmy, sounds like the household where you grew up was really grooving.
Rich
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Hey Rich, thanks for posting that.
Brother Gordon makes playing upright sound easy. (I never even got a permit to operate one of those and can't imagine how he does that...)
Dad played bass too so yeah, lot's of low end around our house!
Jimmy J
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Gordon was a _huge_ influence for me when I was starting to play bass.
Gordon's website is here:
http://homepage.mac.com/tonalities/website/index.htm (http://homepage.mac.com/tonalities/website/index.htm)
He plays most Fridays at D'Amico Cucina in Minneapolis.
When he was playing with Maynard Ferguson in the mid 70s I must have seen him 50 times. He was always extremely gracious and accessible to all of the young people who wanted to talk to him.
When I was a freshman, he came to my college, and I ended up lending him my speaker cabinet, because he had blown his up the night before. This was one of my proudest moments as a musician, as I was able to help out one of my major bass heroes.
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If it wasn't for the slightly differing hairstyles it'd be near impossible to tell them apart ;-)
graeme
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Well Jimmy, I've just paid for my tickets to see you and James in Manchester this June. I'm really looking forward to this seeing as I've been a huge JT fan since the mid 70's and this is the first (and possibly the last) chance I've had to see him. It'll be great to see the full band and it would be nice to know who's going to be in the line-up apart from yourself. I assume Arnold McCulloch and David Lasley will be in the chorus aswell as Kate Markowitz (hopefully) and I'm really hoping you'll be bringing Luis Conti.
I'll be travelling down to Manchester with Mike Pisanek, a fellow Alembician (and New Mexican) and our wives, so we'll be having a couple of days away from work. Who knows, maybe we'll bump into you if James lets you out after soundcheck ;-)
In the unlikely event that James is taking requests, Blossom is my favourite JT tune and It would be excellent if you could play the duet intro to Belfast to Boston as you do on the Pull Over DVD.
The only surprise, considering James' Scottish ancestry, is that he's not playing further north. (If he adds a Scottish date later I'll scream;-0!!!)
Graeme
(Message edited by jacko on February 06, 2009)
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Hey Graeme,
Great of you to arrange the trip down to Manchester! That does appear to be as far north as we will get this time, not sure why.
I'm a longtime JT fan too. The guy can write songs like nobody.
The lineup for our EU trip is expected to be Steve Gadd, Larry Goldings, Michael Landau, Arnold McCuller, Kate Markowitz and Andrea Zonn. It is apparently still to costly to bring the full compliment of horns and percussion (when you start adding BUSSES things quickly get out of control...) And Lasley is very uncomfortable flying so he usually passes on anything overseas.
Although we will miss Lasley, Fowler, Marini and Conte, this is a still great band and I expect there to be some nice musical moments in the show. (It's worth it just to hear Gadd!)
Blossom comes and goes from the set so that's a possibility. It's been years since we did Belfast to Boston - until just last month when an orchestral arrangement surfaced for a gig in Philadelphia. Don't hold your breath on that one. The set isn't assembled until rehearsal time.
I haven't seen a detailed itinerary yet but maybe there will be an opportunity to say hello to you and your gang. That would be great!
Jimmy J
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Thanks for the reply Jimmy. regardless of who is playing and what songs are in the set, The show is guaranteed to be special.
I can sympathise with David not wanting to fly as I'm not the best air passenger - whenever I have to travel south on business I'll take the train. Not good for someone planning a 50th birthday visit to Alembic in a couple of years ;-)
Graeme
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Graeme thanks for bringing the JT tour to my attention, I shall try to get to the O2 show (last time I was there was playing it)
Jimmy I too would love to say hello while you're in London. I did see you guys in Sheffield a few years back and I thought the dynamic between yourself, Gadd and Larry Goldings was to die for. Larry has such beautiful placement and stated ideas. I agree that JT is a world treasure when it comes to songwriting, he seems to have his finger on the pulse of the history of mankind and it chimes with many of us when he sings his beautiful songs.
Jake
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Graeme, if you had the time and the dough you could take a boat to NY and then AmTrack across to San Fran... Or get it over with and fly Lufthansa from Edinburgh to San Fran via Frankfurt... Method one would take you about 2 weeks (each way!), method two about 17 hours...
Jake, thanks for the kind words, maybe we'll see you at the O2. I agree Goldings has an amazing touch. He is a super musical player. We're all hoping James writes some new songs soon, it's been a while. And the World is not lacking for inspirational material... We're keen to hear what he has to say and how he says it. It's quite magical.
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy, I might not be able to make the London show as I may have a gig in Dubai (silver lining)
So I may try to make the Bournemouth gig instead.
I hear you guys are coming over on the QM2, that should be a nice experience, I have worked on the QE2 once it was a gas.
I wonder Jimmy, how do you normally transport your precious Alembic? I have not had to fly with mine as yet as I always opt for a provided instrument but I am currently working with an artist for whom I would always want to use the Alembic and I fear putting it in the hold of a plane. Any suggestions?
Jake
(Message edited by jakebass on February 18, 2009)
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Hey Jake,
Good to hear you're working, we're both lucky guys in that regard! Maybe in Bournemouth then...
Yes, traveling with your instrument, especially now days, can be rather nerve-racking. Everybody's experiences are different. I know for instance that Jimmy Haslip still carries his instrument in a gig bag onto the plane with him. Through some combination of a smallish bass on the shoulder of a tall and charming guy, he has been able to continue this practice even in this time of uncooperative airlines... I, however, would not recommend trying this because if they absolutely refuse and want to throw it underneath as baggage in it's soft bag, you're screwed.
I basically have two levels of travel with my current situations. Both arrangements start with the bass in one of these cases:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/61502.jpg)
These were made by Zero-Halliburton and sold by Gibson as guitar cases for a short time in the mid-70s. You can still buy them with some searching but they're not exactly popular. I like them because they are basically aluminum and foam and so the lightest weight case possible. But there are a couple drawbacks...
1. My 34 scale series basses just barely fit.
2. Gotta replace the latches with the locking variety.
3. The case comes with 4 useless feet which immediately dent the shell and break off - my mod is to mount two 1/4 round oak runners along the bottom.
4. Aluminum has no memory so every flight leaves new dents and eventually the case will no longer close properly and has to be replaced.
So in situations where I am handling the instrument I simply check this case as baggage, usually with only the bass inside - cables, power supply, DI box, etc, in the other suitcase. I have been lucky with this method (knock on Burl Walnut) - only once did the bass miss a connection and spend the night at the Chicago airport. Didn't sleep well that night but was relieved when the airline delivered it intact the next day.
My other situation involves a proper bass trunk. It's a horizontal trunk about the size of 3 of the above cases. I carry two basses (in their aluminum cases) and the center slot of the trunk is where my small stage rack, cables, strings and spare everything live. When loaded, this trunk is too heavy to lift so it usually goes by truck to the first date of the tour and travels with all the backline stuff.
So in my opinion, start with a hard shell Anvil type case and either ship the bass out in advance or check it as baggage and hope for the best. All risk insurance is also very important!
Sorry for the long post...
Jimmy J
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Jimmy; we've had several discussions on this topic, and as you said, everybody's experience is different. The more information about people's experiences, the better; so thanks for posting your take on this topic!
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Jimmy:
I join Moder Dave in thanking you for a very informative post on a subject that interests many of us around here. Have you ever checked out Calton Cases (http://caltoncases.com/index.html)? Not inexpensive, but by far the best combination of protection and convenience I've yet found. Loved James Taylor since Sweet Baby James came out. I noticed he was using a Variax at the Inaugural festivities. I suspect he didn't want to take out a nice acoustic in that cold weather! I thought the Variax was cool.
Bill, the guitar one
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Hey Jimmy, thanks for that info, fascinating. I know the woes of flying with instruments all too well and I think Jimmy Haslip must one heck of a charming dude to get his bass on with him, Up until recently I have had to travel with a fully flightcased upright bass, I have been bribed by airport and customs officials in many parts of the world basically saying to me, you pay or it stays here I know that if I were to leave it, I would never see it again. I now use a provided Electric Upright, as mine are just too precious to risk current conditions.
As for the long post! Seriously, no need to apologise!!
Thanks
Jake
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Bill, the good one-
I spoke with the owner and production manager at Calton a while back. They do not currently have a mold for a rectangular case that is large enough for a standard Series Alembic bass. I was VERY disappointed.
If someone (or a few of us together) wanted to pony up the cost (around $5,000) for them to create a custom fiberglass mold, then they would be able to produce wonderful Calton cases for our wonderful Alembics.
C-Ya.........wayne
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BTW -
Jimmy, will you be traveling with James when he comes through Texas in the spring?
C-Ya........wayne
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My alembic was decapitated while still in its case during a flight,im thinking it was probably standing straight-up & was knocked down or maybe one of the baggage handlers carelessly tossed it ....who knows? but no matter what kind of case we use there are still careless people out there !
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My alembic was decapitated while still in its case during a flight,im thinking it was probably standing straight-up & was knocked down or maybe one of the baggage handlers carelessly tossed it ....who knows? but no matter what kind of case we use there are still careless people out there ! (http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/61575.jpg)
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Yow. When did that happen Keavin? Not recently I hope.
r.
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that pic is from 2000.
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Keavin:
Though I've seen the picture of Old #12 doing the Marie Antoinette imitation on this site before, it still hurts each time! It's good to know that this historic instrument is in such good hands that it gets all the medical attention it needs and still gets to come out and play instead of gathering dust under someone's bed. If you ever get a gig out here please let me know. I'd LOVE to see #12 in person.
Bill, tgo
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(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/61598.gif)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/61599.gif)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/61600.gif)
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Hey Keavin!
Just love to see ol' #12.
But, when she was decapitated......who did you get to repair her???
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I can't imagine anyone other than the Mothership doing that kind of repair.
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IIRC Keavin said it's happened more than once and that he's done the repair himself each time.
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actually the first decapitation was in 1993,it went back to the mothership.the second decap was in 2000,the break was a clean snap whereas it fit right back into place so i grabbed some good wood glue & Bingo!........the 3rd decap was 2002 on stage again (i tripped over the power supply cable).the 4th decap was in 2005 in the studio (power supply cable again/Drunk)!
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We'll need to start calling you Headhunter Keavin! LOL
OO
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Hey there's nothing wrong with a little Head every now & then!........LOL!
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Hi keavin
Even after 4 breaks.........does she sound the same???
George
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Good Lord Keavin! What kind of case was it in when it first broke?
I thought a glued, repaired joint was supposed to be stronger than the original wood... But FOUR TIMES?
And no, you can't try my bass...
Jimmy J
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Hah!!!
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my origonal vintage big blue case(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/61721.jpg)
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(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/61724.jpg)
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You ain't getting a shot of mine either!!!!
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oops dble post
OO
(Message edited by olieoliver on February 24, 2009)
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You're not kin to Lorena Bobbitt are you Keavin?
OO
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OK Keavin, now I understand. Well, it's great that you have been able to reassemble it so many times.
I find it interesting how different people look after their own gear. I remember seeing my brother once throw his volume and flanger pedal INSIDE the gig bag on top of his bass (Ken Smith at the time). My road bass is pretty dinged up but out of habit I still play with my belt buckle slid over to one side...
Everybody has their own style.
Jimmy J
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I started doing the belt buckle slide when I got my first Alembic.
You should see the back of my old Jazz, shame on me.
OO
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I wore suspenders ONCE while playing my fretted Epic - never again!
Mike
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Thats a good one Olie LOL!, actually the sound isnt affected at all by the decapitations cause all head stocks are glued to the top of the neck anyway,the good thing about the construction of alembic headstocks is that they break clean (no splinters)so its fairly easy to do it your self with a good clamp/glue, plus too im in chicago & aint sending my bass any where with out me with it ever again.
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Hi Jimmy, you mentioned in an earlier post about how you were glad to hear I'm working and how lucky we both are to do that. There is not a day goes by when I don't think exactly that... It is the greatest gift. You have deservedly worked with some very fine artists and brought a lot to their projects, I have been very lucky and worked with some people who's music I love. Lucky indeed.
I was watching some footage of Allan Holdsworth in Tokyo with yourself and Chad Whackerman (what a great name) it was in '84 (the year I left school) Chad was also touring with Zappa that year (I saw them) and then bang!! it hit me, you might know Ike Willis? I toured Europe with Ike in the 90s and in '94 did an orchestral premier of a tribute to Franks music by some contemporary classical composers (orchestra and rhythm section) it was the Belgian T.V and radio orchestra and Robert (Bobby) Martin was on keys and vocals I guess you may know him too?
If so, it's a small world :-)
Although I wouldn't want to vacuum it.
Regards
Jake
P.S Road Games has some killing playing on it.
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Hey Jake,
Thanks for the kind words, we are indeed lucky cats.
Ah, '84, seems like only ... a million years ago! I got to LA around '80 and didn't get to know the Zappa circle of guys until later. Subsequently, I've gotten to play with quite a few alumni, some super talented musicians! I probably met both Ike and Bobby at some point but I don't think I ever played with either. That's cool that YOU did! Chad seems to know what the entire extended clan is up to at any given moment. Many good stories there...
Oh, if you mean Allan's Road Games album that was Jeff Berlin so I must agree - killer!
Best,
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on March 04, 2009)
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Keavin,
Saw the photo and read the posts about your neck breakage. That is whacked man. A friend of mine had his flight case run over by some huge airport vehicle. It crushed the case and broke the neck in half. The flight case company replaced his bass. I knew Steve Bailey when he was in High school. He left his gig bag leaning against the car, forgot about it and ran over it and broke the fretted bass neck in half. Six months later, I was in a bass shop in NYC. I saw Steve's name on a ticket. His fretless bass was in the shop. Why you ask? He did the same exact thing with his fretless. Left it laying agasinst the car, forgot about it and ran over it.
Jimmy J.
I have enjoyed reading these posts. I ran across this photo recently, from the Grasshopper days, and thought about you.
Sounds like everything is great with you. I have enjoyed the many projects that you have played on through the years.
I don't know if you remember the friend of Sam's, Ruben, who brought the video camera into the Comeback Inn in 1982 (back when not many people had one). I have since transferred that video to DVD. I recently sent it to Wayne. If you are interested in a copy, you may contact me through my nuclear math website: http://www.radprocalculator.com/Request.aspx (http://www.radprocalculator.com/Request.aspx) (Sorry Alembic fans. This offer is for JJ only, but y'all may watch the video here: http://www.raymcginnis.net - double click on the Watch Videos icon on the desktop)
Ray McGinnis
(Message edited by uswjtfan on March 04, 2009)
(Message edited by mica on March 05, 2009)
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Hi Jimmy,
my mistake, (or lack of description) I actually meant the version of Road Games on the video I was watching which included you, but I agree Jeff is great on the album.
Jake
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Hey Ray, thanks so much for link to the video, some lovely things happening there.
Jake
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Jake,
Ah, cool, many thanks! Allan's music is still like no other and that was an exciting time for me - so excuse the overly-excited bass fills. Ha!
Ray,
Love the Steve Bailey stories - that's rough!
Thanks for the dvd offer but it's funny, I'm used to hearing myself play and sometimes get a kick out of audio from my distant past, but I've never been interested in watching myself play... I must avert my eyes.
Hey, I know you have a million photos from that period. If you come across a good shot of the old fretted bass (stolen in 1987) could you post it here? Thanks!
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on March 05, 2009)
(Message edited by jimmyj on March 05, 2009)
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Ray, Thanks for the video entertainment. Great set and trio work Jimmy!
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Hi Jimmy, Overly-excited bass fills (you're allowed in my book... and some)
I'm sure it was an exciting time and rightly so, I regard Allan as one of the foremost contemporary music writers. I guess it's a taste thing but the reason I like Allan in particular is that he retains a very real sense of melody despite being at the cutting edge of harmonic and rhythmic possibility, whereas some writers abandon palatability in favour of displaying chops.
There is a lot of music out there at the moment that is about the player (especially recently on bass) I think the real art lies in never abandoning the support role but having an interesting enough voice in that register to make it valid.
Only a life long challenge... he he.
It's why I love it.
Jake
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Hi JJ,
Had to go do day-gig business in Albuquerque this week, so my response is delayed. I have one photo, right off the bat, in digital format already, of the bass that you mention. Unfortunately, you were playing it at the time, so I cropped it so you will not have to avert your eyes (chuckle). It is not high quality as I expect of my photos these days. Back then, I was focused on recording the WJT music. I only brought my camera out for snapshots a few times. Photography was on the back burner for me. I was working 84 hours a week 100 miles south of you back in 1982, so I do not have as many photographs as you would expect. I do have some slides from years ago that I have not looked at in years. Many slides that I took got lost because I lived in a house that caught on fire in Burbank. Maybe I do have some photos of the stolen bass in what slides are remaining, so I will look, when I have time.
Here is the photo that I have found today.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/62485.jpg)
Ray
(Message edited by uswjtfan on March 13, 2009)
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JJ,
I have some audio recordings that will not make you have to avert your eyes, while you listen. I have restored digital renditions of Arrowhead and EPP that may be the best available. Drummer BB provided the EPP recording for the restoration of that one. Arrowhead came from something that I did directly from the master tape, when it was in the Jon Clarke homestead.
Ray
(Message edited by uswjtfan on March 12, 2009)
(Message edited by uswjtfan on March 13, 2009)
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Ray; great video! Thanks for posting!
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Hi Jimmy,
I'm a hardcore Flim and the BB's fan. I love your bass playing, the music, all of it. What are the chances that you, Billy, Bill and Dick will get together and do another project?
Tom
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Hey Tom,
Thanks for that, always nice to hear from BB's fans. We had fun making those records and I think you can hear it in the music. Even the Warner Bros. experience was ... interesting and educational. It was not really a normal kind of band, we only got together when projects were presented to us. Consequently, when WB passed on our 3rd record option we let it go.
So, no plans at this time to do any more together. But one never knows...
Thanks for asking.
Jimmy J
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HI Jimmy!
I have been a fan of yours for a long time. I am really impressed by your sound and how you chose your notes on the instrument, always the right ones and in the right place and always some nice surprises. I truly love your playing.
As a bass player myself I am curious about your current equipment and what are you using today, besides of Alembic basses of course?
I did stay close to Baked Potato last January when you did perform there with Allan Holdsworth but unfortunately it was sold out (both concerts)
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Hey Jan-Olof,
Thanks for the very kind words. Sorry we missed you at the Potato but, another time...
Gear talk? Of course, that's why we're in here!
I'm still playing the same 5-string Series Alembics - a 1980 graphite fretless is the oldest, an '87 fretted is the main studio bass, two more '89 fretted basses are road bass and road backup/practice bass, and one more graphite fretless from '82 which I don't think I've ever played in public. That's my collection, no other electric basses in this house.
I like the sound these basses direct, full range. I never really got into bass amps as part of my sound - if you know what I mean. So for the studio I just bring the '80 and '87, a power supply, a tuner and a DI box (lately I've been carrying an A-Design's REDDI). I will only mic an amp if the Artist or engineer insists...
When I play live I still don't often carry an amp. For a local club or playing in somebody's garage I'll bring a Walter Woods head and one or two EV-12 speakers in Thiel boxes. BUT even in the tiny Baked Potato I also plug into the PA system.
On the road when traveling light it's a power supply with a modified Simon Systems DI box and I rely on the PA monitor wedges to hear myself on stage. When I can bring the trunk I have a 3-space rack with a power supply, tuner, REDDI DI box and a small headphone amp to drive my in-ear monitors.
There you go, more than you ever wanted to know! Special mention to the great audio engineers I've had the chance to work with who make these basses sound extra good!
Jimmy J
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HI Jimmy!
Many thanks for the answer! The answer was actually something I was expecting from you. The Alembic basses really are on another level when the instrument is properly used and understood.
Most of the bass systems on the market today are not really on the same level with Alembic basses. Bass players do endorsement deals most because of practical reasons.
Manufactures usually use the cheapest speakers and components to keep the cost down. I used to use a PA speaker system in the early days for my basses with EV speakers to get them sound full range.
In studio I did experiment with Millennia, Avalon and some more but Alembic preamp and Radial works too. Better studios always have good stuff anyway. Do you record the bass in two channels or one? I discovered that the Series bass sounds soooo good when recorded in two channels, its big like a house.
For live sound I will just use different stuff Ampeg SVT for dirt and Rock & Roll similar stuff like you for Jazz just because the clubs are small??. and quite much Alembic preamp with Power amp and with two or four 12\speakers. I think 10\are too tight for 5 string bass sometimes ?..but of course depending on the speakers.
What kind of strings are you using? I have tied all kind of strings but did find that GHS Boomers sounds good with Alembic because of the midrange they have (or Elixire same string with coating) but Dean Markley Blue Steel if you like some more squeak. I also noticed how much bigger 45-130 sounds than 40-125 even if 40 feels good to play and sounds bigger then other strings when they are Boomers.
But question for you is because your sound is sooooo good what are you using? It must definitely be the right thing!!!! I will check out what you are using?you have to remember that you are GOD!!!
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Hey Jan-Olof, remember me? I was one of the three Alembic players you chatted with in Manchester at Bass day Uk a few years ago. I really loved your playing at that session and we're still waiting for you to come back for more or maybe even to do some JOS band gigs in Scotland ;-)
edit - on the subject of 10 speakers, I back my EBS NEO 4x10 up with a NEO 2x12 and get superb coverage for all 5 strings. Mike Pisanek (who was also at manchester) uses a pair of Eden 210XST cabinets and they have an unbelievably low thump but I don't think they voice the upper register very well.
Graeme
(Message edited by jacko on April 13, 2009)
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Hi Graeme!
Of course I remember you! How can you forget an Alembic user? Alembic rules Brother!
Yes you are right EBS NEO 410 is one of the best products they have produced so far. My son (who is also a bass player) has two EBS 410 NEOS and loves them. They have more low end than most 4X10 speakers. I use most of the time two EBS NEO 2X12 or then the same speaker combination you have. But for my Alembic Series One 5-String I did find the 2X12 more suitable. But things change all the time depending on the bass that I use and so on?.
Yes the Eden speaker is also one of the good ones?. it has strong EQ in the mid range and that is a part of the Eden sound.
Other good useful stuff I did find is the new TC Rebel Head bass system. It?s actually the best D class amp so far.
It would be nice to come to Scotland one day and hopefully to Manchester Bass Day again. I have a new instructional book/DVD coming out in September and there supposed to be three different versions of it: Finnish, English and German. But with the economical crises I do not know the schedule of the English and German versions yet.
I was happy to find Jimmy J here, one of my all time favourite bass players, and now you!!! GREAT!!!
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Jan-Olof, (hey Graeme),
First of all, you'd better drop that God sh** right now, I'm just a bass player like most everybody else in here.
You guys all know more about current gear than I do because I have been using the same stuff for years. What can I say, it works for me and I tend to stick with what works. Unlike a lot of players, I am not on the continuous gear quest. I pretty much do just one thing, two if you count the fretless, and I don't even play any thumb (an area that I think Jan-Olof is fully licensed...)
Most people I play with know what sound they will get if they call me. And while I have been lucky to fit into a bunch of different musical situations, I know my sound is not for everybody. The big as a house thing sometimes takes up too much space in a track where a narrower bandwidth sound like a Fender might be a better fit. In that case I'm not the guy to call. To me the wide open natural sound of these instruments is more acoustic than electric - It goes great with acoustic piano and acoustic guitar, for instance. And that extra top end available is nice for you funk-meisters.
So to answer your questions Jan-O... Yes, I have recorded in stereo - slightly split pickup panning - but only on the Flim & the BB's projects and the Holdsworth records. It is a great sound when there is room for all that tone. I've played ghs boomers on my fretted basses since my first 5-string in 1976. Right now it's their standard 5M-DYB medium gauge set - 45, 65, 85, 105, 130. I change them often.
One other thing: Gear talk is great but everybody has their own sound and it mostly comes from your hands. If we sat with each other and swapped rigs I would sound like Jimmy on your bass and you would sound like Jan-Olof on mine. You know what I mean? Changes that you make with your gear can seem huge to you but outside of your own head it's often hard for anybody else to notice.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Well then how bout' exceptional, tasteful, wonderful chops coupled with a musical economy that plays for the composition and not the ego, fluid and extremely humble. But if you were a different sort, imagine the merch possibilities. Fan club fezzes! Or the buffalo hats from The Honeymooners! Shirts, caps, T's, mouse pads, shoe horns for the older set, golf club covers, key fobs, ringtones. The possibilities are endless. Travel Network show Cookin' with Flim as you tour the globe.Picture a segment traveling the Pubs of Ireland and the UK with AH to find the best bubble and squeek, bangers and mash, Welsh Rarebit, and assorted puddings. I'd watch it. I'd make time to watch it. I'd even go to Sam Ash and promote it. Especially if you did a China segment.
Jimmy Flim Johnson, not a god but a damn fine bassist and human being.
Sincerely,
A Fan
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Hi Jimmy!
Thanks again. What I respect in a Bass Player (or actually any musicians) is the sound one gets and the feel that is put into the music. I do not care about how many notes are played or if it?s played with thumb, pick, fingers or something else as long as it sounds good?.
The first time I did hear you play was at Pori Jazz Festival in 1985 with Lee Ritenour. I did not know what to expect?a thumb player like Louis Johnson or someone like Nathan East maybe? But when you did hit the first note I was so impressed by your playing the sound was sooooo good and the things you did play was so musical. You were actually the first bass player after Jaco that really did touch me, by sound and overall performance. After that I did look for every record I could find with your name on it.
I also think that all great players stick with their sound (and the equipment) when they find it. It becomes a trademark by nature. I think the main thing is to know what you want and then find the tools for that.
Great instruments make the journey easier and more fun but are not the whole thing. There are so many great African players with poor instruments but still making great music.
It?s just nice to know what great players like you are using, but of course, it?s always the man behind the instrument in the end that makes the noise?? and the same instrument really sounds different in different peoples hands. In that way these questions are nonsense? But still nice to know as some kind of sharing thoughts and ideas.
I really love your playing, you are a great musician?. Thank you for the answers.
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Danno, that is some funny stuff! I think my tv show would be more about the glamourous lifestyle of touring. Episodes like Doing Laundry In Your Room or How To Sleep In A Van... Thanks for your support.
Jan-Olof, that's amazing that you were there in Pori, thank you for that story. I am continually amazed at the power of music. Every gig we play is meaningful to somebody listening. This is a great thing!!
I'm cool with gear talk too. There is always something to learn from the experience and recommendations of others. I'm just saying, take it all with a grain of salt and then find what's right for you.
I have a lot of respect for bass players who have many different sounds in their palette and are continually discovering more. I know some studio guys who have trunks full of instruments. They usually end up playing the same one or two on everything ... but if they run into a situation that calls for an unusual sound they can whip it right out. That's pretty cool. My only experience along these lines was when some pals called me to play on some 60's & 70's library music. They started asking me about what basses and amps I could bring and I offered to play whatever instruments THEY brought. I ended up playing a few tracks on a beat up Hofner through an Ampeg B-15. Hilarious! Sure glad that's not my everyday axe though...
Thanks again for all the kind words fellas.
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy!
Yes that is another story if someone who calls you for a session wants you to use something specific like the Hofner and Ampeg B-15. Take the money and run?.
But seriously that is the other side of being professional to be able to work with what is needed for the situation even if it?s not exactly what you would like to have as the first choice.
You are however one of the guys who have been able to keep your own sound and identity on the sessions you done. When I listen to a record where there are 2-3 different bass players mentioned on the album cover, I could immediately tell what tunes you are playing on!!
There is also another guy I have a lot of respect for called Armand Sabal-Lecco. Whatever instrument he plays he always sounds like him and he has also a very nice approach on the instrument, different from yours but also very good. Of course there is a lot of great players out there but for me it?s a question of great sound, identity, emotions and being able to keep your thing in whatever musical situation there is in a musical way. Your sound is your signature and identity. I love Stanley Clarke as well; he still finds new ways to talk with his instrument?
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Jimmy and jan-Olof.
It's interesting that you should both pick up on the fact that most of the time a bassist will usually sound like himself and of course it's absolutely true. in fact, no matter how I tweak the EQ on my navigator, it always ends up sounding like me ;-)
A very good example of this is the finale to Stanley's 'Night School' DVD where around 10 'name' bassists each take a chorus of School Days. If you close your eyes you can almost instantly tell who each player is from Flea through to Marcus. Of course, Jimmy, you're in there, and Armand too. must have been a great gig! In fact Jimmy, it looks like you almost missed your turn, having problems with your cable?
Naturally, the rest of the DVD is well worth watching too. There are stellar performances from the likes of Stewart Copeland, sheila E and Karen Briggs. At times I feel pretty jealous that I'm not living in the US as we rarely get a chance to see these Artistes over here (and almost never beyond London). Still, only two and a half months till JT ;-)
Graeme
edit: On the subject of the Hofner, I tried to get to grips with one early in my 'career' and seeing how unmanageable I found it brought a whole new respect for McCartney.
(Message edited by jacko on April 15, 2009)
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He he, how to sleep in a van. I learned at the tender age of 22 in a frozen east Germany, it was sleep or die (I had been fussy up till then) now I can sleep anywhere. Jimmy it's funny the things you learn on the road. Whenever I fly with bands I always have the smallest bag, never take anything I don't need, always pack tight.
Two great tips I have learned along the way:
I always stuff my socks and underwear into my shoes, keeps the shoes in shape and saves space.
When doing laundry in a room, place wet clothing on a laid flat towel then roll it up into a sausage, stand on one end and twist the other end as tight as you can go (without breaking your wrist) it's a great head start on drying your clothes (and no laundry bill from the hotel :-))
Another van trick for hot weather:
in the digs at night ask the host to freeze a bottle of water for you, wrap a flannel around it and place in a cool box, the flannel is very refreshing for neck and face wipes all day on long hot journeys, and as the water melts you have a cool drink.
I have enjoyed making the hardships of the road as pleasurable as possible over the years, small luxuries can really make the difference, although these days I tend to have a little better standard than the early days, which is lucky as the glamour soon fades past 40!!
Also fascinating stuff about the gear and individual sound from everybody. For me I have found that the basses I have played down the years have always just not quite delivered on what I'm putting in to the instrument, until I found Alembic that is, so I found when I played one that yep, thats how I should sound.
I do like my old Fender Jazz for certain things but I always feel a little like an imitator on it. I play upright also so I'm familiar with the concept of really working an instrument to get the best out of it, Alembic to me are the only electric bass that require the same kind of input from me as a player, and despite there being an 'Alembic sound' I have found them to be very versatile dependent on how you play 'em.
Finally, Jimmy I will hopefully make JTs London show. Really looking forward to hearing you guys, that is one helluva band :-)
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HI Graeme!
Yes the Stanley DVD Night School is fun to watch! But for the School Days jam in the end I think besides of Stanley?s solo Jimmy?s solo is the only solo that make sense?I love all the bass players there but the performances reminds me more of some kind of tradeshow demo playing?. but then, that was probably the idea? just to fool around and not think so much. Nice DVD anyway. I know there was a great performance with Stanley, Armand and Stewart Copeland but unfortunately that was not included in the commercial DVD, I wonder why?
Its also great that there are some Jimmy Johnson DVD?s out there like the James Taylor concerts, so many musicians on the stage but still so much space!! Also the old Lee Ritenour DVD is fun (1984 or 1985) even if it?s from the -80\s. Jimmy still sounds fresh and plays great like always..
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To all,
Greetings from New Orleans! I am glad to have found this community of Flim fans.
Jimmy,
I wasn't in town for your recent Jazz Fest gig with JT, unfortunately. I hope that you had some time to sample some of our great local music and food while you were here. Were there any artists that left an impression with you?
I have been a fan since the Wayne Johnson days, and was fortunate to have met you many years ago at a NAMM show (playing with Will Kennedy, Alex Acuna and Dave Garfield at the Paiste booth...Steve Lukather even got in on the action). if I remember correctly, you showed me two versions of the cover art for the upcoming BB's New Pants CD. I also remember catching you with Holdsworth a couple of years later at Jimmy's Music Club; what a show!
Many thanks for the inspired (and inspirational)
playing. I look forward to hearing your upcoming projects.
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Hey Ed,
Thanks, I appreciate that. Sorry you weren't at Jazz Fest but funny that you saw us in the Paiste box at NAMM so many years ago. Good stuff.
Sure is a lot of music in Nawlin's, gotta be at least two bands per block. And the Festival with all 5 stages and 3 music tents going at the same time is just like a larger version of walking around the city. Glad to see so much of the town recovering and hope it continues.
Take care, see you around here...
Jimmy J
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Well, I made it. 35 years after my brother gave me his copies of 'sweet baby james' and 'mud slide slim', I finally got to see James Taylor in concert and boy! was it worth the wait. The entire show was superb - I couldn't fault anyone's performance - and James took the band through just about every style imaginable. His between songs anecdotes and observations were very funny and he came across as a genuinely nice guy. Of course, no posting here would be complete without mention to our bass hero, Jimmy Johnson. His tone throughout the night was sublime, especially when Steve Gadd wasn't bashing his bass drum. I was especially impressed that even when playing fills well above the 12th fret, there was no 'nasal' harshness, just a nice fat buttery series 2 sound. Jimmy makes his playing look effortless (and so he should - he's been doing it so long) and he really looked like he was enjoying himself. I only took my new compact digital to the show so didn't get the quality of zoom shots I would have with my SLR but towards the end of the show we were allowed to get closer to dance near the stage. However, as you'd expect from such a genuinely modest guy, jimmy is very difficult to photograph, preferring to lurk in the background. These few are the best I could manage..
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/66863.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/66864.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/66865.jpg)
I can only say it was a priviledge to have been there and I'll be sure to go along next time. Hopefully they'll bring the show to scotland, or failing that, I'll be sure to catch the next Holdsworth tour. Graeme (still buzzing)
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Thanks for the great revue Graeme!
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Excellent, Graeme!
I('m very jealous, and yet happy for your good fortune being this close. I just watched Pull Over again 2 days ago.
Mike
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Hey Graeme,
Glad you could make it down to the gig and thanks for posting those pics (so THAT'S what the stage looks like...). The sound man is in charge of the tone so I'll pass along your positive comments. It is a fantastic bunch of players and singers so I am truly enjoying it and feel fortunate to be along for the ride.
I do hope to get back to the UK with Holdsworth at some point, including Edinburgh. Then maybe we could get a chance to hang out and talk shop for a while..
Cheers to all,
Jimmy J
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Nice review Graeme, I'm going to the 02 Show on Monday and am really looking forward to the show, I have seen James twice before once with Jimmy and band and once with just Larry Goldings. Both definitely in my top ten gigs, James is a very special artist in my view.
Can't wait.
Jimmy, hope you're enjoying your time in the UK.
Jake
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Wow... what a gig! I am genuinely knocked out and have not felt so excited about music since I was a kid. I could talk about the details of why James and his band (led by you Jimmy?) made such an impact but that would miss the point, they are great songs performed by a great artist backed by a great band. And I mean great in the global, historical sense. It makes me doubly excited being an Alembic owner to know that my comments may be read by a member of that 'great great' band. From pin drop poignance to roaring riotousness in a breath, and as far as I can see without fail for every second of the gig every member put the music first.
Bravo.
If you haven't yet seen this band you are missing one of the best live acts in history.
Jimmy, one thing I would like to ask if you could bear the question, do you have a mental approach to that standard of consistency? to my mind you are making an album quality performance each night, does it feel that way to you? or is it as simple as, 'you do what you do'?
Thanks
Jake
(Message edited by jakebass on July 07, 2009)
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For Jimmy J., You passsed through the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. That's my facility. I was unable to meet up with you. If you have the time on the return leg of your journey I would love to meet up and grab lunch in the area. Contact me at bkravitz@panynj.gov (mailto:bkravitz@panynj.gov) look forward to your reply.
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Jake,
Man, thanks for that extra kind post, I'm glad you enjoyed the show. You completely GET the idea of this gig and this band - it's all about supporting James and whatever music he chooses to play. When I joined in 1990 Don Grolnick was the MD. I only really knew him as a great jazz musician but he had a deep respect for every kind of music. If James wanted to play some odd cowboy blues song from the 1800's Don would dig in and study everything he could find about the period and then guide us on how to properly respect the tune. It was a real lesson to me.
My goal in this situation is not to play something different each night but to play exactly the right note at the right moment in every song every night. It's a different kind of discipline from other more open blowing types of gigs but I enjoy this challenge equally. And I still mess up - like leaving my mute switch on at the beginning of one tune at the O2. D'OH!
Landau, Goldings and Gadd are amazing musical players and together with James really put the life into this music. It's an honor to be in charge of the bottom note and great fun playing anything with these cats!
Thanks again.
Hey Barry, really sorry to have missed you as we blew through the Brooklyn Terminal. What a wild coincidence! And I'm sorry to say we are flying home at the end of the tour so the best I can do is wave as we pass over. I don't know if we will ever do that ship crossing again but if we do, next time I'll know there is an Alembic family member in the facility and I'll look you up.
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy
I'm sure everybody on this site appreciates you taking the time to post, and it's lovely for us to get an insight into the ideas that make for music that many of us want to hear. I was a huge admirer of Don Grolnick and your saying that you learned a lot from him tells me that what I felt had to be true about the integrity of the man was right, and I believe that was audible in his music, he had the ability to make the listener really 'feel' where he was coming from and that place it seems to me was a great, humble, gifted musician. I also had similar respect for Carlos Vega, for me he was the detail guy and I'm sure that you and he had many conversations about what would fit. I think in Gadd and Goldings you have found just the right guys to fill those very big shoes.
I also love to play the disciplined gigs, and I totally understand your drive to play the 'right' things. I play lots of gigs where I improvise, but I always strive above all to nail the low end down and be reliable. I draw a little comfort from the fact that you still encounter human error at that level. :0).
Last month I was in Germany depping with the virtuoso violinist David Garrett, It was 45 piece orchestra, rock band, click track, all reading with just two rehearsals for 2 gigs, one for the German president and one in a tennis stadium to about 8000 people, oh, and the drummer was a dep too. It was a mighty pressured gig and all the time I had going through my head.. don't mess up... don't mess up.
As you say I GET (well I try) the idea behind supporting an artist, and to be able to share thoughts with the bass player for one of my favourite artists is a real treat.
I'm definitely going to make it to a Holdsworth gig sometime and I'll come say hello.
Many thanks Jimmy
Jake
PS I loved the arrangement of down in the hole!
(Message edited by jakebass on July 08, 2009)
(Message edited by jakebass on July 08, 2009)
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Hi Jimmy, yesterday evening I saw some footage of the North Sea Jazz festival on TV (unfortunately I couldn't go this year) and I was very impressed by your bass' sound, especially on You've got a friend. Only a few shots of you playing some tasty notes, for some reason they focused the attention on some singer with an acoustic guitar...
;-)
Wilfred
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Hi Jimmy J,
I saw you at the North Sea Jazz Festival with James Taylor last week and it was great! I was standing right in front of the stage and shot some great pictures. Man, I can imagine how amazing it would be to play with James and the other band members. You guys are so fortunate to be able to work together and end up with such an incredible final product. Too bad you guys were on such a tight time schedule last week...
We briefly met right after the Allan Holdsworth gig at the Boerderij in The Netherlands back in March. You were so kind to sign the Alembic brochure I brought along. You know, every time I go to one of your performances I love to watch your focus, concentration and immaculate technique and of course, I always hope I get to feel that Alembic bass sound again. It never fails :-)
I was wondering, have you ever owned basses other than Alembics?
I was introduced to Alembic basses back around 1985 when I saw a Series 1 being played by Edwin van Huik during a music fair in The Netherlands. I stil have a picture of me as a kid, holding Edwin's huge Alembic. Anyway, I was amazed how that bass sounded different from what I was used to hearing (and feeling!). The sound was larger than life. I was blown away and it always stayed with me. From that moment on I decided I would someday own a Series bass myself. Although my taste of music developed over the years, my longing for that particular bass sound remained.
I bought my first Alembic after six years of saving. It was a Signature Deluxe and it was the best bass I've ever owned. Played it for 15 years, until two years ago I stumbled across my current customized '78 Series 1. I've never looked back ever since. The S1 is not my only bass. I also have a Ken Smith BSR5 (fantastic bass!) and a Peavey B-Quad 4 (Brian Bromberg's 90s bass). But my S1 will always remain my premier bass. It was in pretty bad shape when I bought it, but I gave it lots of TLC and it brightened up considerably. It's not perfect (yet), as it needs an electronics upgrade and a refinish but I'll have that taken care of by the Alembic family in the near future. I had a master volume pot put in, which is a great addition and it has the Series 2 led side position markers. Man, I love my Bic! It's on my profile picture.
As you mentioned before, it takes the bass player to make any bass sound good and give it your fingerprint sound. I think the Series 1 bass made me find exactly the sound and feel I've been looking for for over twenty years.
How did you get infected by the Alembic virus?
Duncan
Ps
Sorry for the long post....
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Wilfred,
Thanks for that. I think of myself as invisible onstage so if I'm not in the light, not on the screen, and nobody notices me, then my job here is done...
Duncan,
Glad you enjoyed that North Sea set - that place was jammed! I didn't expect that attentive a crowd at a festival. Very nice.
The first bass I owned was a Kalamazoo by Gibson. Next was a semi-hollow Guild machine for a minute and then a Gibson Les Paul bass with low impedance pickups into which I installed a Jensen transformer and XLR output - always the DI guy, even at that early age. Then I said to my local music store guy it would be cool if somebody made a long scale version of this bass... and he pointed me to Alembic. I think it was '75 when I ordered my first long scale series I (4 string) and fell for THE TONE. The revelation that Alembic could build literally anything sent me off on a design quest which got me into 5-strings in '76 with the knob layout and an early version of the quick release tailpiece which I still have on my current basses. That's the history - not a huge collector but I've been lucky with the instruments that I've ended up with.
Thanks again,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
I have a question for you, hopefully you can satisfy my curiosity....
I've noticed several different headstock shapes on your basses- from the elongated fan headstock seen earlier in this thread to the traditional crown headstock and I've seen at least one bass with the cone headstock.
Any reason for the different headstock choices or is simply a 'variety is the spice of life' thing?
Toby
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Toby,
My original '76 5-string (as seen just above the center on this page) was a fan but all the subsequent basses are cones. I think my reason I switched was:
A) I like the straightest pull over the nut.
B) the cases I use (first pic on this page) are a tight fit so I think the cone may be the shortest headstock... How's that for a function over form decision? That will make Mica cringe!
You may also notice that I now have two tuners on the B side and three on the G side. That's to give the giant B-string more room to taper before hitting the tuning peg. The G-string doesn't care..
Seeya,
Jimmy J
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HI Jimmy, great idea with the two tuners at the ?B side?. My Series 1 5 string is a 34\scale bass like most Alembic basses, but normal long scale strings does not fit the instrument. I need to use extra long scale strings or long scale +. This is actually OK because the bass sounds better this way. I have always been wondering why the headstock of Fender and other basses are like they are. The E string needs more room than the other strings??.not to talk about the B string. This helps a lot when the instrument is a 34\scale. Personally I do not like to play 35 or 36\scale basses even if they do sound good????
J-O-S
ps.can you send me your email address?
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I've been listening to Lee for years. Great video, thanks Chris! Very nice Jimmy!
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Oh man, flashback!
Lee took us all to Melrose Blvd. in LA to get those hip clothes. Haha! Maybe he should have offered acting lessons too... It's always great to hear Carlos, we miss that guy.
Interestingly (only to you guys), that is my '82 graphite necked bass which only had frets for a couple years and then became my backup fretless. In the end I missed the dynamics of wood and preferred the compression of graphite for fretless. Funny that the bass was captured here...
Jimmy J
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Nice solo Jimmy!!!
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Jimmy,
OMG, what a pleasure to read your comments. You ARE my all-time favorite bass player. Taste, simplicity/complexity, and what my high-school/college band directors used to refer to as note value. You and Chet Atkins have the best note value of all musicians that I've ever heard. As a geezer, I've heard a lot of music.
I continue to get goose bumps from the James Taylor Live CD. You and Carlos are my favorite rhythm section of all time, as well.
Dave
Bloomington MN
p.s. Gordy tuned our piano a while back and was simply charming. Your parents must be so proud of you both.
(Message edited by davekoch on August 10, 2009)
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That's a really nice solo Jimmy. very musical - makes a change from all the tuneless slapped triplets one hears these days.
graeme
p.s. you look very young in that clip ;-)
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That video was SUPERB!!
What Graeme said above re the slap crap
Graeme..of course he looks young.............he was only 4!!
Seriously though...I can now see why he is the bass player that the best seek!!
George
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Thanks you guys, I appreciate it. Funk soloing is not exactly my speciality! Apparently in '84 (when I was um, yeah, 4) neither was coming down front to solo (sorry Lee) nor even smiling while attempting to get down with my bad self... I do not even have a learner's permit to use my thumb but I have tremendous respect for all you fully licensed guys that have that technique down. I just never got it going. So in these situations I often end up comping for myself as in that clip; play a phrase, then play some bass, play another phrase, play some more bass. Haha! Funny stuff!
Dave thanks for those comments, note value is a nice way to put it. Carlos indeed made everything easy and it was my good fortune to connect with him on so many different projects. My dad definitely had the last laugh when both sons ended up pro bass players like him.
Jimmy J
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listen at about 1:20... now this is THE bass tone!!..one day I will own a big series alembic.. one day...:-)
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Jimmy, great walking line on that one. That song (Damn This Traffic Jam) sure brings back memories.
The first time I remember hearing it was in the early 1980s in the Denver area. About 3 or 4 A.M. a trucker hauling torpedoes for the Navy flipped his truck and dumped the load right in the middle of the intersection of two interstate highways near downtown, shutting down both highways. It took until mid afternoon to get the mess cleared away. The morning traffic had to filter through all the residential streets. What an ordeal. The local radio stations tried to help everyone get through the morning commute. That song was perfect for it.
Ricn
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Jimmy,
One of my all time favourite bass lines is the one on Los Cabos on The Rippington's Kilimanjaro album. Especially the ad libs you play are mind blowing. It's not just the bass line itself, but also the bass tone that's out of this world. It sounds to me that it's a graphite neck bass you're playing.
I was wondering, did you play that same fretted graphite five string that you used on the Rio Funk video?
Duncan
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Thanks for the story Rich. A good lyric will have different meaning for different people - although that one is pretty obvious.
Hey Duncan,
Thanks for that. Um, I don't have that record and can't remember directly. And the funny thing is, the online music services seem to disagree which tune is which on that recording. Haha! But if we're talking about the fast latin tune, that's definitely me...
Since that record came out in '89 I think the fretted graphite bass from the Rit clip above had already been transformed to a fretless, so I suspect this is my main studio bass the '87 fretted series II, all wood. Interestingly, on this particular track there is a chorus effect on the bass throughout. I can imagine I suggested they put something on the bass for the little solo near the front of the tune and then they liked the sound and just left it on for the whole thing... I guess it worked because you like it too!
thanks,
Jimmy J
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Thanks for that insight, Jimmy.
I noticed something different about the bass sound compared to the basic sound of a wooden Series bass. I ascribed it to the graphite neck, but it was a chorus all along.
Great!
A twenty-year mystery solved.
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Hey Jim,
do you use any particular 3 finger technique ? I've been trying out different right hand techniques from people like Gary Willis, Steve bailey and sheehan but somehow i feel that the index and middle seems to have the most consistent tone and attack. do let me know. Thanks Jimmy!
rgds,
Mike
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Hey Mike,
Welcome to the forum.
The guys you mentioned would all be great sources for this kind of technical info, I'd listen to them!
My thoughts? Everybody's hands are different, some have long thin fingers, some short and stubby (and some play with a pick). It all comes down to whatever works for you, whatever allows you to get the sound you want or even reach the notes you want to get to.
Unless I run into some crazy written line that forces me to think about my right hand I seldom know what it's doing... But since you asked, let me try to describe what I think is happening - for what it's worth. I wouldn't go so far as to teach this as a legit method - it's just what happened to develop for me.
I think my thing stems from trying to keep everything quiet. When the bass is on and I am not playing, my thumb is resting between the B and E-strings (muting both), my index finger is on the A, middle finger on the D and ring finger on the G. From there, if I want to play a C on the A-string followed quickly by a C on the G-string, or even sound them together, I will use my index finger and my ring finger.
And that's about as organized as it gets... HA! Once I need to play other things my thumb kind of floats around, sometimes resting on the B or even floating above it when I'm playing low notes. Like I said, it's unclear to me what is actually going on down there!
You are right that each finger sounds slightly different but I've never purposely incorporated that (except for the occasional big soft low note plucked with my big soft thumb). I will say that if asked to play straight eighth-notes I try to play them all with one finger instead of alternating - always sounds more even to me... It's my understanding that James Jamerson did all that great playing with only his index finger.
So there you go, whatever works for you is the way to do it!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy it's interesting you sharing your string damping technique. I was showing a student of mine how I personally damp the strings recently as she was having some trouble keeping things quiet.
When using a five string bass I damp the B with the pad of my thumb on top of the string, E with my little finger, A with Index finger and D with middle finger. The G is damped with my left fretting hand. I tend to play mostly with my index and middle finger or thumb and index with the edge of my hand resting on the strings when i need a more percussive and muted sound. As I move down the strings to play the D and G strings my thumb tip ends up on the A string whilst resting against the B and E strings to keep things quiet.
On a 4 string I either anchor my thumb on the bottom of the neck, neck pickup or both thumb and little finger on the E string, the index and middle fingers on A and D-strings and G damped with fretting hand.
I don't recall ever consciously developing these methods but I guess they have evolved sub consciously and work well for me.
jazzyvee
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Rocco Prestia has an effective lesson plan regarding damping or muting in his instructional video FINGER STYLE FUNK.
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I was struck watching clips from Eric's Crossroads Festival in Dallas how a LOT of the participants made a point to be in the wings and watch James (and you) work.
Having backed lots of front-man-singer-with-box-guitar, could you talk a little about playing behind a guy like that who really has a commanding acoustic technique? From the outside looking in, it appears you all follow his lead, obviously, but that his guitar work is way more part of the chart than most.
I've always appreciated you and Anthony for playing to the song, and leaving the Bass Player Olympics to others. Any fool can rush in, machine-gun the chart, and earn NAMM Show Gig points while running the tune off into the ditch. Playing what fits is what separates the men from the boys.
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You're not asking me, but I'll tell my way if you don't mind.
I've never learned how to damp using multiple fingers, so I only mute the low strings with the side of my thumb. I let it floating and just touch the strings by its side as I never anchor it on the strings.
If I play the B string and have to move to upper strings, my thumb naturaly damps it as my hand move up. This works fine with B, E and eventualy A (but I don't think A and D strings really needs to be damped as the fingers are always passing over them). The G I also damp with left hand's fingers.
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Many thanks to Jim and Mario. sure helped me alot in my playing. For some reason... Bass players are really nice people. I'm emailed guitarist like andy timmons but they never seemed to reply. lol. I emailed sheehan and he sent me a post card. Gary always replies me on the ask willis. Man.. ain't it great to have a conversation with bass greats! Thanks alot Jim. you're simply amazing.
rgds,
Mike
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Interesting to hear everybody's different muting styles. Wish I could train my right-hand pinky to do something! I'm pretty sure my left hand is involved in muting too but I am unable to describe its contribution...
Joey, thanks for the comments. Yes, James is an ideal combination of great singer-songwriter and great player. The general public may not realize what a fine guitarist he is but players generally recognize his great technique and identifiable sound. He is essentially playing all our parts, including the bass notes ... so our job is to simply expand on what he is already doing. His general tendency is to play the bass note with his thumb before he plays the chord, often before the downbeat. So when he teaches us a tune, the main decision for me is how many of those anticipations should be caught and how many skipped in favor of the downbeat. This is a really subtle bass player thing that only folks like us in here will even be aware of, but you guys know what I'm talking about.
As far as those Alembic Olympic moments, well, I do enjoy trying to step out and blaze now and again (can't do it like the true LEAD bass guys we all know) but there is also much joy to be had in playing a simple groove with a great band. I can dig getting together with a drummer and just trying to groove on G for 45 minutes.
Mike, no problem, bass players are a nice lot - maybe not as social as drummers, but...
Thanks for the nice comments and good luck to you too.
Jimmy J
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One of my favorite things is playing behind acoustic guitars, up the neck, when the chart lets you ride that McCartney-esque territory where your holding the groove and you can insert the occasional doubled line or harmony.
I know on road gigs you're at the mercy of the sound contractor, though I'd be surprised if James' tours don't travel with one company for the length of the dates. As you play direct, Jimmy, do you find any certain power amps you prefer, or is it hard to hear much difference from one to the next? Do you have any luck with in-ears?
Me too, floating right-hand thumb on the B/E gap, the fingers choking the A/D/G. And I'll kill some notes with the fret hand.
On occasion I've killed a LOT of notes with my fret hand . . . I HATE going to the Clam Buffet!
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Hey Joey,
With JT I use in-ear monitors and have gotten used to the good and bad of it. One of the goods being the ability to keep the overall level low even if I'm standing right next to the drums, trying to get many more years out of these old ears. Also, the less bass you have flying around onstage leaking into vocal mics, etc, the cleaner the bass sound is in the PA. James uses Clair Brothers on the road, they're great soundies.
I don't have a specific power amp preference although if I tested a few it might become apparent. When I am doing that direct to power amp to monitor wedges thing, I think the speaker cabinets are the biggest variable. In those situations my goal is only to be able to hear myself over the drums so even a pair of relatively low-end self-powered wedges can work. Even in a tiny club I am not trying to fill the room with sound from my position onstage - I count on the PA to do that. I'm just using what I have next to me to hear what I'm playing. So, as it's just a monitor for me I might be less specific about it's sound and confident that the bass sounds good in the house.
Yes, the clam buffet - been there.
Jimmy J
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Rewinding back thru the length of this thread, I'm struck by your chasing one tone, evidently arrived at by you with the fewest items (amps, cabs, effects) inline between you and the wedges: Would you mark this down to growing up around an upright player, the type of guy(s) that chase a single tone from the right acoustic instrument? I understand you've even stayed with Boomers all these years, again in a way reducing new variables to a minimum.
I, too, have always chased one tone in my head.
After way too much money spent, I still sound like me, it's in my damn hands and between my ears.
I s'pose the mutiple instrument/tone thing is not as widespread among electric bassists, though there are several session guys here in NashVegas who show up for sessions with quite a selection . . . although I always wonder if it's really for tone or playing the dog+pony show for the today's producer-de-jour.
Been a hoot to visit with you, hope to meet you one day. My best to you and yours.
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Joey,
My dad was also a piano tuner and I think it was hanging out under the grand piano while he used his karate chop on the bass notes that might have altered my brain. Ha! No kidding, I think it's more of a acoustic piano thing for me. Having wound up here with a wide open Alembic tone has allowed me to fit into several different musical scenarios because the sound is not very electric-bass-like, its more like an acoustic instrument. My sound seems to get along well with piano or acoustic guitar. Any Quiet Riot or Billy Idol appearances must be considered purely accidental - that's not really where I live (fun visiting though).
I also got into commercial recording work pretty early on and at that time, in the studios I was working in, DI was the thing. So I got used to it.
Yeah, it's wild, everybody sounds like themselves pretty much regardless of their gear. I've seen this played out over and over again. But the gear changes DO make a difference to the player. Moves that seem subtle to others may be huge to you, and there is always room for improvement. Just like there is always some new combination of notes to discover on the instrument. And I'm saying that after plunking away on it for about 40 years! Yikes!
Thanks man, seeya somewhere,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
I just found out that James Taylor (and Band) are playing the Puyallup Fairgrounds on Saturday.
Will you be there?
Bradley
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Oops, pardon the late reply Bradley.
Yes, it was a nice night at the fair - cool but no rain. Good crowd. Great fried anything on a stick. Under the grandstands next to the taffy, kitchen gadgets, roofers, and tool salesmen, the local distributor for Eminence Speakers had a booth set up... State fairs are full of surprises.
Jimmy J
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No sweat.
Next time? I'll buy you a Fisher scone.
Bradley
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Jimmy,
Is this song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naUdueljRas&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naUdueljRas&feature=related)) as much to play as it sounds like it would be? I'm guessing by the smile on your face in the video that it must be. I love this track and listen to it a couple times a week... just had to get your opinion on it.
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Tony,
Yes, a great song with a great groove - way fun to play. It was originally recorded for New Moon Shine in '91, Danny Kortchmar producing that track with Steve Jordan on drums. Jordan has an amazing feel, especially with this kind of in-between straight and swing vibe. The clip you linked to was from a Beacon Theater show in '98, the first gig we played after Carlos Vega's passing. Jordan was kind enough to join us for that and part of the tour that followed.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Just putting in my humble and heartfelt endorsement for Allan Holdsworth Group Then! (Live). Got it on iTunes and it is a thrilling recording. Thanks Jimmy!
1. Zone I (4:08)
2. Proto-Cosmos (5:42)
3. White Line (9:39)
4. Atavachron (4:42)
5. Zone II (5:30)
6. Pud Wud (8:05)
7. House Of Mirrors (4:26)
8. Non-Brewed Condiment (5:44)
9. Zone III (7:39)
- Allan Holdsworth / guitar, baritone guitar
- Steve Hunt / keyboards
- Gary Husband / drums
- Jimmy Johnson / bass
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Thanks Danno.
That recording includes some very serious blazing by Allan and Gary in particular. I feel lucky to have been along for the ride. Recorded live in Japan in 1990, the tapes sat around for a dozen years before Allan decided to mix and release it. We're glad he did!
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy.
By sheer coincidence I've just had an email notification of Allan's upcoming European tour. I don't suppose you know who'll be in the band and how far north they'll be coming ? ;-)
Don't worry if you're not allowed to say, sometimes anticipation is half the pleasure. hah!
Graeme
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Hi Graeme,
I think what you're hearing about is an April tour of the Bozzio / Mastelotto / Levin / Holdsworth project, and I believe it's mostly Central EU. This is a group that Terry put together and not meant to be advertised as a Allan's band or music. In fact, there is NO fixed music as such. It's an evening of free in the moment performance by these talented guys listening and playing off of each other. I have yet to hear the band but any of these individuals would be worth hearing in person so the combination is likely to produce some very interesting moments.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Thanks for the update Jimmy, the email from holdsworth's website didn't give any details. If they come close enough I'll most likely try to see them, Tony Levin is another of those 'must see' bassists that I need to tick of my list ;-)
All the best
Graeme
edit: Just checked Terry Bozzio's site and it doesn't look like they'll be coming any further west that Germany. bummer ;-(
(Message edited by jacko on February 16, 2010)
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Jimmy, I've just been enjoying your work on JT's Covers and Hourglass albums. I've picked up the bass again after a many-year layoff to play in our church ensemble which plays many moderately complex arrangements. Your work is a fine example of how to craft rich and tasteful basslines. I especially like your use of thirds and other tones to substitute for the tonic creating a natural progression. With your experience, are you able to do this on the fly or do you usually study the score and work out your part before recording? And when is the Jimmy Johnson bass primer coming out?!
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Hey Doc (hope that's an OK usage),
Welcome to the Alembic forum. Glad to hear you have found an opportunity to bust out the bass and play again, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Thanks for the kind words, I'm proud to have been a part of those two records. As I've said before, almost all the notes I play with JT are simply doubling what he's playing on guitar so that makes creating the bass lines pretty easy!
Generally speaking bass parts are worked out at the recording session, but it varies. Occasionally somebody will send a chart in advance or even an audio demo, but I am usually fine-tuning the bass part right up until the final take. Sometimes even after the final take - as an overdub!
I've never had much interest in teaching, writing or talking too much about what I do (except for all my blabbering here in this forum...). Maybe because I never studied bass or maybe because I'm not sure what I'm doing! I've been at this a long time, playing these same instruments, and am happy to share some of my experiences with friends here. But don't hold your breath for any how to manuals. My only suggestion is to listen to all kinds of music and then play and see what comes out.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
Am I hearing you play the 'Bic on Our Town by JT??
Duncan
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Hey Duncan,
Funny you should ask me about that one. I did play on that soundtrack - great writing by Randy Newman - and we did cut a version of Our Town during those sessions. But the track they used in the film, and I believe on the soundtrack recording, was reworked to be more orchestral and that included underdubbing the drums and bass. I recognize some of the notes but it doesn't sound like me (the giveaway is the high register notes that don't sustain...) I don't think they ever released an alternate version so I don't think you heard me. Maybe you just knew I'd BEEN there? Ha!.
That's a great song and quite an emotional moment in that movie. In my opinion Randy is on the short list of America's greatest songwriters.
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy, I'm with you on Randy Newman, really love his writing, his work on the pixar films is brilliant. And I remember seeing him in the late 70s singing a song about tall/short people on a music show that used to run on the BBC called 'the old grey whistle test' he is a great wit as well as a damn fine tunesmith.
Jake
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Hi Jimmy,
Thanks for that insight. Actually, the reason I asked is that I heard the song and thought I'd recognized your playing style, especially in those few high register notes, ha! So I guess despite the reworking of the bass part, your signature style is still definable. That's a pretty good thing isn't it?
Indeed Randy Newman is brilliant. About 23 years ago I tagged along with a friend and his dad to a solo perfomance of Randy. It made such a deep impression on me that I still remember it clearly. I remember the song Short People, it was hilarious. Thanks for mentioning that, Jake!
Duncan
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Another huge fan of Randy's over here (waves). 'Short People' is the opening track of his 'Little Criminals' album which is probably one of my most played LP's (yes, many of us still prefer to spin 12 inches of vinyl). It's a remarkable album, having some excellent song titles like Sigmund Freud's Impersonation of Albert Einstein in America and 'Kathleen (catholosism made easier)'. There's alot of humour running through this album. Randy accumulated some superb musicians for this album too, including Willie Weeks and Klaus Voorman on bass, Jim keltner on drums, Ry cooder on guitar and also the eagles on various instruments and backing vocals. If you only ever buy one Randy Newman album, this one should be it. Coincidentally, Randy will be performing in Glasgow this May. I'll be there.
Graeme
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Thanks for that recommendation Graeme, another vinyl spinning household here (although we do indulge up to the minute technology too) My ten year old is checking out all my old Led Zep, Beatles and Hendrix vinyl at the moment...
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Jimmy,
Thanks for answering my questions about how/when you work out bass parts. Yes we can learn a lot about good bass playing just from your generous comments in this forum!
You said you never studied bass. Wow, how did you learn? Was your dad an influence? I understand he played classical upright bass.
Thanks--
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Hey Doc,
My pleasure.
And to answer your next question here's my whole boring story... Mom taught piano, dad played upright (orchestral and no-amp big band amazingly loud pizz.). My older brother and I started piano lessons quite young, not from mom. Didn't much enjoy that experience but sure wish I had kept it up... Around age 11 or 12 we were encouraged to choose orchestral instruments to study. Brother Gord chose flute, I chose clarinet. Legit study on those instruments through jr. high and high school (and college for Gord) taught us both how to read, exposed us to some great music, and filled our heads with melodies.
On the side we were allowed to play whatever instruments we wanted for fun. Gord started with electric bass in HS jazz band (my first exposure - a Fender P) then he went on to organ, elec. guitar, and ended up back on bass later. I got into electric bass and just stayed there.
Some of that solo clarinet music is complicated reading so that really helped when it came time to learn to read bass music. Growing up with all that music around, encouragement from my folks and musical influences from my brother made for a very lucky atmosphere for me.
There you have it, much more than you needed to know.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ... wha? oh yeah, click the post button...
Jimmy J
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I sometimes wonder how many of us started off on clarinet. I'm sure from previous threads there have been quite a few. I played in the school orchestra until I was about 15 when I took up the bass and haven't played one since; something I deeply regret and something I've been planning to pick up again for about 20 years ;-)
Graeme
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I went through a similar upbringing. Recorder at 4 years old (when I started to learn to read music), then clarinet, piano and finally 10 years of oboe. I started fooling around with the bass at age 13, but didn't buy one until I was 16 or 17.
I'd love to play the oboe again, but I can't face dealing with the reeds and physically it requires the dedication of a marathon runner.
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Hey my fellow ex-woodwind players! That's an interesting coincidence. Our experience on these other instruments certainly has an effect on our bass playing. And that unique range of personal experience is what makes everybody play differently ... and the World go around for that matter.
Edwin, I know what you mean about the reed battle, my sax player buddies are always moaning. And DOUBLE reeds must be impossible. I also think the back pressure of playing oboe makes people crazy - at least all the oboe players I've known - so you're probably better off leaving it in the closet. Ha!
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on March 18, 2010)
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Ah, the oboe: the ill wind nobody blows good!
At this point, I think the damage is done!
Sax reeds are some work to keep going, but oboe reeds all have to be made from scratch (buying them is problematic because the reed making style that you develop becomes a huge part of your personal tone) and the success rate is somewhere around 30% for a real player, which doesn't become obvious until you are at least an hour into it. Then you get a great reed, which doesn't stay stable throughout its short life, and a few weeks later, it's done. There's some pleasure in making a great reed, but that gets old pretty quickly. The oboe stays in the closet. Probably more than you wanted to know!
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I think that this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4c54PAzXrM) may be my favorite Randy Newman song.
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This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGO42gvCSPI) is one of my favorite Randy Newman tunes.
Bill, tgo
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Hi Jimmy, nice to finally find you on the Internet.
I'm an italian keyboard player but I love your bass playing since my first time listening to Chad's Forty Reasons, almost 20 years ago!
This led me to all of Allan's music, and to me you and Chad are the perfect combination for him.
After 20 years of listening, and hoping to see you live with Allan, I could finally see that perfect trio last year at Innsbruck! And you were totally awesome.
Well, it's some time I hope to find you at facebook, where I can follow many musicians daily, but not you
Don't you have it? I have some pics there with you at Innsbruck, and I'd like to tag you and share them with you and your fans.
Thanx for all the music,
Gabriele
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Hi Gabriele,
Thanks for the kind comments. It's always interesting to hear the path people take to discovering unusual artists and music like Allan's. I'm glad you got to the Treibhaus gig, next time say hello.
You have indeed found one of the few places I appear on the 'net. The social networks don't really appeal to me for a few reasons:
#1. I'm a private guy
#2. Self-promotion has never been my forte
#3. I have no product of my own to sell (like solo CDs) so I see no reason to have that kind of web presence.
I prefer to keep a low profile, or maybe NO profile.
Thanks for listening!
Jimmy J
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We actually have met at the Treibhaus that was an opportunity to see you live, so I came to you (and you were on the stage helping to pick up stuff) and asked for some pic, and we did )) That pic with you and me is my profile pic at facebook at the moment ))) Let me try to post some pics of Innsbruck here:
http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/Flim/CIMG0640.JPG (http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/Flim/CIMG0640.JPG) - Allan
http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/Flim/CIMG0641.JPG - Jimmy
http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/Flim/CIMG0642.JPG (http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/Flim/CIMG0642.JPG) - Chad
http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/Flim/CIMG0645.JPG - Me and friends with Jimmy
http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/Flim/CIMG0646.JPG (http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/Flim/CIMG0646.JPG) - Me and Maria with Jimmy
http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/Flim/CIMG0647.JPG (http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/Flim/CIMG0647.JPG) - Me and friends with Allan
http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/Flim/CIMG0648.JPG (http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/Flim/CIMG0648.JPG) - Me and Maria with Allan
http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/Flim/CIMG0652.JPG (http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/Flim/CIMG0652.JPG) - Me and friends with Chad
Well, actually we also gave Chad 3 T-shirts for all of you, hand made just for you all. I hope Chad did not forget to give you your one!
Anyway, my opinion is that you don't need to have something to sell or promote yourself to find facebook useful: for me is a very nice tool to keep in touch with many great musicians (Scott Kinsey, Leon Gaer, Chad, Otmaro Ruiz to name a few) and have the opportunity to know what are they doing and where they're gonna play next, other than find many pics they often upload themselves.
You can give it a try, with no risk ;)
Anyway, I just remembered I've been in L.A. in July 2009. The last night I was at the Baked Potato to see Otmaro Ruiz, and you were stated as the bass player. Then, I found Jimmy Haslip instead well, I love his playing too but...you know...do you remember what happened? Maybe you were around with Mr. Taylor
Well, I've seen you're going to have another European tour at the end of the year, with Chad and Allan. Hope you're coming around Milan/Italy, or I'll have to travel again! (Yes! I came to Treibhaus from Milan just because of you 3!).
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Ah yes, now I recall meeting you and your friends (sorry, I meet a lot of people and am terrible at remembering). Thanks for the custom T-Shirts, an unusual gift that definitely made us all smile!
Sorry to have missed you at the Potato last July. Ironically, I was in Europe while you were in LA. The BP website tends to cut and paste bands which play monthly so I was listed with Otmaro throughout 2009 even though I only played a few times. I'm a Haslip fan too so I'm sure you had an enjoyable Spud experience.
I know Allan is trying to put together a fall EU trip (with a tentative Milan date on Oct 29) but it's still only in the planning stages so we will see what happens. Maybe we'll see you there! (No need to bring gifts!)
Jimmy J
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While we are talking about meeting, were you in Allan's band ca. 1986-87? At the time, after graduating from Berklee, I was driving a cab in Boston. Around 11pm on a Tuesday night, I was flagged down by Allan and his band outside of Quincy Market. Chad wanted to know where the action was, where to find the ladies. Boston is a pretty boring town on a Tuesday night and I was at a loss. I didn't really think the Combat Zone was appropriate, so I drove everyone to Harvard Sq. (with Chad in the front seat) and dropped them off at the Wursthaus. Years later, around 1999 or so, I was hanging out with my friend, Bill Kopper, a wonderful jazz and Brazilian guitarist who I met here in Boulder and was telling him this story. It turned out that the band went straight from my cab to his table at the Wursthaus. Like me, he was a starving musician in Boston and this was his first or second night on the job as a waiter there. Apparently it was also his last! I gather that he managed to screw up the orders pretty badly that night. Although he might be a poor waiter, he is a wonderful guitar player!
Anyway, it occurs to me that you might have been in that cab that night!
Best,
Edwin
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Hey Edwin,
Wow, crazy coincidence. That probably was me, the timing is right. The only thing you don't remember correctly is Chad asking about ladies, it was never that kind of band. The request was more likely to be for a brewery so the Wursthaus makes sense as our destination...
I really wish my memory of life's details was better. Allan can remember all the venues, their sound, and whether or not he had fun there the last time. I sometimes can't remember a place even while loading in for the 3rd time. I think my soft drive (brain) is filled up with audio files. Need more RAM... Ha!
Anyway, nice to meet you back then Edwin!
Jimmy J
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FYI, I have created a Fan Page for you at facebook, you deserved one. I will keep you informed of the fan numbers rising up, and it already started.
You also have some true friends of yours commenting on you :
-Joel Taylor-
Jimmy's the Baddest ever!
-Leonardo Pavkovic-
one-of-a-kind bass player and one-of-a-kind guy, one and only, JIMMY JOHNSON a really good friend of mine.....
19 fans and these 2 posts already, in just few hours
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Gabriele,
While I am honored by your enthusiastic support and I have no control over what you or anybody else does on the web ... I wish you hadn't done that. As stated above - I'm a private guy - and I am not interested in that kind of exposure (or I would have set up my own page).
Please do not post my presence here as a way to contact me, OK? That's not what this forum is for. I am here to chat with fellow musicians, bass players, Alembic users, on an equal footing, not to reach out to fans. I actually don't play music to make fans.
thanks for understanding,
Jimmy J
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Sorry Jimmy, I feel there is a misunderstanding for what I did at FB.
I have been contacted by a couple of persons at Alembic about this, and gave them directions to check what I did, that is absolutely nothing official and nothing pointing to here, but just a page for other people at FB liking your music to share their joy (it is not a FB account about you, but just a page about you, as for example Wikipedia's page about you).
If you still think this is till not appropriate, I will instantly remove it.
I completely share your point of view about fans and about playing music, but sometimes your listeners just like to share their joy, and this is what happening on that page.
Again, sorry for this misunderstanding.
You may want to take a look and decide if you want me to delete it.
Gabriele.
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Gabriele,
I understand it's not an official page but if Joel and Leo found it then in some way it represents me and as I said I am not interested in this kind of presence. Again, I have no say over what you do online - and I do understand that you are just being kind and trying to show your support so you are free to do what you want - but since you've offered ... my request would be that you remove the page. Or at least don't tell me any more about it! Ha!
Thanks again,
Jimmy J
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I just removed the page ;)
(BTW, Joel and Leo found it because they're both in my friend list at FB, that's how FB goes )
EOT
Now, let's get back to more interesting stuff.
I remember at Treibhaus, while waiting for the gig to start, being worried when looking at the stage and no bass amp was there.
I remember saying to my friends omg, don't tell me that Jimmy is not here tonight!.
Then I was so surprised to see you play with no amp at all, you were probably directly into the mixer. Is it?
Your sound was amazing.
Did you use any device to get that direct sound?
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Hi Gabriele, and welcome to the board. If you'll go back & read this whole thread, you'll that Jimmy addresses those questions in some detail. I'm not sure how far back it was, so don't forget the archived sections.
Peter
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Good Lord, don't make him read the whole thread!
Gabriele, thanks for honoring my request.
Yes, when I travel with Allan I travel light, just my bass and DI box, and I use the stage monitors as my amp. This works for me because I like the sound of these basses through a full range system - like the PA.
Thanks again,
Jimmy J
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(Message edited by keith_h on April 20, 2010)
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Just had to jump in here. Jimmy, thank you for many hours of delighful listening. Doin' some construction stuff this weekend at the pad and I was kept semi-sane by listening to Flim, Wayne J and other old stuff that takes me back to the old days. I love my good buddy Tommy F., but I think I like your sound better. Don't tell Tommy or Walt.
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Gbulfon is the Treibhaus the venue in Innsbruk Austria?
If it is I did a couple of gigs there a few years back when touring in Europe with Apache Indian. Great venue and great responsive crowd too.
Jazzyvee
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Jazzyvee, yes, it's that one.
Very characteristic theatre, and great sound.
JJ, I understand that you like the sound through a full range system: it's the same for me with my keyboards (I hate it whan I'm forced to listen in mono or just an unbalanced listening position!).
If you don't mind, I'd like you to tell us some secret behind first Chad solo album. That album made me addicted to Allan/Chad/Your way of making music, and I'm deeply tied to the Forty Reason sound. It's almost 20 years old now, but it still delivers fresh music an sounds avantgard.
How did you record that album? Was it a true live session for all the pieces? Any secret will be appreciated ;)
Gabriele
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Thanks Eric. Funny, listening to that same music makes me semi-INsane. Ha! I'm a big fan of the F bros. too.
Gabriele, I wish I had a better memory of the details of that recording session but I'm afraid you will need to ask Chad. The next time you see him be sure to get some stories. The engineer on those CMP projects was quite an eccentric fellow too. He added some extra creativity to the final sound.
Isn't it great how certain records can really get to you? We all have them, that's the power of music. It's cool that Forty Reasons hit you this way.
Jimmy J
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I was hoping about some introspection on how you ended up with those bass lines. I know (thanks to my FB friendship with Leon Gaer) that Chad uses to write a lot if not every parts, ending up with solo lines that you hardly recognize if that is a written line or an improvised solo by the musician.
You play a lot of bass lines there with your distinctive melodic approach.
I like to call it horizontal approach in contrast with vertical approach.
For example, Carpenter (we all still love you!) used more a vertical one when accompanying Allan solos, ending up with many chords alternating the main bass notes.
I've seen you working a lot more horizontally at Treibhaus, where harmonies could be heard through your notes succession rather than chords.
My personal taste seems to prefer your approach, because it gives a sense of melody under the solo, like having a second voice moving its own way.
Gabriele.
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Gabriele,
OK, I dug out the CD in an attempt to jog my memory... It was nice working at Capitol for these mostly live dates, still one of the greatest studio. Chad's writing, especially early on was done on a sequencer and although he does play mallet percussion he admits to not being a keyboard player. So the charts were pretty basic, just forms and patterns, and we were all encouraged to add whatever we felt.
For instance, the bass part for the opening tune showed only the C pedal figure for the A-section and any passing or connecting bits were my additions. Make sense? Melodies were all written but solos were not.
Furthermore, any track listing me as co-composer were group ad libs. This has become somewhat of a tradition with this band, at least one completely open thing per gig. And we usually try it when we're in the studio too because sometimes some really interesting things happen. Sometimes not... The Bozzio, Holdsworth, Levin, Mastelotto tour is is the ultimate extension of this, all ad libs, no songs at all.
Interesting description of my playing style. I've played a lot of guitar trio stuff in my career and early on I decided that it was not my job to spell out all the tonality but to stay down and play the bass notes. Just my choice. (Carp's knowledge of chords was so deep that it allowed him to sometimes do both!) For example, when Allan is soloing I think he does a fine job of spelling out the tonality - if I stay on the bottom it gives him additional freedom to move through and around the harmony. Sometimes having the chords sounded, as when we had a keyboard player, makes it easier for the audience to hear what's happening. But with the trio I think our brains can fill in what's missing and my preference is to be down low - between the drums and the harmony!
Just my spin on it.
Cheers!
Jimmy J
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So Jimmy, when you're tracking, is your recording set-up as minimal as your onstage signal chain? Specifically I was wondering have you used any of the 'channel strip' preamps (Avalon, Milennia, GML, et al) for recording or is it just a good direct box and done?
Puh-leeeeze tell me you don't have to sit through endless tweaks for everyone else, then they turn to you and say 'hit me a few notes for level, bass, please', quickly followed by 'OK, let's roll some tape!'. . . .
J o e y
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Hey J o e y,
Yes, pretty minimal in the studio too: I bring my two basses, power supply, DI box and tuner. Lately I've been running the basses at near line-level out, passing through a REDDI box and straight into a line input of the board. if the engineer wants mic-level then I'll just trim the master volume down (doesn't change the tone on our basses - yay!).
As I've said before I don't bring a lot of variety to the party - people generally know that I come with a sound. I'm not the right guy for every situation but I have been very lucky with it. The engineers I've worked with usually enjoy the sound and will often feel compelled to tell me: I'm not doing ANYTHING to the bass. Cool.
I haven't tried the channel strips you mentioned (3 great ones). Of course in a studio one would presume the board would be the best signal path... When I do a track for somebody at home I just go straight in, no EQ or compression. Whoever mixes it can tweak later if they feel the need.
... roll some tape? We may need to explain this phrase to some younger members.
Jimmy J
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JJ, no matter what, I always slip up and reveal I'm an analog dinosaur in a digital age . . . you kids, ask your mom, SHE'll tell you about wow and flutter and 'tape saturation', your Uncle Joey's heading for the daybed now. I just hope I don't have those quantizing nightmares about pitch correction again . . . I thought pro tools meant you bought SnapOns instead of Craftsmans.
J o e y
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(JimmyJ said:
... roll some tape? We may need to explain this phrase to some younger members. )
Well... believe it or not.. these days I am currently recording some stuff for a Venezuelan Prog-Rock band (signed to Musea Records in France), in 1-inch analog 24 track tape!
So, We' re rollin' !
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4549591097_4165c5abbc.jpg (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4549591097_4165c5abbc.jpg)
By the way... and without any intention of hijacking the thread, the shirt I am using on this particular pic, has an interesting story. At the Bass Player mag forum, a couple years ago someone told something funny about one of the members who posted a pic of himself playing with this shirt. Somehow, it developed into a game, where each interested player should receive the shirt, play a gig with it, have the pic taken, post it and then send the shirt to the next player on the list. So far The Shirt (which has sort of developed a life of its own) has traveled across the US, U.K., Scotland, Australia, Africa, now South America (Venezuela), and will return to the US soon. Once the Tour has ended (It has completed its second year!) it will get to its original owner's hands, who will wear it again, and then frame it or something alike. Kinda goofy, but fun anyway. Our own BrianT Alembician fellow has already played on it, and right now it's my turn. Funny, ain't it?
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Sorry everyone. My post was a hijack of the thread rather than continuing the discussion of Jimmy's music and chatting with Jimmy. I'll be more careful next time.
Rich
(Message edited by richbass939 on April 30, 2010)
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Maybe we could get Jimmy to wear The Shirt on a gig? That way it would not be so off-topic..
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Hey no problem Rich. Funny story about the shirt. Makes me think more about International Laundry than anything else.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, I understand you were one of the first, if not THE first, professional to play the 5-string bass with the low B string. As I plunk along with my 4-string I am curious as to why you initially sought the extra bottom range, and whether the way you use it has evolved over the years?
BTW will we be seeing you on the road with James' Troubadour tour this summer?
Doc
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Hey Doc,
Well, I was early to the low-b but probably not the first. The inspiration came from my dad's orchestral bass with its low-c extension and mechanical fingers. We were also aware of 5-string orchestral basses - being used mostly in Europe at that time - and decided it would be simpler to try that then to add an extension to an electric bass. I had already discovered Alembic (owned a 4-string for about a year) so I knew we had the ultimate custom shop to build whatever we could think of.
It took a moment to get the hang of it but my use of the low string hasn't changed much. Back in the day it was odd to hear those extra notes and some engineers were actually afraid of them (!!) so I used them sparingly from the beginning.
There are plenty of amazing bassists plunking away on 4-strings so you shouldn't feel any pressure to move to 5 or 6. Only if you're curious.
Carole and James' Troubadour tour includes their original band members; Kunkel, Sklar & Kortchmar, plus a few extra players and singers. It should be a great show!
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy,
Ok. Weird question ....but, You always seem so relaxed when you play and the feel of your groove is always so in the pocket. I was wondering if this was a conscious thing(staying physically relaxed) or if it just evolved that way. Over the years I have had problems getting things to settle in and not be on top, in particular playing 16th note grooves.....
Pheww. sorry to geeeek wayyyy out!!!
Peace and I have always loved your musicianship.
Zeb
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Hey Zeb,
Welcome to the forum and thanks for your kind comments.
I owe any pocket to the great drummers I get to play with. I consider my own time to be rather bendy - with a tendency to be ahead rather than behind. (Zooming in on the ProTools screen can be quite depressing...) But my flexy-time might be why I get along with so many different drummers, I'm not trying to drive.
I remember somebody once suggesting that it's best to wait for the time to come by and just play along - try not to anticipate its arrival. That's about the only kind of advice I can think of.
I've been playing bass a long time and I don't get as nervous as I used to on the gig. I may be enjoying playing in a different way now that I'm older which might translate to more relaxed.
But ... sometimes it's good if it all speeds up!
Thanks again,
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy,
Relating to the previous question, I saw you perform with Alan Holdsworth in Seattle at a club called The Backstage in the early 80's. I had never heard you play before and was blown away by how calm/relaxed you seemed while playing such intense music. After the show I remember being a bit 'over eager' to ask you questions and gain some insight (I was on mushrooms and my quest seemed of the upmost importance). You were very friendly, polite, and patient and answered all my questions like a gentleman. It meant a lot to me that you took the time to talk. I still remember that night with much fondness.
Thanks for the chat way back then, and thank you for taking time to chat with club members now.
You are very much a class act. Bless you.
Keith
(Message edited by moonliner on May 06, 2010)
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... double post, sorry
(Message edited by moonliner on May 06, 2010)
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Keith,
Thanks for the good story and the explanation of your state of mind at that moment! Ha! I have met many friendly and inspiring musicians over the years so I know how important that direct contact can be. And there's nothing secret about what I'm doing so I don't mind talking shop...
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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J, thanks for the insights you could dig out of your mind about the Forty Reasons session, and sorry for answering just now...very busy with my job lately...
Yes, the improvised sessions contained in that album are something very noticeable, the way they sound, as short snapshots of instant compositions.
Actually I remember they influenced me a lot, and with the band I had at that times we enjoyed a lot doing that sort of stuff: meeting on Sunday morning, play some stuff until lunch time, go and have a nice Italian lunch + wine, get back to the instrument, choose a random ironic title, press rec on the multitrack, play as if we all knew what we were going to do...
We ended up with a lot of albums just for ourselves, with a lot of random situations!
Luckily, we also ended up with a composition of mine, a lot Wackerman-oriented, with this strange title Another Sunday
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Hey Jimmy, are you with Holdsworth in the uk in June? I have a gig in London on the 4th so I might make it to the late show, would be great to say hi if you're there.
Jake
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Hey Jake,
Yes, Gary Husband and I should be making noise with Allan at Ronnie's on the 4th and 5th. Looks like the 2nd set is late too so come on by if you're around.
Jimmy J
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Has anybody ever invited you to come to Brazil?
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Mario,
Thanks for the question. Allan's music has a limited audience - of mostly musicians - so touring with the band is a bit of a financial trick... (We do our best not to LOOSE money!) At one time the band could work its way across the US from town to town but now the clubs can't pay enough to support that kind of touring with this kind of music. He can do an east coast piece, or a west coast piece, or Japan, the EU, or the UK. But without the work of some dedicated music fans, including his manager and local jazz promoters, very little would happen.
I know there are Holdsworth fans everywhere and I really wish everybody could see the guy play live, at least once. I'm sure he has had offers from South America but so far the planets have not aligned correctly for it to come together. Hopefully someday soon.
Jimmy J
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I'm really looking forward to seeing y'all in Glasgow next month. It's a pretty small venue but the vibe is aways there.
Graeme
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Hi Jimmy,
When you were learning to play, who were your favorite bassists? What was it about their styles that you dug?
Best,
Doc
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Hey Doc,
The usual suspects for influences. My formative years were (a-hem) the late 60's - early 70's so it was a combo platter of McCartney, Stanley Clarke (his upright playing with RTF killed me), Chris Squire, then Jaco (killed me again), Anthony Jackson, etc... That was when jazz and rock were first fusing together so it was a pretty exciting and creative time. I feel fortunate to have see Weather Report live a few times as well as RTF and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Yummy!
Graeme, hope you're still free that night and can make the scene. That'd be great!
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy,
I found you will come to Japan in July. I reserved a ticket at Tokyo on 17th. Now I'm very exciting as UK guys.
Toshiaki
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I'll definitely be there Jimmy. I've told the band not to book any replacement gigs that night. I'll probably be with Mike again (the tall american one). Give me a wave ;-)
Graeme
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Hi Jimmy,
Thanks for participating in the forum, it's a rare treat.
Could you tell how it was that you hooked up with Allan? Did he seek you out after Jeff's departure? Was he familiar with Flim and the BBs?
Thanks in advance,
Mike
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Toshiaki, that's great, see you at STB 139.
Mike M, happy to be here. I had played with Chad in other musical situations so he was kind enough to put my name in when Allan was looking. I did my best to learn a couple tunes from the IOU album and went and played an afternoon at the Charvel guitar factory (if I remember correctly). I don't think Allan knew anything about my musical history, which was fine with me...
Jimmy J
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As in most things, it's who you know. I guess we should all thank Chad for that.
Thanks for the reply.
Alas, no tour dates for my part of the USA.
Mike
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Jimmy, just for the curious...what are the Allan/Chad songs you're more fond of? Which ones you like to play the most?
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Mike M, who you know sounds so political ... let's say who you've played with. Ours is a word-of-mouth business and the more people you get to play with the more likely other interesting opportunities will present themselves. You never know what odd playing situation might lead to a great musical experience.
I don't know what town you're in but Allan, Chad and I do a Texas run every once in a while. Denton, Austin and Houston are regular stops.
Gabriele, good question but I have no favorite songs as such. I'm happy to play Cm7 for several hours with these guys - or the opposite, something like Texas (how's that for tying my post together?) which is one of Allan's longest chord sequences.
Jimmy J
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Gotcha, I'm usually the last person in the room to get into political discussions.
I'll keep an eye out for a Denton show, that's relatively close as far as Texas highways go, I'm located just north of Dallas.
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Hey Guys, just a quick heads up to the uk Alembic brethren here, I saw Jimmy at Ronnie Scotts with Allan Holdsworth last night, the band was great and some of Allans compositions really shone. For me the ensemble playing is second to none, really great dynamically and filled with superb examples of Jimmy's masterful control of the entire range of his fab sounding Alembic. The music is not for the faint hearted, it's challenging and exciting at times but also very heartfelt, for me live is definitely the place to encounter Allans music.
I had a lovely chat with Jimmy afterwards he's a true gent, and for such a great player very humble.
I urge anyone to see this tour Allan is a special voice and Jimmy and Gary (Husband) clearly love to be up on stage with him
Jake
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I'm seeing them in Glasgow this coming friday. It looks like the last night of the tour so hopefully they'll be pulling out all the stops.
Graeme
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I'm seeing them in Glasgow this coming friday. It looks like the last night of the tour so hopefully they'll be pulling out all the stops.
Graeme
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HI Graeme! Next time Jimmy comes to Glasgow I try to come over?never been in Glasgow and there can never bee too much of Jimmy?s bass playing!
Jan-Olof
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HI Graeme! Next time Jimmy comes to Glasgow I try to come over?never been in Glasgow and there can never bee too much of Jimmy?s bass playing!
Jan-Olof
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Hi Jan-Olof. Anytime you want to come over let me know. I'm sure we can find space for you to stay.
Graeme
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In a nice twist of fate I ended up seeing another show last night as Allan was in Cardiff (my hometown) and I was there too visiting my brother, so I had another treat. This time, despite a tough acoustic the guys played just as well but this time the crowd was more with the show which made for some really electrifying moments. I really enjoyed seeing the show for a second time as loads of it made more sense upon second hearing as there was more familiarity.
Thanks again to Jimmy :0)
Jake
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Jake, thanks for making the scene, twice! I'm glad we had a chance to meet and hang for a minute. Nice to connect with a few of the Alembic extended family!
Looking forward to seeing Graeme up North too. I hope we have some stops left to pull out as several nights of this in a row takes its toll on us old guys! Ha! But something musically interesting is bound to happen.
Jan-Olof, it would be nice if Allan could get to Finland someday but there are no plans to do so... Hope you can hear it live sometime, it's pretty interesting music.
Hey, is there an echo echo in here?
Jimmy J
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Well what can I say? Friday's gig was astounding. Allan seemed very relaxed and his playing echo'd that - lots of ethereal, swirly stuff going on amongst the soloing - 'beautiful' was how mike put it and I have to agree. There were times when i lost myself just listening and judging by the expressions on Allan, Gary and Jimmy's faces I wasn't the only one. I've only ever seen Gary playing with level 42 (although I've heard plenty on record) so watching him on friday was an eye opener. He really is a monster on drums, his soloing in particular going off on tangents that seemed unexpected to his bandmates yet always coming back at the right time. And as for Jimmy Johnson, he made the most complicated playing seem effortless, locked in with the drums seamlessly and played the most amazing solos. In fact, he was so 'into' the music he had his eyes closed most of the night!
We got the chance for quite a lengthy conversation on a whole raft of different subjects and I was amazed at how humble all three musicians were - after the gig they all came out to chat with the fans - none of that 'I'm the big star' behaviour. All in all, a brilliant night and I can't wait for them to come back (big hint ;-)
We also bumped into John 'whitecloud' hughes at the gig. He's stopped posting here as he no longer has his persuader but he's fit and well and still playing (although they're on a break as his guitarist has injured his hand).
Most of my gig pictures are blurry as they'd banned flash photography but here's a nice one of Jimmy enjoying himself....
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/81461.jpg)
Graeme
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Thanks for the kind words Graeme.
It was great to see jacko, mpisanek, white_cloud, colbassman, and jakebass on this trip - nice to put faces to these forum member names. I'm glad you were all able to come and hear the band, it's one of the funnest things I get to do (as you can see by my silly grin) and I think it's important to hear Allan's unique musical voice in person while he's still actively touring. As I always say, the music is not for everybody but this guy is a one-off and plays and writes like nobody else. Worth a listen at least.
Thanks again to all for the support.
Jimmy J
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Great review Graeme! And congrats Jimmy on what reports suggest has been a great tour!
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Hi Jimmy, I know you don't use cabs or anything for your live sound but do you have any tips for getting the right sound in the studio?
I have my first studio session on Friday with a new band I've recently joined, and just wondered what is the best way of getting a good sound on to a recorded track?
At rehearsals and live I get most of my sound from my fingers and bass as I keep my rig settings close to flat. In the studio should I get the sound I like from my bass first and give that to the engineer or should I have the filters and volume fully open?
Any suggestions would be great. It's only a short 2 hour session to record and mix and so I will only be taking one bass. I'm more likely to be using my Elan which has the Europa electronics package as that's what I've been using at rehearsals. But I also have a SC Deluxe if you feel that is a better option.
Thanks Jimmy,
Jazzyvee
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Hey Jazzy Vee,
The only way to go is to bring YOUR sound. It's the job of the engineer to capture it as YOU hear it. Most likely you will plug the bass straight into a DI box and then pass through to your amp. The engineer may also mic your amp and blend the two sounds together. Standard procedure for recording is to isolate things so your amp (and you) may end up in a closet and you will hear the rest of the band through headphones - although some guys do it like a live band setup... In any case, the sound can sometimes be a bit odd while playing but concentrate on what the whole band sounds like when they play it back through the speakers and then trust it.
As they're getting the bass sound you can ask them to record a few notes and go in and listen to it. Then YOU can decide if there is too much amp in the mix, if you want to open up the filters, etc...
Have fun man!!!
Jimmy J
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Thanks Jimmy, i appreciate your response & feel more relaxed about it now. :-)
Jazzyvee
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Hey Jimmy - just thought I'd stoke your ego ;-) It's Father's day in the UK so i got to play holdsworth's 'Sand' at a listenable volume today. I just loved your solo on 'Pud Wud'. Having seen the band live now, I can just imagine the fun you must have had in the studio cutting these early albums. Interesting, even though Allan is using a synthaxe, his playing is unmistakeable. If I closed my eyes it sounded just like his steinberger playing from last week. Have to go - the sun is shining so I have to attend to my BBQ duties ;-)
All the best to everyone, everywhere from sunny (for a change) Scotland.
Graeme
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Hi guys. I had terminated my previous account here at the club because I had become concerned about the erratic & unreasonable behaviour of a certain individual (who shall remain nameless) who was severely hampering my enjoyment of hanging here!
Anyway I feel compelled to drop by to pay my highest regards to Jimmy J in relation to the Glasgow Ferry gig with Allan. I was lucky enough to spend a small ammount of time with Allan, Gary & Jimmy on the night and believe me this was a real special occaision for me as I have been a big AH fan since the early 1980's & have been inspred by his music more than any other artist! Its no secret around these parts that I consider Allan to be the finest exponant of the electric guitar alive & finally witnessing him playing with Jimmy has kind of made my life complete now lol! Mention must go to Gary too, I have always considered Chad to be my favourite AH drummer - but Gary totally nailed it & was so on the money it was unreal!
I agree with Graeme above, at times the music seemed to enter into the realms of another dimension - I found it hard to take in the sheer magnificence of it all. Jimmy, it was an honour to meet you. Your tone was incredible & your playing was inspirational - but above all of that your quality as a human being shone above all else after the show. It is rare to meet the combination of taste, talent & self depreciating humility in a person.
I hope we can meet again sometime. It was a pleasure to be savoured.
John.
(Message edited by white cloud on June 21, 2010)
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Graeme,
Thanks for that. The records were always interesting experiences. Sometimes I wish I had been able to spend more time on things or simply possessed a deeper understanding of the harmony, but all in all I'm very proud to have been a part of this unique music over the years. I agree that Allan's voice on the SynthAxe is also identifiable, as is his short violin solo on the original I.O.U. record. It seems the instrument doesn't matter for him ... which is rather astounding.
John,
Thanks for making the effort to come back in and post that kind review. I'm glad you enjoyed the evening as much as I did! Allan is indeed an inspirational musician, one of those rare individuals who changed our understanding of what his instrument(s) can do. Glad you were able to come to that gig. I hope we can get back over your way again soon.
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on June 21, 2010)
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Hi Jimmy, I took your advice and gave the engineer the sound I wanted and he was completely happy with that. I didn't get a chance to hear any of the playbacks because of tight time constraints and other issues. But without going into too much boring detail, it was a memorable experience however not for good reasons but from a cascade of bad vibes, wasting of time and terrible unbalanced and distorted headphone mixes.
Let's hope next time is more rewarding.
One good thing though, It will be interesting, to hear the playbacks if for no other reason than to get an idea of how my bass sounds when recorded in a studio.
Life goes on.... :-)
Jazzyvee.
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Boy, am I sorry to hear that! It's always a drag when things go like that. In this day and age, there's no real excuse for unbalanced and distorted headphone mixes. While I've never had the chance to work in the best of studios, I'd done lots of recording in various local studios and have done quite a bit of engineering (in fact, I run a location recording service, so if anyone needs gigs recorded in Colorado, get in touch for an Alembic forum discount!). Getting together gain structure and learning how to make good headphone mixes should be the first thing an engineer should learn.
I hope that doesn't turn you off studio work! One thing that might help mitigate these issues in the future is something like the Raven Labs headphone amp that allows you to mix in your bass with the mix that the engineer gives you and at least control what you hear of yourself. The Raven Labs is discontinued but there are other products like that or even a small mixer with a headphone out will do the trick along.
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Along the line of outboard preamps, does anyone have experience with the Sadowsky bass preamp/DI box? Sounds like its good at boosting passive pickup instruments but it's pricey at $240 and I'm wondering if it's worth it to punch up my old Gibson EB3 and Fender Jazz. It would probably be sacrilege (not to mention unnecessary) to try to run an Alembic through it.
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I use it to improve the sound of a Carvin 6 string in passive mode and love it. A friend is using it with his Ken Smith & Roscoe basses
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Jazzy Vee,
Sorry to hear the experience wasn't a more enjoyable one. Sometimes sessions can be like that and it takes a lot of effort to make music amidst the chaos... Not much fun at all.
The cue mix (or foldback) is often a compromise, especially if everybody has to share the same mix. For instance, the drummer will not want as much drums in the headphones as the bass player will, especially if they're in different rooms. Some of the great rooms here in LA have small self-mixers so you can dial up what you specifically need to hear.
At least the engineer liked your sound!! Hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised when you hear the final product.
And I'm sure your next session will be more fun!
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy. I'm a new forum member, and this is my first post. Some of this may have already been discussed, and I will search & read your posts.
The Flim & the BB's recordings were the first time I heard you, and both your playing and that music made a huge impression on me. The recordings have held up well over time, and I still listen to them often. I regret never seeing the BB's perform, so the Larry Hutcherson's youtube videos of a BB's show at the World Theater are pretty cool. (Billy's vintage computers on stage crack me up.) Has the BB's ever re-united for shows or recordings?
I was fortunate to see you perform with Alan four times, and once with James Taylor. You appear on many CDs I have by other artists. The diversity and caliber of musicians you work with must be very gratifying. Do you find the lower stage volume of a JT gig liberating, compared to the intensity of Alan's gigs? Any thoughts on how to retain bass clarity in a loud mix?
Thanks for your contribution to music, and I look forward to hearing you often.
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Hey Dave,
Welcome to the forum and thanks for the comments.
Glad you enjoy the BB's stuff. That was a long time ago (as Barber's modern computer proves) and although some of it makes me cringe a bit there were some nice musical and sonic moments scattered throughout those projects. (Sorry if I'm repeating myself here but this IS too long a thread to reread. HA!) The BB's was always just a project band and only played a handful of live shows. After our two-record experience with Warner Brothers in 1990 we all went our separate ways and haven't done any further projects together. Everybody is still playing, just not with each other.
I have been lucky to have had the opportunity to play with so many great musicians and some of my musical heros. Sure has been fun so far!
The in-ear monitors available today have come a long way in sound quality since when they were first introduced. I enjoy using them in the JT situation as they allow me to set up a great headphone mix which barely changes from venue to venue. It helps me concentrate on the task at hand and not be distracted by an echoey arena or a dry outdoor gig. But standing next to Chad or Gary in Allan's band is also a real blast so I can't say I prefer one situation over the other. I do wear ear-plugs on Allan's gig.
Not sure what you're asking about the mix but we're usually counting on the house sound guy to get the big tone out there...
Thanks again,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
I was hoping to touch base with you regarding Allan's September East Coast tour.... If/when you get a chance, shoot me an e-mail (in my profile).
thanks,
-Mike
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So Jimmy, did you ever do any sides with Messrs. Becker and Fagen? If you did, did you meet Hoops McCann or the Babylon Sisters?
J o e y
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J o e y,
The closest I got to those cats was working on a record Walter produced for the Norwegian band fra lippo lippi in ... '87? I don't remember much about the experience but he seemed like a cool guy. I've worked with many of their sidemen but neither Hoops nor the Sisters. Ha!
-Mike, not sure yet if I'll be on that tour, it's still in the formative stages.
Jimmy J
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Hello Jimmy
Big fan, love the music created with Alan, Flim and the BB's and Wayne Johnson. Do you have transcriptions of songs you recorded with those various tandems? Last summer, my bass instructer and I attempted to transcribe Sky Pirates, but we had a cassette of the album, and I'nm not sure we are as accurate as we can be. It was a fun project.
Do you still have the 5 string Yamaha bass that served as your fill in when the Alembic was tragically taken away? I was really impressed with the sound you got with the fill in bass, considering you did not have much time to work with it (I saw the NYC show at The Bottom Line, now closed).
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Hey Steve,
Thanks for the comments. No, I don't have any transcriptions as such. Any charts that I used would have been in my own shorthand just to help me remember the tunes. Really just scribbles which often don't even indicate major or minor, just the bass notes.
That's amazing you were at THAT gig in 1987 to witness the grim look on my face and the worried looks of my bandmates. No, I have no recollection what I did with that temporary axe. I then owned another Alembic for a time - maybe a Spoiler? - until I could get a Series replacement. That was a sad moment and I often wonder what the heck could have happened to that old bass...... Check your attics!
Jimmy J
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>>>Mike, not sure yet if I'll be on that tour, it's still in the formative stages.
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-Mike,
That would put you in CT? I'll pass your contact info on to Allan's manager but although I'm not sure I will be there, the tour's routing is probably already organized. The Iridium in NYC is the linchpin of those tours and they usually pass through Piermont, NY, Norfolk, CT, and/or North Hampton, MA, on the way to and from Boston.
Anyway, if I'm on the tour I'll have to give you a holler..
Jimmy J
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Moderator moved post to appropriate category (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=18478)
(Message edited by keith_h on July 02, 2010)
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Yep, We're in CT right on the 95 corridor. The theater is on par with the Infinity in Norfolk, as far as the size and caliber of acts passing through the area http://www.katharinehepburntheater.org/ (http://www.katharinehepburntheater.org/). But, if you end up on the tour and you take that northern route, I'll make it a point to catch you either in Norfolk, or the Iron Horse....
-Mike
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-Mike,
Yeah, nice venue - maybe a bit too nice. Ha! I was just talking to somebody else about this ... it's rare for Allan to play in a proper theater setting for a couple reasons;
#1 He is generally more comfortable playing clubs. I think he is a bit less nervous if he thinks the crowd is drinking... I love when the band plays halls and think it's a great way to take in his music, but that's just me.
#2 Unless it is a guitar festival, or there is a guitar player on the board of directors, these venues are not likely to know who Holdsworth is. Musicians come out of the woodwork to hear him play but for the general public it's pretty esoteric and thus not an act that has a big draw, if you know what I mean. Still, some of these small theaters are game and it's really cool when it works out.
As I said, the dates for this upcoming fall tour are already fixed so it won't happen this time. But I will pass that link to the manager so he can see it as a future possibility. And I'll let you know if I'm making it when we figure it out.
Many thanks,
Jimmy J
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Thanks for giving it some consideration Jimmy,
I hear what you're saying on all points, that's why we have a liquor permit and allow drinks in the hall! We're also able to move the first 5-7 rows out and make way for cabaret style seating, or even a dance floor to make things less stuffy.
Believe it or not, our director is more than receptive about the possibility (Allan's Soft Machine association?!?)~ but you nailed it~ promotion would have to pursue a couple of different avenues to get the musician's musican crowd out of the woodwork....
thanks,
-Mike
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Jimmy:
Here in Nashville the argument seesaws back and forth among guys who record a lot: Really high action (to kill as much action/fingerboard noise as possible) or a normal to low action (and hope your technique is just not noisy) for your recording basses in the cartage case. What do you do?
And can you recommend some good 'bass' headphones?
Thank You,
J o e y
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J o e y,
That's interesting, I never thought of doing that on purpose... My basses are all just set up as I like them, which I would describe as med to low action. Nothing rattles unless I play hard and then that becomes part of the sound. I only adjust if the weather moves them one way or the other. The graphite fretless has no truss rod and thankfully doesn't move.
Are the cats in your town still bringing their own LA-2A compressors and such to dates? Pre-processed line level straight into the board?
I'm no help with the headphone question either. I tend to be happiest with a flat response as opposed to the more hyped variety. I don't bring my own to studios.
Thanks for asking!
Jimmy J
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It's all over the board, depending on your rank: New guys show up, plug into the little passive DI and keep their mouth shut. Senior players bring everything, my favorite being a friend that plays through a WW2 Bogen tube PA head, modified to bypass the power section ! I'm out of that stuff (never was really in, actually), so you'd probably know better than me, I'm sure.
Everything is so digitally processed now, it's a wonder you couldn't bring a fretless and pitch correct it. I hate the vocals, you hear those high harmonics and the three-part harmony that is utterly linear like a keyboard, no wavering vibrato at all. Oh well, I've become a curmudgeon. Shame on me that I remember when you had to be able to play and sing without computers.
Thanks, Jimmy.
J o e y
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Joey,
Pitch correction for a fretless? Where do I sign up?!! LOL...
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Jimmy, I can relate a story I do know of personally:
A late friend was a fabulous fiddle player, a 5-string fiddle no less (only man I ever saw who could play TRIPLE stops in tune (!) on a violin). Did some song demo sessions that went downtown to the label. Songs went in the round file, but the staff producer wanted to know 'what box is that guy using' to get that fabulous fiddle sound.
Well, Jim would only record with his orchestra grade fiddles: Serious violins, no pickup, different than his stage fiddles which were padded for feedback, pickups, etc. He'd record his parts in a small, hard wall room with his C414 AKG, and that was all. He thought great tone + great mic was all you need. Little reverb at the board, done. So the label sends a guy out to watch him cut, who followed his signal path across the room, thru the wall, and behind the console, only to climb out and say 'He's NOT using ANYTHING!'.
A few weeks later Jim's on a session and he keeps hearing these great-sounding string pads from the keyboard guy. The guy smiles and thanks him for the compliment, then thanks Jim, as it's HIM sampled from previous dates.
J o e y
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J o e y,
Yes, for those of us who have been on the scene for (a-hem) a while, the art of recording has reached a crazy state. It's all just tools though, the machines aren't very creative on their own. It turns out the Arp String Ensemble didn't end all string dates and the drum machine didn't make drummer obsolete after all...
When I work on a track for somebody at home I use it all - comp several takes, nudge my notes around, etc. Still my sound, my notes, my choice to line them up better with the kick, etc. Yes Toby, I've even requested the engineer tune a fretless note or two after the fact. It's all just tools.
There are so many stories like this one about your friend the fiddler. I was once overdubbing bass on several tracks for a young producer who, late in the day, asked me why would anybody want to record more than one musician at a time? Sigh.
Funny about the Bogen pre! It's probably the same circuit as our F-2B anyway. Ha!
Jimmy J
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Toby..
Pitch correction for a fretless? Where do I sign up?!!
They're called frets ;-)
graeme
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Graeme,
But if I use the fretted bass I'm left having to hum, Mwaaaaah into the microphone.... =)
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Mr Johnson,
When you shared photos of your graphite necked Alembics I noticed the you have experimented with the bridge/set-up of some of you Alembics.
What electronic modifications have you tried?
Vann-Di
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Hi Jimmy,
Thank you for very exciting gig tonight at STB139. It was much more powerful than I expected. Your play from 5th string open to 1st string 24fret with many techniques was impressive. You seemed to be making various tones only with your finger, not instrument control knobs. Wow!! Then it was funny that triangled strings at machine head.
Toshiaki
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Vann-Di,
No electronic mods really. My basses all have master volume controls and I set the output trimpot balance at probably 55% bridge pu, 45% neck pu. The only internal change is one resistor on the preamp boards which I've switched to produce a bit more output. I've built a few power supplies and modified my DS-5 with a mono/stereo switch and line-level/pad switches. I think that's it. As Toshiaki mentioned, I rarely turn the knobs. Ha!
Toshiaki-san,
Thanks for coming to STB and for the nice comments. I obviously really enjoy playing this music with these guys. The bent strings on the headstock are just because I don't carry a wire cutter, just trying to get them out of the way. I know, it looks a bit funny...
Jimmy J
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I'm JEALOUS !
Unfortunately I didn't join tonight.
Toshiaki reported to me at the time. Thanks Toshiaki !
Jimmy, I will join the next tour in Japan !
Eiji
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So Jimmy, I need the inside scoop. I have seen a couple of vids of you and JT, most notably the Mill Worker vid and the Only One vid and you and JT seem to have this thing going with an almost extreme oriental like bow. The first time it kinda just went past me and then I saw it again in a different video/different song and wondered if there is some story behind it. Any juicy insider tidbit bones you can throw us regular folks?
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Chuck,
Funny you spotted that. At the end of Only One the arrangement has 3 ascending final chords reminiscent of a Beatles ending (think Bill-y Shears). So that led to us doing the Beatles bow like they used to do... Probably just confusing to the audience but it made us giggle onstage.
The mutual bowing as JT introduced me at the beginning of Millworker was genuine. I've probably been to Japan too many times. Ha!
Jimmy J
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Is there a link where we can see your collection of basses?
Vann-Di
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Language is a funny thing sometimes. I was reading the bowing question from Chuck and could not for the life of me grasp what was being discussed as I was pretty sure that there was no incidence of either you (Jimmy) or JT employing arco technique on your electric instruments in any of the JT repertoire that I am familiar with...!?!?
Then bending forward at the waist hit me like a bolt from the blue.... HA HA (it was when I re read the been to Japan too many times)
Jake
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That's funny Jake, I actually had to double check my spelling to make sure I had bow spelled correctly since I thought that it might be construed as bowing ala Jimmy Page not bowing as in Take a Bow
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That's funny! In any other bass forum we'd be talking French or German style bowing, not Japanese.
Vann-Di, I posted some pics of my 2 fretless basses in this thread: http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/79924.html?1275547115 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=1942) but I haven't taken any shots of the fretted models. I'll try to do that someday.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy:
I wouldn't ask you to talk out of school, but I've always heard of session guys being called in to, ahem, finish projects for bands that have gone late, over budget, what have you, when the principals involved can not finish them for any number of unfortunate reasons. I'm generally thinking along the lines of 'The Decline of Western Civilisation, Part 2'.
I often think of certain hair band records, then seeing vastly dumbed-down versions of the same tunes in their live shows. Was this a common thing then, or now? I even heard of guys having to sign confidentiality agreements that they were never there !
J o e y
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Hey J o e y,
I never saw that movie but I have heard a couple funny ghost player stories. I was never personally in a situation that required non-disclosure docs, never replaced a band member as such. I did anonymously replace a rhythm section guy in a large ensemble once. And I might be on a Quiet Riot track or two (long story - really nice guys). It's probably less common now that you can photoshop anybody's performance into whatever you can imagine.
Jimmy J
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Quiet Riot??? Now you've surprised me...
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I remember a short interview with Jimmy with him stating that he had done some metal sessions with big amps and the such and the the bass sounded like a twinkie. This was his response for recording direct as opposed to amp and direct. This was close to twenty years ago that I read this so please forgive me if anything is wrong.
Lots and lots of beer in between now and then.
Get down!
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Your memory is working fine Adam. That rock production house where I worked for a minute had me bring my rig one day. At the time that was bass in stereo - neck pu through a pair of 15 cabs and bridge pu through a pair of 12 cabs. They took DIs, close miked the cabinets, added room mics, far away shotgun mics, something like 10 channels of bass all together. That can work pretty great on drums but when you're playing pitches (especially low, slow waveforms) you run into some funny cancellation and phase issues. It seemed like every time they un-muted another channel more fundamental went away. Thus the twinkie tone. Oh well.
Jimmy J
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Ah, so that's what you must do to get that twinkie tone.
Thank you for confirming my clouded memeory.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaw!!!
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In response to Mike (pace)'s note of 1st July...
Just arrived in my mailbox..
Dear Allan holdsworth fans,
We are happy to announce the USA East Coast/Midwest tour of the USA in sept/oct 2010. allan will be performing in Annapolis, various cities in ny, piermont, Norfolk, boston, Northampton, Cleveland, Detroit, Dayton, and Chicago. Hope to see you all there! Featured musicians include chad wackerman on drums and Ernest tibbs on bass. For all cities, venues, and dates please go to therealallanholdsworth.com and click on ?live?.
So no Jimmy for you American Holdsworth fans. In a way that's a shame as Allan's uk Glasgow gig with Jimmy and Gary was brilliant but, having seen him with Chad and Ernest the year before, you'll not be disappointed. Still a great band.
Graeme
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Graeme,
Thanks for that, sorry I forgot to keep you posted. As I've said before, it's always a good idea to go hear Allan if he comes to your area - very unusual music played by a one-off musician with a great band. Support this unique music if you are able.
I will also sadly miss Allan's Oct-Nov EU tour but I believe Sk?li Sverrisson and Chad will be the team so that will be a treat as well. (I'd like to hear that!)
Meanwhile, Gary Husband, Chad, and (eventually) Allan all have new recording projects in the works so there is more cool music coming!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
My favorite bass is a fretless and I wonder if you still play yours very much anymore? If so, what sort of material do you like to use it for?
Doc
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Hey Doc,
Yes, my fretless still gets good use. It's the other bass I bring to sessions and if the decision is mine it usually ends up on a track or two. Most often ballads or tunes with long sustained notes that can benefit from a little vibrato...
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy,
Hope all is well, and that you have lots of nice projects going on. Really looking forward to Gary Husband's new album. I was just listening to Chad Wackerman's Waltzing on Jupiter, on the Forty Reasons album. Great stuff!!
I've heard that you'll not be joining Allan at De Boerderij, Zoetermeer in November. Is that correct?? I was really looking forward to seeing you there...
Best,
Duncan
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Hey Duncan,
Thanks for the kind words. Chad's Forty Reasons was a nice project which turned out pretty cool. I'm glad you like it.
Yes, sorry to miss Zoetermeer this time. I think either Ernest Tibbs or Sk?li Sverrisson will be there so the bass parts will be well covered! I hope you can go and enjoy that unique music.
Seeya somewhere,
Jimmy J
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Thanks Jimmy.
When Allan comes to De Boerderij, I always clear my calendar for that evening. So yes, I will surely be there. That particular week is pretty music filled, as I'll also be going to Level 42 and Lee Ritenour (at De Boerderij) :-)
Probably mentioned before, but I was wondering what kind of bass strings you use. I've tried numerous brands over the years and keep coming back to Rotosound Swing Bass strings. Do you have a preferred brand/type?
Cheers,
Duncan
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Duncan,
That will be a nice week at De Boerderij!
I've been playing ghs boomers on the fretted basses for about a century - .045, .065, .085, .105, .130. I change them frequently because I like the sound of new strings. On the other hand, the fretless has an old set of SuperWound (by RotoSound) which I hope will never break... If the Swing Bass sets are working for you then stick with 'em!
Jimmy J
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Yeah, I remember those SuperWounds! Piano string design by James How, UK. Back when I was a kid I visited the factory of How Industries. Made quite an impression. I used those SuperWounds on my basses until they got discontinued.
Although the Rotosounds sound great, they loose their brightness and growl rather quickly. Also, the sets vary in quality so you might wind up with a duff string. And the Rotosounds are way too hard on the frets to my liking. So, my search for the perfect string hasn't ended. I might check how those Boomers sound and feel on my Series bass.
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There are guys here on the forum who know a lot more about currently available strings. Check some other threads for that. Boomers are nickel over steel so a bit less bright sounding (??) and maybe the frets chew them before they chew the frets... Consistency has been good for me. And I think ghs progressives are their version of a SuperWound almost bare-core piano style. Those might be cool too.
Good luck with your search.
Jimmy J
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[moderator's note]
I've started a new thread under Alembic Basses and Guitars ? Alembics and strings, where I've relocated a series of postings that evolved into a separate discussion (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=1242).
(Message edited by adriaan on October 15, 2010)
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Hey Jimmy -
Glad to find this forum, as I have been a fan since Big Notes. A CD shop in Stamford turned me on to it and I bought every Flim CD I could find! I worked at Krell for a time and I used a couple of Flim tunes as demos for our equipment - always made a great impression.
Just wanted to pass along heartfelt thanks! for the great music from then until now!
Doug
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Adriaan,
Thanks for the thread extraction and relocation service. Having played the same strings for 34 years, I just had nothing further to add...
Doug,
Thanks for the note and welcome to the forum. Glad you dug the BB's stuff. I believe we sold a lot of stereo equipment with those uncompressed and widely dynamic CDs. It's nice to know the audio passed through some high-end gear like Krell!
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy,
just wanted to say...
We missed you yesterday night at the Blue Note Milan...
How to say...yes, Ernest is amazing, great technique, all the harmony knoweledge needed to play Allan music, everything.
But...the energy that flows around you and Chad and Allan is something that cannot be clearly understood...and something that cannot be recreated in few steps...
We missed you, really.
But anyway, I'm happy about the news that Chad and Allan told me so kindly
A new recording with you and Jimmy Cox!!! You probably remember that the 1st Chad solo album brought me into all of your music?
My god, this is an amazing news!!!
And also, Allan told me he's going to record a new album of his own....you gonna be there?
This 2011 looks so promising, with all this news from you, Allan, Chad, and...let me say that I can't wait for the new Tribal Tech album too!
Gabriele.
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Gabriele,
Thanks for the comments, I'm glad you got out to hear Allan, Chad and Ernest. I know 40 Reasons was an important record for you and expect you will enjoy Chad's new project with the same cast of characters. And we all hope Allan can get his new project off the ground as well, what he comes up with is always surprising. One of the great things about music is that there is always something new coming. Creative folks are working to make our ears happy!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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yes, I'm sure they will both be surprising as always I just ordered the new Gary Husband recording featuring you on bass can't wait to hear it.
I remember you talking about this milan date some months ago, you should have been here. What happened?
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Jimmyyy!!! Wow!!!
Finally I got the new Gary Husband CD ))))
...and....wow.....
...and....Dreams in Blue.....I'm terrified!
Expecially because, as a joke with my friend, we like to talk about you as the Melodrome...meaning...well, I think you know what I mean!
Well....your solo in this Chaos Dream is still incredibly melodic!!!
You're incredible! ;)
Thanx for the music again ;)
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Thanks Gabriele.
It's an honor to be on a record with some of my musical heros!
Melodrome?! That's funny! Not sure if you mean mellow, melodic, or melodramatic. Ha!!
Jimmy J
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Hi again I was wondering if we can have a talk about your way of approaching music, harmony, melody and so forth
I'm always transcribing Allan's music, and I'd love to have a pale view of your approach on his music. May I write down examples here to analyze with you?
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Gabriele,
I don't think this is the place for a lengthy back and forth about my personal approach to music so let me summarize it for you:
Our individual voices on our instruments are the sum of all of our musical experiences. I studied clarinet for several years so the literature written for that instrument certainly effected my sense of melody and how I approach soloing. I have been exposed to a good mix of musical styles ever since I started playing bass so each has influenced how I approach playing in a rhythm section. I have no formal musical education and so no ability (nor desire) to analyze anything. I play by ear.
That's my whole story, I hope you enjoyed it.
Now a question for you - how is it that you heard Gary's record before it was released?
Cheers,
Jimmy J
(Message edited by mica on November 23, 2010)
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Hi, first the answer to your question.
The simple answer is that Gary's album was released in Europe at the beginning of November.
It will be released in January in USA.
More, Abstract Logix were so nice that for those who bought it before release (as I did from their site in the middle of october), they provided us a secret link to download mp3s before receiving the package. So I could pre-listen at the end of october.
More, I also bought Ranjit Barot release together with Gary's one, as a special bundle provided by Abstract Logix.
I understand you didn't like some of my actions on this blog, but no need to be so suspicious.
I love music, that's all.
Back to my question, I was more interested in the way you may approach sheets, this time. I was not talking about your improvisation, but the way you solve some kind of Allan's chords.
But I understand you don't like to talk about it.
Pity.
Cheers,
Gabriele.
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OK, thanks for explaining that. I was confused because the record was released in the US on Nov.16 and according to Gary's website wasn't due to be released Worldwide until the following months. Apparently it was available everywhere at the same time and with your secret link you were able to hear the completed record before I could. Ha!. Anyway, thank you for supporting it.
About Allan's chords - I can tell you that he thinks in scales and not in normal chord voicings. The charts he makes for himself do not have standard chord notation but instead contain symbols referring to which scale fits at what moment. Often he is not particular about the root or bass note as long as it fits with the tonality. This is why sometimes, in a solo section for instance, there will be an alternate bass note for the same harmonic moment.
My way of approaching this? I just play by ear. As he shows us a new song I will listen to the chord, find a note and ask how about this one? No? Maybe this one? etc... until he likes the set of choices and then that becomes the bass part. It's a very unusual situation but this extra participation in shaping the music is really a kick!
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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Whatever the approach, it works REALLY well ;-)
Graeme
p.s. all the best bassists played clarinet first ;-)
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Hey Jimmy.
I've just had a mail from the JT site saying he's touring with Ben next year. Any chance you could bend his ear and comvince him that the UK would be a cool trip? Somewhere north of Manchester would be great. Newcastle, Glasgow or Edinburgh for example. I can guarantee he'll fill at least 2 seats ;-)
Graeme
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Jimmy,
Just received my copy of Gary Husband's CD in the mail. It's fantastic! Also great to hear how your playing style compliments the flow of the songs. It's something I regret to have missed during Allan Holdsworth's performance in Zoetermeer this month. Ernest is a fantastic bass player, who plays all the right notes, but the flow and overall sound of the music was so different from what I'm used to hearing/feeling. It was obvious to me and many others in the audience that your musical approach, playing style and bass tone(!!) largely contributes to the total sound and feel of Allan Holdsworth's music. It might be a matter of taste, but it seemed to be the general consensus in the audience. With just three people in the band, everything has to seemlessly connect and fall into place. To my taste, somehow Allen, Ernest and Chad missed this connection at some points. In that respect, Allan's 2009 performance in Zoetermeer, with Gary and you, was by far the best I've ever seen and heard. To me, that trio is magic.
Glad to have been there this year though. Allan just blows my mind every time and I wouldn't miss his live performances for the world.
Duncan
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Hi Jimmy nice to hear your thoughts on this and I like your lack of desire for analysis, it makes for music coming from a musician which is such an obvious statement that it's potency can easily be missed. I have always struggled to do anything that doesn't just come from what I hear, so learning theory means nothing unless it's made part of what you can hear and execute.
I hope James and Ben decide to make it over here to the UK next year...!
All the best
Jake
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Thanks Graeme. Yes, it seems many bassists have transferred in from the b-flat treble clef side... As far as I know the Ben & JT tour is States only. There have been murmurs of something in the UK/EU in summer but no details or even what band might be involved. I'll try to warn you if I'm coming your way.
Duncan, thank you for the kind comments. I'm glad you like Gary's record. That was quite a major undertaking and I think he did a great job of making it happen. It is as you say; changing one guy in a trio can have a big effect on the overall sound. Add to that the fact that Allan never tells anybody what to play (might be the Miles technique, via Tony Williams) and one guy can send the music in a totally different direction. Even with the different player combinations it's always a good idea to hear Allan whenever possible. Thank's for supporting the team!
Jake, my sum of your parts idea should include any extended musical education experiences. I sometimes wish I had a bit more legit training. But ultimately after you learn scales, voicings, patterns, riffs, theory, transcribe and work out famous solos, then you must FORGET all that and play music. When a piece of music sends a chill up your spine, it's not because your brain is enjoying the analysis. HA!
Thanks all,
Jimmy J
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I sometimes wish I had a bit more legit training. But ultimately after you learn scales, voicings, patterns, riffs, theory, transcribe and work out famous solos, then you must FORGET all that and play music. When a piece of music sends a chill up your spine, it's not because your brain is enjoying the analysis. HA!
For me this is perhaps the single most pertinent observation/evaluation on musicianship I have seen - young aspiring musicians take heed.
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True. And untrue.
Sure it's not about your brain enjoying the analysis.
But sure, when you reach the level to FORGET and play, your brain is doing the analysis in the background.
It's not about the technical background on the instrument (that, anyway, helps).
It's about understanding the music around you.
And I can't believe you don't have your own idea of scales and chords when Duncan Terrace starts and you have D/C# and then Dmaj7.
It's there in your bass playing, in your melodic choices and in your root bass notes.
And you know what you're playing, and your choices.
That's why you can FORGET and play.
Sure, it's true. Just staying around scales, voicings, patterns, riffs and theory won't take you to the next level. That is Your level.
But I can't believe you never did this.
It's there. In your playing.
Gabriele.
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Oh...sorry, I read your answer to my allan's chords question only now.
And it's a very nice answer
Yes. Allan's way of thinking is his own way.
As it is another way for me, as a piano player, to think about his chords and scales, visually and tehcnically different.
This is, to me, an interesting aspect to analyze (and analysis, to me, is always good): how different is the way you all three (you, Allan and Chad) are thinking and listening to the same music you create.
Nice what you say about the bass notes.
One thing that I learned to love is the 7th note of a major chord down to the bass note, something that I would have avoided totally 10th years ago.
Now...after reading you, I'm not sure if you taught me this or Allan ;)
How could I ever get used to it and start using it if I did not happen to listen and start recognizing it?
Gabriele.
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Hey Jimmy!
Enjoying reading the posts here from everyone. It's Royce, remember me? haha!
I'm pleased to say that I am still the proud and humble owner of your 5-String Spoiler bass that you played on that tour with Allan. =)
Look forward to catching up. It's been much too long. I'm living in Simi Valley now, so perhaps I can catch you at the Baked Potato sometime.
All the best!
-Royce
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Here's the bass. After looking around at other basses on the site I believe this is a Persuader 5-string?
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/90623.jpg)
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Hey Royce!
Nice to hear from you and to learn that you still have that bass. For others, here's the story:
It was a dark and stormy night ... not really but it should have been. On tour with Holdsworth in November of 1987 we played Poughkeepsie, NY. Packed the gear after the show and went to bed. In the morning it was discovered that the front of the truck had been broken into but luckily they hadn't gotten the rear doors open. We drove to NYC for the next gig at the Bottom Line and it wasn't until the crew guys unloaded that they realized we had lost two pieces of gear - through the cab of the truck (there was a small pass-through door from the cab to the box) - a speaker cabinet of Allan's and MY BASS. AC76-418 http://www3.alembic.com/img/623.jpg (http://www3.alembic.com/img/623.jpg) my original 5-string.
My memory gets a bit fuzzy here but I ran over to 48th street (music row as it was at that time) to find something to play on the gig and ended up renting a Ya*%ha 5-string for that night. The next day (I think) I went back and purchased the above bass to play the rest of the tour.
Once I got back to a series model my pal Royce here was kind enough to buy this temporary off of me. I remember it as a pretty nice axe too.
Thanks for the pic, I'm sure I'll see you around town.
Jimmy J
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Thanks Jimmy!
It was interesting to read about your custom bass bridges. I still have your improvised bridge extension you made on this Persuader - two 1/4 jacks that were modified to hold the B and G strings out, with a piece of cardboard underneath to protect the finish. Ha! It is amazing how the slightly longer throw improved the tonal clarity and made that low B really sing!
I'll also never forget you handing me this bass after that concert in San Diego and encouraging me to try it out. I attempted to play your solo from Panic Station and you were so gracious and kind. I nearly hit the floor a few weeks after that when I got a call and the voice said It's Jimmy Johnson, remember me? =)
Thanks for all the inspiring musical moments and great memories, my friend. Nice to reconnect and look forward to seeing you sometime soon!
-Royce
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I have recently bought the new Gary Husband CD Dirty & Beautiful vol 1 and I am compelled to congratulate Jimmy on his playing (yet again) on this excellent release.
The bass solo on dreams in blue is simply astounding & sublime....Jimmy, you did it again!
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Thanks a lot John,
The music is not everybody's cup of tea but as I said above it's an honor for me to be on a record with so many great musicians. Gary did a great job putting the project together, we'll see what happens with Volume 2...
New Year's cheer to all, it's better when it goes to eleven!
Jimmy J
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I agree Jimmy, this music is'nt everybodys cup of tea....but for the small hardcore of folks that love it this kind of project is a real treat! I just love the feeling & tone that you impart into the music.
All the very best for 2011 - it would be great to see you over on these distant shores again soon.
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A happy new year to you too Jimmy!
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Jimmy,
Lee Sklar had some kind words to say about you in the Feb, 2011 issue of Bass Player. It's in a thread in the Misc section. Here's a link.
http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/93448.html?1294497388 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=17791)
Rich
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Thanks Rich,
That's nice of Leland, he's a good cat. Even though I've been playing with JT since 1990 it still feels like I'm just subbing for Lee. He literally wrote the book on much of this music.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy I think your humility is very beautifully human on this, and I agree that Leland had a profound impact on James' sound in his time in the band. The bands that emerged since your joining have taken James into another very beautiful place in my opinion, and for me the recordings of you guys from that period until now make for some of the best live performances in history, which are easy words to say, but for once I think it's true.
Jake
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Jake,
Thanks for the supportive words. Just like a great set of chord changes makes it easier to play a nice sounding solo, JT's music and the players he chooses for the band provide a great setting to bring out one's best. I am proud to be a part of those records and live shows.
I also consider Leland to be one of the great unsung pop bass guys around. I learned a lot listening to and playing along with his tracks.
Jimmy J
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Hey jimmy.
I've just had notification that JT is coming to the UK in July and has a gig in Glasgow at last! Needless to say I'll be first in the presale queue on monday :-)
The ad only mentions his 'Legendary band'. Will you be coming over? Let's hope so.
Graeme
p.s. Jake - there's an O2 gig july 14th.
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Thanks Graeme,
I'm on the JT mailing list too so was in the queue behind you :0))
I have gigs all that weekend so it's looking like I'll make the trip to bournemouth, which is only an hour and a half anyway...
looking forward to another great night.
Jake
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Hey friends,
As usual, you guys know more about this than I do (perhaps it's time I subscribe to that newsletter).... As far as I know I WILL be on that tour although I'm not sure who else will be in the band. It's usually fun though and I'm looking forward to it.
It would be nice to connect with you and yours over there again, time and schedules permitting. Let's see what happens.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Just found out my gigs are daytime and are 40 mins from the O2, so London for me :0)
Jake
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Hi Guys! It looks like I have to consider a trip to Glasgow in July! Jimmy rules brothers!
All The Best,
J-O-S
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You'd be welcome to stay with us if you do decide to come for the gig jan-olof.
Graeme
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hey Jimmy. it would be really great to get together again. However, if that's not possible you could always give us a wave - I got in early for tickets so should be somewhere near the front :-)
Graeme
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Just had the email from JT giving me my seat allocation for Glasgow. Third row Centre stage. Woo Hoo. Can't wait. Give me a wave :-)
Graeme
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Lucky man, Graeme. Enjoy!
Mike
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This is a bit off topic Jimmy but a friend (big Holdsworth fan) recently asked me why Jeff Berlin never played with Allan Holdsworth after the Road Games recording - I replied that I didnt know, but I knew a man that might!!!
Did it come down to musical differences or simply because he found an outstanding replacement? :-)
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John,
Thanks for the compliment but I really don't have an answer to that question. Jeff and Allan are still both playing great so ... it could still happen... I've enjoyed coming and going with Allan for many years but he is free to call anybody he might want to record or play with. Sometimes the people he calls simply have other commitments but we all appreciate his unique music and want to join in when we are able. There may be some surprise guests on the record he is currently working on....
Jimmy J
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Thanks for the reply Jimmy, you are a gentleman. I also liked the tease about the surprise guests! Cant wait to hear the new recordings :-)
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Jimmy:
Hope this finds you well and the book full !
Have a question: Though you've played five-string for so long now, when you do dates where you are 'replaying' tunes that were originally cut on 4-string, do you play the things that were obviously first-posititon on the recording that way, or do you come up the neck and play, say, things in E from the E on your B-string?
I'm constantly torn between one or the other, and have not figured out a good plan to stick with one or the other . . . how do you approach that situation? I transitioned from 4 to 5 in the early 80's, and still remember a lot of simple tunes I played from open E or A, and I tend to go right back there, though somehow I guiltily feel I should be playing from the B-string.
All the Best,
J o e y
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Hey J o e y,
Nice question. I'm sure your low B string won't feel neglected if you don't use it. HA! If you feel like playing a tune in E all based on the 5th fret then why not? As long as you like the sound of it there then stick with it (plus, it's an easier reach).
Two things pop to mind on this subject; one is that you can often tell when a the bass player has just gotten his first 5-string because every opportunity to play below E puts him right down there. It's hard to resist the option at first but it's not always the right choice, in my opinion. Sometimes it's a little distracting.
The second thing is, I used to run into engineers and sometimes Artists that were so used to hearing low-E as the limit that they were spooked by anything lower and didn't want me to play those notes. Now days we're used to it more and some of the metal bands are tuned way down there all the time.
I think in the end I use it sparingly. Really the low-B only in passing or maybe for the last note of a tune but rarely as part of any pattern unless it's some heavy prog music doubling synths (don't ask).
Furthermore, the B string is such a thick gauge that I don't think it sounds very nice as you get higher up the neck. The overtones are pretty whacked just due to the physics. So in the studio if the song is in E-flat I'll often tune the whole bass down so I can play the longer string for a truer sounding open E-flat...
The opposite of that is, if you want to play an open-D but want it to sound real thick then playing it way up on 10th fret on the E-string might be just the ticket. And I do use the B-string up high if I need to play some fast line that I can't otherwise reach. The fundamental is there but I don't linger...
Excuse my long-winded reply!
Jimmy J
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You're excused.
I ran into that 'what was THAT' with some guys regarding the 'extra' low notes. Interestingly, they didn't seem to hear D or D# as 'too low', but C's really seemed to get them. I too only use the very lowest for pedal point whole notes or the end of a song.
I do see the 'OhBoy, new five-string, dig this' low notes everywhere syndrome. I'd be less than candid if I did not admit to a slight case of it myself at first. I was very flattered when a guitar player I really respect told me I DIDN'T sound like I was playing a five-string: He'd obviously spent some time with the afflicted . . .
But I've always felt adding a 'whole 'nother string' just to pick up from E-flat to low B is wwwaaaaayyyy too much work. I always approach it from the idea of playing across the fingerboard rather than up and down the neck. My keyboard background drummed into my head all the notes should appear in a linear order, and with two octaves across five frets, well the little light bulb came on.
Thanks, Jimmy.
J o e y
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Oh, coincidence, I am currently rehearsing with a band where I am doing some heavy prog music doubling synths. We' re in the middle of negotiations to be the opening local act for one of the big ones (not so much according to a few) in about a month.
Seems like a nice moment to try the 5th on my Epic. But now you' ve got me curious, Jimmy. ;) Difficult not to ask. Not that I will, but anyway, hahaha!
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Jimmy,
Interesting timing for this conversation about use of the low B. The May 2011 issue of Bass Player mag has a reprint of an interview you did with them in 1992. I will have to paraphrase it since it is a copyrighted piece.
Jimmy Johnson - unsung heroes of bass evolution.
JJ- pioneer of the low B.
The 5 string Alembic was unique in the mid 70s.
When someone just gets a 5, you hear only low notes. You don't have to stay on the low B all the time. Play the 4 strings and go to the B when you need to.
JJ was probably the first to play a bass with the low B. He wanted to have an extended E string, but couldn't find a manufacturer who would make the extra long string. Instead, he got an Alembic 5 string (made for a high C) and adapted it for a low B, put a .120 string on it and in 1976 he had an BEADG 5 string.
Jimmy, I'm sorry that my paraphrasing sounds so lame. I hate rewriting what you said in the interview. I respect their copyrighted material but wanted to share that BP is talking about you again. It seems that in the last few years they have finally started giving you a little bit of the recognition that is so long overdue. I say it's 'bout dang time.
Rich
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Hey Rich,
Thanks for all that. Just goes to show you that I keep saying the same thing over and over again. Makes for pretty boring interviews!
I'm sure I wasn't the first to go low, I just got there early. Anthony Jackson was probably the first known guy... But the funny thing is, since I got my first 5-string Series I in '76 I have not changed my gear... Most guys stay in the loop and keep checking out new instruments, builders, amps, etc. but I've pretty much just stayed right here. Must be part of my personality - I still eat peanut butter sandwiches too and have been married to the same gal for comin' on 30 years... HA!!
Juan Carlos, I've been working on Derek Sherinian's new project. He says these tunes are easy but for me that translates into many hours of bass track building (protooling) to make it good. Oy! Fun though, happy to be invited to the party! And good luck with your project!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on April 20, 2011)
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ProTooling is fun. Not the same kind of old-school fun we grew used to, but certainly a nice useful tool. This group -keys, bass and drums power trio- I've somewhat recently joined in, has some story in my country (Venezuela), it exists since 1976... and still does things the ' 76 way!. I recorded last year the bass tracks for their 3rd album, on a 24 track, 1 inch reel-to-reel system. The guy recorded all keyboards parts first, then a small string orchestra, THEN my bass, and last the drums and the vocals -not ready yet these last two-, WITHOUT any sequencer or click track or anything! Oh, and no score either. It was pure sweat, I had to make my own charts from the rough keys+strings mixes I was given (Hey, at least the guy can burn a CD from the multitrack tapes!), and follow what was recorded, pauses and all, until it somehow locked in place. Organic he calls it, I' preferred at the time not tell him loudly what I'd call it.
The 5-string Epic got a lot of the starring role on the recording, along with my Barts-equipped Fernandes J. Now we' re supposed to close the deal -not my cup o' tea, thank you- to open for Asia next month, and the Epic will have its first huge live audience since I have it. I'm thinking on goin' straight from the Wireless system to DI, and monitor via in-ears, to keep things clean and easy. I am somewhat aware this is what you do live -not too sure about th ein-ears, though, but since I will also be singing, I chose this option to be sure of what I'm doing with my voice. What do you think?
A Huge greeting from Venezuela!
(Message edited by jcdlc72 on April 21, 2011)
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Juan Carlos,
That's a pretty inside-out way to make a prog record, keyboards first and drums last with no clicks... Challenging! I hope that tour comes together for you, that could be good.
Yes, I'm DI but wired not wireless. And I use in-ear monitors, also wired with a small headphone amp driving them. There are some real advantages to using in-ears, especially (I imagine) for singing. Nice to keep the sound level to your ears under control, have a consistent sound regardless of the venue, and be able to be hear the hi-hat up close no matter where you walk on the stage. If you are used to working with headphones in the studio then it's not much of a leap. But if you are used to having an amp blow your pants legs around then it can be tough. A shaker on your riser can also trick your mind into thinking the bass is real loud. (I don't use one myself but know some drummers who have their thrones wired so they can feel the kick and bass). The FOH mixer will love you for going in-ears. The less bass you have rumbling around on stage the clearer it will be in the PA - the BIG amp.
Good luck with it all.
Jimmy J
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Yo Jimmy,
Chalie Holmes here..What brand are you using for in ear monitor and what kind of headphone amp are you using to power the in-ear monitors?
Lastly, if you have any thoughts /ideas.....The soundman says that my signal is too hot when I go direct (F1-X to the mixer). I have turned down the F1-X and my axe but still, the PA systems gags when I play through it.
Thanks Man! !-_-!
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Hey Chalie,
I'm using the Ultimate Ears model 5 which is a two-way (two miniature drivers per ear - woofer / tweeter I guess). I tried their generic fit two-way and three-way models and preferred the 2-way so I had custom molds made of those. I guess now they have up to 6 drivers per earpiece. Wild.
I'm driving them with a hi-fi headphone amp by a company called Headroom. I've got their older Cosmic model. It has a little processing in it, kind of softens the stereo image, but I find the sound rather nice.
Since my bass is plugged into it's power supply via the 5-pin cable I just made a double cable with nylon sleeving that ends near the bass with an 1/8 headphone jack. It's a little clunky but functional.
Lately I have been running my bass wide-open through a REDDI DI box so the resulting output is very close to +4 line level. If you have a regular sound guy ask him to try a line-input instead of a mic-input for your F-1X signal. But if you're club hopping and seeing a different sound guy and PA every day they will expect a mic-level from the DI. You could also get (or build) an inline pad or maybe even mod the F-1X (only with instructions from Alembic) to trim its output...
Good luck!
Jimmy J
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Chalie:
The Headroom products are built by Headroom, available thru their website at www.headphone.com (http://www.headphone.com). I bring this up as most of us have need of headphones / in-ears, and this is a terrific website for just that sort of thing. They do their own tests and offer everything from cheap earbuds to thousand-dollar plus audiophile headphones and everything that goes with them (gee, I never knew there were headphone amps !). A great place to LEARN about these things.
J o e y
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Solid Jimmy J & Joey!
I'm on it! Jimmy, I do use the same sound man on all gigs and will present your suggestion. In addition, if you have the time could you provide a photo of your 5-pin I'd be mighty appreciative!
I'm not really that electronically savvy and I wouldn't attempt to build an inline pad but, I do know Kenny Wittman creator of(Spins) Spin Strap and I know that he can build one as well as hook up the altered 5-pin cable like yours! Hey Joey....I will indeed check out the website that you gave me!
Thank you so much to the both of you!
Chalie
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Hey Chalie,
Here's a shot of the bass end of my cable. (This photo has a slight fish-eye effect because it was taken so close, the headphone jack looks larger than life.) As I said it's not exactly the cleanest physical design but it is functional. I use the upper strap button as an anchor for it all. The other thing is, this nylon sleeving can be slippery on certain floors so you need to be careful. And eventually the individual nylon strands get snagged and break so I end up building a new one every couple years.
Seeya,
Jimmy J
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/102984.jpg)
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So, Jimmy... let me see if I understand from this pic Are you running both the 5-pin cable from your Series bass AND the in-ear return through a single hose ? At first is what it seems to me from what I think is a thinner cable coming out from the female jack, looks to me like it goes to your back like an earphone...
Which would be simply awesome, there would be only a single cable (Although a composite one) dangling from the bass, and not a couple cables to struggle with (don't you hate it when, by any reason, the earphones cable seems to be pulling?) ;)
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Juan Carlos,
Yes, you've got it. The closest thing to the camera is the 1/8 stereo jack with my in-ears plugged into it and trailing off behind me (again it looks disproportionally large in this pic). And hose is a good thing to call this thing because it's not very flexible and not really convenient for moving around the stage. But I think going hard-wired like this is the most hi-fi approach in both directions. The next more convenient step would be a wireless pack for the ears. Then if you really needed to move around the stage a wireless transmitter for the bass. But since I'm not required to do any coordinated dance steps (thank God) the above combo works best for me.
I suppose this could be done with one cable, an 8-pin right-angle XLR at the bass and an 1/8 jack mounted near the 1/4 jack... Oooo! But that would be complicated, you'd still end up trailing a snake behind you, and then I'd have to modify all the basses... Never mind. Also, both my wires have their own shielding so I have no crosstalk issues.
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on April 27, 2011)
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I'd never noticed that you use the bottom strap button. Interesting.
John
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Jimmy, do you have any experience with any of the small mixers? I'm wanting to get something along the lines of a Mackie 802, know you do some recording at home and are around lots of good engineers . . . any of these 'notebook' mixers you like? I'm drawn by the Mackie for the VLZ line preamps (which do apply to the 1/4 inputs) and the really strong headphone amp/output on them. Whaddya think?
J o e y
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Hey J o e y,
My recording channel doesn't include a board so I'm not much help here. Certainly the Mackie would be good for a practice setup but may not be quite hi-fi enough to be the front end of a giant amp system.
I once had a rig with a couple effects returns, all line level, so I just made a little passive summing thing that did the trick without adding any noise or distortion. Kind of like the mono output of the bass is simply two resistors which sum A+B.
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on April 30, 2011)
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Joey,
Obviously I'm from a different league than the man you've asked and don't own a SII bass, so for what it's worth: I've been using a Spirit Folio Notepad for practice at home and for rehearsals for some 10 years now. Bought it unheard based on a review in a recording mag that A/B-ed it with a big Soundcraft board and wrote they were unable to hear much difference..... [maybe that's why the mag went out of print ;-)]
The Notepad sounds great with all my 3 basses (custom Jazz with Activators, fretless F-bass BNF 5 str and Alembic JJ Signature 5 with Anniversary electronics) both on AKG headphones as well as on high volumes (1000W 3-way system). Just straight into the 1/4 jack (no DI), really sweet EQ (bass 100Hz & treble 10kHz) and no noise added unless you really crank the 10Khz EQ or need to go past 7 on the preamp input gain (with an Alembic, by then you'll be overdriving the input stage).
The Folio Notepad is discontinued but Soundcraft have several successors using the same preamp. I think they even come with a sweepable mid EQ and and Lexicon effects now.
Take care, RR
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Thanks Jimmy and Reinier:
I'm afraid I'm out of the business of driving amp rigs (giant or not) other than trying to build a nice bedroom rig. Jimmy, I forgot my own oft-quoted maxim that there's always a gulf between typical gig gear and true hifi, studio gear. You don't get that for baby mixer, $200 price range stuff. Thanks for reminding me.
I'm just at a point where I can NOT find anything (yet) that sounds transparent to me, I'm afraid I have much investigating to go.
And thanks for the Soundcraft tip, RR.
J o e y
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I came across this video of Jimmy with Allan & Gary. Very tasty stuff! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLPsSo8G8P8&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLPsSo8G8P8&feature=related)
Jimmy, I know you don't like watching yourself, but your fans will love this! You are an amazing player with an equally amazing sound! Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge & experience with us & for inspiring us to try to attain higher levels in our craft!
Rusty
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Rusty,
Thanks for the kind words. Yes, hard for me to listen to live stuff, harder still to watch it - oh sheesh! I've been trying to solo on that tune for about 26 years and it still twists me around... Great fun trying though! And the other two characters in that trio are such unique and unusual musical voices... I've been very lucky over the years to be able to play with so many talented folks!
Thanks again,
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy,
It didn't look like it twisted you around too bad! Your playing is so smooth & effortless, the notes flow from your fingers with the ease of the breaths that you take! Yes, you have been lucky to play with some amazing musicians over the years, but they have been equally as lucky to have played with you! Since you don't like to listen to your own playing, the real lucky ones are those of us who love listening to your playing!! It's an honor to share this board with you! Thanks for the reply!
Rusty
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Only a month to go. Can hardly contain myself. :-)
Graeme
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Hey Graeme,
So you're looking forward to some slow and low bass notes, huh? Haha! Chad Wackerman is playing kit with us this season so you get to hear the two of us in an entirely different setting than our last visit... Landau on guitar, Goldings keys, McCuller, Markowitz and Zonn on BG vocals. Plenty of great songs to choose from so it should be a nice show.
I'm looking forward to it too!
Seeya soonish,
Jimmy J
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Hi, in case anyone is interested, I transcribed Jimmy's bass solo on Dodgy Boat.
About the whole piece, it would be interesting to know how the original timing was conceived, because the chord timings at the very beginning may be interpreted in many different ways.
Would you shed some light Jimmy?
Gabriele.
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Hey Gabriele,
Sure, I'd be curious to see your take-down, can you post a link here? I have the advantage of knowing what I was TRYING to play so it can be interesting to see what other people actually hear.
As far as the rhythmic twist in the head, yes, slightly open to interpretation... You'd need to confirm this with Steve Hunt (the composer) but here is what I think is happening:
If you count in quick 1/4 notes there are two bars of drums before bar 1. Then bar 5 is a 6/4 bar broken into triplets (18x3) which are grouped 2-4-4-4-4. The first 2 of those are silent and the chords fall on the following groups of 4s. Make sense? Husband's drum fill leading into that bar makes it even crazier.
Nice tune!
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on June 11, 2011)
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Here you go with the two pages:
http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/flim/Dodgy%20Boat%20-%20Bass%20Solo_0001.jpg (http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/flim/Dodgy%20Boat%20-%20Bass%20Solo_0001.jpg)
http://www.sonicle.com/gbulfon/flim/Dodgy%20Boat%20-%20Bass%20Solo_0002.jpg
You can find my view of the tricky part at the end of your solo, on page 2, where infact I couldn't find a good notation for your wonderful passage, that sounds more triplets, but I found no other way to put it into paper
We were reharsing Dodgy Boat last night with the band, and we've been listening to the tricky passage many times, to find a common way to think of it (everyone was finding it's own desperate view!). At last, what you see on the score is what I find it easier!
Amazing solo, JJ, amazing and melodrome ;)
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I was trying to figure out your 18x3, that I find a little bit obscure...but I remember to be convinced almost with the same idea: 6/4.
My original idea was (I write bass notes):
x x G x - x Ab x x - F x x Gb - x x E x | x x x x - x x x x
That is 4/4 + 2/4 drum fill.
But then, the drummer reharsing with me, pointed out that there was something more tricky, and asked to listen better.
We listened....and infact, the feel was that something was missing...
The ending E sounds like a beat 1, expecially because of the drum fill of 2 quarters, starting exactly on E!
That's why I ended up with taking out 2 1/16, making E the new bar start, becoming a 7/8 bar.
x x G x - x Ab x x - F x x Gb - x x | E x x x - x x x x
Anyhow, the drummer vision was totally different, not counting in beats but in tuplets....still have no idea how he feels it
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Hey Jimmy, great to hear that Chad is on this tour, I've always liked his groove so look forward to hearing his treatment of the JT songbook, Gadd's shoes are tough to fill (as are Carlos Vega's) but I'm sure Chad will cope admirably.
Really looking forward to the gig
Jake
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Thanks for the kind words Gabriele. That's a wild take-down, I'll try to look closer at it later. Meanwhile, the bar in question may vary slightly over the course of the piece because (we're not machines and) I don't think we played this to click. Here is how I would notate where the bass notes fall. And YES, the E is meant to be the downbeat of the next bar:
(Message edited by jimmyj on June 11, 2011)
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ug, bad poster... try again
(Message edited by jimmyj on June 11, 2011)
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(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/106857.jpg)
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Oh sheesh, one more time then with the notes...
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/106863.jpg)
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Wow this explains why your solo passage on it sounds more tuplets than what I wrote!
I tried to solve it in 1/16 division, while you solve it in tuplets
Probably this is what is in the head of my drummer.
But still, if you start counting on the piece from the beginning in 1/8 beats, you can continue to count in 1/8 on this measure, and find a missing 1/8 that makes the 6/4 bar a 7/8
I'll check it again though, love this analisys
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So this is pretty funny; I looked at my old chart for this tune and it's clear that at the time I didn't understand what was going on either. HA! I have the feeling that only Gary knew what was happening and Allan, Steve and I were just going by feel... Again, it would be interesting to hear what Hunt says about it as it may have actually come down to Husband's interpretation.
Listening to it NOW however I can say with some certainty that this triplet approach is what we were trying to do (or what Gary was trying to help us do) even though our execution may not have been perfect. This means your band has a chance to play the song more accurately than the original! Haha!
One more scribble here, this includes Gary's drum fill leading into the first 6/4 bar (upper note is tom, lower is kick). To help you hear it the way I do consider that we may speed up a bit on the way into that bar and then relax on the way out... Try tapping steady 1/4 notes as we breath our way through and it actually works. If I had the multi-track session in ProTools I could adjust it all to the grid (removing all emotion as I did so). HAHAHA!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/106890.jpg)
Cheers!
Jimmy J
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;) great transcription of the drum fill ))
It's amazing how your 6/4 view fits into my 7/8 view.
If you tap quarters from the beginning, you end up with a 7/8 bar to have E on the 1st beat.
It's as if you change the metronome on that bar to think 6/4!
And infact, your solo mirrors your view, because you work the ending with tuplets that I cannot even write down into 7/8... hahaha!
Anyway, I'm also astonished that you mention Gary Husband here, because I've always thought it was Vinnie Colaiuta! It really sounds more the way of Vinnie
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Oh yeah, that's Gary. Mostly Chad on this record, a couple Gary tracks, and Vinnie only plays on Against The Clock which for all you Holdsworth trivia fans (all two of you?) features Chad's wife on vocals. Furthermore, City Nights the opening cut on Secretsis a Husband composition with Vinnie playing drums. This corner of the music World is very small indeed!
Jimmy J
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Hi jimmy,
thanx for all, I'm the bassist who plays Dodgy boat and other AH's trivia with Gabriele
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Mister Johnson,
Is there a remote possibility you would consider a BB's Reunion? The question is posed a lot I suppose, but, I'm thinkin' the world coud use a dose of the good feelings of Flim and the BB's, and I know of two venues in KC that would work perfectly. I am dead serious about this question. Please reply apetersen1@kc.rr.com (mailto:apetersen1@kc.rr.com)
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Hey Franco (Frankie?), very cool that you guys are covering that song. Hopefully Gabrielle doesn't expect you to play the bass solo as he wrote it out (!!) Please make up your own!
Andrew, thanks for asking. Actually no, it's rare that people bring it up now as it's been almost ... 20 years since the BB's last worked together. But it's always nice to hear from people who enjoyed the band. As to your question, I won't say never but a reunion is highly unlikely. Coincidentally I'm seeing Bill Berg on Monday. I'll tell him you said hi. ;-)
Jimmy J
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Yes I'll make up one mine, but I'll try to keep features you done (anyway I must trascribe it from 6 to 5 strings)
Franco
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Franco,
Yes definitely do your own thing. Just make up some melodies that fit over those chords - that's the entire challenge in a nutshell!
I may have misunderstood your comment but I play 5-string not 6. However, on that solo I cheated with some fingered harmonics for a few extra high notes. Pay no attention whatsoever!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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WOW, listening to high notes I understood You used a 6 strings bass, ok I'll do my way.
Thanx again
Franco
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Hi Jimmy,
I would ask you informations about teaching, may we talk in private? I suppose you can see my email address.
Thanx Franco
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Hey Franco,
Thanks for the question and excuse me for answering in public...
When I was very young I studied piano for a short time and then clarinet for a bit longer, but I never took any bass lessons. On this instrument I was self-taught so I have no method to pass on to anybody or even any suggestions that could be thought of as teaching. My technique and understanding of music just kind of came out this way and I don't really know how to explain what I do because often I don't know myself...
In other words; I don't know what I'm doing. HA!
My general recommendation to others is that you listen to (and try to play) as many different styles of music as you can. Even consider experimenting with other instruments. Because all your musical experiences will effect your bass playing and make your voice on the instrument unique. The music we make is the sum of what we've heard and enjoyed and how we apply it when we get the chance to play.
I'm not sure if that makes any sense (especially since I can't write it in Italian!) but that's about all I've got.
All the best,
Jimmy J
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What a fantastic show last night! JT played mostly well known hits and even put my favourite ever JT song 'Blossom' in the first set. Chad's drumming was excellent; very tasteful with just the right amount of 'flash' in the right places - I've only really heard him with holdsworth so it was interesting to see him holding back. As usual, Jimmy's playing was sublime despite appearing to have problems with his in-ears in the first set. We were third row centre stage and had a perfect sonic balance - the only problem being that Jimmy was hidden behind James from my seating position. made him very difficult to photograph although I did manage one almost decent shot. Hopefully he won't mind me posting this one..
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/108894.jpg)
of course, we could hear every note he played - his series 2 sounding about as good as anything could.
Everyone on stage looked to be having loads of fun, especially Arnold McCuller who was taking cameras from the audience during the encore and getting closeups of the whole band. Arnold, together with kate Markowitz and Andrea Zonn provided absolutely perfect harmonies throughout the gig - Andrea played some excellent violin during one or two songs aswell. Last but by no means least, larry Goldings and Michael Landau were the ideal accompaniasts on keys and guitar respectively.
It's amazing seeing James perform; he manages some very complicated finger picking while singing - his voice is still amazing. He also picked Jimmy out as the band leader, an accolade well deserved IMO. All in all, one of the best nights I've had in a couple of years. Listening to Hourglass while I write this (during my lunchbreak in case my boss accidentally looks over my shoulder).
I hope the rest of the tour goes as well as last night, especially the London gig for Jake.
Graeme.
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Hi Jimmy,
me and Frank will be in L.A. between 19 Aug and 3 Sep, I will be getting private lessons from Alan Pasqua, he will be getting some with Jimmy Haslip.
Will we have any chance to see you live at the Baked Potato are anywhere else around L.A. during those days?
Gabriele.
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Hey Graeme,
Thanks for the nice post - great to see you, Mike P. and your gals again last night and I'm glad you enjoyed the concert. I've had a lovely ride with James and feel very lucky to play with this lineup of players and singers. I think because JT himself is a player (and not everybody realizes how great his guitar playing is) he has always had good bands. And it's more a concert of music than a show so any musician he invites is eager to be a part of it. He sometimes announces me as leader but I'll deny it. He is the MD, I'm just a facilitator - I will help organize music and charts for the band, etc but the musical decisions are all his. Nice of him just the same.
See you all next time. I'll keep an eye out for Jake in London. Good to check in with the extended Alembic family!
Gabriele,
Wow, nice plan to come over for some master-classes with those guys. I don't know yet what I'll be up to at that time but keep checking the Potato's calendar as they get it organized. Although their website is not always accurate ... there is almost always good playing to be heard there. I'll expect you and Franco to become Baked Potato regulars while you're in town.
Cheers to all,
Jimmy J
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Well London was a rather special gig in my opinion, the band were on top form, every groove worked... really worked. The features are too many to list so just like last time I mentioned a JT gig on these pages I find myself referring to the whole being just about as right as I could imagine it.
The singing was fantastically in tune, and being a regular backing singer myself I know how hard it can be and how important monitoring is.
I think mention should go to Chad Wackerman for stepping in to some very well worn shoes, (worn by some of the worlds greats) not only did he do the gig justice he made it feel amazing (along with all the players of course) I have always maintained that timekeeping is a shared responsibility drums are merely the most obvious marker, Chad was great in every tune as far as I'm concerned, even the impromptu 'Only one' which was called by an audience member and wasn't on the set list.
I would also give mention to Andrea Zonn whose violin playing was outstanding in sound, tone and lyricism, and SO in tune. As for Mike Landau, he hears ideas I didn't know existed and I loved all of them.... the epitome of taste and texture and exactly the same could be said for Larry Goldings of whom I have long been a fan.
I think it's fair to say that I could cite everybody in the band as a favourite in one context or another so the gig was a really special treat to my ears.
Jimmy (I don't want to embarrass you) but it has to be said that you hold that low end with some heavy duty gravitas brother, note choice to die for, placement, tone and dynamic range that some of the worlds most respected artists are clearly happy to pay for... I know we all feel lucky to be able to share this with you.
To all... if you haven't been to a JT gig, it's worth it for Alembic series II action alone, what goes on above that is actually history.
Jake
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Graeme and Jake, nice reviews; thanks for taking the time to write these shows up so the rest of us can appreciate how wonderful it must have been to sit there and enjoy that band.
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Wish you could have been there Dave. Jimmy is far and away the nicest professional musician I've ever met (and there have been a few) and a JT show can only lift the spirits. Quite a combination.
Graeme (who has just scored tickets for AKUS in november woohoo!)
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(Congrats on the AKUS tix!)
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Man, thanks for all the kind postings, you guys ARE making me blush... Jake, so glad you enjoyed it, good to see you and Elliot again. I'll pass along what you said to Chad and agree that he's doing a great job.
As I've said before this is super-rare gig which I'm extremely lucky to be a part of.
#1. I like the music. As in; at no time during the show do I look at the next tune and think ug. Plus he has a back catalog of songs that seems endless, many gems we've never even gotten to.
#2. The band is an amazing collection of players and singers. I look forward to hearing Landau and Goldings each night, the singers have a great blend, and as you said Andrea's fiddle work is excellent. And James is no slouch on acoustic either! It's one of those great situations where the entire team is striving for the best possible performance of the music each night. I'm VERY happy to be providing some low notes!
Graeme, we're all big Union Station fans here too. Andrea has known Alison since they were kids going to fiddle competitions. Plus, Jerry Douglas and Allison were JT's special guests on a show last April and it was a total blast. I'm sure that will be a great show!
Best to all,
Jimmy J
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Caught you with James & Robert Cray.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150173785563791&set=pu.101716548790&type=1&theater (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150173785563791&set=pu.101716548790&type=1&theater)
Jazzyvee
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Yes, Robert is the real deal. Great player, great singer, super nice guy. Thanks for the link.
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy! You know me and Frank will be in L.A. at the end of august,and guess what?....the baked potato schedule is out and....omg! you will be with allan right in the middle of our staying! For 2 consecutive days!....can't wait
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Hey, how about that? Good timing. I played with Bruner in Landau's band a few years ago but this will be my first time doing Allan's music with him. Should be interesting. I may need a seatbelt...
Seeya then,
Jimmy J
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Wow you played with him few years ago and you may need seatbealt, right now don't forget an helmet... :-) will be a rhithm fireworks those gigs with Allan and I hope we'll be there to listen as told you Gabriele.
See you soon Jimmy.
Bye Franco
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Wow....I got it now that the two Allan's dates are two gigs per day!!.......you know we will be there all the four gigs....isn't it?!............... ;)
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It's two sets per night at the Potato, 9:30 and 11:30. Most likely with Allan we will play the same set of music 4 times. But then, each performance is different, right?
It should be interesting. I'd better start practicing!
Jimmy J
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Pardon my brief trip down nostalgia lane - but had to post this as I approach my 40th year as a bass player. I had no interest in playing bass until I saw, heard and met you at Arrowhead Music Camp (MN) in the early '70's. I took some lessons from you and was hooked. Played on the road with cover bands for a few years, then taught music and now work for a music software company - and still am a weekend warrior on bass. Thanks, Jimmy for inspiring me and countless others, I'm sure! Still have my Debb Johnson vinyl...
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Hi Bruce; welcome to the board!
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Hey Bruce,
Thanks for the nice post, it's great to hear you're still playing and even working in music. I'm still having fun too! Nostalgia lane for me shrouded in a thick fog ... but you must be son of Mark? Arrowhead was a great experience, it was the first place where one got to feel like a musician. We were only there because we played an instrument and I enjoyed the feeling. I don't remember trying to teach up there though, that memory is gone.
I've just visited my brother and been through some old boxes of junk including photos from the Debb Johnson days so it's been a nostalgic couple weeks. Those were fun times and as I said I'm still having fun so I have no regrets.
Best to all,
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy,
Yes, Mark's son. I took lessons from you at your parent's home - still have some pictures of my first lesson with my new 1974 Gibson EB-3 bass. I had an Alembic when I was on the road, but it, along with most of the band's gear, was stolen and I couldn't afford to replace it and of course had no insurance. I do currently have a nice bevy of basses, and now that my kids are almost out of college, am hoping to purchase an Alembic again. There's a dealer in Maple Grove here in MN. I work at MakeMusic in Eden Prairie, and about 85% of the employees are gigging musicians - which is great. A few of them also went to Arrowhead. Anyway, great to hear from you, and I hope to see you play again sometime soon.
Bruce
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Yeah tonite! Seatbealt working?
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Thanks so much for all the great rehearslas at the Baked Potato!! ;)
One curiosity....what tracks did you play in Symbiosis?
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Gabriele and Franco, thanks for coming to the Spud. I'm glad we had a chance to hang out.
I think I played on Midair Decision from that record but that was a long time ago and I can't find my copy of the CD to confirm it... Ha!
Seeya,
Jimmy J
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Hi jimmy, we are glad to met ya too,don't worry but I try againg, don't call it lesson just 'music talking' if you want :-) I'm in town till the 3rd. :-)
Else listening two live gigs at the spud already was 'music talking'
Hope to see ya soon playing
Franco
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Hey Jimmy! When I was in L.A. I didn't know you've been recording the upcoming album of Vince Mendoza Nights on Earth!!!!!! AAAAaaaaaaaaaahh!!!! And you did it with Alan Pasqua!! And Peter Erskine!!! And...and...and!!!
If I knew that I would have asked you so many questions about it! Mendoza is one of my favorite composers of our era.... Can't imagine what you all may have come out with, under his direction and over his compositions!
Do you have any insights about it? Please......
;) can't wait to buy it October 18 is very near.....
Here you are.....:
http://richbreen.smugmug.com/Studio/VinceMendoza-3-2010/11409914_iJnbm#801933465_SiiHK (http://richbreen.smugmug.com/Studio/VinceMendoza-3-2010/11409914_iJnbm#801933465_SiiHK)
Gabriele.
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That's a nice studio.
Graeme
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Yeah Graeme,
Conway is one of my favorite studios and I've had a chance to do quite a crazy variety of things there over the years.
Gabriele,
Vince is indeed a great arranger and composer, a very talented guy! I look forward to hearing how this music came together for him, it should be a great listen! I'm proud to have been invited along.
As a side note, I rarely talk about projects I've worked on before they are released because sometimes I'll get the record only to discover they've recut the tracks with a different band or for whatever reason I am no longer on it. No big deal, I have replayed bass parts for guys and been replaced myself a few times. So I usually wait until I can read the credits to see if I'm still there. I learned years ago not to tell my Mom until the record actually comes out. HA! So ... hopefully I'm still on some of Vince's tracks!
I can't remember too many specifics about the dates except that we were all doing our best to play what he had written on the page. Being a great arranger means he had a lot of specific parts in mind (he sent demos and charts to us in advance of the date). But he also knew all of our playing and left leeway for us to interpret what he had come up with. It is a very musical project!
Seeya,
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy,
great to hear you've been working with Vince Mendoza, I really love his arranging. I especially like the Joni Mitchell Album with orchestra 'Both Sides now'
I'm lucky to record at the studio where it was recorded:
http://www.airstudios.com/ (http://www.airstudios.com/)
and I have some friends that played on the album, great players.
I really enjoy playing the parts from good arrangers, it's such a joy when they understand the idiom of the bass and write properly for it.
I look forward to hearing that and hope you make it to the final cuts :0)
Jake
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OK, check it out, you can get VM's new cd Nights on Earth on Amazon. And Flim is on it!!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HYNPSS/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004UFDJ0Y&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0Z88HE3GTCTKT9D77HNQ (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HYNPSS/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004UFDJ0Y&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0Z88HE3GTCTKT9D77HNQ)
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Hi jimmy,
will you come to Italy with james Taylor? you will play in milan so close to me, lets have an italian dinner if have time!
See ya
Franco
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Yeah Jake, never been to Air but it's one of the greatest! Such a treat to work in a place like that, it brings out the best in everybody.
Freddie, welcome to the forum. It's good to see Vince's project is finished and I look forward to hearing it. (I may go for the iTunes version myself...)
Franco, there is a good chance I will be in you neighborhood next March but it's still in the planning stages so you'll have to ask again later. I always look forward to the food!!
Jimmy J
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I'll remind you :-)
I've just get this DI, very cool, I'm traying your direct PA philosofy... with QSC speakers
http://www.aguilaramp.com/products_preamps_tonehammer.htm (http://www.aguilaramp.com/products_preamps_tonehammer.htm)
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I'd just like to say Jimmy,I'm listening to your solo on '54 Duncan Terrace' from the Allan Holdsworth album 'Secrets'.No matter how many times I hear it,my jaw always hits the floor.Many thanks.
Simon.
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Simon,
Thanks for the nice comment. I was lucky to be given the opportunity to solo over such a lovely set of chord changes!
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy! Are you going to perform in LA between 14-22 January, or anywhere close? I hope so because then I will be there??.
J-O-S
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Jan-Olof,
It looks like you're coming over for NAMM? I'm not involved in anything for the show but if I'm in town I may be playing somewhere. I don't know yet, I can barely plan what's happening next week! Ha!!
thanks for asking,
Jimmy J
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Hi JJ,
latest Vince Mendoza Nights on Earth is marvellous, can't stop listening! And your presence just gives this work a familiar sound and nice surprises!
I also just knew that you've just finished working on the new Chad solo work, with Allan and Jim Cox!! The same ones that mesmerized me years ago with Forty Reasons.....can't wait to listen........any insights about it?
all the best,
G.
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Hey Gabriele,
I agree the Vince record came out great. Beautiful writing, arranging, orchestrating, and playing by all. I'm pleased to have been along for the ride!
For years whenever anybody asked about a new Holdsworth record I would say Chad's will probably come first. And indeed he is finally at the mastering stage of his years-long project. There are a few original composed pieces and a several short solo, duo and group ad libs. I think I'm on most of it, Allan is on much of it and Jim Cox is also on several. I don't know what he will call the album but it is coming soon!
Best to everybody,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy j,
I am new to bass and this forum, yet after looking on Utube and other links of you in action, I must say you are really something.
It seems like everyone that aspires to be a musician has a tone/sound in their head to which they try to emulate. Your playing is what I would wish to emulate.
scott
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Hey Scott,
Welcome to the forum and thanks a bunch for the kind comments.
What you say about having a sound in your head is true. I probably mentioned somewhere in this long thread that my dad played bass and was also a piano tuner and technician. As a young kid I remember being UNDER the family grand piano as he was tuning it. He liked to hit the keys hard to help seat the strings as he tuned. And that big, round, LOUD sound of the bass strings must have gotten into my head because I think it's a part of what I went after.
I played a few different instruments before happening upon Alembic around 1975 and this is where I've stayed for over 35 years(!!). It may not be everybody's cup of tea but the tone still makes me smile. I admire bass players who have a whole arsenal of different sounds to choose from, I've never had that, but I have been lucky to be able to fit my sound into many different situations over the years.
Blah blah blah! What's gotten into me this morning?
Welcome to the forum.
Jimmy J
PS: my wife is an SLP so I know what trigeminal means. Ha!
(Message edited by jimmyj on November 20, 2011)
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Hi JJ, I see you're coming in Milan on March with John Taylor, am I wrong?
Any chance to have dinner/lunch with me and Franco?? ;)
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Hey Jimmy. So now you're collaborating with Duran Duran's Bassist! When were you going to tell us?
hang on a minute - maybe gabrielle means James :-)
I also saw that Allan H is touring Europe from May. Will you be part of that band?
Graeme
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Ohps! Sorry! :D Yes, James...
BTW, Allan will be touring with Virgil Donati and Jimmy Haslip I will be there
And, BTW again, .....I really hope someone will be taking a movie of the Chad Wackerman CD launch at the Baked Potato next week..........can't wait to have the CD!!!!!!
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Oh Graeme, you trouble maker!
Yes Gabriele, I expect to be in Italy with James in March. I believe it will be a very small band, maybe in small theaters (?), I haven't seen a detailed itinerary yet.
And as you say, Allan H is touring with Donati and Haslip this spring which should be very cool! Virgil and I have played on a few NEW tracks for Allan and I suspect the other Jimmy will as well. Allan's making progress with these but its slow going. We all look forward to some new music from his planet!!
I got to sit in on the mastering session for Chad's new record and hear the interesting tracks he has collected over the last several years. A few organized tunes and several short group ad libs with some unusual musical moments. I think you will enjoy it GB! And the gig should be a kick too. Chad and I haven't played with Allan for a while and never live with Jim Cox, so I'm sure some fun things will happen.
Best to all,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy:
I had the pleasure of seeing your brother play during happy hour at the Dakota last Friday. It was the highlight of my week.
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Yes, brother Gordon makes the upright sound easy - which to me it seems impossible...
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, you're not going to believe this email probably, but 25 years ago, a friend made me a cassette tape of 17 jazz songs, 2 of which were Flim and BB songs, 'Just Another Beautiful Day' and 'Funhouse'. I have played the tape many hundreds, perhaps thousands of times. I played it back to back for months at a time, playing nothing else.
It finally occurs to me that I should pay for this music that I have enjoyed so many years. I have gone to Amazon and paid 99 cents each for the mp3 of every other song on the tape, but cannot find single songs to buy from Flim and BBs.
I know this sounds ridiculous, but could I find some way of paying for those two songs to you guys? (I not only have a conscience, but I am a musician who would want my own downloads to be paid for). -smile-
My email is bbutler356@hotmail.com (mailto:bbutler356@hotmail.com). I check it daily. I don't come to Alembic because I don't play bass. (guitar, though)
Thanks for the time reading this. I wish you could know how much I have enjoyed those two songs.
Brian C. Butler
Eau Claire, WI (90 miles southeast of Minneapolis)
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Hi Brian; the Alembic club is open to everyone, especially guitar players since, in addition to the most amazing basses in the world, Alembic also makes the most amazing guitars in the world. But we have members who are here just because they appreciate quality craftsmanship and enjoy talking with a community of knowledgeable and friendly musicians. So stick around; we don't just talk bass clef.
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Well, that's rare! I don't think anybody has ever offered to do that before.
Hey Brian,
Welcome to the Alembic forum. As Dave said, feel free to hang around - nice folks in here.
I'm glad you got such a kick out of those BB's tracks, it's always nice to hear from folks who somehow found and enjoyed those records. As for your kind offer ... let's assume that the friend who made you that cassette so many years ago actually owned the two CDs those songs came from. In that case, the band and I have already been paid and probably made out better than we could have now with Amazon or iTunes. So as far as I'm concerned, you are off the hook and if your cassette machine and cassette both still operate you should just keep playing it.
Still, thanks for the thought.
Jimmy J (now about 2000 miles from Minneapolis)
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Hey Jimmy, I just ordered a Flim & The BB's Tricycle CD from Amazon. Several reviews said this was the best F&TBB's CD to start with. I was wondering which was your favorite recording with the BB's?
Rusty
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Rusty,
That's a bit like asking which is your favorite child... There are some nice moments on each record - and a few cringe-worthy moments too. It was live to 2-track, with a bit of editing, but no real overdubbing (on this one) or remixing... Live solos... And it was a long time ago! OK, enough excuses.
Tricycle was the band's first CD and sold the most. It was a favorite demo record for stereo salesmen because it showed off the dynamic range of the new Compact Disc digital format. That was the band's claim to fame - we could play soft and then REAL LOUD. We sold a lot of stereo gear! Ha!!
Anyway, I hope you didn't pay too much for it, and it gives you some giggles. Thanks for checking it out.
Jimmy J
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Thanks Jimmy! I haven't received the CD yet, it's due here Monday, but I can't wait to hear it! I paid $12.26 on Amazon with shipping.
Rusty
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I tried to find it on ITunes without luck.
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Jimmy, I got Tricycle in the mail today, & I love it! There are some very tasty bass lines on the CD! As I was listening to it I came up with a new Pro Wrestler name for you, should you choose to change careers (please don't!) you should call yourself Jimmy The Tone Johnson! Your sound is amazing! I guess for the Alembic Club you can be Jimmy TTO The Tone One!
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Rusty, thanks for the kind (and silly) comments. Glad you like it.
Yes Scott, this stuff is so obscure that it has yet to appear in any legitimate downloadable form... And since DMP was an audiophile label maybe someday they will connect with one of the new high-def audio sites. Who knows? Nobody is holding their breath waiting for that moment - not even the band. Ha! It's funny that we are even talking about such a teeny tiny small corner of the music world.
It's all good.
Jimmy J
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Hi jimmy, all Good?
I wanna ask you if you or/and Steve Gadd are interested doin' a clinic when you'll be in Milan with James T.
One of the best studios in Milan http://www.massivearts.com/ (http://www.massivearts.com/) ask me for.
Let me know and I'll reach you with them.
See you soon,
All the best
Franco
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(Message edited by afrankie on January 27, 2012)
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Hey Franco,
It's kind of you to act as my agent (or maybe translator?) in this case but I will say no thank you to the offer.
Two reasons for me:
1, I never do clinics of my own,
2, if I am treated to a day off in the middle of a tour I like to take it. Most likely by that time I'll be trying to do laundry which can be surprisingly challenging when in road mode and in foreign lands. Say, that could be the subject for a good clinic... Ha!!
What the studio really wants of course is Gadd and they're just trying every angle to reach him. I can't speak for him (or translate) but I'm sure they will will figure out how to contact him more directly and then we'll see what happens. I kinda doubt he would agree but who knows...
Seeya,
Jimmy J
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This was a free transaction I act only as a translator for the studio :-) I don't wanna be agent of anyone!
Of course, we can arrange a laundry clinic for any kind of clothes :-)
Seeya Franco
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Hi Jimmy, looks like you will be in Milan today!
Any chance to meet? ;)
Me and Frank will be at the Saturday night concert.
Gabriele.
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Hey Gabriele and Franco,
Actually, my itinerary says the Milan show is Friday the 16th. Will you guys be around that weekend?
Maybe I can hear YOU play somewhere?
Jimmy J
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Ohps! The Blue Note Milano schedules James Taylor starting today! .....1,2,3 March 2012!
You should be already around here!!!!
Anyway, if we played around, it would be while you play at the Blue Note unless we catch somewhere at rehearsals during the day
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We're just outside the Blue Note, having a drink at the bar beside it. We hear you playing inside
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......shit.......we just discovered James is here for three days with another band............and we already bought tickets for Saturday...............
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Any James Taylor gig is going to be great, no matter who his band is.
Graeme
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Ah, I'm sorry to say you have mistaken the James Taylor Quartet with the James Taylor that I work with. My singer-songwriter boss is not the organ player in this band:
a different JT (http://www.bluenotemilano.it/Programmazione/tabid/53/ctl/Detail/EventID/3207/Default.aspx?mid=422)
But these guys have been around for a while and though I don't know their music they obviously have a fanbase so it could be interesting - just different from what you were expecting. Keep an open mind and you may dig it as an accidental musical discovery.
This is the confusion you can run into with a common name - like mine!
Jimmy J
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oh no, Jimmy, this is really James Taylor the song writer, but with another setup, just for the three dates at Blue Note.
There are stories about Blue Notes contracts forcing artists to play at very low fees, so he probably decided for a less expensive setup for these dates......
Anyway we'll have a chance to listen this Saturday, and be able to compare the results with your setup on Friday 16
We will keep the Saturday 17 free, if you will stay in Milan and will to spend some time with us ;)
Gabriele
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Well... click on the link above and read what it says on the Blue Note website. Or try this one:
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Taylor_Quartet (http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Taylor_Quartet)
Sorry man, different guy.
But I'd still be interested in your comparison of the results! You may like the JTQ better than the plain old JT.
Jimmy J
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In fact: http://www.jamestaylorquartet.co.uk/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&idr&Itemida&lang=en (http://www.jamestaylorquartet.co.uk/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&idr&Itemida&lang=en) There are the Blue Note Milan dates for the James Taylor Quartet
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LOL oh my god!! double mistake!! LOL
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Ahahahahahah Jimmy too many James Taylor 'round Milan, may be this one is interesting like the other... we'll listen tonite.
see you soon in Milan
Bye Franco
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This is funny, I know the bass player and drummer in the JTQ, I can reliably inform you they are an entirely different outfit from James Taylor singer songwriter, they hail from London and play funky organ music...
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Now I know JTQ are very cool! Great nite of funk yesterday bass and drums burnt...
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Alright Franco! Glad you had a good accidental musical experience.
I'm not surprised to hear that Jake knows ALL the James Taylor's bass players. HA!
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy, a slight digression if I may. I was wondering if you have only owned the series bass models from Alembic. Have you ever tried or owned any of the other basses in the alembic range?, if so which models and what was your view, if not, why not?
Sorry to put you on the spot. I'm just curious.
Jazzyvee
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;0) @ Jimmy, and a privilege it is too...!
@ Franco, Andy McKinney and Pat Illingworth are both great players, I regularly gig with Pat in London, we go back many years.
Glad you enjoyed their show, I'm sure the JT band will knock your socks off too...
Jake
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Hey Jazzyvee.
No spot putting at all, my pleasure. We're here to talk gear!
My first Alembic was a 4-string Series I which I must have bought around 1974? I can't remember what became of that bass but in '76 my first 5-string appeared, also a Series I. I don't think there were any other models in those days.
I added a 5-string fretless Series I in 1980 and had a second one built in '82. Then in late '87 my main bass was stolen out of a van while on the road. By that time Alembic were making a couple different models. I found a 5-string Persuader for sale at one of the shops on 48th street in NYC and bought it as a temporary bass until I could have a replacement built.
I guess I lucked out, there must have been a similar instrument already in the pipeline at Alembic because my replacement is an '87 series II which has served as my main studio bass since that time. Unless I have my dates wrong that bass only took a couple months to build - which is unheard of!
I never wanted to go through THAT experience again so I needed a backup axe. I got inspired and ordered TWO basses which appeared in '89 - one of which is now my main touring bass and the other a backup to the backup and mostly for practicing (I know, that's just nutty).
One of those two '89s may have started as a fretless but in the end became a fretted like it's brother. I think I even tried to sell one at one point but I can't remember the details.
It seems that once I get a piece of gear that does what I want, I stick with it. I've not seriously tried any of the other models because I'm so stuck on the Series electronics and sound. My amps, rack rigs and studio rig are all set up to work with these basses. I wouldn't know what to do with a 1/4 inch guitar cable. (Are those still curly?) Ha!
I admire guys who have a wide palate of tones from different basses, pedal effects, amp tones, etc.. I'm just not one of those guys.
Sorry for the long ramble. Can you tell I'm in a hotel?
Jimmy J
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Hey the hotel aught to be better than the bus. At least you'll get a little sleep tonight. ;-)
Keith
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Thanks Jimmy for taking the time out to reply. it's pretty clear from your reply that you are a series man all the way through.
Although I have a number of non series Alembic basses which all sound great. I've had that yearning for a Series bass and recently bought a Series II 5 string from a forum member here but have yet to get my hands on it. If all goes to plan I will be collecting it from Alembic sometime in April. Having never played one before i'm not sure what to expect. As for the sound, yours is the only Series II bass I've ever heard so I probably should do some research on your back catalogue for some sound references.
I have a number of Allan Holdsworth albums that were given to me by a former guitarist friend of mine so I guess you must be on some of them. Are there any that you could recommend for Series II tone references?
Thanks again and all the best with the tour.
Jazzyvee
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check out arrowhead. it was an album that wayne johnson put his trio, with jimmy and bill berg on bass and drums...
Jimy
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Jazzy... I can recommend 'Sand' and 'Secrets' for some really tasty bass playing. However, I'd also suggest you listen to some of Jimmy's playing on the later James taylor albums; Hourglass, New Moonshine and October road.
Jimmy... Any sign of James bringing out an album of new material any time soon?
Graeme
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Thanks Jimy & Graeme for jumping in, I never know what to suggest when asked that question.
Since we're talking about sound I will tell a detail that could only be appreciated by folks in here... On the Holdsworth records and the ancient Flim & The BB's stuff I recorded the Series basses in stereo - separate tracks for each pickup - and then panned them ever so slightly left and right. Since my pickup balance is more bridge pu than neck pu, the pan pots end up around 11 for the bridge and 2 for the neck on the clock face.
The result appears to be mono, even in headphones, but it's not. What happens is a bit more openness and some overtones that get cancelled when summed to mono are allowed to pass. An already large sound becomes even wider. (Cue the diabolical laughter: boohoohahaha!)
Also back in the day I often used a chorus (on the bridge pu only) when soloing so you'll hear that in some of the above examples.
I still dig the tone after all these years.
And as we say over here; your mileage may vary... Everybody gets a different sound just based on their hands, so...
Thanks all,
Jimmy J
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Oh Graeme, your other question.
We cut some demo things about 2 years ago, just JT, Gadd and I. Eight little groove ideas that he'd come up with which are the seeds of new tunes. I don't think he has found the time to work further on these yet and I think he's shooting for fall of this year to get back to it. I hope so, it's been quite a while and we'd all love to hear something new from the guy. It will happen when it happens.
Jimmy J
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Great tip Jimmy!
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Thanks for that Jimmy. Another reason for me to look forward to 'Fall' :-)
And, it looks like Jazzy is going to have to build a stereo rig. Hope he can fit it all in his Smart car! hah!
graeme
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Yes We Can.... :-)
http://club.alembic.com/Images/394/70265.html?1262842514 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=4207)
Jazzyvee
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Jazzy-
I'd also recommend the James Taylor concert recorded at the Beacon Theatre.
It's a pretty impressive performance (by everyone up there on stage) and is a great sounding DVD.
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a pretty cool video of James' rehearsals has been posted on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieRjNREC2go).
Graeme
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that tip from you jimmy, is awesome! super subtle but i now understand how that fundamental is achieved in those recordings!
did you do that with the wayne johnson stuff too?
i always wondered, some of the fretless sounds on the arrowhead album like on the cut mole the viber has almost some fretted and fretless tracked together or you use the for separate parts??
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Ok I had a look through my iTunes collection and it seems I have a james Taylor album called Hourglass. It must have been in the cd's I got from a guitarist friend of mine a few years back and never realised when copying everything to iTunes so I will give that a listen today.
Jazzyvee
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Jimmy...
First post to you, so hello!
AND, thank you for your input, ideas and such consistent friendship with everyone who calls themselves family on this site. I have been amazed since I began reading (and posting) on the club site, that you take time from your obviously hectic schedule to stay in touch with everyone who follows you in your career.
So I'm posting in reference to your comments about recording in stereo, and with the chorus on one pickup. I've been thinking about a similar rig for our live gigs, because I run direct into the PA from my amp on stage. The PA is set up in stereo, but most everything is panned straight up so it is in effect a mono system. I thought running my Series II in stereo, with a chorus on the bridge PU (and maybe a low octave sometimes on the neck PU) would sound great out front.
Have you had an opportunity to try running in stereo out front?
THANKS!
Michael
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Hey Michael, welcome to the forum and thanks for the kind words.
I've never thought about doing it in the PA but you could. I guess the thing about that is that the folks standing over near the left side would hear a different balance of your bass and effects than folks on the right side of the room. For recordings you assume listeners will be able to hear both speakers at once. (It's always funny when you're in a restaurant and can only hear the right channel of the radio when a song like All My Lovin comes on and all you get is vocals.)
What I describe above is pretty subtle anyway. My ultimate version of the chorus on the bridge pu was when I used an ADA Stereo Tapped Delay, had it set to only pass the wet signal only, and summed the L&R outputs with the unaffected bass. When I turned it on the direct bass signal did not change, only the chorused returns were added to the signal. Worked great!
You know, there are no rules for this stuff so if you think of something that might be cool just try it!
Jimmy J
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So like the 'Today' show, 'Where In the World is Jimmy Johnson?' You said you were in a hotel, who are you out with right now? Or are you sequestered in an 'secure undisclosed location'? Hope it's all going well and you can get home before long !
Jimmy, what about compression? What do you like, what do you think about it, recording and live?
All the Best,
J o e y
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Good question Joey. I've just bought a second hand rack mount compressor to slot between my pre and power amps in an attempt to tighten up the bottom end a bit so I'd value anyone's insights. - No hurry though - this thing has 8 knobs, 8 buttons and 30 LEDs per channel so it's going to take me a while to figure out how it works :-)
Graeme
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J o e y,
In Italy this month with James Taylor and a small band; just Steve Gadd, Jeff Babko (to be traded for Larry Goldings in 10 days), and me. I can't complain about being away from home when THIS is what I get to do! Even the wife agrees. (Luckily!)
Good question about compression. I generally don't like it in a live context, preferring to have all the dynamics available to my fingers. I like the note to have a shape to it, think piano string or even upright bass. Even with the sustain these basses have the note still has a natural decay. If you compress that out I miss it. I've been in clubs where the FOH guy will squash the daylights out of it and when the ballad comes up your bass is blasting away at the same volume as the previous metal song. OK, so maybe those two musical extremes never go together, but you know what I mean.
But a recording engineer can do wonderful things with this audio tool. It's almost hard-wired to the bass channel in many studios. Maybe the best sound I've ever heard was running through a Neve 1073 pre and a UA LA-2A compressor - not doing too much compressing / limiting, but that combination made the bass sound amazing, in my opinion.
You've jogged my memory - I once owned two Inovonics compressors as part of my LARGE live rig. They were in the audio signal path but in fact NOT doing any compressing. I just liked what they did to the tone. In the end, it was probably the input transformers that I was digging and not the actual processing. HA!
So I don't know enough about compressor / limiters to really know what I'm talking about. I'd be interested to hear how you guys use them.
thanks,
Jimmy J
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I prefer using it in parallel with main signal (running through a bus). That way I can mix it to the clean signal to taste, what gives me any pressure increase I may need while preserves the original transientes of the bass.
But compressing always changes something in Tone and Shape. I avoid heavy compression, even in that new york fashion...
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You know you've got it made when your wife trusts you in Italy with three other musicians, bella fortuna and Ciao, JJ !
J o e y
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Jimmy?that?s an excellent point, that people on one side will miss the other PU?(funny you mentioned ?All My Lovin???we actually do that song!). I know the bass already sounds amazing out front (much better than my playing!)?.I guess my case of G.A.S. got the best of me!
Maybe I should just go practice more!! LOL
Thanks again?great to hear from you!
Michael
P.S. Let me know if/when you tour through Colorado...I'd love to come out and catch you playing!
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Here (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=17470) was some discussion on compression that was helpful.
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....Scaraboro!!....I know it was you!!!.....Harp soloing.....you......Shit! ;)
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Hey thanks for all the stuff on compressor / limiters, that's good info. And oddly, I am uninterested in pursuing it any further. As I said, for the amp rig I really prefer to have the full dynamic range available. And in the studio it seems this is where I draw the line and turn the trust over to the engineer. I go as far as bringing my own DI box and then I leave the rest to them. Great explanations though. The parallel processing is an interesting twist too. So thanks for all that.
Gabriele,
Sorry, I don't understand your latest post... Or maybe you're responding to somebody else?
Jimmy J
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Tnx for yesterday Jimmy, great show. I forgot to ask you... the red box in front of you? Is it your DI connector to the PA or any else?
F
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Hey Franco,
Good to see you last night, thanks for coming. Yes, that's the small rig I put together for this EU trip with a REDDI, a headphone amp for my in-ear monitors, and a tuner, all with voltage selectable power supplies. It's a bit homemade looking but it's working! I'll try to post a pic in the next few days.
Jimmy J
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Hi J,
sorry, I could not make it last friday with Franco, it would have been so great to share some time with you all.
About my latest post.....I just happened to listen to Billy Childs Chamber Jazz Vol.1 , and I liked expecially that version Scaraborough Fair, with a real harp soloing over your bass, and you're totally amazing as always even in that context.
Gabriele.
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Aha! Thanks for explaining Gabriele, now I understand. Yes, Childs is another crazy composer and player I've had the pleasure of working with on and off for years. He has a strong left hand and tends to write some difficult unison bass lines. Challenging music for the whole band!
Franco said you two may get to LA again this year so maybe I'll see you at the Potato again.
Oh, have I ever shown you guys my Series Umbrella? Sadly, no LEDs. HA!
Jimmy J
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/126474.jpg)
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So is it more than just an umbrella ;)
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I can see how plugging that into your bass would help if you prefer a dry signal for recording.
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I cannot tell you how many great tips I pick up from you guys
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Yes, I could see how it might open up your soundstage. You could play Bumbershoot in Seattle with it, for sure.
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I knew that would elicit some good comments. Very funny! I guess since it's a male connector it works best when plugged into the DS-5. But the unit has to be standing on edge in order to keep it dry, somewhat impractical.
I know, silly, but it was the first thing that came to mind when the umbrella's original handle broke off. Ha!
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmyj,
I've been trying to get a hold of you in regards to the Funhouse
Paul
Pschmaltz@gmail.com (mailto:Pschmaltz@gmail.com)
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Hey Paul, welcome to the forum.
You mean the BB's song Funhouse? Are you wondering about the effect on the bass? It's a delay with only one return - no regeneration - and if I remember correctly it's set for a value of 2-eighth notes even though the song is a shuffle and so based on 3-eighth notes. Make sense? It's a fun effect to play around with.
... Or maybe you're taking about something completely different? I'm triple-guessing!
Jimmy J
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This is pretty funny... The Paul who posted above wanted to know about using that song (which I neither wrote nor hold the publishing for) in some sort of film. So my guesses about his question were WAY off. Ha! Oh well...
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, I'm going to visit my son in Hollywood this weekend who lives right down the street from The Baked Potato, wish you were playing!
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Rusty,
Have a good visit. The band playing Saturday at the Spud could be pretty interesting. Might be worth just seeing the place for the history. And the potatoes are good too. Bring ear plugs, it gets loud.
So, even sillier about the above exchange with Paul, I wasn't describing the right track... Hey, it was a long time ago! The song he's interested in was all the keyboard player and his sequencer, I didn't even play on it. Complete subject derailment! Ha!
Jimmy J
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Thanks Jimmy! I told my wife I want to at least go by & take a picture in front, but hopefully I can talk her & my son into eating there & checking out the band.
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Here is a bass solo by Jimmy Johnson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q47EgY884z0&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q47EgY884z0&feature=related) the world needs more of Jimmy Johnson! Jimmy can you please put a group together like Flim & BB's? The James Taylor thing is GREAT really great music, but we need more of Jimmy!!
J-O-S
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Jan-Olof, thanks for the kind words. Hearing myself try to solo live (or even worse, seeing myself) always makes me cringe. Probably because I can tell what I was attempting to play and not quite reaching. Oh well, it doesn't stop me from trying again the next time. And the more times I try the more chance that something interesting might happen. HA!
You know, I also really enjoy being support only guy for music that I believe in, like in the James Taylor situation. That is a different kind of discipline and for me it's equally rewarding work.
Now I'd better go practice!
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy, check out this link, u might know this band, at least the drummer,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2vgh6lxoH8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2vgh6lxoH8)
your bassplaying on the record ( A SPACE ODDITY) is so unbelievable innovativ and tasty,
inspired me a lot for the live performances,
Peter
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Hey Peter!
Thanks for the kind comment. Wow, small world huh?
You sound great with this crazy concept of a band: odd meter interpretations of 60's and 70's tunes ... with string quartet? Sure, why not?!
I know Chris a bit but never actually met Misha, only via email and telephone. They both seem like very nice cats. And it must be a fun band to play with - low volume wild grooving. Good stuff! Keep up the good work!
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy, I did make it to the Baked Potato, but unfortunately didn't have time to catch the band. We spent the whole weekend looking for an apartment in Culver City for my son, & got in late every night. I will make it a point to catch the band on my next visit! It was much smaller than I expected!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/128310.jpg)
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Rusty,
I hope your apartment search was successful.
Excellent that you made it by the Spud! Yes, there it is in all it's glory! It is a funky little place but has a long history of great music. It was started as a place for LA's studio musicians to play for fun. And Don Randi, the original owner, happened to be playing the night you took that photo! He's a piano player who was part of the wrecking crew with Hal Blaine and all. Still plays with Nancy Sinatra on the road. His son Justin runs the club now and has another generation of players passing through, but Don still plays now and again...
Next time you'll have to go in and get an earful.
All the best,
Jimmy J
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I'm hoping to pay the potato a visit towards the end of September.
Graeme
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Hey Jimmy,
Unfortunately our apartment search didn't turn up exactly what my son is looking for. He is holding out for a one bedroom with a washer/dryer hookup, & they are hard to find! He works for Sony Pictures in Culver City, but currently lives a half mile from the Baked Potato, in Hollywood so the drive is pretty rough on him. I tried to go inside the Baked Potato when we took the picture, but they weren't open yet. I will definitely catch a show there sometime, hopefully one you are playing in! With my son living out there, we will be making many trips in the years to come!
Thanks for the history lesson on the Baked Potato!
Rusty
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hey Jimmy.
I found a mint copy of Tunnel on fleabay last week and I've been listening to it constantly since friday. What a great album. Lots of superb playing from yourself naturally but also from the rest of the band - I love the flute on Momentary truce - and some cool little slices of humour such as the intro to Man overboard. Hopefully more BB's work will surface . Interesting fact in the sleeve notes that the BB's were the first band to work in digital. I didn't know that!
Graeme
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Graeme,
Thanks for that, glad you're enjoying some early bb's action.
I've probably said it here before but we did have fun making those records and you can hear it in the music. The simulated throwing of me into the lake is a good example. Ha!
Tom Jung liked to make hour-long records because that was a new possibility with CDs and he liked the value of including extra content. To me that always felt like one side too many and we'd usually run out of tunes by the end and have to cobble something together at the session - with varied results. So each record has some moments which I still enjoy and a few that make me cringe. Dick Oatts' playing always makes me smile. He was and still is a great musician and composer (Momentary Truce is one of his tunes).
The whole premise of that band was to make test music for digital audio. Play soft and then REALLY LOUD, lot's of high bells, big holes for the reverb tails, etc. Things that showed off the dynamic range, lack of wow and flutter, and crystal clear sound of the new CD format. (The purists were all up in arms about the limitations of pcm audio - little did they know that mp3s were soon to come leaving CDs as the most hi-fi digital audio for years...)
Anyway ... thanks for diggin' it. We were never really serious as a band so I can't foresee us making any more records. But you never know, stranger things have happened.
Cheers!
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy.
Thanks for the insight.Interesting that you think there are some cringeworthy moments on the record - I certainly didn't spot them. As for MP3, I refuse point blank to be drawn into that medium and spend at least one saturday afternoon a month trawling through the used vinyl shops in Edinburgh. My turntable easily gets as much use as the CD player.
Looking at my comment Hopefully more BB's work will surface I actually meant I hoped more would appear on Ebay. I know you've said many times that it's unlikely you'll make any more BB's records. Two countries seperated by a common language :-)
I saw Allan H had anounced some European dates. None in the UK yet but I live in hope even though it seems you won't be joining him.
Graeme
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Hi Jimmy,
I have been listening to Planet X for a few weeks now, and I was wondering if you could share with us how you got the gig, how you approached the music and how was the overall experience with such amazing players.
I realise this might not be the best thread to ask this, but i figured I would ask anyway!
Thank you,
Sacha
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Hey Sasha,
Welcome to the forum. This is exactly the place to ask this kind of question as it's the only place I hang out. And Spector guys are welcome too.
A few weeks is a long time to be listening to Planet X, don't hurt yourself. Ha! Those guys do brew up some industrial strength fusion music, don't they? All technical wizards - and very nice guys.
got the gig isn't quite right, I've only recorded with them and never attempted to play live. Even the sessions were always overdubs, with plenty of punches and repairs... The first time was for a couple tracks of Moonbabies in '02 (I think). I used to go to Virgil's or Derek's home studios but lately I've been working on things for them on my own home rig. Or in the case of Derek's latest Oceana I built all my tracks in hotel rooms on the road.
I find the written bass parts very difficult if not impossible to play (at least for me, I know there are guys who can do it). Much of it is composed with sequenced synth bass so sometimes there are things that I just can't reach. There have been instances where I have simplified a part or even split the part into two pieces and given them two bass tracks to be used simultaneously. An example of that is the ending section of Alien Hiphop starting around 6:32. If you listen on phones you can hear that some of my accented notes appear slightly left and some slightly right of center. That's because there are 2 parts going at that moment, alternating notes (triplets). I'd need to do some pruning to make a part that I could play all at once at that tempo, and it wouldn't be quite so relentless. The recorded results are pretty cool though!
Oh, I believe these guys knew me from my playing with Allan Holdsworth and maybe a couple other things locally - Derek and Virgil are both in LA. So they call me every now and again and I am both thrilled and frightened to hear from them. HA!!
Be sure to listen to some nice slow ballads to balance things out!
Best wishes,
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy,
Planet X is indeed pretty tricky stuff to play. It must be quite the challenge to play a live set! And good to know I am not the only one that finds Alien Hip Hop's last part difficult stuff:P
Thank you for sharing with us the recording process. Seems like it was both fun and demanding!
Are you planning on coming to Montreal anytime soon? I'd love to go see you play.
Sacha
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Sacha, (sorry for my previous misspelling.)
Montreal is a great town and supports all kinds of music with it's many festivals. I expect to be there at the end of July with James Taylor - music from the other end of the spectrum. That may not be your cup of tea but it's been a good touring job for me for many years and I enjoy this style of music too. Not a lot of call for two simultaneous bass parts, but it is heavy in a different way.
You've got some nice two-handed things on your website, I can tell you are in a practicing stage. Keep up the good work!
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy,
Thank you for the kind words. Still working very hard to push the enveloppe of bass playing...two-handed tapping has been around for a while now, but I am trying to get my own sound slowly but surely. I don't know if you had a chance to listen to any of my solo project material, but feel free to have a listen if you get a chance!
And I will make to sure check out the tour dates of James Taylor. I enjoy music in any form, so I am sure I will find something interesintg in James Taylors (I'll actually check it out as we speak).
I read somewhere that you did not have any formal musical training. Funny enough, I am in the same category, and it really is inspiring to see a player of your caliber play such great music.
Thanks again,
Sacha
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Sacha,
Well, no formal training for me on bass but I did study piano as a kid and then clarinet through high school. Mom taught piano, dad played upright jazz and in the Minnesota Orchestra, older brother played flute, organ, guitar and bass - so I couldn't escape if I'd tried! A lot of what I learned on clarinet, including reading rhythms, intervals, and hearing melodies, kind of transferred over to the bass and explains why I solo as I do - slightly odd for a bass player. Probably your background on trumpet does the same for you. It's all related, any instrument you play has an effect on the next one you play.
Carry on.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy:
I took piano trainng all through grade school, and I've always thought I approached bass differently having come from an instrument where with two hands and 88 keys you could play 'both' (or all) parts. When I took up the bass, it transferred: I likened to learning to type, inasmuch as I already knew how to spell, knew punctuation, etc.: I only had to learn the typewriter.
I could not imagine playing bass without ever having played an instrument where I could make chords and see the relationships between the parts. How is it for you?
All the Best,
J o e y
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J o e y,
Well, now I really wish I'd kept up the piano ... but for me it served as a great starting point with rhythm, harmony, melody, treble and bass clef all together.
Since bass lives between the groove and the harmony there are some guys who are much more on the rhythm side of things, more likely to also play drums. Their playing style, particularly soloing, comes out quite different.
We're definitely the sum of every instrument we've played or any music we've listened to or been exposed to. It's what makes all our voices unique and the world keep spinning.
Best to everybody,
Jimmy J
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I've always guessed that's why Hendrix sounds alot like a Sax at times (his Dad played saxaphone).
have a good weekend,
Elwood
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I guess his dad listened to or played a fair bit of Coltrane stuff then. :-)
Jazzyvee
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You'll be with JT at Ravenia in July? Just looked the ticket prices, gulped, & e-mailed the soundman there (old roommate/roadcrewmate); if he can tighten me up, we'll be there.
Peter
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Hi JJ,
last week me and Frank could make it to the new Allan Holdsworth trio, with Donati and Haslip, here in Milan
We had a chance to have dinner with Jimmy Haslip and his wife, and there we happened to talk about you. Haslip asked Frank why he didn't have lessons with you last year, and we had to explain him your reluctancy to give lessons at all...
He was quite surprised! And...you know what he said??? LOL
I would take lessons from Jimmy Johnson too, I would love it. - Jimmy Haslip.
Fullstop.....
;)
All the best!
Gabriele.
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Hey Gabriele,
It's great that you and Franco got out to support the team, I'm sure you heard some amazing playing that night.
That's a nice thing for Jimmy H. to say - he's such a gentleman! He's also another unique voice on the instrument with a really deep sound. I'm sure I could learn a lot from him! Is there such a thing as a two-way lesson? Ha!
Thanks for the report.
Jimmy J
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It is always a two-way lesson between Teacher and Student, Jimmy! But you already know that of course. Ah Grasshopper! I agree about Mr. Haslip, a terrific player and easy to talk to at concert venues as long as there are pretty women around!
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Do you ever do club appearances in the Nashville area? I've seen Keith Carlock at 3rd & Lindsley, and wondered if you've ever gigged with him outside of a JT tour.
BTW, absolutely love Tricycle and This is A Recording (BB's).
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Hey Doctor Bill,
Welcome to the forum and thanks for the nice comments.
I sometimes tour with Allan Holdsworth and there was a time when we could travel across the country playing clubs - but that's no longer a viable business model. Now it only works to do a short east coast run or a short west coast run. So the last time I played a club in Nashville would have been with him many years ago. Though I did play Bridgestone Arena just last Thursday with JT, a nice intimate setting... HA!
I think Keith might live in Nashville now, or maybe part of the time? The tour he did with James was the only chance I've had to play with him so far and it was a treat. Great cat too.
Jimmy J
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Hi JJ,
with Franco and the band, we're thinking to work on Lanyard Loop, I was hoping if you can point me to any transcription, or I'll have to do the work myself...and you know pianist grapes of notes are not beloved by guitarists...
thanx for any help
Gabriele.
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Well, my buddy Norm, who does the sound at Ravinia, says he can get us in for JT Friday - but now I started a crappy new job & am on night shift. Oh, well - have fun Jimmy; wish I could see you!
Peter
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Well, JJ, I did it myself, I will post it if you allow me...but.....my god.........timing is unpredictable!!!....almost got it, but sometime it just has no scheduling! LOL
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...anyway, JJ...there's something uncomprehensible when you and allan and chad play together....no band of allan I've listened to ever spread the uncomprehensible perfectness of you three together....my god......you never know what's going to happen, and when is chaos, it's perfect chaos......you three just fit together!
;)
Gabriele
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Anyone interested, here some of my public transcriptions on Scribd, including Lanyard Loop, both piano and guitar tab versions
http://www.scribd.com/gabriele_bulfon (http://www.scribd.com/gabriele_bulfon)
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Hey Peter,
Sorry you can't make it but working is the best reason. Good luck with the new job.
Gabrielle,
You picked a difficult tune! Some of the rhythms in this song are just played by feel - almost like the group speaking words together. I can assure you that none of us ever wrote the whole thing out so I have nothing to compare your transcription to. My bass chart is the usual shorthand scribble, I don't remember Husband writing it out, Allan's chart on this one is amazing and looks like Martian cave writing, and I don't think Chad wrote it out either. So you may be the first! I can't really tell by looking at it if your notes and harmonies are correct, I'm not even sure of the rhythmic mathematics... This is one of his crazier compositions.
The track was originally recorded with Husband and I in 2000 but that version has yet to be released. So the one you're listening to with Chad (live in Japan?) is already a reinterpretation of the original. Very similar, but not exactly the same because of what I say above - some of it is just felt, and different guys feel it in different ways.
For example, the 1/8 note at the end of the 5/4 bars is often part of a triplet, OR maybe just a stretched 1/8 note, OR somewhere in between. And where you write 3:5 or 3 across 5 and 5:9, well, that may be correct but I can't really say. I'm sure Chad could but I can't.
I do know the tempo change is some sort of metric modulation. The two tempos are related somehow but I don't know the formula.
I'm glad you guys are having fun trying to figure these tunes out. It's certainly good ear training. Carry on!
Jimmy J
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JJ,
yes I realized all that unwritable stuff was the result of your interplay, but that was the only way I found to write it down on Sibelius!
And the fun part is that if you try to tap and don't be confused by your playing, it will happen to fall at a perfect beat at the end!
Aliens
I would really love to have a look at one of Allan's Martian cave writing, one day or another. Would be interesting!
And....btw.....I'm quite used to be transgendered by Americans, but..... I'm a man! With one L! :D
Gabriele.
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Gabriee,
(I've deleted the L this time because I was ahead by one, sorry about that.)
Some day I hope Allan will release Husband's version too so you can hear the variation. It's pretty interesting.
Allan's own charts are only for the solo sections. And as you probably know his notation references the scales more so than the chords. He hand writes them but once we did a computer graphics version for laughs and below is a glimpse of the beginning of the solo section for this tune - which only makes sense to him...
Enjoy!
Jimmy J
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/136631.jpg)
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Wow!!!!! I still don't have written down the solo section, so I can't compare at the moment....but........I'll do it asap! It'll be soooooo interesting!!!!
Thanks Jimmy!!
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Wow thanx JJ, fantastic :-)
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Looks like the formula for transparent aluminum! (from Star Trek - The Voyage Home!)
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Do you mean Lanyard Loop solo section with this tune, or are you inviting me to solve the mistery?
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....btw, I just uploaded my transcription of Jimmy bass solo on Dodgy Boat.....I love that solo!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/101210808/Allan-Holdsworth-Dodgy-Boat-Bass-Solo-by-Jimmy-Johnson (http://www.scribd.com/doc/101210808/Allan-Holdsworth-Dodgy-Boat-Bass-Solo-by-Jimmy-Johnson)
Anyone can read it online, but to download the pdf, Scribd requires you to create a free account, and then share something in change of a download.
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Yes that's the beginning of the Lanyard Loop solo. Just to help out (or not) my first 3 pitches are E-flat, D-flat and B for two bars each. Keep in mind that sometimes two chords might be the same scale so he wouldn't indicate a change...
I think I've also said this before but in my opinion transcribing and reading music are not the same as playing and creating music. Transcribing is a good exercise and reading is a handy tool but they are skills which you don't actually need to MAKE music, if you know what I mean. If you're having fun with it by all means carry on. The time spent on intense listening and writing won't hurt. Just remember to put the music stands away and jam occasionally.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Interesting distinction you make Jimmy, I think Jeff Berlin might have strong views that diifer from yours, but I cetainly can see your point. One reason to transcribe is that there may be composers in training among us. Thus, skills learned in transcribing may be most useful, in particluar in sharing the roadmap with others. Why limit one's options and skill set? It reminds me of the great debate, to read music or not? If you have creative tendencies, I think you keep them even if you can transcribe and or read music. For seesion work this is critical. Perhaps these skills can even expand creativity, on a different level than just feeling music. Not that feeling the music is a bad thing of course. That is why we have Festivus! Seriously, I buy as much vinyl, in duplicate and more of any recording you appear on. CD's as well. I want to contact Wayne Johnson to load up so to speak. G-d bless ebay for that! I still remember your NYC Bottom Line concert many moons ago that I have mentioned in another post a while ago. The fact that you share so much makes me really want to dig your playing even more! I wish there ws a Transcription of Sky Pirates for example. a wonderful solo, simiar in mood changes to Alex Lifeson of Rush, La Villa Strangiato I think. And you tone! Oooh Ahhh, Oh Baby Oh baby!!
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+1 on Jimmy's tone! It is the referance I use to set my amp!
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Steve,
Thanks for the kind words regarding my playing history, I appreciate that.
I'm not saying that transcribing and reading are a waste of time. Anything you do relating to music improves your own playing / writing skills. Playing another instrument is a good example, very good for your musical brain.
But in our side of the biz (non-classical, with apologies to any classical Alembic players) reading does not necessarily make you a better player. George Benson, Allan Holdsworth, James Taylor and many other of our favorite musicians consider themselves non-readers and it clearly doesn't their talents. That said, I encourage everybody to learn to read simply because it opens up more opportunities to play, and work.
Transcribing... Everybody who plays an instrument copies somebody in the beginning. That's kind of audio transcribing I suppose. Holdsworth tells a great story about this which I will paraphrase: When he first started playing guitar he really dug Charlie Christian and took it upon himself to learn one of his recorded solos. He then got the opportunity to play that solo with a jazz group and did so - two times around the changes. But then the band wanted him to keep going and he had absolutely nothing. Ha! We've all been there!! It's the realization that learning what that guy played has absolutely nothing to do with where the ideas CAME from. But this is all part of learning and it's all valid.
The next step of transcribing is analyzing. And while it's all good ear training, and you might actually find some inspiration in the analysis, does it get you any closer to where the ideas CAME from? I'm not sure about that. There was a guy here in the forum who did an exhaustive analysis of one of my solos a while back and all I can say is I was NOT thinking about any of those findings when I played the solo. I play by ear.......
So again, never a waste of time, all good skills to have and they make you a more rounded musician. But art is not necessarily a science and creativity and inspiration are hard things to learn.
Just my opinions guys, all views are welcomed.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, see how I layed out the ground work for your treatise? I knew you could give an expanded explanation on behalf of the wide range of members we have here, with a little prodding. When I was a lad, I played the clarinet and reading was mandatory and everything. In my teen years, I taught myself quitar and bass, and I very rarely read when I play those instruments, (or I use chord cahrts and chord boxes) although I can still sight read bass lines fairly well. Go figure. Ultimately creativity is exactly that, not to be constrained and maybe enhanced with a strong reading and music theory foundation. Jeff Berlin has a new column in Bass Player with a kinder and gentler approach about a formal proccess for the playing musician. Creativity will rise to the top either way, formal training or pure inspiration. That is how we get innovation. Each one of us processes data in our own way. At this point in my life pictures are easier on my brain than books, whether it be music or gazing at the ladies!!! So I guess I kind of hustled you to speak further, and I am glad I did, but in a good way. After all I am a profesionoal Schmoozer (and I am told a very good one at that). In the end, your contributions to the forum are immense, and I meant what I have said about your tone and influence on me. I take full credit for idolizing the ladies, however. Keep inspiring us!!
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Only speaking strictly for myself here:
Reading/transcribing and all the tools are a great thing to have in your toolbag, but there are lots of situations it will never be used.
I was trained in classical piano for years as a kid and once (a long time ago!) was able to read both clefs like the newspaper.
It was only once I transitioned to playing by ear and making crude attempts to improvise and invent that the many things I learned made sense: I never made the connection, nor could hear truly well, as long as all I had to do was read what was in front of me.
And once I began to play by ear on these gigs for all these years did I ever make anything my own, good or bad, as it could only come from inside me. It was not until then that I felt like I owned my skills, and was doing something uniquely personal, good or bad.
Now, I was a 'club' player, never walked into sessions or live dates with any real charts to speak of, so in my case, those skills weren't needed. Music is a huge world, and every person is in a different situation, so you can never know too much or have too many skills in your toolbox.
J o e y
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So many aspects here....
Sure, JJ, jamming and playing by ear and memory is one world we must live. Though it is not always possible, when the music is too complex, long, arranged. There is a pic of you playing Mendoza new album, with extensive charts in front of you. Even Scofield had charts of Mendoza music when playing live with the orchestra at North Sea Jazz.
I think it's normal when the themes and parts are too long to be safely in your memory.
Everyone get comfortable in different ways while playing. For example, my reading is so natural to me, that having all the grapes of an Alan Pasqua piece in front of me, instantly give me an idea of the possibilities and phyisical positions I have all around my piano.
Transcribing your solo, is not aimed at playing it as is all the time, but expand my possibilities forcing myself to play and understand stuff I wouldn't do by instinct.
Often, playing by ear, our muscolar memories win, and we tend to do what we're used to.
It is when you exercise someone else's music and ideas, that you force your body and brain to move on and expand.
I am not analyzing why you did that notes, by transcribing, but what and where.
Not even Keith Jarret is aware of why he does when he starts his solo improvisations....but it's nice to get into what happened later.
Be sure I'll come out with some other of your solos, Duncan Terrace will be the next. I love it!
BTW, tubeperson, where do I find SKY Pirates? I may transcribe it for you
Gabriele.
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Gabriele, well-stated support of transcibing. Yes, it is challenging but very useful. Most good things in life are. For many, they feel writing music and music theory can or does inhibit their creativity. How would we have art or books without these counterparts in those fields? I would think with an embracing approach, it would actually increase creativity. Better technique enhances actual results in just about any human endeavor. Others may not benefit though and that's fine, but I bet most of those non-believers have not really tried hard enough.
I will firmly agree that listening and imitating yields great results, just ask Jaco, if we could, Pat Metheny, Alan Holdsworth etc. In fact, look at how Wes Montgomery influenced Pat Metheny's playing or any great sax player has influenced Alan Holdsworth. That one should be close to JJ's heart. Every time I hear Alan's playing, I hear Coltrane and Bird etc., but with his own spin on those influences. But a more structured technique leads one to consistency, and a foundation for further creativity. One can listen to a lot of influences but make their own distinctive sound. Wouldn't it be nice (sorry Brian Wilson) to leave that sound in a structured approach for the future stars, who need to listen and study the past and current greats to feed our collective minds and souls? There is terrific 3 book series of transcribed Paul Chambers solos and walking bass lines. The series details the types of notes, rhythms, and changes used by him over the chord changes. How would that stifle creativity, by being able to read and process that data? In fact, I strongly believe it furthers one's reference and technique, thus increasing creativity and the pathway to get to your sonic destination. You can always not look when you want that creative boost, if you choose.
Sky Pirates is featured on The Wayne Johnson Trio album Arrowhead. Recommended disk! It is for sale on ebay in the LP section, but if it is unopened or mint, I usually grab it. This particular recording is not on CD as far as I can tell. Grasshopper, another recording with the same trio , including JJ is on CD. If you can prepare the transcription, that would be quite amazing. Check out JJ's solo. When I was taking some bass lessons a few years ago, my teacher and I attempted it. We got as far as 20 bars.
I must admit, for an insomniac like me, this forum serves a wonderful purpose.
Big Red makes great point about the use of one's ear. Especially for improvising, and group playing this is mandatory, as is having a great sense of time. But why only use some tools? Why not expand one's universe (sorry Timothy Leary) and unleash even more understanding of one's craft? Joey, why lose out on session work, or substituting for another player on a gig, where Fake books may be needed to play the set, or wherever reading is necessary? Why shy away from the challenge, the testing of one's skill set, etc?.
Ever wonder why most people who read a book, then see a movie based on that book, feel disappointed more than satisfied? And we are not talking about the special effects, here, it is the content I am referring to. It is the prodding of one's imagination, and using reading and transcribing as some of the tools to do this. Playing by ear is very useful, but often those who rely solely on that cannot integrate easily with the rest of the band. They are so consumed in themselves, they forget they are in a group. Remember the old joke about the way too busy bass player jamming with a band, and another member says, one of us needs a bass player?
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Why? Because it was too personal for me to be playing somebody else's ideas. For me, it was the challenge of doing it right here / right now.
And I'd come from years of playing what was on the page, not the other way 'round. So I 'shyed away from it' as I'd already been there / done that, and I'd had quite enough. IF you're playing someone else's charts / tabs / sheet music, there's always the implied suggestion to play it the way THEY heard it: I didn't always agree. . . . by the time I walked away from my classical training, I respected the tradition, but had grown to hate how rigidly it crammed interpretation into a narrow funnel of playing things the way they'd always been played. I found this strangling, as if you could only view a famous painting only by everyone who ever saw it standing ONLY on the same 'X' painted on the floor in front of it.
But I played almost exclusively dates where it was not required. And again, this is just me talking about my experience, different from amyone else.
J o e y
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First Joey I love ya man. You are a major contributor here and I am grateful to you for that. I would not have attempted to adjust my Alembics without your posts. So I am loving the fact I will use that forum post against your why and give you the Because, but first a break from the action.
Ok Joey, first, remember Jim Bouton's book about baseball - Ball Four? The next one he wrote which was a follow up on the same topic was I'm Glad You Didn't Take It Personally. To steal from Shakespere - Too personal or not too personal!
Since you ask why, let me respond: Because! I have thanked you on this very forum a number of times for your most awesome post about setting up the Alembic bass. And what form of communication did you use? Written aka transcription, so to speak. Your own validation of my point. Certainly I did not limit my digestion of your post as the only data available, it would have been great to speak with you while I was adjusting away, or have a video of the process. Not that I am invalidating yours, if you read my post carefully, most of my learing on guitar and bass has been through listening and imitation. Let me offer that if you had posted a video instead of your written post, it may have gotten me to the same point, perhaps not. The written language is more useful, since it is repeatable and consistent as a reference. I can deviate that as I feel it but it gives a terrific starting point. Let me give you another example. As a younger ruffian learning our craft, I aurally transcribed or better yet derived Donna Lee the Charle Parker tune that Jaco made so famous. Many years passed by. If I tried to recall the visual memory of the listening as a means to play the part, at that later point, it would have taken longer than if I could (and still can) read the transcriptions available. I like to think that if you can read the notes, it gives you a better foundation to feel the inflections of the player being imitated. Reading music does not rob one of feel, despite the excuses we hear against reading music. You either have it, develop it or don't get it. Now I could just say Feel this but only in person over single malt (just a joke don't fret about it)! Seriously, I have used your own words to illustrate my point, and then given a further example of how the reading can help recall the lost physical technique of the playing. Here is one to ponder - I had asked JJ if he had a transcription of his solo on Sky Pirates. He was kind enough to reply, but it was not available. I guess my question to him, and all of us to ponder (the situation) is - if he could read a transcription of that solo, or even the arrangement, after not playng it for let's say 10 - 15 or more years, would he recall it quicker by aural memory, or written reading, then enhancing it with Feel This? I think it is a fair question and each of us might differ on that, but in my eperience, if I can read, I can travel more efficiently. Otherwise why would they make GPS units for us to read if we could feel it? By enabling reading, I can get back to a reference point, then listen for feel and inflection. Therefore, one may be a feel player, and not use the written form, and be a great player, but you cannot then particiapte in a gig where reading is needed. Gigs are hard enough to get, why limit your possibilities. Respectfully submitted, your Tubeeness
Joey, still love ya man. And JJ, you are quite the inspiration, no negativity given, just a passing thought as I run out to see my son compete (as opposed to reading about it in the newspaper or see a video. Live experience does rule. Reading counts. Have a single malt, on me. Sorry for typoes gotta go!!!!
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I'm still trying to increase the percentage of occurrences where my fingers actually land cleanly between the frets. If I can get that percentage up to some acceptable level, then getting those occurrences in an order that sounds musically interesting will hopefully be a more pleasing listening experience.
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I?ve got to get my two cents in here and agree with Gabriele's first statement... So many aspects here... There is reading, feeling, and what might be most important, listening.
Add to that recent information from research cognitive psychology suggesting that while there is some commonality, the neural circuits that we develop over time that allow us to engage in a variety of behaviors, including playing the way that we do, are NOT exactly the same. Rather, there are subtle differences in them between individuals. Those subtle neurological differences may make it possible for the best to read, feel, and listen at the same time. Unfortunately, that?s not me. I can only engage in one or two of the three with any degree of competence.
When playing with my son (a guitarist who at 22 years of age is a lot more capable as a musician than I ever will be) I typically start out playing new pieces via the reading route. The comment I all too often hear from him at the end of a piece is, ?Dad you got the notes and timing right, but everything else is missing.? In order to force his old man to listen and feel, he?s taken to hiding charts after the first couple of times we?ve been through a piece. Initially, I thought it was his imagination. Until of course he recorded some of our sessions and asked me to identify which tunes (that we both knew well) I had played in the presence and absence of music. I was surprised at the difference because it wasn?t subtle as I might have expected, but quite clear. Of course, he now feels he is justified at hiding charts after one or two times through a piece, not yet clearly understanding that as one ages, some aspects of cognition, including one?s memory, start to go.
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Dave,
That's all any of us are trying to do really, and being able to glance at the fingerboard (away from the music) can be helpful. Ha!
Yes Brian, good story. The joke used to be: Can you read? Yeah, but not enough to effect my playing. It takes a long time to be able to do all those things simultaneously.
Just a couple more comments here as you already know my spin on these subjects. Interesting that our reading / not reading discussion is mostly between readers. I have certainly used reading A LOT throughout my career and it would have taken a different path if I didn't have that skill. That said, my two primary jobs over the last few years; James Taylor and Allan Holdsworth are not reading gigs. Meaning there was no book for either band - for whatever that's worth. I made my own cheat sheets for both groups but the music is transferred to the players by listening as opposed to reading.
My main point is to say that you should never judge any musician by whether or not they can read. The examples I named above should make that clear. I'll add Stevie Wonder and George Shearing to further my point. (Excuse my ignorance, there probably is braille music notation but we can assume these two didn't use charts during live performances.)
I'm old school and still think of music is an aural art form (Lady Gaga aside). The creative results are to be enjoyed by simply listening. I don't need video of Yoyo Ma to enjoy his playing of almost any piece of music.
And while we're talking Yoyo? That guy can play anything that is written down on the paper and make it beautiful. As with many classically trained musicians he does not ad lib. Don't invite him to your jam session unless you write out the melodies! And yet, if you ever see him touring either as a guest soloist or with one of his World music groups, chances are he has memorized the music involved. Why? Because performing music does not require reading music and it seems his choice is to be able to close his eyes and make beautiful sound.
It would be interesting to know if there were ever any famous European classical musicians who didn't read? On the other hand, I don't think classical Indian music has notation, though I could be wrong.
Gabriele,
Vince Mendoza wrote very specific parts for all of us. As an arranger he heard his music in a specific way and our job was to comply with only a tiny bit of individual input from each musician. They were also long compositions not easily memorized even for the soloists, thus Scofield with his charts?
Steve,
Holdsworth's soloing style definitely has roots in Coltrane and that cross-instrumental influence is rare and makes for some unusual results! He's a one-off. I can't really agree with your book / movie analogy though. Written music might be our script but the audio performance that results is our art meant to inspire people's imagination. And for pop music the poetry of the lyrics might be the thing and the music just the setting.
You asked whether a transcription would help me remember something I had played? I'd be better off just listening because for one thing, most transcriptions aren't quite right. I mean you can notate absolutely anything including the player's mistakes (rush these notes, fret rattle here) but if it was a solo of mine then I would have the advantage of knowing what I was TRYING to play and could get to that much quicker by listening than by looking at it. My initial reaction to a transcription of one of my own solos is absolute shock. Really? I did THAT?
So yes, you could transcribe a Van Halen or Hendrix solo (could either of them read music?) with every nuance notated and then study it and practice it until you could reproduce it almost exactly. Good exercise I guess but to what end? Those two guys probably never played the same solo twice??
OK, sorry for the lengthy spiel. All is swell, best to everybody, keep playing.
Jimmy J
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B.B King once answered The Question Yeah, but just enough to confuse me.
Peter
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Good discussion and civil as well. My point is that if you read to get the basics, then it would be easier to get the feel (We all have duck notes some intentional some not). If you have a ballpark framework (transcriptions etc.), then you can embellish or input your own feel. I am sure you do not play the same solo exactly the same way every time. Certainly when I play, I am not always reading, but if you ant to broaden your opportunities, reading does help with that.
One point of contention, how do you know if Yo Yo Ma can or cannot improvise? I would bet he could. He certainly plays with feel (especially when not reading the notes) How about Ron Carter, a classically trained bassist who pursued jazz due to the discrimination placed against him in the classical world. He may be one of the greatest acoustic jazz bass improvisers. Even James Jamerson had classical training, he just felt his way to Motown and thank G-d for that!
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I no longer consider myself a reader. My skills have atrophied considerably due to playing covers
by ear for these many years. I've decided it is not worth the work to regain those skills as, for me anyway, it cuts into the joy of playing.
That being said I do still find a chart or transcription useful when I have trouble hearing an important hook of a song. There are certain
tunes that need to have the hook played correctly or you lose the feel.
Keith
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I believe that both skills are helpful, but some can only use one. The more skills the more merriment. I just do not buy the argument that reading robs one of feel. You either have feel or you must try to learn it somehow. As Jeff Berlin might say ..... Feel this!!!!
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An artist only needs to do what he or she feels advances their art. However, being a professional musician requires that you are prepared to work. How many gigs do you cut yourself out of if you don't read? Steve Vai got his gig with Zappa by sending him a transcription of The Black Page. He also backed that up by being able to play like a Mother as well.
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Yes Steve and all, I am certainly not saying that reading makes you any LESS of a player. On the contrary, anything you do on the instrument is good for whatever else you might want to do on the instrument. The above joke is meant as a joke.
Reading is a very handy skill which opens up many opportunities to expand your musical world - and WORK as a musician. I highly recommend learning how to read. I'm simply pointing out that there are many many great and inspiring musicians who don't have that skill and we should not judge them as any less accomplished or influential. So I don't consider reading mandatory to making music ... but I highly recommend it as a useful skill.
I've worked with Yoyo Ma a couple of times with JT and my experience was that he is a charts guy. But what he can do with the dots on the page is simply ridiculous... If by feel we're talking about emotional content then this guy is overflowing with it. And this happens as he reads the written music so right there we have those two aspects working in harmony. Shall we dismiss him because if can't swing or blow over rhythm changes? I THINK NOT! Haha!
If by feel you're talking about groove then that's a different animal. Those of us who have passed through classical training know that groove is not necessarily a part of that world. We're taught that the dynamics and pulse of the tempo should constantly be shifting - going somewhere or coming from somewhere - stretchy! So Carter and Jamerson didn't learn everything from their classical training, that's for dang sure. I understand that Jamerson and others in that rhythm section were jazzers too. It's so amazing how that all came together as it did!
Best to all,
Jimmy J
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John,
I haven't really lost any gigs due to not reading. I do not do this professionally and mainly play your typical bar and downtown festival stuff (Classic Rock, Beach Music, Blues, etc). Most of these require a set of standards that everybody plays and for those songs I don't know I learn from a recording. I also do some occasional session work for a friend that records regional gospel and country groups. These are quite often standards or the folks being recorded provide the chords and leave the bass part up to me. I wasn't trying to imply that reading was a useless skill but that it is not the holy grail, so to speak, of making music. That part comes from who your are in my opinion.
I recall an interview some years back where Adrian Belew talks about not being able to read music and getting the guitar gig with Frank Zappa. I also know classical musicians some of which are reader interpreters and others that can also improvise. I think it really boils down to what gives a person the most enjoyment in playing music and what skills does one need to accomplish that.
Keith
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I understand completely. I think we're all saying the same thing. Different strokes for different folks.
Great examples; Zappa hired Belew and Vai for their unique skill sets.
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For classical musicians (and I also count myself a huge fan of Yo Yo Ma), their 'improvisation' is really the interpretation of the piece they're playing. This is good and bad, as since the classical catalog consists of a lot of 'standards' so to speak for various instruments or ensembles or orchestras, one can 'judge' whose version is 'best', as if that's really possible or useful. And since these pieces are written and no improvisation is used, it can almost get like comparing lap times or quarterback ratings or RBI's: To me this is an absurd concept when it comes to music, but since these pieces are all written out . . . . .
But then again, for all I know, YYM is home right now playing obbligatos over a recording of 'School Days'.
J o e y
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Written music, once upon a time, was the only recording media. Since modern recording is possible, we can share music with no score at all.
We will never know how Bach was improvising on his Cembalo, and he did a lot. But we can still play and listen to his music thanks to his scores.
Writing down your solos, Jimmy, let me see a different perspective about how your brain and soul organized the notes into a musical concept.
Then I can put aside the chart and play with some new knoweledge and inspiration.
No matter what's the way you put down music into written symbols, we need a way to easily get into a piece of music without having to listen to it again everytime we don't remember it.
And to leave the composition viable to anyone in the future.
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To tie the movie anthology & YYM to just knowing how to read, your local high school can put on Death Of A Salesman, and the kid in the lead can recite the part of Willie Loman perfectly - not missing a word or comma. Doesn't mean he's giving the same performance Dustin Hoffman did.
Peter (who will read this after some sleep to see if it makes sense)
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Joey, we should all be Yo Yo ing over an obligato. Groove and feel are two distinct traits. I think of Rocco Prestia (funkier than most slappers, and he does not go slap happy) that reading is not enough, and I would argue in that case listening and trying to emulate works better. I've spent most of my bass playing life trying to really borrow and emulate his groove. I have also seen him in concert and watched videos (a must do for all bassist who want to funkify).
Perhaps we all see the pros and cons of both. I just wanted to make clear that reading does not rob one of feel, and that as a musician, you may not have to read to get gigs, just you can get more gigs if you read (and desire to get those gigs that require reading).
Jimmy, a special thanks to you, as a working bassist of the highest order, for participating in this discussion (I thought you would say it was unfair of me to bring up Ron Carter et. al. but it seemed fair to me). By the way, does (or did) your father read music? Just a thought. Please keep us in your loop, I cannot tell you how much we appreciate it. And as much as I look for the Arrowhead album, I also hunt down the first Flim and the BB's direct to disk album as well. I have all of the other releases on C (what's a CD? Vinyl rules!!!!!
Cosmic Cowboy, think about how many performances one would have to listen to just to get the part down, then more time putting one's own spin (or the director's really) in order to play a part learned without a script. I am not referring to the closet actors that we all portray for our favorite movie roles. The real deal is much more involved, and can you imagine a movie without a script, except for Spinal Tap which was incredible when you think about it That is the exception not the rule.
Once one learns rules' scales' theory, cliche's, they then forget them to perform. Quite a concept reality?! I think that expresses what Jimmy J has offered to us, and I would absolutely agree with that. Otherwise, robots could make for a band (and unfortunately, unless we continue to innovate, they will).
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I'd definitely agree that there are pluses (pros) as well as minuses (cons) to each of the approaches that have been discussed and agree with Steve about how fortunate we are to have someone as respected as you, Jimmy, providing us with your insights.
Getting back to my original theses, I personally wasn't suggesting that, reading robs one of feel, but only that, based on what I've been told by several individuals who have quite frequently listened to me play that, reading robs ME of feel as well as the ability to really listen well to my fellow musicians.
I have no idea as to whether this is a result of my learning to read while playing a different instrument; hanging up my bass for many years before rediscovering the joy of playing with others, or the way my neurological circuits developed (I'm a research-based child psychologist with a social learning theory bent and we tend to be linear thinkers for the most part).
Regardless of the reasons, it does have an impact on how I learn and play new pieces. While YYM may be able to sight-read a piece and play it with feeling, I simply don't have those capacities. The feeling, at least for me, comes to the fore after I've played a piece a sufficient number of times to put the mechanics of playing on automatic pilot.
Now please, don't ask me about whether I can rub my stomach and chew gum at the same time. I haven't tried and at this point would be fearful of what the results would do to my ego.
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Hammer, I have several psychiatrists as clients (I am an employee benefits consultant), so I feel at home with how you think. Thank G-d for single malt!! Have someone else rub your tummy.
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Today (last night, whatever - I hate night shift when it ain't music!) I remembered an Our Boarding House With Major Hoople comic from the 1920s (no, I didn't see it new); lady is playing piano to impress a rich dude, and says You know, I play by ear. Remarks the smart-ass kid Why don't you try it that way then? It sounds somethin' awful when you use your fingers!
Peter
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Reading and playing with feeling mostly takes practice. When it starts to flow, it's a great feeling. I used to have a minimal amount of that skill during my oboe playing days, but never totally got there with bass, although I enjoyed reading when I did it more often.
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Found some cool footage of Jimmy playing with terry bozzio (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_-XR8csiiw) at the baked potato in january this year while I was looking for info about the place. I'm amazed Terry got his drums on stage.
graeme
(Message edited by jacko on September 05, 2012)
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Well, I'm not actually on the stage but standing in the aisle and need to move to let the waitress by. And that's Terry's small kit. The guy makes some music on it though!
Once a month Jon Daversa brings his big band into this club. That's like half the room's capacity right there. Good fun.
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on September 06, 2012)
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Just back from seeing Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. What a great show. HOWEVER, the night before we met up with Jimmy at the Baked potato and heard him play some fantastic Jazz with the Mike Miller allstars. Now THAT was a show!
It was really good to meet up with you again Jimmy. You have a standing invitation to join us in Scotland anytime you want.
Graeme.
p.s. Jane Fonda was at the greek and took a dog... they wouldn't even allow US to take a small camera in :-(
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Well, as long as the dog wasn't taking pictures.
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It was great to see Graeme and his Mrs. again. They got themselves a full dose of Hollywood: Ms. Fonda and her dog, Darth Vader on his coffee break, stuck in 8 lanes of traffic in an American made muscle car with the top down, and many notes played fast and loud at the Baked Potato. You experienced just about all we have to offer in Southern Cal!
I look forward to your Bay Area report.
Jimmy J
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Bonnie and Mavis????? I can only imagine!
Peter
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Here are a few video's of Jimmy doing some funky disco grooves with Michael Ruff and friends. I've just been watching some and it's interesting the tone I'm hearing between the B- string and the others has a nice natural balance unlike some basses I've heard where moving to the low B string is almost like the string is alien to the rest of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs67ZHXj2vg&feature=relmfu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs67ZHXj2vg&feature=relmfu)
Nice grooving Jimmy. :-) I'm saving these for reference tones for me to get on my SII.
Jazzyvee
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I know what you mean about a B string that seems like it's from another bass. When I got my Modulus Q6 all together (a long story, it was built from parts), I went through almost every string manufacturer I could find to get a good balance across the whole instrument. The two brands that worked for me were Fodera and DR. The Foderas sounded and felt great, but within 4 sets of music I had broken two of them. The DR Sunbeams sounded just as good and feel better to me and they last forever. It feels and sounds like the same bass from the lowest B to the highest C.
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+1 on Jimmy's tone! It is also my reference tone every time I set my amp up!
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Wow, ancient pre-cell-phone-camera video. 16mm? Obviously not from my silent film era. Ha! That was a fun semi-organized jam band and I always thought Ruff was a talented guy who deserved a shot but just never quite caught it...
Thanks for the comments on the bass tone. I know what you mean, on some basses the B-string sounds extreme and unrelated to the rest of the instrument. And it must depend on all the usual factors because my live bass has a stronger B than my studio bass even though they are almost identical. Same strings, same electronics, same general body and neck... Differences in the exact mass, the wood grain, and stiffness must be the factors.
That said, I also think you learn and adjust to the string balance of your own instrument. If you have to start a run up high on the E string for instance, you know that note is going to leap out because the string has more mass over the pickup... I think you also learn the dynamics of the different strings and play accordingly just as you learn to avoid any dead spots on the neck.
Experimenting with string types and gauges is always a good start. You want to begin by making it as even as possible and then let your ears control your fingers for the fine adjustments.
Cheers to all,
Jimmy J
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And a bit of tweaking can help: Just looking at the sizes of the strings, it's obvious that the B and E have lots more metal in them than the D and G, so you may want to run your pickups lower in the body on the bass side and higher on the high side. This doesn't always help as it's string dependent to a certain extent, but it may be a strategy to try for some of you.
Do this with NEW strings: Those you put on last Summer for the Keg Race gig are not 'honest' by now, you won't get a clean representation with those.
And remember your Alembic height adjustment drill for all non-Activator (Series, FatBoys, AXY, MXY) shell shapes. Loosen the screw you can see FIRST, then reach through the hole and loosen the 'buried screw'. And when you tighten them, snug is enough. DON'T tighten them like an auto part, you may break the 'ears' of the shell !
J o e y
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Hi JJ,
Back to the Allan's chart you posted last july of Lanyard Loop solo section.
I finally had time to go on transcribing, going through the solo section...........amazing!!!
The long solo introduction makes you think it will be the base harmony sequence of the solo......but.....once the solo starts, you end up with a modified version!! Grrrrrr!!! But hopefully it then continues with the initial exposition....
A good exercise for memory!!
But. To the point.
I really can't find any link between the chart you posted and the transcribed solo section........nothing!!
Please.....please.....help......
The solo intro starts in Eb, while the chart starts with Cx/Fx......
Please..........there must be a way of reading!!
Gabriele.
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Hi Gabriele,
Well you've certainly chosen a complicated ear training exercise. One of the crazier solo sections, with the metric modulation and all...
If you've figured out the long solo intro you already have most of it. On the second time through the sequence there are alternate chords. I think of the main section as 22 bars in two sets of 11. Actually, 7+4 and 7+4 again. Once the solo starts (which is the second time through the sequence) the chord in bar 3 & 4 is different, a different bass note in bar 13, different chord in 14 & 15. Bar 21 & 22 are a 1st or 2nd ending with a different chord the 2nd time going on to the time change link.
So it's like this: Allan plays the chords the 1st time through and then starts soloing on the 2nd time (with the alternate changes above). We do the time change link and we're back to the 1st time through - the chords you already have. 1st ending at bar 22 and back for more solo over the sequence with the alternate chords again. Then Allan switches out of soloing and back to playing chords at the time change and we take the coda which links us back to the head.
Now regarding the symbols I've posted above, as I said Allan's notation refers to the scale and not the chord which the rest of us would normally write. So although I think of the first chord of the sequence as a B-flat over E-flat (which may not really be correct) Allan writes Cx over Fx. That should give you a clue. My E-flat somehow equals his Fx... I don't understand why but that's his way. I don't think his charts account for how long we stay on a scale, but I'm not sure. The 2x likely refers to the alternate chord on the 2nd time through ... but I'm only guessing.
Working on taking down the tune is one thing but don't try to work out Allan's charts too or your head will explode!
Jimmy J
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Does Alan tune down a whole step?
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John,
Allan uses standard tuning but he did have a couple baritone instruments at one time. One of those may have been tuned in 5ths. And one was named Boris. Ha!
Jimmy J
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Hello JJ,
I've seen you're gonna play with Billy Childs and Joe Heredia this weekend!! Can you tell me some more about this project? I'd love to be there, but...you know, I'm so far.......
Also, I've been listening to the latest Chad album: you're blasting here!!! You're more pervasive then ever!
About this CD, I'd ask you a few clues:
- the second piece, where you play continuous 4ths rythmic patterns, is it improvised or written?
- one of the last tracks, the kind of guitar sound, that cannot be Allan. Me and Franco were trying to guess if it was Cox with synth sound or you with some kind of device!
Great playing, as always ;)
Gabriele.
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Hey Gabriele,
I've worked with Childs on and off for many years including a few of his recordings. Challenging music! He has a strong left hand so he writes some wild unison lines. I don't always take the live gigs because it's a real commitment to relearn the bass parts. But it's great stuff and we should have fun tomorrow night. At least we will feel like we've accomplished something if we live through the set. Ha!
I'm going to suggest to Chad that he post a pdf of his record's credits on his website. (I think ALL Artists should do that these days since music purchased online rarely includes credits... This drives me crazy, especially on jazz records with several players. End of rant.)
As to your questions... I think you mean the 3rd track Bent Bayou with the funny 4ths bass pattern? Yes that was an ad lib. Without Allan's crazy harmonies it would be just a simple wobbly groove. Plus we are treated to some very unusual clean soloing from Allan. Cool!
Several of the tracks on this record are improvs. Track 13 (of 14), with the envelope kind of guitar sound, is only Jim Cox (keys) and Chad. Two other tracks were built upside-down; they started as improvs with Chad and Jim and then I added bass later which made them almost sound like organized songs.
It's a nice collection of things and I'm glad Chad was finally able to finish it.
Thanks for the support.
Jimmy J
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I was wondering Jimmy, what were the circumstances that led to your choosing to play Alembic? I haven't read anything about that on the forum.
Jazzyvee
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Double post.
(Message edited by jazzyvee on November 15, 2012)
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Well, how was the gig with Billy? Someone who could be there told it was awesome, and I'm sure he's right! But how did you feel it?
Back to Chad album. The Fifth is wonderful, your bass solo is delicious, Allan follows you crying outstanding phrases.
Overall, the album needs more listenings than any other Chad ones. Every time I get more confortable with the structures, identify themes, melodies and chords. And it sounds better every time.
This time, it's like Chad got back to the Atavachron era, sounding more like an Allan work. I usually could instantly recognize Chad's way of writing and conceiving melodies and patterns. And I love it.
This time is like he moved into Allan way. Still lovable.
The only thing I miss, is Cox and his unbelievable organs we all know so well in forty reasons. They were totally a different direction than any other organist!
Cox didn't play that much here, isn't it?
I'm finishing: are you ever coming out with some work of yours??
GB
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Should I double reply?
OK Jazzyvee, thanks for asking. I'll try not to make this too long-winded...
I was always a wire-head and had a rather dangerous (in hindsight) electrical shop of my own as a young kid... I know what 120vac feels like and yet somehow I survived.
The first electric bass I ever tried was a Fender P owned by Wayzata High School and brought home by my older brother who I think was playing it in jazz band at the time. (Remember when schools had music programs?)
The first bass I owned was a Kalamazoo by Gibson.
The next seems to have been an EB2 though I don't remember much about that one. I think it was green...
Then came a Gibson Les Paul with low impedance pickups... By that time I was doing some session work and on a whim had that bass modified with a built-in Jensen DI transformer feeding an XLR connector mounted on the bottom edge. I could walk into the studio and plug the mic cable directly into the bass. Apparently I was already out of my mind at that young age. HA!
Then I was hanging out at the local music store, as young players tend to do, and remember saying to salesman Jim Harms it's too bad nobody makes a bass like my Gibson but long scale. To which he replied I know a company in California that can do anything!.
So in '75 I ordered a Series 4-string through that music store and that was the start of my Alembic experience. The 5-string experiment started the next year, in '76.
I've probably mentioned this here before but my dad played bass and was also a piano tuner. His tuning technique included hitting the piano keys very hard to help seat the strings. I recall sitting UNDER the grand as he tuned the bass strings and that may have been the sonic imprint that I went after as I looked for my own bass tone later in life.
Once I got to Alembic I just stayed there. I still don't own any other brands. It may not be everybody's cup of tea but I guess it works for me!
Best to all,
Jimmy J
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Gabrielle,
(You posted while I was typing...)
The Childs gig was pretty fun. No major musical train-wrecks and some nice musical moments. Heredia, Shep and BC all played great.
Yes, Chad has put together another nice record, this is an interesting collection of tracks. Thanks for your kind comments we're glad you like it. Not as many compositions here and the band improvisations create some unusual musically twists. Candy for your ears!
No JJ solo project. NO! I prefer to play for others!
Jimmy J
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(Remember when schools had music programs?)
Yeah - now, I'm glad to say! At the HS I attended in SE OH 4 decades back we had a choir & a band; they shared a stage/rehearsal space that was a hole in the gym wall (and had class concurrantly with PE classes going on in said gym), & wore uniforms/robes 10-20 years old; the football team got new jerseys every year (and the art room didn't have a sink).
The HS I subbed at the last few years has a SOTA perfoming arts wing bigger than my HS, with SR gear as good as most of what I used to make my living on. Yeah, the jock wing is bigger - but not by much. It's really pretty sweet. Of course, it's also not in SE OH.
Peter
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LOL JJ, you did it again! The double elle!
Would be nice to know what keeps you away from composing for yourself. Actually you compose everytime you play, but...you know what I mean
Gabriele (one elle)
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My high school had great music program. When I was there, it was run by an ex-Airforce sergeant, who was totally on him game. My whole school had 136 students for 9-12 and maybe 34 or 40 faculty and staff. Chris Carlson would recruit damn near the whole school for the choir and assembled a pretty good chamber orchestra to go with it. We played a wide range of material (admittedly from the classical tradition) ranging from the pre-Baroque all the way to 20 century pieces with tone clusters. One of the highest points of my life was performing the B-Minor Mass first oboe part with our school musicians supplemented with a few ringers. There is nothing like sitting in the front row of that orchestra surrounded by the choir and the pipe organ thundering away up in the reaches of the church, all with the majesty of Bach swirling all around you. Perhaps part of the ecstatic nature was due to the fact that the oboe is a bitch of an instrument to play and the part is crazy relentless.
The next year, Carlson moved on (to drive a big rig for Digital Equipment Corporation. Dude had a weird career path but he was righteous. He'd come visit the school in downtown Boston or up at the school retreat in the back woods of New Hampshire.) His replacement was an alum of the school, fresh out of undergrad, who was all gung ho. That fall, we were preparing the Handel Messiah for the Christmas concert and at the first rehearsal she scheduled dress rehearsals for the final concert and told us that if we missed any of them, we'd fail (conversely, Carlson would schedule rehearsal and inspire us to do whatever we could to make it happen and be prepared, including getting charts months in advance). Now, the Messiah is OK for what it is, but it is deadly boring for the oboe. Rather than a voice with continuous commentary like the Bminor, it is always doubling a second violin, a flute, or third viola. It's essentially background color. So, I told her that my rock band had a show the night of the second dress rehearsal and was not movable. I told that I thought that she should let me off because I was a mere background in the Messiah and in my band, I was 1/3 of the action (a power trio! It was the 70s). She told me if I missed, I'd get an F. I missed it. I played the concert perfectly, I had perfect attendance for the whole rest of the semester. We had a meeting she told me she was putting an A on my transcript and that there was an F between. I lost all faith in her credibility and it renewed my sense that rock and roll was a lot more fun! Bass wins! I still miss that oboe, though. It was a Lor?e, the Alembic of oboes. I never got that great at the oboe, but what great experience! There was also some really fun chamber music, especially the modern stuff. I often tried to instill my rock bands with the rehearsal ethic of the classical groups, but it was a losing battle.
Oh, yeah, I remember one of Carlson's final exams. He sat us down and had us transcribe the Brandenburg #4, first movement, by ear. We hadn't done a single transcription all semester and I was totally lost. I thought it a bit unfair. I had never studied ear training or done a transcription. There were some big holes in my education.
Jazz class was even more hopeless for me. I couldn't tell Parker from Monk from Herbie Hancock from Lawrence Welk. Hopeless. One of my classmates was Alex McCabe, a seriously talented player and another was Jeremy Berlin. The teacher was Jordan Sandke who had with a variety of folks, from Howlin' Wolf to Jaki Byard (who coincidentally was a jamming partner of my uncle and spent a lot time hanging jamming at my dad's house when he was 12, 13, 14.). I was in over my head and tried to bow out gracefully. I wish I could go back and do it now!
OK, I apologize for the meandering.
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Maybe Carlson's replacement should have staged Bach's Magnificat afterwards, and then the Oboe would have a more prominent place.
In my HS (first of the two I attended), there was a Choir and a Estudiantina (a students ensamble with Guitars, Mandolins, Venezuelan Cuatro, and... well, I entered as a guitar player, and on the second rehearsal I saw the double bass lying on the instruments room, and I fell in love with it instantly, I was 13 and had been studying music and playing guitar for about 4-5 years already. So, after a couple months the group had also a Bass Player in me). The repertoire was mostly Folklore and popular Latin American tunes, so nothing strictly academic here. Although in the conservatory I first studied there was an orchestra, I never joined it (I regret it now), and in the music school I went afterwards the staff were mostly young Berklee and GIT graduates (EARLY 80s, direct Diorio and Roberts alumni) which encouraged the formation of small groups, but with no formal School Ensemble. Anyway, on my HS the Jock wing was almost The Entire School, and the small space the Choir and the Estudiantina shared, had no facilities whatsoever, nor SR of any kind (The school's theatre, looking somewhat like a small Spanish Zarzuela theatre from early 20th century, had the likes of a mid-sized Home Stereo with a small microphone mixer. This in the early-mid 80s, at one of the biggest public schools in the very heart of an Oil Producing Country's capital city, mind you!). This group reunited earlier this year, 26 years after the last time we played together (which was in 1986) for a school's anniversary event, and had the opportunity to play again under the baton of our very same conductor back then, a renowned local Choir conductor and composer. It felt nice not to have forgotten the tunes, the feel... but most of all to compare the Then and Now feel of it, with all the water passed under the bridge. It was my start as a bass player, too, and therefore was significant. The old double bass is still there, but WAY TOO BEATEN OFF even for me to be played (It's hard to describe, broken headstock badly fixed, cracks on the sides, replacement bridge unadjusted and therefore WAY TOO HIGH for playing anything on those (yuck!) RUSTY STRINGS!. I swallowed hard, and got ahold of my trusty Gallien MB200 and one of my basses, and did rehearsals and the show on this.
At the second HS I attended, there was a Marching Band only, no other music program whatsoever, and those guys insisted more on military formation than the music being played. The Band's storage room had several trumpets and trombones, even an Euphonium and a couple marching Tubas, which nobody played, since nobody seemed to have the slightest musical education. It was mostly drums, three girls playing xylophones, and the two instructors and a friend of them, on two trombones and a trumpet. Then it happened what had to happen... As I entered the storage room (again...) I fell in love with the Trombone, and I found myself learning Trombone, and the basics of Trumpet (and LOVED the Euphonium! I still want one!), and devised a way to teach the oh-so-basic tunes to a couple friends, by drawing the piston's positions, so we grew a little in the Horn Section. The instructors knew I was a formal music student, and so they drew me out of the military formation practice every time to help me improve on the instrument, and we ended up always talking about Jazz (It was the 80s... these guys were the ones to introduce me to some part of the fun I was missing, until then I was all about DiMeola, Metheny, Ponty, Corea, or more traditional sounds like Brubeck, Davis, they game me loads of cassettes with Spyro Gyra, Watanabe, Bob James's and GRP Big Bands, Ritenour, and of course... FLIM AND THE BBs!).
I ended up quitting the marching band after a year, when I got tired of the older guys trying to get military on me. Heck, by then I was already earning money making music, and was not interested at all in following nobody's orders, when I could be enjoying the music I made ... and its benefits. . And to think I wanted to play Bob James's Touchdown with the marching band... :P
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Sorry Gabri-L, I never could speL very weL... (are we even now?)
Good stories my friends. Those musically formative years were, well, formative for all of us! The way we play and listen is directly connected to every musical experience we've had along the way. My HS band director was a great and inspirational character.
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy, check the series II showcase, i got a very nice series II shorty recently, a good bargain so i couldn?t resist..., but it?s worth it, this bass is awesome! By the way, sketchy conquers russia in december, this time not with a quartett, we do it with some different orchesters, i?m looking forward to!
it was really a pleasure to meet u at the potatoes,
Peter
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Hey Jimmy, I'm finally going to get to go to The Baked Potato next month! I'm flying in Dec. 14 for the weekend to take my son to a Chargers game & we are going to see John Daversa's Big Band that night. I see you are playing with Terry Bozzio on Dec. 1 & Allen Hinds on Dec. 11. I wish I was going to be there to catch one of your shows! Maybe someday!
Rusty
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Rusty - You should change your plans by a few days. It would be well worth it to see Jimmy play at the potato. The sound there is excellent and you can hear every note perfectly. I still can't imagine Bozzio's drumkit in that place though - there'd barely be room for the audience never mind the rest of the band :-)
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I wish I could Jacko, but my oldest son just made Head Band Director at a brand new school this year & he is having his Christmas concert Dec. 13, so I can't come out before the 14th. I don't want to miss his 1st concert as a Head Band Director. I'm flying out to take my other son to the San Diego Chargers football game on Dec. 16, so I can't change my plans & go a different weekend. The band we are seeing on the 14th is a 17 piece Big Band, so I imagine it will be a VERY intimate setting!!
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17 piece! That's going to be a really tight squeeze. Hope you have a really great trip anyway - and congrats to your other son on his promotion :-)
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Here's a picture of them, it is John Daversa's Progressive Big Band.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/144214.jpg)
Thanks for the congrats!
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Peter K,
That is a fine looking acquisition, congratulations. Your vibrato will go a long way on that axe! And wow, have a great time in Russia! That should be a great experience!
Rusty,
Sorry to miss you at the Potato. (I'm probably not playing the Allen Hinds gig in December. Sometimes the online calendar is inaccurate due to the use of copy and paste. Most likely it will be JV Collier on bass that evening.) But you will certainly enjoy the Daversa band. He assembles a great collection of players and has written some very cool modern big band music. They overflow the bandstand a bit ... but that's all part of the fun. Have a great trip and congrats to your elder for the head band director gig.
Graeme,
Terry brings a small kit to the Potato, only 4 kick drums last time. Ha! This time he is threatening to use the house kit ... but I have a feeling it will become something more. Good fun!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Thanks for the reply Jimmy! I will definitely make it out to one of your shows someday! This trip was scheduled to take my son to a Chargers game, but hopefully next time I can plan it around one of your shows! Have you ever thought of starting a seperate thread on here with a list of your upcoming gigs so we could see when you are playing in our area?
Rusty
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Jimmy,
As I sit here rebuilding a laptop for my Mom and waiting for all of the Windows updates to download, I am thoroughly enjoying watching you with Lee Ritenour on the Rit Special DVD (circa 1984?). Great work as always, and love your solo on Rio Funk.
I also agree with rustyg61 regarding the gig calendar
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Hey Jimmy, I finally made it to The Baked Potato! I went last Friday & saw John Daversa's Progressive Big Band. They were great! I met John & his bass player, Jerry Watts, & both had high praise for you, as did the bartender when I told them that I found out about The Baked Potato from you. The band literally took up half the room & my son & I had to sit at the bar because my flight was late getting in, but I loved the intimate setting there! It feels like having a band in your living room! I will definitely be going back when I visit my son! Here's a couple of pictures -
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/145970.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/145971.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/145972.jpg)
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Nice pics Rusty. It really is a great club isn't it?
Graeme
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Thanks Graeme! Yes, it IS a nice club with great food & the perfect setting for enjoying amazing music!
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Ed,
Thanks for the kind words. That Rit experience seems like eons ago (because it was!) but I was lucky to be there and to have the opportunity to play with Carlos Vega in that band...
Rusty,
So glad you made it to the Spud and heard all those cats play. Watts is great player with a big sound and a very nice guy. And Daversa's book is difficult. I subbed on the band once for Jerry and had to dig in hard to keep up!
The club is a funky little place but as you see it's kind of a musician's Mecca! In fact, my first visit to the place was before I moved to LA, probably 1978-79, and I saw a band with Ernie Watts, Dave Grusin and ... wait for it ... Lee Ritenour. Small World, huh?!
Holiday best to all!
Jimmy J
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My first and only visit was in 1979, to see Joe Diorio. I think he had Charles Magnusson (?) on bass.
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Jimmy, it was an experience I'll never forget & I want to thank you again for telling me about The Baked Potato! If those walls could talk!!! Lots of history there! What made it even better was that my 24 year old son loved it too. Such a wonderful thing that in this age of electronic artificial music that most of the youth tend to gravitate towards, that I can take my son to a place like the Spud & expose him to real musicians at the top of their game & he is just as blown away as I was! It was a great father/son bonding experience & I can't thank you enough for making me aware of the club!
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You probably mean Bob Magnusson. )
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I do, i think. 30 years has clouded my memory. Thx.
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Hi,
just wanted to share with all of you this transcription of mine, it's free, just need a free account on Scribd
http://www.scribd.com/doc/125866240/Sphere-of-Innocence (http://www.scribd.com/doc/125866240/Sphere-of-Innocence)
Gabriele.
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Hey, Jimmy, will you be with JT on Maui April 12? Our oldest lives in Kihei, & is talking maybe bringing us out for that one.
Peter (who really would be OK with a JT show in HI)
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Gabriele, I see you are still giving your ears a good work out. Nice tune to take down, some great Holdsworth moving harmonies.
Yes Peter I plan to be in Hawaii for those JT gigs. They may be his only public performances (with band) this season. Smallish group - no horns or percussion - a few BG singers - but it should be fun! I can't help you with tix but maybe we'll see you there.
Jimmy J
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Cool; hope to see you. I wasn't expecting tix, but, hey, if you ever can............
Peter
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Talking about Alan Holdsworth, i just was listening to an old recording Dodgy Boat from the Wardenclyffe Tower album (1992), the bass-solo is terrific!
for those not having it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QesdbV6k-5A (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QesdbV6k-5A)
Peter
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Thanks for the comment on the solo. That's one of keyboard player Steve Hunt's compositions. Extra points to anybody who can explain the song title's true meaning - which has nothing to do with anything nautical.
And I'll balance your free link with a for sale link to support the Artist. (Yes I know, old school...)
http://www.amazon.com/Dodgy-Boat/dp/B000QNVS7U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364589195&sr=8-1&keywords=dodgy+boat (http://www.amazon.com/Dodgy-Boat/dp/B000QNVS7U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364589195&sr=8-1&keywords=dodgy+boat)
Cheers,
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on March 29, 2013)
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I'll give a try!
Is it cockney for a not pretty face? (google don't fail me now!)
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We have a winner! I believe in cockney rhyming slang boat race = face so a dodgy boat is a face of ... questionable beauty. That makes the Youtube vid of various watercraft extra funny. Ha!
Jimmy J
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@klinkepeter: maybe you want to take a look at my transcription of that solo (you need a free account to donwload the pdf, for free):
http://www.scribd.com/doc/101210808/Allan-Holdsworth-Dodgy-Boat-Bass-Solo-by-Jimmy-Johnson (http://www.scribd.com/doc/101210808/Allan-Holdsworth-Dodgy-Boat-Bass-Solo-by-Jimmy-Johnson)
I also have the full transcription of mine of the entire piece, we use to play with one of my bands.
Just tell me if you're interested in it.
@JJ: we had a gig last friday night playing Holdsworth, Pasqua, Wackerman tunes, and Dodgy Boat Frank started his solo using your notes! But then moved away to his own ;) Same for Duncan Terrace!
Gabriele.
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Hey Gabriele,
Considering how difficult it is for Holdsworth, Pasqua and Wackerman to get gigs of their OWN, it's good that somebody is playing that music in public. Ha! I'm glad you guys are having fun and happy to hear that Franco is stretching his ears.
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy, Couple Quick Questions, I've watched a few of your solo's via youtube and was wondering what kind of things do you do as far as practicing to get so tastie with over all note structure and right hand technique. and as far as set up, bout where do you like to set up your bass for tone? filter wise ect. ok I guess not very quick but as an up and coming bassist any info to help gain more knowledge would be grately appreciated, Nick,
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Hey Nick,
Thanks for the comments and questions.
I'm self-taught on the bass so my practice regiment has always been to simply play along with records that I enjoy. I still do that. Sometimes I try to play the groove part and sometimes I try to solo over the music. The fact that I played a melody instrument as a kid (clarinet) helps explain my somewhat odd solo style.
I have no idea what my right hand is doing but I think the technique that works for me stems from keeping all the strings quiet. My rest position is thumb between low-B and E-strings and fingers 1, 2, and 3 on A, D and G. This led me to often play octaves with fingers 1 & 3, if that makes sense. And apparently my thumb floats down to the B and then off of it as I head down to the bottom. I rarely think about what that hand is doing unless I need to work out an odd riff which must start with a specific finger. Everybody has different ways of getting a sound out of their instruments. The only correct way is the one that works best for you!
I run my basses with the pickup volume and tone controls wide open plus a very slight boost to the bridge pickup Q to add some air way up high. (Center switch position on Series-I, slight turn on -II). The pickups are balanced via the preamp board's trim pots to favor of the bridge pickup. I have a habit of running the master volume about 1/8 turn down from wide open, I'm not sure why... Maybe in case of a volume swell so I can go beyond full. As in; up to eleven. Ha!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Thanks Jimmy, I'm pretty much in the same boat, I played guitar about 2 weeks till a banjo player (can't remember his name) but the band was The Grass Holes said to me ya know, guitarists a a dime a dozen. a good bass players hard to find. the next week I bought a squire P bass and for the next few years worked off what came on the radio or what I could find tab wise. sadly I had no musical training till a now good friend sat me down and showed me the Ionian scale, after that I bugged him for every bit of info I could get. was considering going to school but came to the conclusion all the knowledge I could ever want is out there, just need to ether figure it out or find some one willing to share it, so thanks a bunch!
so far most of what I've practiced has been lots of variations of scales, modes, triads, arpeggios, ect, I try to combine alot of it like walking though scales doing triad triplets on each note. but I'm always thinking what else could I be doing.
And as a visual learner now trying to move from picking apart rock lines to skilled players like yourself Stanley Clarke, and other greats its really opened my eyes to a new relm of playing, needless to say its slightly overwhelming at first but so far I've been slowly picking apart Hot Fun by Stanley with some success. mainly because that line is stuck in my head at the moment. I'm much more of a simple groove kinda guy but would love to add a lil of that to my own style, always been a James Taylor fan. for some reason at first it didn't click right away that you've worked with him, I discovered you through a Terry Bozzio guitar center video a drummer friend was showing me. I was amazed at the tone of your 5 string and the overall note structure you and the guitar player where working off of. again very tastie.
And thanks for the info on the electronics, I've had a 78 series 1 4 string for a couple months now (one of Edwin's old basses) and love tones, I've yet to adjust the trim pots, but it seems like its set up to the neck pickup has more boost than the bridge, might change that around and see what happens but over all I can go from a classic Allman Brothers type tone to a mid 70's Phil Lesh tone with very little adjustment and find my own sounds with ease.
are you running your basses clean or direct to your power amp or are you using pre amps and or filters?
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Good stuff Nick. Always interesting to hear how people ended up playing bass. My dad played bass and my brother still does so there was a lot of low end at our house...
You already know more about scales and arpeggios than I do, I never really practiced like that. I'm not knocking that type of technical practicing, any time you spend on the instrument is good for you. I just play by ear for the most part. I can hear those modes but I don't know their proper names.
Also, we all copied other guys in the beginning - that's how you learn to get around musically on the instrument (as opposed to the scales and arpeggios). Then at some point you have to forget all you've learned and just PLAY MUSIC. Make up some grooves or melodies or find a cool way to weave a line through the chord changes. You know what I'm saying.
I really don't put the controls on the bass to good use because I'm stuck on that wide open, almost acoustic sound. And I am a DI guy, never got into amps, amp simulators or effects as part of the sound I wanted to hear. I have a lot of respect for the cats who know how to do all that, I've just been a DI guy since forever. In fact, for that Bozzio thing you saw I only brought my bass, a DS5 and a direct box. I used two monitor wedges to hear myself on stage.
Carry on and keep learning!
Jimmy J
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Thanks Jimmy, That is a lota bass.
Ive been trying to work on both, ear training is pretty important, my goal is to be able to jump into any musical situation grab the key and lay down a tight groove. I do find that I've been keeping the technical stuff to much in the for front of my playing some times, in the long run it falls into the forget it and play area. but it works for me in soloing, most of what I play music wise is Psychedelic Jam Rock, (think Allmans, Dead,Floyd, and Hendrix mixed together with a nice fusion) or some thing along those lines. all in all its mostly fun grooves.
That's a pretty amazing way to run a bass, I'm so attached to my rig I couldn't imagine going direct. I do like the sound of the bass wide open, but I'm also in love with the flexiblty of tone it has as well. goes to show the quality of the bass, I don't think a Fender would sound so full direct.
I've always had a love for tube amps myself, Ive been using a Mark Bass 300T into a Eden 4/10, if the room is big enough I run a 1/15 under it, its a single input amp though but I'm in love with the tone. also use a Mesa 400+ with the FB2 preamp in out doors or big room situation. also a 4/10 1/15 set up under it. If I can I run the 2 amps together, then it gets really fun, at that point I have a clean channel, and 2 effected channels also have a vast aray of pedals to play with. not sure how it happened but you really can't stop at one.
Thanks for the info Jimmy, its nice to hear how guys like yourself approach things. for the fun of it heres a shot of my set up at a back yard party a while back.
Thanks Again!
Nick
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/164019.jpg)
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Hi Jimmy, I guess the cards weren't stacked in my favour yesterday. I had an outdoor festival gig yesterday and It was a shared back line and I could hear when the previous band was on that the bass amp was buzzing so I decided when we go on, no problem, I will just take the DS-5 into a DI Just like Jimmy does.
Well as it happened we all just had a line check and I noticed during the line check there was no bass sound on stage. So I asked the sound man can I get some bass in the monitors... He replied, nah mate it's ok there is no bass in the monitors because all the bass comes from the subs under the stage....
So when we started all I could hear on stage was sub bass bottom and no articulation which is not what you need when standing in for a session gig with unfamiliar music. It took about two numbers before I could get the side of stage sound man to patch me into the dodgy bass amp just so that I could hear myself clearer.
Fortunately out-front I was told the sound was great, so maybe the buzzing was from the bass of the previous band and not the amp.
Jazzyvee
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Ah man, sorry Jazzy. It is a bit of a risk and I also have had times when my travel light concept has backfired. If you're playing small clubs you never know what you'll find...
When I go this route I try a few things. The house engineers look at me like I'm crazy and sometimes I have to guarantee that I will fix their speakers if they explode. Ha!
The best case for me is if the venue has a couple substantial self-powered wedges. In this case I can run straight into them from the DS5 (I have my preamp board putting out close to line level). Sometimes I need an iso transformer to avoid hum.
Second best scenario involves me finding the power amps that are running passive wedges and asking for a mic cable run straight into the input. A couple adaptors and the iso trans can make that work.
If the only way to run the monitors is from the FOH board then I'll ask the engineer to bypass the wedge EQ (usually set for singing) and let me have it flat. Still, some speakers are pretty ugly without EQ so your mileage may vary.
In all of the above scenarios I also send FOH a straight mic-level DI balanced output. In the end, it is the BIG AMP (the PA) that you want to carry the load.
Anyway, sorry if I led you down a bad path. It makes it really hard to play when the onstage sound isn't happening but at least we know it sounded good out front!
Jimmy J
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Well, a buzzing amp sometimes is better than no sound on stage. That is why I always use the amp along with the DI (preferably mine class D with neodimium cab, light and small - I know you will not be happy with those light amps if you are a big valve amp guy, but the idea is being able to carry my tone with me). Even if the amp is lousy, its bad sound doesn't mess with what audience is listening since the DI gets my signal before the Amp. We never get happy when tone is not real (that's why we're alembicians, after all, doesn't it?). But, if it is loud enough to manage to hear myself on stage, I can live with it (unhappy, for sure, but not lost).
(Message edited by mario farufyno on May 27, 2013)
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Yes Mario,
As long as the venue has a decent PA and you're not expected to fill the room with your bass amp we can trust that the full sound of the DI is coming through out front.
When I need an amp for a rehearsal or a small club I still carry my Walter Woods head driving one or two EV 12 cabs. Walter was an early adapter of HF switching power supplies to make his amps small light and powerful. I'm not sure if this '89 model is a full Class-D or some mix but it does the job for me. However, as I've stated, the amp was never part of the sound I was looking for, it's just amplifying the sound I already dig. And even in the tiny Baked Potato I run a DI into the PA to get the tone around the room.
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy, you didn't lead me down the bad path at all. In reality you have had enough scenario's as a professional to gain the experience of knowing what to have with you and what to do to rectify/overcome these situations. For me that was a new situation and It's all part of my experience. :-)
Hi Mario, thanks also for your input. I usually carry my Mesa walkabout head with me if as this instance, the event/venue claims to have a back line as the amps are not usually my cup of tea or have problems. However when I got to the stage I saw that the on-stage amp was an SWR Redhead which I know is a decent combo so I didn't bother getting my Walkabout head from the car.
Maybe I should have used the keyboard combo that was there instead.
Jazzyvee
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Yes Mario,
As long as the venue has a decent PA and you're not expected to fill the room with your bass amp we can trust that the full sound of the DI is coming through out front.
When I need an amp for a rehearsal or a small club I still carry my Walter Woods head driving one or two EV 12 cabs. Walter was an early adapter of HF switching power supplies to make his amps small light and powerful. I'm not sure if this '89 model is a full Class-D or some mix but it does the job for me. However, as I've stated, the amp was never part of the sound I was looking for, it's just amplifying the sound I already dig. And even in the tiny Baked Potato I run a DI into the PA to get the tone around the room.
Jimmy J
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Funny you all are mentioning this these couple days. Yesterday I played a gig with a locally famous romantic ballad singer from the 80s at a theater, and due to the kind of music the band was told to keep the stage low since this guy is quite sensible to loud musicians :P. SO... i decided to go light and tried a new approach. I've just got a Boss GT6-B and decided it was a nice chance to give it its first stage run. I had my small GK amp (MB200) handy just in case. I ended up finding out one of the guitar stands I brought works nicely for tilting the GK amp for monitoring (we were playing seated, so the angle was just right), and then I fed the PA from the GT6's XLR out and the GK from the plug out. The soundman put a 15 wedge at the left of my music stand, and the GK was at the right side, pedalboards in the middle (GT6 and a nice USB 3-pedals board I use for flipping the pages on an Android Tablet from where I read my charts in .pdf. No paper to accidentally drop to the floor, and no messy lamps on the music stand! ). So... I ended listening to my bass in some nice Binaural fashion, plus the vocals and keyboards on the wedge and the drums on my right side. I thought of Jimmy a lot for the almost-go-direct approach I used this time, but it worked nicely (in fact I think I've never heard so much of me on stage before, I wonder if it's healthy or what?). No pics here, not into hijacking, and didn't used my Alembic this time no fivers needed for this show.
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Yes, good stuff here!
A while ago we did a series of orchestra dates where the rhythm section was set up downstage between the conductor and the woodwinds. Needless to say there were some alarmed looks from the orchestra players when they saw the drum set and electric bass in that position. For these gigs we brought a tiny monitoring system using JBL Control-1 speakers (smaller than NS-10s) mounted on straight mic stands. I was seated and heard myself just fine through that ear level speaker. Same for the drummer who had two. Nobody else on stage could hear sound coming from these speaker but it was all we needed. Much better than in-ears for that situation because the dynamics were so important and we could hear what the orchestra was doing acoustically. Worked great unless I stood up, then I lost the bass. Ha!
I use in-ear monitors now on the road which I guess is the ultimate version of this DI only thing. But the drummer and guitarist still have wedges so the bass is still somewhat live onstage, just no bass amp competing with all that sound.
I love the pdf chart thing too, now we're making some serious technical progress! I read a chord chart off somebody's phone once. Hey, Google Music glasses anyone? C'mon!!
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on May 27, 2013)
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Gary Husband just posted this amazing video on Facebook, an old shot from 2009, JJ is amazing, Gary and Allan too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLPsSo8G8P8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLPsSo8G8P8)
Have fun!
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Such an honor to have had the opportunity to play with those two musical monsters. However, hearing my own live bass soloing make me cringe as I land about 75% of what I'm trying to do... But as they say, if you aren't making mistakes you aren't ad libbing. Ha!!
Best to all,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, your ad lib mistakes are far better than my polished lics will ever be!
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i dont know if this has been posted before, but here is a soundcheck video with Allan Holdsworth and Crew from 93.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Myj0Cmxu8Qo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Myj0Cmxu8Qo)
Jimmy, you are playing an Alembic Persuader 5 string with Jazz Pick ups? Sounds great to my ears :-)
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Wow, I've never seen this footage but it must have been earlier than '93.
My original 5-string Series-I (76-418) was stolen out of the truck on a Holdsworth tour in August of '87. I'm unclear of the details after all these years but ... I remember the next night we played in NYC and I think I ran to Manny's and rented a Yamaha 5-string for that gig. Not knocking that axe but I did NOT have much fun that evening.
What I can't remember is where I found the Persuader. I think I bought it from another shop in NYC (maybe Rudy's?) and finished that tour with it. So it's likely this video clip is from '87. I sold the bass to my pal Royce in San Diego shortly after returning home. It was a nice axe and got me through a tough period.
I already owned another Series-I, an '82 fretted (at that time) 5-string with a graphite neck. This axe appears on a couple vids too, one with Ritenour and one with Holdsworth in Japan in '84.
The replacement Series-II that Alembic built for me in '87 has been my main recording bass ever since it arrived. In '89 they made me two more wood basses. One has become my main traveling bass and the other is my practice and backup machine. I know that sounds insane to have a Series practice bass but remember I only own 5 instruments and the most recent purchase was in 1989... I'm dedicated but not that great a customer. I'm surprised they still take my phone calls. Ha!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, I love hearing your road stories, except the axe theft kind, of course.
As far as their taking our calls, I have bought two Alembics, neither of them new and from Alembic. Every time I have called them, they treated me like I was ordering a new S-II. Great service is just who they are!
Rich
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Cool video!
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I received Steve Gadd's new album 'Gadditude' the other day featuring Jimmy on bass and I can heartily recommend everyone seeks it out. It has a very 'laid back jamming in someone's living room' feel to it, perfect for an evening's relaxation with a glass or two.
graeme
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Hey Jimmy, I recently came across a picture of you playing & it looked like the neck on your bass is not as wide as most 5 strings. Do you know what your neck width is at the 24th fret? I just put a deposit down to have a Series II Europa 5 string built & want the neck as narrow as possible. I currently play a short scale Stanley so I'm used to a tiny neck!
Thanks!
Rusty
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Congratulations on the new bass build Rusty, that's exciting!
Yes, the necks on my basses are narrower than most. Something like 2-3/16 at the 24th fret. I think the first 5-string I got (when Mica was 6, do the math) was actually 5 strings on a 4-string neck. In any case, that's what I'm used to and anything else feels odd to me now.
Good luck with the new axe!
Jimmy J
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Rusty you could have Alembic 'Stanley' a five string spacing, they call that the 'Narrow' spacing in specs for the 'Brown Basses'.
My Elan Five is their 'Classic' taper (2 nut by 2.5 24th fret) which was my preference (the same, incidentally as the BigRedBass) as the strings almost feel parallel up the fingerboard. These new-fangled five-strings, some of them feel like diving boards they're so wide (. . . . Yamaha . . . . ). The flare is so pronounced that for me, it feels like a different neck up high, and if the neck profile isn't a very-flattened 'c' profile (think of a big classical guitar neck feel), it's a real pain.
Classic taper essentially feels like a Jazz Bass spacing across five strings.
Like Jimmy, I got used to narrow ones: The BB Yamahas I used to play (like Nathan East popularized) were also Precision Bass width fingerboards (from the BB2000 Yamahas) subdivided for five strings. Your fingering at the nut can seem a little crowded until you get used to it.
+++++++++
BTW, Jimmy I meant to ask: Did you ever get to cut some sides with Jeff Porcaro?
J o e y
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Thanks Jimmy & J o e y! I had told Susan to make mine 2.694 at the 24th to match my Schecter 5 string, but I would prefer it a little narrower, so I'm going to talk to her about going 2.5 or 2 3/16 after I look on my Schecter to see what that would look like compared to the existing neck. My nut is 1.77 & I like that. 2 might be too wide for me. J o e y, what is your string spacing at the bridge measuring from the bottom of the string slot on the B string to the top of the string slot on the E string as you hold the bass in playing position? My finger are fairly big so I don't want my strings too close together, but a little narrower than my Schecter would be good.
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Rusty,
Try not to drive yourself (or Susan) crazy with this detail. Although it's certainly going to impact how the neck feels when you first play it, your hands will get used to whichever spacing you choose. The most important thing would be to not crowd your right hand by going too tight. Your left hand will adjust.
It's been ages since I've measured mine and I always say I've got 5 Alembics that are all the same. Well, the 3 fretted model's neck dimensions are pretty close: 1-13/16 nut, 2-1/8 at 24th fret and 2-1/8 from b-string center to g-string center at the bridge. But my oddball graphite fretless basses are only similar at the 24th fret. The nuts are only 1-5/8 and the bridge spacing is about 1/8 wider. So again, as long as it's not a drastic departure from what you've been playing you'll get used to it quickly.
J o e y,
Yes I did have the pleasure of working with Jeff Porcaro a few times, a real treat. Everything laid right where you would want it. The great drummers make us bass players sound better than we actually are. Ha! There's a Sergio Mendes track called Some Morning that we played together way back whenever (if you hear it please excuse the overly busy bass playing)... I also played live with Jeff a couple times in a band called Los Lobotomys. Ha!! Carlos Vega was a few years younger than Jeff but carried the same groove forward for many years. We all really miss those two guys!
Cheers!
Jimmy J
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Thanks so much for the info & advice Jimmy! It's a big adjustment just jumping from my short scale SCSD 4 string to a 34 scale 5 string, so I think a narrower neck on the 5 will make it easier to go from one to the other. I will still play my SCSD so I need to feel comfortable on both. Susan had first suggested the standard Europa 5 string width of 2.93 at the 24th, but I have played an Epic with that width & it felt like a Chapman Stick to me! So I asked her if she could match my Schecter neck & she said she could. At the time I thought that would be the limit for a 5 string neck width until I saw the picture of yours. So now I know they can make them even smaller than my Schecter & I think I would like that. The Schecter feels a tad wide to me. I agree with you that I will adjust to whatever I get, I'm just trying to minimize the jump from a 4 string 30.75 neck to a 5 string 34 neck.
Thanks again for your help! I have gotten advice from several people here in the club & it is an honor to add your name to the list! We are not to the Factory To Customer stage of the build yet, but I started a thread announcing all the details of the bass with some crude Photoshopped pictures of what it will look like by piecing together parts of 4 different basses. If you would like to check it out it is here -
Rusty
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My experience with string spacing is that if I don't need to slap, they can be pretty close, especially if I'm playing with a pick. But, I've discovered that I do like a certain amount of taper to the width. I found I much prefer the way my Starfire is set up than the way my cocobolo shorty (now in the capable hands of Pierre-Yves) was. I was planning to get a new nut for that to bring the strings closer together.
Jimmy, you are so right about drummers. The converse of that is that playing with a not so good drummer can make you feel like you don't know what you are doing. In fact, I think that Einstein's theory of relativity is at play. If the tempo of the tune is a constant (within reason of course, no need to be an automaton, music likes to breath), then the size and position of the notes make sense. If the time is off, then there's no sense of how big anything is or where it actually is. Space and time all of a sudden become unhinged and little things can be huge and a note you thought was over here is actually over there. It's a shambles!
Also, a great drummer, and really any great musician, can make a recording engineer's life easier. Last night I recorded a gig for my friend Erik Deutsch and the band he brought included Tony Mason. I was experimenting with some ribbon mics for overheads, with basically just a kick to complete the sound and the fact that he could tune the drums and play them with proper dynamics and cymbal to drum balance made for a great sounding recording. I just love great drummers!
Sadly no Alembics last night, but the bass player did have a very nice '61 P bass.
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Thanks for the advice Edwin! I don't play any slap bass, I'm just a straight ahead finger player, so I can get away with somewhat tighter spacing. I saw Victor Wooten & Steve Bailey last night, & they were AMAZING! I admire slap players like Victor, but I don't have that gene! I posted a video of Jimmy playing Rio Funk with Lee Ritenour on Facebook 2 days ago. Jimmy does a killer solo & on the posting I wrote that Jimmy proved that you don't have to beat on a bass to get funky! No offense to those who slap, it's just not my style. Here's the Facebook posting -
https://www.facebook.com/# (https://www.facebook.com/#)!/groups/2350059330/
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No need to slap, in my opinion. I got into it in the early 80s and by the mid 90s was pretty much over it. It has its place every now and then, although those chops are pretty weak these days.
At this point, it seems like it's something that every bass player coming up does. I have a student who has all the Victor Wooten stuff down. If he had been around when I was learning it, well, let's just say that he makes me feel pretty primitive. It used to be something I taught, but now I just teach strategies to find the right notes.
(Message edited by edwin on October 22, 2013)
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I have slightly different neck widths dimensions on all my basses, from a narrow almost parallel neck on my 5 string black Europa to a short scale 4 string bass with standard neck taper.Apart from the narrow neck the rest feel like they have the same string spacing.
In my experience jimmy's advice and Edwin's ring true. I can move between any of the basses without having a problem. After a while your fingers just seem to know which bass you are playing and calibrate themselves to suit. Moving from a short scale to a long scale 5 string isn't a problem. I think the narrow string spacing takes more of an adjustment than the shorter scale length for the right hand but in no time the difference is unnoticeable unless you try some victor wooten style slapping on the narrow 5 string then the close strings get in the way. Regular slapping is fine for me.
Jazzyvee
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I'd agree with Jimmy: You don't want to crowd your right hand, it's a lot busier than your left.
I'm confused: WHAT do you want me to measure?
J o e y
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J o e y, I was asking about your string spacing at the bridge. Each string slot has 2 sides to it with the width of the string separating the sides, so I was wanting the measurement from the side of the B string slot closest to the E string over to the side of the E string slot closest to the B string.
Jazzyvee, how wide is your neck on your black Europa at the 24th fret?
Edwin, I agree, there IS a place for slap, but these days many up & coming players play it on everything & have no clue what a solid foundational bass line is!
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J o e y, I was basically asking for the measurement between the adjacent edges of the strings. The string centers will vary due to the width of the strings, but the space between the strings should be the same across the bridge.
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Jimmy, I spoke to Susan last night & she going to give me your string spacing after Mica looks it up today. She told me the story of when you made the 5 pin cable for Stanley & made an extra 1 foot long one as a joke! I bet the look on his face was priceless when you gave it to him! What kind of wire do you use to make your cables? Where do you get the connectors from? I would like to make me a spare for my new bass when I get it.
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I just realized the perils of posting too early in the morning when I'm half asleep, I have now passed 1000 posts & didn't even notice! I can't think of a better place to celebrate my 1000th post than on Jimmy's thread! Jimmy, your tone is the standard I use when I set my amp up! Thank you for being such an inspiration!
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. . . . 'eyeballing' it with the trusty steel ruler, it looks like the skinny side of 1/2, inside shoulder of the B to the inside shoulder of the E string. Again, mine is built on Alembic's Classic taper.
Remember that when it comes to a build, there's 'custom with a little c' (standard features they already have templates for, etc.) and 'Custom with a big C' (something completely unique to your axe, as in 'Sure, we can make you a doubleneck that looks just like the Batmobile') where the latter can be much more $$$ and time than the former.
J o e y
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Rusty,
Obviously I'm not Jimmy.
My last Alembic cable used Belden 1192A for the cable. Personally I like Canare and use their L-4E6S cable for my own cables. The Canare is a bit more slinky than the Belden. Both of these use braided shields. Mogami also make a quad cable but I believe it uses a spiral wrapped shield which I don't care for.
As for connectors I use Neutrik gold plated 5-pin XLR's.
I've had good luck buying my stuff through Markertek. Prices are decent and I've not had any problems finding what I need.
Keith
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Thanks J o e y! I spoke to Susan last night about string spacing on a Classic Taper & she was going to have Mica spec them out & send them to me. I think that is the neck I would be most comfortable with. It is slightly narrower than my Schecter which is 2.694 at the 24th.
I have also become aware of the differences in the little c & big C options. I'm waiting on pricing now for some additional options I want!
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Thanks for the info Keith! I'll look into ordering the parts to build me an extra cable.
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Keith, I just looked up the Canare L-4E6s cable & it is a 4 conductor cable, what do you use for the 5th pin?
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Keith, I just looked up the Canare L-4E6s cable & it is a 4 conductor cable, what do you use for the 5th pin? Mica's wireing diagram shows 5 conductors - http://club.alembic.com/Images/16271/106683.html?1307664475 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=266)
Do you use the shield for the black conductor?
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Rusty,
I had 5 pin cables made up for me by the fine folks at Best Tronics Manufacturing (Guitar Cable.com). I had them produce two cables to supplement my OEM cable from Alembic. They made up one eight foot and one twelve foot long cables, with one end at a right angle, of flexible materials (insulator) and have been working great for two years now. I use the short one most of the time going from my floor rack mounted DS5R or the DS5 box placed anywhere.
Contact Jim at Guitar cable (in Tinley Park, IL) and mention that he made the cables for Rich's Series Alembic if you're interested in going that route, (they were very reasonable), he should remember. I can call him if he doesn't.
Best Tronics (http://best-tronics.com/guitar-cable/contact.aspx)
Rich
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Wow, I look away for a minute and I miss all this action!
I have deep respect for Marcus, Victor, Mark King, Larry Graham (the guy who may have started it all) and everybody else who can really play using thumb technique. I just never got it going myself so it's not something I can bring to the party? All good though!
I'm still using Belden 8424 to make cables. (Yes Rusty, the shield is the 5th conductor.) For connectors I use Neutrik black w/gold contacts. Even the basses have Neutrik jacks. Not cheap parts but they've been very reliable and I don't often need to make new cables. And if I make them myself there is nobody else to blame if they break. Ha!!
Happy 1000th post Rusty! You're way ahead of me.
String to string spacing? I've just been looking at mine and it seems that at the bridge 7/16 is about what I've got from the edge of one string to the edge of the next. But the funny thing is, on my live bass I've only just discovered that the spaces are not consistent. It seems the B and E strings are a bit tight and the G and D are a bit wide. And it's not center to center either. I've been playing that bass since ? 1989? ? and this is news to me, which is rather embarrassing! HA! I sense a visit to HQ and possibly some new saddles in my future??..
Carry on everybody. Good luck with the new build!
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on October 23, 2013)
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Thanks Rich! I found a 100 roll of the Canare L-4E6s cable Keith suggested on EBay for $54 & the connectors are $7 or $8, so I can get 4 25' cables for about $30 each if I build them myself.
I feel like I'm hijacking Jimmy's page here with my discussion, so if you have any other replies concerning my new Europa or cable, please post it on my Europa thread -
Thanks!
Rusty
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Hey Jimmy, thanks so much for the reply! It seems you & I were replying at the same time when I posted my last reply, so I hadn't read yours yet. I used to make all my own 1/4 cables & mic cables, so the 5 pin should be no problem. I do want to have at least one spare, & possibly a couple of different lengths for different size stages. Where do you get your Neutrik connectors from? I did a search for right angle 5 pins & it pulled them up but the picture shows a 3 pin connector.
Sorry to embarrass you with your string spacing discovery, but I'm honored to be the one who made you discover it! LOL! I'm sure Susan can fix you right up with new saddles.
Sorry for temorarily hijacking your thread, it wasn't my intention. I have redirected my discussion to my thread.
Rusty
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Jimmy, now that you are aware of the spacing, you'll always play that bass with suspicion, even after 20 years of playing it like it is. Time for a trip to the mothership!
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(Message edited by rustyg61 on October 23, 2013)
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OK, so now back to a Jimmy question:
Since you've certainly had your five axes for this long, and played them in so many circumstances, do you have any insight as to why this one is a 'live' axe and that one is a 'recording' axe?
Lots of guys who've never done much recording (certainly includes myself) have never thought about this. Here in The Nash I've known more than a few guys who spent lots of time in studios, and have 'recording' and 'live' axes: A favorite axe they've played out with many times just doesn't record well, and vice versa. And not just solid-body electrics: I had a friend who was a terrific fiddler who had violins (incidentally, several were five-string viols, with a low C) with pickups that sounded fine plugged in, but stank up the joint 'unplugged', they were too dampened. Conversely, he had symphony-grade violins he'd record dry thru the AKG he carried that just sang, but were entirely too fragile and alive for an electric stage.
What have you found over your time behind the wheel? Does James run across this as well, he obviously KNOWS his box guitars.
J o e y
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H e y J o e y,
Here's a pic of the 3 fret brothers so we can play spot the differences. Ha! From left to right; studio, live, and practice.
Their characters?
I would have to say the studio bass has the most open and natural tone of the 3. Something really nice about the top end and just the overall sound across the whole range of the instrument.
The live bass has a darker sound BUT it has a stronger low B string than the studio bass, I've never known why. There have been occasions when someone sends me a track which is all low Ds and Cs that I'll opt to record it on this bass. I've also used it for tracking while on the road.
The practice bass (yes, I know that's an insane concept!) is just not quite up to the level of the other two. A little uneven. A little ? spongy? I carry it as a backup on the road and there have only been a couple times when I've used it on the gig. Otherwise I use it as my daily player to keep the fingers moving.
I know you're not supposed to have a favorite child (don't tell the others) but I really do like this studio bass and tend to want to leave it home in the closet as opposed to handing it to TSA and the baggage handlers. I'd hate to lose the live bass too but somehow he seems more tolerant of travel. It's not quite the same as using a Stradivarius in marching band - violins and uprights are a different world all together.
I believe JT has 3 main Olsen guitars which all come out on the road. Sometimes he's out there playing it in the rain! The guitar tech does a great job of looking after our axes on tour.
thanks for the gear chat,
Jimmy J
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/179441.jpg)
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Nice trio, Jimmy!
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With that seismic pattern on the live bass it doesn't surprise me that it has the stronger B string. ;)
Keith
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The big visual differences I'm seeing are first, the bridge block on the studio bass is much larger, and second, it appears to my tired old eyes that there may be pickup spacing differences, relative to the neck, bridge, and each other. Also, the practice bass doesn't have a tightness control knob at the 14th fret like the live bass does.
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These are all unreal. This is still the quintessential Alembic body shape. And given their age (and who's been playing them!), the amount of mojo represented in this one picture is off the scale.
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Yeah, Dave, I'm really floored he plays like that with that knob sticking out of the fingerboard !
Thanks, Jimmy.
J o e y
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Ha. You guys. That's the key for the short 6th banjo string.
Yes Dave spotted the double size bridge block on the recording bass. Tell him what he's won Bob! The blocks are also aluminum, which I can explain later if I haven't already done so somewhere in this lengthy thread. Slightly different versions of my quick change tailpiece too.
Interesting observation about the varying pickup placement, yet another thing I never realized. But this is the nature of these hand made axes.
Also ? I may recall having a conversation with Susan years ago about string spacing. It's possible I requested equal center to center spacing on the live bass. Makes no dang sense to me now but as I said it seems our hands can adjust to almost anything.
In addition to being a bass player my dad was a piano technician. He once explained to me that Steinway pianos varied quite a bit. There were good ones and there were absolutely GREAT ones. This is why the solo piano Artists always went to the Steinway factory and played all the pianos available before choosing their favorite. (Horowitz took his own on the road with him). Yamaha also makes fine pianos, extremely reliable and consistent. In fact they're all exactly the same.
I think of Alembic as the Steinway of basses (or maybe now the Fazioli). The main difference is Alembic's customers get to choose wood, dimensions, electronics, essentially every aspect of the instrument. Sometimes it takes some experimenting to find the exact combination of ingredients that work perfectly for YOU. But when you find it, no other instrument comes close.
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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Beautiful trio Jimmy. Did you ever get the finish 'checking' problem sorted out?
graeme
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Awesome trio indeed, thanx for sharing!
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What a fine family you have there Jimmy! Thanks for sharing! I see what you mean about the string spacing on your live bass. With equal center to center spacing the width of the strings affects the spacing between the strings. You are right though, our fingers can indeed adapt to the different spacing over time. I'm sure it's similar to the way you can hit the exact notes on a fretless without having a fret marker. Your fingers instictively know where to go.
I notice your knob layout is different than most Series II's, is the knob closest to the bridge with the markers on the body your master volume, or is that a pan? I thought with the markers maybe it was a pan & those were the 2 settings you use to favor the neck or bridge pickup for either a fatter or more midrange tone.
How do your strings attach on the tailpiece? Is it slotted like most Alembics? It almost looks like the ball of the string is on top of the tailpiece instead of inside a slot.
What brand & guage of strings do you use?
I know it's been said before, but I want to thank you again for taking the time to answer our questions & share your knowledge & experience with us! We REALLY appreciate it! You entertain, inspire, & educate us & we are better players by knowing you!
Rusty
(Message edited by rustyg61 on October 25, 2013)
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Jogging memories from all those years I played pianos (and occasionally I got to play some great big Steinways, Yamahas, and even a Bosendorfer or two) I find a parallel with Alembics:
As well as they were built, I could never stand Baldwins. They were just too tame sounding, as if the hammer felts never hardened, they just sounded very evenly dull to me. I always preferred a Steinway or Yamaha as they always had some snarkiness to them if you pushed them, yet if you backed down, they'd smooth out. I could do this with my hands. But no amount of beating them like Jerry Lee on a meth binge would 'wake up' a Baldwin.
Ron's genius with the filters (and it is a different tone than conventional tone pots turned downed to zero) is that you can go from a thumpy, almost organ pedal tone to in-your-face just that fast.
And now Yamaha owns Bosendorfer ! I know several samples I WISH they'd load into their next round of digital pianos . . . . I got to hear Horowitz twice, and Rubinstein three times, just scary awesome, what giants they were. I still look up on YouTube the excerpt from the Mike Wallace interview from 60 MINUTES where he interviewed Horowitz at home in Manhattan and he persuaded (with his wife coaxing him!) to play 'Stars and Stripes' forever, what a hoot !
Geez these threads run all over the map, sorry !
J o e y
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Let's see how many questions I can answer with one pic:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/179557.jpg)
Yes Graeme, the bass was refinished at the end of last year and we added these little triangular inlays as preset level marks for (Rusty) the master volume control.
I set the preamp output levels high on my basses and warn the engineer that it's coming at them around line level. If they say oh, I wanted to run you through this preamp then I'll set the master to the lower mark and send them mic level. As we know adjusting the output level of our basses doesn't effect the tone as it would on a passive instrument. My high mark is also not at the top of the pot's travel. I like having a bit of extra headroom in case for example I need to swell a note at the end of a song. This lets me go past 0 - to eleven if you will!
As you see my tailpiece is a series of pins which pass through the ball-ends of the ghs Boomers. Makes for a really simple string change. This also is based on me never changing string companies or ghs never using a smaller ball. Ha! So far so good. Standard 5-string medium set; 45, 65, 85, 105, 130.
J o e y, all good, I'm enjoying the thread's twists. I remember that Horowitz interview too. Turns out the guy could jam. Ha! Yes, it's as if Yamaha knew that their concert grands could never go beyond a certain point and they decided to buy Bosendorfer to achieve it. Interesting. I hope we don't get to the point where we ONLY talk about samples of these instruments?.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Thanks for the quick reply Jimmy! The markers are a great idea! I have asked Susan about getting CVQ controls for my new Europa with a center indent like their pan controls have so I can have a point of reference other than full on & full off, but I had also thought of having an inlay on the body at the mid point if they can't make the center indent control to serve the same purpose. I love the idea of having a bass that goes to 11!! Good call!
Thanks for the close up of the pins & for removing the G string for clarification. I've never seen a setup like that!
Rusty
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Interesting idea with the pins. Do you ever find out that you have to be careful not to have the string twist while you load it on to the bass? I've discovered weird sounding strings that have the oddness go away when I loosen them up, and then let the ball end untwist. Apparently the strings sometimes twist while winding them on.
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Rusty,
If you use a center indent pot then your bass would go to 20! Oh, not for volume, never mind. Actually, a center indent in the Q boost control would act like a Series-I's 3-way toggle. A Series-1.5?
Edwin,
I change strings a lot. Here is my method:
One at a time I remove the old string. Align the tuning peg's slot parallel to the strings. Hook the new string on the tailpiece pin, pull it taught, wind it by hand 1-1/2 times around the tuning peg, bend it down through the slot and bend the excess in the opposite direction.
Then before I pull it up to pitch it has been my habit to put a twist into the string from the ball-end side. I slip it off the pin, turn it 1/2 turn or so and put it back. Another reference to my dad - when he restrung pianos he would always put a twist in the bass strings in the direction of the winding. I don't know if this was taught to him or he just made it up, but the idea was to keep the winding tight.
But piano strings are simply one winding around a core and our strings are multiple windings. So generally I twist G, D and A in the direction as their outer windings, the low-B I relieve and then turn slightly the same way to get it on the pin, and the E usually gets a turn in the opposite direction. And it doesn't always work? But if you have an E that rattles on its own - not a fret rattle but a built in rattle in the string - you can often get it to stop by putting a twist in one way or the other.
I would imagine that too much twist would cause the string to act squirrelly so relieving them as Edwin does is probably smart.
Oh, once the strings are up to pitch I either trim off the excess or bend it around so the sharp end doesn't get me.
That's tonight's tale.
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy, that is exactly my reason for wanting the CVQ with a center indent. I couldn't decide if I wanted a Series I or II so I thought if I get a II with the center indent it would be the best of both worlds! My SCSD has Q switches set at +8dB so if I can get the center indent set at +8dB it will be what I'm used to hearing, then I can fine tune up or down to get the sound I want.
That is interesting about twisting your strings. I have never heard that but it makes sense!
Rusty
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looking forward to seeing which alembic Jimmy is playing when James Taylor brings his band across to Glasgow next September. We've scored seats in the first couple of rows (actual seat allocations will arrive by email soon) WooHoo!
Graeme
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Enjoy, Graeme; we saw them a few years ago, and it was amazing!
Peter
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Jimmy, I need a little advice, and with your experience, and with your brother being an upright player:
Not that I play a lot of this stuff, but I would like to work on my walking lines, Ray Brown kind of stuff, but I run into a problem I once heard Will Lee remark about: So many of these classic recordings, the upright is just not very focused nor easy to hear. Will remarked that a lot of these records, the bass was 'felt more than clearly heard'. I love classic Sinatra (those Nelson Riddle arrangements!), but it's clear they're speaking a language I can barely make out.
I am using every one of those beginner steps, and inevitably wind up playing arpeggiated chord forms instead of actually playing the tune. Any advice, any recordings you could recommend?
Thanks!
J o e y
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Hey Graeme,
You knew about that gig before I did! Thanks for making the arrangements, I look forward to seeing you and the Mrs in the fall.
J o e y,
Yeah, well, I'm certainly no walking expert myself. It's a joy to hear the guys who can really weave a bass line together. It's also another one of those things (like reading) that you can't really practice. Ray Brown is a great choice to study. I think there are a few method books from him that are probably good. And the Nelson Riddle arrangements are classic - those bass lines were probably mostly written out to hit with the band exactly right.
What Will said is true, there was a time when the bass player's job was more that of a kick drum than of a tonal center. Drummers would ride the cymbal and use snare and kick only for accents while the bass kept the time rolling along. Later when things got bigger and more driving the kick joined in with four on the floor.
My dad played in a few big bands back in the day, with no amp, and his style was high action, two-fingers on the right hand (like he was shooting arrows!), a very short note and amazingly loud. More percussive than pitch although he also found his way through the chords really well.
My brother is amazingly smooth but he does it a lot and I think that's the only way to get good at it.
So yeah, Ray Brown books maybe? You can probably still find some music minus bass somewhere to play along with (I suppose there's an app). Beyond that I don't know what to tell you because my operating license doesn't include that area. Ha!
Jimmy J
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In addition to the Ray Brown books, there are books published by Sher Music dealing with Walking Bass techniques. You could also look at the Jamey Abersold series of books such as the music minus one series. I have a three volume set of Oscar Pettiford walking bass lines, transcribe by someone who got his PhD in Music for this set. Very analytical. Finally, go to Bassbooks.com, They have many titles available for Walking Bass. And, don't forget, Keep Walking!
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Thanks !
J o e y
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I am a long time fan of Leroy Vinnegar's walking bass technique and sound.
http://home.earthlink.net/~joflee/Leroy.htm (http://home.earthlink.net/~joflee/Leroy.htm)
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I'm a big fan of the Ray Brown book. I'd played bass for 35 years and thought I sort of knew how until I got that book.
Rick
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Ray Brown was the ultimate cat, solid groove!
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JJ! Unusual musical environment for you here!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjfprFxxU1A (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjfprFxxU1A)
Stunning!
Gabriele.
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Well spotted Gabriele. That videographer is really talented, made it look like it was one live take...
Some decent drumming too, right?
Jimmy J
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Dynamite. Now . . . . IF this was one take, everyone playing at once, WHICH drummer would you follow, or would you just 'sum' the two of them internally?
I've never worked with two drummers at once, but Ive always wondered. . . . . I've seen some bands (like the Dead) where one guy was the metronome and the other was the flourishes, or others (like the Allmans) where both guys were left and right hands of the same thoughts, almost blurred (at least only hearing the recordings and not seeing them as you would on stage to get some sense of who's doing what), maybe more jazz-like inasmuch as a big backbeat isn't as obvious . . . .
BTW, when do you have time for this, racing in NASCAR all those weekends?
If I never told you: I can not tell you how I appreciate your having a go at my questions. Best of the Holidays to You and Yours.
J o e y
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Hey J o e y,
Yeah, the race car driving is really tiring but it was worse when I was coaching the Dallas Cowboys......
The double drummer thing is unusual for sure, I've only done it a couple times. Although Steve Gadd occasionally likes to overdub a second pass so it sounds like he has 4 arms. I've done some double bass player work too, but that's another story.
Usually in these situations the drummers work it out so what they play compliments each other and the outcome sounds like ONE extra complicated drum part - hopefully together. The Allman Bro's approach is odd in that I think those guys play the exact same part. The inevitable flams here and there are part of that sound I guess.
I think the main point of this Weckl thing was the solo trading near the end. Dave and Chris Coleman are both amazing players.
Jimmy J
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At least you find time to play blues guitar in Chicago........
Peter
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And congratulations on your new gig as closer for my Oakland Athletics. You sure are a busy guy!
Bill, tgo
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Cool video, and great sound quality; I had the volume turned up, and the bass was sitting very nice in the mix, despite it being a drum-centric session. Nice playing Jimmy; perfect for the tune.
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Jamestaylor.com just emailed me my seating allocation for next september in Glasgow. Front Row centre stage! woohoo! I'll try not to look too smug :-)
celebrating by playing JTs Christmas album. Some very tasteful festive playing on there Jimmy.
Graeme
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Thanks Dave. Dennis Moody was the engineer and he does a good job of looking after the low-end.
Graeme, great that you were able to arrange those tix! Guess I'll be seeing you in the fall (can't miss you in those seats!). JT's Xmas album also has some nice upright playing by the late Dave Carpenter.
Happy Season to everybody,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, I know you don't like to toot your own horn, so I thought I would post this info from the upcoming James Taylor tour!
All-Star Band Revealed!
Following the announcement of his Summer 2014 U.S. Tour, James is pleased to reveal the lineup of his All-Star Band. He is excited to be touring again with these amazing musicians!
Kate Markowitz ? Vocals
Andrea Zonn ? Vocals/Fiddle
David Lasley ? Vocals
Arnold McCuller ? Vocals
Lou Marini ? Horns
Walt Fowler ? Horns/Keyboard
Mike Landau ? Electric Guitar
Jimmy Johnson ? Bass Guitar
Larry Goldings ? Piano/Keyboard
Luis Conte ? Percussion
Steve Gadd ? Drums
https://tour.jamestaylor.com/ (https://tour.jamestaylor.com/)
Unfortunately I will be in Alaska when you play my hometown of Houston! I'm SO BUMMED!!
Have a great tour!
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Rusty,
Thanks for the horn tooting. It's an honor to get to play this music with these folks!
Sorry to miss you in Houston but Alaska should be nice that time of year, maybe preferable...
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, had I known you were coming to Houston before I booked my vacation I would have changed my vacation dates to come see you! Unfortunately it's already booked. I'm still hoping to catch you at the Spud on one of my trips to visit my son in LA!
Rusty
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Well, that is one amazing lineup for sure!! Jimmy, have my very best regards, and my best wishes for a wonderful tour!
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No dates in Chicago? Aarrgh!
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Thanks Juan Carlos.
Wait for it Enzo...
Sorry in advance that I can't invite everybody to these shows. Comps are scarce in this day and age......
Jimmy J
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Really looking forward to seeing who turns up in Glasgow. I'm guessing David Lasley probably won't but it would be fantastic to have Luis Conte, Lou marini and Walt Fowler over here. The last couple of times JT came over he brought a reduced band (although by no means lacking in anything) so it would be great to hear the full ensemble for a change :-)
Graeme
p.s. Seeing as you'll have the whole of the 'gadditude' band how about getting Steve to open the show with a few of those numbers :-)
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Graeme,
I know, it would be nice to have perc and horns with us over there. There is still a slight chance but I don't think it's going to happen this time either. We will however have the full rhythm section plus Markowitz, McCuller and Zonn, so we should be able to make a considerable noise.
James has never had an opening act that I can recall, he has too many songs to play! But yes, if he needed a break I guess now we have instrumental tunes available to fill the void. Ha! That's unlikely to happen though as we sidemen prefer to keep our musical projects separated. James is such a great chap that he encourages band members to bring their solo CDs on the road and makes them available at the merch table alongside all the JT gear. So it's possible the Gadd record will be for sale at these summer gigs, which is pretty crazy. If you want to hear the band with no singer, well, here you go.
Jimmy J
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I don't know how many other tracks Jimmy is on but Dave Weckl and Jay Oliver have released the album that contains the track from the YouTube video of Higher Ground. It's called Convergence. Listening to the flac version of the track as I write this. The remainder of the album I've heard so far is great too.
Keith
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Hi Jimmy J
I've been quite a follower (and subsequently Alembic-owner) for some years now and am very much hoping to catch the JT show in Copenhagen this september.
Speaking of which - and well, this may be way off the mark - but if you're in any way interested in having a cup of coffee and a (possibly bassy) chat with me and a fellow bass player and JJ-digger (no, we're not stalkers - just serious players with excellent taste in heroes) it would mean a great deal to us :-).
In any case, I'm really looking forward to hopefully hearing you live for the first time later this year!
This is me: www.mikkelriber.dk (http://www.mikkelriber.dk).
If you prefer, you can reach me at mikkelriber@mikkelriber.dk (mailto:mikkelriber@mikkelriber.dk). Or not - you choose :-)
All the bass(t)
Mikkel
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hi Jimmy
been a fan for a long time... just love your tone and the way you play...
ive got a question ( sorry if you have already answered it, as i was looking through most of the archive postings on this thread) i recently started recording and playing my series 2 in earnest, i got a REDDi di box which i think is great, but i wanted to ask the following: how do you hook up the power supply outputs ( which are stereo; neck and bridge)to the single input of the REDDI? looking at your pics in this thread i see you only have one REDDI on your live set up. am i missing something here? or is it that you have the stereo output going to a stereo quarter inch into the REDDI?
again sorry for my ignorance, just tryin to learn.
thanks
Jimy
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Mikkel,
Thanks for the note and hope to see you in Copenhagen. We're probably playing Tivoli Gardens again but I haven't seen the itinerary so I'm not sure. I hope you can come and enjoy the gig. Maybe I can meet you at the Lakrids shop? Ha!! Post something in here to remind as we get closer to the date and maybe we can connect for a chat. Bass talk is always good.
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Hey Jimy with one m (love it),
Thanks for your kind comments and glad to hear your series machine is getting some playtime. Your gonna get spoiled!
97.65% of the the time I run my basses in mono. I used to run a stereo amp rig simply because it sounded so fantastically huge and was fun to stand in front of. But there have only been two bands for which I have made the effort to record in stereo: Flim & the BB's and Allan Holdsworth. And even then I barely used the effect.
My approach in those cases was to record both outputs separately but only pan them slightly off center from each other. I prefer more bridge pickup than neck pickup in my blend so it would end up looking like the bridge pickup was maybe panned to 1 o'clock with the fader at 0 and the neck pickup was at 10:30 and down about 10db. Even though the bass sonically appeared to be in the center of the recording, this slight spread did something interesting to the overtones and harmonic content that I liked. Subtle...
I also only touched on using effects pedals but I can see where running stereo could open up a whole bunch of options if you were into that. I used to use a chorus on the bridge p/u only and when turned on would simply add the wet sound to the bridge pickup's output. This essentially changed the p/u balance and overall volume while adding the slight smearing of chorus. I used it mostly for soloing.
I'm still doing this stereo split for Holdsworth (I have a few REDDI boxes) but everything else these days is straight up mono.
Does your PSU not have a mono output option? If not, you can build it in pretty easily. Or, you can buck the trend and always request TWO channels for bass. Yeah!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy-
wow thats kind of crazy, mono 97.65% of the time! your sound still sounds huge but still very YOU.
thanks for letting me know, i was just trying to figure out your signal chain, only because recently ive been more and more into a no amp setup like you. funny how alembics can do that! playing the series 2 is getting already getting me spoiled silly!
my power supply does run mono, i should it more often!
my other question and maybe you have already discussd it: whats up with the big aluminum block you have on your recording bass? are all of your basses equipped with aluminum blocks?
thanks
J
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Thanks Jimy,
And you know, what I describe above is just what I've done. With all the options available from these instruments - including our active Q controls, stereo out to different amps and/or effects processing - everybody can dial in their own unique sound. There's no right way there's only your way.
You've spotted my aluminum blocks... This happened more or less by accident and here comes the boring story.
The first 5-string I got was in 1976 which was early for the low-B. At that time GHS was selling single gauges of their hilariously named Boomers including a very heavy E-string @ .120. So I used that along with their normal set: .45, .65, .85, .105 to string the bass.
Due to the type of string, the gauges, and the way I like to set up my action, I couldn't quite get the bridge to intonate correctly. I needed to move a couple of the saddles further towards the tailpiece but had run out of room. So the answer was to relocate the bridge about 1/4 in that direction.
My dad had a great shop full of tools including tap and die sets, etc. He did not have a chunk of brass the size of our bridge block but he did have some aluminum so we used that to make a replacement block with offset bridge mounting holes. We didn't know if or how it might effect the sound, and truthfully I still can't say what effect the change of material has. But I loved that first 5-string so every subsequent fretted bass I ordered from Alembic was built with an aluminum bridge block.
I'm sorry but I can't remember why the recording bass has a double-sized block. We must have been going for something but I haven't got a clue. HA!! Whatever the reason, I do like the sound of that bass.
Best to everybody,
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy, I finally got around to ordering cable & connectors to build some spare 5 pin cables & was wondering which pin is the ground? I'm guessing it is pin 5 which has the black wire in Mica's picture, but I wanted to make sure since I'm using the braided shield for my ground. I don't want to use that on one of the pickup leads or the positive lead for the LED's. Thanks in advance for your help!
Rusty
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/189370.jpg)
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Hello Rusty,
( sorry Jimmy ) I am not Jimmy , but the answer is PIN 1 is Ground
This diagram has been posted and reposted on this site a few times so I hope I am not out of line .
Wolf
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Ah, you beat me to it, Wolf! I have the exact same diagram except that mine urges me not to try to build it into an oboe. It seems like good advice so I have refrained.
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Yep, Wolf is right. Pin-1 serves as both audio ground and 0 voltage (between -15 and +15) so that should be connected to your cable's shield. The rest of the colors don't matter as long as they agree on both ends. Good luck with the build.
Jimmy J
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HI Edwin ! __LOL __
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HI Jimmy __
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Thanks Wolf, Jimmy, & Edwin! Glad I asked because obviously my assumption was wrong! I was hoping the ground would be one of the outside lugs so I didn't have to have the braided shield in the middle where it could short out on the adjacent lugs. I'm going to try to use heat shrink on each of the solder connections like Alembic does to keep the wires from fraying & shorting out on the other pins. The cable I got has 2 blue & 2 white wires & the braided shield so I will have to ohm out the wires to make sure I get the same blue & white connected to the same pins on both ends.
I'm so thankful to be a part of such a knowledgeable & caring community who are always willing to help each other out! Honda used to have a slogan You meet the nicest people on a Honda! Well, Honda doesn't have ANYTHING on Alembic!
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Rusty. You want to split the shield so one half goes to pin 1 and the other half goes to the ground lug on the connector.
Keith
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I was wondering about the ground lug on the connector shield, thanks!
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Ah, now we get into the details of everybody's cable building technique... Good subject!
Rusty, first of all be patient and take your time, it can be pretty frustrating. Once you start working with these small parts you will suddenly feel like a giant. Ha!
What kind of cable are you using?
As Keith said, splitting the shield to pin-1 and the shell is a good way to go and I believe is how the stock cables are currently built. They use tubing or small heat shrink to insulate those twisted shield wires on the way to their destination. They do not however use heat shrink on the other pins because there is just so little room to work inside these cable mounted plugs and jacks. (The pic above may be from the inside of an instrument and thus separate wires converging on the jack)
First tip: PUT THE STRAIN RELIEF PART ON THE CABLE BEFORE YOU START SOLDERING. Ha!! How many times have I made that mistake? You get only one chance to forget, then when you start working on the other end you'd better remember.
When I work on the male end of the cable I usually plug it into a female jack while soldering - because I've mistakenly overheated those pins to where they've moved in their plastic (nylon?) mounting and gone out of alignment.
Curious to hear other tips. I'm in the middle of building a combo Alembic / in-ear cable right this minute...
Jimmy J
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What I did for building my 5-pin Alembic cable was use a plastic jawed vice. Since it is not something I need to do often I can't justify building a jig.
Mic cables on the other hand I need to repair fairly often so I built a jig for 3-pin XLR's. The jig uses panel mount male and female connectors mounted in a piece of wood. It also has some Velcro straps that I use to keep the cable from flopping all over while I work. Kind of rustic but it has worked well for me over the years.
Keith
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Thanks so much for the instructions Jimmy! I'm using Canare L-4E6S I got from NY Pro Audio
http://www.nyproaudio.com/servlet/the-2051/CANARE-L-dsh-4E6S-STAR-QUAD/Detail (http://www.nyproaudio.com/servlet/the-2051/CANARE-L-dsh-4E6S-STAR-QUAD/Detail)
I got the gold pin Neutrik connectors you suggested from Markertek
http://www.markertek.com/Connectors-Adapters/Audio-Connectors/XLR-Connectors/Neutrik-USA-Inc/NC5FRX-B.xhtml (http://www.markertek.com/Connectors-Adapters/Audio-Connectors/XLR-Connectors/Neutrik-USA-Inc/NC5FRX-B.xhtml)
http://www.markertek.com/Cables/Computer-Data-Cables/DMX-Cables/Neutrik-USA-Inc/NC5MX-B.xhtml
Even though I know better, I already cut the insulation off the 1st end of the cable before I slid the strain relief on! No worries though, I haven't soldered anything yet so I can still put it on.
Great idea to use the other jack as a heat sink! I have also melted my share of connectors from using a soldering gun that was way over powered for the job. I just bought a soldering iron so hopefully I won't get these too hot.
I have been using this jig with 2 alligator clips since high school to build cables. You can put the jack in one clip & use the other clip to hold the cable in place while you solder. Both clips rotate & swivel in all directions so it's easy to get everything right where you want it. I twisted all the braided shield into one conductor before I read Keith's post about separating it into 2, so I'll have to do that. I have some small heat shrink that I can use on the braided wires.
I have some super reader glasses I use when I check the action & relief on my neck so I can see the tiny marks on my Stew Mac guage. They are like looking through a magnifying glass so it's easy to see really small stuff. I will use them for this project too.
Thanks again for the tutorial! Here's some pics of my soldering jig & parts.
(http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/189390.jpg)
(http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/189391.jpg)
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Blue cable to match the new bass... good move.
Jazzyvee
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Let me state a couple more obvious things only because it seems you're new to the 5-pin thing...
When looking at the soldering side of the two connectors, remember that they are mirror images. When looking at them as a big smile, pin-1 of the Male connector is top right while pin-1 of the Female connector is top left. I am constantly looking at my own scribbled color chart so I don't get turned around.
That star-quad cable leaves you with one other important task. It was designed to be used as normal mic cable with two conductors per pin. That's why you have two white wires and two blue wires. For YOUR purposes, you need four separate conductors and so you'll need to find which is which at either end. I suggest you go ahead and make one end and then use a continuity tester to figure out which is which at the other end. Go slow, use a permanent marker, write it down, double check, etc...
I also have one of those giant magnifying lens lamps which I now need to solder anything. It allows me to get my face close enough without the risk of flying lava...
Jimmy J
Oh, here's a link to the official assembly instructions for those clever right angle plugs... (Auto-download pdf)
http://www.neutrik.com/zoolu-website/media/download/126/Assembly+Instruction+-+XLR+RX+Series (http://www.neutrik.com/zoolu-website/media/download/126/Assembly+Instruction+-+XLR+RX+Series)
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Thanks Jimmy! Once again you have enlightened me & pointed out something I hadn't thought about which is the mirror image on the male & female connectors. I knew I was going to have to ohm the wires out & make sure I have the same blue & white going to the same pin on both ends, & will do as you suggested & mark one blue & one white on each end so I don't get them mixed up. I will also draw me a diagram of which wire goes to which pin on both ends so I have a point of reference to go by. I always ohm out the cables I build even with just 2 conductor guitar cables to make sure there aren't any shorts & there is continuity from one end to the other. There have been times when a single strand frayed off the wire & shorted out on ground that I didn't see when I built the cable, but the ohm meter doesn't lie.
The magnifying lamp is a great idea, I wish I had one! I have a neon lamp with a flexible gooseneck that I use to polish my bass & adjust the action. It shows all the smudges & makes it easy to read the Stew Mac gage.
Thanks for the assembly link. I downloaded it yesterday after I snapped the pin insert into the right angle housing & couldn't figure out how to get it back out! Yeah, I was one of those kids who never read the directions when I built models, I just looked at the pictures & glued it together only to find out that I should have glued another piece on first!
As always Jimmy, you are a gentleman & a scholar & I appreciate all your help!
Rusty
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Well Jimmy, thanks to yours & Keith's advice, I was able to build my first 5 pin cable! It took me 3 hours, but the operation was a success! I can see now why these cables are so expensive! This is tedious work indeed! Thanks again to you & Keith for your instruction & vendors. Now if I just had a Series bass to plug this into!!
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Way to go Rusty! Wait, you did this without having a series instrument? But you have one under construction, right?
I like your approach - start with a cable. By the time you take delivery you'll know the instrument from the inside out! Excellent.
Jimmy J
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Thanks Jimmy! You & Keith were a great help! Yes, I do have a Series II Europa under construction right now, it is going into finish this week, so I still have a long ways to go on it. I'm passing the time while I wait for it by getting everything I will need to cross over into the Series world. Of course I will get the 20' Alembic cable with the bass, but I wanted a a shorter spare for small stages & in case my 20' goes out, so I built this one. I have also bought a 4 wide Levy strap to help with the extra weight of the bass. I'm sure it will be much heavier than my SCSD shortie! I also bought a 4 space rack to replace my 3 space to have room for the DS5R. So I have all my ducks in a row for the blessed event when my Europa arrives in Texas!
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Hello all, this is my 1st post as I only enjoyed just the reading here sofar. I wanted to ask Jimmy Johnson (who I adore since hearing him play on Wayne Johnson's album Arrowhead back in the late '70s or early '80s): Jimmy, can you give me info if your modified tailpieces are available or are they custom made? I am also interested in the hexagon tail screws as they are less prone to damage then the philips style ones.
Gr. Ulli
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Hi Ulli,
Welcome to the Alembic forum and thanks for the comments.
I'm glad you enjoyed the Wayne Johnson Trio stuff, that was a fun band. We had played together in Minneapolis and then all ended up in LA a couple years later and were able to continue making music... Bill and Wayne are great cats and no, we're not related. Ha!
Regarding my tailpieces; these were special order items on these basses and I don't know if anybody else has ever requested them on their instruments. The reason they wouldn't be a normal option is because they are specific to the ball-end portion of the strings which are likely to vary between manufacturers or even string types from the same manufacturer. In other words, we designed these tailpieces specifically to work with ghs Boomers - which limits my ability to even try other strings. I like to change strings often so the idea was for these tailpieces to make the operation quick and easy.
The very first of these tailpieces (on the bass I lost many years ago) was simply a brass plate with pins sticking up at differing intervals. Crude looking but functional. The second version (seen on the far left bass in the pic of 3 above) is a straight brass piece with angled pins. This works OK but the tension does try to pull it out of it's mounting bolts. The latest version is the curved style which seems to be a more solid anchor.
Do you currently play an Alembic? One of the joys of working with this company is that they can literally make whatever you can dream up. They've built some amazing instruments over the years, great examples of combining form and function.
I could go on... Ha!
Not sure what you mean by hexagon tail screws. If you mean the screws securing the bridge and tailpiece to the bass, these are actually bolts which screw into threaded inserts in the wood so that (in the case of the bridge) you can continue to adjust them without ruining the wood. These bolts could have any type of head on them but those currently supplied seem like a logical choice. If you are talking about a different part let me know.
Thanks for visiting!
Jimmy J
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Thank you so much Jimmy for the info, I was already fearing it would be a custom solution. I can't afford an Alembic but i always enjoy the reading here. I do have the copy version made by Fernandes looong ago. I am busy right now to exchange some parts of the bridge. I ordered at Alembic the Bridge Rehab Kit since the original screwheads were all worn out. It was sent very quickly. I was just thinking if I could order such tailpiece too as I found it a very nice solution. I meant the screws for mounting the tailpice to the body. these are inside threaded inserts too? hexagon type i meant the screws which use the allen key type ones. I saw your tailpiece uses such screws. Many thanks again, I will never forget when i saw you in Lee Ritenours backup on North Sea Jazz Festival 1985 in The Hague. at first standing in the shadows, not regognizing you but during 2 solos you came out of the dark, and my brother yelled at me thats the bassplayer from Wayne Johnson's album!. was a very special experience for me back then..:-)
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Ulli,
Alright, good luck getting that Fernandes back in shape. I see the rehab kit comes with those allen-key mounting screws for the bridge so I hope all the parts included are compatible with your bass.
I'm glad you like my odd tailpiece design but fitting one to your bass could be a challenge as the mounting bolts are not in the standard locations. And I'm pretty sure these tailpieces are also bolts into inserts though I don't think I've ever removed one to look. That seems like a good system - like a large wood screw with a removable core... Very clever!
Wow, you guys were at that North Sea gig in '85 and that was your brother yelling out there? (Ha! Just teasing!) Cool that you recognized me from the WJ3. I am always awed by how music can reach listeners all over the planet. That Rit tour was a long time ago but brings back fond memories of playing with Carlos Vega - such a groove... Thanks for the story.
Good luck with your bass rehab!
Jimmy J
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thank you Jimmy, yes we (me and my 2 brothers)were in complete shock at that time. Yes Carlos made an impact on us too. I was sad when i heard about him. A few months before we went to this concert or sister passed away because of cancer at age 32. We thought the Festival could move our attention away from our loss for a while, and we were so happy it did seeing you and the others, music can have a healing effect and i never had such a great time again with my brothers, I think we slept in the car along the highway after we found out that the trip home was still a long one.
I included a closeup of my Fernandes FAB-180,it has the rehab parts already on the bridge, it all fitted, only did Alembic provided the wrong size allen keys, but could use my own ones. And to show that mine has no bolt inserts for the tailpiece. I will just use the original tail again, its okay.
Thanks Jimmy :-)(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/189786.jpg)
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Yes, music is great for getting us through life's twists and turns.
I've never seen a Fernandes up close, that's interesting. The small hardware details are definitely different - pickup mounting style, pickup selector switch (maybe that's not original), even the truss rod cover might use wood screws. But it's a nice looking bass and now you've upgraded the bridge. Enjoy playing it!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, I got this bass from Dino Walcott who was the regular bass player with the dutch guitarist Jsn Akkerman in the early 80's. I recognised him from the videos i recorded from german tv channel back then. He wanted to give this bass to his son, who preferred to spent his time with other passions instead. Yes you right about the PU selector. originally it should have had the rotating switch too. And I noticed in the old videos that Dino removed it and did put a closed metal pate on that spot. Afterwards he came with this one. I msg'd him if he still has the otiginal switch but got no reply yet.Btw, somehow I was in the mood again to listen to one of my old cd's with you; Alan Holdsworth's Atavachtron, a nice album. Sometimes I just bought albums because you are on it (Like Sadao Watanabe's Maisha or Sergio Mendes's Oceano) You and Anthony Jackson are both my preferred bassplayers for listening :-) Thanx for the kind words about my bass, I hope to play it soon. Gr. Ulli
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double post sorry
(Message edited by Ulli on April 02, 2014)
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Thanks Ulli,
I don't know Dino's playing but some folks find the location of the p/u selector to be inconvenient and they cap it off as you've described. Usually they relocate it closer to the bridge but I guess not in this case. I don't know how your toggle switch is wired, maybe simply mute and on? Because if it's: neck pickup / both / bridge pickup, then with no master volume control it will be a little inconvenient to shut the bass off... I guess switch to neck pickup and turn that knob down - which you would get used to doing in a second...
I'm proud to have been a part of those Holdsworth albums. That music is not for everybody but I still love it!
best,
Jimmy J
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yes its regular neck/both/bridge selection wired. Indeed your suggestion for muting is the best with this. My first impression of AH was that i needed to get used to his music, But I always prefer to need time to get into the music while listening it a few more times before getting it.My brothers prefer music which is more accesable. Btw I love your work with Lee Ritenour alot. After seeing you with him I bought his Harlequin album. Love all the tracks but esp Early A.M. Attitude, San Ysidro & Grid Lock those are burned in my mind and fingers! Gr. Ulli
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Hi Jimmy.
I'm Kaspar from Denmark. I wouldn't expect you to remember me, but we had a brief email exchange some 10 years ago. I sent you my transcription of your Pud Wud solo, as well as a little intro I did on a record. The last nine years I have had the gig in the Danish Radio Bigband.
Anyway, your persisting influence finally caused my to get an Alembic, a beautiful custom Essence with Europa electronics. It's really heavy, though! I'm a bit worried, my back will give me trouble over this. I can imagine your series basses have some heft to them too. Have you ever had any problems with your back in this regard?
Thanks
Kaspar
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Hi Kaspar,
Thanks for the note, nice to hear from you again.
I love it that there are Radio Big Bands in Europe! My pal Gary Husband sometimes plays drums for NDR. We have no such sponsored bands over here except for the house bands on late-night TV shows, and maybe the Lincoln Center groups. Even though some would say jazz originated in the 'States it's only considered a legitimate business in other parts of the world. Ha!!
And those bands over there are great so congratulations on your position as bassist for DR. It must be a blast playing with those fantastic musicians.
Also congratulations on your new Alembic, I hope you are enjoying the big sound! To answer your question, no, these basses haven't resulted in any back issues for me. If the weight is bugging you I can only recommend sitting down. I'm guessing you play upright as well so maybe you already have a stool on stage? I think a bari sax weighs more than an Alembic bass - which is probably why they always sit. Ha!
All the best,
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on April 08, 2014)
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Hi Jimmy
Yeah, I'm really grateful of my gig. I even got to play with Larry Goldings a couple years ago. A true gentleman, in fact, it's been my experience that alle the truly great musicians, I've played with, have been wonderful people.
The only downside to the gig is that we're only hired 6 months a year. But then again it's nice to be able to play in smaller combos.
I hope to get to see and hear you when you hit Copenhagen this September with James Taylor. My buddy Mikkel has already contacted you in the hope of getting to meet you. I hope you're up for it. Nothing too ...elaborate? Just a handshake and perhaps a coffee. It's SO COOL, you're hanging around this club!
Thanks
Kaspar
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Sorry, I continue my rant :-)
Yes I guess sitting is an option. Just not very sexy. Oh, shoot, I'm 45 and overweight so....
The Alembic sound certainly is different from what I'm used to. Only played one gig with it so far. The B string has the voice of God! And the tone, which seemed a bit to hifi in my bedroom was wonderfully clear and open on the gig.
Thanks again
Kaspar
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Jimmy, great fun to read more people had the Wow experience seeing you back in '85 onstage with Lee Ritenour at North Sea Jazz!! I too knew you only as Flim Johnson from the Arrowhead sleeve (from which I put your pic up here when starting this thread).
In that same year '85 there was this floppy single inserted in Guitar Player of Allan's Metal Fatigue, crediting a certain Jimmy Johnson on bass and although you knocked the listener right out his socks with that part, me and my band mates, all Arrowhead worshippers, didn't make the connection.
When the North Sea Jazz Lee Ritenour line up announced Jimmy Johnson on bass too, boy, were we eager to go and check that cat out!
Due to other performances we watched, we were a little late in the door in the huge Tuinpalviljoen and ended up next to the front of house board, far from the stage, so it wasn't until your first solo spot that we could clearly see that shape we all love so much [your hairdo helped a bit too ;-)] and all pieces of the puzzle fell into place: it was THE Flim Johnson we were hearing! Priceless night and although almost 30 years ago in the meantime, remember it as if it happened only yesterday.
Take care, Reinier.
PS: did you enjoy the Peavey 2x10/2x18 walk-in closet they made you stand in front of (FoH sound was very good, don't worry)?
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Reinier, what a coincedence, I got that free single too from that magazine, and after that I bought the CD which my brothers could not dig. i happen to make some photos of that RIT performance, and i lend the prints plus natives to a friend of mine, right before we lost contact with each other. I met him again on FB and after a few reminders he send me back the prints plus negatives last week, 29 years later! It was nice to see them back, from both Rit and Casiopea(my middle brother's fav band)I did not print the shots of Jimmy because in the spirit of a true bassplayer, he preferred to stand in the dark most of the time. I will see if can make prints of Jimmy after i manage to scan the negatives. gr. Ulli
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Btw, I am thinking to install a 4way rotary switch again in my Series One copy. How much does it cost to order the switch plus the install plate? Anyone knows?
Gr.
Ulli
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Ulli.
You might be better posting your question in the section. or better still, phone Mica, She is a delightful person to talk to.
Graeme
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Thank you Graeme, I will do that.
Ulli
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Thanks for the notes everybody.
Kaspar, glad you're enjoying the big tone! To me it's a natural, almost acoustic sound more closely related to piano than electric guitar. As such it's not what everybody is looking for in an electric bass but obviously I'm hooked on it...
And as you guys have pointed out, although this is the only sound I know how to make I've been lucky to do it in a variety of different musical settings. I've enjoyed my never-know-where-he's-gonna-show-up career. For what I do it helps to not be too famous for doing one thing. Instead, some people think of me as a jazz guy, others a pop guy, some mostly a fretless player, I even had a short stint working for a rock producer back in the day. Only curious bass players can figure out that those are all the same guy. Ha! I've had loads of fun. It's all music to me and there is great stuff in every genre.
Ulli, good luck with your work Alembisizing your Fernandes. You could probably purchase a prewired rotary selector switch from Mica (not a cheep piece) but I don't know about compatibility with your electronics. Possible though, especially if the Fernandes originally had one there and if it functioned the same with the circuitry.
There may be a bit of an issue if you continue down this path of buying Alembic parts for your copy. I don't really know how the family would feel about that. I suspect they'd rather you saved up to buy a real one... But if you love the way this bass feels and plays then you are of course free to upgrade it as much as you wish.
Carry on,
Jimmy J
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Thank you Jimmy, yes i realised that after i read about the Alembisizing thing and getting a bat with hairy eyeball.If I get a no as amswer I can respect that. I have an idea already of the type of Grayhill switch. I could buy it from their site directly. But somehow it would be nice if i can buy the whole set from Alembic themselves. I will never be able to buy a real one, so this is my only fav option.
Ulli
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Sorry if this comment somewhat hijacks the thread, but I wanted to answer to Ulli on this regard. I used to say I could be never able to afford an Alembic, living in a third world country (the paradox is that we have the largest oil reserves in the world, but at the same time our living standards are WAY below most not-so-wealthy countries). Since about 13 years we have a strict currency control (ie. we?re not allowed to freely buy foreign exchange, we are limited to a certain (pretty small) amount of foreign currency available for transactions abroad (this year the quota is only of 300 USD per capita YEARLY for online operations abroad), and our own currency has underwent in the last years 4 devaluations. This has been the situation in this country for... ever (only aggravated in the latest 15 years, but we have never really been the equal, comfortable, wealthy society you would expect from one of the richest countries in the world as they say). And so, 25 years ago I was lusting for an Alembic since I played one, and thought exactly the same. My closest approach was to buy (1993), secondhand, a neck-thru Hondo bass with 2 DiMarzio P pickups and brass hardware, which seemed somewhat similar to me (go figure). Then in 2009 there simply was the chance to buy my Epic 5 secondhand, and all the stars lined up... and so I am now the proud caretaker of this wonderful instrument. I cannot assure if or when I will be able to have my dreamed MK Series 5, or a Rogue 6, or... but I see no reason why, if it has happened once, it couldn?t happen again. There are surprises beyond what we are currently able to see, so don?t give up hope!
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Jcd, thank you for your reply. One day I hope I can meet Jimmy and save him by accident from something evil. Maybe then he wants to donate me one of his trio instruments ;-)Just kidding ofcourse, I just want to make my bass ready, thats all :-)
Gr. Ulli
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There?s a song I?ve been LOVING for years and years since it came out... and it has been not until tonite that I?ve found out it must be our dear Jimmy J on bass! I?m talking about a wonderful tune on Sergio Mendes?s Confetti album from 1985 called Real Life. I was playing it and almost went immediately to WIkipedia to find out about the credits... and found a dream team which credits James Johnson on Bass, Carlos Vega on drums, Robbie Buchanan on keyboards (By the way... does anybody remember his Maxus band from the early 80s? I must have worn out that vinyl so many times... it?s great!) and Dan Huff on guitar!. Needless to say, I played the song twice after that
Thank you, Jimmy, for so many wonderful moments of good musicianship!
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I didnot know Jimmy already played with Sergio that early. I tought Oceano was his first album with mr. Mendes. I do know Anthony Jackson already was on Sergio's Projects in the '70s
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Yes, well spotted Juan Carlos. That must have been my first time working for Sergio, thus the odd James credit. His sessions were always musically interesting and I found him to be a very nice guy. And his wife Gracinia a fabulous singer! I think Robbie was also new to LA at that time and finding success as an arranger / producer - in this classic 80's synth-pop style. Another talented guy!
Thanks cats!
Jimmy J
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Gracinhia has a marvelous voice. I think Steve Kahn said once she is the singer with the best voice in the world.
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Gracinhia has a marvelous voice. I think Steve Kahn said once she is the singer with the best voice in the world.
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Speaking of amazing voices, I'd highly recommend 20 Feet From Stardom. It's a documentary about back up singers. Jimmy, I daresay you've probably worked with at least of few of the singers featured. Lisa Fischer stands out particularly.
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Ohhh yes yes!. In fact, on that song (Real life), right after the guitar solo (brilliant Dan Huff!), Jimmy plays, if I?m not wrong, an F to pass then to E minor for the chorus (coming from B7 or Bsus4, not sure right now)... that note had been HAUNTING me for YEARS! You know what I mean... when a single note gives all the character to that moment, I?ve spent a lot of time wondering if I would have solved the puzzle any differently, and THAT note simply HAD to be there. I do love a lot of music, and I like a lot of more complex music, but then I think it is subjective... a lot of times it?s only a matter of ONE single note, placed in that spot where nothing can replace it, what makes the whole difference. And I LOVE it when it happens!
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Ha! Now we're getting down to some details!
Ulli, I think Steve Khan fell in love with Gracinha after only hearing her voice. But he was too late because she had married Sergio years before...
Yes Edwin, great movie. David Lasley is one of James Taylor's regular BG singers and has some great lines in the film. I understand Arnold McCuller also appears in the extended DVD version. A lot of extremely talented folks! I recently got to observe David, Arnold, Kate Markowitz and Andrea Zonn working on background parts for a new JT record. James usually comes up with the parts and the team then executes his direction beautifully. It's a pleasure to watch the pros at work.
Juan Carlos, you forced me to dig out that track and listen. (1984? 30 years ago? Holy cow, how did that happen?) Fun to hear it again. Reminds me of that time and those great musical experiences. So listen, the F coming out of the guitar solo ... as much as I'd love to take credit for that it was most likely all Robbie Buchanan's idea. Sorry, hope that doesn't ruin anything for you... I think he liked me because I could play whatever he would come up with on his sequenced synth bass part. And just having a human play it (me in this case) would put a bit of life into it. Something like that. But he was a thorough arranger and didn't leave much to chance so I am quite sure that passing note was all part of his plan.
I do understand what you mean about the power of one note. That's why they are ALL important! Any one of the bunch you play might be that one note for somebody.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Edwin , the 1st time I saw Lisa Fischer performing, was on a concert I recorded back in mid 80's where she outperformed Chaka Khan in loudness while being in the backgound section.What a body she has!
Jimmy , Steve was in love with Gracienha? wow, nice gossip hehe. And i will checkout the F note Juan mentioned, great way to start the week here.
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And to continue the gossip (and the hijacking of the thread, for which I offer my apologies)... back in the early 80s (probably near the time of the Gracinha affair ;) there was a local TV actress, called Caridad Canel?n, who was on the rise here. She had acted on lots of soap operas and enjoyed a huge success in the country. Around the same time, Jeff Berlin knew a Venezuelan vocalist (who used to sang jazz with one of my guitar teachers of then, Mr. Gonzalo Mic?) called Vicky Fulop, who he eventually married (Her sister, Katherine, is also a talented TV actress, and maybe here is where the two stories unite). Then Steve Khan met Caridad, and fell madly in love with her... but it didn?t last neither. So, for a while there was a little chance of having two talented U.S. jazz musicians married to a couple of talented and beautiful Venezuelan women!.
Now I cannot listen to Khan?s Modern Times album (One of my all time favs) without thinking of Caridad Canelon. Go figure.
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wow thats a cool story Juan. I happen to have a few of Steve Khan's Eyewitness albums, like Casa Loco,Public Acces & Crosssings. I know the Modern times and love especially the track Blades alot, I also heard the live version from it, when they did a live recording in Germany. Anthony Jackson did some out of this world Solo Intro for The Suitcase with his trademark reverb/flanger sound plus his volumepedal.
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about that rotary 4-way switch for the alembic, I figured out that switches are used with type nr:
RCL 01686, but I also read that brand Grayhill is used. The type nrs for Grayhill are different and marking RCL 01686 is used by brand BYAB. Can anyone give me more info about the wiring here?
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Ulli,
It's ... complicated! I'm looking at a pre-wired replacement switch right now and cannot describe the circuit because many of the 10 outer solder lugs are connected to each other with jumpers, etc... This is a Grayhill marked 50C36-01-2-04S. If I'm reading the spec sheet correctly that's a 50 series, 1/8 shaft, military spec, 36 degree, 2-pole, 4 position, shorting rotary switch.
There are 5 wires leading to the switch which I can safely guess are input-A, input-B, output-A, output-B and ground.
I am a bit of an electronics guy but I would be hard pressed to logic out how to wire this switch on my own. What I would recommend is that you contact Mica and see if she would be willing to sell you a prewired pickup selector switch with a short explanation of the in-and-out color coded wires. With that info you could probably interface it with your instrument. I say probably because you are trying to modify a non-Alembic bass with Alembic parts so there is a chance you may run into some incompatibilities.
If she is willing to sell you this piece it could be costly. The switch itself is expensive and there is labor involved in the prewiring job (which of course looks outstanding) plus shipping... It may add up to a considerable investment - which hopefully will work with your electronics.
Best of luck with it.
Jimmy J
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I have wired a few switches of this type (for Bartolini triple coil pickups, each of which was like a mini-Series setup, two regular coils and a humcanceller between them) and it was a lot of work. It's doable, but it would be much easier to see if Mica can sell you a prewired version. I got one from her when rehabbing a Series II set of electronics. It wasn't cheap, but it was a lot better than wiring the thing myself.
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Jimmy thanks for the info regarding the Grayhill type switch , its very usefull in case I go the DIY way. Edwin, also thanks for the reply.
I sent a mail to Alembic about the costs for ordering a complete switch/plate/screws & cabling almost 3 weeks ago, when i got an automated reply which indluded an assigned ID nr ([Alembic #668]).
But beside that I got not further information.I mentioned my Fernandes FAB-180 in my request. I can wait for a possible reply or just buy the grayhill switch and hoping for a wiring scheme later on. I just checked the cabling on my current installed switch(done by the previous owner). It is a flatcable with 5 wires. I could assume Fernandes did a 1:1 copy job on the internals too.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/190887.jpg)
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Ulli - You will usually get a better response by calling Alembic directly. They open at 10AM PDT.
There are members here that have owned or do own Fernandes basses. If you open a thread on the Owning an Alembic/Troubleshooting topic or the Miscellaneous topic you should have more visibility and you might get more responses from people who have already gone through what you are.
Keith
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Keith I live in the Netherlands so overseas phonecalls might be the last option for me if nothing else is working. But thankyou for your suggestions, I might try to open a new thread there.
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Ulli - Being in the Netherlands you might try talking to Edwin van Huik at the Bass Connection. He is an Alembic dealer along with other brands and might be able to assist with your restoration.
Keith
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I contacted Edwin van Huik 2 days ago, He sent me some pics of close ups of the switch. Friendly guy.
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That's how we Edwins roll!
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Edwin, when i just joined this forum, I thought you might be the Edwin from Bass Connection :-)
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Well, he?s Edwin, and has a connection with his bass...
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okay i sent Mica an email about my problem with the switch etc.
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Imagine my surprise when I found out that there was an Edwin Signature Model!
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In the mean time I will fix the PS-5 which has 2 toasted resistors.(Mica does not answer my mail to her so i will give up on any hope for the easy solution)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/191029.jpg)
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Hey Ulli,
Although I'm happy to continue helping, it may make more sense for you to start a new thread under Owning an Alembic>>Troubleshooting or just under Alembic Basses & Guitars. You might feel awkward because it's technically not an Alembic, but we're a friendly bunch in here so I don't think anybody will give you trouble. I don't mean to chase you out of my room... HA!
Regarding Mica's response time, you need to understand that this entire Company consists of about 9 very dedicated folks who are trying their best to serve everybody's needs. They're good people and stand behind their products but there are not enough hours in the day for them to respond to all their customer's requests and keep the company running. New customers are always shocked by how long things can take but us old-timers know that good things are worth the wait. Furthermore, they're under no obligation to service Fernandes instruments so your questions may be at the end of Mica's long list of things to do. Don't be offended or discouraged, I'm just trying to explain the situation.
On the other hand, this club is full of knowledgeable players and often the best place to get quick answers to questions about any instruments or amps. With that in mind, scroll down on this page for a schematic of Alembic's DS-5 (similar to your PS-5):
http://club.alembic.com/Images/395/60881.html?1246843699 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=15707)
Note that the only resistors are the summing resistors for the mono output. The original DS-5 had a thermal fuse on the high-power side of the transformer. The only way to know if that had failed was by testing it. Hope all this helps.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, yes, I do realise you are right about all the things you said. Maybe I got stuck here, because I already felt this was the right spot, having contact with several members. Ofcourse I dont think you want me to kick lol.Prob I will try some other threads or make a new one, depending on the progress from my side. I will check that link you gave me. I am not really technical, but I thought that behind the elco's of my PS-5 4x resistors were on the board. behind the left elco two of them became black. I just found a good old fashioned electronics shop here who is willling to check it for me, so I will have no part in reparing it.
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The four components are likely diodes which work as a bridge rectifier in this circuit. (They're connected in a square shape on the Alembic schematic.) Your electronics shop guy should know just what to do.
Jimmy J
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Thank you Jimmy, I learned somethings again here. Oh, and Mica replied to me and gave me a positive answer about the switch. Weekend never started better here, happy :-)
Gr. Ulli
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Right on JJ on a wicked cover by Dave Weckl's band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RS5RsSPssw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RS5RsSPssw)
Jazzyvee
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Caught your show with James Taylor here in Atlanta a few days ago... what can I say? Outrageously excellent!!
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Thanks a lot Dan, I appreciate it. You caught a good gig, even the weather cooperated. And that's a nice shed to play. More fun than Chastain - in my opinion.
Jimmy J
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One more quick question - What does the MD stand for, after your name and instrument, in JT's Life on the Road, Meet the Band e-mail? You're not a doctor, too, are you??!!
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Musical Director?
Keith
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Ha! Doctor Johnson, I like it.
Keith is correct in that in this case MD means musical director but it's an inaccurate usage. JT sometimes refers to me as the band leader (maybe because I've been there so long) but there's no doubt that HE is the musical director of the operation. I'm more like the assistant concertmaster, or maybe librarian. Organizational assistance for the band. Only title I'll claim is bass, and I'm still just subbing for Sklar anyway!!! You betcha!
Jimmy J
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Every band should have a librarian.
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Hey Jimmy.
For some reason I was under the impression that my message got moderated (although not particularly offensive in my own opinion) ;-). Anyway, it wasn't until now I realized you actually wrote this danish dude back. Thanks :-). AND - since your little danish portion of the tour is approaching heavily, I'm looking forward more and more to the show and possibly a chat with you and thought I'd remind you by now.
As it turns out, It's not in Tivoli Gardens but in Falconer Salen, which is a pretty nice venue. Again, stop me, if I'm crossing the line, but... I know Gadd is probably arranging tickets for a friend of mine. Am I a jerk to ask you the same favor? probably... but I COULD pay you back in loads of Lakrids :-). Either way, I'll be sure not to miss out on hearing you live and sending you thanks for endless inspiration.
And I agree with Dave. I think Librarian is very descriptive. And catchy to boot :-)
/Mikkel
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Hey Mikkel,
Thanks for the reminder note. Right, I still haven't seen the detailed itinerary but I guess we're not at Tivoli this time so no Flyvende Kuffert ride for me. Wa!
I'm sorry but I can't arrange tickets for you, neither as comps nor as a broker (purchased for you). I reserve that favor for immediate family members or very close friends - and only if they don't ask. Ha! If you are able to get yourself to the show the best I could offer is a couple after show passes if you wanted to come back and say hello. This doesn't mean you would meet anybody but me ... but it could be a bass chat opportunity.
Let me know (right here) if you are able to make it and we'll see if we can connect. Thanks for understanding.
Jimmy J
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I totally understand!
A couple of backstage passes with bass chat included would be ideal :-)
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OK Mikkel, thanks for going along with that, I appreciate it. I'll see if I can arrange some passes.
Seeya,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, Bon Voyage !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5tIHtbctFQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5tIHtbctFQ)
J o e y
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Very funny. In fact we played that song in the set on our first Cunard adventure in '09.
The whole concept is pretty silly but ... passage for band, crew and gear to Europe at the cost of playing a couple short gigs on the boat makes some sense. It is a bit odd to play in a theater that is MOVING. I just hope we have better weather this time.
Thanks for the good wishes,
Jimmy J
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That's one of my favorite ancients, used to be in a band and the chart started on that flat-seven riff in unison, what a hoot.
I love the sea, and what a treat to sail on such a ship on such a historic route to England. Plus your things don't get smacked around under an airplane, not bad at all.
Well, here's hoping it's flat enough to water ski behind the Queen.
J o e y
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I'll share this here... this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFvGq-52I8I (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFvGq-52I8I)
of JT doing Frozen Man has the camera slowly pan across Jimmy in the background with (one of?) his cone-headstock Alembic five-strings. Can't quite tell what other features it has, but in addition to that being one of my favorite ever JT tunes, I must have played that clip 500 times just to hear the bass. One of the bands I play in has tried in vain several times to add this tune to the set list. Beautiful bass, and a great bass line too.
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Thanks for that Gregory. That is a great song isn't it?
It's also an example of how the bass parts are already written and played by JT on most of his tunes. I don't know of anybody who plays guitar quite like him ... and those bass lines come with the package. All I do is pick and choose how much of what he's already playing should be doubled an octave lower.
That clip is from around '92 and is probably my recording bass - an '87 series II. Great to see Don Grolnick and Carlos Vega and remember that happy time. We miss those guys.
Jimmy J
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Nice video! Thanks for posting.
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JT is one of those guys you hate to pick favorites from, but yes, Frozen Man is epic.
I notice you often reference the guitar bassline as the strongest influence on what you play. Couldn't agree more... I'm fortunate enough to be playing with a very gifted young guitarist/vocalist/songwriter with whom I'm able to do just that - listen to his lines and pare down from there. He often reminds me though, it still takes a bass player to *hear it* that way.
I truly appreciate your craft.
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Jimmy J,
I am very excited that I'll get to see you with JT in New Orleans come November. As always, I do hope you get time to enjoy some good eats and local music.
I'll bring my Grasshopper album and a Sharpie just in case I get lucky enough to run into you again
Best,
Ed Vigueira
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Jimmy, thank you so much for a wonderful concert here in Copenhagen yesterday. It was great to get to meet you and have a little chat. Bass idol AND super cool guy!
Cheers,
Kaspar
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Gregory, thanks again for the above.
Ed, that seems like a long way off but remind me when we get closer...
Kaspar,
It was great to hang with you and Mikkel for a moment Tuesday night, I enjoyed that. I'm glad you guys were free, thanks again for coming to the gig and saying hello. And for all the kind words posted here too!
Carry on!
Jimmy J
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Looking forward to monday evening Jimmy. should get a great view from the front row :-)
Graeme
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Yes Graeme, I guess I'll be seeing you too - in the front row! No heckling now. Requesting a bass solo is NOT appropriate behavior in this situation. Ha!
Jimmy J
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Enjoy!
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Another fantastic show, we were right in front of James and could hear every note perfectly. Jimmy's playing - as ever - was beautiful - I really loved the 'duet' intro to Millworker which really highlighted Jimmy's tone. James threw in a handful of new songs which were great - looking forward to the new album coming out soon. As usual we had a really nice chat - great to catch up.
graeme
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It was great to see you and the Mrs again Graham. Always nice when true music lovers (and Alembic brothers) come and enjoy the show.
Some good tracks coming on JT's new record. Great songwriting, singing and playing by all. Plus the engineer looks after the bass tone! Yay!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on September 30, 2014)
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Jimmy J,
Just checking in again concerning the New Orleans show; if it is at all possible (without being too big a pain) I'd love to meet up for a minute or two afterward. Let me know of any super-secret passwords, handshakes, or offerings to the security crew if necessary...
Best,
Ed Vigueira
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Hey Ed,
If you wouldn't mind posting here what seats you're sitting in at UNO then I will do my best to come out and say hello before the show starts. Concert starts at 8 (no opening act) so doors should open at 7pm. I'll try to be sitting in your seats and maybe we can squeeze in a bass chat before I have to report to work. That's the best I can offer you at the moment but if it sounds OK we'll give it a try.
Even though I stand directly behind Mr. Taylor and am in many of his live camera shots I'm still basically unseen by the majority of the audience. I can usually wander through the venue and not be recognized, sometimes even right after the show. That's all fine me, I prefer it this way! Ha!
Jimmy J
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Jimmy..Even though I stand directly behind Mr. Taylor and am in many of his live camera shots I'm still basically unseen by the majority of the audience. I can usually wander through the venue and not be recognized, sometimes even right after the show. That's all fine me, I prefer it this way! Ha!
Amazingly this is pretty accurate. When you came to speak to us before the Glasgow gig I don't think anyone around us twigged who you were. It wasn't until the show started that our neighbours asked if that was 'the bass player' we'd been talking to :-) like you say, anonimity can be a good thing - We felt quite sorry for JT who didn't even get off the stage during the interval due to autograph hunters who mobbed him. He must have a cast iron bladder :-)
Graeme
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Heard, as opposed to saw you, the other night when JT played in Minneapolis (had bad seats AND one very tall guy sitting/ standing in front of me). Can't get over how tastefully you play in that ensemble - my operational definition of a pros pro. And while I assume I'm probably in the minority, I came more to listen to you than JT.
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I'm hoping to catch the show in either Richmond, or Charleston later this month... that Monday 24th looks better than the Friday after Thanksgiving.
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Jimmy J,
My lovely wife sang with Boz Scaggs for a number of years, and also enjoyed being able to blend in with the civilian population when necessary;) Best of both worlds, methinks...
We're in section P, row 14, seats 5-7...the family and I are looking forward to it!
Many thanks,
Ed
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Graeme,
I'm surprised your neighbor noticed even as we started. Ha!
Brian,
Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you at least enjoyed the sound. You didn't miss much onstage action except of course for the 30 dancers and the pyro effects on You've Got A Friend. Ha! Really, not much to watch with us old geezers, thus the somewhat busy video content... But for me it's all about the music and sound so I'm glad to hear that was coming through.
Gregory,
Maybe I can see you at one of those gigs. Let me know if it works out.
Ed,
OK, I'll do my best to get out there and say howdy. But even if we miss connecting with each other I hope you'll enjoy the evening.
best to all,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, when you're in Tampa, if you have any time, try to get some Cuban coffee (cafe con Leche) at La Teresita. I wish I was going to the concert, but I just don't like the sound in the hockey rink.
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Hey Jimmy!...
My co-worker and I will be at the Mohegan Sun gig in a couple of weeks. Should be a good time as always.... LMK if you need to get 'off the reservation' (literally, not metaphorically) pre/post show...
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John Z, thanks. If I were a coffee drinker I'd be all over that. But I will enjoy a nice midnight sandwich while I'm down here. I know what you mean about bad sounding venues. Our FOH guy is mighty fine but sometimes even he can't win.
Mike P, maybe I'll see you there. Casino gigs are odd in that they pay very well but then they don't want you to play too long. Because when people are at the show they aren't gambling! That's a bit harsh, they're not all that way. I think we get to play our whole show at the Mohegan Sun (and we'll probably know the tunes pretty well by then) so that should be good. Let me know what seats you're in as it gets closer. If you know.
Nice to see Ed V. and his gals the other night. Thanks again for the CD. Hope you all enjoyed the show.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy J,
Many thanks for taking the time to visit... The show was stellar, but the company was even better! It was truly an unforgettable night for us all.
The gals and I are still buzzing about all of it a week later...
Safe travels and Happy Holidays to you, yours, and the whole gang on tour.
Ed V
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Not sure if this has ever been posted, but Roy Vogt posted this on Facebook today - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k5EQWfqVOQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k5EQWfqVOQ)
Which lead to this amazing clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiQMXgfnUVI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiQMXgfnUVI)
Here's Roy's Facebook post - https://www.facebook.com/groups/162730003749416/868430789845997/?notif_t=group_activity (https://www.facebook.com/groups/162730003749416/868430789845997/?notif_t=group_activity)
Jimmy. you have been the tone master since the beginning! Incredible playing too!
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That was great !
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Wow! That was some amazing stuff! I just love that tone...
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Over 30 years ago, yikes! I had no idea any of that Wayne Johnson stuff was recorded, much less on video. (For you youngsters, this was a year before cell phones were rolled out in the US). We had some good fun with that trio.
I sure wonder where that bass went... 76-418 was stolen out of a van in Poughkeepsie, NY in 1987. A particularly odd axe too. The tailpiece was a plate with pins sticking up onto which you slid the ball ends of the strings. Cracked top on both sides of the bass pickup. 5-strings on a 4-string neck... Where could it be? In a closet somewhere? On the wall of some restaurant?
Thanks for the attention and nice comments my friends. Now stop googling me! HA!
Jimmy J
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Just pre-ordered Gadd's '70 strong'. If it's anything like Gadditude it'll be another great album. looking forward to listening to your playing on something new Jimmy, do we have long to wait?
Hard to believe Steve's 70 this year; when we chatted last September I'd have put him in his early 60's at most. Must have a very effective fitness regime :-)
can't be long till the new JT album comes out?
Graeme
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Those videos were a pleasant surprise on a cold rainy afternoon. Thanks!
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JimmyJ, I'd like to read more about that 5 strings on a 4-string neck, sometime when you've got time. I've thought about that a lot here lately, the logistics of how to do it.
I hope to read here one day you have finally found 76-418. I've never had the misfortune of having an instrument stolen, but my Dad had a Gibson banjo stolen from his office in 1976... he still carries the serial number of that banjo and the phone number of the Wise Co. Sheriff's Office in his wallet to this day.
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Gregory, I don't know Alembic's original work with JJ on his first, but it was common at the outset of 'off-the-rack' five strings.
My original BB5000 Yamaha was essentially a 4-string BB3000 with an 1.75 nut width, modded with a five-slot nut, an updated 3+2 Yamaha P-pickup (strangely, an idea only now becoming common 25 years later), a slightly bigger head with the 'add-on' G-tuner, and a five-saddle bridge, all tooled to work inside the original four-string spacing, and these were fairly simple mods from the four-string blueprint.
You essentially wound up with a five string with very tight string-to-string spacing, like a Ric or a very narrow Jazz Bass. Really 'cozy' down at the nut, but you got used to it. I had a Peavey DynaBass (I know . . . .) that was done the same way.
This was not uncommon back in the late 80's, and the widths have been all over the map ever since. IF there's a 'standard', it's probably the ubiquitous Sting Ray Five that introduced it to most people, the first fairly easy five for most people to get their head around, plus they had that Music Man tone which a lot of guys were used to. And getting that big pickup to work on the B-string was not quite the hurdle required to make a P-pickup sound good in the same situation, a classic illustration of 'narrow' vs. 'wide aperture' tone.
Joey
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Right on Joey, I know what you mean. I have an '87 Gibson V Thunder Series 5-string. Essentially it's an ordinary (well, by Gibson's standards anyway) shaped bass, wired up like a Thunderbird. Darn thing looks uncannily like a cone headstocked Spoiler, painted Ferrari red. The string spacing is pretty much 5 strings squeezed into the same space as the 4-string model, even used the same pickups. They made them for less than a year, and they're not well regarded at all, but it has enormous sentimental value to me. (and the string spacing as you say, you get used to it)
Anyway, I'd given some thought to an Alembic restoration/conversion. Since it's partly Jimmy's fault I play 5-string basses, thought I'd go to the original Alembic fiver guy.
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Hey friends,
Graeme, thanks for supporting the team. Gadd record coming momentarily. James' record probably in a couple months. (Holdsworth record? Within the decade, we hope.)
Gregory and Joey, I think you guys have got it right. When there was enough interest in 5-strings the builders felt the need to offer it but didn't want to retool everything. So what came out first was tight string spacing on whatever they were already making. Then later the Fender players complained enough that many went to standard P-bass +1 spacing.
What I landed on and got used to is a 1-3/4 nut and around 2-3/16 from the outside edge of the B-string to the outside edge of the G at the bridge. My fretless is even smaller with a 1-5/8 nut and that was clearly because Alembic only had one graphite neck mold to fool with at that moment in time.
For a few years before discovering Alembic in '75 I was playing a Gibson Les Paul Recording Bass which was probably already tighter spacing than Fender (and a couple frets shorter!). So the spacing didn't feel too weird to me right off the bat. I also started on electric so I wasn't coming from upright. I guess that makes me a bass guitarist
Again, it's just what I got used to and happens to fit my fingers, the way I play, etc. Almost every other bass player who tries my bass finds it a tight squeeze.
Jimmy J
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I also prefer a narrow five-string. Both of mine are the Alembic 'Classic' taper, 2 nut by 2.5 at the last fret, so the strings almost feel parallel to me. Yamaha later went crazy with those crazy-wide fives on TRB's.
If I had mad money to build a couple of 'what if . . . ?' axes, one of the first things I'd try would be like the fingerboard on a nylon string classical: Utterly straight end-to-end, no taper at all, and a flat-radius (i.e., NO radius) fingerboard, backed with a flat-back neck profile, REALLY a 'U-shaped' neck profile.
It's interesting to me that I was never at home, a four-string was always too much work, the notes just didn't line up right to me. I'd read about Jimmy and Alembic, and a bass with FIVE strings just said to me I'm waiting,Joey, and then when I got my first, the little light went on and everything made sense. There's a part of me that always wants a little P/J Precision (the current candidate is the ESP Frank Bello), but every time I pick up a nice one, something is STILL missing, so it just remains a daydream . . .
Joey
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Jimmy, your neck sounds very similar to my new Europa. Mine is 1.77 at the nut & 2.5 at the 24th. I haven't measured string to string, but with about 1/8 from the edge of the string to the edge of the fretboard, that would put it at 2 1/4 string to string. I love my narrow neck, & your bass was my inspiration for getting the narrow neck! My string spacing feels natural to me. Now when I play my Jazz Bass it feels like I'm missing a string in between the others!
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Hi Jimmy,
On March 31st I'm coming to see you play with Mr. Taylor at Theatre Carre in Amsterdam. We have great seats and that venue is really fantastic, so we're in for a treat. It's been some time ago since I've seen you play, 2012 with JT and before that with Allan and Gary in Zoetermeer in '09. That last one was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. The synergy of that trio was truly magical! I'm really looking forward to the JT concert. I hope the Alembic bass will be nicely present in the sound ;)
If it's not too much trouble for you, is there any whatever way we can briefly meet up and say hello before the show? I wouldn't mind getting there early.
Thanks!
Duncan
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Hey Duncan,
Thanks for the note and the kind words about that Zoetermeer gig. Needless to say, playing with Allan and Gary together has always been a blast for me.
And since you've already heard me in my alternate musical Universe you know what to expect at a JT concert. A different musical experience altogether but still a blast for me. We have a good sound guy so I think the bass will be well represented.
Let me know where you are seated at the Carr? and I may be able to come find you before the show. Itinerary says 8pm start and there's no opening act.
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, was so sorry to hear about the (unfortunately not un-expected) passing of Mike Porcaro over the weekend. I knew you'd played with Jeff, and wondered if you knew Mike very well, and did he do a lot of session work in his day away from Toto?
Joey
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Hey Joey,
Unfortunate is right. I didn't know Mike very well but he was certainly a fixture on the LA music scene. Especially among the locals which included his whole family, Lukather, Carlos Vega, Landau... It mostly hurts to think about their dad Joe who is still an active studio drummer and percussionist. I can't even imagine...
So far I'd have to say that losing friends and family is my biggest complaint about getting old.
But on we go, all ahead full.
Jimmy J
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I'd agree; sometimes I think of everyone I've lost and almost get 'survivor's grief', and it certainly is my #1 regret about living this long. It is for us the living to honor their memory and carry on, they would tell us no less.
Joey
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Well said Joey. +1
Mike
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Hi Jimmy,
That would be really nice!
We will be at our seats right after doors open, which is 7:30pm according to Carr?. We'll be sitting at Parterre right (first ring around stalls) first row, seats 38 & 40.
Thanks!
Duncan
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OK Duncan, I'll see if I can find you for a quick chat before the music starts. My book says doors at 7 but your info may be more accurate...
Seeya,
Jimmy J
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(Message edited by eddievig on March 29, 2015)
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(Message edited by eddievig on March 29, 2015)
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Jimmy,
My daughter put together a poster with her 99 favorite artists for those times when she could use some inspiration...Alphabetically, that puts you between Elton John and Tom Jones!
Jaco, McCartney, and Michael League are also in there representing the low end...I am finally convinced that I did something right as her dad ;)
Best,
Ed V
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Oh Ed, that is funny! I'm honored to be a sideman among her list of actual Artists. Ha! And in a good spot between those two.
I guess I would be hard-pressed to come up with 99 of my favorite anythings.
Good stuff.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
Here's a few to get you started:
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
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Jonathon. You're surely not suggesting Julie Andrews couldn't punctuate ? :-)
Graeme
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Jimmy,
I called Carr? to make sure: theatre opens at 07.00pm, doors to the stage usually open between 07.15 and 07.30, as soon as everything is ready to go. Hope to see you there.
Btw: just bought my tickets to Steve Gadd's 70-Strong tour at the Boerderij!! That's definately something fun to look forward to!
Enjoy Amsterdam! (despite the weather)
Duncan
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Hey Jimmy, my wife and I just watched you on AXS TV on a 2006 tribute to J.T. I'll bet it was a blast playing with all those musicians performing James' songs.
Bill, tgo
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Hey Bill,
That must have been the MusiCares thing? Nice to work with all those talented folks but it was a tricky show to put together. All songs we knew but not in the keys we knew them so there was a lot of prep involved. I don't know if they were able to included Springsteen's version of Millworker but it was heavy.
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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Yes, it was the MusiCares tribute. Millworker, played by Springsteen on a 12 string, was definitely one of the highlights. But what was Cheech Marin doing there? (Though that may be our six degrees of separation as I have jammed with Tommy Chong).
I can relate to the key changes. I have a Veillette Gryphon - an 18.5 scale 12 string. Since it's tuned in high D (equivalent of the 10th fret of a standard guitar) I have to change keys up a whole step to play with others. Good exercise for the mind.
Bill, tgo
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Hey Jimmy,
Hope you've had a nice short break. Thanks again for the hearty greeting at Carr?! Bente and I had such a wonderful time. It was her first JT show and she loved it.
Tomorrow I'm joining a friend to go and see you guys again in Utrecht, ha! Rare opportunity to go twice. I'm looking forward to it.
Have fun!
Duncan
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Jimmy,
Just heard one of the teaser tracks from Allan Holdsworth's Tales From the Vault project via PledgeMusic with you and Virgil Donati...
Ferocious is the adjective that comes to mind!
I can't wait until the full release (and my AH coffee mug will be a nice touch as well)...
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Jimmy.
Received Gadd's '70 strong' a week or so ago and it's not been out of the CD player since. I'm loving the playing - it seems a little more laid back than gadditude but that may just be my imagination. As ever, your playing holds the whole thing together - I love your track 'Desu' and I'm glad you weren't tempted to turn it into a Clarke-esque bass solo thang :-) The only thing that'll get this album off my player will be the new JT album when it arrives in June :-)
Keep up the good work (and get Gadd to bring the band to Scotland)
Graeme
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Nice Videos!!! Jimmy RULES!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCjuyZhL46g (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCjuyZhL46g)
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Hey friends,
Ed, thanks for that. We anxiously await the work of our favorite genius Mr. Holdsworth, hoping he can get something finished and out for everybody to enjoy. The poor guy seems to have been stalled on this project for ... 15 years or so. He's got some amazing tracks in the works and we just hope he can finalize something soon... Stay tuned for that.
Graeme, thanks as always for supporting the team. The Gadd thing is yet another lucky experience for me which falls somewhere between my two musical extremes of Taylor and Holdsworth. It's a joy to play with Steve and these cats in ANY situation! This record may be slightly calmer than the first but some fun grooves and great playing by all. Clarke-esque? HA! If I could do that I probably would! I'm just a melody guy in the end. Ha!!
Best to all,
Jimmy J
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As ever Jimmy you are just too humble and modest and if we were all a quarter as good as your playing we would all would be very happy!
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I'm glad I stayed awake through Fallon last night; it was great to hear the new tune live!
Wish I could say the same for the Seesaw bit...but I guess I still miss Carson ;)
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Jimmy,
Just got the new JT (Target expanded version)...great stuff!
BTW...tempo intervention...Can I borrow that?
Best,
Ed
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Thanks Ed. I'm proud to have been a part of this new JT record. Great songs, production, singing and playing by all. And we're happy for James that it is being so well received. All good!
Of the 8-billion hours of video they shot during the making of it's just silly that they chose that clip. Ha!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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I just watched a Palladia channel show about the making of JT's Before This World. Made me happy to see lots of shots of Jimmy.
Rich
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Hey there Jimmy J... looks like you're in the thick of a tour with JT.
Especially since it falls on the way to a gig I have in further western N.C. on Saturday, I'm hoping beyond hope to make it to the Greensboro N.C. show on Friday, 7/31. Would love to shake & howdy with you... and of course gossip about Alembic 5-strings. =) Only if you have time of course... wouldn't want to hold up a guy when he's workin'!
Any idea how your schedule might look that evening?
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I am attending the JT concert this Saturday in Hartford CT. The new CD is terrific. It will be awesome to hear your tone again during a live show. I hope to catch you either before or after the concert, if possible.
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I'm still waiting for mine to arrive :-(
Graeme
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Thanks pals,
Gregory, you know I can't offer any tix but if you DO get to that show let me know where you end up sitting. Perhaps I can find you before we start... If you make it I hope you enjoy it and then have a good gig on Saturday.
Steve, same thing, let me know where you'll be sitting. Thanks for the comment on the record, it came out mighty good. And not to toot MY horn but to toot the TEAM's horn; last week the #1 album on Billboard's Top 200 was ALL ALEMBIC in the bass department. Ha! Of course #1 doesn't mean exactly what it did a few years back, but it still means something.
Graeme, what's up with the Royal Post? Hope you like it once it arrives. Some nice new JT songs! By the way, you can also buy 96/24 hi-def audio versions on HDTracks and Pono. I think of that as an encouraging trend!
All the best,
Jimmy J
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Indy's the closest to Chicago??? Bummer.
Have a good tour.
Peter
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Oh no, I'm good on tix! The only hitch is coordinating travel plans so as to get at least a few hours sleep, and not miss my rehearsal or soundcheck Saturday.
I'll touch back here when it gets closer. :thumbsup: Have a great tour, and safe travels!
ps - Go team Alembic. =)
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Our Tickets are row PP, Section 400, seats 427-430. Hope to see you in Hartford tomorrow nite.
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OK Steve I'll try to find you. Either way I hope you enjoy the show.
Jimmy J
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Steve,
I hope you and your gang were able to make it to the show last night, I'm sorry I missed you. I know you weren't there before 8pm because I was sitting in your seat until then! But I suspect traffic and / or the Whey Station macaroni & cheese food truck line may have slowed you down. All good!
If you were there I hope you all enjoyed it. If you have any questions about the gig, the music, the production, mysterious bass notes, etc, post them here.
And thanks for supporting the tour!
Jimmy J
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?.Great video!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9XAh0vH_pM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9XAh0vH_pM)
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That was nice! Thanks for posting; put a smile on my face.
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Thanks friends. A very silly song, complete with an almost musical train-wreck. HA!
Always big fun playing with those guys!
Jimmy J
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Hey there Jimmy J... I finally got all my travel plans hashed out, and hoping to catch up with you tomorrow evening in G-boro.
*Strictly if you have time*, I'm in Section 115 Row MM Seat 11, but I could meet up with you just about anywhere or anytime after they let us in... of all reasons to be early, I'm coming to Greensboro earlier in the day to look at a Craigslist vehicle, (could be my next gig-mobile!) so I should be near the front of the lineup.
ps - FWIW, I listened three times and though I couldn't spot the almost trainwreck, there are some terrifyingly sudden transitions in that tune. Looks like you guys are having a ball on that gig!
(Message edited by edwardofhuncote on July 30, 2015)
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Hey Gregory,
Good luck with the vehicle search.
It's a 7:30 downbeat so doors are 6:30. If you head for your seat I'll try to find you there and we can hang for a bit. I have other guests tomorrow but can search for them later.
Thanks for supporting the team, hope to see you there!
Jimmy J
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Yessir, will be there asap. Thanks JJ! Look for the Alembic t-shirt. =)
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Greg; my guess on the averted trainwreck is 5:00 in; the transition out of the bluesy guitar solo. Go back a ways so that you get the feel of the tempo. Jimmy's leading the band through the tempo changes, and on that one they weren't quite with him.
One of the highlights for me in this video was the transition from the keyboard to the guitar solo; very nice change of speed and feel. And I loved the guitar solo.
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After I watched that one last night, I watched this one, Way Back Home (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96M8s4HiuxM). At 2:36 Jimmy does this really cool rhythmic thing on top of Gadd's beat leading into a delightful exchange of licks with the guitar player. The whole tune was fun, but I really enjoyed that part. This is a great band; I'm loving what all the players are doing.
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Saw that later this morning Dave...
I'm familiar with the bass player looks at drummer and grins clue that something just about crash-landed. The way the rhythm of that tune switches up is *really* tricky... I thought the guys made a great save. =)
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I'm more familiar with the was that you or me that just completely lost the beat grin.
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Jimmy,
Just got the AH Earth track from PledgeMusic with you and Virgil Donati...WOW!
Like I said before...ferocious!
Ed V
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Thanks Ed,
That means you were a pledger so thank you for helping support the original suffering Artist: Allan.
Everybody has been asked to NOT share the track in any way and I hope they will comply. It's meant to be a private release to those who pitched in to support the man. Eventually ... maybe ... he will finish the album and it will be available to all. (Still shouldn't share it but don't get me started on that subject!!)
Kind of a bizarre piece of music - a Virgil composition originally intended for his own record, so it's a bit of a drum-a-thon. Several parts of this bass solo are me playing to Virgil's crazy rhythms. But Allan, in his amazing way, rewrote much of the harmony and then put a lovely musical solo together. I am extremely happy and relieved that he was able to pull it off because I wasn't sure he could in is current not-very-healthy condition. It's great to hear his beautiful unique solo voice again on something new!
Take it easy,
Jimmy J
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Hey there Jimmy J, enjoyed that Alembic mini-meet-up last month! Man, you guys sounded tight. I (somehow!) had no idea Andrea Z was in the band, and that was a nice surprise. Met her one time back in my Nashville days... monster singer & fiddler, never struck me as someone who was caught up in that whole clique-ish side of the music scene, just did her thing better than everybody else did.
I'll share this with our little circle here...
Turns out sometimes they *do* recognize the bass player. I was sitting in the stands with JJ hashing out the finer details of 5-string Alembics when this lady a couple rows over recognizes him. Being the good sport he is, Jimmy posed for a picture, and made quite an impression on her. During intermission, she apologized profusely for interrupting our conversation, and I assured her it was totally cool, we were just hanging out for a minute before the show. We exchanged emails and I've heard from her a couple times since... she and her husband (I guess?) are big music fans, and are now following the groups I play in.
Next time we meet up, remind me to tell you about the crazy guy I played that gig for the next day. Wow, what an adventure, and a sad day for banjo-philes everywhere!
Safe Travels!
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I've probably read most of your threads over the years Jimmy and your posts have always been informative and with a lot of experience behind your comments. Have you ever thought of publishing a booklet in conjunction with alembic of Series II Tips, Tricks & Traps. :-)
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Hey Gregory,
Yes indeed, nice chatting with you in Greensboro, glad you could make it. And I look forward to stories from your next day's gig, that had great comic potential! Cool that you knew Andrea - she really is great. And also nice that you made a connection with a local there. James puts out a friendly vibe and usually the audience goes with it. I say usually because there were a couple funny moments...
Jazzy Vee,
Thanks but I'm no authority! I've just been playing these particular basses longer than most of you guys have been alive. Ha!! Everybody has their own way of setting up and using their gear. How you reach the end result is an individual thing which is part of the creative process. Whatever method YOU use to make the sound you want to hear is the correct one. I don't know everything about these axes, I'm still learning. But I'm happy to jump in and share my experiences if I think I can add anything to a thread. All good!
Jimmy J
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Mister Johnson,
Please tell us about some of the modifications to the bridges of your Alembics
VMG
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VMG,
The bridge itself is stock on my fretted basses. Odd bits include the aluminum bridge blocks - which came about accidentally (another story) - and my quick change tailpieces. I change strings often and wanted it to be as easy as possible. This design probably saves me, oh, 3-seconds per string? But hey, those seconds add up. HA!! Really, both of these ideas were from way back in '75 when we built my first custom 5-string. I thought that bass was so successful that I stuck with these design ideas through the years and onto the current basses. Detail (ha!) pic below of my live axe.
Now let me see if I have a picture of the fretless rig - which is quite odd!
Jimmy J
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/212463.jpg)
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Oh yeah, here you go! This is quite crude by today's shop standards but it was a custom piece built for my 1980 graphite-necked fretless.
My initial idea was that the bridge and tailpiece could be combined and together represent the end of the vibrating string instead of the bridge being, well, just a bridge. (Keep in mind I have no idea what I'm taking about when it comes to instrument design!)
Combined with my choice of RotoSound SuperWound bare-core strings which slip into an endplate with tiny J cuts. The whole thing is somewhat ridiculous! As you can see the string tension is doing its best to pull the double-size block right out of the bass. And the brass backplate with the cuts in it is bowing under pressure. But somehow it has all held together for ... 35 years! And I do LOVE the sound of this bass so won't be altering it anytime soon - unless it actually does explode one day.
Jimmy J
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/212466.jpg)
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I like that Double Size block ! It is giving me design ideas .
Wolf
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Wow I had no idea this existed, thanks for sharing! I have an FBASS 5 string fretless that uses the same type of exposed core string but they go thru the body instead of a tailpiece holding it in place. Hoping to replace it with an Alembic custom fretless down the road.
Is there a sound or string tension advantage to using this string and bridge design?
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I hope Mica doesn't kill me for showing it to you guys. HA! The point is, if you can imagine it Alembic can build it. That's the kick of having a custom instrument made.
And they've put together some crazy axes over the years so pay attention to their guidance as you expound your creative plans because they will tell you if you go awry. They're game to try almost anything but it can get expensive because they never compromise on parts or build quality.
Brian, I have no idea what effect this bridge has on the sound or string tension because I didn't do any experimenting with alternatives. The whole bearing angle / distance beyond bridge and nut / effect on string tension is beyond my grasp. The biggest factor in the tone, sustain and pre-compression of this fretless bass is most likely the thick-walled graphite neck. (Congratulations on your new bass - that's a beauty!)
Wolf, if you're thinking about a double block on a Series machine you'd better also think about relocating the battery compartment.
Cheers!
Jimmy J
(Message edited by jimmyj on September 04, 2015)
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Hello Jimmy, Thanks for your response. Lately , on my Series Instruments I have removed the batteries anyway and just use a power supply. It is possible that there would be no battery compartment in my future custom build. ( that is still in my dream stage)
Wolf
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Thanks Mister Johnson
I always wondered what was going on with your bridges/tail-pieces
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Thanks Jimmy J! Looking forward to dialing in some hopefully unique tones so I don't sound like you and Stanley too much, lol! I should be able to do something with those added Bass and treble Boost/flat cut switches for each pickup
Keep up the fantastic inspirational work you do as well as the much appreciated information and stories you share so graciously here.
Best, Brian
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On the 1980 fretless with the bridge doing a very slow somersault, I have some suggestions based on my extensive background in guitar repair. You could cut an omega in the end with a sawzall and that would create room to slap a couple C-clamps on that puppy (stop tightening when you hear the wood crack, is my rule). Another option is the "Cletus method:" drill a couple holes through the bridge and swipe the U-bolt from the universal joint on your neighbor's tractor to put in there, and swab bondo over everything. Here is an example of the Cletus method used to secure a neck:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/212539.jpg)
It's hard to tell where the repair was, isn't it? Don't worry about missing frets. You don't want to be playing that high on the neck anyway. That's for jazz. On the other side, you can whomp the hell out of the U-bolt until it lays over flat and steal some turnbuckles from your neighbor's cyclone fence to crank everything into place right proper. Bondo some more and paint everything yeller (that way your neighbor can't prove anything).
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/212540.jpg)
That's just one suggestion, and probably differs somewhat from "official" methods. We're here to help.
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Jimmy, since you've been a GHS user for years (me too!): Have you had a go with any of their new Round-core, Big-core, or Coated Boomers?
All the best,
Joey
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Jimmy:
Fargo show, section 44, row R, seat 17. If you have time, great!
Thanks in advance.
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OK fmm, thanks. I'll try to find you, probably before the show.
Doors at 7, show starts at 8, no opening act.
Jimmy J
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What a great show! Jimmy was amazingly gracious, and was waiting for us at our seats. This was a bucket list event!
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Hey F,
Nice to meet you and your gang in Fargo and I'm glad you enjoyed the show.
Thanks for driving up and supporting the tour! Much appreciated.
Jimmy J
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Man, that pic's a KEEPER!!!
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Nice picture!
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Thanks. I plan on getting a similar picture of Jimmy's brother Gordon (who was a huge early influence when he played with Maynard Ferguson) and have them framed together in my teaching studio, right next to mi signed picture of Carol Kaye.
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Looks like the Zoetermeer gig was such a big hit they've booked the Steve Gadd Band again for two days next September. http://cultuurpodiumboerderij.nl/programma/steve-gadd-band-2016/ (http://cultuurpodiumboerderij.nl/programma/steve-gadd-band-2016/)
Should be fun!
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Hi Jimmy I'm not sure if you have been asked this on the forum before but if you have then I must have missed it. I've just been watching the video footage of White Line on you tube and wondered how you first got the gig with Allan Holdsworth, what was your first reaction to being asked and how was the first gig?
:-)
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Hey Jazzyvee,
Thanks for asking and I apologize for the lengthy reply, but happy to tell what I remember.
It was a dark and stormy night... :)
My first exposure to Allan was the Tony Williams "Believe It" record. As I've said before, I think Allan is one of the rarest of musicians; obviously a technical master but also extremely musical and with no discernible history. You cannot tell what his influences were. It's as if he came from another planet and invented his own way of playing the instrument which nobody has ever heard. Know what I mean? He is a one-off.
My understanding is that he relocated to the US around 1980 with his entire I.O.U band which was Paul Carmichael (b), Gary Husband (d) and Paul Williams (vocal). The music was ... unique ... It was melodic and had lyrics but was harmonically and rhythmically complex. A true fusion of things which of course wasn't able to find a mainstream audience over here.
So that band couldn't be sustained and Carmichael and Husband went back to the UK leaving only Allan and Paul the singer in Southern California This is when Chad Wackerman and Jeff Berlin joined the band. I believe the Chad connection may have been made through Allan knowing Frank Zappa (??). I don't know how Allan hooked up with Jeff.
Then came the Eddie Van Halen arranged record deal with Warner Bros. The story of "Road Games" is worthy of its own book! Quite an amazing tale.
I don't know exactly why Jeff and Allan parted company but they were looking for a replacement around '84 / '85.
One thing I will interject here - this was clearly a jazz gig and money was always sketchy to non-existant. The Holdsworth accounting system could also be a book. So Jeff may have left in an effort to save money for all I know... Ha!
So, to answer your first question (finally), I had played with Chad a few times since arriving in LA about 5 years earlier and so my name was thrown into the hat when they were looking for somebody.
Chad could probably fill in the details but I remember scribbling out a couple cheat sheets for tunes off the I.O.U record (there were never any official charts for this band), loading up my 2x12, 2x15 stereo rig, and driving down to the Charvel Guitar factory to play with Allan & Chad. I don't remember if Paul W was there that day but I think it was just the trio with no PA.
I had never played any music quite like that (!!) so despite the questionable business side of things I happily signed on. Soon after we recorded the Metal Fatigue album and got out to play some gigs.
On my first tour there were several "where's Jeff??!!" calls from the audience, which I admit was a bit crushing. But I couldn't blame them, Jeff is an insane player and a wonder to hear and see play. I was sorry to disappoint his fans but just dug in and did my best to support Allan and his mind-blowing music and soloing.
There's a lot to tell but I'll stop here. The main answer to your question is; right time, right place, who you know, who you have played with, willingness to put in the effort. My actor friends are always surprised when I explain we don't have "agents". They ask "how do you get work?" It's word of mouth and reputation as a player that connects us all. That's also why I always recommend playing EVERY possible gig that comes your way because you never know what it could lead to.
Best to everybody!
Jimmy J
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great story on making history
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Thanks for sharing that interesting story. On a far smaller scale I got my named artiste gigs by recommendation also and had a decent share of touring, travel and play some really great venues and meeting some really good people. I do try to take on the gigs I get offered but that doesn't happen much outside my main bands. But there is still time.
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OK, so that begs the follow-on:
Obviously you were with that class of SoCal session players that came in, with Steubenhaus, East, Hungate, etc., and even though players like that don't get 'pigeonholed' into one style or another, how did you go from that mile-a-minute English ProgRock back to the East Coast and come to play with JT, in an utterly different style?
And how in your mind (even though recording is a far different business than back then) do you strike that balance between 'IF I stay on the road too much, I'll lose clients' vs. 'I've GOT to do this and I'll keep enough of them'? I've known several killer recording players in town that are scared to death to take road dates and miss those phone calls. . . . .
All the Best,
Joey
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Hey Joey,
I'd say Hungate (and Sklar) were in the group before me. Not quite a generation older but already cranking before I showed up. Stubenhaus and East are more my vintage.
I moved to LA at the end of '79 and nobody knew me. I think that was an advantage because I was able to (eventually) fall into several different playing situations. We were still doing BB's records at that time and I was playing with the Wayne Johnson Trio around LA. I also got to work with Brazilian composer Moacir Santos, the LA Despers steel drum band, a handful of Baked Potato bands, and because I could read - a few rehearsal big bands, jingles and finally record dates. Very little TV or film work for me. Except when I ended up on the Joan Rivers Show band, but that's a whole 'nother story.
I never considered myself one of the mainstream LA studio cats. I did have busy times but never like Sklar's stories of more recording work than you could physically do. I don't think that exists anymore, maybe not even in Nashville. But I was lucky to have a variety of musical experiences and able to balance two distinct directions which included playing with JT and Holdsworth at the same time. Pretty wacky!
What seems to happen with sessions is that you work for a handful of regulars. I had one jingle house that called me a lot - and on short notice, a couple record producers, and I might have been somewhere on the list for a few more. So the road / on-call thing was a factor for a while. You don't want to miss too many calls or they'll just call somebody else. The Joan Rivers Show band was allowed to sub out so I remember taking off at one point to do a Holdsworth tour. Clearly this wasn't a financial decision. HA!! But that was a rare situation and I knew I had the TV gig to come back to.
But now I've been playing with James for 26 years (good Lord!) and if it's any indication Mike Landau - who I DO think of as a mainstream session guy - has been on the road with us for several of these years. It seems like the road IS the gig now at least for my generation of cats. Mostly I'm just happy to still be making a living playing low notes! How great is that?!
Sheesh, another long post, sorry gang.
Jimmy J
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Thanks Jimmy. Always interesting, and I'm quite sure none of us are complaining about 'long' posts. Regardless of her situation or the conditions, a shame her show didn't work out, as a 'sit-down' gig like that can be mucho $$ over time, but of course they are very rare.
Back in the 90's in the Nashville Network days, the staff band on Ralph Emery's show made out like bandits: AFM scale for the original broadcast, and as TNN was strapped for lots of programming, each show was re-run twice over the next 24 hours, so they made 5 original shows and 10 re-runs a week !!!
Hope it's a good year for you and Jt and the band, and take care of yourself out on the road.
All the Best,
Joey
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Thanks for sharing your stories, Jimmy. And the longer, the better!
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Thanks for sharing your stories, Jimmy. And the longer, the better!
I wholly agree!!
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I enjoy them as well. 8)
Regarding getting/keeping good gigs - I would only add that personality plays a large role too, particularly an easy-going one. (like JJ's here) Those like-able guys by nature are more book-able. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule, but I've managed to be in bands with guys and girls waaaay out of my league, by simply not being high-maintenance. Show up on time, prepared mentally and physically, clean, sober, ready to play when it's time, don't gripe about the green room catering if you're lucky enough to get it, and you get return calls... which leads to more calls...
Hats off to Jimmy J for knowing a good thing. :D
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Still trying to get to grips with the new forum notifications so I've been missing Jimmy's thread for a while.
regarding your answer to Jazzy's post...
"it was a dark and stormy night" - snoopy reference perhaps? :D
Jeff would have known Holdsworth from his time with Bruford in the late 70's. It's no wonder allan wanted Jeff in his band, he's a monster player. I saw him play Joe Frazier with john Mclaughlin and trilok Gurtu around 1988 in Leeds and was astounded that the bass could sound so exciting in a near-rock tune.
High time Allan or James came back to the UK :)
Graeme
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Hey Graeme,
Good to see you! (The "unread posts" link is my favorite feature of the new forum!!)
Thanks for the Jeff Berlin / Holdsworth connection, that's it of course. How that Bruford team originally came together is another good question. And yeah, Jeff's skills on the bass guitar are insane. Listening to him is inspiring ... and then a few minutes later you're thinking about selling your bass. HA!
Jimmy J
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"it was a dark and stormy night" - snoopy reference perhaps? :D
Graeme
While Snoopy did, indeed, use the line for all his novels, it is not his. It was the first line of Edward Bulwer-Lytton's 1830 novel Paul Clifford, and is widely acknowledged as the gold standard of bad opening lines.
"Doesn't seem that bad", you say?
Well, maybe not - if he hadn't gone on; the whole sentence is:
"It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents - except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattlingalong the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness."
Peter (who knows way too much about weird crap, and now notes Mr. Johnson's status as a nice guy, interesting story-teller, and at least Mr. Berlin's equal as a cable-clutcher, so as to dehijack)
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Slight detour continued - http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/ ...
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Well there you guys go again with your in-depth knowledge. Amazing. Yes, my usage was meant as comic relief, as in; lookout, here comes a lengthy tome...
Thanks for the educational detour.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy J,
If your ears were burning last night...
Mary and I had dinner with some old friends last night, including Barry Leff. He sends his best, and thinks that you are one of the nicest cats on the planet.
And yes, we were all sober. And it was a dark and stormy night...
Best,
Ed V
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Jimmy J,
Just got the Dewa Budjana discs you played on a few years ago... great stuff. The liner notes for "Joged Kahyangan" mention that there was little to no rehearsal for those sessions, and that the recordings are first or second takes, which blows my mind. Any stories from those sessions?
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Ed,
Yeah, Dewa is an Indonesian guitarist who plays in a famous pop band there - and does solo fusion projects of his own on the side. He's a very nice cat and an unusual composer. It's not for everybody but some bits of these tunes did get stuck in my head for a while.
That first project was Peter Erskine, Larry Goldings, Bob Mintzer and myself. He sent us demo tracks and charts ahead of time so we could see what we were getting into. At the session we played to clicks and some preprogrammed material (percussion and some synth parts). I remember being amazed by Mintzer's bass clarinet playing. Dewa had written some difficult parts for him which he more or less breezed through.
His next record "Surya Namaskar" in 2014 was with Vinnie Coliauta and I. As expected, Vinnie's one-take insanity had us all on the floor. When these guys get the chance to blow it's mind boggling!
And his NEW record has Tony Levin, Gary Husband (keys and drums) and Jack DeJohnette (drums and keys). Clearly the guy is a muso fan!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Just listened to "Duaji & Guruji" from the Surya Namaskar album. Wonderful, and that's on laptop speakers (I'm having problems with the audio output at the moment). Hope to get my audio problems fixed soon so I can listen to it again through my stereo.
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Jimmy J,
Just recently got to check out Hiromi on DVD in the trio with Anthony Jackson and Simon Philips (yeah, I'm late to the party on that one)...then I hear that you are doing a recent leg of the tour! That looks like a really fun gig. Do you know if any of these shows will be filmed/recorded for release?
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Ed,
Yes, I am indeed out here having a good time trying to keep up with Hiromi and Simon and this wild Trio Project music! It's an honor to be asked to sub for one of my bass heroes! And we're all hoping AJ can fully recover and get back to his unique style of low-note wrangling. He is a one-off player, that's for sure.
I've worked previously with Simon and he lives near me so we were able to get together and run through the music a few times in advance. Then I happened to be in the EU with the Gadd Band just before this tour was to begin so it made sense for me to stay over here and help out.
I would be disappointed to hear this band without Anthony ... but Hiromi, Simon, and the audiences have all been very kind to me under the circumstances and the concerts are being well received. I'm only a temporary sub so I don't expect anything to be recorded (which is actually ok with me. HA!)
I'm finishing this part and then playing 3 shows in North America before tagging off to Hadrien Feraud who will play a few US shows and continue on to Japan with the trio. Now THAT should be an amazing combination!
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy, I saw in this morning's sports section, of all places, that JT is playing AT&T Park (S.F. Giants baseball stadium) next summer! Sounds like the making of a mini-gathering - Alembic takes over the left field stands!
Bill, tgo
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I saw that too Bill. Bonnie Raitt sharing the bill. We've been thinking of maybe having a 30th anniversary trip next summer and this gig would be high on my list of 'must Do's'. Would be great to catch up with everyone again.
Graeme
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Funny - I just heard about this on the local sports news this afternoon and immediately wondered if Jimmy J will be playing at a ball park near here! :)
I usually do take in at least one game a year... I'm not a fan of any team in particular, don't even care who wins, just like to sit in the stands and watch. Sometimes the stands are more entertaining. At least until JT is on deck. ;D
*by the way, after being inspired by the intro to "Millworker", I began working out a similar little counterpoint with our band's guitar player on one of our originals. (this is the same kid I told you about that can pull off a convincing cover of "Frozen Man") I like having a fence to swing for. ;)
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According to JT's website he will be playing at Washington Nationals Park in July of 2017.
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Hello Everyone - It only took me about ten years (off and on) to read through this entire thread about my favorite bassist Mr. Jimmy Johnson! But I finally did it! And I even registered just to comment.
I don't get to play bass as much I'd like to lately, and don't have an Alembic, but I've enjoyed reading through the thread - this is a great group.
I hope you keep on doing your thang for a long time to come Jimmy!
David
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Hi David; welcome to the Alembic club.
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Thanks!
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Well, we decided as we've already been to the west coast we'd go to Washington DC for the July 14th gig. Somewhere in the first 15 rows but I can't be sure till I get the allocation email in the next couple of weeks. We're going to have a week around DC then either Chicago or New Orleans for a week. Can't wait. We'll give you a wave from the front of the stage Jimmy :-)
Graeme
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Hi Jimmy,
Finally I booked Steve Gadd Band at Bluenote Tokyo on 12/5 1st show. I'm looking foward to see great band again!
Toshiaki
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Hey friends,
Sorry I've missed a couple rounds here. First a welcome to David, thanks for the encouraging words. You don't need to play an Alembic to hang out in here, it's a nice bunch of folks. Thanks for wading through this lengthy thread, now you know more about me than I can remember.
So yeah, the giant baseball stadiums here in the 'States have discovered that instead of sitting idle while their teams are out of town they can erect a stage at the back wall, cover the outfield with a floor and seating, bring in a Shure Vocal Master PA (Beatles reference), and have two or three bands play over a period of several nights.
In 2015 we played Fenway Park in Boston with James and Bonnie Raitt. Attached below (maybe) is a view of this intimate setting. HA! Tough to pull of a ballad when much of your audience 1/4 mile away! It was a perfect fall evening, not too hot, no rain, no wind, and the concert was a success. Management of course was VERY excited ... so we did two more last year with Jackson Browne and this coming summer apparently they've booked four. I see where this is going.
Glad to see Bonnie on the bill again, that's a great combination. We're all big fans of her and her band and I would say they have a similar if not overlapping audience.
The weather gamble is scary. Last year we did Fenway again and Wrigley in Chicago and at that gig there was a line of thunderstorms approaching for the entire afternoon. Amazingly, it remained clear until the concert was over. Nerve-wracking though, and really I don't know if the experience would be much fun in bad weather. But everybody involved understands the risks so ... fingers crossed for this summer.
Graeme, glad to see you're coming over at that moment, I'll look for you. DC has a lot to see, N.O. has a lot to eat, and we like Chicago too. That should be a good trip.
Hey Toshiaki, glad you're coming to hear the SGB. I will try to find you if I can.
Jimmy J
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Cool picture, Jimmy.
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Nice pic.
So your saying they've rediscovered the 70's. Of course in the 70's we had to sit on the grass or dirt with general seating. Nothing as fancy as a floor or chairs.
Not sure if we will make the Washington DC concert. Rene works in a year round school and that is the beginning of the school year. They are off the previous week so I'm not sure she can take the time needed to drive up on Friday and be there by the 7PM showtime. It would be a nice way to get in our annual trip to Alexandria and DC though.
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Kieth, yes the 70s for the stadium shows and multiple band billings. Last time I saw James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne (and others) all play together was at the No Nukes shows at MSG in 79. Great combination of performers that compliment each other well!
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Thanks Jimmy!
I just scored a Bill Reichenbach Quartet Special Edition CD so I'm geeking out tonight on both trombone (my high school/college instrument) and your bass! Some great tunes on this one. Can't wait for my daughter (trombone player in college) to get home and check it out.
David
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Yep 70's reboot for sure. My hairdo fits right in. (I knew if I waited long enough...) I guess they've also figured out a way to do these shows without trashing the place, though I'm not sure Lollapalooza will be invited. And PAs have also made some good progress since back in the day - with the exception of Ron W's which likely still prevails!
Keith, it would be neat if it worked out for you guys but for me the weather factor makes it a dice-roll. Plus, the JT band is supposed to be doing other gigs around these giant ones so it's possible we will be playing closer to your neighborhood - preferably indoors! Stay tuned.
Rob, so cool you were at No Nukes! That's some musical history there.
David, that Bill Reichenbach record is part of my own distant history. One of the first records I made in Los Angeles and one of the only "semi-straight-ahead" jazz things. I haven't heard it in years so I can't remember how successful I was in faking my way through. HA! Bill and my brother were roommates at Eastman so he was one of the few people in LA who knew who I was (Gordy's brother) when I moved out there. He then went on to play on just about every record made in LA from that point forward. Hope you like it!
Cheers!
Jimmy J
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Ah yes, stadium shows in the 70's. I was living in Southern California at the time. I remember a story in the sports section of the L. A. Times back then about the aftermath of a big concert at the Angels stadium in Anaheim. A week or so after the show, the grounds crew started finding cannabis plants growing all over the outfield. Made me proud to be a baseball fan. lol!
Bill, tgo
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The weather isn't so much a problem. I live with it every summer. It really boils down to the drive. It is usually about 4 hours for us to get up to the DC area but on a Friday afternoon and evening that typically goes up to 5 hours. So leaving at 3PM when Rene is out of school means we likely would hit the area until 8PM. Just not doable as she did confirm she won't be able to afford the additional time off. Of course if there is a chance you might be in another venue with air conditioning I think that would be a much better event to try for. I mean we're talking the middle of July here in the south. Who's going to say no to A/C? Not I.
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Hi Jimmy,
I'm very happy that I could say hello to you face to face tonight! Everytime I hear your play, many color of sounds without turning knobs are almost magic for me. I was very excited the improvisations with Michael Landau! I hope you will comeback again to Japan sooner.
Toshiaki
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Hey Toshiaki,
Thanks so much for coming to the show and for saying hello, it was nice to meet you! I'm sorry we didn't get more time to chat. I stepped back out to see if you were still there but couldn't find you. Also dinner was waiting for the band in the dressing room and we were all hungry! (Great food at the Blue Note!!)
Glad you enjoyed the show. It's a treat to play with these guys and as you see we all enjoy it.
Thanks again. Next time = bass talk!
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
Oh sorry! I checked out so soon. I know there were few minutes between 1st and 2nd show. I'll book both 1st and 2nd show next time and let's talk much more! (^_-)-☆
Toshiaki
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My cash flow & the pre-sale dates for Wrigley did not, alas, align. :'( And with Bonnie, no less; only been madly in love with her for about 40 years!
That should be a fun one, Jimmy; I lived 3 years close enough I could hear the field announcer from my living room, but the time I was ever in the park (go Sox!) was when I was stage manager for Big twist & The Mellow Fellows & we did an outfield show after a game. Only downside was I had to deal with Harry Caray (vile, nasty, drunken little troll....)
Peter
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My ticket allocations email just arrived. Row 8 just in front of the piano / backing vocals if previous JT stage setups are anything to go by. Very excited ;D
Graeme
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Congratulations Jimmy on making Bass Player Magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Bass Players!
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Adding my Congratulations... Atta-Boy Jimmy J! ;)
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Congrats, Jimmy!
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I've been watching a video on Puremix: John Paterno mixing Steve Gadd, on which you played. It's a cool session and your bass sounds great!
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A well-deserved honor!
Peter
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Congratulations Jimmy.
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Nice recognition Jimmy! Well deserved and then some!
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...and here you are answering the questions of bass knowledge thirsty fellow Alembic players. How lucky we are... thank you!
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Aw, thanks you guys... That's a surprise to me for sure and I'm honored to be on their ... well ... rather lengthy list of players. I'm sure they've missed about 100 more and are getting an earful about it right now. Ha!
I will take this opportunity to remind everybody that music is NOT a competition and there can be no "greatest" or "best".
I'm often asked who among the drummers I've worked with is "the best" and all I can say is "all these cats have their own distinct voices on their instruments and they're all a treat to play with". I think that applies to everybody on any level. We're just the sum of our musical influences and experiences which differ for each individual, so the results are also different and unique.
Often music schools are set up as competitive systems with "winners" but I think that's a mistake. Real life simply doesn't work that way.
Nonetheless, it was very kind of the magazine to include me.
Thanks all!
Jimmy J
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I didn't view the article as a competition. In fact, I don't believe the number they assigned to you was any sort of ranking from best to worst, it was merely a way to take a head count to keep track of all 100. The role you played in developing & popularizing the 5 string makes you more than worthy of being on this list. While there may be more flashy or technical bass players, you are at the top of my list for taste & tone! Every note you play oozes with bass goodness, & as I have said before, your tone is the benchmark I use for setting my rig. The fact that you are so humble & willing to hang out with us here & answer our questions & offer suggestions when people are having problems also sets you apart form most of the other bass players on that list. You were very helpful when I was building my Europa & I will always appreciate you for that!
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70 ? 70?
WTH, I'd have put you at 68 !! You ever hear Robbie Shakespeare play Holdsworth charts? Geez . . . .
Joey
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I just dug into my archives and found my list of the greatest bass players, and, interestingly enough, they all happen to be members of the Alembic club. Don't know how that happened.
Oh wait; wrong list.
It's the greatest guitar players list; can't find the bass players list at the moment.
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Jimmy,
Late congrats, and also for the Grammy nom with the Gadd Band...all great things and so well deserved!
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Jimmy, congratulations! There was never any doubt!
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Just bought our tickets for JT & Bonnie at Wrigley July 17!!!!!!
Peter
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Jimmy,
I see that JT and company are headed back to NOLA this August with Bonnie Raitt...that's gonna be a stellar combination! Is she bringing her band or workin' with youse guys?
Best,
Ed V
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Jimmy J, just wondering if you'll be backing JT at MerleFest in North Carolina 4/28/17? That's a fantastic event... (I got to play it once many years ago) I'd love to catch you guys' show again, especially back home in Carolina. 8)
Might even be a chance for an Alembic mini-meet-up with Moderator Dave not too far from there. :D
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Hey pals, sorry I missed a couple notes here...
The Grammy thing was nice, mostly for Gadd to get some recognition. It went to the Snarky Pups from Texas but they're a talented bunch so all good.
Peter, glad to hear you'll be at Wrigley. Pray for good weather!
It looks like Bonnie and her band will be double-billing with us for the entire summer run, large and small gigs. That includes NOLA so maybe we'll see you there Ed V. It's rare for James to tour with another act but this is great news because we're all Bonnie fans. I expect she'll join us for a couple tunes and James might jump up with them for a couple. It's a nice combination and it will be a blast to hang with Hutch and the cats.
Greg, I think James is just a guest for one of Jerry Douglas' spots at Merlefest so he's not bringing any of us. In fact, we'll be in Tallin, Estonia with Gadd on that date. (Yikes!) That looks like a great show though, I hope you can go hear it all.
Cheers everybody,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy: are you the Jimmy Johnson that played on C. W. McCall's Black Bear Road? Did you play on Convoy?
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Jimmy,
By the time you read this, I'm sure you will have heard of Allan Holdsworth's untimely passing. The world lost a genius musician, his family lost a father and grandfather. My condolences to you for losing a friend and bandmate.
Time to put on the headphones, hoist a glass, and celebrate his music.
Best,
Ed V
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Jimmy, I'm so sad to hear of Allan's passing. He was truly one of the most talented & unique guitar players of all time. I know you cherish the time you spent playing with him & we cherish the incredible music you made with him. Praying God will comfort you & all of Allen's family & friends in this time of loss.
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Ed and Rusty, thanks for the kind words. He had been in failing health for several years so while not unexpected it's still quite a blow. Musicians who change the face of their instrument are very very rare indeed, and he was one. Not a familiar guitar chord to be heard, no strumming, no string bending. Chords like a keyboard and solos like a saxophone. Tremendous speed and agility but also great emotional beauty in the music. He was a one-off. We're lucky to have so many great recordings of his playing and unusual compositions. And I am very proud to have been able to visit his planet.
Best to all,
Jimmy J
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Just woke up to this news. I'm shocked and deeply saddened and can only guess how you're feeling Jimmy. The world has lost a truly great musician and a really nice guy. He was nothing but gracious when you introduced Mike and I to him in Glasgow several years ago.
Graeme
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Sending heartfelt condolences, Jimmy and thank you for sharing your thoughts. So very well stated. Allan was a wonderful guy and a simply incredible musician. Such a pleasure and privilege to hear you play those fantastic concerts together so many years ago. Amazing memories that I will forever cherish. I've always felt that your mellifluous, and thoughtful linear approach to the bass always paired so perfectly with Allan – especially highlighting and extending Allan's unique harmonic language (symbols and all ;)). The stars aligned perfectly with that combination in my opinion – an incredible legacy of musicianship. Hope to catch up soon and sending much love your way, my friend.
All the best,
Royce
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To all,
Check out this interview with Evan Marien:
https://www.facebook.com/manning.bartlett.9/videos/10154284410347015/
Coincidentally, this was posted on the day Allan passed, but before the news was made public. As I finished watching it, I saw the first rumblings about the Wikipedia post, which was thought to be fake...then the official confirmation that came soon after.
Evan has some wonderful things to say about Allan, and, of course, about you Jimmy. It puts a smile on my face, hope it does for you as well.
Best,
Ed V
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Tickets to see James Taylor at the Washington Nationals stadium in July just dropped through the letterbox ! Can't wait.
Graeme
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Jimmy,
I have had a long love-hate relationship with my fretless bass...it's an excellent instrument, but I'm striving towards adequacy on my best day.
Your intonation and voice on the fretless is just as righteous and distinctive as on fretted. Any insights as to your relationship with and approach to fretless playing?
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Graeme, thanks for getting those tix, I'll look for you at that one. Should be fun as long as we have decent weather.
Ed V, thanks for the kind words. Yeah, the fretless is a challenge. If I'm on a session where they haven't specified I'll take a few things into consideration before switching to fretless. Including how many chord changes there are! My tendency is to use it on pieces where a nice long note with a bit of vibrato would be just the thing. And the ability to connect the notes so smoothly is really cool.
Insights? I have one of those BIG Korg tuners inline and in sight at all times. Plus I have inlaid fret lines, LED side markers, and if possible a bright light on the fingerboard. Ha! If I'm working on a track at home I watch the tuner on playback and do a lot of repairing before sending it off... It's a lovely sound but requires some extra concentration.
Of course the more you play that axe the better you get at it. Mine gets some use but not nearly as much as the fretted bass so it's always an eye-opener when I get back to it.
Cheers everybody,
Jimmy J
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So, fretless questions:
1) I knew a fabulous fretless player back home in Texas, who always said if I dove in, always get one with the inlaid lines, and play right on the line to get the best shot at being on pitch. You too?
2) Somehow, I never imagined sweating being exactly on the note would be required (you watching your tuner), that somehow a wee-bit of pitch-I-ness is expected and part of the fretless vibe. No?
All the Best,
Joey (the poster formerly known as J O E Y)
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Adding to Joey's questions... what are a couple suggested tracks to listen for? Like Eddie said, it's hard to tell when you're playing fretless. Anything with JT? (always wondered about the "Millworker" intro...)
I've always found playing fretless to be somewhat liberating. You sort of instinctively learn to trust your ears and train your left hand to land in place a split-second before a note is scheduled to bloom. Coming up a little flat or sharp of the target can be covered with some vibrato, like Joey says- the 'pitch-i-ness' is just part of it. The trick is getting just the right amount! ;D
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Hey Joey,
The spot is right where the string leaves the fingerboard and that's where the mark is, so your finger needs to be a bit behind it (see attached pic - if I remember how to attach one). Very much like how you play with frets but with a bit more accuracy - and/or - please enjoy my wide vibrato!
Yes, a wee bit of pitchiness is what you want, slipping into the note from below or whatever. But any sustained pitches are best if they're in tune. :)
I seem to end up playing it on one tune per record with JT. A good example is "Carry Me On My Way" from October Road on which the first note of the song is a bass solo. Ha! "Far Afghanistan" on Before This World...
I don't take it on the road though. JT plays ALL the bass notes in his guitar pattern so I'm almost always playing exactly an octave below him. So my feeling is, the effort it would take to play it in tune would not be worth the subtle benefit of a couple slides. If you know what I mean.
Jimmy J
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I don't have inlaid lines but have inlaid ghost frets and they help a lot. I play right on top of the marking. The one nice thing about playing fretless is if you are off the fret doesn't rattle and show your mistake when you need to adjust your note. The slide makes it appear that you actually meant to do it. ;) The vibrato idea also works well.
I can understand the tuner thing. I've had folks for whatever reason take my track and actually look at what note/notes were put down on the track (both fretless and fretted). Since I am there if it isn't what was expected or wrong I either replay it or just use the DAC software to correct the pitch. If I had to send in a recording that would be hard to do so I would want it perfect before I delivered it.
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Thanks, Jimmy.
So you've always spoken of JT playing the bass parts in his guitar playing . . . . does he ever pick one up? Is he a frustrated bass player ? ? ?
Joey
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I'm so glad to hear you mention the tuner...now I don't feel so bad about this. 20+ years after my last upright attempt I am masochistic enough to try it yet again!
Hey, Edgar Meyer uses dots... :)
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Joey,
Good question, I don't know if JT has ever played bass. He's never tried mine as far as I know. Hey wait a minute, sometimes he does get to soundcheck early... He plays some cello so he's been in the neighborhood.
One interesting thing about his playing is that the bass note often comes before the chord. Just part of his finger picking style - right hand thumbnail first, then chord. When he's teaching us a tune we need to decode what should really be pushed and what's just a downbeat. And the funniest example of this is the end of a tune like Steamroller which has a drum fill and pause before the final chord - James will often hit the bass note out in the open on the "upswing" as he is cueing the band. Cracks me up!
Ed V, I am an upright owner (not licensed to operate it in public) and have done a similar thing with red and green electrical tape on the side of the fingerboard and even between the strings in a couple places. Man that is a long scale length!
Jimmy J
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Greeting to all from a long-time lurked. I'm from Bombay, India and play a bit of guitar strictly for my own amusement at home.
I'd like to the stream of questions directed at Jimmy :
Jimmy, I was re-visiting an old favourite, that you played on - Steve Topping's Late Flower. I love that album and one track in particular - Aigburth - is one that to me is timeless. Probably that and Air on a G string are tracks I'd like played at my funeral.
Anything that you think that we may find interesting from those sessions, that you'd care to share?
Regards to the Forum - lovely bunch of folks here.
Ryan0
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Sorry, noticed typos in my post above that I cannot seem to edit.
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Hi Ryan,
Welcome to the Alembic club. The power and reach of music is amazing and your story is a good example. We would have to say this Steve Topping recording - made in 2001/2002 and released in 2004 - is a bit obscure. A small production of instrumental music which, as far as I know, didn't achieve wide distribution. Yet here you are writing from Bombay to say this very music has made a strong connection with you. We love these kinds of stories.
The important thing is that it means so much to you - but since you're asking I will tell you a bit of the technical background. This record was one of my very first attempts at "remote" recording, something I do all the time now. In other words, Steve sent me charts and audio and I made bass parts and sent the audio files back to him for assembly. I think I was using an old Mitsubishi 2-track digital recorder as my A-D converter and frankly I can't remember what I used to capture the bits. I would then burn my audio files to CD-Rs and mail them (yes, snail-mail) to London and Steve would assemble the music.
The charts he sent were pretty specific so I generally tried to play what he wrote. On Aigburth, only my fretless appears in part of the first section and Steve's synth bass plays the bulk of the track. I did manage to squeeze a couple fun solos into other tracks on the album and Steve was very accommodating with whatever ideas I had to offer. And he did a good job of assembling and making music out of all the bits and pieces. Also some wonderful Gary Husband playing on this record.
So, thank you for asking about it and we're glad the music means so much to you. I'll try to email Steve to tell him he has a fan in Bombay!
Jimmy J
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Thanks Jimmy, for the welcome and information.
I have both of Steve's solo albums (the other being Time and Distance) and will pick an older jam session that was released as 'What this is' I think, soon.
Also did see Steve Hunt, Marie Takahashi and Evan's snaps on Facebook of the Holdsworth Tribute at the Iridium and really wish I could have been there. Did you play Evan's bass when you sat in?
Also, I just got the Holdsworth re-issue 12 CD set through Amazon - lovely remastering and fidelity and was spinning 'Then' yesterday.
Regards
Ryan
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Ryan,
OK, it's clear that you are a guitar fan! I'm on the road and happened to have last night off in NYC. That was the first night of the Iridium shows so I had to go! Great bunch of musicians and terrific playing by all. Strange to hear other guitarists play Allan's music. Come to think of it, I don't think I have EVER heard any other guitarists try to play those tunes. But the lineup of guys that Virgil got really did a fine job and it was a sweet way to honor Allan on a weekend that was originally booked as his band... I hope they have a great few nights.
Nice to meet Evan too. This guy can really blaze his way through chord changes! He's an outstanding soloist. Virgil insisted I sit in and I did attempt to play Evan's Ken Smith (don't tell anybody in here). It's been about 100 years since I tried to do something like that and frankly I wasn't very successful. At least it had 5 strings and fairly close spacing. HA! Evan made it sound wonderful but I couldn't get much going... It was fun trying though! I'm going to miss playing that rare and unusual music, that's for sure.
I bought the box set too. I believe the proceeds will go to his family and that's probably more than can be said for any other record deal he ever had.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Thanks, Jimmy for the dope on the Iridium gig.
I had one chance to see Allan here in Bombay in 2011 (Holdsworth, Peralta, Crawford and Donati) but couldn't make it - to my everlasting regret.
On the other hand, I've been lucky to meet and see Victor Bailey, Jeff Andrews, Dominique DiPiazza, Gary Willis and see Anthony Jackson (for some reason was too intimidated to go upto him - thought he'd make me look like the village idiot), Bunny Brunel, Stu Hamm and John Humphreys perform here in town through the years.
Steve Topping too played in India but Delhi and Calcutta only, with Gary a long time back, perhaps 2005/6.
There's always hope for me that JT and the gang with the Alembic toting M.D. make it down here, sometime! :D
Cheers and regards
Ryan
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Jimmy,
Like everyone else, I was thrilled that the Iridium shows happened (I would have loved to have been there). It did my heart good to know that you were there; the universe saw fit to make that happen I suppose. Knowing that Evan is such a big fan of yours, I'm glad he got to meet you. I'm looking forward to whatever the Holdsworth family allows to be shared from those shows if anything was recorded.
In other news, me and the girls got great seats for the JT/Bonnie show in NOLA on 8/3 (section 113, row 4, seats 9-11). If there's time and space to say hey, we'd love to see you. I'll try to sneak in some beignets if I can get them past security :)...
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Ed,
Yeah, that was some lucky cosmic alignment that allowed me to get to the Iridium gig. I was sorry to miss Louise, Emily and Lynne H who all came in the following day, but it was good to see the players and chat with some Al fans. As fun as it was to hear those guys storming through those tunes it was also quite poignant for me. In the same way that a funeral helps you understand that the person is really gone...
I would not hold my breath about anything being released from those gigs. As you know the business side of Al's world was never smooth and it continues to be a struggle for his family. Maybe eventually there will be some hidden treasures discovered but I kinda doubt it. More on this subject when I see you.
And I will do my best to come say hi in NOLA. Bonnie's set is a blast and we're having a good time with JT. It's a real nice double-bill.
Jimmy J
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Well, 3 more days! Can't wait to see JT again, and, while I've been madly in love with Bonnie for about 40 years, this will be my first time seeing her; I'm pumped!
If you get a minute, we'll be in Sec 216, Row 9, seats 3 & 4; look for a fat hippie with a ponytail maybe longer than yours. I'll be in a red hawai'ian shirt and (since it's Wrigley, I have to) a White Sox hat.
Peter (Who would not mind a bit if you brought Ms. Raitt up with you......)
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Hey Peter,
I'll have family at that show but if I get the chance I'll try to come and say hi before Bonnie's set. She and her band sound great so I know you'll enjoy it!
Jimmy J
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It'd be great to meet you, but I understand; family comes first. No problem. (Just pass my seat number on to Bonnie....... 8) )
Peter
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Ed, Jimmy - footage from the Iridium tribute is starting to surface. Footage posted by concert goers was taken down, but officially shot footage is being edited and sent to the Artistes who performed, who can upload it should they wish.
I just saw some footage that Evan has uploaded, on Facebook.
Regards
Ryan
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Just got home; great night! Weather was perfect. Bonnie's 2nd song was "Spit Of Love", 3rd was "Love Me Like A Man". That would have been enough right there - but wait, there's more! Two great bands did two great sets, and Jimmy found time to stop up & say hello; if you haven't met him, be advised he is as friendly & gracious in person as he is here.
Thanks for making the time, Jimmy; it was great to meet you. As soon as you left, Florence texted all 3 sons - "James's bass player just came in the stands to talk to Dad." They were all duly impressed:) And you (as well as all your esteemed colleagues) truly applied boot to buttocks all night.
Peter
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Hey Peter,
Nice to meet you two and chat for a minute, thanks for making the trek to Chicago. Glad you and the Mrs. enjoyed the show. Bonnie is a riot isn't she? It's a great double bill and both bands are enjoying each other. I usually don't say this but this tour might be too short ... hope they do some more together in the future.
Jimmy J
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This is proof of what I always felt: The band has WAY more fun if the front man is a serious musician / vocalist instead of vocalist only.
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Joey, surely you're not suggesting Bonnie Rait is a man? ;)
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I really don't think that's what "Love Me Like A Man" means....does it?????
Peter (Who harbors no doubts!)
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No Adrian, but she sure plays like she had a pair !
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Just home and catching up after our 30th anniversary trip. The Washington gig was absolutely superb in every way. The start was delayed a while as DC experienced a massive downpour right before the stadium doors opened - we got on the metro in Dupont circle in 100 degree F sunshine and got off at the Navy Yard in torrential rain and thunder!!.
Once the rain cleared and they let us into our seats (row 8) we had the pleasure of a brief chat with Jimmy who always makes the effort to come out if someone from the club is at a gig. As ever it was great to meet up again and catch up. Only one other couple recognised Jimmy and asked for a photocall despite him playing on some of the biggest stages in the world which is testament to his efforts at anonymity :D
Bonnie's set was excellent - as ever, Hutch changed basses several times but out front we'd probably never notice the difference. Jimmy's tone was beautiful - very well amplified and quite prominent - and it looked like everyone on stage was having a great time.
All in all, a great reason to spend thousands on a USA trip ;D
Graeme
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Hey Graeme,
Great to see you and the Mrs again, thanks for making this show part of your vacation. Yeah that weather started off pretty bad but we were lucky that it turned into such a nice evening.
Bonnie and everybody in her band are super nice folks. George Marinelli subbed for Landau on a JT tour back in '03, and Hutch as you know is a lovely cat with a thousand great stories. And what a groove that band generates! Wow! We're all enjoying this rare double bill.
Best to everybody,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
Here it is Sunday night, and we're still riding the high from the JT/Bonnie concert on Thursday...damn, that was a religious experience!
Thanks for putting up with me and the girls yet again; you are entirely too gracious and we really appreciate you finding time to say hi. May the rest of the tour be filled with easy travels, good food, and great audiences.
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Ed V,
Thanks for making the scene once again. Always nice to see the 3 of you. Loved the small world connection of your wife having worked with Hutch and Ricky. That is wild.
Take it easy, down there near the Big Easy
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy I just read that you are getting a Lifetime Achievement Award at Bass Player Live this year! Congratulations!! I know you don't like to toot your own horn, so I thought your fans would like to hear about this. Such an honor that you are well deserving of!
"*A Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award presented to session legend and James Taylor bassist Jimmy Johnson. Johnson will accept his award and then perform with his band at the All-Star Concert on Nov. 4, as well as hold a live clinic interview on Nov. 5"
Here's the link to the article - http://www.bassplayer.com/artists/1171/bass-player-live-2017-returns-to-hollywood-november-4th5th/63779
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That's Awesome! And here I thought Jimmy J was just a nice guy/cool dude with very good taste in bass guitars. ;D
That's the way to do a job, man... makes me proud to know ya'. 8)
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Congratulations Jimmy. A well deserved recognition.
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Excellent news!
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Absolutely wonderful news!
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Great news... congratulations!
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Very cool! Congrats!
And thanks for letting us know, Rusty.
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Congratulations Jimmy! I was in the crowd at Milwaukee Bradley Center where JT was later accused of somehow "dissing" the MKE crowd. Great show on bass - don't know what the controversy could have been! I've always loved your parts, but that evening was great. Also the first time I heard you play live. Your personal contributions to the Alembic Club are very, very cool and much welcomed by all here. Congratulations, again.
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Wow - very nice, sir!! Congratulations, indeed.
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To an Honored Man~~ Flim is the Word!!!
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...well it's about damn time! ;D
Congrats Jimmy! We'll all be there in spirit!
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Very cool! Congrats!
And thanks for letting us know, Rusty.
You're welcome David!
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Aw dang, thanks everybody. Needless to say, I feel pretty uncomfortable about it. I don't like this kind of attention, I prefer to lurk in the background. But Chris Jisi called me at a weak moment and I said yes. One of my finest qualities may be that I was available!! Ha! And I suppose the "achievement" might just be that I've been able to only play bass my entire life. Of course that means I have no other marketable skills. HA!!
It's an honor for sure. Feels like a mistake but ... very nice of them to invite me.
Gotta go practice.
Thanks all!!
Jimmy J
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Nice news, congrats Jimmy 8)
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Congratulations Jimmy. I can't think of anyone more deserving of recognition from his peers.
Graeme
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Outstanding!
Peter
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Congratulations and certainly well deserved!😊
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Congratulations, Jimmy! It's about time , and certainly well deserved! Best of luck!
Rob
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Outstanding Jimmy, very well deserved! Best to you.
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I think it is a richly deserved and well-chosen honor. You are a wonderful example of exceptional talent and exceptional grace, a complete antidote to the caricatures this business can create.
Think the world of you, and a heartfelt congratulations.
All the Best,
J o e y
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Well deserved, Jimmy - congratulations. Do hope that they upload the Concert and the Clinic later. Would be lovely to see those.
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Dear Jimmy , I am elated to read of such news , your chops ultimately must of did it . Congratulations ! There is a slight chance that I might be in the area and around to attend the event . I would like to say hello to you if at all possible . I am so elated in that Alembic is also my bass guitar voice .
Wolf
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Truly excellent and so deserved! Congratulations sir!
Rick
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Thanks again everybody. I'm still trying to get a grip on the whole thing.
I've never attended this "event" they put on and it cracks me up that a bass-specific mini-NAMM show like this even exists. And like NAMM, I realize it's really about selling gear, advertising in the magazine, and the "biz" side of things. But it should be a fun hang nevertheless. In my experience, drummers seem to be more socially connected than bass players ... so this will be a chance to see a lot of my heroes and get a solid earful of bass talk.
I did warn Chris (from BP Mag) that the gear I use is not exactly "mainstream" Ha!! But they're good with that.
Now my challenge is to get some guys together to play at the Saturday night event. Oh oh. Band leader? That's trouble. What guys? What songs? What key? What the heck? Thankfully it's a short set!!
OK, back to practicing.
Cheers everybody!
Jimmy J
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Well Mr. Band Leader you seemed to have done a good job with JT. I'm sure there will be plenty of folks that will be happy to help you out. So sit back and enjoy the ride.
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(...and STOP practicing so much!!)(Just kidding...)
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For the record, despite the way he likes to introduce me, James is his own band leader & musical director. I think of myself as the band librarian. But happy to be involved on any level!
Jimmy J
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:)
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Jimmy,
The folks at No Treble gave you a nice mention on their Facebook page yesterday, including a transcription of your part on Allan Holdsworth's "Spokes". Marcelo Cordova was the bassist/transcriptionist.
Wish we could get the team out to LA for the big award night, but we'll be there in spirit, foam fingers a'wavin!
Best,
Ed V
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Hey thanks Ed.
Man, that guy has some serious transcribing chops. That must have taken a minute. Also one of the busiest bass tracks I've ever played. Sometimes Vinnie has that effect on me. :D Although I can barely read through it (and not at speed) it looks pretty accurate ... except maybe the moment below. It could have happened but I probably would have punched that in.
You talking about those foam middle fingers? Ha!
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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A link to the Concert :
https://www.facebook.com/groups/361803263942657/permalink/1418631738259799/
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Hey Jimmy, how did the Bass Player Live event go?
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Hey Rusty,
Yeah, the thing went well, thanks for asking. They actually gave me the plaque before they figured out their mistake (ha!), I didn't choke too badly trying to speak on the mic, AND I roped Landau, Wackerman and Babko into playing some tunes with me. We even got our pal Dave Morgan to mix FOH. The music part was a lot of fun!
It was also great to hang a bit with Sklar and Bob Glaub, a couple of my favorite bass players and super-nice guys.
I'll try not to let the award go to my head, I promise.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy,
Glad it went well! I would have loved to have been there! You & I are a lot alike in that we like to remain anonymously in the background & let our instrument do the talking for us, so I can totally relate to the fear of speaking on the mic! I would turn into a puddle of goo if I had to talk in front of a crowd! It sounds like you had a killer band! You should see if the Baked Potato has any openings so y'all could play & get a little more mileage out of the tunes you worked up!
I don't think they made a mistake at all! You are one of the unsung heroes in the music world & well deserving of this award! You are an inspiration to countless bass players & with so many musicians driven by their overblown egos, your humbleness is a breath of fresh air!
I know you don't like to toot your own horn, but I would love to see a picture of your plaque if you want to post one! :-)
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Aww, thanks for the kind words Rusty. I'm turning red...
I agree; in the background is where it's at. And with that in mind I have no interest in booking a night at the Spud as a band leader. No thanks. But if Landau called Chad, Jeff and I to play, we'd all be there in a minute. It's all part of the extended Baked Potato band of characters and I love playing with all these guys in any musical situation.
Thanks again,
Jimmy J
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One night I'm going to catch you at the Spud! It's on my bucket list! LOL! I go to visit my son in Culver City 3 or 4 times a year so surely our paths will cross eventually! I get emails with their schedule every month & always check to see if you are playing. I would have planned to come see you get your award, but my son has been on vacation in New Zealand the last 3 weeks so I had no place to stay if I came out.
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It's a great night out Rusty. Very relaxed atmosphere with some fantastic music. Plus you get a chance to chat with some of the best musicians in the world as they pack up (no roadies here ;D )
Graeme
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Adding to Rusty's comments Jimmy J... we all know you're way too nice a guy to be that great of a player, but now that the word is spreading, you better get used to the publicity. ;D
Enjoy that award man... you most definitely deserve it. And isn't it great to do what you love, with people you like? That's the real prize there. :)
Happy Thanksgiving, and Safe Travels!
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Jimmy,
We thoroughly enjoyed the video (via Facebook). You guys sounded great, no surprises there!
Congrats again, and so well deserved.
Ed V
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It's a great night out Rusty. Very relaxed atmosphere with some fantastic music. Plus you get a chance to chat with some of the best musicians in the world as they pack up (no roadies here ;D )
Graeme
You are right Graeme! I have been to the Baked Potato once & got to meet Jerry Watts playing with the John Daversa Big Band. It is indeed a very intimate setting to enjoy great music & hang out with the players afterward. The food is good too!
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Hi Jimmy,
I saw a clip on Instagram of you playing at your awards ceremony (congrats, well deserved and over due!), very nice!. I really like the sound of your bass and was wondering what kind of strings you use (round, half rounds, flats)? I searched the alembic site and the web and have not yet found a reference to string type. I’ve been using flats, but I like the clarity of the sound you are getting on that clip, sounds to me somewhere between rounds and flats.
Thanks very much,
Rob
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Rusty, yes, you should definitely get to the Potato on one of your trips to SoCal. It's kind of a historical place for us musos and there is usually some good playing going on.
Gregory, thanks. I'm happy to get back under the radar after this recent "exposure". Ha! It's all good, very kind of those folks to include me. And yes, I understand how lucky I've been to be able to do what I've been able to do for all these years.
Thanks Ed V.
And Rob, thank you also for the kind words. On my fretted basses I've been using ghs Boomers (I just realized I can now say) for over 40 years!! Ha! They're round wound but nickel plated which makes them a bit mellower than steel - if I understand it correctly. I also change them often because I like the sound of a fresh set.
Strings are a personal thing and there are a lot of good products available out there. I recommend you keep looking until you find a setup you really enjoy.
Jimmy J
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If you don't mind the asking Jimmy J... what (if any different) are your fretless basses strung with?
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Gregory,
My fretless basses are oddballs - graphite necks, ebony fingerboards and combined bridge/tailpieces mounted on giant blocks... What can I say, it was an experimental time. Ha! Close-up of the main bass below.
As you can see, on these basses I use a piano-string style bare-core set which used to be called "SuperWound" by RotoSound and has become available again under the name "PSD Bass 99". These come with adjustable ball-ends so you can fit them to any bridge. They are straight-ahead steel round-wound strings and would probably sound pretty bright and brash on a fretted bass - and might chew up the frets...
But because I have no frets and there's only a small pivot point over the bridge (plus the fact that I don't play fretless as often), these strings last forever. Where I've bought maybe thousands of sets of Boomers over the last 40 years, I've probably only bought half a dozen sets of these since I got the 1st fretless in 1980. In fact, I've boiled these strings a few times to bring them back to life. HA!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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How are you Jimmy,
Found these nice photo's - Japanese!!
:D :D
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To Jimmy J and all of my fellow forum dwellers, Happiest of Holidays! May Santa bring you all new gear.
Ed V
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Thanks Ed. Happy end-o-the-year holiday action to everybody.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, I have been following you and Lee Sklar for as long as I can remember (being a big James Taylor fan). Your taste, restraint and all around superb musicianship has been an inspiration to me. I have owned a few alembic basses over the years and even had Mica build a custom 5 for me back in 2000. Listening to what you said about the full frequency spectrum of these instrument really got me thinking about what sets them apart from all other bass guitars. The piano like quality of their tone and the fact that you can pretty much always recognize the sound of an Alembic is quite special. I once again have become an Alembic player, after having strayed for a few years. I'm glad to be back. Looking forward to another year of making music for my soul. Lastly, will you be at NAMM this year by chance? I'm going for the first time as a Godin Artist. I'd love to chat with you if you will be there. Best!
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Hey Spencer,
Thanks the kind words. I'm also a big JT fan and have been inspired by Leland's playing for many years. I'm honored to still be subbing for him on that band!
We're glad to hear you've found another Alembic to add to your collection. Hope it's a nice one and you're enjoying it. (You don't have to be an Alembic owner to be in this forum. Ha!) I always say it's not everybody's cup of tea but it certainly appears to be mine as I've been enjoying this tone for over 40 years...
Have fun at NAMM. It's ... um ... an interesting experience if you've never been. Lot's of characters (watch for some great cosplay type of "rock" costumes) and a chance to run into some amazing musicians who are there to rep various companies - like yourself. But it's all about gear and business and hard to see any musical "soul" in the cacophony. Just something to keep in mind. Bring along some mellow music to listen to at the end of the day as a reminder of what it's really all about. I don't plan to attend the show but I'll be at the Baked Potato with Landau on Saturday and Sunday - making our own cacophony! Just what everybody needs after a day of racket. Ha!!
Cheers!
Jimmy J
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I hope this is ok to post here - I just randomly came across this video from Allan Holdsworth's 1984 tour in Japan - the title is "Tokyo Dream" - it starts with Mr. Holdsworth changing his strings, it looks like the complete concert, and plus it introduces the "newest member of the band" - Jimmy Johnson!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWU_yFFsNtc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWU_yFFsNtc)
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Jimmy, were you playing with Allan ca. 1986-7?
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Oh so long ago... Of course it's fine to post the link Hieronymus (Bosch?), it contains some great Holdsworth moments and I'm proud to have been a part of it.
Since you brought it up I'll tell you a couple related stories.
In true Allan style, he only agreed to let them video tape this concert if he had final say on its release. They taped it, he said NO, and they ignored him and put it out anyway. Nice! He was a perfectionist who could only focus on any musical missteps. Even if the entire concert was great but one little thing in one song went wrong - that was all he could focus on. We'd finish a set and say "Al, that was AMAZING" and he'd reply "you guys were great but I sucked". Chad and I would look at each other and wonder what we missed. Anyway, despite Allan hating this video, the rest of us are happy it was released and that we have a recording of these great Allan moments.
The second story is just for my forum pals. I so much enjoyed the sound of my graphite-necked Series I fretless built by Alembic in 1980 that I had this fretted version built in 1982. My experience with graphite is that a very stiff neck material will "pre-compress" the sound. Think more sustain. But that also takes away some of the dynamic range. Not only doesn't the note die away as quickly but soft notes speak louder than expected and loud notes get squashed... For the fretless I like this compression effect as it helps keep the notes sustaining or even blooming. But in the end I didn't like it as a fretted bass because I was used to being able to play softer and louder than it seemed to allow. So in the end I had this instrument converted to a fretless bass and it serves as a backup to my main 1980 bass - which I still love.
I don't think I used it on any records in its original iteration. But ironically there are two videos which gave it pretty wide exposure - this one with Allan and another with Lee Ritenour, both recorded in 1984. And I have to admit after all this time that the bass sound isn't bad. HA! in the end it probably would have been a great recording bass, but for live work I simply needed more control over the dynamics. My wooden fretted basses work best for me in all situations, but the graphite is just the ticket for the fretless.
Thanks for reading.
Jimmy J
Edwin, yes, that's around the time I was playing with Allan. Metal Fatigue album was '85 and Atavachron '86...
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Wow, thank you for the stories! Really interesting back story to the video release. Has it ever been released on DVD?
I lived in Japan from '82-'88 when I was in Jr. High/High School, so the production values (including the Japanese subtitles) are nostalgic for me. Videotapes were REALLY expensive - a concert would go for at least $50-100 - I saw so many things that I wanted but only ever bought a couple - Rainbow & Deep Purple are the ones I can think of, and I watched them over and over again - I even recorded them to audio cassette so I could listen on the bus!
Thanks also for the insights into your graphite necked basses. I've been fortunate to seen one or two in person at an Alembic Gathering, but never played one myself.
My username is definitely Bosch influenced but I mistakenly made it into an adjective with the extra U and it stuck! I hated my name Harry growing up but like thinking that it could be an abbreviation for hieronymous.
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Hieronymous it is then. I think the original release was LaserDisc, and probably VHS. Maybe even BETA. It never officially got to DVD as far as I know. Considering the shady business of the folks who originally put it out ... I think YouTube is a good place for it.
Wild that you lived there at the time. Concert tickets, club cover charges, and media has always been amazingly expensive in Japan. That was one of my first visits but it became a regular touring destination for me. I still seem to get there at least once a year and always enjoy the trip.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Front row seats for JT and Bonnie in Glasgow this July ;D This time we'll be accompanied by our drummer (who'd normally see bands like Saxon or the Dead Daisies) and I believe one of my guitarists will also be in the audience somewhere. Looking forward to it. In fact I'm looking forward to anything to do with summer as we're currently under a foot of snow.
We'll give you a wave. last time, Kate, Andrea and Arnold came out front for a dance. Maybe the whole band could join them in a wireless conga. Hah!
Graeme
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Good deal Graeme, we're looking forward to it too. Hope it isn't too mellow for your bandmates. Ha!
Jimmy J
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Edwin, yes, that's around the time I was playing with Allan. Metal Fatigue album was '85 and Atavachron '86...
OK, well, I have an interesting story about that band. That was right after I graduated from Berklee and one of the professors convinced me that taxi driving was the best profession for a musician just getting off the ground, since you can make your own hours, make decent money etc. One random Tuesday night, I was down by Faneuil Hall and got flagged down by a bunch of guys and it turned out to be Allan and his band. Chad sat up front with me. Once everyone was situated, they said "Take us where the action is!" It being Boston and a Tuesday night and around midnight, there was no action. Unless you count the Combat Zone, but I wasn't about to do that to the band. So, I drove off to Harvard Square to the Wursthaus, because I knew they had a million beers and they were open really late every night of the week.
Well, that would be a nice anecdote on its own, but fast forward to 1998 and I'm in Boulder Colorado, playing a gig with guitarist Bill Kopper and the subject of Allan Holdsworth comes up. I relate my story and he just looks at me in disbelief and cracks up. He, too, had recently gone to Berklee back then and the job he got was waiting tables at the Wursthaus. Apparently you all went straight from my cab to his table! I guess waiting tables isn't really his strong suit (although he's a fantastic guitar player), things didn't go well, and it was decided later that night that he should part ways with the establishment.
I hope you guys had an enjoyable time!
What are the odds?!
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Wow Edwin, what a crazy series of coincidences. And that was also probably as close as any of us got to a Berklee education. HA!
You made me look it up ... we played twice in Boston in '86, once in mid-April and once in late October - where I had written in "the Old Oyster House" although I can't remember if that was the gig. We also played in September of '87, possibly at the Paradise?
I can't guarantee I was actually in your cab that night, it may not have been my night to hang. We had 2 crew guys with us and I think Paul Williams the singer was still there (the tall PW, not the short one). So it could have been any combination of those 6 cats. But yes indeed, that sounds like a Holdsworth request: "take us to the ALE". Thanks for taking care of the band!
And thank Mr. Kopper for us if you have the chance. I hope his departure from that job wasn't OUR fault! I also hope we tipped both you guys adequately! HA!!!
Jimmy J
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:)
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Hi Jimmy. So I was at a wedding a few weeks ago here in Houston and ran in to an old friend from the neighborhood when I was a kid growing up all the way thought college. He's in the music business and we got to talking about bass guitar players. Your name came up as someone who I respected as a player. He says to me "Oh I know Jimmy" I just saw him a few weeks ago. He spoke very highly of you not only as a musician but as a person. His name was Barry Leff of Beaver Productions in Memphis. When I told him of the forum connection he wanted me to tell you hello. So, hello Jimmy from Barry !!
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Hey Chuck,
Thanks for relaying the message and it's cool that you know Barry. The music biz is after all a pretty small world. He and his partner Don are great folks and their company always does at least a portion of the JT tours. I expect to see those guys at some point this summer too.
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy ,
So the fam and I are sitting around the TV this morning, looking at various Joan Rivers clips on You Tube...this was prompted by a Bianca Del Rio comedy show that we attended last night (local girl made good, and a huge Joan Rivers fan). I remember you and plenty of other great musos made up the "Party Boys and the Tramp";)
Would you care to share any memories of the gig? It sure looks like it would have been a gas!
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Ed,
Yeah, that was an interesting experience. It was an excellent band that could literally play any kind of music. But aside from musical guests the most we got to do was a couple minutes at a time during commercial breaks - which was surprisingly frustrating. Mark Hudson comes off as kind of a goofy character but he's a smart producer who knew who to call to organize the band and the music. I think Randy Waldman was the original "musical" leader.
It was a great gig for all of us too. We looked real good on paper at that moment so almost everybody in the band bought houses. Ha! The banks saw the steady paycheck from FOX and I guess they didn't take into consideration how fickle TV can be as it didn't last very long. Plus, we were allowed to sub out which meant we were available for other projects. That's an ideal setup!
It was a pretty tense scene though. TV can be that way with so much money involved. The Kimmel show seems to be the most relaxed of all of them.
Thanks for asking.
Jimmy J
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Thanks for that Gregory. That is a great song isn't it?
It's also an example of how the bass parts are already written and played by JT on most of his tunes. I don't know of anybody who plays guitar quite like him ... and those bass lines come with the package. All I do is pick and choose how much of what he's already playing should be doubled an octave lower.
That clip is from around '92 and is probably my recording bass - an '87 series II. Great to see Don Grolnick and Carlos Vega and remember that happy time. We miss those guys.
Jimmy J
Hey Jimmy J... just wanted you to know, four years later "Frozen Man" is now in regular rotation on my alternate Thursday night gig. Brian, the guitarist I'm playing with, is one of those guys... if he's going to play it, it's absolutely going to be right or he's not doing it. Anyway, I took your sage advice when learning it, and just chose which of the guitar notes to double or octave on. So, belated Thanks for that! ;)
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Hey Jimmy,
It's been a few years! But I did get to see you perform at the Bass Player Live event at SIR last year with our mutual friend Mr Babko. I also got to meet that lovely Bob Glaub that night—what a nice fellow. Coming across this thread (and listening to some of my favorite JJ tracks—like Devil Take the Hindmost) inspired me to give my '93 Series I bass a setup and some attention, and I'm falling in love with that instrument all over again. It's a great feeling.
This inspiration marks a happy development: I finally conquered my one bugbear with this bass, and it turns out it was my style of playing the whole time. I like really low action, but sometimes I get excited and dig in, and I find this bass in particular has a serious tendency to "clank" loudly as the plucked string bounces off the frets, which has caused me trouble when recording over the years. This time, I turned the bass up way louder than usual and started playing very softly and this glorious, magic tone I had never before achieved came out, clean and clank-free. The notes were just bigger, deeper and had real power—why had I not thought of this before? Onlyafter 25 years of playing this bass did I learn how to get the sound I was after! Never too late, I guess.
Hope to catch you round town sometime,
Dan Pinder
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Hey Dan,
Thanks for posting. Glad to hear you're playing your Series I again and enjoying the fine tones. Everybody has their own playing style and different ways they prefer to set up their instruments. And everybody also makes their own sound, regardless of the instrument. (Think McCoy Tyner followed by George Shearing on the same piano).
I like a pretty low action too. When it's just right I can get some fret rattle when playing hard but also a completely pure sound with a lighter touch. I like your solution - just turn the bass up!
I'll see you around!
Jimmy J
PS: Greg, great to hear that you're playing the Frozen Man. Some great JT songwriting right there..
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nice (albeit brief) interview with JJ on the JT website this morning here.. http://www.jamestaylor.com/jimmy-johnson/ (http://www.jamestaylor.com/jimmy-johnson/)
Graeme
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Thanks, Graeme!
An umbrella??
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He definitely needed it last July in Washington DC. The show was delayed for around an hour due to torrential rain (outdoors in the nationals baseball park) and at one point we thought it was going to be cancelled which would have meant a wasted journey from Scotland ;D
Graeme
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Ah! Well then yes; an umbrella seems prudent.
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Yeah Graeme, that was a mighty downpour! The crew had to lower the hanging PA and all the stadium signs read "Please take cover under the concourse until the severe storms pass". Must be a regular happening there. And thankfully it did pass and the show went on for the enthusiastic but slightly soggy audience.
Jimmy J
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Couldn't they give you a room with a better view than the porta potties? ;D
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It's a glamorous life!
Jimmy J
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Hah! We were on th concourse directly above you from when the doors opened. Managed my first bsseball ground hotdog.
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I'm really looking forward to tracking this CD down - I have the original vols. 1 & 2 - the version of Fred is great, can't wait to hear the new mix!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4797/38921513260_465215192f_z.jpg)
(Gary Husband also has a picture of you and Allan Holdsworth during lunch break of the recording sessions on his Instagram)
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Yes indeed, that's an amazing record Gary put together. Great fun. One of the nicest things about the new Fred mix is that he included some audio from before and after the take so you can hear a couple linear moments from Allan. He took the track home intending to build a guitar solo for it but for whatever reason it never happened. Later Gary got Jan Hammer to solo on it which makes the track even more special.
Thanks for supporting the team,
Jimmy J
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Not normally being one to toot my own horn... I thought I'd share this bit of silliness from the Steve Gadd Band. When you make an album these days there's often an EPK or electronic press kit that's done to help publicize the release. This is usually the band leader saying "It was great to get the guys together again and work on this new record, it came together real well... blah blah blah..." For the last album we decided we might as well also do something stupid so we made a fake reality show video. Just a collection of silly inside jokes meant to be a more fun version of an EPK. And of course that vid has something like 15k views making it the most popular thing the band has ever produced (including the records. HA!) So here's the latest installment which I hope some of you will find entertaining. None of us are great actors but I'm proud of my "Jimmie Johnson NASCAR driver" moment. HA!
Jimmy J
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HILARIOUS! ;D
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That was great, Jimmy! Could there be a sequel?...
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Fun! Thanks for sharing!
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That was hilarious Jimmy! I have actually done the single note sampling of my Alembic before!
I found this episode too -
And this one -
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Ha! Rob, this actually was the sequel, Rusty found the original above. Oh, and this new one is called Episode 7 just to be extra confusing. All very silly.
Jimmy J
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So.... plz tell us about the exploded bass :-)
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BASS CAPO...WTF???
I laughed, I cried, it was better than CATS!
Seriously, y'all just made my week!!! More episodes!!!
Thanks guys,
Ed V
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Well spotted Ed, not everybody catches that bit in the first episode.
FC, that was an ad libbed moment by Larry, no actual exploding bass stories. :P
Jimmy J
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I love that parts are improvised - how much of it is improv? How much energy was spent editing these together? Part of me doesn't want to spoil the illusion, but as someone who records and enjoys knowing about the behind-the-scenes stuff I would love to know!
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You mean, you DON'T capo? Geez . . . . . back to those online bass lessons, I tell myself all that Jeff Berlin stuff is what I get for NOT being more dedicated when I was younger. Maybe I could forward my resume' for the next time you're hiring pit crewmen . . . . . .
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Hieronymous,
For this most recent project we were in the studio for 4 days and Bill Zules was hired to shoot still photos of the band and capture video for the official EPK - which he assembled later. I came up with the basic script for this silliness but as I described the bits to the guys they'd add their ideas which actually made the jokes work. For instance it was Kevin's idea to complain to Steve about me thinking he was Larry - and Steve's comeback was spur-of-the-moment Gadd humor.
So not only were we trying to make a real record in 4 days... but whenever somebody was working on an overdub or something we would grab Zules and shoot these little clips. Everything from the studio was shot in one afternoon. I realized we hadn't gotten Walt involved in anything so we recorded his narration after the fact and that really tied it all together.
I gathered all the "footage" and assembled it in FCPX, or in my case Final Cut Beginner. I'm NOT very good at this but learned a lot and had fun doing it. (Walt's cigar is not lit - that's digital smoke. HA!) I probably worked on it for a couple weeks... In the end it looks pretty homemade but I think that works fine for what we were trying to do.
Yeah Joey, I hear what you're saying. I'll bet there is some bass player out there who uses a capo creatively. Whatever method you use to get the notes you want, that's the right way to do it.
Thanks all,
Jimmy J
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That was great. It's good to see y'all have kept a sense of humor after all these years. I liked the recording of the bass notes. I've been in that exact situation when I was recording backup tracks for a neighbor's gospel group and hit a wrong note. Played through to the end and the response was just about verbatim of what you were told.
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I did not notice that the video was not "professional"; that you did it yourself inspires me to look into "beginner" video editing software.
And for the record; I use a capo.
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Right on with the capo use David - I told you guys. But we have to admit it's rare to see one on a bass so that's why I thought it would be a funny sight. And I got a giggle out of Ed so my job here is done.
Keith, what can be fixed now with ProTools, Melodyne and the like is truly amazing. You can essentially tune a guitar after it has been recorded. Or change a chord from major to minor. That's a bit insane. But people can get caught up with all that and forget that asking the player to play it again may be faster and get a better result. That's basically what I was riffing on here. In fact, I designed the graphic for the plug-in (see below). Ha!!
Jimmy J
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Jimmy you are right about the magic you can work with Pro Tools! It is an Engineer's dream, but I fear that as technology increases musicianship suffers. The sense of playing without a safety net, which drives us to strive for perfection, is gone when we know we can easily fix mistakes. I'm guilty of it too. I have cut & pasted bass lines from a previous spot in the song to replace the same line I messed up on rather than doing a punch in.
Having said that, if you can build a "Buzz Off" pedal for live use I will buy one! Love the graphic!
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Even if it isn't faster I agree with the second take maybe being better. You never know if a small variance in a note's inflection or changing a run slightly will be the thing that completes the picture.
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Getting it right isn't always up to the player. Although in the current era of non-destructive editing, it's less of an issue. I remember in the 90s at a session asking to punch in one note. The engineer kept screwing it up so much that I had to redo the entire verse. A 30 second fix turned into a half hour. It was a DA-88 rig, so it would have been an easy thing to just set in and out points, but he insisted on punching by hand. It aggravated me even more because as an engineer, I used to punch in parts of a word in a vocal and nail it regularly. If the levels match and you have your timing together, no big deal. Beer and pot do not belong in the control room. Oh well, I got paid.
I like Pro Tools.
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Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking protools. I use every available aspect of it when building bass tracks at home. I end up spending a lot more time than I would in a studio situation. At one point I had a crisis of conscience about comping and shifting my notes around in time. I wondered if I could still play anything correctly. I asked Holdsworth about it and he said "eh, these are just the current set of tools we get to use to make music".
Punching was always fun. Oceanway in Hollywood had these great sounding Ampex ATR multitrack machines but they had quite a delay when punching in. The 2nd engineers had to really know what they were doing. And I will hopefully never again be called to do a direct-to-disc (vinyl) recording. Essentially a 20-minute long take with no fixing. That was a lot of sweating for a little bit of audiophile gain - IMO. Did a couple with singers too and that's just a mean thing to do to them!
What can I say, I'm a studio brat! "Let me just fix that one thing...."
As you were.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy:
I don’t know if you heard, but Jim Harms of My Music Store in Golden Valley passed away. :'(
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fmm,
Yes thanks, my brother let me know. Harms was a great guy and Park Music in St. Louis Park, MN was my music store when I was growing up. Not only for gear but I attempted to teach bass there at one point and even repair amps! Amazing I didn't kill myself with that one.
In 1975 I was playing a modified Les Paul Triumph bass and said to Harms; "I like the electronics on this bass but I wish it was long scale." And he said "well, maybe you should check out this company in California called Alembic..." So you might say he was instrumental (teehee) in my musical career.
He did the same for my brother over the years, recently pointing him to Phil Jones amps for his upright. Harms would always keep an eye out for great gear even if he didn't carry it in the store. He was a good cat and we'll all miss him.
Jimmy J
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Caught this last night: JT and His Large Band on AUSTIN CITY LIMITS. Good day at the office, Jimmy. I just love the little Cuban breakdown on the end of 'Mexico'. One hell of a band, and what a treat it must be to work for James. I always preferred working with a front man who was a musician / picker, and boy, this qualifies . . . .
http://video.klru.tv/video/2365592496/
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Thanks for the link, Joey! Looks, and sounds, very nice!
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That was awesome! Thanks for posting, Joey.
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Just finished watching. Wonderful!!
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Rene and I watched the Austin City Limits show on WUNC over the weekend as well.
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Hey thanks for the link Joey and all of you for the nice comments. That show came out pretty good despite JT fighting off a cold. I'm a fan of ACL and have seen some great music on that program. Surprisingly it was the first time James had done it.
Carry on. Best to everybody,
Jimmy J
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I hope I'm not repeating a question you have already answered elsewhere JJ.
Do you personally use effects pedals when gigging?
(1) If so are they because you require them to get 'your sound" or does your client request that you use them?
(2) If so what type of pedals are they?
I personally have never used them on bass as I prefer the naked sound of my basses. I have noticed when I've been to gigs that more and more, bass players are using effects pedals especially the ones that add a lower octave, and digital multi effects units. A number of bass heads have some kind of sub enhancer/octave divider built in and I just turn them off when they are in a backline I'm using at a gig. It was once suggested to me that I should use a boost pedal when doing a solo but that is not yet a big part of my bass playing at the moment I tend to just dig in a bit more.
What's your take on them?
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Hey Jazzy,
Keeping in mind that I am approximately 1000 years old... I do not have any pedals or effects in my sound palette. Aside from fretless bass I only make one kind of rumble. :D
That said, I have huge respect for those who do have these options available and under their control. Folks like Matt Bissonette and Kaveh Rastegar can make some very cool sounds.
I just never persued that angle. Partly because back in my experimental days most pedals were built for a low-level, hi-Z loads and that's not how I was running my basses. I also felt that many effects interrupted the main job of the bass by messing with the fundamental. And if there was a studio situation where they wanted something - most likely they had a rack effect that would do it best.
BUT ... because I played in a lot of guitar trios back then, I did have a chorus effect that I liked to use for soloing. I set it up in a weird way (of course).
I was running in stereo those days - 2x12" for the bridge p/u and 2x15" for the neck p/u - and the direct bass signal always went straight through with nothing in its path. But I had an ADA stereo-tapped delay which was always being fed (line level) signal from the bridge p/u. When I turned that on, it fed only the stereo shifting side of the chorus into BOTH the A & B channels of the amp, summing with the unadulterated direct bass signal.
So the effect was only additive and didn't interrupt the main signal. It slightly boosted the level and put a bit of movement into the sound which I enjoyed. Pretty subtle but fun to have that little extra thing when soloing.
These days I'm almost always running mono and if a solo comes up I count on the band to lay back a bit and I try to dig in as you do.
Jimmy J
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Thanks for responding Jimmy J, I always appreciate your insight into the business of bass and plan to stay away from effects. Does the SF-2 count as an effects unit? I do have one that I bought before I could afford an Series bass but found it hard to use because the cabs I had couldn't take the bottom end I wanted to use at any reasonable volume. Now that I've got a barefaced cab i've used it on few reggae gigs where the bass wasn't in the PA and I wanted to fill the room better.
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I don't think of the SF-2 as an effect, but it's an amazing EQ. Makes sense to shape your tone to meet the needs, especially in a reggae band setting. Absolutely!
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy, I see you are coming to Portland soon! 😂
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Jimmy,
Me and the fam just got back early this AM from a trip to London...we missed you guys in Hyde Park by a day! I hope the weather was as awesome as the crowd- 60,000 folks is what I thought I saw on the FB post.
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Ed,
Yes, that was quite a day in Hyde Park. Good to play some Series II low notes for all those folks! And it was a fine representation of singer / songwriters on the bill. Surprisingly hot weather for London and we played our set in the direct sun, but the crowd seemed in a good mood and the response was very nice. I'm pretty sure that was because of the bass tone. HA!!
Cheers all,
Jimmy J
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13,500 in Glasgow seemed a lot. I can't imagine what it must be like looking out at 60,000!
Graeme
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Hey there Jimmy!
I just heard about the Ramin Partovi project "27 Faces of a Broken Heart", and the concept intrigued me. I just bought it this morning, so I haven't gotten through all 27 tracks yet...
You and Simon are awesome as usual. Any scoop on how that came together?
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Ed V,
When you do a recording session there's just no way to know what will become of the music. More often than not you never hear of the project, or actually hear the music again. But then you'll run into somebody who says "Hey, I really loved your playing on the _____ record" and you have to think ...was that me? Ha!
So it took me a minute but yeah, I remember now. Mr. Partovi is a pilot for Lufthansa (I believe) who also plays guitar. He decided to do a project of his own and he called Simon Phillips to organize part of it. Simon called Carl Verheyen and I into his studio (at that time) in February of 2016 - and we cut a tune or two for the guy. Being his first ever music project I think he really enjoyed the experience despite the fact that we were kind of, um, guiding his decision making. Ha!
And apparently he kept going and did several other sessions resulting in a double CD's worth of tunes. Not uncommon for somebody who's been playing a while but never tried to record anything original. They often have a LOT of ideas ready to go.
So that's the story. We did one session for him and I can't remember how many of the 27 songs we played on... but probably not more than 3. :D
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
From what I can tell, he used the same rhythm track ( with bass and drum solos) and sent them to about 25 other guitar players to do their thing over it... Mike Stern, Scott Henderson, Oz Noy, Brent Mason, Dean Brown are notable. It ended up being 27 tracks...or 27 interpretations of 1 track, which is an interesting listen.
Getting to hear your bass solo 27 times made my work day a whole lot better too!
All the best,
Ed V
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OMG REALLY? Now THAT is a bizarre album concept, but unique I suppose. HAHA! I had no idea. I'm buying it now from iTunes. If I knew he was going to do that maybe would have polished up the bass solo a bit, or at least offered him some alternative takes?? Weird thought that all those great guitar players had to wade through my racket. HA! And I wonder if Simon did all 27 mixes? There's a torturous assignment!
This is one for the archives, for sure. Hey, do you think I should have asked for 27x scale? Naw, just kidding.
Thanks for the info, I still can't believe it. :o
Jimmy J
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... do you think I should have asked for 27x scale? ...
When I read Ed's post, that thought occured to me as well.
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There's going to be a little uptick on the iTunes sales for this today LOL!
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He's put part of it on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2wNCUykQN4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2wNCUykQN4)
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OK, I haven't listened all the way through the entire collection... only sampled them, but that's pretty entertaining! There are a couple vocal versions (!!), one with keyboard lead, and then young Jon Reshard rips some insane bass on his own version plus 3 others who used his track as a basic. I also enjoyed the guy who kept his guitar solo blazing straight through the bass solo section. Right on!!
Good stuff!
Jimmy J
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:)
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27x scale...why not?
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No, I didn't play on 4 of the versions, so only 23x scale. :P
Jimmy J
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https://m.facebook.com/groups/361803263942657?view=permalink&id=1756186511170985 (https://m.facebook.com/groups/361803263942657?view=permalink&id=1756186511170985)
This gets released in December and apparently, the first 1000 have an option of an additional DVD. Looking forward!
[edited for formatting]
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Yeah well... This concert from Allan's 1984 trip to Japan has been on YouTube for a while so it's not new material. And while it's nice that Allan's family might see some backside money for it, the original circumstances were a bit dubious.
In classic Allan style, he had agreed to let the concert be filmed and probably accepted at least some of the money up front. Although I don't know the exact details, I presume that he also signed a contract when presented with that envelope of cash. The story is, he understood that he had the right of approval, but when he tried to exercise that right and say DO NOT RELEASE THIS the producers went ahead and put it out it anyway. It's possible he never made any money from the sales of this almost bootleg, but I'm quite sure he got paid at least something up front so it was never "nothing". Just next to nothing. :(
And so our favorite genius guitarist suffered from this "unauthorized" release which he deemed to be inferior, even to the point of NOT signing it for people who presented it to him seeking an autograph.
All that said, Chad and I were proud to have been a part of Allan's first trip to Japan and we think there are some good and unique musical moments on the recording. Allan however could only concentrate on the musical errors (most of which we didn't hear) and that often ruined an entire show for him.
So there you have it. As a technical detail, on that tour I was playing my 3rd Series II, built in '82 as a graphite-necked fretted 5-string. I later had the fingerboard redone as a fretless bass and it now serves a backup to my main fretless.
Cheers everybody,
Jimmy J
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Thanks for the input, Jimmy. I'm looking forward to the official release of this (having viewed the footage online) - would be nice to have the DVD.
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Jimmy (and all in CA),
I'm not sure where you are geographically in relation to the wildfires I'm seeing in CA, but I hope you and yours are OK. I can't believe how bad it's gotten, and how fast. Stay safe, all.
Best,
Ed
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Ed,
Thanks for asking, we're ok here. The news coverage makes it look like the entire state is on fire but that's not exactly true. There are fires scattered all around but the deadly "Camp" fire is about 75 miles north of Sacramento (or 100 miles north east of Alembic HQ) and the "Woolsey" fire which started in Thousand Oaks and burned over to the ocean is about 20 miles west of us. We have a lot of musician friends in T.O. who were forced to evacuate but nobody we know has lost their homes in this year's mess. The crews fighting these fires are amazing.
Jimmy J
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I've heard there's rain in the forecast. Be safe.
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Jimmy:
I see that the Steve Gadd Band (of which I believe you are a member) has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.
Congratulations!
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Oh Gosh, I LOVE Flim Johnson, aka Jimmy Johnson. He is the most honest bass player on the planet. He plays with his heart on his sleeve. His tone and playing are uncompromisable. He never pays a "wrong note".
I own Tricycle and two Wayne Johnson Trio CD's, along with all the Allan Holdsworth. Duh.
JJ is amazing. I've had the fortune of seeing him live at New George's in San Rafael, CA in 1989 with Allan and Chad.
I just LOVE Jimmy Johnson, Mark King, Geddy Lee, and Stanley Clarke. In any order. That's my Mount Rushmore. Haha, I made a pun by accident.
Mike B. bass fan, 1992 Europa owner.
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Woah Mike, calm down now. Ha! Thanks for the kind words, although I can assure you that I've played many wrong notes and I'm still doing so on a daily basis! Cool that you heard the Holdsworth band way back then, that was a unique musical experience and I was lucky to have been involved.
Fmm, it's a nice surprise that the Gadd Band record got nominated. Great for Steve - a guy who everybody has heard but not everybody knows.
Happy Holidays,
Jimmy J
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So, watch this Mike, JJ with Vinnie Colaiuta:
https://youtu.be/P8C3S_AyQ-8 (https://youtu.be/P8C3S_AyQ-8)
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smooth and precious
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Yow. 2003 I think. My hair wasn't even gray yet. HA! That was a Zildjian sponsored event honoring Steve Gadd. Our assignment was to play music that HE had played drums on over his already lengthy career. It's always a treat to play with Vinnie and Mike in any situation. And Larry Goldings on keys and Tom Scott on horns. We also got to play a couple tunes with Rick Morotta. And then Anthony Jackson spoke at the event - which made me feel ridiculous trying to play these tracks that HE absolutely killed back in the day. That was the first time I'd met AJ, a super nice guy and a true bass monster!
Jimmy J
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Cool video! Thanks for posting.
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Jimmy...what instrument are you holding in this photo from the Steve Gadd tour date poster?
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Hey Jonathan,
That's my slightly unusual graphite necked fretless Series I built in 1980. Below is a close-up of its odd bridge/tailpiece setup. What can I say, it was an experimental time. :) I still absolutely love the sound of this bass - though in hindsight I doubt the funny hardware has anything to do with it.
Jimmy J
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Happy New Year Jimmy J. - nice to see your fretless getting a little workout! I watched 2019 land safely last night with mine on my knee... couldn't think of a better idea than Auld Lang Syne on a fretless 5-string.
Is that per chance this same bass we talked about in another thread, with a bone or Micarta nut? I have a Distillate fretless from around that same time with a nut of similar material. (not certain what it is, but I have no reason to believe it came any other way)
Low notes, good fortunes, and safe travels. ;)
*I see now the picture is tagged '82' so probably not...
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Hey Gregory,
Happy New Year to you too. Auld Lang Syne seems like an appropriate tune for some slipping and sliding!
No, this '80 fretless has an adjustable brass nut. The pic you posted is correctly tagged '82, that's my "backup" fretless which has an equally bizarre bridge/tailpiece setup (pic below).
I'm pretty sure the nut on that '82 is some kind of synthetic material. And frankly, I would think that would only effect the tone of the open strings. Any opinions on that? Although I've never sat down to compare these two basses with that specific variation in mind... Different strings, different wood, different mojo... I'd be very surprised if I could hear the difference in the nut material.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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I agree, and I think we're 99.5% right, that the material a nut is constructed of mainly influences an open string. I'm leaving some leeway for sympathetic resonances that might be adsorbed by something less hard than brass. Those things count too, but I don't how much. I would expect Alembic electronics, particularly Series I or II sensitivity might 'hear' the difference if there was one to be picked up. Ideally, a nut needs to be something hard and durable. Maybe they were experimenting with synthetic bone at the time... some of that stuff is plenty hard. Here's my fretless Distillate thread: http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=23259.0 (my backup fretless...)
FWIW - know of at least one Series II fretless out there with an ebony nut... which makes perfect sense to me. :)
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You've probably already wrote a lot about your basses here Jimmy, (sorry) but got curious about that experimental Bridge... What is catching me is what seems to be a massive sustain block on both fretlesses, was it a quest for sustain (or tone)? I see you didn't adopted this in your regular Basses.
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2 Cents...
It's common to take the string after the finger as standing still or not counting, but I really feel that the string still can transmit some vibration to the other portion and when I am using or not one of those hair tie as string muffler I hear (or believe so) that this steals energy from the free vibrating string portion somehow even geting to affect its sustain and tone at least a little during Slap. I feel the Lows get tighter or clearer when I damp strings close to the nut and is a pitty that I can't get used to that thing on the way of my fingers and hate the open strings tone when muffled.
Or maybe I just want to believe...
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Yes Gregory, an ebony nut would seem to make sense on a fretless ebony fingerboard. Maybe with a mechanical soft finger doing a slow vibrato too? HA!
Mario, I'm not sure where that bridge/tailpiece concept originated but it was an idea about terminating the string at a single point... Seems kind of ridiculous now. And in fact, it creates un-necessary strain on on the bridge bolts, requires a double-sized block, and even displaced the batteries on the '82 into the electronics cavity - a case of getting a little too customized. Ha!
The '82 began life as a fretted bass. I enjoyed the '80 fretless so much that I tried to "do that again" with frets. It came out great and had a lovely tone but the graphite neck compressed the dynamics in such a way that - while great on the fretless - it kind of bugged me on the fretted version. The notes all spoke about the same volume and on live gigs it started to bother me because I couldn't play soft and loud. So I had it converted to fretless as a backup to the '80 and ordered another wooden bass in '87. And a couple more in '89.
Funnily enough, there were 2 videos done in '84 on which I played the '82 with frets - Holdsworth in Japan and Ritenour live. So at least there are some recordings of the bass in its original form. And in hindsight I have to say that bass sounded pretty good - even with the compression. Oh well!
Interesting thoughts about the nut question, thanks for your ideas.
Jimmy J
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Generosity is a mark of the greats. Love this place... and you too, Jimmy.
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I just read all 87 pages of this topic, Jimmy I love you even more now :)
All best!
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Jimmy,
Thanks to some work/travel commitments falling through (Woo!), and Barry L. coming to the rescue (Woo Woo!) I was able to buy tix for the upcoming Just-About-Sold-Out JT/Bonnie Baton Rouge-a-palooza on 2/11. I don't have the specific seats yet, but will post here just in case you have a sec to say hi to me and the girls.
I heard that Chad Wackerman is on this leg of the tour...is that so?
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Ed V,
Barry warned me that you kids were coming so I'll look for you. And yes, Chad Wackerman is in for Gadd, Michito Sanchez in for Luis Conte, and for the first few shows Dorian Holley in for Arnold McCuller. Same great JT tunes but with a slightly different accent. :)
Seeya soon,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
We are in floor section B, row 11, seats 1-3. Looking forward to it, hope to see you then!
Ed V
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OK Ed, got it..
Those sound like good seats! Helps to know the concert promoter. Ha! I'll do my best to get out there and find you. Bonnie starts at 7:30.
Jimmy J
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GRAMMY!!!
Congrats to all the Gaddashians!
Best,
Ed V
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Hey, how about that?
Thinking about how many Grammy winning records Gadd has played on in his long career, it's nice that now he'll have one with HIS name on it! That's a sweet deal!.
Jimmy J
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Congratulations, I have that album, “Steve Gadd Band” , really enjoy it!
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Piling on the Congrats... BIG high-five to Jimmy J. and the guys! :)
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Congrats, Jimmy!
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Thanks all. 100% Alembic bass on that album.
:D
Jimmy J
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Congrats, Jimmy and the gang.
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Congratulation to you and the rest of the crew.
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Big congratulations Jimmy!
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Way cool and much deserved... congratulations!
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Congratulations!
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Jimmy,
It was great to see you Monday in BR; thanks for finding the time to visit with me and the girls.
I loved the subtle differences in this version of the band, and especially loved Chad's approach to the catalog. From Bonnie's first note to James' last, just a stellar show... almost too much talent in one room for mere mortals to handle ;D
All the best,
Ed Vigueira
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Thanks everybody for the congrats. Once again I was in the right place at the right time. I've had some very good luck in my career!
Ed V, thanks for making the scene again, glad you and the gals enjoyed it. Bonnie and her band are such a groove! And I agree that Chad's doing a great job, he's a pro and knows how to support the music. As you could see we're all still having fun playing it.
Take it easy now,
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy,
I was just listening to Dewa Budjana album "Surya Namaska"... man there is some killing playing on it, real fusion album!
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Hey Goran,
Thanks, yeah, lots of musical craziness on that rather obscure album. Amazing playing by Vinnie! Plus Landau on one track and even Husband playing a synth solo on another. Dewa plays guitar in a famous pop band in Indonesia but his "hobby" is clearly jazz and fusion. He's a nice soft-spoken fella so this must be his alter ego. Ha!
Jimmy J
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After seeing this I listened to some of Dewa Budjana's Surya Namaska. It is good stuff. I also found some live footage of Dewa in Indonesia on Youtube and noticed the young guy on bass played an Alembic Epic six string.
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Jimmy,
I just heard the sad news that Paul Williams from I.O.U. passed away today at 78. Oddly enough, I've had the "new" I.O.U. Live In Tokyo on repeat for the last few weeks, enjoying the live versions of all that classic AH material. I'm not much of a drinker, but I'll raise a glass in his honor tonight while listening.
Best,
Ed V
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Thanks for letting me know Ed, I'm sorry to hear we've lost Paul. If you ever try to sing one of Allan's melodies you'll see how difficult it can be to get the intervals right, not to mention finding the starting note. Paul made all that seam easy.
Jimmy J
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I just ordered Surya Namaska on CD thanks to this post ! Anything with Jimmy and Vinnie is GOING to be GREAT !! Thanks Alembic Club !!
- Mike
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Yea Mike, you'll love it...
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8) 8) 8) Thanks Goran and thanks Jimmy Johnson !! ( and Vinnie C. !! )
I can't wait ! It's already been shipped. Arrival is next week or so. ;) :D ;D
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Attached is proof that Tal Wilkenfeld is a fan of the Gaddashians...
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Wow Ed, that's some inside humor there.
Thanks for that.
Jimmy J
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I LOVED Allan Holdsworth and I.O.U. so much. Paul was amazing. Also, as far as Jimmy goes, one of my all time favorite JJ moments is his solo on PUD WUD from my all time favorite acid tripping (back in the 90's , not anymore !) album SAND.
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Hey Michael,
Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad to hear you're such a fan of Allan's music. Me too!! I thought his playing and compositions were mind-blowing. (Even without any chemical enhancement. Ha!) Not everybody's cup of tea but it certainly rang my bell.
As I've said many times, I can't believe my luck to have been able to play with Holdsworth, Paul Williams, Husband, Wackerman, Hunt, Tony Williams, etc... What a ride!!
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy !!
I am a HUGE Allan Holdsworth fan. I've been hooked since the first time I saw him in 1989 at New George's in San Rafael, CA. Chad was playing drums and YOU were playing bass. I had never heard anything like it, but I was already into Stanley Clarke, RTF, etc. I remember you did a solo and Neil Schon was blown away (but of course he was !). The next day on my lunch break I went to the local record store and bought every cassette I could find by Allan. Since then to this day, I always have at least one Allan Holdsworth CD in my CD changer in the car. Yes, I still like CD's. I don't know how to download music and I like owning a hard copy. I think those guys are lucky to play with you ! Thanks for the advice you gave me here to follow my heart and my ear when I asked about lessons. That is GREAT advice !
Thanks Jimmy J ! - Michael :)
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Hi Jimmy !!
I am a HUGE Allan Holdsworth fan. I've been hooked since the first time I saw him in 1989 at New George's in San Rafael, CA. Chad was playing drums and YOU were playing bass. I had never heard anything like it, but I was already into Stanley Clarke, RTF, etc. so it was a smooth transition. I remember you did a solo and Neil Schon was blown away (but of course he was !). The next day on my lunch break I went to the local record store and bought every cassette I could find by Allan. Since then to this day, I always have at least one Allan Holdsworth CD in my CD changer in the car. Yes, I still like CD's. I don't know how to download music and I like owning a hard copy. I think those guys are lucky to play with you ! Thanks for the advice you gave me here to follow my heart and my ear when I asked about lessons. That is GREAT advice !
Thanks Jimmy J ! - Michael :)
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Michael,
(Words so nice he posted them twice? Ha!)
Thanks again, that's a great story. As I said, Allan's music was not everybody's cup of tea. There were often some very confused looks in the audience as they tried to figure out what the heck they were hearing.
But despite the struggle involved in presenting this unusual music (Chad and I trading off as tour managers / van drivers, chasing down the club owners to get paid, running up our own credit cards, etc...), the greatest thing about it was that at every gig there would be at least one or two people like yourself who were hearing it for the first time - and it connected. Sometimes profoundly! At the end of every gig somebody would come up and say "OMG you guys!!" That made it all worthwhile. Even while making the 8 hour drive to the next club we would have this feeling that "tonight somebody was going to hear something they've never heard before". We were all proud to have been a part of that!!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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... "tonight somebody was going to hear something they've never heard before" ...
:)
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Jimmy,
How goes Vegas? I was working out there at some Caesars properties last week, but the requisite long hours meant I never got free to catch a show. It was very cool to see your Alembic plastered all over LED signs on The Strip, however.
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Ed,
Sorry we missed each other. Yeah, we're finding some kind of groove. It's very strange to be on the road but staying in one place. Here's the Series II on the digital billboard. HA!
Jimmy J
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Great picture!
-
That's a cool pic!
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Holy Smokes!! You outdid James, himself!!! (On the pic, anyway!)
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No, that still shot was captured from my 1-second video moment during the ad. I stood there and waited for it to come around again. Ha!!
Jimmy J
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You still look like your doing ok to me. You could have gotten zero seconds. ;)
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That's fantastic. 8)
-
I read a story, i think it was here on the Alembic Club, or Talk Bass. James Taylor and the band were at the airport terminal waiting for a flight or something. A guy walked to the group of Taylor People quickly and James' people got nervous or something by this man's determination on his face, so they went in to "protect" James. The man walked right past James and to the REAL star of the band - Jimmy Johnson ! I always loved that story.
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Well Michael, that's not exactly true but thanks anyway. I only have one similar funny story... JT is a blend-in kind of guy. He can be out in public riding his bike, going to the local Army surplus store, whatever, normally without drawing any attention. Unless we're all flying somewhere together he has no entourage and we don't have any security personnel on the crew.
But one time when he was in LA I drove him to a Whole Foods so he could stock up for his stay. While we were checking out the person running the register said "Aren't you ...... Jimmy Johnson?" That's a highly unusual experience for me, but it did get a smile out of JT as he continued to bag his own groceries. :D
Jimmy J
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Sorry for saying this, but would first recognize you Jimmy and then James :)
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... one time when he was in LA I drove him to a Whole Foods so he could stock up for his stay. While we were checking out the person running the register said "Aren't you ...... Jimmy Johnson?" That's a highly unusual experience for me, but it did get a smile out of JT as he continued to bag his own groceries.
Hah! Love it!
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on the other hand, You can walk out to the front of the stage at a JT gig in Glasgow to have a chat with Sandra and I and no-one else in the audience notices :D Last time, halfway through the JT set, a guy sitting next to us said' isn't the bass player that chap that was out talking to you earlier?' . ;D
Graeme.
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Exactly! And that's the way I like it - low profile. Or perhaps no profile. :D Even my name is generic. You probably all know other Jim Johnsons. For a while if you did a google search for [ "Jimmy Johnson" +bass ] you found an award winning bass fisherman. HA!
Jimmy J (the one you guys know)
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Seen in a co-worker's office...I'm willing to bet someone's tried to put a 48 sticker on your car at least once or twice for laughs.
-
I see the Gadd band will be announcing some European dates soon. Let's hope there's something less than a day's drive from Scotland.
Graeme
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Hey Graham,
Well, the closest we plan to get is Ronnie's in London again, the week of June 22nd. Furthermore, Landau can't make this trip so we have David Spinozza playing guitar. He's a NY cat, longtime pal of Gadds with a coincidental connection to JT. I've never played with him and I expect it to be pretty different without Mike, but I know we're gonna have some fun...
Jimmy J
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Hope you have a great tour Jimmy. As it happens I'll be on holiday somewhere in Yorkshire that week anyway so wouldn't have made it. Maybe next time - there's quite a few Jazz venues in Edinburgh.
Graeme
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Jimmy, I will be headed up to Scullers in Boston on the 29th. I was hoping for a chance to say hello
if it were to work out. I will be joined by a couple of drummers that I work with
and I believe the we have a table in front of the stage. My regular drummer Joe
has become a huge Alembic fan and is looking forward to hearing yours, and is a huge
Steve Gadd fan, of course.
Thanks, Kenn R.
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Jimmy,
The fam and I just got back from a trip across the pond, and got to see Jimmy Haslip in a Q&A before a gig in Amsterdam. I asked about his time playing with Allan Holdworth, and his approach to the music.
His response was that he studied your approach, and was very thankful for the "crib note" charts that you gave him. The audience was a fan of yours as well!
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Kenn,
That's cool that you'll be there! We're looking forward to doing a few east coast gigs with the band, should be fun. I can't remember the layout at Sculler's but I'll do my best to find you and say howdy.
Ed V. That's a long way to go to see Jimmy H. :) He's such a great cat. A super-nice guy and an unusual player. I'm surprised he had any use for my nasty scribbles but if they helped him navigate Allan's song forms then that's a great story.
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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To the "other people" Jimmy Johnson is a race car driver. In my head I always say that's not the real Jimmy Johnson. There's only ONE Jimmy Johnson and he likes to be under the radar. :)
The Whole Foods story is awesome ! I had a feeling you shopped there, even though you were with JT who was shopping there.
Also, the Jimmy Haslip story is great. I can only imagine the notes you gave him for Allan's music. I bet it looked like something from NASA to us ear players.
-
I’m going to the 6/29 show too, looking forward to it! :)
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Alright! A mini Alembic-Club meeting! I'll look for you guys.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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To the "other people" Jimmy Johnson is a race car driver.
- snip -
That's certainly the case living here in NC.
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Jimmy, I just got the word that we will be at table 15. Per the clubs seating chart, from your perspective we will
be the 1st table on your left, closest to the stage. Can't wait...
Any other Alembic family, please come by and say hello or let me know where you are...
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OK Kenn, I'll find you. And try to connect with Rob too. Are you guys coming to the first or second sets?
There's no dressing room so we'll be mingling. Ha!
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, sorry for the delay. I believe we have tickets for the 8:00 p.m. show.
We hope to be there early. I think the doors open at 6:30...
Looking forward to it. Hope to see you.
Thanks....
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I'll be at the 8:00 pm show on Saturday too. I'm seated a little farther back, but I'll try to make my way up to table 15. It will be cool to meet you guys...Thanks!
Rob
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Looking forward to it Rob.
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The Steve Gadd Band was great tonight! Really nice meeting Ken as well, we should try to meet up in RI sometime as well. Jimmy, sorry I missed talking with you, I had to leave right after the show to catch my ride. Your playing is amazing, it will get me thinking in ways I haven’t considered before, very glad I finally got to see you live! I really liked Foameopathy, and One Point Five, among others. I also really like the way the band’s tunes mix odd meters with funk and straight ahead sections, really fun stuff! Great band, great show...thanks!
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Rob, it was great meeting up. I am sorry you had to leave so quick. Let's definitely connect again.
Jimmy, you are truly a man of grace and kindness. Thank you for sharing your time with us and your
vibe to an old bass and player.
The show was fantastic, the bass sound was clear and distinct, and your lock with Steve Gadd and
the rest of the band was about as tight as can be. The space, air and dynamics were killer.
Thanks...
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Hey thanks for coming out and supporting the team, much appreciated.
Sorry to miss saying hello Rob, I got caught up before the show and didn't get the chance to get out there... Next time for sure.
Great to talk to you and your pals Kenn. You sir have got a LOT of Alembics! I think we share that particular habit. :)
Glad you all enjoyed the set. Needless to say, it's a treat to play with these guys.
Thanks again for coming,
Jimmy J
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An appreciation from the NO TREBLE online site:
https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2019/06/28/bass-players-to-know-jimmy-johnson/
I love that picture at the head of the article.
All the best, JJ !
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Thanks for this article! Jimmy you are becoming famous! :)
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Hey Joey,
Thanks for the link. I passed on an interview with those folks but they went ahead and put this nice piece together anyway, mostly with info from wiki. They chose a slightly unusual set of example tracks though... And to set the record straight, on that live version of "Bye Bye Blackbird" it's Larry Goldings doing the walking bass part - on organ. :D He is SO great at that.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
Are you and yours OK after the quakes?
Thanks,
Ed V
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Yeah Ed, thanks for asking. We were out of town at the time but have found no damage. It was a long way from LA but apparently the whole of SoCal did the slow roll thing, enough to spill some swimming pool water and make drunk guys walk in a straight line for a moment.
I try not to use the word "awesome" very often but the amount of energy expended to shake 1/2 the state of Cal and into Nevada in those split seconds is truly awesome.
Jimmy J
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I was just looking at James Taylor's Tanglewood shots, and at first I didn't see you at ALL! But then you appeared (I believe!) on the opposite side of the stage. Some new faces added to my confusion, but then, I'm getting more and more easily confused!
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Jimmy,
Quakes in July, now wildfires and power outages... sorry if I sound like a grandpa, but I sure hope y'all are out of harm's way.
Best,
Ed V
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Yeah, we're ok Ed, thanks for asking.
So far this season we've only had a few smokey days at our location due to fires at the northern edge of the San Fernando Valley. Luckily nothing got too close or spread too quickly in our direction. One of those occasions got us to go through the exercise of putting things by the door in case we needed to bolt. Turns out, we don't need a whole lot of stuff (!!) so that was a good lesson. Important papers are in a small easy to grab box, backup hard drives for the computers, dog food, a few bass guitars I happen to enjoy, and we're outa here.
Every place has it's things. You know all about hurricanes down there, tornados in almost every state, giant blizzards in the midwest and east, volcanos in the NW, flooding everywhere... Whadaya gonna do? Play some low notes, that's what!!
everybody be safe,
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy J,
I'm glad to hear that you and your family, dogs, basses, house, etc. are all ok after the fires in the San Fernando valley. I'm up here in Petaluma, close to the Mothership and we lost power for three days, so I had to throw out all my food, but everything is ok. No fire anywhere close to my neighborhood.
Anyway, I have been listening to a Gary Husband CD in the car and your guys' version of FRED. Oh my God, as ALWAYS, your bass line is SO ass kickin'. I play air bass to it all the time while driving and my heart is filled with joy. Just had to tell you. Thanks Jimmy.
Mike B.
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Michael,
Thanks for the kind words. Glad you're ok up there too. These past couple California fire seasons have been very nasty!
Husband is a deeply talented musician and I enjoy any opportunity I get to play with him. Those solo projects were among the funnest, including a live tracking date we did here in LA for a few of the tunes. Sad that Allan H never completed his solo for Fred but Gary turned that around by convincing Jan Hammer to have a go. That made it even more special!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Hey there Jimmy J. - just heard on the radio on the way to work early this morning, JT and the All-Stars are coming right here to my town, June 23rd. It's still a ways off, but I've marked the calendar to knock off work that Tuesday. :)
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oooo. if James is touring again fingers crossed he comes to Scotland.
Graeme
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Graeme, it looks like it's just a North American tour for now, but he could expand it!
https://tour.jamestaylor.com/
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Hey Jimmy, I see that you will be in Houston with JT on May 16. I'm planning to go & hoping to finally get to meet you!
Rusty
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I've got tickets for Steve Gadd Band at Yoshi's next week - 8:00 show is sold out but I got tix for the 10:00 (I have a meeting in the evening anyway) - looking forward to my first live Jimmy Johnson - and Steve Gadd for that matter!
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Hey all,
Yes indeed, JT is loading up the trucks again. We thought he was going to take it easy in 2020 ... but no. And none of us are complaining!
In chronological order:
Hieronymous, track me down next Tuesday and say hello. I don't even know your real name, unless it Harry Bosch.
Rusty, if that works out let me know where you're sitting and I'll do my best to come and find you before we play.
Gregory, same thing. You're talking about Norfolk 6/23 right?
And Graeme, there have been some rumblings about EU in the fall but I don't have any info. Seems like you guys all find out the details before I do so I'll keep watching this forum. :D
Always nice to visit with my extended Alembic family.
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy. I just bought a couple of tickets for Wolf, ("Sonicus"), and me for the 10:00 p.m. show at Yoshi's. And you got Hieronymous' name half right, he is, indeed, a "Harry". (LOVE Michael Connelly).
Harry, want to go together with Wolf and me?
Bill, tgo
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Nah, you guys will be in the BIG TOWN of Roanoke, Virginia on 6/23... The Berglund Civic Center is just a few blocks up the street from my office here in town. ;) (I betcha' Norfolk is day or two before or after... not too far between, maybe 4-5 hours.)
Looking forward to seeing you guys and gals play again! it's been a little while.
-
I looked at the tour schedule. Looks like this year James is only going to Carolina in his mind (Sorry I couldn't help myself). I need to look at the home schedule as it is close to Rene's end/start of the school year but if its clear might try to catch the Roanoke show.
-
See, that's what I mean, you guys know the routing before I do. I still had Norfolk down for that night so thanks for updating my calendar.
Jimmy J
-
Jimmy , I look forward to your gig at Yoshi's as well as meeting you !
Wolf
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Hieronymous, track me down next Tuesday and say hello. I don't even know your real name, unless it Harry Bosch.
Hi Jimmy. I just bought a couple of tickets for Wolf, ("Sonicus"), and me for the 10:00 p.m. show at Yoshi's. And you got Hieronymous' name half right, he is, indeed, a "Harry". (LOVE Michael Connelly).
Harry, want to go together with Wolf and me?
Bill, tgo
Yup, Harry it is! I've never liked my name, so when I realized about 20 years ago that it could be a nickname for Hieronymus I went with it! I misspelled it with an extra "o" at the end (-mous instead of -mus) but decided I liked that better too.
Not sure when I can get there since I have an event beforehand but I usually stay until the bitter end so maybe you'll come out to the bar after the show? I've met some incredible musicians that way! (Mike Stern, Lee Ritenour, Marcus Miller...)
Bill, are you going to eat something there and try and get reserved seats? I'm not sure what time you're supposed to arrive before the second show, maybe an hour beforehand? Not sure I can get there before 9 pm and meeting a friend - I'll text Wolf when my plans become clear!
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I have band practice in Santa Rosa - I WISH I could go and see Jimmy J !!!! I'd wear my Alembic shirt, too. :( I'd love to meet the Alembic Club members, too. - Mike B.
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Hey, Jimmy. Looking forward to the late show tomorrow night at Yoshi’s. It’s such a nice intimate venue. Harry, Wolf and I will be sitting together. There will be at least one Alembic shirt on display. Please stop by if you can swing it. It’s always a blast to meet Alembic brethren in the flesh.
Bill, tgo
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Great! I'll try to find you guys either before the 2nd set or afterwards out near the bar. They shoo people out of this club in a real big hurry - maybe don't want to pay the staff any overtime... Seeya later. Thanks for supporting the team!
Jimmy J
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I wish my band practice was cancelled but we're recording in two weeks, so I have to go :(
DARN !!! I'll be there in spirit. DARN DARN DARN !!!!!!
Mike
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C'mon Mike, have a good attitude about your band practice! And I hope the upcoming recording experience is really fun.
We'll run into each other another time.
Jimmy J
-
Thanks Jimmy J ! You made my night. The guys offered to play tomorrow instead and I said no because I'm excited to play. Break a leg and I look forward to running into you another day, too. Thanks again Jimmy ! - Mike
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Bill (tgo), Wolf and Hieronymous, it was great to meet you guys and chat for a minute last night. Thanks for coming out to support the team! Nice talking shop with people who know MORE about Alembic than I do because that's unusual. Most of the time I'm the one describing the company and how the bass works to whoever asks. Everybody here knows what I mean. :D
Thanks again for coming to the gig. Keep making music and I hope to see you all again somewhere down the line.
Jimmy J
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Hoping someone got a picture of that meetup. :)
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Jimmy , It was great to meet you as well . I had a great time and enjoyed the music as well as really paying attention with my ears pointed and listening :) ! Everyone was stellar and of course you and your bass sound were splendid more so in all regards . I look forward to next time as well .
David , photos will follow soon :)
-
Yes David, same message to you - sorry I didn't include you in the list. That's the most Alembic folks I've hung out with since the last time I visited the factory! Good fun.
Jimmy J
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Last night was a lot of fun! I hadn't had a chance to investigate any of the music before the show, usually I prefer to check out music before I hear it live, but last night it didn't matter! Great songs, great playing, great sounds.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49461758317_0a9a31c543_o.jpg)
The after-show meet-up was fun too! I even got a CD signed by Mr. Steve Gadd himself! He was very kind, which doesn't always happen with living legends. And of course JimmyJ was a pleasure to meet and talk to for a little bit!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49461527671_27ed498007_o.jpg)
We also got to see Will! Did anyone notice that Jerry Garcia's daughter Trixie was there too?
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I LOVE that photo !! Looks like my kind of people :)
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Thanks for posting the photos Harry (AKA Heironymous) :)
Your photos serve the true jubilant nature of the occasion better then the ones taken from my camera in that I am actually smiling :)
Wolf AKA Sonicus
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Last night was a BLAST! INCREDIBLE band! They obviously really enjoyed playing together. Great venue, great seats, even great sushi dinner before the show! And the cherry on top was Harry, Wolf and I getting to not only meet, but actually hang out for a while, mostly talking Alembics, with Jimmy. By the way, your bass is a real beauty in person, Jimmy. Thanks for the outstanding show.
Bill, tgo
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Great picture Harry; thanks!!
-
Ok, Sonicus = Wolf = David? Excuse my confusion, I’ve never been good with names. :-\
Thanks again for making the scene, for the kind reviews, and for posting the pics. It is indeed a blast to play with these guys.
Jimmy J
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I can't help but think it's high time Steve brought the band to Glasgow or Edinburgh (or even Lanark memorial hall- my local). There's plenty Jazz afficionados this side of the pond to fill a good sized hall.
Graeme
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Hey Graeme,
Yes, it certainly would be nice if Gadd brought the band a bit further around the UK because I know there are music fans everywhere. But it's a bit of a "fair weather" group in that we're all about 100 years old and not willing to jump in a van and hit the road like most bands. Ha!
Touring Japan with Gadd is the easiest because he's a star over there. The venues are fairly small but the travel (bullet train) and accommodations are always top notch. In the EU we'll happily do a week at Ronnie's and a week at Marian's Jazzroom in Bern because that's easy. But last year's summer jazz festival run was NOT so easy and the travel kind of beat us all up.
Not only that but Gadd is still doing JT, occasionally Clapton, the Blicher Hemmer Gadd trio, at least 2 or 3 more trips to Japan with other groups, plus a lot of record sessions... So this band is only one of his "fill in the gaps" projects. He is apparently all booked up in 2020 so we don't even know when this band might get together again.
There are a bunch of places in the States we'd like to play too but like I said, not gonna get in the van and drive it!!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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I remember back in 1989 when you were with Allan Holdsworth and played in San Rafael, CA at New George's and you guys literally had the nondescript white van. :)
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Jimmy, my drummer Joe is going to try to say hello tonight, he met you at Scullers with me a few months back...
He'll be at the second show. He is a huge Alembic fan.
-
Alright Kenn, I'll watch for him.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, your kindness knows no bounds, thank you....
-
Oops, I spoke too soon and seem to have missed your pal. There was an extra large number of friends and extended family there last night and on top of that I had to make a quick exit to get home and free the doggie... :-\ Tell Joe I'm sorry and I hope he at least got to chat with Gadd for a bit. He caught a good set anyway.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, no problem at all. He did not want to bother you when you were breaking down, so he wandered
over to the merchandise table where he ran into Steve Gadd. Well, a couple of pics and a CD later, ah, drummers,
I'm sure you understand. When he made it back to his table, which was front row just to your left, you were on your
way home. He sends you best wishes and thanks for a great night.
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Hey all,
Yes indeed, JT is loading up the trucks again. We thought he was going to take it easy in 2020 ... but no. And none of us are complaining!
In chronological order:
Hieronymous, track me down next Tuesday and say hello. I don't even know your real name, unless it Harry Bosch.
Rusty, if that works out let me know where you're sitting and I'll do my best to come and find you before we play.
Gregory, same thing. You're talking about Norfolk 6/23 right?
And Graeme, there have been some rumblings about EU in the fall but I don't have any info. Seems like you guys all find out the details before I do so I'll keep watching this forum. :D
Always nice to visit with my extended Alembic family.
Jimmy J
Hey Jimmy, I just bought my JT tickets to the Houston show today! I'm so excited to finally get to hear you in person! I hope I get a chance to meet you too! I'm in section 108 row 24.
Rusty
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Jimmy, your kindness knows no bounds, thank you....
That is so evident. Rare these days.
-
Hey Rusty,
Thanks for supporting the tour, much appreciated. I'm writing you in the book and will do my best to get out and say hello. Tell me your seat numbers too. I don't even know when these shows are supposed to start but we'll figure that out later...
Jimmy J
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Hey Rusty,
Thanks for supporting the tour, much appreciated. I'm writing you in the book and will do my best to get out and say hello. Tell me your seat numbers too. I don't even know when these shows are supposed to start but we'll figure that out later...
Jimmy J
Thanks Jimmy! My wife & I will be in seats 3&4 on row 24 Section 108. We will be there when the doors open so I can get in our seats asap & start looking for you!
-
Alright Rusty, I'll do my best to find you. Remind me here on the forum when the date gets closer. As far as I know Jackson's band includes steel guitarist Greg Leisz and bassist Bob Glaub so it will be great to hear those guys!!
Thanks again,
Jimmy J
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Sounds great Jimmy! I've never seen JT or Jackson, but honestly, I'm going more to see you than them! You are one of the most tasteful bass players I know of & your tone is the benchmark I try to achieve on my own basses. You are playing Houston May 16, & my birthday is May 20 so I can't think of a better birthday present than to finally get to see you play live!
Thank you so much for making yourself available to the Alembic Family worldwide! I know you don't like to draw a lot of attention to yourself, but it will be a real honor to meet you if you have the time.
I'll give you a reminder closer to the show.
Rusty
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I just found you were at Dazzle in Denver! If I had known, I would have made it down. Oh well. Next time!
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In case it's not in your diary it looks like you are on tour in the UK next year JJ. I saw James Taylor on the BBC Breakfast programme yesterday morning and when asked about touring the UK he said he is booked for a tour here next year.
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Oh, thanks for telling me Jazzy. Did he say who was going to be in the band? Ha! We've only heard rumors of something happening next fall so hopefully that's what they're working on. Thanks for the inside info!
Jimmy J
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No mention of who is due to be in the band, tho he did say that these days tours have to be booked way in advance and Manchester was mentioned so i presume things are still being negotiated. Hopefully one will be booked close enough for me to get to. I saw you once with Allan Holdsworth an a small venue in the midlands so JT will be a completely different experience for sure.
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Was out on Youtube listening to stuff and found this recent addition of Jimmy with some guy named Steve Gadd. For some reason they show a lot of the drummer but not the bass player. Not sure why. ;)
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Keith, thanks for posting the video link; great stuff!!
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Cool tunes! Nice recording too, all the instruments sound great (love the bass!) :)
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This arrived today. Only managed one listen through but I have to say it's marvellous. Jimmy shares bass duties with upright player Viktor Krauss but I'm hard put to say which tunes aren't Alembic. Well worth a listen if you don't already have it. There's a few songs I don't recognise but I'm not American so I don't have to live up to your standards.
And, as if it needed any endorsement, Sandra shouted up to me to 'turn it up'. That doesn't happen very often ;D
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Hey Graeme,
Nice turntable!
Yes, James, John Pizzarelli and engineer/producer Dave O'Donnell did a great job on this album of classic old tunes. I kinda think James could sing the phone book and it would come out nice. :) They cut the basic tracks with only JT and JP, and then spent a couple years (!!) adding other players and singers. They were kind enough to get everybody from JT's band (except Landau) to play on something, in addition to those amazing Nashville cats.
The Alembic is only on one track; "Teach Me Tonight". Victor K plays on a few others, there may be sampled bass on one, and some have no bass at all. But I like how they approached the project. Most Artists go straight for the lush orchestral or big band arrangements when they do "standards". Instead, James built it around the 2 guitars. The arrangements are all his, including some of the solo lines. The end result has a real JT vibe throughout.
The songs and old-school lyrics may not be everybody's cup of tea but I figure his fans will still enjoy it. And now I hope he will be inspired to write a few new original tunes!
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy,
I'm looking forward to seeing you with JT and the band in Chicago June 10 at the United Center! I'm gonna be in the 7th row - closest I've been to an act since the 70's! I saw you a few years ago at a Drum Shop clinic in the western suburbs of Chicago with Alan H and Chad.
I'm loving the Steve Gadd band CDs and the above mentioned Jazz San Javier set.
Mike
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Thanks Mike,
You've seen me at my musical extremes! I've got some other pals coming to that Chicago show but I'll do my best to find you and say hi. Remind me here as the date gets closer.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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This arrived today. Only managed one listen through but I have to say it's marvellous. Jimmy shares bass duties with upright player Viktor Krauss but I'm hard put to say which tunes aren't Alembic. Well worth a listen if you don't already have it. There's a few songs I don't recognise but I'm not American so I don't have to live up to your standards.
And, as if it needed any endorsement, Sandra shouted up to me to 'turn it up'. That doesn't happen very often ;D
I got an e-mail from James the other day (well, OK, from his mailing list - but "I got an e-mail from James" sounds much cooler); American Standards hit #4, making JT the only artist to have a top-10 album in each of the last 6 decades! Congrats for your part in that, Jimmy!
I was looking forward to maybe seeing you again when the tour comes through Chicago this year, but it looks like we'll probably be living in Denver by then, and for some reason She (despite 37 years living with a Deadhead) thought that was a slightly excessive drive for a concert.........
Peter
[edited for unintentional formatting]
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Hey Peter,
That is really something! It's a joy to work with such a talented guy, who is also a friendly and considerate fella. (Not always the case with super-creative types...)
I'm sorry Denver isn't on the schedule this summer. But if all goes well I predict this tour may be extended so maybe in the fall. We'll see.
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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James has announced he's pulling his Canadian dates. I guess in the current climate there's a fair chance his US dates will go too. Such a shame for anyone waiting to see him but I guess folk's health comes first.
Graeme
p.s. None of my dates have been canned so far so if you need an Alembic fix get over to Scotland next month :)
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Graeme,
Yes, it was announced last night that our run across Canada in April has been postponed. No choice really with the current restrictions on gatherings. The plan as of now is to get the tour rolling in late May with the US leg - so that's still on and I hope to see you guys on the dates we've been talking about.
The mayor of Los Angeles said we must limit crowds to "50 people or less" - which made me think - "alright, jazz clubs are exempt". :)
Everybody hunker down and stay safe and healthy. As Goran said, it's a good time to do some serious practicing or songwriting! Hopefully this situation will calm down soon and we can get back to playing music together.
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy, I have tickets to the Houston show on May 16. Hopefully the crisis will be over by then & the tour will have resumed! They are limiting gatherings in Texas to 10 now!
Rusty
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Hey Rusty,
Yes, even the Baked Potato has had to shut its doors so we're all in the same boat. We're hoping the JT tour will be able to play those scheduled May dates but it all depends on the arc of this thing. If those are postponed I'm sure they'll do their best to rebuild the same routing for a later date. We'll get there ... eventually.
best wishes to everybody
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, when you backed Allison Krauss and Jerry Douglas doing Carolina on my Mind, which Alembic was that?
In a couple of spots it sounds fretless. When people ask me what an Alembic sounds like, I play them those first
3 or 4 notes you play. Amazing sound. And yes, I play the whole song, but, they always take the headphones off
after those notes, look at me, and just say, wow.
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Hey Rusty,
Yes, even the Baked Potato has had to shut its doors so we're all in the same boat. We're hoping the JT tour will be able to play those scheduled May dates but it all depends on the arc of this thing. If those are postponed I'm sure they'll do their best to rebuild the same routing for a later date. We'll get there ... eventually.
best wishes to everybody
Jimmy J
Hey Jimmy, I hope they don't have to postpone the Houston show too, but if they do, I've been waiting 9 years to meet you so what's a few more months?!! :-)
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Hey Kenn,
Thanks for the comments. You mean from the MusiCares honoring JT thing, yes? Allison and Jerry are both just ridiculously great, I can't say enough about them.
That was my regular touring bass (with frets). They got a nice bass sound on that video, and it's LOUD which also helps. :D
Rusty, we'll keep our fingers crossed that the May tour run stays intact. If not, since so many tickets have already been sold I'm quite sure we'll get there soon.
Hang in there everybody,
Jimmy J
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Thanks for the info, Jimmy. Yes, that is the video I am refering to. The first time I had my drummer Joe listen to
it he became a huge Alembic fan.
I would not say it was too loud, but, exactly where it should be.
I, like many others here much appreciate your involvement and the in the trenches knowledge you so freely share.
Kenn R
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So this cropped up on my facebook page. 1985 - Can't believe how young you look Jimmy. Sandra and I had just got engaged!
Graeme
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Oh my goodness...
I sure miss Carlos Vega!
And that bass too, dang it. Where could it have possibly ended up after being stolen from the Holdsworth equipment van in September of '97? Where are you old 76-418???
I look young because I wasn't even 30 yet. Geez! That was probably my first EU tour and Finland felt ... well ... pretty foreign to me. Ha! Lucky to be able to play with that bunch of musos, and we had some good laughs too.
Pay no attention to the extended and only slightly funky bass solo attempt. :-[ Rit made me do it!!
Everybody be safe,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, The -facility- bro! Killin.
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Thanks Keith.
I'm afraid it's all gone downhill since then. HA!
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy, I don't know if you watch American Idol or not, I usually don't but with the stay at home requirement these days I have a lot more time on my hands, anyways, Chad Wackerman's daughter is on it & she's really good! She mentioned that her dad was a drummer who played with James Taylor, but she never mentioned his name & the judges are apparently clueless to who Chad is because they didn't ask her if her dad was Chad. In fact they kind of made fun of her last name & Katy Perry suggested she use her mother's last name of Star. They have showed Chad with her a couple of times so he's getting some TV time too.
Rusty
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Fantastic playing and tone, beautiful bass, great band!
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@Graeme: thx for posting that vid!! Saw that crew at North Sea Jazz that same year. Feels like ages ago but sure brings back some sweet memories. And that bass sound is killer!!
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Rusty,
Yes, all of the above is true. We can't bring ourselves to watch any of these "competition" style programs but we're happy that Sophia on an interesting adventure. She has definitely inherited a lot of musical talent from her dad and her late mom and we'll be hearing from her in the future regardless of the outcome of this "contest". We just hope that the corporate TV experience doesn't completely put her off Showbiz... 8)
Rob and Reinier, thanks for the comments. I'd love to find that instrument. You'd think in this age of Ebay, CL, Reverb... it would show up somewhere. But so far no...
Jimmy J
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I'm sure Sophie has gotten some great advice from her dad over the years about being in the music business, so hopefully the judges comments & outcome of the contest if she doesn't win, will not affect her negatively. If nothing else she is getting her name out to the general public who had never heard of her before.
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That's right. And she seems to be dealing with the whole thing by recognizing it's just a "show" even when they try their best to make her cry on camera - which is pretty disgusting. Chad says she hopes to NOT be the winner because the contracts the contestants are required to sign lock them into management and record deals for many years. Yikes!! And... Ewwww!
Jimmy J
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...I'd love to find that instrument. You'd think in this age of Ebay, CL, Reverb... it would show up somewhere. But so far no...
Jimmy J
Oh, I'll find it... eventually. ;)
You might remember a piece of the story I told you; my Dad had a 1969 Gibson RB-250 banjo stolen from his office in 1974, carries a piece of paper with the serial number and the Wise Co. Sheriff's Dept. phone number in his billfold to this day. If you're a banjo nerd, you know that a '69 RB-250 is a very oddball model... every now and then, Gibson would sweep up the shop and build a few banjos out of the parts. These all had fiddle-shaped headstocks, but ebony fingerboards with bowtie inlays, and block letter script logos, Les Paul style. Very distinctive, some might say, classy for that time. There probably aren't more than a couple hundred. I've seen exactly three in my life, and one was his. A little over a year ago, I was looking on Craigslist one morning, and POOF, there is a 1969 Gibson RB-250. I was SURE I'd finally found the Ol' Man's long-lost 'first good banjo', missing for 45 years. But it wasn't. Just a few lousy numbers off. He bought it anyway. Mom (who doesn't understand good deals or hard assets) wrote me out of her will. ::)
Nearly every day I look for AC 76-418... we'll find it one day.
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I had a custom 6-string stolen from me in NYC at the Ritz in 1992. Luckily our manager made sure it was replaced by the venue's insurance, as all of the performers that night were told to leave their instruments in a defined "secure area" so we could do press. I had my eyes off it for 10 minutes tops... at least the emergency rental bass was acceptable. I also thought I would have run across it in the years since, but I'm guessing whoever stole it really likes it.
It is indeed great to see Sophia and Chad; I hope she gets what she wants from the experience, without all the baggage.
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That's right. And she seems to be dealing with the whole thing by recognizing it's just a "show" even when they try their best to make her cry on camera - which is pretty disgusting. Chad says she hopes to NOT be the winner because the contracts the contestants are required to sign lock them into management and record deals for many years. Yikes!! And... Ewwww!
Jimmy J
Best case scenario is she lasts long enough to get the attention of a label & she can sign her own deal on her terms! Like I said, I don't usually watch the show but I will watch & support her while she is on.
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... We can't bring ourselves to watch any of these "competition" style programs ...
I don't watch them either.
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I try my best to steer clear of American Idle (sp intentional), but Mrs. Wilson likes it. It makes for great conversation as she's watching it as a civilian, and I try and tell her what she's seeing and hearing, since I've spent a lot of time as the Magician's Assistant: I know how they cut the woman in half and where the bunny was before it came out of the hat. Though I did make her watch 'Standing in the Shadows of Motown', and she had no idea about recording musicians. Now, I'm trying to explain to her about Carol Kaye, who she finds fascinating. 'Gimme Shelter' is a fave of hers and I had to clue her in about Merry Clayton, who cut her part in three takes, pregnant and in rollers (here with Queen Latifah and Darlene Love):
Like most of you, you can spot the few of them who've gigged and/or been around the business, and she immediately stood out to me. She explained her dad was a drummer, and there's not a lot of 'Wackerman's in the phone book, so it was a hoot to find out that IS her dad.
I'd hope she gets enough exposure to help but falls short of the fat suits with cigars: It seems like the quickest way to be in your own 'Behind the Music' 10 years from now.
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Sophia is doing great! She made it to the next round which is in Hawaii so she’s in the top 40. Here’s a video of her performances from her Facebook page.
https://youtu.be/2yUINKQr8FE (https://youtu.be/2yUINKQr8FE)
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Is travel to Hawaii allowed? Hutch keeps posting messages on social media for everyone to stay away.
Graeme
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I think the shows that are airing now were recorded a few months ago before the virus outbreak.
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Yeah, pre-recorded. She was still going in the first Hollywood round which was done a few week ago. They've suspended production now and I don't know how far they got. Good that the contestants got a break to relax - and maybe get some legal advice on their contracts. :)
Jimmy J
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I try my best to steer clear of American Idle (sp intentional), but Mrs. Wilson likes it. It makes for great conversation as she's watching it as a civilian, and I try and tell her what she's seeing and hearing, since I've spent a lot of time as the Magician's Assistant: I know how they cut the woman in half and where the bunny was before it came out of the hat. Though I did make her watch 'Standing in the Shadows of Motown', and she had no idea about recording musicians.
“Standing in the Shadows of Motown” looks like one I’ll have to watch. Another great documentary along those lines is the wonderful “20 Feet From Stardom” about the backup singers of the era. And yes, Jimmy, you do look quite young in the above vid. Were we ever really that young? As Judy Collins sang, who knows where the time goes?
Bill, tgo
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“Standing in the Shadows of Motown” looks like one I’ll have to watch.
Bill, tgo
Yes, Bill, you do have to watch that one - and if you haven't seen them, add The Wrecking Crew and Muscle Shoals to your list, as well.
Peter
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Bill, 'Standing in the Shadows' is must-watch TV. For me, more than anything else, Motown drove me to play bass, it just spoke to me, and to finally 'meet' these giants via this movie was so very moving for me, and the stories are worth the price of admission, and to see the surviving ones play was just good for me. The story of Jamerson, pulled off a club gig (after more than a few adult beverages . . .) to record 'What's Going On', laying on his back as he was having trouble remaining vertical, is just stunning.
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Video removed.
More JT from a show earlier this year presumably promoting the new album with Jimmy and Chad plus a handful of the usual suspects. Arnold McCuller is his usual astounding self. It's a long show but stick with it for Arnold's showpiece on Shower the people. Always sends chills down my spine.
I've seen James with Jimmy many times now but it never gets old.
Enjoy
Graeme
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We watched the Motown documentary last night. Great film! Thanks for the head’s up. (We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread, in progress).
Bill, tgo
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Hey Graeme,
I hope you, Sandra and everybody else over there are safe sound. Don't know if you're on lock-down yet but wishing you all the best. Let's hope we come out the other side of this with a better awareness of how to avoid it ever happening again.
Yes, that was JT promo from NYC done in the first week of March (we got out before it all hit the fan). Well, thanks, I guess. You'll notice that I never post videos of myself in this thread? For a couple reasons I would prefer to keep it that way. I'm here to chat with all you great players about Alembic, bass gear, playing experiences, etc., and I'm happy to hang out with everybody because I find you're a nice bunch of like-minded folks. I am certainly not here for self-promotion and I find these vids to be somewhat embarrassing.
I also don't like to post music in the way that has become the norm now - for free. Micro-penny (actual term) songwriting and publishing royalties from YouTube, Spotify, etc., when actually paid, do not amount to much. I remember when songwriters could get some bucks from a "broadcast", sale, or live performance of their original music. There is very little of that left in this "business" because music is now free. Remember, I'm so old that I still buy albums from iTunes...
I know there is a dedicated forum thread here for "what you're listening to now" and it's set up just to share the wide variety of music among the members. I also know that the Dead were real trailblazers on sharing and it worked great for them and their followers. I understand and accept all that - but just choose not to participate in that way. So maybe we can leave it out of this thread in the future if that's ok with you all? Thanks.
Best to everybody - stay safe.
Jimmy J
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My apologies Jimmy. I've taken the video down. I'm sure anyone interested will be able to find it themselves.
Over here in Scotland we've been in full lockdown since 24th March so no unnecessary travel. Medical and basic shopping only. All cinemas, restaurants, theatres, pubs and takeaways are closed. All my gigs are cancelled till the end of June at least. There's to be no gatherings of more than 2 people outside family groups (although there are the inevitable idiots who don't feel the rules apply to them). My kids and grandkids all live around 10 or 12 miles away so we won't be seeing them for the duration. At present a lot of companies are still delivering but there's a rumour this morning that they may even shut down the postal service. The government have told us it'll be a minimum of 3 months but more likely 6 (or more) before we start to get back to normal. Our home is out in the country so we have plenty walking on the doorstep and I have my garden to maintain otherwise it's TV, books and HiFi when I'm not practicing.
Hope everyone on your side of the pond are taking all the necessary precautions and staying out of trouble.
Graeme
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Hey Jacko, I hope you guys are ok up there. I've had a couple of gigs cancelled and I expect many more will follow soon.
I've been out a couple of times just to do shopping and know a few people who have been told to self isolate and a one guy had the virus after going skiing in Spain two weeks ago.
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Well my friends, as expected James Taylor has announced that the May-July tour with Jackson Browne is being postponed. Sorry to Rusty, Mike, Greggory, Ed, and anybody else holding tickets. I'm sure all these shows will be reschedule for as soon as we're allowed to gather in public again. But the new dates won't be announced until we understand more about the back side of this thing.
Social isolation makes me realize that I am probably my most social right in here. HA! So at least we can carry on online, do some solid practicing, listen and be inspired by great music, and do some "file exchange" style recording in the meantime.
Everybody hang in there and be safe. Best wishes all around.
Jimmy J
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Stay safe yourself out there Jimmy J. Thanks for all your contributions both here and musically. We'll catch your act whenever it resumes. :)
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Shouldn’t it more accurately be called “physical distancing” as opposed to “social distancing”? Imagine if this had happened 30 years ago before we had developed our current on-line society? Having the ability to invite you all over through my iPad is definitely a grounding influence during these crazy times. Stay safe.
Bill, tgo
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Hey Jimmy, I'm sad to hear that but not surprised. I've waited 9 years to meet you so I can wait a little longer! I just hope I'm off on the rescheduled date. I'm pulling my live rig out of the closet today & blowing the cobwebs out if I can remember how to hook it up! LOL! I started going direct 4 years ago & haven't played through my amp since!
Even though the virus is making us stay physically apart, in a way it has brought the whole world closer together as we all fight this common enemy. Hopefully it will teach humanity to lay aside our petty differences & focus on the important things in life like staying alive!
Stay safe everyone!
Rusty
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Hey all,
As bassists, we can set the example for everyone in this quarantine era.
We're used to laying back, being prepared for anything, and flattening the curve of a drummer's tempo.
I have also been asked to wear a mask before but that's a whole other issue ;D
I've been working from home, set up in my music space...so I am actually getting some practicing done between Zoom meetings. Focusing on that has been very healthy from a mental perspective.
Best to all,
Ed V
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Hi Jimmy (and all)!
I'm the guy that had the Alembic circuit board for sale. I have sold it AND someone in the club actually found the original Alembic bass that I bought in 1978! It is now in Germany and is up for sale on Reverb! Thanks to all the folks who helped me out!
Jimmy - you can call me Mr. Bean, but most people call me Allen or "Funky White Boy". :) I told you I had a story, so here it is. About 10 years ago, my wife and I had tickets to see James Taylor at HersheyPark. I was really excited to see you! The night before the concert I had a dream which I remember vividly (no - not that kind of dream!). In the dream, my wife and I were sitting in the audience waiting for the concert to start, when my friend, Larry Perini, who does sound for many events at Hershey, got on stage, paged me, and asked that I come back stage immediately! When I got to the backstage area, Larry told me that Jimmy Johnson had gotten extremely ill and can't do the concert. He handed me charts for the whole set and your bass and kind of kicked my ass on stage. I remember vividly playing all the songs and that I did well enough that James gave thumbs up several times during the show. Crazy, huh? At the actual concert it rained, but we thoroughly enjoyed the concert and listening to you nail everything you played, Jimmy!
So that's my story (and I'm sticking to it)!
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Hey Allen,
Thanks for subbing for me at Hershey Park, I appreciate that! Would that have been July 23rd, 2003? My set list from that show says "heavy rain throughout" which forced us to skip intermission and pull a couple tunes. Tough to attend a show under those circumstances in a wide open venue like that so thanks for coming and hanging.
Thanks for the story. Good to know there are licensed Alembic operators close by in case of emergency.
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy! I would gladly sub for you anytime! :) :) :).
You're probably correct on the HersheyPark concert date! You must keep track of where you've performed. It was miserable weather, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Sorry to hear your JT tour has been postponed. This pandemic is really hard on all off us who are involved with live music!! Hope it all ends soon!
Stay safe and healthy. I'm looking forward to seeing the foremost licensed Alembic operator on earth perform again!
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There are licenced Alembic operators and then there are the higher graded JJ Approved Licenced Alembic operators. :-) ;D 8)
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Hey, I know that dream! Except in mine I’m at a Dead show, Bob Weir gets sick, and I stand in. Of course there is a basis in reality for this common fantasy. Back in the 70’s the Who were playing at the Cow Palace in South San Francisco when Keith Moon passed out twice. Pete Townsend asked for volunteer drummers and actually picked someone out of the audience to play drums for the rest of the show. The guy still lives in Marin County (just south of Alembic) and there is a story in the papers about him and that night every couple of years or so.
Bill, tgo
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I had to look it up. His name was Scot Halpin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scot_Halpin).
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Allen,
I'm sure we'll get out your way again but I just don't know when... It's hard to think about large public gatherings while we're just turning the corner on "the curve" of this thing. Yikes.
Yes, I looked that show up. I'm kind of the band librarian which includes archiving the set lists. And I add notes as to what if anything was odd about that evening's show. If I don't make a note of it, all the gigs, venues, and hotels just run together in my head. :P
Thanks Jazzy, you're very kind.
Yes indeed there are some amazing stories of people jumping in to save the day! In 2003 while on the road with James Taylor and enjoying a day off, Steve Gadd had a medical situation which landed him in the hospital and out of commission for a few days. Amazingly, Scott Hoffman who was the tour's drum tech is also a solid drummer. And after some quick discussions it was decided that he could SUB for Gadd for the remaining 3 shows of that week. And he did a great job! He had been sitting right behind Steve listening to the set for a couple months so he certainly knew the music. Some big shoes to fill (!!) but he saved the tour - and earned himself a nice bonus.
Cheers everybody,
Jimmy J
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Another Scott saving the day... what is it with drummers named Scott?
Stay safe everyone!
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... And after some quick discussions it was decided that he could SUB for Gadd for the remaining 3 shows of that week. And he did a great job! ...
Nice story!
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just saw this posted on youtube today. Enjoy
[/youtube]
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Thanks Jazzy,
Since this is my only web presence … bear with me while I tell a few stories relating to this clip.
I had the pleasure of playing with Allan Holdsworth on and off from about 1984 up until we lost him in 2017. Chad Wackerman and Gary Husband were the two main drummers I got to work with in that band. Both amazing and distinct voices on their instruments and a real pleasure to play with in any musical situation.
In ’89 Allan recorded the album “Secrets” with Vinnie Colaiuta playing kit on most tracks. The opening tune on that album was this one “City Nights” which was written by Gary Husband.
Fast forward to now; Gary has recently been making some great instructional videos, mostly meant for drummers, describing his approach to playing in different musical situations. They’re really very good and full of valuable info for any musician.
One of these recent videos he made was a breakdown of this song “City Nights”. This is where it gets deep because Gary is not only a great drummer and composer but he’s also an excellent keyboard player. He’s been covering the keys in John Mclaughlin’s band for the past several years.
So for his “City Nights” instructional video he built a track starting with clicks, then played the main keyboard part, then the synth bass part, then the synth melody and solo parts. Then he filmed himself playing the drums to that as an example of his approach to the piece.
I don’t need to tell you folks, his drumming style is WILD!! Since the very first time we played together I’ve always enjoyed it. I find it inspiring and downright entertaining the things he comes up with, but all still in support of the music. In the case of the Holdsworth band, that music was meant to be played right on the edge of catastrophe so that’s what we all tried to do. Ha!
As part of this instructional video he made a music-minus-drums version available so that people who bought the lesson could play along and even record themselves doing so. Then he had the great idea of extending that option to other instruments and offered versions with no lead and/or no bass so we could all play along.
Just for kicks he wrote and asked me if I felt like revisiting the tune and I jumped at the chance!
So to recap so far … Gary wrote this song, played the chords, played the melody and solo, then played this amazing drum track - which he likely did in one pass… So I am playing along with THREE Gary Husbands here. I told you the guy was deep!
And now some disclaimers. While Gary likely played his drum pass in one go, I did NOT do that. In fact I spent some time building this track to fit his great drums and keyboard playing. It’s the only way I was able to sneak in all the little moments where I match or react to the drums or the solo. I then transcribed what I did, shot two videos of myself playing along, and edited it all together with the audio.
One of the joys of “going last” is the opportunity to fit what you play exactly into everything else that has already happened in the music. And I have been doing this for years and years. I grew up with muitl-track recording and learned very early about punching-in and honing the bass part to make everything fit together.
OK, I'll stop now. Excuse the long post. Big nod to Gary for his extreme musical talent and for giving me the opportunity to revisit this great tune some 30 years after my first attempt. Good fun I tell you!
Jimmy J
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Actually - Thanks for the comprehensive answer Jimmy J. I was going to ask specifically how did they get the backing tracks for you to play along with here... but you pretty well squared that away! ;D
See... lately, to give myself a 'fence to swing for' in this gig-less situation we now find ourselves in, I've been recording myself playing along with backing tracks and recorded material. Taking all, or enough of the existing bass out is a challenge. I've gotten to a manageable place with it, but I'm thinking there must be a better way. Still haven't got a single thing suitable for posting in front of this crowd and their mad skills yet, but I'm getting closer.
Great Playing, and that Alembic sounds MEAN! 8)
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I don't mind that I don't have hands like that.
I don't mind that maybe this isn't my cup of tea.
I do mind that I can't even COUNT through this tune, I couldn't have found the one or the downbeat with the Hubble Telescope.
Anyway, Jimmy, you sound wonderful, what interface(s) are you using to get that tone to the video I watched?
All the Best,
Joey
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WOW, that was fantastic...man!!! Thanks for posting (and playing!) :)
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Joey, that's funny! It's actually all in 4/4 but we're not helping anybody find the 1. :) Thanks for the kind words.
My recording chain at home is; "near-line-level" out of the bass, through an A-designs REDDI, into a Burl Audio B2 Bomber (A-D converter), AES to an Avid Omni, and into ProTools via an HD Native Thunderbolt box.
Thanks Rob. I didn't actually post it, not my style... But I made it for Husband and said he could do whatever he wanted with it - so he put it up along with some very nice comments. Such a nice guy. His instructional videos are all great so maybe it will direct some interest his way. He is one super-talented musician!
Jimmy J
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D-oh ! ! ! I'm getting Covid brain . . . . I went back and heard the 1 bar of the click track (dooofffusss!), and I've cancelled my time buy on the Hubble.
Thanks Jimmy.
Joey
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Jimmy this is great, thank you and Gary for doing this.
"that music was meant to be played right on the edge of catastrophe so that’s what we all tried to do. Ha!" hehehe perfect!
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Ha, Joey! There you go.
Thanks Goran.
Jimmy J
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Wow! This really made my day, and then some. Thanks to Gary, Gary, Gary, and Jimmy for everything!
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Hello everyone! I am new to here (beforehand SORRY for my broken English),
I really enjoy this forum.
I recently find a rare (I think) movie .
It contains veeeery rare slap scene? ;)
Hope you enjoy :)
Rikiya
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Thank Jimmy for the video ! As ALWAYS, your playing is mind blowingly phenomenal, and every note has a voice.
I've always been a big Gary Husband fan. It's no wonder my Mt Rushmore has Allan Holdsworth and Level 42 with all involved band members included as a given included.
The other two are Stanley Clarke and RUSH. But as my bass player Mt. Rushmore goes mine has always been Jimmy Johnson, Mark King, Geddy Lee, and Stanley Clarke.
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Hanawa-san,
Wow, that is truly some ancient history right there! Kimiko Kasai, around 1982? I played on a couple tracks on her record and then we did a short Japan tour with her. It may have only been one festival event, I can't remember. I certainly can't remember doing this video! Wow. I recognize some friends; Phil Perry and Darryl Phinnesee on BGV (can't remember the 3rd), Mike O'Neill on guitar, Randy Waldman and Larry Williams on keys, possibly Steve Forman on percussion? I don't think that's Carlos Vega on kit but I can't recall. Plus some fine dancing by Kimiko's then-husband Dick Rudolph, who actually listed himself on the album credits as "conductor". Gotta love that!
That is likely the one and only recorded thumb moment of my career. I believe I was forced to make "that sound" on the recording, and so, had to attempt it live. If I remember correctly, that was the only thing about the gig that made me nervous. HA! Thanks for the fun memory.
Michael B, thanks for all the kind words but I'm starting to blush now so maybe take it down a notch? :)
Cheers all,
Jimmy J
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I didn't even recognize you in Japan in the 1982 video that Guirlande posted. Very cool. Can't imagine you slapping.
I'm embarrassed now. Sorry family. I keep forgetting that this is a safe place for you, Jimmy J, and you already know I like your playing. I apologize for making you feel under the spotlight, which we know is not your favorite place. I get carried away sometimes and the teenage fan we all have inside takes over. I'll take it down a few notches.
I would've never known that City Nights is in 4/4 ! Michael B.
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Mr.JJ ......Jimmy-san,
Thank you for your reply and interesting story. Almost 40years ago.... how quickly time passes.
At that time, in Japan SLAP was called CHOPPER ;D
I recently acquired Alembic Omega5string like yours but with signature circuit and slightly wider pitch.
I had seen the bass new before(2012) ,but I couldn't afford it at that time.
It is just my spec.... and last month , luckily I find it on Digimart .
Warm regards,
Rikiya
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Rikiya,
Yes, I never got my "Chopper Style" together. I leave that kind of playing to the professionals. :)
That's a nice looking bass. And so great that it eventually found its way into your hands! I hope it brings you many enjoyable playing opportunities.
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy, it looks like I'm going to have to wait another year to meet you, the JT tour is rescheduled for May 15, 2021 in Houston! Will you be playing the "Chopper Style" Sklar licks on Your Smiling Face?
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Yep, looks like rescheduled date is June 23rd here in Roanoke, Virginia. (it might dry out by then) ::)
Hey, something to look forward to!
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Yep, that's the deal. They've moved the entire US tour to 2021 with nearly the same routing and dates. I guess a lot can happen between now and then so we'll hope that plan comes off without any further complications.
And although that gives me a year to work on my chopper style ... somehow I don't think so. Old dog / new trick problem.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, I couldn't help but laugh when I read your mention of "Chopper" bass...I first heard that term in Japan in the mid 80's. I think the term is so funny for some reason -lol. I'm like everyone else with all work cancelled 'til whenever. I've been spending my time off trying to learn to play with a pick; not easy for me. Next, I'll move on to "Chopper" bass.. Take care.
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Jimmy, I couldn't help but laugh when I read your mention of "Chopper" bass...I first heard that term in Japan in the mid 80's. I think the term is so funny for some reason -lol. I'm like everyone else with all work cancelled 'til whenever. I've been spending my time off trying to learn to play with a pick; not easy for me. Next, I'll move on to "Chopper" bass.. Take care.
I don't do slap bass either! I feel you pain!
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Hi Jimmy,
Thank you very much for your kind words. I hope the bass will open new musical vistas together with me.
Health and hope ,
Rikiya
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I've occasionally proved my playing was all thumbs to hear it, yet when I try to play that thumb and pull stuff, yep . . . . . it sounds choppy.
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A blast from the past ...Not a valid vimeo URLbclid=IwAR0wjeOYrVcUuY9O7b48n0Z3S1S-Bucv_gQ2_SvAz0vzPt29uo2zmDKT9zE
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Beautiful stuff. Blast from the past for sure - A DX7 and a SynthAxe! The Alembic of course is timeless. And I noticed JJ does the "turn your belt buckle to the side" trick that I often do. ;D
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<sigh> ...and there's 76AC-418... where could it be?
Well, I never thought I'd see two of them in my life... but while working for Nashville Custom Case in the 90's, I built (and modified several times) a road-case for a Synth-Axe Drumitar. I don't guess I even thought there was two of such a thing.
Tom and Jimmy J. just passin' along... I used to pull the ol' belt buckle to the side too, then I got one of these buckle-less belts from Duluth Trading Co. 8)
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Yep, belt buckle has been to the side since 1975. Ha!
OK, well ... since this is the only place on the web where I post, I've gotta take a moment to give some background on this particular gig. Bear with me.
Allan would have been horrified to know that they had chosen this show to package and sell in dvd form. He once said to us (paraphrasing): "You think people take advantage of me now? Just wait 'till after I croak!" This is not really "taking advantage" because it's his family's decision and he's not here to argue about it. But he was appalled that, for instance, every note John Coltrane ever played was released and sold, even the outtakes and musical trainwrecks which were never meant to be heard by the public. So Allan was always careful to erase any "alternate takes" of whatever he was working on. He purposely did not want to leave anything behind that he felt did not meet up to his lofty Artistic standards.
I understand and appreciate that diehard Al fans are excited to hear any recorded moments that can be found regardless of the quality. And I will admit that I'm happy to hear some of the moments people have discovered on their old cassettes used to clandestinely record the gigs. (Unlike the Dead, recording of these shows was generally not allowed.) So I suppose this "for television" recording could not be passed up by the family and they actually paid for the rights to release it......
Still, Allan would have hated this. I think, because of the nature of his music and the way we all tried to play at the very edge of our reach - often falling off the cliff - Allan really disliked live recordings. The two sanctioned live albums done in Japan were difficult ordeals and it's amazing they ever got released. The original "Tokyo Dream" video was released without his approval, but that's another story.
This particular gig was at the Frankfurt Musikmesse in 1986. That's the EU equivalent of our NAMM show here in the States but actually a larger exposition. I don't remember the exact circumstances which brought Kei Akagi into the band on keyboards, but this was his first and only tour with the band. He did an excellent job of dealing with the music but never had the chance to get very comfortable with it. Furthermore, I'm sure Allan and I got together with him in LA for a couple rehearsals but it's possible he had not yet played with Gary Husband until the day of this show.
This was the very first gig of the tour - and likely funded our flight expenses to get to Europe. So we had flown in the day before, then spent almost all of this day jet-lagged and running around the Muskmesse collecting gear which had been offered from various manufacturers for use on the tour. But as I said, that convention is HUGE so picture us trying to find the Mesa Boogie booth (or whatever he was using at the time) on the floor of the show, then finding a handcart to wheel speaker cabinets the 2 miles to the venue, dealing with security to get the gear out of the building, etc... I have the feeling we had to chase down a drum kit that same way. That took all day leaving us precious little time for a soundcheck or a much needed rehearsal with the full band.
So we had done what we could to get set up with the borrowed gear and get the monitors working so we could hear each other. We understood that we were contractually obligated to let the "festival" be recorded for a one-time tv broadcast. What we had NOT anticipated was that as soon as we started playing, 2 or 3 handheld cameramen and their cable wrangling assistants were running back and forth on stage basically in our faces. To the point where they were stepping on our pedals! Complete disregard for us trying to concentrate on the music. It was one of those situations where you needed to completely close your eyes and not see what was happening around you. But then my chorus effect would suddenly turn on. HA!!
And as you can see in that keyframe, Allan had brought his SynthAxe on this trip. That's an amazing midi-controller device which Allan used to its fullest extent. He wrote and played some beautiful music with that machine. But it's a very complicated and very fragile "computer peripheral" which was not built for the road and did not travel well. This very clip demonstrates that problem well. It's the moment in the song "Atavachron" when we've come to Allan's solo ... and the SynthAxe fails. The guy calling cameras doesn't know what's happening so he just focuses on Kei who is playing the background chord sequence while I'm in the background watching Allan scramble to reboot the SynthAxe and get the correct solo sound up. Which he does for only the final few bars of the fixed-length solo. (And he plays some appropriately angry notes!)
That was about as close as we got to a complete musical train-wreck on this gig. The only thing worse would have been if he could not have revived the controller and we would have had to stop mid-tune.
And here it all is for the public to pay for and enjoy. Poor Al.
It is what it is, and I suppose it's at least a historical archive of sorts because there was only one Holdsworth. And theoretically his kids might benefit from some dvd sales - even though the entire set has been available on YouTube for years.
Sorry for the lengthy tale. I've given you a glimpse of the tornado of chaos that surrounded Allan. Most of his battles in life and business were brought on by his own decisions - but that's because his brain was wired 99.9% to deal with music and harmony. I've never met anybody close to his musical orbit. But it made "regular" life difficult for him.
Thanks for your patients!
Take care all,
Jimmy J
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Thanks Jimmy! I love hearing your behind the scenes stories!
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I think it's nice to hear some of the background information. I am one of those that always read the liner notes because even if they are sometimes over the top they tend to give background for why things are the way they were. The same goes for artist interviews.
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It's interesting to read/listen to stories like this and see how the minds of different musicians work... "differently" (as one might expect). Some, like Allan, strive for both live music and anything released to be as close to perfection as possible. I've found others with whom I've conversed tell me that live is meant to be just that, "live" whether that's a great show, a good one, or a concert that's lacking. They really aren't bothered by mix-ups and "quirks" that occur because that is what makes things live. And sometimes, those quirks lead to amazing bouts of creativity. (WARNING SIDE STORY COMING).
I remember attending a Keith Jarrett concert years ago at Tanglewood in the Bershire Mtns (really hills) of Massachusetts. It was a solo effort and the way they had Jarrett's grand piano set up and venue's acoustics resulted in his having to compete for presence on the sound stage with a massive flock of birds up in the rafters. At one point, the technical people stopped the concert and attempted to shoo the birds away. Almost immediately Jarrett stopped them and had a conversation. They then proceeded to set up some additional mics so the audience could hear the birds more clearly...and for the remainder of his sets Jarrett played off what the birds were singing.
At least the story Jimmy related was one in which the band knew it was going to be videotaped. All too frequently this isn't the case today and the artist then has no control over his/her output. Given the ease of recording video and audio it's just about impossible to stop people from recording just about anything (except when one visits U.S. Embassies in foreign countries where they basically take everything you have with you except your underwear and make you leave it at the gate)
I can certainly empathize with Jimmy's situation of having camera crew running around on stage and disrupting things (though in my situation its more likely to be dancers who are letting a bit too much "loose" or drunks) and for the artist to have control over how anything he/she produces is used, put to use, or stored in a vault never to see daylight again. But as in Holdsworth's situation, none of us are permanent and eventually (though I hope it wont be for a long while) other people are going to have control over what we leave here on earth (sometimes even before we leave said earth). That pertains not only to artists like Allan and Jimmy but really to anyone who produces what might be referred to as "intellectual property." As a psychologist, whose work primarily focuses on supporting people with intellectual disabilities to live self-determined, high quality lives, I've developed a number of tools intended to be used to support these outcomes. Unfortunately, in a few cases, I found sometimes years later, organizations and individuals have appropriated and misused them to create additional barriers for such people. And, of course, this has become even more complicated by the fact that today it is so easy to "share" information (ANOTHER SIDE STORY)
I recently did a presentation at a conference on some of the work I am doing with my colleagues and after the presentation discovered an e-mail requesting additional information about the work. When I checked the time stamp I found that the e-mail had been sent during, not after my presentation AND, the person who sent it was not at the conference but thousands of miles away. When we eventually connected, I learned that a colleague of the individual had videoed and taken still shots of parts of the presentation on her smart phone and forwarded hem to her colleague.
So the fact is, while technology has made life a lot easier, we are going to need to adjust our ideas about what constitutes fair use sharing and make sure we leave a paper/electronic trail of what we want done with the intellectual property we produce once we are no longer around (and not assume that even our our loved one's are going to view the release of such intellectual property in the manner in which we intend.
For those of you who made it this far...thanks for reading this rant. Writing it took my mind off some of the angst I'm experiencing with respect to what's been going on in the city in which I live (Minneapolis) for the last few days.
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Brian,
Thanks for the long and insightful post. Sorry about what's happening in Mpls. I've been hearing the reports from my brother. With the world in solitary confinement (lockdown) and so many jobs being lost, it seemed inevitable that something was gonna blow. The terrible incident which happened to take place there was the trigger, this time. We're all looking forward to a calmer time and getting out from under this pandemic cloud...
I think "intellectual property" is a bygone concept. As in "bye - gone". As you pointed out about the ease of making cellphone video recordings - nothing is completely "live" for those in attendance only. The people in attendance feel the need (and that they have the right) to share. So who owns your presentation's graphics, or the musical performance, or the rights to the compositions and publishing? That's pretty much gone.
Our own forum's thread "What are you listening to" is never just text, it's always links to (mostly) YouTube videos. Because music is free!
I'm old. But I feel fortunate to have lived in a time when music was a more viable business and even us sidemen could make a living at it. I have no idea what to tell people just starting out in music. If you have that creative thing, you need to find an outlet for it. But you should probably also have a regular job to support the habit.
Too dark? Sorry! There's still a great deal of beautiful and creative music being made every day and in every genre. And I also use YouTube to go on fantastic musical journeys which would never have been possible in the past. But I still buy records on iTunes when I want to support an Artist's work. Yeah, I'm really old.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Wow, Jimmy J, like Rusty said, the story behind the scenes is a privilege to know. A train wreck for you guys would be a victory to the rest of us. Al was a Mozart ; A talent seen maybe once every 500 years. But unlike Mozart, mankind gets to experience that level of musical genius this time because WE WERE THERE !!!!!
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... And I also use YouTube to go on fantastic musical journeys which would never have been possible in the past. But I still buy records on iTunes when I want to support an Artist's work ...
Jimmy; thanks for sharing your thoughts on a subject I think about often. I value your perspective and insight, and they contribute to my own consideration of these issues.
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Echoing Rusty's and others sentiments... I love the detailed stories Jimmy J. I've got a buddy here in Roanoke, like you, a lifelong professional sideman and topnotch player, though his instrument is mandolin. Couple times a year I'll try to meet up with him for lunch somewhere just for those road stories. (he's got hundreds of 'em!)
I know we embarrass you sometimes, but it's just a side-effect. We really do look up to your musicianship and the humility shown in response just proves you're the real deal. Thanks for all your contributions here.
*hasty spelling and grammatically awkward sentence correction.
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+1 on the thankyous!
Bill, tgo
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+2 on the thankyous!
I kind of wish I had watched the video before reading the backstory, but it was still fascinating. Jimmy, there's a scene early on where the camera is right below you - I wonder if they stepped on anything then?!!
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Thanks for the kind words my friends, nice bunch of folks in here. I wish I had a better memory or had written down more details of my gigs and experiences. I've got friends who seem to remember every venue, backstage, and whether of not the food there was any good. It all kind of runs together for me apart from a few specific experiences.
Michael B, I agree that Holdsworth was one of the very small number of players who really did change their instrument. I realized many many years ago that I was never going to be one of those "savant" types who reinvent music. But having known Allan (and Jaco a bit) I decided I was completely happy trading that for being able to live and enjoy a semi-normal life...
Hang in there eveybody,
Jimmy J
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It is unfortunate that their are people whose gift is so totally consuming, that while you're in awe of the supernatural depth of talent, they're ill-equipped for the mundane every day, much less handling a business based on that talent. I've been close to a few, and it's painful to watch. They miss so much that life has to offer away from the bandstand.
I must admit that these days, I am completely overwhelmed.
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Many happy returns Jimmy J!
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Thanks for the kind words my friends, nice bunch of folks in here. I wish I had a better memory or had written down more details of my gigs and experiences. I've got friends who seem to remember every venue, backstage, and whether of not the food there was any good. It all kind of runs together for me apart from a few specific experiences.
Sound kind of like what they say about the 1960’s. If you can remember the 60’s you weren’t there!
Bill, tgo
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Happy Birthday! (though it might have been yesterday, in which case Happy Belated Birthday!) Not sure if you heard from Leonardo Pavkovic, he posted some nice words on Facebook:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49984261548_e28148e626_z.jpg)
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Bill tgo, yeah, I wish I could say it was because of a certain self-induced haze but it's just the poor long-term storage issues of my natural brain... If I could only change the CMOS battery...
Harry, Leonardo is a great guy and pleasantly verbose (love the "shoes" comment). He basically kept Allan working through his last several years by acting as his manager - an absolutely impossible job. But Leo's enthusiasm and love of fusion music from an early age meant he just hung in there and kept trying to help. Allan never seemed to understand all he did for him and in the end his paranoia of authority (record companies, managers, booking agents...) got the better of him and the relationship ended badly. Luckily Leo has moved on and is still working and helping many of his favorite musicians.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Ah, yet another shelter-in-place birthday! Have a great one, Jimmy. Stay safe and healthy!
Bill, tgo
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Happy Birthday, Jimmy J and cheers to another trip around the sun ! - Michael B.
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Jimmy,
Here’s a long-distance “Happy Birthday” to you from Japan.
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Happy Birthday Jimmy, I hope it has been a good one and you are looking forward to your new year.
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Many Happy Returns Jimmy J. 8)
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Happy Birthday Jimmy!
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Happy Birthday (belatedly) from Chicagoland. I’m looking forward to seeing you with JT next year in Chicago. I’m just starting to get active with some close friends again after 2 months of no contact musically.
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Hope you had a good day!
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Happy Birthday!
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Happy belated Cake Day!
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Happy belated birthday, hope you had a great day! :)
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Thanks everybody. I've asked my wife the musical question, and she assures me that she will still feed me.
Jimmy J
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Happy birthday Jimmy! Have a blast! :)
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Gary Husband has posted another lockdown video featuring Jimmy and Steve Hunt. I've posted a link in the 'what are you listening to' thread in miscellaneous. Well worth watching.
Graeme
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Happy belated, with a belated congrats on having a 100 page thread!
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Gary Husband has posted another lockdown video featuring Jimmy and Steve Hunt. I've posted a link in the 'what are you listening to' thread in miscellaneous. Well worth watching.
Graeme
Wow, thanks for posting that - the bass solo is amazing and I love Gary Husband's playing. Here's the link so people can just watch from here:
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That video is AMAZING. I concur, thanks for posting it !!! I always trip how Steve Hunt and I are the same age, yet I will NEVER understand how he does it. It's beyond my comprehension. The solo lines that sounded nearly identical to the Synth Axe AND Allan's style. It was such a beautiful sentiment ; Carry On.
It's SO hard not seeing Allan there. Jimmy's solos NEVER EVER cease to amaze me. They are all unpredictable, and it makes me jump out of my seat every time, yell. "NO WAY" , rewind it and watch it again. And again. (admit it guys, I'm not the only one !) This is as close to hearing SAND 2 or PUD WUD 2 as I will ever get.
Of course, Gary's drums are as equally beautiful, melodic, tribal, and a complete mystery to me.
The question I always have to Jimmy and all the guys - Is it hard to play ? I would NEVER be able to play that if my life depended on it even if there was a gun to my head. Well, I'd be really nervous about the gun, so ya. But it sounds so perfect. Like it's been played a thousand times. I don't even know where the one is at some points. I just know it sounds wonderful to me like a gift from God made for me. It makes me emotional. I guess that's the goal...
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Thanks pals. Yes, nice tune that Hunt put together there! He is a deep musician and one of the only guys I ever knew who understood and could play Allan's chord voicings. Plus his solo stuff just flows so naturally. Great composer too and a dang nice guy. And then there’s Husband... I'm afraid there's only one of him. Well, two if you count the keyboard player! I find his unique approach to playing inspirational.
And we all miss Allan.
Now allow me to explain that I spent some time on these tracks - the bass part first and then the solo on another day, or two. What you see on the video is a "reenactment" of what I had put together for the audio track, if you get my drift. I had to learn my own parts so I could play along. And then I had to edit a few video takes together to get it as close as I could. (And after all that, the vid is a few frames ahead of the audio so they're slightly out of sync anyway. D'OH!!) So in conclusion ... those are my ideas, and my notes, from my bass, but I didn't exactly play them all in a row in real time....
Anyway, it's always a treat to work with these guys on ANY musical project and this one was particularly enjoyable!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Finally got a chance to listen to Carry On. Wonderful!
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Hi Jimmy, from reading this forum over the years, you have been using alembic basses from way way back and prefer to use a monitor than a bass rig. Apart from that I know little about what other gear you like to use. I see a lot on line about musicians suffering or succumbing to Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS), but does that desire ever hit you or are you pretty much sorted? (not looking for you to name brands specifically just wondered if you see stuff that tempts you at all :-) )
After all that experience with alembics I wonder if you were to order a custom bass today what would you specify differently, if anything, from the basses you already have?
Hope that's not prying and I assume the GAS thing probably affects non-pro players than full time professional musicians.
Have a great weekend.
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Hey Jazzy,
Always fine chatting about gear, that's mostly why we're in here! I may be a bit odd in that I don't have a GAS problem (no, not that kind either).
My chain of electric basses began in 1967 (I think) with a Kalamazoo (by Gibson). Then a Guild Starfire, possibly followed by a Gibson EB3 (not sure), and then a Gibson Les Paul Triumph (which I modified with a built in transformer DI box with XLR output). Then the leap to long scale with my first Alembic 4-string Series I in 1975. That led to a custom 5-string Series I the following year, 1976.
A graphite-necked fretless 5-string Series I came in 1980 (still in use). And that led me to order a graphite fretted 5-string Series I in 1982. I played that bass for a while as it was built (on a couple videos even) but then decided I missed the dynamics available on my wood basses. Graphite is so stiff that, like a metal neck it compresses the sound. It was as if I couldn't control the volume of the notes with my right hand. Soft notes came out loud and loud notes would all be about the same. That compression worked GREAT on the fretless bass so I had this '82 redone as a backup fretless and it has spent most of its life in the closet.
76-418 was stolen from the Holdsworth rental van in Poughkeepsie, NY in 1987. The next day we played the Bottom Line in NYC so I ran to Rudy's (I think) and bought an Alembic 5-string Persuader which they luckily had on the wall. Immediately ordered a replacement 5-string series II with similar specs and the resulting 1987 bass is still my main recording axe today.
That experience led me to realize I needed back-up instruments! So I ordered 2 Series II 5-string fretted basses in 1989 - same wood and dimensions as I was accustomed to. These basses became my main touring bass and backup touring bass.
I started playing in the studio when I was pretty young so I got used to hearing my bass through headphones and a DI box. (Thus the mod to the Triumph bass - come in, sit down, plug in the mic cable. Ha!) So amps were never a big part of my sound and preferred to hear it in a full range system. Still had to play some gigs though so the amp side went like this:
I can't remember the order at the beginning but ... Kasino U-100 (by Kustom), Kustom 150 (2x12, actually a guitar amp), Kustom 250 with a folded horn 18" cab. Then I built a stereo rig with four Thiele cabinets, 2 15" and 2 12" boxes, Yamaha P2200 power amp, straight off the bass with no other pre or eq. I also got myself a Walter Woods head so I could play rehearsals and smaller venues with one or two of the 12" cabs (still my deal today).
Then I slightly lost my mind and got a Meyers Sound rig with two UPA1a and one USW1 sub. Tri-amped, stereo, straight off the bass with no further pre or eq. An absolutely beautiful tone - but I couldn't move the rig myself. :D That traveled on the road with me in the early JT days. One year I got an ELF processor and plugged the port on the Meyers sub which made it even better!
Then it hit me that I was the only person in the venue, or even on the stage, who was hearing that rig which I was forcing the crew to haul around the planet.... Silly! Luckily, that's about the time in-ear monitors started sounding musical enough that I was able to transition back to my roots of wearing headphones. Something full-circle about that part of the story. Ha!
So ... to answer your main question, I continue to be impressed with how easy and responsive these basses are to play. And the sound is still what I want to hear. So I am not seeking anything, if you see what I mean. My choice of DI has changed only a couple times since I decided to carry my own in the early 90s. Currently prefer the A-Designs REDDI which makes me happy.
Good question about ordering a bass now... I would likely try to recreate what I've been playing for all these years because I don't know any better: burl walnut front and back, mahogany core, aluminum bridge block, quick change tailpiece, same dimensions, etc... Mica might try to talk me into a Balance K but she'd have to twist my arm.
Sorry for the lengthy reply, much more than anybody needed to know. My entire dang gear history, sheesh. Isolation story telling.
Best to everybody!
Jimmy J
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Great read, thanks Jimmy.
You may be able to resist Mica’s arm twisting, but if Susan gets involved, you’re toast!
hehehehe
Bill, tgo
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That is the gear rundown of a true Alembican, right there. I was going to pester you for the evolutionary timeline next chance I had to ask, but Jazzy beat me to it, and you pretty well covered it. ;D
I must confess to having to reread several times, because I was distracted... what threw me was - a Kalamazoo! No way, get on man... my first bass guitar was a Kalamazoo KB. Was yours the SG/EB-0 shape, or the Fender-ish Mustang-y shape?
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Bill, tgo, I agree, Susan would prevail.
Wow Gregory, how about that? I don't have any pics of mine but found this on the interweb and pretty sure this was it. Mine was red too.
Jimmy J
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Hi everyone,
Sorry to interrupt ,
I found this on “digimart”
https://www.digimart.net/cat03/shop5031/DS06216935/
Regards,
Rikiya
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Jimmy, do you think that sticking with one axe and strings over these many years has been an advantage for you?
It makes me think of Symphony players or concertizing pianists who've had the same piano at home forever. Does this intimate familiarity help you? I sometimes think of this when I read or know recording bassists who show up at dates with trunks full of different axes.
All the Best,
Joey
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Rikiya,
That's a semi-rare (only because they didn't build very many) late '80s JJ "signature" bass which was modeled after my first 5-string. It is not a "Series" bass in that it has different pickups and electronics, but I would guess that it plays very nicely and has a good tone. It may not be a comfortable fit for everybody but it would feel very familiar to me.
Joey,
Being so stuck-in-my-ways may help in that I always know what kind of sound is going to come out. I also know my individual basses inside and out to the point where I can pretty much play in the dark (ok, the LEDs help) and/or keep my eye on the music and not need to look at the neck. On the rare occasions where I've sat in on somebody else's bass I'm surprised by the things I take for granted. Like how evenly responsive my basses are all the way up and down the neck.
But I also have a deep respect for the REAL studio players who can pick which bass out of their trunk would best fit each situation. I really only make one kind of noise with very little variation - so I'm not a true studio cat in that respect.
I can only remember two occasions where an Artist or producer asked me to play another instrument. They still wanted to hire me for some reason, so I offered to try my best to play on whatever instruments they provided. A Fender P on one project and a Hofner Beatle bass on the other. My playing was pretty loose (!!) but that fit those two situations just fine so it was fun. Not fun enough for me to be interested in owning anything else though. :D
Jimmy J
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Two minutes playing a Hofner like Paul McCartney made me realize he MUST be some kind of genius to get all that out of that little toy bass.
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Jimmy, thanks, I didn't expect my question to result in such an interesting revelation and I will have to read it a few times to grasp the details, But thanks for being so informative.
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Jimmy,
I add my thanks to the group as well, really great to hear the gear summary and some of the background details. You’ve got me curious, so this week I’m going to try my Series direct into my power amp into speakers and see how it sounds, maybe I’ll be lightening the load! :) I have a Walter Woods 300 Amp as well, I like the two channel option and the Alembic sounds nice through it.
Best,
Rob
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Hey Rob,
I almost hate to do this to you but have I ever shown you the custom front panel I talked Walter into doing? Tapped off some available +/- 15V for power, bass pickup goes to the top channel, bridge pickup to the bottom, the 1/4" input jacks are also inserts for pedals (ring send, tip return). He swore he would never do it again ... ever ... but as with all of his handmade gear this amp has been a very reliable workhorse.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy: Didn't your brother Gordon also use a Walter Woods? I seem to recall watching him set up for a Maynard Ferguson gig: rented speaker cabinet, 1 Haliburton case containing his bass, Woods, and cables.
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Jimmy,
Thanks for sharing the photo, and I am very envious of the five-pin connector installed on your amp, what a convenience! I also like the more basic EQ with just bass, mid, treble, keep it simple and effective! The more typical Walter Woods amps have a more involved EQ, which is a bit more than I need. Great amps!
Rob
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FM, I think you're right that brother Gordon also carried one.
These amps were possibly the first Class-D musical amps and were considered a miracle when they were made back in the 70's. More common now but I can't tell you how many times I had to explain how a 7-lb box could be putting out 400w. This in the day when an SVT head could weight up to 80 lbs. HA!
A quick technical explanation, just because... I'm not completely clear on this so could be wrong... Walter used a "switching" power supply which took the 120v 60hz AC power and raised the frequency from 60 to somewhere around 30k. What that does is shrink the amp's power transformer down to about the diameter of a golf ball. It's technology that came from the aviation industry and I believe is still used on planes to make electronic gear lighter. (Ever notice a single high pitch tone in an airplane's audio feed? That's the "hum" of the plane's high frequency AC power.)
Walter's amps are not real hi-fi machines, I doubt the actual specs would look that good. But they have really wide EQ and because of the Class-D aspect they feel very "fast". That may be slew rate? Anyway, he originally made them for acoustic bass players but they also became popular with traditional jazz guitar guys - maybe because of this quickness.
I still use mine a lot because it's so dang handy. Never as a recording sound source but often as a monitoring amp.
Jimmy J
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Yea, class D amps are amazing little buggers. My guitar two unit rack is an F-2B into a Carvin DCM200L. The Carvin is a class D stereo power amp that puts out 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms, takes up one rack space, and weighs all of four pounds! And class D is at the heart of my Quilters, too. That old Walter Woods with the 5-pin looks sweet.
Bill, tgo
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I swear, somebody (else), somewhere had a Walter Woods with a 5-pin. We talked about here one time. I seem to remember Jimmy J. caught it right off. Gimme' a minute... I got a couple rusty marbles rattling around today.
*BOING* http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=23146.msg232114#msg232114
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Wow, so we already covered this subject a few years ago! It figures that I'd forgotten that conversation and am now repeating myself repeating myself. Getting old is a joy! Yeah!
Jimmy J
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Wow, so we already covered this subject a few years ago! It figures that I'd forgotten that conversation and am now repeating myself repeating myself. Getting old is a joy! Yeah!
Jimmy J
Beats the alternative!
Bill, tgo
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Jimmy
At least at this point when you realize you’ve repeated yourself you “own it.” You know the memory loss is really getting bad when that ownership takes place and within one minute you’ve repeated the story again.
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Hi!
This is my first post here, since I do not own an Alembic bass or even any bass at all. However, I AM a big fan of Jimmy Johnson's playing, in particular his work with the late, great Allan Holdsworth.
In 2017 I produced an Allan reference blog covering Holdsworth's entire discography (https://threadoflunacy.blogspot.com/ (https://threadoflunacy.blogspot.com/)), and recently this project was recently printed up in a small run (a few hundred copies) by a boutique publisher in the UK and titled "Devil Take the Hindmost, The Otherworldly Music of Allan Holdsworth". I'm currently in the process of finalizing an ebook version for distribution on Amazon's self-publishing platform in order to make this more broadly available to Allan's fans (with a print-on-demand version hopefully to follow).
Obviously, considering Jimmy's role in Allan's musical development, I mention him quite a few times in the blog/book, and use quotes from an interview he once gave to Guitar Player magazine. However, I do not have any photos of Jimmy in the book (I have photos of Allan and Gary Husband of course).
Would anybody be willing to donate any amateur photos of Jimmy on stage? I'm not in the position to pay licensing fees (I blew my budget on professional photos of Allan), but I would credit the photographer in the book and provide a comp copy (ebook).
I also see that Jimmy himself frequents this forum as well. Jimmy, if you read this, first of all, thanks for your musical contributions over the years. I have no idea how the hell you do it! Especially with Al's music - surely the closest thing to sky-diving in a musical context, haha! Secondly, please contact me if you have any questions about this book or have any photos you could volunteer yourself. I've been in contact w Steve and Gary and, like them, I will happily send you a copy of the print book. My email is quod17us@yahoo.com.
Best wishes to all and I hope this is not too obtrusive an interruption...
Ed Chang
https://threadoflunacy.blogspot.com/
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Hey Ed,
Yes, I know who you are and want to thank you for keeping the Al torch lit. I haven't read your book yet but plan to get the e-version when it appears.
I see that today some of my Allan related comments have been reposted into the URAH forum (I lurk) so my semi-private web presence here has been discovered. Not surprising I suppose. But I am in here mostly to talk about Alembic, bass playing, and music in general, with the players who hang out here. This is a public forum and everybody is welcome (even Fender bass players :o) but I would prefer that this thread not become an Allan forum so I may not respond to folks who sign up just to ask me those kinds of questions. This site is hosted by the company who makes the instruments I've been playing for 45 years so let's try to keep it on topic...
Anyway Ed, I'll send you and email so we can chat elsewhere.
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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Oh yeah, it's totally understandable to keep this forum (and topic) focused. Sorry about the impulse "join-n-spam" and thanks for your understanding...it does sometimes take me an extra level of self-discipline to avoid flailing about on this internets thing!
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For anybody who might want to read everything you'd ever want to know about Holdsworth, Ed has put together an amazingly comprehensive blog here:
https://threadoflunacy.blogspot.com/ (https://threadoflunacy.blogspot.com/)
I think Allan did to guitarists what Jaco did to us bassists; blew our minds by taking the instruments we thought we knew into totally different orbits. I found the music they both made inspiring and I know many others did too. Not everybody's cup of tea ... but that's music.
Thanks Ed!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Thanks for your support Jimmy! That really means alot to me! Rock on... :)
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Thanks Ed and Jimmy! I gotta be careful, I just read through a few pages of that - I'm a big Soft Machine fan so read through those pages and had to stop!
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Jimmy, seems like you are getting much more relaxed with being on line outside this forum. :-)
And here is the answer in part II
[[size=78%]youtube][/size]
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Well, I'm not exactly relaxed about it. JT's social media chief has been requesting "content" from all the band members because she feels the need to continually post new JT related material as if she's single-handedly keeping all his fans occupied. Tough job! So I offered up this silly vid.
Having done very little of this kind of thing, I have to say that I find social media truly weird. Yes I'm old, but it is odd. Not only do people feel completely uninhibited about posting any kind of comment, and then commenting about other people's comments, but then the attention span is about 22 seconds. Funny world!
Hope everybody is staying healthy out there,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, I have to say that your bass looks absolutely gorgeous. I can’t believe it’s been a road bass for over thirty years! Looks like it came out of the showroom last week. Have you ever sent it back to the mothership for a refinish or is that original?
Bill, tgo
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Thanks Bill tgo,
Yes, that bass was refinished in 2012 (I think). The picture below shows the odd checking that had appeared on the backside. Because of the specific location, Mica figured it was possibly my own body heat pulling moisture out of the wood and displacing the finish. Not surprising because that bass has been outdoors in a lot of extreme weather.
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy, I just finished watching your Spud benefit with the Steve Gadd Band & it was phenomenal! Some bands impress with rip your face off licks & power but y'all were even more impressive with your dynamics & subtleties! I don't think I have ever heard a band that was tighter & more in sync with each other! I was amazed at how you could do a 10 minute freeform jam & all come out of it together every time! You are hands down the most tasteful bass player I know of! Every single note you play fits perfectly & sets the mood for what is being played by everyone! And of course there is that unmistakable Jimmy Johnson tone, just oozing with Alembic goodness!! It was refreshing to see all of y'all using live amps with no in ears! I love old school jams! What rig were you using? I had to watch it on my iPhone so I couldn't see details very well, but I did use ear buds so I could hear everything. The mix was perfect! Your solo on Bye Bye Blackbird was worth the price of admission! It is available for 24 hours on streaming, I highly recommend everyone buy it & support the Baked Potato!
Here are some screen shots from the show.
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Hey Rusty,
Thanks for all the kind words, and for supporting our favorite local joint.
It was great to get the chance to play with other people, in the same room, at the same time! I know everybody here and anybody who plays music at all is missing that experience so we all had a great time. This is likely the longest period of time that Gadd has been home since calendars were invented! He is otherwise constantly on the road doing something - to the degree that he has 2 passports so one can be getting visas for upcoming tours while he's out traveling with the other. But the first thing he said was "I've been practicing! Getting back into rudiments!" Wow. Inspirational.
All these guys are amazing musicians. Listening and reacting to what they play is a real joy. Despite the fact you can't see my face, you know I was smiling the whole time! ;D
Gear: directly behind me is my little Walter Woods amp on top of 2 12" Thiel cabs with EVM12-L speakers. On the floor to my right is a REDDI feeding both the house PA and the streaming mix boards. Gadd had a monitor standing up just behind my music stand with so much bass in it that it was as loud as my amp. AND, in the upper corner of the room to my left is the house PA which also had bass in it. There was no escaping the low notes. Ha!
If you've never been to the Potato it's a tiny room with a sand-filled stage and a 3-speaker PA system which shouldn't work as well as it does, but somehow it does. Despite sometimes very loud drums and amps you can still hear everybody in the band. The cameras are all unobtrusive and I think they're doing a great job with these streaming shows - except that the website crashed just as we were about to start... Even with only a handful of people present and some mask wearing it felt like a normal night at the Spud.
Thanks again,
Jimmy J
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I’m jealous! More than any other change caused by the pandemic, I miss playing with people. But it looks like that may change soon. My band decided that next weekend, weather permitting, we’re going to set up on my large front porch and play outdoors, socially distanced of course!
Jimmy and the Steve Gadd band are wonderful. Hieronymous, Sonicus, and I got to see them play at Yoshi’s a few months ago (seems like another world).
Bill, tgo
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I see that today some of my Allan related comments have been reposted into the URAH forum (I lurk) so my semi-private web presence here has been discovered. Not surprising I suppose. But I am in here mostly to talk about Alembic, bass playing, and music in general, with the players who hang out here. This is a public forum and everybody is welcome (even Fender bass players :o) but I would prefer that this thread not become an Allan forum so I may not respond to folks who sign up just to ask me those kinds of questions.
Hi Jimmy, I'm the one guilty of reposting your comments. I'm sad to say that your presence here wasn't hard to discover, all it took was a simple Google search! My apologies if you took offense at the repost. Your comments provided some very much needed background on the album in question, and deserved a much wider readership than they got here. I'll refrain from reposting you in the future. Now, I'll let you get back to talking bass. Your bass sounds GREAT, by the way!
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Per Stornes, is that you?
No offense taken. Thanks to the 22 second attention span of the Internet this is already ancient history.
I understand that this forum is not a "private" place but I am not interested in having a Facebook or Instagram account so I'll never be posting anywhere else. This is enough of a platform for me so this is where I may occasionally vent.
After my initial surprise, I was fine with you reposted my view of the circumstances surrounding that dvd release so the URAH regulars could see another perspective. No harm done, to me. Only a bit embarrassing for Allan's legacy...
And apart from you and Ed ... no additional outside traffic has appeared here so my fears of losing control of this space were unfounded.
Glad you like the bass tone.
All good,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy J., [trying to think of how to frame this in the form of a question]
I was looking for something to play along with the other night, and in my stack of frequently listened to stuff is one of JT's compilation albums with "(Walkin' Down A) Country Road". I love that tune. It's really fun to play on, all those little fills and things... and I got to thinkin'... when you got the gig there back when, obviously that tune wasn't much of a technical challenge for you at all, but I figure you had to have spent some time figuring out what was going to work with regard to playing somebody else's lines and putting your own stamp/signature/sound to the song. (in this case Randy Meisner, though I reckon for you it was mostly Lee Sklar, outgoing?) Did it come down to just playing through the song with the various configurations of the All-Star band? Did you actually have to chart out what you wanted to play and work at it? Or am I way off base, and you just nail it in one. ;D
Sorry... hope that's not too specific... I'm hoping to apply to a current situation. The former bass player in my gig is kind of a friend, I consider him to be a superior player, but I believe I am better suited to the gig than he was, just from an experience standpoint. Anyway, I've had to adapt quite a few things he played, and had complete freedom to do so. We've shared a few laughs over some of the stranger arrangements.
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Gregory,
Thats a good question! When I first got involved with the JT band, James and his management team (Peter Asher at the time) would send the band cassettes of songs likely to be played on the upcoming tour. They'd include previously done live versions and album cuts of songs that hadn't yet been performed. That gave everybody a chance to remember and/or learn the arrangements in advance.
My way of working on it was to use 6x9" spiral sketchbooks and make "shortcut" style bass charts for myself. They were never meant to be used (or even seen) by anybody else because they contained only enough info to get me through the arrangement. (My original notes on the live Country Road arrangement are below. Don't laugh, it's only a sketch. HA!)
For subsequent tours I'd scribble down any tunes I hadn't heard before and after a few years of doing that I had 6 full sketchbooks with almost 200 arrangements. I had to keep an alphabetical index so I could find which tune was on what page of which book...
Leland is one of my favorite bass players so I have huge respect for his choice of notes and generally tried to do what he had previously done. His way of playing this music was the right way! Once we got going I might subtly vary things a bit to my taste and maybe trade one of his little moves for one of mine. But generally speaking he "wrote the book" and because of the way James likes to deliver the music true to its original form, that is the gig.
So to answer your question specifically, when you are jumping in to an established band I think you have to at least start by emulating the previous guy to make it easier for the band to deal with the change. I mean, if he played out of tune and rushed like crazy, maybe don't go that far... ;)
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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If that is for a JT song I can't imagine how your notepads look for Allan Holdsworth arrangements especially as I think you mentioned previously, it was all played on the edge. :-)
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Jazzyvee,
I know, it's very messy notation! Ha! I did a similar thing with Allan in spiral sketchbooks, but those charts were not very detailed. Primarily only the bass notes with no further chord information or time signature info. And I almost always had one of my scribbles on the floor in front of me when playing with him just to help me stick to the form. Here's one for the song Atavachron if anybody is interested...
Jimmy J
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And just for your entertainment, here's a computer generated recreation of one of Allan's own charts. This is for the solo section of the song "The Sixteen Men Of Tain". He had obviously invented his own form of notation which referred to the available scales as opposed to the standard chord symbol approach. Wild, huh?
Jimmy J
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Thanks so much Jimmy. As usual, you have more than answered my question... love your backstories too. I make our bandleader crazy by insistence on making myself similar little cheat-sheets to yours there. Not so much to study or memorize, but as a reminder if I draw a blank. For me, it is a picture of a song. It makes them appear in some form of symmetry that my brain somehow makes more sense of. I have often joked that nobody would understand my charts but me, and even that wasn't guaranteed. ;D
It's just kinda' lucky I had the benefit of knowing my predecessor. He is a very talented bassist, who went on to play/tour professionally, and I fell into his spot with these guys by other association. Like I said, in some ways, I am a little better suited to them, just by having done this kind of music almost my whole life. That doesn't diminish in the slightest what a monster player he is... I just hear things a little differently. That, and the band has gone in a different direction since his tenure too. But we get to pal around at least once or twice a year and swap stories. Whenever we do, I'll always ask about something he played somewhere along the way I needed to learn, and he's always been gracious enough to show me.
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Hey Rusty,
Thanks for all the kind words, and for supporting our favorite local joint.
It was great to get the chance to play with other people, in the same room, at the same time! I know everybody here and anybody who plays music at all is missing that experience so we all had a great time. This is likely the longest period of time that Gadd has been home since calendars were invented! He is otherwise constantly on the road doing something - to the degree that he has 2 passports so one can be getting visas for upcoming tours while he's out traveling with the other. But the first thing he said was "I've been practicing! Getting back into rudiments!" Wow. Inspirational.
All these guys are amazing musicians. Listening and reacting to what they play is a real joy. Despite the fact you can't see my face, you know I was smiling the whole time! ;D
Gear: directly behind me is my little Walter Woods amp on top of 2 12" Thiel cabs with EVM12-L speakers. On the floor to my right is a REDDI feeding both the house PA and the streaming mix boards. Gadd had a monitor standing up just behind my music stand with so much bass in it that it was as loud as my amp. AND, in the upper corner of the room to my left is the house PA which also had bass in it. There was no escaping the low notes. Ha!
If you've never been to the Potato it's a tiny room with a sand-filled stage and a 3-speaker PA system which shouldn't work as well as it does, but somehow it does. Despite sometimes very loud drums and amps you can still hear everybody in the band. The cameras are all unobtrusive and I think they're doing a great job with these streaming shows - except that the website crashed just as we were about to start... Even with only a handful of people present and some mask wearing it felt like a normal night at the Spud.
Thanks again,
Jimmy J
Thanks for the info Jimmy! I can imagine Steve had no problem hearing your bass that night! Do you get the same tone out of your live rig that you are used to hearing with your in ears?
I have been to the Spud so I know how tiny it is! That is what makes it such a great venue for live music, it is so intimate! I saw John Daversa's Big Band there so there were about 14 people on that small stage! Jerry Watts was on bass. He was great but he's no Jimmy Johnson! LOL! I got to meet him & John after the show, nice guys! I check the Spud schedule every time I visit my son in Culver City, hoping that you will be playing while I'm there, but so far our paths have not crossed. Maybe someday....
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Thanks Jimmy, it is an insight indeed. As a really basic music reader i am clearly wrong in thinking that those who read music fluently, have standard scores written out when they are looking at their music stands on stage. I have cheat sheets when I'm on a dep gig at short notice and don't have time to bed the songs in. However some bands don't like any of that on stage. Much easier for keys players as it can be stuck to the top of their keyboard and not seen. But I guess the reality is do what we need to to get the music right.
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I don't go as far as writing out crib sheets for our music - it's not that complicated - but I do have the opening note for each song written on the set list. At least that way I won't have a repeat of an embarrassing opening number 18 or 19 years ago when I was nowhere near the right key.
Graeme
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Jazzyvee,
I know, it's very messy notation! Ha! I did a similar thing with Allan in spiral sketchbooks, but those charts were not very detailed. Primarily only the bass notes with no further chord information or time signature info. And I almost always had one of my scribbles on the floor in front of me when playing with him just to help me stick to the form. Here's one for the song Atavachron if anybody is interested...
Jimmy J
Oh, yes, we are interested, Jimmy. No doubt about it. Thanks for sharing!
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Rusty, the thing about in-ears is that you can get an overall mix that almost sounds like a record. You need to remember that you'e not only listening to music but currently playing the bass part. Ha! I would say that my sound at the Potato is still mostly the DI sound that I'm used to. In the above case, Gadd's full-range monitor and the PA were filling the room and my little Woods was almost acting like a sub. I've probably mentioned it before - Don Randi, the famous studio keyboard guy who built the place in 1970 - used a studio trick and filled the tiny stage with sand. That removed any bass note resonance and helps the little room sound so good. Even with John Daversa's giant band on - or near - the stage, with Jerry W smoothly wrangling the bass notes. I'm sure we'll run into each other there at some point although at this very moment it's hard to imagine when that "back to normal" future might happen. We'll get there!
Jazzyvee, some of the greatest musicians we know are not readers in the traditional sense. It's a handy skill to have but it doesn't make you a better musician. Remembering music and playing by ear are more important for the types of music we're all into. And as you say, in many cases charts are just not appropriate on stage.
Graeme, same here, once I get to the point where I can remember the arrangement the next step is to mark down the starting note. I think my ear works in intervals so the second note is based on what the first note was. Very handy for those rare occasions when JT would misplace his capo and the whole band would transpose the tune by a 1/2 step. Ha!!
Mario, thanks.
Jimmy J
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Per Stornes, is that you?
LOL, it is indeed me. (Who you've been talking to?) Since I manage a fan site with some 10.000 followers on Facebook, I try to keep a low personal profile online. Not so unlike yourself, it seems. Since I found out I could join the URAH group by way of my AH Facebook page, I prefer doing that. Thanks for being so gracious!
Now, since I don't want to hijack the thread and the forum, I want to ask a topical question to bring things back on track. The Alembic sound is quite distinctive, especially in your hands. As I understand it, you used a Series II model with Allan. Did Allan ever comment on the tonal qualities of your instrument in relation to his music? Your sound is more of a full-range sound as opposed to the bass players that preceded you in Allan's group, and even the bass players in his previous bands. Also, as I understand it, you used the same instrument through your tenure with him. It must have been quite a contrast when you showed up at every gig with the same bass, while he would constantly change around his guitars, pickups, effects, amps, speakers and microphones, in search of that ever elusive sound. Did you ever talk about this?
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Hey Per,
Yeah, good luck with the low profile thing. Ha! And thanks for the bass related comments and questions.
When I first started playing with Allan around '84 or '85 (you likley know better than I can remember) I was playing my original Alembic 5-string Series-I built in 1976. That's the bass I played on Metal Fatigue, Atavachron, and I think on Sand. With the exception of my 1980 graphite-neck 5-string fretless Series I which can be heard on "Home" and "The 4.15 Bradford Executive".
That original '76 Series-I was stolen out of Allan's equipment van in the early morning hours of September 12th, 1987 after a gig the night before at a club aptly named "the Chance". I temporarily replaced it with a non-Series Alembic 5-string (can't remember which model) hastily purchased in NYC the following day to finish out that tour. And Alembic replaced that lost instrument with a Series-II 5-string which is heard on any of Allan's records after that. This '87 bass is still my main studio instrument.
I don't think I ever spoke to Allan specifically about how his endless gear quest differed from my own approach. But that is kinda funny now that you mention it. I believe he liked the sound of my basses and he did once make a specific comment about the tone saying he was surprised to discover that if he ran my bass through an EQ and boosted 7k - there was actually audio content up there! (Can't remember exactly if he said 7, 5, or 10k...)
This wide full-range tone is not everybody's cup of tea but I clearly love it because I've been stuck on it since the mid-70s. I think of these as natural, almost acoustic sounding instruments. No odd frequency bumps or gaps and very evenly speaking notes all the way up and down the neck. The only down side is that it can take up a lot of space in a mix so it often needs to be "shaped" a bit to leave room for others. But even that's easy to do because of the full range sound.
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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Rusty, the thing about in-ears is that you can get an overall mix that almost sounds like a record. You need to remember that you'e not only listening to music but currently playing the bass part. Ha! I would say that my sound at the Potato is still mostly the DI sound that I'm used to. In the above case, Gadd's full-range monitor and the PA were filling the room and my little Woods was almost acting like a sub. I've probably mentioned it before - Don Randi, the famous studio keyboard guy who built the place in 1970 - used a studio trick and filled the tiny stage with sand. That removed any bass note resonance and helps the little room sound so good. Even with John Daversa's giant band on - or near - the stage, with Jerry W smoothly wrangling the bass notes. I'm sure we'll run into each other there at some point although at this very moment it's hard to imagine when that "back to normal" future might happen. We'll get there!
Jazzyvee, some of the greatest musicians we know are not readers in the traditional sense. It's a handy skill to have but it doesn't make you a better musician. Remembering music and playing by ear are more important for the types of music we're all into. And as you say, in many cases charts are just not appropriate on stage.
Graeme, same here, once I get to the point where I can remember the arrangement the next step is to mark down the starting note. I think my ear works in intervals so the second note is based on what the first note was. Very handy for those rare occasions when JT would misplace his capo and the whole band would transpose the tune by a 1/2 step. Ha!!
Mario, thanks.
Jimmy J
I can imagine how incredible your bass sounded coming from 3 sources in that small room! I agree about the in ears, they are like being in the studio! I was the lone hold out in my band to use in ears because I had just bought 2 AccuGroove full range cabinets and for the first time in my life was getting the tone I always heard in my head. So I did not want to give up that live sound for in ears. Then I started playing for my church & was forced to use in ears. They used cheapo Westones that sounded like a tin can so I got some custom molded 64 Audio 8 driver IEM's that sound amazing! You can actually "feel" the bass with them! They are very responsive to the full range of my Alembics. Each player in the band has their own Roland M48 headphone mixer so we can set our own mix & EQ which makes a huge difference. Now I love in ears! They are really great on planes because they completely isolate all the outside sound since they are molded to my ear canals The first time I wore them on a plane a lady sat beside me with a baby & she assured me the baby would not cry, I just laughed & pulled one of my in ears out & told her I wouldn't hear him if he did! I stand 5' from our trumpet section in the orchestra & don't even hear them!
Don was very wise to fill the stage with sand! I wish all clubs would do that! I don't think my son will ever leave Culver City (He's an Editor at Sony Pictures), so I'll keep coming to visit & surely our paths will cross someday! When we plan our trips I check the spud schedule before booking the flights, If I saw that you were playing I would plan my trip around that! I do still have my JT tickets for next year too!
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And just for your entertainment, here's a computer generated recreation of one of Allan's own charts. This is for the solo section of the song "The Sixteen Men Of Tain". He had obviously invented his own form of notation which referred to the available scales as opposed to the standard chord symbol approach. Wild, huh?
Jimmy J
Wow thanks alot Jimmy for your scans of your Holdsworth charts! They are like Einstein's proofs, or Beethoven's sketches!
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My brother works in radio and has to do all that stuff like Twitter, etc. I don't know the names. He HATES it.
It IS cool seeing JJ , as always :)
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Totally random, but I ran across this fun pic on the Chad Wackerman Wikipedia page.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Allan_Holdsworth%2C_Chad_Wackerman_and_Jimmy_Johnson.jpg)
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A nice photo of Series II neck and headstock laminations!
Clearly something funny just happened because even Allan is giggling. Good times.
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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I enjoyed Chad's drumming when he sat in on one of JT's Glasgow shows. Not sure why Steve wasn't there but Chad did a fine job. He was superb when he came to Glasgow with Allan. I believe Ernest Tibbs held down the Bass chair that time round.
Graeme
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even Allan is giggling.
Yeah, that's my favorite part!
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Hey Jimmy, I just purchased the ticket for live streaming concert tomorrow, have a blast there, can't wait to hear/see it.
All best
Goran
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Hey Goran,
Thanks for supporting the team! This one won't actually be "live", it was taped a couple weeks ago so technically we've already had the blast. :) I hope it came out ok, we didn't listen back to anything...
Champion is set up like a tv studio with a bunch of pro video gear and a full-on mobile satellite uplink tv truck as a control room. Audio was mixed live by Dennis Moody who also engineered our first Gadd Band album.
We did the original taping on Oct 3 but because of some technical problem ("extracting video from a few cameras"??) they called us back a week later to do it again. Small crew, no audience, masks all around... That part makes it pretty weird but it sure was fun to play music with other people - in real time! I was afraid I'd forgotten how to do that but it's kinda like riding a bike. ;)
Enjoy, and thanks again,
Jimmy J
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Very cool video!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR3spxzUswVFMmu_2YnV98Satem5iS8ZfohmCLlCHBh7dYF1FRtkBQLhFBw&v=NaK-3vNRk5o
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And the Gary Husband video after that was great too. :)
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Very cool video!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR3spxzUswVFMmu_2YnV98Satem5iS8ZfohmCLlCHBh7dYF1FRtkBQLhFBw&v=NaK-3vNRk5o (https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR3spxzUswVFMmu_2YnV98Satem5iS8ZfohmCLlCHBh7dYF1FRtkBQLhFBw&v=NaK-3vNRk5o)
The gal in charge of JT's "socials" asked us band members to contribute so that's what I came up with. People are still wowed by our LEDs! ;)
Husband's "City Nights" is a great piece and I had fun building that part - and then shot video of myself playing along with the resulting audio, if you catch my drift.
Jimmy J
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Very cool video!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR3spxzUswVFMmu_2YnV98Satem5iS8ZfohmCLlCHBh7dYF1FRtkBQLhFBw&v=NaK-3vNRk5o (https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR3spxzUswVFMmu_2YnV98Satem5iS8ZfohmCLlCHBh7dYF1FRtkBQLhFBw&v=NaK-3vNRk5o)
And here’s part 2 with the answer to Jimmy’s riddle.
Bill, tgo
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Both videos were a lot of fun and your bass looks and sounds great, as expected... more LEDs!
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Other than being a Jimmy J. fan, and a JT fan, looked at objectively; this is light, funny, in a playful and personal way, and I can't help but think it keeps the fans interested in these crazy-covid-cancel times. I'd say that's a pretty darn good PR move on JT's people's part. Just telling the crowd- "we miss you". That isn't just bull... we do! I played last weekend for the first time in a long time - it feels so great to entertain people again. (granted, to a much smaller audience than what you have here) That's what we want to get paid to do. And yes, we have missed them.
Very Well Done.
The LED's are nice too. ;D
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Hey Jimmy I really enjoyed yesterday's gig, wow that was a really nice sound and playing. Perfect evening! Thanks!
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I also loved the show. Good work! It’s always fun to see artists who interact and communicate so well together! 👌🏻👍🏼
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Thanks my friends. It's a treat to play with all those guys. I didn't see it but I have the feeling Moody kept the bass pretty loud in the mix. That's why I slipped him that extra ten bucks. Just kidding!! ;D
Jimmy J
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Well, that's why it all sounded great? See, you can achieve a lot by only 10 bucks :)
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Jimmy, I noticed in those videos that you did not seem to use your ring finger, instead using your pinky for notes three frets apart. Is that technique associated with upright training? Changing to bass from guitar I use all four fingers, but recently I was told that I should not use my ring finger. I was told that instead I should use my pinky for notes spaced three frets apart, and shift a half position in either direction and use my second finger or pinky to cover where I would normally use my ring finger. Just wondering your thoughts on that. Thanks! Rob
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Meanwhile Gregory, who didn't pay nearly enough attention to the scant upright bass training offered in his ill-spent youth, is sitting on the edge of the seat eagerly awaiting the answer to Rob's question. Yeah, I'm kinda' wondering the same thing. Undisciplined soul that I am, I tend to just use whatever is closer without any regard for what comes next. Truth be told, I'm just being lazy. (but only musically)
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Rob and Gregory,
You are correct in that my left-hand ring finger doesn't see much action. (I didn't realize the video was THAT hd.) And my technique might make some sense if I had started on upright - but I didn't. What we've got here is simply my self-taught, home-made, illegitimate style which is mostly 3-fingers on the left hand and funnily enough 3-fingers on the right hand - no pinky on that side.
I know nothing about neck positions, I'm just trying to get to the notes any way I can.
My ring finger kinda works for exercise patterns but it doesn't seem to be available without specifically thinking about it. Of course there are NO RULES about this stuff. Django Reinhardt got by pretty well using only 2 left-hand fingers! But it makes sense that you'd want to use all 4 on bass guitar so if that's what you've already got going then stick with it!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Thanks for the comments, Jimmy. I like the no rules approach, just let it happen and flow naturally. Amazing Django only used two fingers on the fret hand. And Wes Montgomery did all of his picking with his thumb, which amazes me too!
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Echoing Rob's appreciation. I'm not completely surprised by your answer. It's the natural-born, self-taught ones, my Dad says. Watch those folks. Can't teach that. ;D
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Really enjoyed that show. What a groove!
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Just bumped into this linked youtube clip. Hope it isn't a duplicate posting. Some great grooving by JJ.
I wouldn't know where to start counting that sort of stuff, never mind keeping the arrangement it in my head.
Love it tho!
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Hey JazzyVee,
Good find! It was a great experience playing with Bozzio and Machacek, those two are monsters! This piece is mostly an adlib up until the end section which is part of a piece called "Strafe" written by Alex. For the curious, I've attached my old chart below (I hope Alex doesn't mind). Surprise, it's all in 4/4/ time. HA!! The arrangement was played this way because the gig was billed as a "drum off", so this version is more of a drum feature with an organized coda.
We begin at the bottom of page 2 with "open, free time, over C". That happens until Terry starts to play a tempo. Alex and I recognize his first kick drum (at 1:35 in the video) as the downbeat and from that point we're all feeling 4 and 8-bar phrases together. At some point we then fall into the drum breaks - also scratched out at the bottom of page 2. Round and round on that rhythmic figure with 3 different rotating sets of bass notes (it can never just be easy, right?) Then on cue we take the DS and we're into the chart which starts with an open vamp again. On cue is letter A or the "head" which sounds tremendously complex but is actually still in 4/4. Two 8-bar phrases, then the held note/trill beginning on beat 2 of rehearsal letter B, then Terry plays a hi-hat on the downbeat of the last bar and we all play that last figure - with any pitch.
I know, that is some crazy music! Alex writes very advanced, technical, and "heady" music. And Terry's compositions lean that way too, but he has a soulful groove which I really dig. I'd enjoy playing with him if he only brought a 3-piece kit, but he also makes a lot of music with his giant rig. He's really got a unique voice.
Cheers to everybody. Hang in there, brighter days ahead.
Jimmy J
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Eh, sorry, I don't mean to clutter up anybody's hard drive with that file. First time I tried attaching a pdf and I was hoping it would simply display but ... oh well.
Jimmy J
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Jimmy: Hard disc space is cheap. Clutter away!
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If I may take off on a slight highjack - that vid & Jimmy's "3-piece kit" comment put me in mind of the time I was working at (oh, the shame!) GC, and got to do sound for a Tama clinic; Billy Cobham, on his then-signature 3,297,407 piece Artstar kit, and a NY guy named Dom Famularo, was on (I suspect at Billy's insistence; I've since seen the monster kit Dom plays regularly) a 5-piece.
Blew Cobham directly into the weeds. (Of course, Billy didn't have Terry's advantage of having JJ there.......)
Peter
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just saw this posted on youtube today. Enjoy
[/youtube]
Hi Jimmy I've been watching this video again through my monitor speakers and as I'm sure you know, the tone and playing is incredible and there are a few things i would like to ask.
1) Are the individual pickup controls Filter,vol and CVQ on full. (I think you have discussed those two white marks on the master volume previously).
When I have those up full on my S2, the tone is so crisp and not as rounded as you are getting there which i think is a great sound. Is this your usual setting or is it just for studio stuff that you have the bass fully open?
2) I notice that there are times when you are fretting right on top of the fret rather than behind it, is there any practical reason for that, maybe because you also play fretless or is that just where your fingers naturally want to play. :-)
3) Your basses have what is to me really tight string spacing and I wondered if perhaps this was to help you play with a lighter touch?
:-)
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Hey Jazzyvee,
Thanks for the kind words. Here are some answers...
1) I really only know how to make one noise so what you see here are my "almost always" settings. Individual pickup volumes are wide open and the master is at the mark. Of course that means nothing as those are overruled by the trimpots which are balanced to slightly favor the bridge pickup. Filters are wide open with a very slight boost to the bridge pickup. And that's it. The only action those controls see is when I exercise them now and again to keep them awake.
2) That's more likely just sloppy playing. :D I have to remind you that I built the audio for this track first and then "recreated" the performance on camera after the fact. I spent some time comping the audio part together, then transcribed it (oy!), practiced it (ouch!), and shot this video in two takes from different camera angles. Then I edited the picture together to get it as close to correct as I could. But there are some visual mistakes so that's probably what you've spotted. Why ... I remember a time when we used to listen to music, not watch it. HA!
3) I may have said this before but the I think my tight string spacing was just a happy accident. 5-string basses were oddballs when Alembic built my first in 1976 so I believe they built it on a 4-string neck. This recording bass is a 1987 recreation of that original and it has a 1-7/8" nut. My 1980 graphite fretless is even tighter at 1-5/8". (And I'm pretty sure there was only one graphite neck mold at that moment so that would have been for a 4-string bass.) So this is just what I'm used to and it works good for me and my playing style. Most guys who try it feel really cramped, but if I try a Fender it feels unnecessarily huge. I did not start on upright and move to electric as many players did. Just before I found Alembic I was playing a Gibson Les Paul Triumph which had a fairly small fingerboard (and string-length!). I also never pursued thumb playing so spacing wasn't an issue for that. I guess I have a light touch but that allows me to play in tune, keep the action low, and get around a bit quicker. This is just how my self-taught style developed and I've been very lucky with how it all worked out!
Thanks!
Jimmy J
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And we're lucky how it worked out, as well!
Peter
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Thanks Again Jimmy J. for clueing us in here on "how does he do that!?" Your detailed answers (while probably old-hat to you) are often fascinating to us because they come from a stage on which we don't play.
I am particularly drawn to Answer #1, as it surprised me a little, and because it kinda' relates to a current situation. I remember you posting something a good while back about balancing your pickups more by the trimpots than the volumes at hand's reach. I get the filters wide open part... I reckon you're sending the FOH folks 100% freqencies available, and they use what they need?
Having two independent volumes is relatively new to me, more recently a master volume too, but once I 'got' how Series electronics did what they did, and realized manipulating those volumes and filters independently of each other, it was like striking a match in a cave. I still found that 'happy sonic spot' that I try to find with any bass, a task made much easier with the filters of Alembic basses. Even with the added adjustability, that little wedge of sonic space is what I seemed to instinctively return to consistently. (this must be what you call your "one noise"... yes - that's perfect!) I have also discovered there are very tiny little... -I'll call them artifacts, but that isn't right either- there's something indescribably extra within what I like to hear anymore. The ability to hear all that stuff makes me play cleaner... duzzat make sense? I want the ability to dial in exactly this sound, and I don't neccesarily want to be fiddling with it between every tune.
It had not occurred to me you didn't do much of any adjustments either. Do you find it's about the same for your main basses? (meaning the ones that get the most play-time)
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Hey Gregory,
Thanks for the post. These basses definitely encourage us to play "cleaner" because everything is revealed in the output signal. After all these years I still find the TONE inspirational. Nice to be able to pick up the bass and think ... yeah, that's the sound.
Yes to sending the full-range to the FOH. I do the same in the studio. I know the bass has a wide frequency range and can take up a lot of space so I leave it to the engineers to shape it as they see fit. But at least they have options. I recall Holdsworth being amazed that he could boost 5k on the bass track and it would have an effect. "There's audio content up there!"
To expand a bit on my "one noise" thing, yes, these are the same settings I use 98.7% of the time and on all my basses. Over the years I've played in many bands which had wide dynamics. Aside from a couple Baked Potato bands 8) none of my gigs have been with groups that play every song at the same volume. So my playing style developed to be able to control both tone and volume with my hands. That sounds really basic but that's been my approach from the beginning and that means I almost never move the controls.
After saying that, I'll admit that in recent years when playing live with the Gadd Band (most dynamic kick drum in history!) I got into trimming the master volume a hair for the quietest ballads. The band played SO quietly that I needed to cut a few db for the beginning of those tunes. But when the bass solo came around I'd bump it back to normal and leave it there 'till the end so ... subtle I guess. Ha! On the JT gig the knobs never move.
I admire the "real" studio cats who have a trunk full of basses and can offer up a wide variety of sounds to fit any particular track. Like; "this old Danelectro with flatwounds will sound best with that Ludwig kit"... That's amazing to me! I've never had those kind of "sonic" chops. I approach bass sound from a different angle and have been lucky that my sound has been able to fit into so many different musical situations.
Everybody stay safe,
Jimmy J
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Gregory, the Master Volume seems like an extra you may not need until you remember the original plan for these beasts:
After you get your blend with the individual pickup knobs (and/or the trim pots, depending how you want to approach this), the breakouts from the power supply were, aside from the single full-range out, independent outputs for each pickup. With the master volume you can raise or lower both outputs without affecting that blend.
The signal chain of bass-power supply/two channel out-f2b/two-channel out to as many stereo power amps and cabinets as required is colossal, though probably overkill today, what with IEM's and far more capable FOH and Monitors than in the days it was created.
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Hi Jimmy,
While researching one of my favorite guitarist, Emily Remler, I see you played on a couple of tracks on her last album, 'This is Me' from 1990.
She was a truly talented jazz musician who won Guitarist of the Year for Down Beat in 1985.
Unfortunately, as you know, she passed away far too young and soon after that album was released.
Are there any stories or memories of working with Emily that you care to share? Thanks.
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Hey Southpaw,
Yes, it was nice to be a part of that record and such a shame that she left us so early. I remember her as being very nice. And it was unusual at that time (maybe still) to meet a woman playing jazz so the whole band dug that.
I'm sorry but my old brain retains no further insights or memories of what was probably only a 3-hour session for me... I just found the record on YouTube and listened to the 2 tracks I got to play on, with the unmistakable Jeff Porcaro and Luis Conte provoiding the groove. Good times! I was lucky to be along for the ride.
It seems like this was her first foray into the world of "smooth jazz" with Jeff Weber producing, Russ Freeman and David Benoit co-writing... She played it all great and true, but I hope it wasn't a bad experience for her.
Jimmy J
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Thanks for the info Jimmy. I would call it a successful session: 2 tracks, 3 hours, played with terrific musicians, had fun and got paid!
Such a shame... With time she probably would have only grown. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
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Thrilled to see this today:) Sounds great!
https://youtu.be/esMP9MKHTiI (https://youtu.be/esMP9MKHTiI)
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Wow that's great stuff!!!
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Cheers cats,
Dewa's a super nice guy who writes some unusual music and lets us all do our thing within the framework. The usual M.O. from me for a "file exchange" project; I built out my parts in ProTools first, then shot and edited my portion of the video later. All very cleverly assembled by Dewa's video team!
Jimmy J
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An interesting guitar that he's playing; the lowest string does not go to the end of the fingerboard, somewhat like a banjo.
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David,
Actually, it's just a Steinberger style guitar where the 0 fret is the nut and the tailpiece is the headstock - if you see what I mean. Funny though, because Dewa was influenced by Allan Holdsworth who played these types of guitars for several years. And Allan always used to refer to his himself as "Jack Cheese on the banjo". :D
Jimmy J
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Wow Jimmy that sounds great, you guys are world class cats, love the bass solo... I need to transcribe it, you have unique use of chords and double stops. Just perfect
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An interesting guitar that he's playing; the lowest string does not go to the end of the fingerboard, somewhat like a banjo.
I see what you mean, but I think it's just some sort of digital artifact caused by the (purposely) lo res video.
Nice stuff!
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... I see what you mean, but I think it's just some sort of digital artifact caused by the (purposely) lo res video ...
Ah; that would also explain why the frets seemed to be unusually placed.
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Really enjoyed this music! Great playing from all of you :)
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Hi again Jimmy,
I’m looking forward to the James Taylor concert rescheduled for July 29 in Chicago. I kept my original ticket and will be there!
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Scotland has reopened! High time some 2022 dates appeared :)
Graeme
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I don't know much of James Taylor stuff but if the tour comes close by i will certainly check it out.
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JT and my folks are from the same little corner of North Carolina, Jazzy... he's a world-class entertainer and musical story-teller. Getting to watch and listen to our buddy Jimmy J. do the job with him is a treat. If you get a chance, go. ;)
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Hey all,
Yes, it feels like we're slowly emerging from this dark tunnel and there may be some live music happening again soon. Even the Baked Potato has reopened - at 1/2 capacity which means only 20 people in the club. HA!
Mike in Chicago; first of all, thank you for hanging on to your original 2020 tickets. It seems over 80% of the audience did that, which is amazing! July 28 & 29 are the first shows of this twice-rescheduled tour and there is still a bit of concern. Because it was essentially a sold out tour, by the time we get there all venues in all states need to be able to operate at 100% capacity. Plus the audiences members need to feel comfortable being in large crowds again... As long as our virus numbers keep going down and vaccine numbers up, I think we'll be ok. But you can see it's still a gamble on how soon we'll be able to operate "normally". Hopefully it will happen as planned, this time.
Jazzyvee, what people like musically is of course all over the map so you might want to check it out a bit to see if it appeals to you on some level. JT's music is generally pretty mellow - but one of the things we all like about it is that it includes a variety of musical styles and dynamics. And I think his lyrics are quite amazing - plain (American) English words but with deep meanings which can be interpreted in different ways. He's a clever poet.
Cheers to all.
Music is about to make a comeback!
Jimmy J
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While I've got you here, I thought some of you might enjoy seeing my recent - crudely made - range-extending bass hack.
Guitarist Mike Miller wrote a tune which called for a very high bass melody, but each phrase started on a high-A just above my highest-G... Now I've been known to use false fingered harmonics for the occasional upper extension, but I just couldn't get that to speak reliably while trying to move the melody around.
So ... here's a pic of my nasty mod, adding a "26th fret" for a high-A. It actually worked long enough for me to record the melody and didn't sound too bad when doubled by his guitar a couple octaves higher. :D
I'm sure Alembic could design a really nice truss rod cover with a couple extra frets but I'm not going to pursue a permanent solution because I've got enough notes on this bass to keep me busy!
Jimmy J
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Cool mod for sure! Thanks for sharing...
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Love that 26th fret!!
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Jimmy, thanks for the laugh. There is undoubtedly a place awaiting you in the DIY Hall of Fame! Your mod makes Mickey Mouse proud!
Bill, tgo
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Hey all,
Yes, it feels like we're slowly emerging from this dark tunnel and there may be some live music happening again soon. Even the Baked Potato has reopened - at 1/2 capacity which means only 20 people in the club. HA!
Mike in Chicago; first of all, thank you for hanging on to your original 2020 tickets. It seems over 80% of the audience did that, which is amazing! July 28 & 29 are the first shows of this twice-rescheduled tour and there is still a bit of concern. Because it was essentially a sold out tour, by the time we get there all venues in all states need to be able to operate at 100% capacity. Plus the audiences members need to feel comfortable being in large crowds again... As long as our virus numbers keep going down and vaccine numbers up, I think we'll be ok. But you can see it's still a gamble on how soon we'll be able to operate "normally". Hopefully it will happen as planned, this time.
Jazzyvee, what people like musically is of course all over the map so you might want to check it out a bit to see if it appeals to you on some level. JT's music is generally pretty mellow - but one of the things we all like about it is that it includes a variety of musical styles and dynamics. And I think his lyrics are quite amazing - plain (American) English words but with deep meanings which can be interpreted in different ways. He's a clever poet.
Cheers to all.
Music is about to make a comeback!
Jimmy J
Hey Jimmy, JT also rescheduled the Houston show for October 17 & I still have my ticket from last year, so looking forward the seeing you & hopefully meeting you!
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Good bit of Lateral thinking there Jimmy, and I have no doubt you will find another opportunity to use it.
I'm sure I saw Mike Miller with Chick Corea's Elektric band back in 93 at the Leeds Jazz Festival in the UK.
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You know you're in a different bass forum crowd when two octaves just won't cut it. ;D
Well-dun!
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I also saw Mike Miller with Chick Corea, at the Maintenance Shop in Ames, IA. It's a very small venue, about 150 seats. I was seated right in front of Mike.
He and I have the same name. We were staying at the same hotel. At the beginning of the second show, I handed him a list of messages meant for him, he handed me a list of messages he received meant for me.
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... He and I have the same name. We were staying at the same hotel. At the beginning of the second show, I handed him a list of messages meant for him, he handed me a list of messages he received meant for me.
Hah! Great story!
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You beat me to it, Dave! :D
Hi Mike. I hope you are well.
I’m starting to get back with my musical brethren in Chicago as vaccinations pick up.
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I saw Mike miller with his super all stars band at the Baked Potato in Los Angeles in September 2012. It was an amazing show with our very own Jimmy Johnson(b), Walt Fowler(T) and Smitty Smith on drums. I don't recall who played keys that night but it was one of the best show I've seen.
Graeme
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I absolutely LOVE the Wayne Johnson Trio stuff. I have all the CD's. Thanks for reminding me to put it back into rotation in my CD changer in the car. Yup, I don't do downloads, etc. I still love my CD's.
After I bought an iPod on Craigslist with over 2,000 songs on it and didn't know you had to use the same Apple computer to download iTunes or you'll lose everything, I never used an iPod again. Good thing they weren't songs I cared about too much or were hard to find, it's the principle. An excuse for me not being current on technology.
But yeah, I LOVE the old Jimmy stuff like Wayne Johnson, Flim and the BB's, and of course Allan Holdsworth !
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I was out and around on Youtube and this popped up. My granddaughter loves it and starts bouncing as soon as she hears it.
Oh and who ever put the video together finally put the bass player out front where they belong. ;D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfNo8UUyWBQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfNo8UUyWBQ)
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If only that Cat would quit beatin' on that dented up wash-pan so I could zone in on Jimmy's bass part. ;D
That's Fantastic! Makes me want to take a tropical vacation. and take my bass.
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Keith, now you know your granddaughter enjoys 7/8 time. That's funny!
You've found some more of my home-made bass work (audio and video), this time for Chris Wabich. I know him mostly as a drummer but he plays a bit of everything including steel drum. And he enjoys odd time signatures and can play fluidly over any combination of numbers. I've never been great at that ... but I can see that the more you do it the easier it becomes.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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It is kind of funny since she can't even count to one.
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Jimmy,
A certain drummer mentioned it on his FB feed, so I wish you a very peaceful and Happy Birthday! Hope to hear you in person again soon.
Best,
Ed V
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Happy B-day, Jimmy!
Bill, tgo
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Hope you had a wonderful day!
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Yes, hope you had a great day! :)
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Wishes for many, many more, Jimmy J. Thanks for all your contributions here, all year 'round. :)
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Same birthday as Tony Levin? 8)
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Happy Birthday to you, JJ !!! Hope you had a great day with your loved ones doing whatever low key things it is you like to do. - Mike B.
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Happy Birthday, Jimmy J!
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Cheers chaps, thanks for the wishes. Now settle down in here. :)
I think Tony's was yesterday so happy belated to him.
Jimmy J
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Happy belated Birthday Jimmy. Hope you had a great day. You and Gary H have obviously had a very long career together; in some of his photos you look to be in your twenties!.
all the best
Graeme
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Happy birthday Jimmy! All best!!!
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I hope you had a good birthday Jimmy.
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Happy Birthday Mr. Johnson. Many more happy and healthy years to you and thank you for sharing your musical gifts with us all.
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Happy Birthday Jimmy! Looking forward to seeing you with JT in Houston October 17!
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Happy Birthday Jimmy! If you ever come to Galiano Island I’ll bake you a cake!
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Hey Jimmy, i see you've answered a ton of questions about your string spacing already, but being curious about trying a setup like that for myself, i was wondering if you'd be cool enough to take out a ruler and measure the distance from the centre of the low B to the centre of the G at the bridge. Forgive me if this has already been asked before, but i did a quick flip though and didn't see this exact one answered yet. I spend about 90% of my time playing with fingers or a pick, and have never been a fan of really wide and/or tapering necks, so when i saw your bass, i got excited by the idea of 5 nearly-parallel strings sitting in a pretty tight looking space. Having just recently gotten myself involved with a group where some extended range would be useful, i figured i'd like to try it out by pulling a conversion on something where the consequences of me not liking it are far lower than me spending a good chunk of change on getting something made to spec.
As an aside, i've got to squeeze in a little obligatory praise mixed in with a short backstory and say that i didn't know about you until a couple of years ago when a JT track came up on a radio station set up by "the poor man's private disc jockey" (read "Pays the band pennies" a.k.a. Spotify) and I had to look up who the bass player was because your tone was good enough for me to have apparently "made the stank face" while listening to a folky acoustic record! That's an accomplishment! haha
Judging by the last few posts, it looks like it was your birthday recently - might as well join the fan club and wish you a happy belated!
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Hey Moose,
Thanks for the note and kind words. JT's recording engineer Dave O'Donnell makes us all sound good.
I'm sure I mentioned somewhere in this thread that I think my first 5-string was actually built on a 4-string neck which would explain the tight spacing. My graphite fretless is for sure. It's what I'm used to and still prefer.
My basses vary a bit, and they do taper, but here's what I see for center of the B to center of the G:
recording bass - bridge: 2-1/16" nut: 1-1/2"(minus a hair)
live bass - bridge:2-1/8" nut: 1-1/2"(minus a 32nd)
fretless - bridge: 2-1/4"(minus a 32nd) nut: 1-5/8"
And my feeling about this is ... you can adjust to any spacing in literally seconds. I played on a couple sessions where people provided basses for me to play. I'm generally game to try. One guy rented a Fender-P and another asked me to play his Hofner Beatle bass. The funny thing is, it still kinda sounded like me even though it wasn't anywhere near my normal tone. The music wasn't difficult so the physical oddness of playing it on a weird 4-string axe wasn't a problem. But the point is, I was able to adjust to it quickly enough to get the tracks recorded.
Cheers all,
Jimmy J
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I have always felt that my 1978 Series five-string was built on a four-string neck. There is hardly any taper at all. I am getting a measurement of 1 9/16" at the nut (center of G to center of B) and 2" at the bridge. When I got it used in 1984 it was the first five-string I had ever tried playing so I had no idea if the neck width was odd. There were few five-strings on the market at the time, I don't remember ever seeing one at the local Sam Ash or other music stores. Since I play primarily with a pick the string spacing was less of an issue but it is definitely a difficult bass to play finger style, which is something I also enjoy doing.
Watching the evolution of the five-string bass over the years it seemed like a lot of manufacturers early five-string basses were made on four-string necks but over time neck width has increased, as have spacing options at the bridge. Lots of options available now.
Jimmy... do you still have your first Alembic five-string, apologies if this has already been answered? I also missed your birthday so a belated Happy Birthday with wishes for many more to follow!
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Hey Jimmy, thanks so much for the measurements, you're right, those do look like 4 string measurements. In fact, your "live bass" seems to line right up with my rickenbacker 4003. Very neat! I definitely agree that string spacing can easily be adjusted to, but seeing as this new group seems to be my main outfit for the time being, why not try something fun and interesting? I think that will be very comfortable. Thanks again and good luck on the road once it's open. If you ever make your way up to the Great White North with JT and the gang, I'll be sure to check out the show. Taylor's a great songwriter, too. Very clever stuff. And Stephen, very neat that your bass has similar spacing, perhaps such an idea isn't as radical as i first thought!
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Stephen,
My original 1976 Series-I 5-string was stolen out of a Ryder truck while I was on the road in 1987. It had some odd and easily identifiable things about it, but amazingly it has never resurfaced. The basses (yes, two) Alembic built to replace it were made with the same materials and approximate dimensions and are really great instruments. They may in fact be better than that first one but I couldn't ever A/B them.
Moose, you aren't thinking of converting the Ric to a 5 are you? Don't those pickups have 4 pole pieces? We were supposed to play our way across Canada this fall but it may be pushed into 2022...
Jimmy J
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Haha, no not the ric, that thing's my baby! Quite a sentimental piece that thing is. I was thinking of picking up something "cheap-enough-to-fiddle-with-but-good-enough-to-gig" and doing it to that. Now i know to look for something with roughly ric-sized dimensions to try it on. I just found out about a guy by the name of Jeff Rath in Colorado who does convert the real things and in the process will swap out (or modify the original) pickups for 6 (or 7 [edit: or 5, too, apparently!]) poles, which i imagine would act as though they had bar magnets [edit: perhaps not for the 5 pole versions]. Interesting...
Also, good to hear you guys are coming up to Canada, i'll keep my eye out for the show announcements!
Thanks again for taking the time
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Hi Jimmy,
Such a shame to hear what happened with your 76 Series I five-string. Sorry to bring up what must still be a painful memory. IMO that bass is historically important, a five-string bass with a B string made so much sense once I tried playing one, for me it was truly a game changer. I have always felt a debt of gratitude to you and the folks at Alembic for bringing the concept to fruition.
cheers,
SR
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Moose,
That's a trip about Jeff Rath doing those conversions. Gotta wonder how the truss rod, neck joint, tailpiece, etc. are all able to deal with the 20% increase in pull. Ha!
Stephen,
Yes, I miss that old bass and wish it would reappear. In this age of everything finding its way back to eBay, one would think... But the Alembic family are still watching out for it so who knows. I don't claim to be the first with the low-B idea, I defer to Anthony Jackson and his "contrabass guitar" concept which seems to have happened a year or two earlier. Though he went both low and high with his 6-string monster. But yes, that '76 was a great bass and obviously got me hooked on everything Alembic. THAT was the sound I was going for in my head!
Jimmy J
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Jeff has been doing those conversions for probably 15 years or more. I'm personally allergic to that tight string spacing (LOL!), but he seems to get nice results, especially on 4004 models.
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Thrilled to see this today:) Sounds great!
https://youtu.be/esMP9MKHTiI (https://youtu.be/esMP9MKHTiI)
Man, that Solo is beautifull!
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Thanks Mario.
That was a clever way to make all our individually submitted home-made videos look like they had something in common. 8)
Jimmy J
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Just saw the new JT tour dates - already have my tickets for the Victoria BC Canada show!
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Jimmy, I'm really looking forward to seeing you with JT in Chicago on Thursday.
Thursday should be a break from the heat here, according to the latest weather reports. Hoping for a "cool" evening.
I've been listening to James Taylor and Jackson Browne since the 60s (high school daze)!
Totally psyched for the music. 8)
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Hey Mike,
That will be the first gig of this somewhat tentative tour. It's sure going to be be great to play for people again. And Jackson has a great band so we're looking forward to hearing them too. I'm sorry but we're under heavy covid-related restrictions on this tour, meaning I can't come out and say hello. But please enjoy the show and let me know how it sounds out front. I'm a fan of all this music too!
Richard, all I can say is be patient. We're gonna get up there ... eventually.
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy.
Will James have any special guests when he comes to Glasgow in January?
Graeme
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Graeme,
Not that I know of. These gigs over here are double-bills like the show you saw with Bonnie Raitt a few years back in DC. Jackson and his band will play an hour or so and then JT will do 75+ minutes. I'd love it if they tried this package over there - with Bonnie or Jackson - but so far it hasn't happened.
JT's largest audience is still here in the US with the UK probably 2nd. English language being the key I suppose. But unlike Sting, Elton John and others, James says he didn't do much overseas touring in his early days as it was just too easy to keep playing the US circuit every year. So he feels like he didn't build an International audience. He does well in Australia (language again) and pretty well in France and Italy. But the further we get from home the smaller the band gets so that's an indicator of the "market".
The proposed January (winter...?) EU tour is supposed to start with a small band but it may expand when we get to the UK. I don't know the details yet but so far they want bass notes on all of it so that works for me. :D
Jimmy J
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Hey Mike,
That will be the first gig of this somewhat tentative tour. It's sure going to be be great to play for people again. And Jackson has a great band so we're looking forward to hearing them too. I'm sorry but we're under heavy covid-related restrictions on this tour, meaning I can't come out and say hello. But please enjoy the show and let me know how it sounds out front. I'm a fan of all this music too!
Richard, all I can say is be patient. We're gonna get up there ... eventually.
Jimmy J
Hey Jimmy, I'm so bummed that you can't come out and say hi! I have tickets to the Houston show & meeting you was the main reason I was going! Don't get me wrong, I like JT's music, but I was more excited about meeting you than hearing him! Guess I'll just have to catch you at the Spud sometime!
Rusty
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Yeah, sorry about that Rusty. C'mon now, it's not my gig, I'm just the bass player. You can ask me anything here in the forum that you could have asked me in person. :)
Touring with James is about as great as touring can get. But this particular tour at this particular moment in time is gonna be a little tricky. Frankly, it feels like we're beta testers out here trying to move 100+ people through the country while avoiding a very contagious bug... So we'll see how it goes. Happy to be playing this music, with this band, and for all the JT fans. Hope we can pull it off without incident.
Cheers all,
Jimmy J
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Yeah, sorry about that Rusty. C'mon now, it's not my gig, I'm just the bass player. You can ask me anything here in the forum that you could have asked me in person. :)
Touring with James is about as great as touring can get. But this particular tour at this particular moment in time is gonna be a little tricky. Frankly, it feels like we're beta testers out here trying to move 100+ people through the country while avoiding a very contagious bug... So we'll see how it goes. Happy to be playing this music, with this band, and for all the JT fans. Hope we can pull it off without incident.
Cheers all,
Jimmy J
Your name may not be on the ticket, but for me you are the draw. Put it this way, I don't own any JT recordings, but I do have Alan Holdsworth & Flim & The BB's CD's!
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Thanks Jimmy. I think by October I’m BC restrictions will be pretty light. We’re looking forward to it. Live music, as they say, is best!!
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... it feels like we're beta testers out here trying to move 100+ people through the country while avoiding a very contagious bug ... Hope we can pull it off without incident.
I don't need to tell you to be careful, but I will anyway.
Be careful.
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The show in Chicago Thursday night was fantastic! The sound was excellent, the mix was on point, and the production was immersive and clever. James called you his band leader in your intro.
Thank you for a wonderful concert memory with JT’s All-Star Band, Jackson Browne and his band, the hard working road crew, and the fans of both acts who were very considerate, positive and truly friendly.
I hardly minded the 45 minutes in queue to get out of the parking lot 😉 👏👏🎶
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Thanks for the report Mike. I'm glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the kind words. Kinda freaky to see a crowd of 10k+ folks all gathered together again. But everybody, onstage and in the audience, have been looking forward to the opportunity to do just that. Now we hope everybody stays healthy.
I've said it before; James is really the band leader and musical director. I'm more like the band librarian. :)
Jimmy J
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Sounds like a great gig Mike. I'm really looking forward to the Glasgow gig in January now - our seat allocation came through yesterday - 2nd row in front of JJ if the stage is set up in JTs usual fashion - so we'll be able to wave in a socially distant manner :) . Unlike Rusty, I've been a JT fan since my Bro played me the Sweet Baby James album, so long before I'd even heard of Jimmy (to my shame that didn't happen till I joined the Alembic family in 1995 when I bought my Epic and started looking into the company). I think I can safely say I have every official JT recording now. :) Funnily enough, we did get to see Jackson Browne in 2012 when we were in LA for our 25th wedding anniversary but only because he was in the audience for Bonnie Raitt at the Greek theater (along with a couple of dozen other celebrities - it was Bonnie's birthday gig and she'd invited all her friends).
Graeme
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Good Morning Jimmy J. and Welcome to Roanoke VA. I saw the trucks on the lot as I was passing the Berglund Center on the way in to work this morning. Hope you all have a great show tonight, and a nice time while in my little town. My guitar-playing coworker is coming, been holding tickets since the date last year, and bringing his daughter too. I am desperately hoping to get outta' here in time to catch the show myself. :P
Play on through, and I PROMISE to catch the next one if it doesn't work out. Lean on The Gaddashians a little maybe, for an East Coaster? ;D
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Sounds like it's going to be a great tour. Disappointed to see that there's no Minneapolis, MN date on this tour given the hometown connection (and that fact that we've now reached a stage where over 83% of the population either has been vaccinated or has immunity from earlier COVID experiences). You'll need to make sure we are not skipped over next time given that you're now apparently being introduced as the "band leader."
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Hey Greg,
Thanks for the welcome and good wishes. We’ll try our best tonight. We got in around 5am, heading to soundcheck at 2 (it’s a COVID testing day - weee) and we leave immediately after the gig. So sadly, no time to enjoy your lovely town this time around.
Brian,
We are in fact supposed to play St. Paul on November 29 (should be nice and chilly by then). But again, this whole tour feels a bit shaky so it depends on a lot of factors. Fingers crossed.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy
That’s great information as I’ve yet to see it listed on James site. I’ll keep an eye out for a listing and hope you get a chance to visit home (hey, I know you might not have lived here for years but as you probably know, if someone flies over Minnesota we count them as a native son/daughter.
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Jimmy,
Hope all is well on the tour so far! I'm sure you're seeing lots of very happy and grateful audiences at every stop.
Unfortunately, Team V won't be able to make the New Orleans show this time around but will be sending good vibes to all. We'll catch you on the next go round!
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Ed,
It's true, the audience response has been intense. People seem very happy to get out to shows again. Although I'm fully vaxed and still we wearing my mask in public, I'm not ready to attend any large shows yet. It feels strange to be in large crowds like concert halls, airports or planes. It's gonna take me a while to get comfortable with that again.
That said, we are plowing ahead with these tour dates while trying to keep our bands and crews in a bubble. I just hope aren't leaving a wake of sick people behind us...
We'll catch you next time around. Best to you and your gals.
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy, I'm looking forward to seeing you in Houston Sunday night! I'm bummed that I don't get to meet you, but I will at least enjoy getting to see you play in person finally!
Rusty G
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Hey Rusty,
Thanks in advance or supporting the team. I'm sorry that we can't chat but hopefully another time. Enjoy the show and watch for the flying artichokes (you'll see what I mean). :D
Jimmy J
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Maybe I can catch you at The Spud sometime! I'll definitely be on the lookout for "flying artichokes!" Enjoy your time in Texas!
Rusty
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Just got to our seats, looking forward to a great show!
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Hey Jimmy, the show was amazing! The musicianship was top notch, the sound was crystal clear, and the light show was one of the coolest I’ve ever seen! The “flying artichokes” were very cool and unique! Has anyone ever been hit by one? How in the world do they move that enormous tree?? I loved how James did all the song intros! It was like watching a live documentary on how the songs were written! I never knew how funny he is! He has a great sense of humor! I only had two disappointments, y’all didn’t play “Your Smiling Face” (I was looking forward to seeing you do Lee’s disco pops!) and they weren’t selling Jimmy Johnson T Shirts! 😎 I was also bummed I didn’t get to meet you, but someday…….
Keep living the dream! You are blessed to get to do what you do!!
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Hey Rusty!
Thanks for the nice review. Glad you enjoyed the show. Also great to hear Bob Glaub laying down his classic bass playing for Jackson, right? It's like a lesson hearing him play exactly the right thing to support those tunes every night.
None of us has been nailed by any artichokes so far (whew!) but yeah, pretty trippy visual stuff going on. My eyes are closed most of the time so I'm generally unaware, but everybody says it looks cool.
And JT does have a great sense of humor and a funny, dry delivery. He's also a really smart guy who seems to know something about everything. He can carry on a conversation with anybody on any subject. Pretty interesting.
Yeah, JJ T-shirts, that will be the day! HA!
I know how lucky I am to be part of this band but thanks for reminding me.
Jimmy J
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Sorry for the late reply, I've been out of town since your show. Yes, Bob was great too! I really enjoyed both bands! Here's a few shots of the stage so you can see the artichokes working their magic! I didn't take the video, but it was from the Houston show I was at & it has a good angle on you so here's what you sounded like!
https://youtu.be/Tup13vhqoWc (https://youtu.be/Tup13vhqoWc)
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Thanks Rusty,
That's a heck-of-a TV set we're playing in front of. I kinda had no idea. Ha!! Looks pretty cool.
Jimmy J
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Wow that’s how the other half gig!!!
Jimmy, i’m glad you still have that love of gigging and touring. I hope to get to one of the UK dates.
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Will James be bringing that same light show to Glasgow Jimmy? That would be pretty cool! last time round in 2017 he brought the US show to the UK although it didn't look as sophisticated as Rusty's photos.
Graeme
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Hey Graeme,
I'm not sure what the plan is, or how large the production will be over there. JT's biggest "market" is still here in the US. And although he loves to take his music all over, my understanding is that he does not come out ahead when he tours the EU. He does well in the UK, able to play large venues, so the size of the band and production often reflects that. But the last time he carried us ALL around the EU probably cost him a bundle... So that's why it is often a scaled down show anywhere but in the US. He says that during his heyday he never nurtured the rest of the world simply because he could go round and round in the US every year.
All that said, I also have to say - without actually saying - hang on to those tickets but use a pencil when writing the date in your calendar.
Cheers!
Jimmy J
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Looking forward to seeing Jimmy with JT in Victoria, BC - the cancelled October show is now rescheduled to May 11, with Jackson Browne! Last time I saw Bob Glaub was with Linda Ronstadt in 1976 or so.
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Hey Richard,
Thanks for hanging on to your tix. Bob is such a great solid bass player, and a swell guy too. I've been enjoying hearing him play exactly the right thing at exactly the right time for many years. We're looking forward to our run across Canada in the spring. Let's hope the pandemic has petered out by then...
Jimmy J
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Jimmy,
I saw clips from the Billy Childs/Baked Potato rehearsal on Instagram...wow! I have some of those CD's from when they were first released, beautiful stuff.
I know that there is some video-on-demand on the Potato website, but do you know if those gigs will be posted for purchase? I'd happily pay twice the cover for that since I'm so far away.
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Ed V,
Childs has a very strong left hand and writes accordingly. His music has been kicking my a$$ for years! :o Thankfully he gives us plenty of notice so we can shed before we get to the gig. And we had a wild and fun weekend with Gary Novak on drums and Andrew Renfroe on guitar.
The Baked Potato set up a good system for streaming, which thankfully helped keep the place afloat over these past couple years. They also transformed the back parking lot into patio seating with live audio and video piped in from the stage. That's technically "outdoors" so it allows more people to attend.
They haven't done the streaming thing for a while though. I think it may be a little complicated legally. Keep in mind the club is still owned by Don Randi of the famous Wrecking Crew rhythm section so I'm sure he wants the composer's, publisher's, and performance rights to all be legit. But frankly I doubt that's even possible in the streaming medium. Music is free (don't get me started).
Anyway, to the best of my knowledge, they still have the control room set up (for the closed circuit patio) and are very likely archiving all these performances. So sometime in the distant future there could be a treasure trove of content made available. We will see.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Wow I didn't know that, last time I was at Baked Potato was in 2003... I would love (and many more people) for Baked Potato to have streaming service, I know jazz cub Smalls has that. I would pay for most of gigs to sit home and watch them, or even just to listen.
Hope future is bright for Baked Potato.
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Jimmy,
I agree with the "music is free" frustration...I refuse to use any music streaming services until musicians have an arrangement that is more like the way content producers and actors get compensated for streaming their content. That seems to be a better model IMHO. I know that I am also in the minority where that is concerned, but so far there is nothing that has changed my mind.
As soon as I get an evening free, I'm going to VOD the Mike Landau Liquid Quartet show while eating a homemade baked potato on my couch. Win-win!
Best,
Ed V
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Looking forward to the Jimmy Johnson and James Taylor show in Victoria BC on May 11!
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7th october in our case but better late than never !
Graeme
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I just looked at the booking for Birmingham and it's sold out and the venue holds 16,000!!
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Jimmy, I just got the new Gary Husband release from Bandcamp that you are on, The Trackers. Cool stuff, high energy, it’s out there! :)
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Hey thanks all. Let's hope touring is a bit less bizarre this coming year. Fingers crossed...
Rob, it's always a treat to play with Husband in any setting, he's such a creative monster. He and Alf built some cool tracks here and all of us bass players had fun adding our bits.
Jimmy J
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Not sure if this has been posted before but whilst looking for some steel pan songs and thought you might recognise this bass player Jimmy J. ;-)
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Great stuff Jazzyvee! Jimmy is quite possibly the most tasteful bass player on the planet! Every note and space is perfectly placed for the perfect feel to the song!
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It is pretty awesome isn't it.
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Yes it is!!!
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Hey, cool it you guys (but thanks for the kind words). Know that I spent plenty of time assembling the bass parts for both of these projects so the video representation is just me trying to finger-sync along with the parts I had built in ProTools... ;) Good fun though! And great to play with these other fine musicians.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Jimmy, it was time well spent! You have left us the legacy of the recordings for generations to enjoy!
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Pan Fried Chicken had me smiling. The fun certainly shown through.
I am also tickled to see Rusty back here… it’s been awhile ain’it?
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Thanks Pauldo! It's good to be back!
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More Jimmy clips brings bass players out of hibernation!
Thanks Jazzy for finding these videos, and thanks again Jimmy for every note you show us!
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I watched that video so many time! Jimmy you are so musical...
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Thanks my Alembic pals, I appreciate the support. I've had a LOT of great opportunities to make music with a lot of great musicians - and with my small collection of fine Series basses. ;D
I've been super lucky!
Jimmy J
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The Gary Husband tune is cool, kind of like modern world music. I’ve gotten a few of his releases off of Bandcamp, quite a variety of styles in a way. Love listening to your work on his tunes, also on the Steve Gadd albums. :)
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Yeah Rob, Husband is a rare and deep talent on both drums and keys. I love playing with him in any musical situation. That 2nd track above is actually a Steve Hunt piece that Gary and I were invited to play on. Hunt played keys with the two of us in Allan Holdsworth's band back in the day so it was fun to revive that combination, sadly too late for Allan to join us.
Jimmy J
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More Jimmy clips brings bass players out of hibernation!
Thanks Jazzy for finding these videos, and thanks again Jimmy for every note you show us!
It just keeps getting better! 😃. Hi Mike! Long time friend.
If Keavin (#12] shows up I will be beyond words.
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The Chicago crowd! A little pandemic doesn’t stop us, it just slows things down. A love of music, artistry, talent and creativity binds us together and “Keeps Me Hanging On” (a quick Motown/ Vanilla Fudge reference).
I’m still practicing, recording, playing occasionally and enjoying the passage of time.
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I posted the Pan Fried Chicken clip here last year after finding it. My granddaughter loves that one. I don't recall seeing the Gary Husband - Steve Hunt clip but sounds great. It's sad Allan couldn't be there to complete the quartet.
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This pretty song was posted by Chris Wabich on his Youtube page a couple of weeks ago.
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Hold up… my ears hear fretless yet my eyes see frets. Jimmy, any answers?
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I thing that his lines fretless, sorry for answering it for you :)
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Yes, Goran is correct, they are inlaid lines. Hey, lines, side LEDs, floodlights, I'll take whatever I can get to play the fretless in tune. (Not to mention a ton of punching in and editing - remember none of these project videos of mine are actually "live".) ;D
Jimmy J
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That's just gorgeous in every way.
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Hey Jimmy! I caught the James Taylor Calgary show this evening and was surprised to not see you there. Is everything OK with you? Wish you the best, and I hope everything is alright:)
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Thanks for asking. We had a problem on this tour leg with Covid sneaking into our "bubble". Almost everybody on the singer's bus tested positive at some point over the last 10 days causing us to postpone (again!) last week's Winnipeg show. And despite my best efforts to avoid it, the last touring member to test positive was ME...
Luckily most of our cases have been mild and everybody (except the tour accountant and I, plus two crew members) recovered quickly enough to travel to and play the Calgary show. Jackson Browne's bassist Bob Glaub was gracious enough to jump in and sub for me on JT's set. He's one of the greatest pop bass players of all time, in my opinion, and a super-nice fella. I'm sure he put all the low notes right where they needed to be.
Pending a negative test for me tonight I plan to travel to Edmonton tomorrow and get there in time for soundcheck. This has probably been the most chaotic tour experience any of us have ever had. Things looked pretty good before we started but Canada experienced a spike in cases just as we got up here and this sneaky, extremely virulent bug found its way in and threw a wrench into our machine. Hopefully we're done dealing with it now and can finish this last week and get home safely.
Sorry to miss you Stumblecat but I hope you enjoyed the show.
Jimmy J
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Sorry to hear that you tested positive and that your recovery wasn't quick enough to avoid missing a show. Hope you're feeling better today.
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Bummer! Hope your symptoms are as minimal as can be and you have a quick and full recovery, Jimmy. It all starts with health.
Bill, tgo
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Sounds like an extremely challenging environment and logistics to manage. Sorry to hear that you caught it as well. Hoping you have mild symptoms and a full and speedy recovery!
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Thanks so much for the (detailed) explanation, Jimmy, and I’m glad it didn’t hit you too hard:) Of course the show was fantastic, and I am also a big fan of Bob Glaub, so it was cool to see him there! Although to be honest, the bass was the ONLY thing that was boomy/diffuse/undefined in the mix. I have heard that large stadiums and P-basses can be a challenging combo to get right, however.
I had forgotten to book a ticket for the Halifax, Nova Scotia (my home) show after the initial Covid rescheduling, and had the drummer in my band tell me at my gig, “Saw James Taylor last night, it was awesome!”. My hand slapped my head as I realized I had completely forgotten about the show. Doh! I have an aunt here in Calgary, so I thought “second chance!”, and flew out. Unfortunately I can’t make it to the Edmonton show (budget constraints), but I will be watching carefully to see where you are playing with anybody within the next few years. I would LOVE to see ya live (in person).
I have been a fan since I saw the live in Tokyo (Holdsworth) video in the 80s. I don’t know why it took me so long to finally check out the Wayne Johnson Trio, but discovering/enjoying these recordings has been a highlight of the last few years for me, and a lot of fun. Those “Live at the Comeback Inn” clips of the Trio posted by “IC Manygrins” on YouTube are a blast! So cool that somebody got some video footage of the band.
Attaching a picture of me begging Wayne Johnson for some MP3 versions of my vinyl (he was very gracious), and my Alembic bass. Gotta love those superb walnut tops ;)
- Luke (Stumblecat)
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Hey Luke,
Thanks for the stories, kind words, and pics of your fine looking axe. All good stuff. Sorry I missed you this time around up here - even after you chased us out to Calgary. But yeah, James and Jackson are both great Artists, excellent songwriters, and both bands have some terrific players in them. The set and video stuff is also amazing so it's a nice show to attend for both ear and eye candy. And in this case you got a rare double-dose of Bob. Ha!
We had some fun with the Wayne Johnson Trio back in the day. We had played together in Minneapolis in the late 70's before I left for LA. Then we reunited after we all individually ended up in SoCal some years later. He had a freeform style of writing that encouraged lengthy jamming and that seemed like a good musical fit for the Comeback Inn. Always fun playing with Bill Berg too, a great drummer and lifelong pal.
OK, carry on. Seeya somewhere down the line.
Jimmy J
PS: I've already tested negative so tomorrow I'll try to catch up with this tour. Whew!
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Sorry to hear of your Canadian tour tribulations Jimmy. Glad you’re on the mend. Looking forward to the Victoria show on Wednesday. It’ll make up for the one I had to miss in Hamilton a few years back. Stay safe, be well!
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Jimmy glad all went good with covid and that you tested negative! Have fun on tour, hope these are the last breaths of this pandemic.
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Great show in Victoria last night. Great to see you live Jimmy!
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Thanks Richard. Glad you enjoyed it and sorry I couldn't say hello. Next time.
Last night Jackson's band was short one BG singer and his regular lighting guy due to positive test results. We only need to get through one. more. show. and we can go home - unless we're stuck in quarantine! It sure is great to play live music, and the audiences have been terrific, but this has been crazy!
Jimmy J
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Vancouver will be great for you tonight I’m sure. I really feel like we were honoured that you all came out and travelled under these conditions to play for us. It was a beautiful show. I hope everyone can get some time to recover. Stay well, and thanks!
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PS. If you look out the port side of the ferry as you pass the last of the islands in Active Pass right before you cross the Georgia Strait you’ll see the little hamlet on Galiano Island where we make our home. About as far from my Toronto days as we could get.
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Wow Richard, this is certainly a beautiful part of the world up here. I have a good pal living on Orcas too. Seems idyllic. Our band actually flew over and back on a small plane yesterday and last night so I guess I saw your place from above in the afternoon. Our trucks, crew, and Jackson's team are on the ferry this morning.
Fingers crossed that everybody on the team can make the gig tonight!
Jimmy J
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:)
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Sorry to hear that the bug got through to your team, and glad you are all feeling better. I'm also glad to hear that there were ways to make some of the shows happen.
COVID got around the Jazz Fest here in New Orleans too, with lots of artists making it through the first week but having to pull out of the second week. Unfortunately, there are no "bubbles" where the local musicians are concerned, with lots of them playing 2-3 sets with different groups at the Fest and then a night show too for 3-4 days a week. I guess it was bound to happen, but the recoveries were quick here too from what I've heard.
My best to you and the gang, and to your continued health on the road.
Ed V
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Jimmy, I’m on the Cape through the fourth, so will miss Tanglewood (which is a great place to see a show), but I see you guys will be at Fenway in August and hope to make one of those shows. Hope all goes well this summer!
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Hey Rob,
Tanglewood ... fun in some ways and kinda not great in others. Since it's an orchestra hall there's no room for our touring light and video rigs. Plus it's obviously a very "live" room so tricky to play with PA, drums, amps... Plus, most of the lawn seats can't actually see the stage. Ha! But it's a good hang. And the catering is excellent! ;D
Yes, I guess we're playing that new theater at Fenway? That should be fun. Seeya there.
Thanks,
Jimmy J
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Tanglewood, old school, just set up and play! I used to see shows at the Garden State Arts Center (now named after a bank) a similar venue in NJ. Saw lots of groups there back in the day (JT, CSN, Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Marshall Tucker, Rossington Collins, Meatlof, Yes, Eric Clapton, Steve Windwood, Charlie Daniels, Joni Mitchell, The Outlaws, Jimmy Buffett, the Eagles, Perter Gabriel,
King Crimson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, BB King, Van Morrison, Allman Brothers, etc.). I don’t need lights and screens, just need to hear it and a little space to move with the groove :)
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Plus, most of the lawn seats can't actually see the stage. Ha! But it's a good hang.
Sounds like Ravinia just north of Chicago. Still a good time, and nice place to picnic during the show. They have some screens out there now, but I still prefer seats in the pavilion. :D
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Yes Tom, a lot like Ravinia. Folks just set up a full-on picnic which happens to have live music nearby.
And Rob, that's an amazing list of shows you've seen at the now-called "PNC Arts Center". We've played there a few times over the years too. Historically a teamsters-type building with heavy union rules which complicated the work of touring crews. I wonder if they still play the National Anthem before each show? :)
Jimmy J
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Hi Jimmy J ! So glad you're feeling up to par now. I LOVE the Wayne Johnson Trio CD's. I have them all and listen to them on my 6 deck CD changer still.
Mike B.
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Thanks Mike. That music we made with Wayne seems like a LONG time ago. But that's part of the fun of it. Everything ever played since audio recording began is still around and available to be discovered. And more accessible than ever. I've fallen down that YouTube rabbit hole many times. :D
Jimmy J
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Thought you might enjoy this one Jimmy J., 'band librarian' that you are... I was filling in on a July 4th picnic gig yesterday afternoon... beautiful mountain setting, a lazy river, a screen porch, barbeque, for about 75 people. Think campfire songs... a little Woody Guthrie, This Land is Your Land, America the Beautiful, covered Brown-eyed Girl, and Bad Moon on the Rise, Country Roads, and yeah, Wagon Wheel.
And then this guy in the back calls out "Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat." James Taylor's cut.
I almost used my phone-a-bass-friend. ;D
(fortunately for me, this particular guitar player had less of a clue than I did.)
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Good one! A song from the 1950 musical “Guys & Dolls” (even the show’s name is no longer PC), but did he ask specifically JT’s version? “Well if you don’t know that, how about William Shatner’s version of McArthur Park?”
Excellent!
Jimmy J
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Guys & Dolls is my all-time favorite musical. I played Sky Masterson when I was about 12. "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat" was Stubby Kaye's big number. I didn't now JT covered it, I'll have to check that out.
My favorite Shatner cut is "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds". Truly creepy! And don't underestimate Leonard Nimoy's musical contributions. His "If I Had a Hammer" is, as Spock would say, fascinating.
Bill, tgo
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An ode to one of my favorite authors, JRR Tolkien
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...or Shatner's version of "Rocket Man":
Classic!
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Looking forward to seeing Jimmy with James Taylor in Glasgow tonight - postponed from January. Needless to say we're very excited. This will be the first big event we've been to since the start of covid.
Graeme
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Hey Graeme,
Thanks for hanging on to those tickets! Since we're still traveling under tight Covid restrictions and I won't be able to say hello - I'll do my best to make some funny faces at you and Sandra. ::) :-\ :o
Jimmy J
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JJ on the fanhead.
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We are hoping to get to the gig at Resorts world in Birmingham this Friday. I have never seen James Taylor live and don't know a lot of his songs but he is one of a group of artistes and bands, like rolling stones, dylan, Clapton and other famous ones who i heard as a youngster that now, as a more mature person, would like to check out. In this case i also get to enjoy Jimmy's playing.
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Mature, Vince? You think hanging out with your buddies in some dude’s bathroom, and then putting it on youtube is mature? I mean the band ain’t called “Musical Grown Men”! You look like you have too much fun playing to be “mature”.
hehehehe
Bill, tgo
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Hope you make it Vince. The Glasgow show was superb. Overall the sound in the Armadillo was the best I've heard James, and Jimmy's bass tone was exactly what you'd want for that music. I've been a fan since my older brother brought the Sweet Baby James album home in the early 70's and I've seen him live maybe a dozen times - some before I had an Alembic so I didn't know of JJ back then - and I can safely say that Friday's gig was up there with the best.
Graeme
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Hey Danno,
I think I told the story of that Frankfurt gig in here before but it was one of those famously chaotic Holdsworth band experiences... It's a long story, but note the camera angles? That's because the camera guys were right there on stage in our faces - as in - occasionally stepping on our pedals! Extremely distracting situation. Anyway, that was my original 1976 5-string Series I which was stolen in 1987 and has never surfaced. The very odd tailpiece would have attracted attention had it ever appeared anywhere. Where the heck is that thing?
Jazzyvee,
I hope you are able to make it on Friday and I'm so sorry that I'm unable come out, say hello, and give you a hug. I'll try to give you a musical hug instead. Ha! It's pretty mellow music but JT is a great songwriter and lyricist and the band and singers are fun to listen to. You'll likely recognize a few tunes as they have subconsciously slipped into our heads over the last 50+ years of his career. And looking at this band and the audience will make you feel young. HAHA!! Hope you enjoy it.
Cheers everybody,
Jimmy J
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Mature, Vince? You think hanging out with your buddies in some dude’s bathroom, and then putting it on youtube is mature? I mean the band ain’t called “Musical Grown Men”! You look like you have too much fun playing to be “mature”.
hehehehe
Bill, tgo
Well hanging out in bathrooms didn't harm George Michael's career in fact it probably gave it a lift.
Jimmy J my taste in music is pretty wide and we do try to get out and see music that we don't know so this should be good.
Now let me see what tickets are available.
Great, managed to get two tickets. Not sure whether they are good seats but whatever i selected got changed when i got to check out or disappeared from my check out basket. I guess we shall see.
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... JT is a great songwriter and lyricist ...
To add to what Jimmy said, James has a wonderful voice and a wonderful way in which he sings the songs. But also, often overlooked, he's a pretty good guitar player too, and his playing is integral to the songs.
Enjoy!
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... JT is a great songwriter and lyricist ...
To add to what Jimmy said, James has a wonderful voice and a wonderful way in which he sings the songs. But also, often overlooked, he's a pretty good guitar player too, and his playing is integral to the songs.
Enjoy!
In my younger years it was the singing an lyrics that stood out with James' guitar being something underneath. I didn't come to appreciate his guitar skills until I was much older and gave his music a real listen.
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Yes, what James does on guitar is quite special. I hear from other guitar players that he also uses non-standard fingerings for some standard chords. And his fingerpicking just rolls along in steady time while he's doing his great loose vocal phrasing over the top - and telling a long story with the lyrics. I know there are many Artists who can do that but being a one-note-at-a-time guy myself the ability to keep all that going at the same time blows my mind.
Hey Jazzyvee, I tried to send you a PM yesterday but don't know if it got to you. I had never tried Messages in here but I received one from somebody the other day and tried to answer it. I don't know if that went though either. :o Is there something I need to do to enable messaging?
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy, I think that all by default, if you left you email address that's valid in your account settings.
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Thanks Goran,
I've kept my email address private but "messages" here within the club's system do seem to be working because I got a reply. Neat!
Jimmy J
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Not sure if this has been posted here but this is a concert clip of you Jimmy with one of your Graphite necked basses.
there is a close up view at 53:33
Enjoy.
I will be in the crowd tomorrow at your JT gig.
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Oh Lord... I don't want any of you to spend too much time stuck in mid-80's fusion land here. This was almost 30 years ago and a slightly embarrassing setting - for me. Great playing with Carlos Vega and all those cats, but ... minor cringe factor.
I will comment on that bass though. Having explained in another thread how I felt this graphite fretted bass didn't allow me to control the dynamics in live situations, I have to admit that it recorded well. I can't remember if I was able to use it on any albums but it lives on in this vid and the Holdsworth "Tokyo Dream" vid from the same year. I'll have to dig out an old calendar to see if I managed to play it on any studio recordings...
OK, don't watch all of that, it could cause time to warp. :-[
Jimmy J
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Thanks Jimmy for sharing with all of us here. We truly appreciate all the musical joy and inspiration we have experienced through your art. We also are grateful for your shairing of your tech insights on this club. No matter the decade you are represented in, we can dig it all.
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...what danobasso said.
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I always giggle when I think of 80's gear, and how X-perimental things could get: Rit with an Ibanez 335-style guitar with a locking tremolo? Sheeez. And it reminded me how much I hated those Ultimate Support keyboard stands: Of all three shelves, all three keyboards were at the wrong height and angle ! Terrific players, and JJ you sounded fine on this stuff, and it is of the period, but my-t-fine nonetheless.
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Superb gig tonight at Resorts World Jimmy.
JT came out front to do autographs and selfies so I got to meet JT.
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That's great Jazzy! Glad you enjoyed the concert: and you got to meet James!
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Knew you would enjoy the show, Jazzy. James is such a great songwriter and he always has an amazing band. Meeting James must have been a nice finishing touch. Jimmy’s playing is always spot on, how was the bass sound in the room?
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The pointed finger came after I asked him to pass a message and told him that, like Jimmy, I also play alembic basses. He said "You play alembics too?, they are great basses aren't they". Then he asked me for my name when I asked him to say Hi to Jimmy for me.
I waited till JT had done all the meet and greets as I recall JJ saying they don't go out front. Then I saw JT front of stage talking to people so we walked over. Nice bloke.
Jimmy J, can you tell JT that his pronunciation of "Birmingham" was spot on for the local accent. Also let. him know that citizens of Birmingham here are referred to as "Brummies".
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Jazzyvee,
Dang it, I can't believe I missed you! And there you are hanging out with the boss. Love it! As I've been saying, we're all still supposed to be under strict "no visiting" orders. Then James goes ahead and breaks all protocol, no mask or anything. He's such a rascal! But he really loves to meet his fans, it energizes him and keeps him going. So I guess at the moment he feels like it's worth the risk...?
I'm sorry I didn't get to shake your hand too but thanks again for coming out to support the team. And I'm glad you got this pic with James, that's really great. :)
Jimmy J
Edit: Yes, JT is a great bloke, and can carry on a conversation about any subject. He's really smart! He forgot to tell me he had run into you but I'll pass along your comments. Thanks again.
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On a massive house-cleaning/clumsy idiot-proofing my little cabin in the woods before another surgery, listening to JT, and just had to stop what I was doing long enough to flounder through 'Carolina In My Mind'. I must have heard it a bazillion times, and never tried it.
That thing sounds deceitfully like a simple little descending/ascending E-scale. Wrong - it's like a trap, designed to make you think the line will resolve to something else! :P I finally had to make myself a cheat-chart for all the little minor passing notes and where each line ended up. I'll have to revisit this one in better days.
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Jimmy, just following up on the Walter Woods discussion under the Skylark thread. You were correct, there is a switch that blends the two channels, which allows me to use both speaker cabs with a mono instrument, perfect!
Those amps are fascinating, there is a lot going on with the two channels, blending, eq, boost/bright switches, variance, and more. It sounds great with guitar, but when I plugged my bass onto it the tone was clear, smooth, and mellow, really very nice!
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Hey Rob,
Thanks for the update, I'm glad that worked. Yes, Walter is quite a creative character and his amps have been kind of an underground "grail" item for years. They were the first class-D amps I'd ever heard of and he may have been the first to apply that circuit design to musical amps. I don't think the frequency response is particularly flat or wide ... but he made the EQ extremely versatile and they're very "fast" - as in transient response - due to the nature of that amp design. They were, and still are quite popular among upright and fat-bodied jazz guitar players. Not to mention all that power in a tiny package which is still a great thing!
Carry on,
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy.
Just had a notification that JT has had to cancel his Zurich and Frankfurt shows due to an outbreak of Covid. Just goes to show how virulent this virus is given how much backstage security you've had to go through. Hope you're all well enough to carry on with the show soon. (we had to can last week's rehearsal with our new drummer due to one of the guitarists testing positive so I 'kinda' know how you're feeling).
Much love to the whole crew.
Graeme
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Yeah, such a drag. Even though things seem much more relaxed now with fewer people wearing masks, less concern about social distancing, etc., trying to move from town to town with a band and crew is still tricky. One positive test can throw a wrench into the whole operation.
And so we find ourselves temporarily held up again hoping to be able to play the last few gigs of this tour... Oh well.
Jimmy J
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Hey Jimmy (and fellow members),
I hope everyone is doing well and getting back to making music even with COVID being very much still with us.
I have been doing the occasional gig again after a few years of not doing any at all, and aside from some memory lapses and stiff chops there is one major issue I am having trouble getting past. After standing and holding up the bass for an hour or so, I am getting terrible back pain. I have been playing the same bass for over thirty years, and though it isn't very light it is well balanced...and I've never had this happen before (yes, insert age joke here). For those of you who have run into this, are there any exercises or regimens that you have found helpful to get those muscles back in shape?
All the best,
Ed V
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I use one of these. I still stand to sing and when I feel good, and sit when I’m hurting to give my back a rest. (I’m dealing with stenosis). If it’s good enough for Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, it’s good enough for me.
Bill, tgo
https://www.amazon.com/Stagg-GIST-300-Foldable-Built-Guitar/dp/B00FMK9N38/ref=sr_1_10?crid=6YX65PVR0CKR&keywords=Guitar+Stool+stand&qid=1679926779&s=musical-instruments&sprefix=guitar+stool+stand%2Cmi%2C145&sr=1-10 (https://www.amazon.com/Stagg-GIST-300-Foldable-Built-Guitar/dp/B00FMK9N38/ref=sr_1_10?crid=6YX65PVR0CKR&keywords=Guitar+Stool+stand&qid=1679926779&s=musical-instruments&sprefix=guitar+stool+stand%2Cmi%2C145&sr=1-10)
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Hey Ed,
Nice to hear you're doing some playing! Yeah, there are real benefits to aging ... I just can't remember what they are. (Lame joke).
A few months ago I was booked to play a weekend at the Baked Potato and realized that I had only been practicing at home while seated. So the week before I actually stood up while playing through the music in an effort to build some tolerance to what would be a couple long nights of my particular land-surfing style. Ha! I made it through but it took me a couple days to recover. And I don't even drink!
Back problems are a drag and I don't have any useful advice beyond what Bill just suggested. I will mention however that these things can also be a reflection of issues other than of the obvious. Are you enjoying the music? Is the drummer dragging like crazy? Are you getting blasted by the guitar amp? Sometimes these issues manifest themselves as physical pain!
Best to everybody,
Jimmy J
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I see it's listed for a weight limit of 300 pounds. I know alembics can be heavy....but really? ??? :D :D :D :D :D :D
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I certainly would not put any Alembic, regardless of weight, on that stand. I have been looking for a stool since at the age of 70 my back is no longer cooperative on gigs. The one Bill posted looks good but I would not want, or need the stand component. Stagg also makes a model with adjustable height, no built in stand and a back rest... Stagg MT-300BK. I am considering getting one but wish I could try before I buy.
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A piano player friend gave me his previous version of this one. Heaviest thing I carry, and it likes to pinch fingers, but great for upright (or for saving electric players’ old backs like mine).
https://www.quiklok.com/product/dx-749-musicians-seat-with-backrest/ (https://www.quiklok.com/product/dx-749-musicians-seat-with-backrest/)
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... are there any exercises or regimens that you have found helpful to get those muscles back in shape?
A daily exercise routine should help; stretching or, if that's too much, just movement. The spine benefits from movement in six directions; all are important. Yoga, tai chi, qi gong. Start out gently, take your time, focus on the the movement/stretch and what your body is telling you. If something hurts, back off there and give it time to heal.
When you're on stage, don't stand in one place for a long period of time. And on stage, at home, throughout the day, pay attention to your body.
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Hello all,
Wow...Many thanks for all of the responses and suggestions! I knew I could depend on this team for good advice, and can assure you that it will all be used. I'm not from the "no pain, no gain" school, especially not where this is concerned.
Much appreciated and all the best,
Ed V
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Dave’s post covers a lot of good ideas. I commit to daily exercise, it takes a conscious effort to not make excuses for not doing it. Simple low impact routine for a short amount of time. That regular and purposeful movement won’t win any body building awards but (knock on wood), my back appreciates it greatly.
In addition there was/is a member here who developed an ingenious designed system that transfer the weight of an instrument to the hips.
Hover Harness LLC. Richard Foster. This is all I could find on it.
https://www.dnb.com/business-directory/company-profiles.hover_harness_llc.ba651557853d1373c02ec0d90dde2f4f.html (https://www.dnb.com/business-directory/company-profiles.hover_harness_llc.ba651557853d1373c02ec0d90dde2f4f.html)
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I have one of Rich's Hover Harnesses, if you'd like to try one Eddie. It works great for getting the weight off a lower back, but it did not help my issue, and I found it to be a little awkward, in that it offset the bass from me. It was certainly a great alternative. Mostly my spine is messed-up closer to my head than the other end. Ironic. ::)
No idea how to go about overseas postage, but email me at the little envelope, or message me here if you can, and we'll figure out how. (if you'd like to try it that is...)
*not sure why I thought you were in the U.K. … sorry 'bout that. Louisiana ain't no trouble. I could drive it to ya' in a day. ;D
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Gregory,
My fretless basses are oddballs - graphite necks, ebony fingerboards and combined bridge/tailpieces mounted on giant blocks... What can I say, it was an experimental time. Ha! Close-up of the main bass below.
As you can see, on these basses I use a piano-string style bare-core set which used to be called "SuperWound" by RotoSound and has become available again under the name "PSD Bass 99". These come with adjustable ball-ends so you can fit them to any bridge. They are straight-ahead steel round-wound strings and would probably sound pretty bright and brash on a fretted bass - and might chew up the frets...
But because I have no frets and there's only a small pivot point over the bridge (plus the fact that I don't play fretless as often), these strings last forever. Where I've bought maybe thousands of sets of Boomers over the last 40 years, I've probably only bought half a dozen sets of these since I got the 1st fretless in 1980. In fact, I've boiled these strings a few times to bring them back to life. HA!
Cheers,
Jimmy J
My SC Deluxe needs re-stringing and I have found set of Rotosound exposed core strings that I think came with the bass when I bought it new from the UK Dealer. So they are about 21 yrs old but unopened.
Are there likely to be any issues with using strings that old, also with the exposed core i guess I will have to lift the bridge slightly to cater for the strings sitting lower in the saddles. But, would I need to adjust the truss rods also?
Also are rotosounds really as good at eating frets like I have read on line in the past?
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Hey Jazzyvee,
I don't expect the age of that set matters as long as they aren't rusted. No harm in trying them. As for the bridge height, we're really only talking about 1/2 the diameter of a string so you may not even notice. Or maybe a 1/2 turn up on the bass side of the bridge? And since string brands and types all seem to have differing tensions, there's always a possibility you'll need to have a conversation with the truss rod. As far as fret wear, any steel wound strings will beat up frets faster than nickel-coated. But it also depends on how hard you play.
One other thing I do, which I've probably mentioned here before, is something I learned this from my dad who played bass and also rebuilt pianos. When he would restring a grand he would put a twist into the bass strings in the direction that the outer winding was wound in an effort to keep that winding tight and avoid any rattles. Our electric bass strings can sometimes present this "internal" rattle and it can often be eliminated by twisting it like that. I'm in the habit of doing that when I put on a new set of Boomers. I have odd quick-release tailpieces which makes this easier, but before pulling the string up to pitch I will pop it off the tailpiece and give it a counter-clockwise twist. Except for some reason I have better luck with a clockwise twist of the E-string - maybe because these lower strings are compound windings? It's not something that needs to be done but if you ever encounter a new string that comes with a built-in rattle, this can often solve the problem.
Let us know if you like those!
Jimmy J
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That's an interesting tip on the twist, Jimmy J. I'll have to try it sometime on one. I will throw out there though, this really messes with things on a flatwound string, especially when strung on a fretless bass. I have accidentally twisted one... an A string if I remember right, resulting in a string that must have been some degree of a helix shape over its length. Man that was weird.
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Interesting indeed. Wondering if that would work with half-rounds? Usually, if one of the low strings is rattling on my bass it means that the humidity has increased and I need to loosen the bass side truss rod.
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Interesting x 3
Is that counter-clockwise as you look at the bridge towards the headstock?
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This could be junk science but it has stopped certain string rattles for me. Counter-clockwise looking at the ball-end of the string at the tailpiece - for my GHS Boomers. It should be the direction of "tightening" the outside winding which you can see in some strings. Why my E-strings sometime benefit from a twist in the other direction kinda puts a question-mark on my whole theory, but there you have it. If you search "bass piano string twist" you'll see where I got the idea. That said, I think piano strings may not be compound windings like some of ours. They may just be one giant copper wire wound around a solid core... Anyway, that's my story. If you have a rattler there's no harm in trying this method! Just maybe not on fretless flatwounds. :D
Jimmy J
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This popped up not too long ago on YouTube. Jimmy is even using an amp. ;D
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Great fun playing with those two monsters. I'm using my old Walter Woods with two 12" EV Thiele boxes, but I'm also in the PA. That's my usual club rig.
I'm so old that I'm still surprised when somebody posts an entire live show that they bought a ticket for and recorded on their phone. They didn't ask permission, don't own the performance, and have no rights to distribute the music. But at least this person doesn't monetize his YouTube channel. I saw another who posted clips from the same show and he has his own Patreon page where you have to pay him to unlock more of his illicitly recorded videos. Modern day bootleggin'. But I digress... I forget that music is free now. :)
I had a great weekend with these guys!
Jimmy J
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Jimmy J., I was sitting here this morning with my bass, thinking about what you were saying in the thread about Leland Sklar over there, how he had influenced your playing, and [paraphrasing] how he always supported the song but managed to sign the part with something subtle...
I reckon you had to have studied him pretty darn close for a few
things anyway, and not that everything needed to be a note-for-note transposition, but I gotta' think some of those signatures show up in your night job on purpose. For instance, "Whenever I See Your Smiling Face". I've heard it a thousand times on the radio, and heard you play it live, spot-on, with bonus cool stuff that I assumed was just part of the show. After all this time, the Lee Sklar influence is pretty much incorporated into 'your style' (hate how that sounds...) your 'bass vocabulary'... is that about right?
Do you have little signatures, (mine are more like punctuation marks) you can point to? Or is it dependent on which gig?
Just been wondering. I seem to spend more time thinking about bass than playing the frazzlin' thing lately. All in good time.
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Well yes for sure, he wrote most of the JT book so those historic parts need to be honored. In those spots in the music where Lee did something cool I will also try to do something cool. These moments come out as my own thing simply because we're two different guys. He sure did a great job of picking the spots though. That was a big part of the lesson when listening to him play - he knows when to move and when to lay low.
It was interesting to hear him talk about how his melodic style developed. We're all just the sum of everything we've heard or played. Because my melodic input came from playing clarinet it's not exactly the same as Leland's. So the results may be similar but they're bound to be a bit different.
Ironically, an article about Leland in the Minneapolis newspaper way back in the mid-70's may have influenced me to move to CA. Who would have ever thought......
Jimmy J
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I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you. I thought it was interesting as it is not a style of music I run across you playing in other videos or recordings.
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No Keith, no worries, excuse my momentary rant. I just come from a different time with regards to intellectual property. On the other hand, the Dead had an amazing way of dealing with all that by encouraging the recording of their shows. Gotta love that!
This gig was indeed unusual if rather obscure musically. I always enjoy playing with Landau and this was an extra rare opportunity to play with Gary Husband who lives in London. Both of those characters have unique voices on their instruments and Gary even has a second strong voice on keyboards - he's just ridiculous. So while my initial reaction to somebody posting an entire show is "what the ... are you thinking?" in the end I'm usually happy there's an archive of what happened. So I'll calm down, I promise.
Jimmy J
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I understand your perspective being it is how you make a living. I'm finding it harder to tell what is sanctioned or who sanctions content on posting sites. Some artists are very particular about not having unauthorized content where others have a more laissez faire attitude. I also think our copyright laws and system compound the problem by making enforcement the responsibility of the copyright holder. That was manageable when most pirated items were physical objects but with the proliferation of digital files no longer works. I'm not sure what can be done about it at this point. I don't think there is a real political will to update copyright law and even if there was the will it would have to be a worldwide effort since jurisdiction is where the data is hosted not where it is seen.
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Well, much of my living used to be recording work but that has shifted to touring in recent years. I'm sure there are still some folks doing well with studio work but I was never really a mainstream guy there and I've kind of aged out. But I'm happy to have lived in a time when sessions were a going thing. Albums now seem to be promo for concerts as opposed to back in the day when touring was done to support the record. It is what it is and there's nothing to do but roll with it. :)
I wrote to Patreon to alert them to the guy charging for his illegally recorded content - a clear violation of their own user rules. But as you say, the burden of policing this behavior is now the responsibility of the "owner" of the music. (Apparently there is "ownership" of one's likeness or performance). So if I had written any of the songs that person had posted I would be able to have it pulled. Some major Artists have a staff of people monitoring social media and doing just that. But it's a serious whack-a-mole situation and a losing battle.
I think what has happened to music in this way is also what's driving the Movie Industry to be scrambling and experiencing labor issues. I know there are many moving parts to that including AI created content and deep-faked actors (some long dead). But they are desperately trying to control the distribution of their expensively produced content.
Sorry everybody, I didn't mean to go off on this tangent. Back to the joy of music and the playing of low notes. 8)
Jimmy J
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Wow, people getting paid for listening to music on line! Whoda thunk it? Then again our son, the sports fanatic, recently got hired by Apple to watch games on TV and write posts on what is happening during the game. I may be the "get off my lawn" guy, but sometimes I question whether the whole computer/internet thing has actually improved our lives in the greater scheme of things.
Bill, tgo
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I was in the musical instrument retail biz in the late 80's through the late 90's, and remember when CD writers got popular. The technology and media was expensive at first, so pirating didn't make sense...until CD blanks and recorders got cheap. Then there was the whole .mp3/Napster thing, which I ranted about to anyone who would listen. What really confounded and disappointed me was that the musicians that were my friends, clients, and employers were doing it also.
It really hit home with some of them once they couldn't sell their CD's at their gigs anymore because their "fans" got it for free. Now the YouTube dilemma...
I'm glad to see the film and TV actors fighting for a better deal from the streaming services, and I hope that more creatives get to do the same with Spotify and their ilk. I still buy CD's whenever I can, and I still like the idea of not needing a computer or Internet connection to listen to music. After all, my DAT machine, cassette players and turntables need the company anyway...
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I may be among the last of the holdouts, but I just don't want to hear music in mp3 format. I still buy CDs (though I admittedly don't buy much new music these days) and I still regularly use my Pono Player loaded with both CD quality and high-definition music. BIG difference from mp3s.
Bill, tgo
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I still find myself buying a lot of new music in various mediums. These days I try to avoid CD only releases because of all the plastic and having no more room to store additional CDs. Along with all the CDs I have at least 1000 LPs remaining in my collection, live shows from trade-friendly artists like the Dead, and lots of music that I bought as an authorized digital download. I really like Bandcamp because I can preview music before I buy and if I buy an expensive modern LP pressing I also get access to unlimited high resolution digital downloads of the material. All artists on Bandcamp have to upload high resolution audio if they want to sell there but users can download in a variety of formats including mp3. I took advantage of the access to the mp3 downloads from my Bandcamp collection to put them on my iPad before going on vacation this summer but always download in FLAC or AIFF format for home listening. Unlike streaming services Bandcamp has what I think is a fair business model where the artists get 80-85% of the selling price of the product. During the pandemic they started having Bandcamp Friday where the artists get 100% of whatever they sell. IMO a service like this has real value to artists that don't have major label or equivalent distribution of their product. These days it is common to have to tour and sell merchandise/CDs to make any kind of living.There are more and more established artists selling on Bandcamp, too, Peter Gabriel and Richard Thompson come to mind. Below is a link to a page which explains the business model and monetary aspects of how the service works.
https://bandcamp.com/fair_trade_music_policy
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This might be a crazy motivation, but I buy hard copies of CD's for the credits and liner notes. I like to read who played what, on what. Who wrote it. Stuff like that. There's that, then there's this hitch in my giddy-up leftover from a couple years ago when Google Play held all my downloads for ransom unless I opted-into some other product of theirs I didn't want and couldn't use. Finally, the deadline came, and they deleted my music, probably $100 worth... all my Linda Ronstadt, gone... all my Miranda Lambert, *poof*. (don't y'all judge me...) So I decided from then on not to download anything. Jus' mail me a hard copy.
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Like Stephen, I purchase and download from Bandcamp in FLAC format. If the artist, album, or track I'm looking for isn't there, I can usually find it, in FLAC, at Qobuz. But I check Bandcamp first, because the artist gets paid much more there than anywhere else. Oh, and many of the artists at Bandcamp sell CD's there as well.
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Yes, Bandcamp is a great site and I also support Artists there. I love that you can "name your price" and pay extra if you find something particularly amazing. And I used to be a fan of Patreon because I have friends who use it in the way it was intended. But after my exchange with them described above there's a cloud over it. No effort to police their own "original content" rules. Too bad.
Even though a lot of my earlier career was working in the audiophile world (early to CDs and digital recording) I am not one and tend to buy AAC or mp3 versions of albums. Most of my listening is done while traveling using my IEMs on planes, etc. So it's rarely a controlled hi-fi listening situation. But it seems I can enjoy well-recorded music in any format.
You know the phrase "the plumber's pipes leak"? Our home stereo is a funny collection of ancient gear which still sounds pretty good but it is no audiophile rig. I don't know many musicians who have major stereos - other than those who have home studios. The best stereo in our neighborhood belongs to a retired orthopedic surgeon. 8)
Jimmy J
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I still buy CD's and the occasional vinyl recording. I can hear a difference on my home system compared to MP3's. With my new truck lacking a CD player I have taken to loading them onto a USB stick for listening while driving. Fortunately the truck supports multiple lossless file formats so I've been ripping them to ALAC format since that's what my ripper handles the best.
Most of my vinyl I also own on CD. I also own a number of direct to disc and half speed masters that were never reissued on CD. I have been contemplating digitizing those so I can listen to those too when driving.
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Like Bill I'm a luddite when it comes to recorded music. The only time I listen online is if I have to learn a song. Most of the time I buy on LP and just got round to installing new shelving for my collection - I have maybe 700 LPs and around the same in CD format. Also just spent £1500 (GBP) on a new needle!
Graeme
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I still have a pile of vinyl records, cassette tapes, and CDs that I listen to on my decades old stereo set up at home, but I now only buy downloadable music for my iPhone which interfaces with the rest of the world.
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I also prefer hard physical copies of music. In the past i always bought vinyl or CD and played those at home, copied them to cassette or the car. Then when i got a car with a CD Player i copied the CD's for the car instead thus keeping the originals at home. These days my car has both CD player an solid state hard drive that allows me to copy CD's into the car, so i have started doing that occasionally. At the moment it has some of my old favourites and any new CD's i get. No idea whether the copies are mp3 or lossless. For home listening i tend to listen to music a lot less these days but when I do it's usually CD's.
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Jimmy. Are you coming to Australia with James Taylor?
I am in Melbourne.
Slawie
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Hey Slawie,
Yes, it looks like we'll be heading your way in April on a far-east / down-under tour. I haven't seen the details yet but we're looking forward to it.
Jimmy J
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If there is anything that you may need while your here I can help.
Cheers
Slawie
p.s. I have a couple of basses I would like you to try.
75-251 4string fretless and my build 5 string fretless
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Thanks for the offer Slawie, very kind of you. And a couple nice looking basses you've got there.
Touring in pandemic times is awkward because we're all instructed to limit our exposure to others. No backstage guests, avoid restaurants, bars and crowds... Ironic as the whole reason for a concert is to gather a crowd. :o I don't know what the rules will be for us this time around so we'll have to take it as it comes. Maybe at least I'll have the opportunity to say hello and talk about low notes.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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No worries Jimmy fully understand.
I’ll wave to you from the crowd.
I’ll be wearing an Alembic t-shirt
Cheers
Slawie
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Jimmy,
I hope the road has been good and the whole team-and community here- has been happy and healthy since your last post.
I was forced to go through all my CDs/DVDs/BD's/vinyl a few weeks ago (repurposing a walk-in closet into a vocal booth), and have been rediscovering some stuff I hadn't been able to listen to for a minute. Lots of beautiful stuff there where your discography is concerned. With all that being said, it's time to treat myself to some new music.
Have you done any recording projects in the last year or two that are currently available? I know you don't like to blow your own horn, but it ain't bragging if we ask;)
Best,
Ed V
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Hey Ed,
A vocal booth for Mary right? We're all making music remotely now without ever seeing one another. :o I'm not complaining, I actually enjoy working from home and spending as much time as I want dialing in the bass parts as I see fit. It's a different kind of challenge, making it sound like the band is playing together. But it's still music and some great things can and do happen. Plus I'm enough of a nerd to enjoy the audio manipulation side of things as it applies to the bass track - although not talented enough to actually mix anything.
Anyway, thanks for asking but as you know I don't usually talk about it so I won't. :) I'm happy to still be invited to play on some fun musical projects. Life has been, and still is, mighty good!
Carry on now!
Jimmy J
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Well... how about a little tutorial on how you go about tracking your bass parts? That's actually something I'd given a couple thoughts to trying, once I had time, and not daily distraction. Care to dish on a little audio gear, other than your bass?
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Sure, gear talk anytime. Here comes WAY more than anybody needs to know...
Protools is my DAW and has been for years. Mostly because that's what I saw being used in most studios. And I am not much of a composer so rarely working with midi as there is better software for that. I also do all my work in headphones. AKG K702s at home and my Ultimate Ears Reference IEMs on the road.
My home rig looks like this: I run the basses at nearly line level directly from the DS-5 into a REDDI DI box. From there XLR out into a Burl Audio B2 Bomber ADC. The digital signal then travels via AES cable into an Avid Omni (along with a clocking signal from the Burl via BNC cable). The Omni is connected to an Avid HD Native Thunderbolt box and TB cable into my MacBookPro.
On the road it's DS-5 into an Apogee Duet 3 and directly into the MBPro.
I can't really say how much all these individual pieces have to do with the final result but that's my current collection. As an example of what I mean ... I have occasionally done a track for somebody on the road (road bass through Apogee converter) and then gotten home and replaced notes, bars, or complete sections using my recording bass and home rig. And nobody has ever noticed the difference.
So I have ProTools templates in 96k, 48k, and 44.1k. These consist of a click track, five bass tracks, and one "comp" track. I'll take any kind of files from the artist but prefer wav "stems", meaning separate tracks of drums, guitars, etc. if possible. That way I can listen closely to what everybody is doing.
If I get a bunch of stems at 48k I'll start a new session from my 48k template, rename it the song title, save it to and external SSD in a folder with the Artist's name, then "import" all the audio they've sent me into my session. I'll match my click to the audio and listen down while adding some markers for V, CH, bridge, solos, etc. Then I'll start playing along, usually fumble through 5 full passes while I'm kinda learning the song.
At that point I'll start picking bits and pieces of whatever happened which I like and copy those moments down to my "comp" track. I try to use my full run throughs as kind of guides to an overall shape. Once I decide which version of any particular section I prefer I will often work on just that moment until I get it the way I want it.
My method goes on for quite some time ... and often means coming back the next day to see how it all hits me listening with fresh ears. I also spend quite a bit of time shifting notes around in time, trimming levels of individual clips to even it all out, and always watching the tuner to be sure I'm in the ballpark. (I built a signal switcher so my Korg DTR-1 tuner is either seeing the REDDI's parallel input jack or the audio from my 6 ProTools tracks which is routed to one of the Omni's outputs.)
The end result of all this is a "comp" track that looks like a total patchwork of edits. I'd be embarrassed to show it to anybody because I edit the living daylights out of it! But I know how to make it all work together and sound the way I want so that's my method.
Now I solo the bass track and listen loud to be sure my edits and crossfades all work. Then I record a moment of no sound at the beginning of my comp track, duplicate the track and rename it, then "select all" clips in the newly duplicated track and "consolidate" it which turns it into one long wav file.
I upload a copy of the resulting wav file to a folder in my DropBox, "copy DropBox link" (a direct link to that folder) and email that link to the Artist.
If all goes well they download my file, import it into their session and it syncs right up. I used to kind of casually say "yeah I do some of that kind of work" but I am surprised to realize that I've done almost 400 projects this way over the past 17 years. Yikes!!
Whew, sorry about the lengthy post! :o
Jimmy J
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Thanks for the information, Jimmy. I’m glad to see a similar pattern of working on some of the projects I am currently doing.
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Sure, gear talk anytime. Here comes WAY more than anybody needs to know...
[snip]
Whew, sorry about the lengthy post! :o
Jimmy J
That was actually a great read this morning... sure beats deleting yesterday's status reports and today's adminispam! Only trouble is, now I've got a a hundred more questions. I'll do a good re-read and some research on some of this info.
Most of the recording I ever get to do anymore is with this drummer-buddy who runs a little multimedia outfit from home. He does run Protools, I know just from watching and paying attention. We always struggle to get the level right on my Series bass. I am woefully ignorant of what happens beyond my DS-5 but I know we sent the summed mono from it to a Demeter tube preamp with a pretty decent DI. (Jensen maybe?) I need to interview him a little to understand more about what happens beyond that, because I really want to record more up there without the drama. Eventually there's another Series bass with Series II controls headed my way...
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Further questions are welcome, that's a lot of info I just laid out there...
Your pal's Demeter should sound good. The thing to remember about our Series instruments is that the output level has no effect on the overall tone. So you can turn down your master volume (or both individual pickup volumes) until the Demeter is happy without losing any of that big Alembic sound. Once you find a good level make a note of it so you can put it there every time you go over to play. I've got little tape marks on my recording bass and actually had them inlaid on my live bass (see below) for reference. My lower mark is in case somebody is expecting a "normal" bass input level. ;)
Jimmy J
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. oops
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Thanks Jimmy; I enjoyed reading about your recording process!
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Jimmy, thanks for posting all of that information, that’s quite an involved process! You must have to be pretty proficient at software and hardware to record nowadays. Just wondering, what is the difference between your road bass and studio recording bass? Thanks, Rob
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Just like MS Office or any other software, you get used to it the more you use it and you find shortcuts and tricks as you go. I was surprised when I thought about how long I'd been doing this "at home" work for the above post. :o
So I have 3 "identical" 5-string fretted Series II basses. Same physical measurements, woods, strings, electronics, etc. But they're all 3 slightly different animals - at least to me.
My studio bass, which stays home these days, has what I think is the nicest overall tone. My road bass has a slightly stronger low-B string but also a slightly darker overall sound than the studio machine. And #3 comes on the road with me as an emergency backup and when home serves as a practice bass. That one is my least favorite of the 3 and I'm not sure I can describe why - it just sounds kinda stuffy... I don't think I've ever used that bass on a recording.
So while I can identify the studio vs the road bass if I listen to them "soloed" in the track they pretty much just sound like me. :D
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Thanks for the background, very cool. I wonder if a new potentiometer with slightly higher value would clear up the stuffiness in #3?
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Not sure I know what you mean about the pot. Same Series electronics package means that master volume kinda doesn't even come into play with regards to the overall tone. It's more like something physical with that bass. Like the strings are fighting with the wood. Could be as random as the wood grain going in a different direction in one part of the build, I don't really know. But it's all ok, I have what I need. Just kinda ridiculous to have a 5-string Series II that I only use for practicing. :o :o :o
Jimmy J
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Awesome look in your musical kitchen, thanx!
Fwiw: All practice I did since last year was only on a 5 string Series II :-)
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I wonder why?🤔👍🏾
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Jimmy,
Thinking of you and yours in LA, and hoping that you are all safe from the fires that are raging. Y'all take care and stay safe.
Ed V
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Thanks Ed.
It has been a crazy couple of days in SoCal with many friends displaced and a few who lost homes. Things got a bit too close last night so we packed the cars and went to a friend's house to spend the night. Interesting exercise to whittle down what you NEED in about 30 minutes. (3 of my 5 basses...) But things have settled down in our neighborhood - and so have the winds - so we'll head home soon.
The media will always show the absolute worst and scariest video they can find often in a loop. So while that is, or was, really the case for several individual neighborhoods, 90% of the town is still ok.
Best to everybody,
Jimmy J
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Glad to hear you're safe! Hope it ends soon for everyone.
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Good to hear you are okay.
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Happy to hear you are safe. All you folks down that way are in my thoughts.
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The media will always show the absolute worst and scariest video they can find often in a loop. So while that is, or was, really the case for several individual neighborhoods, 90% of the town is still ok.
Best to everybody,
Jimmy J
Glad you're OK, and thanks for that perspective.
Peter
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The media will always show the absolute worst and scariest video they can find often in a loop. So while that is, or was, really the case for several individual neighborhoods, 90% of the town is still ok.
Ain’t that the truth. After the ‘89 Bay Area quake, the media showed endless loops of the downed Bay Bridge, the collapsed Cypress Structure freeway, and the devastated Marina district in S.F. My friends and family back East were convinced California was destroyed!
Bill, tgo
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Jimmy,
So sorry to hear the news of Mike Miller's passing. What a great talent...
Sending good thoughts to the family and his friends and bandmates.
Ed V.
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Thanks Ed,
Another big loss. Mike had a strong and unique voice on the guitar, was a great guy, a good dad, and had a wicked funny sense of humor. We were lucky to have been able to make a bunch of music with him over the years and we're gonna miss him terribly.
Jimmy J
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I saw Mike with Chick Corea at the Maintenance Shop in Ames, IA.
I was sitting next to the stage, right in front of him for both shows.
We were staying at the same hotel.
At the beginning of the second show, I handed him his messages, he handed me mine (Mike Miller vs. F Michael Miller)
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That's hilarious! I think that's happened to Jimmy J a bunch too.
You wouldn't think with a name as unusual as mine anything like that would ever happen, but it's happened twice now. About the middle of last Summer I started getting emails from Mike Johnson Toyota in Hickory, North Carolina telling me service was complete on my 2019 Tundra... thanks for this or that, and so on. It was funny for a while. Then I got invoiced for like $1200. So I looked up the place. Sure enough it was a legitimate business. So I called and asked for the service manager and introduced myself, and explained that I didn't have anything against Toyotas, but I didn't have one. I highly suspected his customer had my name, a 2019 Tundra, and an email address very similar to mine. It took a couple more phone calls to get confirmation and get it sorted out, but sure enough, that's exactly what it was. Not only that, but it was a distant cousin. (we're all from that part of Carolina) The last time it happened, it was a camera shop in the Pacific Northwest... go figure on that one!
On a serious note, man it's tough letting go of fellow musos... even more so if untimely. We're dealing with that hard reality within our circle now. Too many, too soon.
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Just spotted this on line. Sadly too far for me to get to.
No year on the listing so hope it's this year. :-)
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Just checked Baked Potato's calendar, and it is this year.
https://www.thebakedpotato.com/events-calendar/ (https://www.thebakedpotato.com/events-calendar/)
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Yep, that's an upcoming gig which should be a ton of fun. Well spotted.
Chad, Steve and I played there at the end of January and it was supposed to be Mike Miller on guitar. But to our dismay he passed away about week before the gig. An out-of-the-blue departure and a big shock to us all. Big loss. Alex Machacek was kind enough to step in and learn Chad's tunes for that show and now they've invited us back.
Hunt actually lives in Boston (teaches at Berklee College of Music) but he's making the trip west to play with us again. He must have a lot of airline miles saved up. :) The three of us spent a lot of time together in Holdsworth's van - back in the day.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Wow, a lot of good music goes down at the Baked Potato! 😊🎶🎶
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Love the way the players are listed:
JIMMY JOHNSON – SUPER BASS
ALEX MACHACEK – HEADLESS GUITAR
STEVE HUNT – MANY KEYS
CHAD WACKERMAN – ALL THE DRUMS
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Yes, the Baked Potato is a rare place in the world. Stop me if I've told the story before... The club was built - and is still owned - by Don Randi who was one of the keyboard players in the group of studio musicians known as "the Wrecking Crew". They were the goto cats in the 60's and 70's and played on about 8-billion albums. An historic and talented bunch of musicians.
Don wanted a place that he and his fellow studio cats could go play jazz - for fun - after doing sessions all day. So he built this "restaurant" which serves Baked Potatoes (very good by the way) and of course got a liquor license. Since it's technically a restaurant you don't need to be 18 years old to get in. It's a tiny room with a legal capacity of something like 65 people. The stage is only about a foot high - but he used a studio builder's trick and filled that 1-ft riser with sand so it does not resonate.
I visited the club in the mid-70's, years before I moved to LA. And I will never forget hearing Lee Ritenour, Ernie Watts, Abe Laboriel and Alex Acuna right there a couple feet away from me. And then being able to chat with those monsters on the break. Pretty thrilling!
So from its start this club has been a place for musicians of all types to just come and play whatever they want. It can be anything from hard blues to free jazz or anything in between. People come to listen and the entire cover charge goes to the band. Playing a busy weekend there with a small band can yield quite a bit of $$.
It's now run by Don's son Justin who keeps the tradition going by greatly respecting and supporting the local musicians. He also writes the funny web page entries.
A rare place I tell you.
Jimmy J
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Thanks, Jimmy, a show at the Baked Potato is now on my bucket list! 😊
Great history too!
Hope you, Steve Hunt and company, or another of your collaborations have a chance to play Boston again (I saw you with Steve Gadd at Schullers a few years ago and it was great!).
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Great story, Jimmy; thanks for sharing! Anytime you want to share some stories of your musical experiences like this one, us amateur musicologists will be appreciative.
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Also enjoy your stories Jimmy. I was going to reply to the thread yesterday on your post about Mike Miller but just couldn't decide what tack was right. It's somehow reassuring to see how guys in your world orbit have to deal with loss of a fellow musician. Our band lost a member very suddenly last Fall too. The last show we'd played, purely by coincidence at load-out, I had commented that the core of us had played together for so long that I knew what everyone around me was going to play before they played it, and how that made the job of supporting them with a bass part, basically effortless. And a week later... one of those elements was gone. It's strange adapting, and moving on without them... but we do.
Thanks as always for your contributions here, and please keep the stories coming. Some of us like to live vicariously through your musical adventures. :)
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Hi Jimmy, do you remember this?
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A cool story from a lovely chap. I'm a Haslip fan.
I believe I only got to play with Clare Fisher once or twice and I can't remember any details. He was a grammy-winning composer, arranger and keyboard player with a wild career. He passed away in 2012.
Haslip's story of our meeting must have happened in the early-80's and I can't even remember what venue that would have been. But it's amazing that he heard the low-string and then lit the fire under Yamaha to get their act together. Ha! Very cool.
Thanks for the vid!
Jimmy J
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Years after their heyday, I collected all three iterations of the BB5000: the OG, the second version 5000A (same bass with active EQ), then a totally different axe with the 5000A2 (that crazy wide fingerboard Yamaha adopted across their range, no doubt from guys moaning about slapping on those skinny necks), made in their then-new (and now gone) Taiwan facility, much bigger axe with TRB pickups and electronics minus the piezo bridge.
They were originally the BB3000 subdivided for five instead of four strings (TIGHT spacing like a Ric down at the nut), with an added fifth key on a bigger head, and the first real 3+2 Precision style pickup and a five-string bridge.
The 80's BB's (along with the SG2000 solid body guitar and SA2000 semi-hollow) were actually designed in America by Yamaha staffers and John Carruthers. They are Alembic-influenced into a Fender-Shaped-Object format. The oval fret markers, the multi-ply neckthrough, the Japanese were hugely influenced by Alembic in those days. Yamaha always used Macassar ebony fingerboards which they did not dye spy-plane-black, so they always had these delicious 'chocolate' grain stripes running down the fingerboard. 24 frets and cut away up to HERE.
For several years, I owned all three plus the Spoiler Five and the Elan Five, and while the BB's were a long time fave, it was simply not a fair comparison to the Alembics.
They were really nice basses for what they were, but like most things Yamaha in those days, unless you were a Jimmy Haslip or Nate East, for mere mortals, they were perpetually back-ordered, which modern day Yamaha seems to have finally outgrown.
For several years, I owned all three plus the Spoiler Five and the Elan Five, and while I really liked the BB's, it was not a fair comparison to the Alembics, as off-the-rack axes rarely approach an Alembic.
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I hope it's appropriate to post this here. A local Chicago bass player posted this great take on the Dodgy Boat solo on Facebook the other day. Tim Seisser from the band District 97. No Alembic, but he builds his own (very nice) basses. Check it out!
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/14yy6r3FAX/ (https://www.facebook.com/share/r/14yy6r3FAX/)
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Well I'm flattered that Tim spent the time to figure out that solo. A good ear training exercise I guess. Funny that despite having a 6th string he still did my false harmonics bit. :D Nice one.
And District 97 is certainly a rockin' band. Strong work all around.
Cheers,
Jimmy J
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Thanks for listening Jimmy!
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Hey Jimmy, someone on facebook caught you on your gig last night with JT. Looks like it was cool gig.
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Hi Jimmy (or should I say “Mr Johnson” now that you are rightfully dubbed “LA All-star” 😉),
Inspiring to see gigs like these are still happening. Great classic tune performed at the highest of levels by great musicians! Too bad there’s no Baked Patato ‘round the corner here in Europe:
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Wow, thanks Reinier :D
I live here in NYC,
waking up with that was amazing
Thanks Jimmy/ Mr. Johnson 8) :) :D
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Great stuff!
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Thanks friends. We've sure had a lot of fun at that club over the years.
If I've already told the story bear with me... The club was built by Don Randi who was a member of the "wrecking crew" of studio musicians back in the 60's. He played keys on most of the Beach Boys albums and a million other things from that time. He built the club (actually a restaurant serving, wait for it, baked potatoes) so that he and his pals would have a fun place to play. And that has remained the exact purpose for all these years. I've heard a wide variety of music there played by many great musicians. And I've had quite a bit of fun playing there myself in various configurations. It's a one-of-a-kind place in the world, for sure.
But Reinier, Europe has more jazz going on - especially with your summer festival circuit - than anyplace in the US. You all are keeping this and many other styles of music alive. We all appreciate the support shown by EU music fans.
Thanks!
Jimmy J
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I always wondered why about the name. Kinda' figured a fun play on words, but didn't know the literal backstory. There's this guy, a food vendor who sets up at a festival we play at every year, The CommonTater... he serves these giant potatoes baked in boiling pine rosin. It sounds just awful, but the rosin actually seals in the moisture. Those things are huge... it's all you can do to eat one.
Anyway, cool to have cool places to play. That's a slick pocket you're in there Jimmy J. 8)
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Great stuff Jimmy. I use to live near Warner Bros in Taluca lake area and sometimes would drive by the Baked Potato but never saw anyone there. My friend saw Dweezil there years back. I did see Chad with Frank in Boston back in 1984 or 85.
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This came up on a Steely Dan thread this morning.
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Very nice. 8)