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Connecting => Community => Gigs => Topic started by: 811952 on September 13, 2008, 08:38:27 AM

Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on September 13, 2008, 08:38:27 AM: Played Blues at the Crossroads yesterday evening with the fabulous Jill Shutt. Had a great time even with nothing but a LOUD 60hz hum in the monitors.. ;)

Admittedly, we played more jazz than blues..

It rained most of the day, so the tech crew had their hands full getting things setup and running in a timely manner. No sound check, which explains the monitor situation, but I'm told it sounded great out front. C'est la vie..

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on September 13, 2008, 08:43:28 AM: (http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/56098.jpg)
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on September 13, 2008, 08:46:50 AM: Paul Sturm

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/56101.jpg)
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on September 13, 2008, 08:49:28 AM: Bill Foraker

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/56104.jpg)
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on September 13, 2008, 08:52:27 AM: Your's truly and the amazing Will Foraker..

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/56107.jpg)
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on September 13, 2008, 08:55:26 AM: John, Will, Jill, Bill and Paul..

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/56111.jpg)
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on September 13, 2008, 09:18:31 AM: And a link to a short preview feature done by a local TV station...

http://www.wthitv.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?clipId1=2902756&at1=News&vt1=v&h1=Blues+at+the+Crossroads+Preview&d1=138866&redirUrl=www.wthitv.com&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=flv&rnd=51516611 (http://www.wthitv.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?clipId1=2902756&at1=News&vt1=v&h1=Blues+at+the+Crossroads+Preview&d1=138866&redirUrl=www.wthitv.com&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=flv&rnd=51516611)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on September 15, 2008, 06:51:22 AM: Nice pics, and nice video! I especially like how the video ends with an Alembic logo shot!

The TV station did a really nice job editing and assembling the footage.

[edit: typo]

(Message edited by davehouck on September 15, 2008)
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on September 15, 2008, 06:44:42 PM: Thanks, Dave.. Jill is great to work with. Lots of talent and excellent stage presence. She does a lot of theater, and could probably make it as a comedian if she didn't have such awesome pipes..

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: andbassforall on September 21, 2008, 06:25:17 AM: Hey I'd recognize that Genz Benz amp anywhere. I have a few of their pieces. How do you like it. Is that the 700 or the 1200?
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on September 21, 2008, 07:54:24 AM: It's not mine. It was the communal bass amp, and seemed plenty nice enough. I had it barely turned up with the EQ flat using what I think was the passive channel only, and that through an Ampeg 410. I've only heard good things about the Genz Benz stuff.

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: andbassforall on September 22, 2008, 01:31:27 PM: Very cool. I hardly touch the EQ. Maybe 5% here and there. Almost never with fresh strings. What do you typically play through?
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on September 22, 2008, 03:24:29 PM: I use an Ampeg B5R these days, and like it a lot. That's run through one or two Kustom 410H cabinets, which I also like a lot.

I've been using Fender flatwounds for awhile now as well, and am pleasantly surprised how easy it is to get good tone out of the whole setup.

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: andbassforall on September 23, 2008, 04:27:37 AM: I've played the B5R a few times. I have a late 80's SVT-II. I haven't played through any Kustom stuff. I'm curious about it.

Been playing the Genz-Benz stuff the last year. I have a Neo 2X12 cab. I was using their NeoPak 3.5 head, but I got the newer Shuttle head now. It's even lighter than the NeoPak and twice the power. . It's crazy. I'm thinking of getting the 1200 head that I think you were playing through in that photo. That's why I was curious to see what you thought of it. It's been years since I've been excited about amps until I started playing this stuff.

As for the flats.. I'm not too hip on them, but I'm always surprised when I find out who plays them. I have a feeling one day, I'm going to get hip to them. Thanks for taking the time to share the photos and rig info!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on September 23, 2008, 06:48:43 AM: Actually, what turned me on to flats was the quest for Paul McCartney's tone. I've always been a shiny-sounding Rotosound user, so this is new territory for me.

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: new2alembic on September 23, 2008, 11:36:09 AM: Hey John thanks for sharing. Looks like y'all were having some fun up there. I would have liked to check you guys out in person. I am about 3 1/2 hours from you.

Carl
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: andbassforall on September 23, 2008, 01:05:52 PM: That's quite an extreme opposite from your Roto's. I used Roto's for years. When I got into 6-string I couldn't find a decent set of Roto's I liked as far as sizes. I went to D'Addario. I'm stocked D'Addario came out with the Pro Steels, They are actually a bit less expensive than the Roto's. I really dig McCartney's tone. It's still one of the most unorthodox and recognizable tones.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on November 22, 2008, 07:31:26 PM: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=50237111575157307&hl=en
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on November 23, 2008, 09:40:04 AM: What did you use to film this? I haven't plugged this in to my stereo yet, but the sound seems pretty good on my laptop. Nice bass line in White Rabbit!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on November 24, 2008, 10:52:37 AM: Thanks, Dave. The camera is my Canon S5is point-and-shoot. I figure I might as well start using it!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on November 24, 2008, 05:54:27 PM: I'm running it through my stereo now, and the bass sounds really good!

This is a topic I know little about; but I figure it's useful information to know. Did you use the 60 or 30 FPS setting? How big was the file size to record 10 minutes at that setting? And I'm guessing you recorded the sound with some other device, and then somehow synced the sound to the video.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on November 24, 2008, 06:22:28 PM: It's all the Canon camera. I set it for the low resolution (320x240) and 30 fps. For the audio, I had the wind gust filter on and left everything on auto. Just about as low-tech as it gets. I have recorded at high resolution and in PAL format, and while it looks better it kills a 4 gig card in about 15 minutes.

Here's at the high resolution. Please ignore the instrument I'm playing.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8738972851729159646&hl=en (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8738972851729159646&hl=en)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on November 24, 2008, 06:25:07 PM: Ah, of course I forgot that youtube and google video scale everything down to a web-centric low-res/low-bandwidth file. Meh.

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on November 24, 2008, 06:34:26 PM: And I must add that the Alembic is strung up with Fender flatwounds in that river/rabbit clip. I love those strings on that bass!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on November 24, 2008, 06:42:44 PM: Well the sound is pretty good for a camera. Thanks for the info!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on November 24, 2008, 06:46:17 PM: Same bar, different bands. Dicky James isn't listed on your profile; is this a new band?
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on November 25, 2008, 06:22:12 AM: Yes, it's a new band. My brother is the official bass player, but I've been filling in. It would seem that I'll be playing with them more than he will though. He's also the official bass player for Pilgrim Blues Band, but I gig more with them than he does also.

I guess I should update my profile.

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on November 28, 2008, 05:51:35 PM: I see you've now updated your profile with another interesting picture.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on November 28, 2008, 06:28:51 PM: I'm at the end of my rope.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on December 07, 2008, 09:11:07 AM: I'm going to be subbing in a horn band at Casino Aztar in Evansville, Indiana, December 26th and 27th. Feel free to stop in and be horrified at my reading skills if you're in the area..

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on December 23, 2008, 08:02:15 AM: My sister jumped the broom in a small ceremony with family and a few friends last Sunday. She decided she wanted the three of us brothers who play bass to provide the music, so little brother Pete through with a couple of arrangements whipped up on short notice...

I'm on the high part. Alembic, Fender flatwounds and some fingernails..

Recessional:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2630771560999020077 (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2630771560999020077)

Bassterpiece Theatre:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-421543441678033983 (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-421543441678033983)

It was an obviously low-key affair and fun..

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: georgie_boy on December 23, 2008, 08:34:12 AM: Great sound!!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on December 23, 2008, 09:27:00 AM: That was great!!

I'm just wondering what the audience was thinking. They didn't seem to be aware that this was a rare performance of Bassterpiece Theatre, including the even rarer dominant 7 ending as written on the long lost original version; and in a rare appearance by the Ford brothers!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on December 24, 2008, 06:22:14 AM: The audience was mostly family, and *mostly* desensitized over the years to a room full of rumbling basses. And we bassists were mostly desensitized to a room full of mostly relatives! :P
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on December 29, 2008, 02:13:11 PM: Recovering from my weekend gig with Two Tone Express at Casino Aztar today. We played mostly a mix of Motown, Brian Setzer and Tower of Power. My hands still hurt from "What is Hip?" It was the most work I've had to do at a gig, ever, I think, but well worth the trouble..
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/59651.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/59652.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/59653.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/59654.jpg)
The horns were tight and the drummer was a groove machine.. Good times! John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on January 04, 2009, 02:30:21 PM: I would imagine What Is Hip would be a bit of a workout! For those of you who can't recall, here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t2g28y7_gM) is Tower of Power's version.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on January 05, 2009, 11:26:59 AM: Ah yes, and FRP makes it all look so effortless!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on January 16, 2009, 05:37:07 PM: Gigging in Mattoon, Illinois, this Saturday (1/17/2009) with a jam band of some sort, at Toasters Pub from 9pm to 1am local time. Feel free to stop in and say hello if you're in the area...

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on September 30, 2009, 05:32:08 PM: Gigging this Saturday in Marshall, Illinois, at the VFW with Soupbone (a jam band)... The drummer is fabulous...

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: krystoof on October 01, 2009, 11:43:38 PM: Hi, John!
Your vids and music are really nice, and you have such a wonderful sound with your SerieII, it's awesome!!! I guess this is the next bass I'll try to grab!
If you have a minut, I have a gig anouncement just below yours in the list ( OmpaBompa), with a link towards the band myspace.
Have a great day!
Xtof
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on September 30, 2010, 12:42:54 PM: On Saturday, October 2nd, I'll be at McGilvery's Pub in Greenwood, IN, just south of Indy, for the Bridges of Indiana benefit motorcycle ride for autism with Dicky James and the Blue Flames. We play at 6 pm. If you're in the area, check it out..

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: pauldo on September 30, 2010, 04:47:30 PM: Sounds cool John - are you going on the ride as well as playing?
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on October 04, 2010, 12:05:55 PM: Didn't ride. It was a Harley-ish loud pipes save lives crowd, which isn't my thing. It ended up raining as well, so turnout was small but they were very very enthusiastic about the music. Good times, even if cold and wet..

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on December 07, 2010, 08:07:59 AM: Playing this Friday (10 December 2010) at The Player's Pub in Bloomington, Indiana, with Dicky James and the Blue Flames. They've got excellent food and a nice selection of dark chewy beer on tap. If you're in the area, come out and feel some bass..

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: mikedm on December 07, 2010, 05:18:40 PM: Now, who could resist dark chewy beer? Have fun John.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on December 15, 2010, 04:31:23 PM: It was good. The band's at The Slippery Noodle this weekend, on the rear stage. My brother, Mark, is the bass player. Stop in a say hey if any of you folks are in the area..

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on January 08, 2011, 08:28:57 AM: Thursday evening I went for a jam at a buddy's place. He's got a Pro-Tools setup in his basement, so we all plugged-in. The drummer and I have worked together before (though not in nearly a year) but the guitar player we'd never met. Good times though..

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6530004/Last%20Jam.mp3 (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6530004/Last%20Jam.mp3)

I have a set of cheap Fender flatwounds on the bass, but really like the tone..

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: mikedm on January 08, 2011, 09:36:26 AM: More bass solos and less gui . . tarrr . . . uh, sorry guys.
The flats are just right. Nice jam to listen to on a cool January morning.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: artswork99 on January 08, 2011, 12:15:34 PM: Sweet!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: pauldo on January 09, 2011, 11:08:15 AM: Yeah John!
That's what I'm talkin' about - drive the song, play some groovin' solo and go back to the pocket! Very sweet!
Thanks for sharing.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on January 10, 2011, 02:42:39 PM: It was definitely a good time and a time of great humility. Kade's specialty is Chet Atkins style fingerpicking, which I can't follow to save my life. Hopefully I'll have more opportunities to make progress in that direction. I don't think I'll be posting any of my lame attempts to keep up with that!

Except for this one, of course.. ;)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6530004/Mountains%20of%20Illinois.mp3 (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6530004/Mountains%20of%20Illinois.mp3)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on January 10, 2011, 03:01:14 PM: And another..

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6530004/Jam%205.mp3 (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6530004/Jam%205.mp3)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: charles_holmes on January 10, 2011, 04:39:33 PM: Bridge Street was an exceptional song! I loved the easy feeling of the song. Very, Very beautiful!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: pauldo on January 10, 2011, 06:11:44 PM: That is some truly inspiring groovy, greasy playing John - thanks again!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: dadabass2001 on January 11, 2011, 09:44:07 AM: Nice grooves, John. Mountains of Illinois, eh? I am reminded of the Galena Territory (okay, so they're closer to hills, it's all a matter of perspective).

Mike
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on January 13, 2011, 04:53:18 PM: Nice tone throughout John!

Mountains of Illinois is beautiful; he's a very fine player!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on January 15, 2011, 10:34:49 AM: It's surprising how well those cheap flats sound on that instrument. Easy to fit into the mix as well.

And yes, Kade is exceptional. Hopefully we can put something together.

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on January 27, 2011, 05:10:57 PM: Here's some old fun..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yL_tK91IMA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yL_tK91IMA)

Bass is tuned down a 4th, if memory serves. Decent audio from an old VHS camcorder sitting on a pool table...

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on January 27, 2011, 06:17:39 PM: Tight band! You guys had been together for quite a while when this was made. From one song right into the next; nobody needing to look at anybody else for cues.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on January 28, 2011, 08:26:11 AM: Thanks. We'd been together about 3 or 4 months, and this was our first real gig. Did you notice anything strange about my speaker cabinet?

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on January 28, 2011, 05:32:00 PM: First gig?!! You guys must have practiced a lot. And no, I don't think I even noticed your rig; though I did notice you using some pedals on the floor.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on January 29, 2011, 03:34:46 PM: We practiced a couple of times a week for 3 or 4 months. Most of the tunes are originals, so in many ways it was considerably easier to learn to parts since we were creating them ourselves. It was the first time I'd ever worked with the drummer, but we hit it off musically from the very beginning. Having that relationship is the magic that makes everything else possible, in my opinion. I love playing bass when Will's on drums.

The pedals are an original set of Taurus pedals, later replaced by Fatar pedals midi'd to a Vintage Keys module. I loves me some bass pedals. ;)

The speaker cabinet is an isobaric dual-18 I built out of the shell of an old Peavey 1810 cabinet. It sounded fantastic, but put out way too much deep deep bass for the rooms we played so I eventually decommissioned it and started using a 4-12 cabinet instead...

Good times..

John

(Message edited by 811952 on January 29, 2011)
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on April 17, 2011, 07:12:06 AM: Here's a clip from Saturday night. It's not the Alembic, but it's a pretty fair example of what I do when I'm having a good time.

It's my first experiment with BassCam video.

Excuse the crappy audio.

http://youtu.be/o81VsT8-wBs (http://youtu.be/o81VsT8-wBs)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: tbrannon on April 17, 2011, 07:32:16 AM: Killer! My right hand got tired watching

Want to share some details on the camera used? Pretty slick camera.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on April 17, 2011, 07:41:00 AM: Thanks!

I velcro'd a borrowed Flip camera to the headstock of the Lakland. I couldn't get a good angle on the Alembic, hence the Lakland instead. I think probably the GoPro Hero HD camera is the way to go, as it's designed to be mounted to helmets and such. The Flip has a tripod socket and that's it. At any rate, I look forward to playing around more with this sort of thing at another gig.

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: tbrannon on April 17, 2011, 07:55:04 AM: Sounds like you could use the gopro on your motorcycle helmet too. That would be a fool addition to those pictorial threads you post about your tours.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: tbrannon on April 17, 2011, 07:55:43 AM: Sounds like you could use the gopro on your motorcycle helmet too. That would be a cool addition to those pictorial threads you post about your tours.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: FC Bass on April 17, 2011, 08:03:21 AM: A what camera? :-)
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on April 17, 2011, 08:19:25 AM: Here's the GoPro, which I would like to get:

http://gopro.com/products/?gclid=CP2bmaPso6gCFdI42godCylyHw (http://gopro.com/products/?gclid=CP2bmaPso6gCFdI42godCylyHw)

Here's the Flip site (I used an Ultra HD):

http://store.theflip.com/en-us/?gclid=CJLKvcjso6gCFape7AodBkhkHw (http://store.theflip.com/en-us/?gclid=CJLKvcjso6gCFape7AodBkhkHw)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: pauldo on April 17, 2011, 09:32:14 AM: Really cool - kinda surreal looking down the neck. Too bad the audio was shaky - that was a jam!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on April 17, 2011, 04:45:47 PM: Here's another. Not quite the same level of excitement, but a good groove..

http://youtu.be/lKMX6mEli3A (http://youtu.be/lKMX6mEli3A)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on April 20, 2011, 06:54:52 AM: Rollin' and Tumblin'...

http://youtu.be/O_hvdVGytds (http://youtu.be/O_hvdVGytds)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on April 27, 2011, 08:59:50 AM: Cool! Very interesting perspective! I might have to try that while practicing.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on April 28, 2011, 11:39:44 AM: I think this weekend I'll mount the camera on the point of the Series and see how that looks and sounds.

Another from the 15th, clams aplenty but at good song:

http://youtu.be/7QJttSHHD6s (http://youtu.be/7QJttSHHD6s)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on May 01, 2011, 03:29:59 PM: Here's one from last night, other end of the instrument with Alembic flatwound goodness..

http://youtu.be/D0jjaSlVbNk (http://youtu.be/D0jjaSlVbNk)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on May 01, 2011, 05:20:40 PM: I think I like the peghead perspective better.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on May 01, 2011, 05:33:11 PM: I concur. The audio is better though. *sigh* I guess at some point I just need to procure a real audio recorder and perhaps dangle a camera off one of the light trees.

It's fun to play with.

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: pauldo on May 02, 2011, 04:00:59 PM: I'm with Dave - the peghead view allows more to be seen.

None the less it is all very cool and John- your bass playing is always a treat to listen to.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on May 03, 2011, 08:10:11 AM: Thanks! You're a kind man. ;)

When we getting together in Chicago again?

Here's another, it's the title track from Dicky's latest CD:

http://youtu.be/iTX6T2zoha0 (http://youtu.be/iTX6T2zoha0)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on May 06, 2011, 07:46:44 AM: Messin' With The Kid

http://youtu.be/LVT9pYRuYiE (http://youtu.be/LVT9pYRuYiE)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 06, 2011, 05:37:36 PM: Playing this weekend for the first time with a new band, Cry On High, at Mulligan's in Terre Haute. We start at 8:00 pm and do two long sets of a mix of covers and originals. Will likely only play the Alembic on a couple of tunes, since the Dean 12-string seems to fit well with most of the material. Some of you Indy folks may know some of the other members. Jeff Wisbey, Tim Huber and Gary Ooley. If you're stuck in the 'haute, drop in..

http://cryonhigh.com/ (http://cryonhigh.com/)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: dadabass2001 on June 09, 2011, 03:39:28 PM: Have a great time John. Rock the house!
Mike
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 12, 2011, 01:11:35 PM: Thanks Mike!

Gig went reasonably well, and I've begun uploading clips to youtube.

Spent about 1/3 of the gig on 12-string, then recovered with some quality Alembic time...

Happiness is everything..

http://youtu.be/rDQyfp6XiYo (http://youtu.be/rDQyfp6XiYo)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 12, 2011, 02:42:56 PM: Prime Time, for all you Tubes fans..

http://youtu.be/sOt1JhCIiJ4 (http://youtu.be/sOt1JhCIiJ4)

Of course, one thing leads to another..

http://youtu.be/liqZ3k4-c1Y (http://youtu.be/liqZ3k4-c1Y)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 13, 2011, 11:33:22 AM: Heart Full Of Soul..

http://youtu.be/u7B8RshtOV0 (http://youtu.be/u7B8RshtOV0)

I'm Comin' Home..

http://youtu.be/7z5Gsa4DgHU (http://youtu.be/7z5Gsa4DgHU)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: mikedm on June 13, 2011, 11:35:06 AM: The Tubes...my first live concert, Munchen Cirkus Krone, 1979. What an eye opener that was.

Nice rendition and great grooving.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 13, 2011, 05:32:59 PM: Thanks!

Here's a tune you may be familiar with..

http://youtu.be/ev38o1v5uLo (http://youtu.be/ev38o1v5uLo)

The Maker

I really enjoy it..

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: pauldo on June 13, 2011, 05:59:16 PM: Nice!
What are you recording with now John?
Audio is much better than the 'headstock' cam.
The little galloping part towards the end of Lucille was cool! :-D
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: mikedm on June 13, 2011, 10:02:09 PM: I also liked 2 Tickets. I've always liked the way the bass holds that song together.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 14, 2011, 06:05:19 AM: Thanks, guys.

I parked a Flip camera over at the edge of the stage. Works reasonably well for what it is. It has a fairly narrow field-of-view, which makes placement a bit of a challenge.

We've rehearsed on and off for a couple of months (a couple of hours at a time on a handful of Saturday afternoons), and still didn't know the songs very well. We relied heavily on gig magic to get us through and for the most part, it did.

After playing the 12 for several songs, the Alembic felt like a toothpick (thankfully) in comparison. I almost put roundwounds on it before the gig, but the sound guy said he liked flats on a bass so I left it be. Might do rounds at some point though.

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 14, 2011, 06:09:37 AM: Some pics..
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/107036.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/107037.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/107038.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/107039.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/107040.jpg)
John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 17, 2011, 04:46:57 PM: Fire of Love..

http://youtu.be/cQ-sKse853I (http://youtu.be/cQ-sKse853I)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: malthumb on June 19, 2011, 12:25:57 PM: Lots of good stuff there,John! Love the finish on your Alembic.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 20, 2011, 06:06:30 PM: Thanks! Sure wish it had that extra string.

Great to see your gig pics!

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: jacko on June 21, 2011, 04:25:49 AM: you've had a haircut!

Graeme
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 21, 2011, 07:39:58 AM: It's something I do once every 9 to 12 months or so, whether I need it or not. ;)

Funny thing is, I shaved my beard and my wife didn't notice for well over 24 hours. :D

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on June 21, 2011, 10:46:04 AM: I know the feeling, John; when I married my wife I had a fu manchu moustache. One day her mother walked in the door & exclaimed You cut the ends off your moustache! My wife looked shocked - When did you do that? About 2 weeks ago I answered.
but to get back to the thread, there's something wrong with your gig pictures. I've been watching recent posts by others closely, & I think you're supposed to have a cute girl on stage, aren't you?

Peter
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on June 21, 2011, 04:35:55 PM: Nice cover of Heart Full of Soul!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 22, 2011, 07:19:31 AM: Thanks, Dave. It's a fun band. As Peter points out, though, we need a girl in the organization.

Paint It Black

http://youtu.be/EG1toYl_URo (http://youtu.be/EG1toYl_URo)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on August 21, 2011, 07:22:00 AM: From last night's gig with Dicky James:

http://youtu.be/yvSubirAQP4 (http://youtu.be/yvSubirAQP4)

Immediately after we finished playing, a guy walked up to me and said Hey, that's and Alembic and you really know how to play it! :-)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: tbrannon on August 21, 2011, 08:24:13 AM: John,

When I grow up I want to play bass like you. Dang.... I am always impressed with your playing when you post videos. Plus I love the motorcycle touring photo-journals too. Think I can just live vicariously through you?
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: rustyg61 on August 21, 2011, 11:25:40 AM: Great stuff!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on August 21, 2011, 02:07:20 PM: You guys are kind! Thanks!

I have been fortunate to only gig with excellent drummers these last several years, which frees things up considerably. Lots of room to experiment.

Getting ready for another bike/Jeep adventure in a couple of weeks. I wish my wife were able to join me, but she has to work.

I may just be the luckiest guy on Earth. At least sometimes when I look at my family and friends it sure feels like it.

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: dadabass2001 on August 22, 2011, 12:30:59 PM: Excellent, John. It's good to see your Series doing the blues! gotta luv the Blue Flames!
Mike
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on August 22, 2011, 05:02:58 PM: Thanks Mike! These basses make it all so much easier to just let go and do it to it. It's a fun band. It would be nice to gig with them more regularly, but a sub is a sub is a sub so whatcha gonna do?

Tracy says Keavin (#12) and I have the same irreverent approach to the instrument, which I take as an extreme compliment. I think he connects the dots a lot better and more often than I do!

I'd love to see some bass-cam from a dadabass gig.

We need another Chicago soiree...

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on August 22, 2011, 07:31:08 PM: Nice video! Watching Red House now.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on August 23, 2011, 06:21:37 AM: Red House = 9+ minutes of me trying *really* hard to not push it!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: serialnumber12 on August 23, 2011, 09:19:25 AM: the reason we have the that same irreverent approach to the bass because LIBRAS don't mind tipping the scales!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on August 23, 2011, 09:23:31 AM: Amen!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: dadabass2001 on August 28, 2011, 07:21:42 AM: Hi again John.
No bass cam from me, I still don't own a camera. Buit I am in process of gathering multiple camera angles from the Rewind 2011 show and will have some stuff on YouTube this fall There's some single cam videos up from various attendees and fans. Here's the link to videos by Rock The Hub (http://www.youtube.com/user/RockTheHub#p/u target=_blank) . I'm playing with Andy Wilberding, Lavendar Hill, Gayle Grether, Hapton Road, and with Janet Lieb and Yesterday's Children (5 of the 9 acts I was bassist for).
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on October 02, 2011, 10:26:29 AM: Another couple of tunes, this time from a Zoom recorder near the bass rig..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OcMdC_B42g (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OcMdC_B42g)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on October 02, 2011, 04:35:35 PM: And another..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xygWXB1C1Y (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xygWXB1C1Y)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on October 02, 2011, 05:00:58 PM: And one more 'nother one more again..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZdaVAbVZtI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZdaVAbVZtI)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on October 03, 2011, 12:24:05 PM: And some more. Would you like some more? Well here's some more!

Hard Rain
http://youtu.be/Rmd0wEzrhw8 (http://youtu.be/Rmd0wEzrhw8)

Cold Chills
http://youtu.be/TfZKtDm5pjo (http://youtu.be/TfZKtDm5pjo)

We Get To Play
http://youtu.be/4KId_LUhL5g (http://youtu.be/4KId_LUhL5g)

Red Rooster
http://youtu.be/oPERfObxri8 (http://youtu.be/oPERfObxri8)

Travelin' South
http://youtu.be/A3WRVlLZ_54 (http://youtu.be/A3WRVlLZ_54)

The Thrill Is Gone
http://youtu.be/slsNYDqSROY (http://youtu.be/slsNYDqSROY)

Everybody Got To Pay
http://youtu.be/zVHamxXaDd0 (http://youtu.be/zVHamxXaDd0)

Rock Me
http://youtu.be/n3_JQBoaaQQ (http://youtu.be/n3_JQBoaaQQ)

Mojo Workin'
http://youtu.be/gCUMnnxWDRw (http://youtu.be/gCUMnnxWDRw)

Messin' With The Kid
http://youtu.be/p8FseqA__Qc (http://youtu.be/p8FseqA__Qc)

Thanks for indulging me.

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on October 09, 2011, 05:34:30 PM: Have a gig this Friday 10/14 with Two-Tone Express (the horn band) in Evansville at Casino Aztar. If you're in the area, they are a great band to hear and of course I'd love it if you said hello..

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: serialnumber12 on October 10, 2011, 05:05:52 AM: Dont forget we've got birthdays this week!(http://club.alembic.com/Images/65124/114533.jpg)
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on October 10, 2011, 05:45:40 AM: Ha ha! Yes we do! Getting older sure beats the alternative, my friend!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on October 16, 2011, 02:08:23 PM: Lakland bass this time. I left my power supply, cable and tuner at the previous night's gig some 150-175 miles away. Oops! Last time I do that, hopefully..

Little Red Rooster and Hard Rain, sonic surprise about halfway through..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbyPMyNnwno (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbyPMyNnwno)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on October 29, 2011, 01:24:44 PM: Gigged again with Dicky and company last night. Played the Alembic all night. It really is amazing how much better the sound is from that bass, and how much more responsive it is than anything else I've played. Rounds, flats, whatever, it's just one friggin' phenomenal instrument.

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on November 13, 2011, 09:47:47 AM: Stumbled upon this not too long ago. It's my brother and me in '95 at a gig in Akron, Ohio. I quite literally met the drummer and guitarist on-stage. Bass is tuned BEAD..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo7UCk14iUY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo7UCk14iUY)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on November 21, 2011, 06:15:20 AM: I had the opportunity to gig at a benefit festival over the weekend. 18 bands in three adjacent venues. Several people commended me on my tone, saying I had the only bass that cut through the mix and that it sounded incredible. Thank you Alembic!

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on November 21, 2011, 05:12:56 PM: Cool!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: pauldo on November 21, 2011, 06:47:51 PM: :-D
Awesome archival footage!
Sounds like you were slinging round wounds back then.
That's your bro on the keys? He has some mad skills!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on February 23, 2012, 10:36:49 AM: A couple of us have managed to get a jazz jam thing going at one of the locals clubs in the couple of hours before they get their open mic night started. There are moments of brilliance and moments of musical carnage but it's been a very good learning environment for me.

Here's a clip from Monday's jam with me on that other bass, recorded with a new-to-me-so-I-haven't-figured-out-how-to-use-it-yet Zoom H4N recorder.

The picture is of the other bassist who's been showing up, Eric Schatz, with that bass of mine..

Blue Bossa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jjpz51OXZo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jjpz51OXZo)

And here is Eric playing a T. Monk tune. Different guitarist..

Well You Needn't
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSedLh5-cxA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSedLh5-cxA)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on March 04, 2012, 05:01:25 PM: Okay, I'm about to the point of pulling the glorious Alembic out again, to change it up and thinking maybe now I'll have a fresh approach to it after spending some time with the fretless Lakland. This is from last night's gig, Zoom next to the bass amp so I could get a good read on my intonation..

http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/hard-rain-fretless-bass-dicky (http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/hard-rain-fretless-bass-dicky)

Funny thing is, I recently installed a Mike Pope Flex Core preamp in my other Lakland 5 but have yet to pick it up at a gig either. I'm having THAT MUCH FUN with the fretless!

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: dadabass2001 on March 05, 2012, 06:28:18 AM: Sounding real good, John!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on March 21, 2012, 06:55:48 AM: Tried something new at the latest Monday night jam. Drums,keys, two guitars and, ahem, two basses. It works better than one would expect. I'm playing the fretless..

http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/mercy-mercy-mercy-verve-2012 (http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/mercy-mercy-mercy-verve-2012)

Recorded with the Zoom H4n pointed at the ceiling, direct line from my amp and a pzm on the floor in front of the keyboard amp. Very minimal editing and adjustment with Audacity (on Ubuntu Linux) and voila..

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: pauldo on March 21, 2012, 10:33:57 AM: very cool, if one bass is good then two basses is great! :-D
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on April 11, 2012, 06:41:04 PM: 'Nother one..

http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/tune-06-caravan-2012-04-09 (http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/tune-06-caravan-2012-04-09)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on May 07, 2012, 12:44:16 PM: Our weekly Monday night jazz jam has degenerated into this:

http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/2012-04-30-vervejam-08a-remix (http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/2012-04-30-vervejam-08a-remix)

I'm loving it.

John

It's a trio, by the way, Al Doti on drums, Tim Doyle on guitar and me on bass..

(Message edited by 811952 on May 07, 2012)
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: rustyg61 on May 07, 2012, 03:26:24 PM: Cool stuff John! Very King Crimsonesque!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on May 09, 2012, 11:00:30 AM: Thanks! Here's some more dinking around, this with the Alembic..

http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/2012-05-07-verve-jam-01 (http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/2012-05-07-verve-jam-01)

Plenty of clams and certainly not the most musical performance on my part, but I think it's neat to be able to capture the general flavor of things so easily with the little Zoom H4n..

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 05, 2012, 10:59:06 AM: All Blues in 4, from last night's jam..

http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/2012-06-04-all-blues (http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/2012-06-04-all-blues)

There really is nothing that sounds even close to the Alembic..

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: dadabass2001 on June 06, 2012, 08:11:41 AM: A cool little fun jam, John. You've got some simpatico players around your neck of the woods.

Mike
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 07, 2012, 04:51:35 AM: Yeah, Mike, there are a few of them around here. I feel I'm pretty lucky in that regard!

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 26, 2012, 05:39:06 PM: Clip from Friday night's gig with Dicky James. This one grooves along nicely.

http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/youthinkyouso-2012-06-22 (http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/youthinkyouso-2012-06-22)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: dadabass2001 on June 27, 2012, 09:22:55 AM: Very nice! A good groove and some solid playing. Kudos to tha band!

Mike
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: pauldo on June 27, 2012, 12:17:39 PM: Like the way you get that bass to burble!
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 28, 2012, 10:11:24 AM: Thanks guys!

On the bass, neck pickup only, mostly flat. On the amp, drive is all the way up and treble is down a bit. I'm trying to channel an old Precision through not nearly enough amp, and those settings seem to work. ;)

Here's a fun one.

http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/goin-down-2012-06-22 (http://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/goin-down-2012-06-22)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on June 28, 2012, 11:30:31 AM: And by not nearly enough amp I mean that I've got plenty of amp, but want that destroying the porta-flex tone.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: dadabass2001 on June 29, 2012, 08:18:02 AM: He he he... I remember those days.
MIke
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on February 06, 2013, 08:30:29 AM: A standard from our local weekly jazz jam:

https://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/2013-02-04-vervejam-footprints (https://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/2013-02-04-vervejam-footprints)

I'm struggling with a friend's MM Jazz Bass on this. It's always nice to be reminded why people nearly always get excited when they get to play the Alembic at these things. Anyway, at least I'm still getting to play regularly.

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on March 06, 2013, 01:10:44 PM: Caravan from last Monday's jazz jam. Alembic with flatwounds.

https://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/2013-03-04-vervejam-11-caravan (https://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/2013-03-04-vervejam-11-caravan)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on July 23, 2013, 01:11:40 PM: A couple from last night's jazz jam. Alembic with Alembic roundwounds. Basically just fooling around.

https://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/07-22-vervejam-01 (https://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/07-22-vervejam-01)

https://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/07-22-vervejam-02-durtwang

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on July 23, 2013, 05:54:15 PM: Just listened to the first one; very cool! My favorite part was the transition at 2:35.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on July 24, 2013, 05:57:12 AM: Thanks, Dave. Here's another:

https://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/07-22-vervejam-08-allblues (https://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/07-22-vervejam-08-allblues)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on December 07, 2013, 02:36:08 PM: Improv tune from last night's gig with my trio/quartet Jazz Beard. This isn't the Alembic, but instead is the Lakland with the Mike Pope preamp. Recorded with a Zoom H4n from across the stage. I've got too many nice basses.

https://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/jazz-beard-16-9-makes-12 (https://soundcloud.com/scarysharkface/jazz-beard-16-9-makes-12)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on February 19, 2016, 06:10:09 AM: Been awhile, but I've been playing a lot..

Here's a tune with the drummer taking the lead vocals. Not playing the Alembic, but not that it would matter given the quality of the recording..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-txH6PM_Fk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-txH6PM_Fk)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on February 19, 2016, 06:23:22 AM: And another. Interesting dynamic with this band. No rehearsal to speak of, but a couple of days before a gig someone will email a youtube link to something I'm unfamiliar with and we'll just kind of wing-it when the time comes. Sometimes it's a train wreck and other times it's almost brilliant. At any rate, even though we're not going to win any awards, I'm enjoying being along for the ride with these people who are about half my age.

Karma Police
https://youtu.be/u-_7_Kz3sJc (https://youtu.be/u-_7_Kz3sJc)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on February 19, 2016, 06:27:39 AM: Mama told me not to come

https://youtu.be/udgqAKjLFa8 (https://youtu.be/udgqAKjLFa8)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on February 19, 2016, 05:41:34 PM: The first two videos are not working for me; the sound works, but the picture looks like it's been censored.

Nice job by the drummer on Ophelia. And nice work on the bass all around.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on February 22, 2016, 05:11:14 AM: Thanks!

The first two videos are just random video noise. I probably should have mentioned that before you went to check the ingredients in your tea. ;)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: sonicus on February 22, 2016, 09:14:27 AM: Nice work on the musical content. I get the video signal scramble as well .
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on March 28, 2016, 05:20:32 AM: More gigs. Too many pedals, but I want the new Mel9 before I call it done. Life is good.

https://scarysharkface.smugmug.com/photos/i-cKxHFQR/0/L/i-cKxHFQR-L.jpg (https://scarysharkface.smugmug.com/photos/i-cKxHFQR/0/L/i-cKxHFQR-L.jpg)

John
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: David Houck on April 09, 2016, 05:43:09 PM: Mel9 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiTHc8d9D20); they had me at Court of the Crimson King.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on April 13, 2016, 10:37:32 AM: Me too. Waiting for Sweetwater to ship it. Spending the minutes sitting on my hands in anticipation!

John
Title: Re: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on December 13, 2016, 05:57:11 AM: I've been trying to cycle through all the basses, and Saturday the Lakland fretless was up to bat. Life is good, to have a pile of nice instruments to choose from.

Jessica/If I Only Had A Brain

John
Title: Re: 811952's gigs
Post by: tbrannon on December 13, 2016, 07:08:44 AM: Loved that....i always enjoy that headstock cam. Nice job working in that little chunk from the Champs.
Title: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on April 23, 2019, 06:37:40 AM: My friend, Todd, just joined the club. We had some Alembic time at the local jazz jam last night.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-VPxqNMg/0/053af412/XL/i-VPxqNMg-XL.jpg)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-4rKXJ9X/0/2b329129/XL/i-4rKXJ9X-XL.jpg)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-P3sNWJf/0/36622320/XL/i-P3sNWJf-XL.jpg)
Todd was kind enough to pass his new baby around.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-KG4B9V7/0/49658b4b/XL/i-KG4B9V7-XL.jpg)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-bdvTwcs/0/2d61e673/XL/i-bdvTwcs-XL.jpg)

John
Title: Re: 811952's gigs
Post by: jazzyvee on April 23, 2019, 06:51:59 AM: Looks like Nick's old bass.
Title: Re: 811952's gigs
Post by: tbrannon on April 23, 2019, 12:35:51 PM: ooooh. that's an unusual tailpiece!!
Title: Re: 811952's gigs
Post by: mica on April 23, 2019, 01:26:41 PM: Quote from: jazzyvee on April 23, 2019, 06:51:59 AM
Looks like Nick's old bass.

Which was also Will Gunn's first Alembic bass!
Title: Re: 811952's gigs
Post by: edwardofhuncote on April 23, 2019, 03:00:57 PM: Great to see AC 76-405 out and about. Congratulations & Compliments to the new custodian of that Classic. :)

The unusual tailpiece, if I remember right, was to accommodate either long or short-scale strings.
Title: Re: 811952's gigs
Post by: 811952 on April 24, 2019, 06:36:03 AM: Todd let us all take turns with it. Nice bass. That neck! And of course, the SII electronics are just really without peer. Beautiful bass in every way. I had sent 811952 (strung with flats) home with him a month ago to set the hook, and I think he's planning to install flats on this instrument. I'm looking forward to hearing/playing that setup. As much of a bright roundwounds guy as I am, there is something special about flatwounds on an Alembic.

John