Author Topic: Alembic bass owner question... (Read 726 times)

white_cloud · « **Reply #60 on:** December 04, 2007, 02:32:39 PM »

I love all kinds of bass players, but it was the innovative solo players that really turned me on!

Guys like Jeff Berlin, Percy Jones, Stanley Clarke, Jaco, Jonas Hellborg, John Entwhistle, Ralphe Armstrong etc blew me away in the good old days when I was starting out! These guys stretched the limits at a time when the true role of the bass was only just starting to become realised...

So, YES YES YES I love solos too

hendixclarke · « **Reply #61 on:** December 04, 2007, 03:00:22 PM »

Percy Jones, sends chills down my back... This guy is so under-rated, it makes me sick.

white_cloud · « **Reply #62 on:** December 04, 2007, 03:58:19 PM »

Percy jones is second only to Jaco as a fretless player in my mind!

The guy is so unique. I adore his Brand X material...check out his playing on the ghost of mayfield lodge on the Masques album..WOW!

terryc · « **Reply #63 on:** December 04, 2007, 04:07:23 PM »

Percy Jones missed my list..maybe I should check him out..any track/album suggestions from you guys?? All suggestions very welcome

hendixclarke · « **Reply #64 on:** December 04, 2007, 04:34:53 PM »

Percy Jones, is my favorite fretless bass player of all time.

Percy Jones bottom grooves, are smaller tight solos, while keeping in time with the drums. He add so much color to where; you can hear him far in a distance (like a train coming from miles away...) then BAM, he stop and the band goes into a totally different direction on his lead.

Jaco never did this kind of stuff. His music was pretty easy to follow, yet he (Jaco) was the melodic King. I love Jaco's riffs with Joni Mitchell so much, it makes my heart skip just thinking about some of his works he did with Joni. It's like looking down a sunset of a beautiful lake and small ripples of water in the shadows. Just heavenly...

But if I had to choose between styles (this would be very hard, because I love both signature styles), but Percy is tighter when it comes to the fretless bass.

His band is called Brand X
Phil Collins even kicks some mean skins on some of the older albums.

keith_h · « **Reply #65 on:** December 04, 2007, 04:48:31 PM »

Terry,
For a good example of Percy Jones listen to any of the early Brand X albums. Brand X is still one of my favorite bands.

Keith

hendixclarke · « **Reply #66 on:** December 04, 2007, 11:27:38 PM »

Check out percy jones on youtube. They finally got music on the guy.

terryc · « **Reply #67 on:** December 05, 2007, 01:12:51 AM »

Now I know who you mean, you know sometimes you miss someone that you have heard all the time, yes an incredible technician and subtley different from Jaco

white_cloud · « **Reply #68 on:** December 05, 2007, 02:05:42 AM »

Hey Terry, I cant believe you havent heard of Percy..he's a proud welshman from the valleys of north Wales!! His unique style totally shocked and impressed me back in the day.

I strongly recomend the album entitled masques. It features the excellent John Godsall on guitar and Kenwood Dennard on drums!! The opening track the poke is magnificent, and the rest of the songlist just gets better and better.

Awsome bass playing, some of the best fretless ever layed down in my opinion. British fusion at its very best!

Another good recomendation on a slightly differnt note is this: Check out the track struggle of the turtle to the sea pt3 on the Jean luc ponty album enigmatic ocean. It features Ralphe Armstrong playing a totally blistering bass line and fantastic solo! Amazing stuff!

(Message edited by white cloud on December 05, 2007)

terryc · « **Reply #69 on:** December 05, 2007, 06:43:38 AM »

Well I know another great welsh bass player..Lawrence Cottell..another master of the fretless
I will endeavour to bring myself up to speed on Percy..
My main influences were Stan, Jaco and Mark King

white_cloud · « **Reply #70 on:** December 05, 2007, 06:54:41 AM »

I have heard of Lawrence cottell for many years, but havent actually heard much of his playing Terry! Any recomendations on Lawrence's work?

jacko · « **Reply #71 on:** December 06, 2007, 04:47:06 AM »

This thread seems to be going in about three different directions so...
terry and John.. lawrence performed at Bass day and also took the time to chat. I really enjoyed his set; his playing was superb (although on a fretted yamaha) and fitted in perfectly with his band. His Solos were very tasteful.

You can download a couple of his albums free from his website

and for later Percy jones, check out his 'Tunnels' album. It's very good. Another fretless player in the same vein is John Giblin who also played in Brand X (check out Wal to Wal on Product) and has appeared on just about every Kate Bush album.

Dave. I know exactly where you're coming from. I love to get into the hills by myself and just appreciate 'being'.

Hal. The music my band plays doesn't really lend itself to bass soloing. I get a couple of chances to shine during the set but I don't really think our audiences expect it just as I doubt if any of them know anything about Alembic. (unless John makes it to Glasgow this wednesday). My main reason for taking up the bass was seeing Yes in 1974. Chris Squire managed to make the bass sound very interesting while still serving the music. Granted he did take a solo spot with 'The Fish' but that was really just the icing o the cake for me.

Graeme

white_cloud · « **Reply #72 on:** December 06, 2007, 05:35:15 AM »

Yes Graeme, you will at least have two Alembic fans in the audience on Wednesday at Glasgow( my wife and I) I dont really care if there are bass solos or not, I get as much satisfaction from just hearing simple lines well played with a tasteful sounding bass tone to be honest!

I was also a big Yes fan, I loved Chris squires tone so much that I had two Ricky 4001's at one time. I was at the magnification tour at the SECC a while back and loved every minute..im willing to guess that you were there too?

Im personally not a big fan of plectrum bassists, but I guess CS and mr Entwhistle where my exceptions to that rule! Im also a big KT Bush fan and love the vibe that John Giblin brings to her recordings..and oh yeah, hes a Scot isnt he?

jacko · « **Reply #73 on:** December 06, 2007, 06:18:06 AM »

Yep, John's from lanarkshire. I too was at the magnification gig. I moved to Scotland in '98 and have been to every tour that's visited since then - the first, in march/ april 1998, I went to the Glasgow show the day I moved up, then the playhouse in April which was a bonus date. Unfortunately, the home I was leaving in worcester was burgled the same night so I had to tear down the M74 straight after the gig:-( A shame as I hear Chris and Alan White hung out with fans for quite some time (in a pub too!!).

graeme

white_cloud · « **Reply #74 on:** December 06, 2007, 07:17:41 AM »

You know, why the hell do I always miss out on these type of incidents??? The only people I ever end up sitting in pubs with are old guys smoking pipes and playing dominoes..no rock stars for me

Author Topic: Alembic bass owner question... (Read 726 times)

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