Jimmy "Flim" Johnson

[ulli]

Gracinhia has a marvelous voice. I think Steve Kahn said once she is the singer with the best voice in the world.

[ulli]

Gracinhia has a marvelous voice. I think Steve Kahn said once she is the singer with the best voice in the world.

[edwin]

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.

[JuancarlinBass]

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!

[JimmyJ]

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

[ulli]

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.

[JuancarlinBass]

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.

[ulli]

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.

[ulli]

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?

[JimmyJ]

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

[edwin]

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.

[ulli]

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.

[keith_h]

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

[ulli]

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.

[keith_h]

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