Jimmy "Flim" Johnson

[gbulfon]

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.

[JimmyJ]

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

[bigredbass]

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

[JimmyJ]

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

[bigredbass]

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

[JuancarlinBass]

(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
 
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?

[richbass939]

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)

[JuancarlinBass]

Maybe we could get Jimmy to wear The Shirt on a gig? That way it would not be so off-topic..

[JimmyJ]

Hey no problem Rich.  Funny story about the shirt.  Makes me think more about International Laundry than anything else.
Jimmy J

[djbass]

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

[JimmyJ]

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

[zebadiah]

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

[JimmyJ]

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

[moonliner]

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)

[moonliner]

... double post, sorry
 
(Message edited by moonliner on May 06, 2010)