Rocky McDougall Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 I don't think I have ever heard much dicussion on this Forum on Big Bands and their bass players. I have always been a big fan of Dave Grusin and the GRP All Stars and the great John Patitucci. Check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMPZ75wQOt0 Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenfxj Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 I think Big Bands are just pure crap. Absolute, unadulterated, crap. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.):grin: Push the button Frank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenfxj Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 I'm afraid I don't have much knowledge on the subject. Does this count as Big Band? Push the button Frank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky McDougall Posted April 28, 2007 Author Share Posted April 28, 2007 I guess BIG is in the eye of the beholder. Thanks for the Video Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruuve Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 I had a request to sub for a big band here in Raleigh...didn't have time at the moment, but I might have to follow up on that now that you've reminded me. I've seen John Pattituci in a clinic...he's awesome. I really dig his playing with old Chick Corea though! Dave Old bass players never die, they just buy lighter rigs. - Tom Capasso, 11/9/2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basshappi Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 I'm a fan of "neo-swing". the guy that played for The Cherry Poppin' Daddies kicked some serious a$$! Of course the real "Big Band" era music was filled with fantastic music and musicians and it was in this era that bass and bassplayers first started to get some recognition. Nothing is as it seems but everything is exactly what it is - B. Banzai Life is what happens while you are busy playing in bands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Geoff Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Try: G. "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the World will know Peace": Jimi Hendrix http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=738517&content=music The Geoff - blame Caevan!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Sorry Geoff, I really dislike Jools Holland's playing although I dig his TV show. Oops. I love big band music. But there are many kinds. In the 30s it was the pop music of its day and there are more and less commercial varieties. Guys like Duke, Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman were amazing success stories and musicians. They wrote with their bands as pallettes. Benny Goodman's is wonderful story. The great musicians of their day (Lester Young etc) found their outlets in big bands. The bebop guys started out in big bands and swing and there were some interesting collisions of bop type expansion and commercial melodicism in the late 30s and early 40s. Dizzy Gillespie's bebop big band remains one of my favourites. Then, post bop, you get the fantastic experimental big bands like Don Ellis', George Russell's and Gil Evans and later David Murray's and the more avant garde big bands. The fusion big band idea is cool too, check out Joe Zawinul's recent CD with big band and Jaco's was fun. I've been lucky enough to play in a couple but wish I'd done more. The sheer power and possibility of so many guys playing together and the contrpuntal and harmonic possibilities it creates are widely exciting to my ears. Apologies for any typos, I'm writing this quick as I head out the door - will correct later and add some bass specific big band stuff. For now, I have to leave you with a declaration of my undying love for Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and their bands and music! http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky McDougall Posted April 28, 2007 Author Share Posted April 28, 2007 Hey Geoff, I liked it. It's great to see a pianist with a good left hand. What does Phil know, anyway? Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Valentino Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 I guess BIG is in the eye of the beholder. ....that's what she said. (I apologize, but I simply could not resist this one!!) Max ...it's not the arrow, it's the Indian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 I don't have much knowledge of big band music but I've been listening to Sinatra pretty obsessively over the last few months, working on my vocals, and I am falling in love with the orchestrations, the groove, the playing and the quality of the writing. I really need to expand my collection from a Best of CD and 'Sinatra At The Sands' which has the Count Basie orchestra kicking things along amazingly. Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Every high school in the US has a big band. It's great training for the student bass players and many of them will never have to play written music that demanding after again in their lives. And those who do, will be ready for it. The list of famous players who played with the big bands at North Texas State University is pretty impressive. Listening to big bands is not my favorite thing to do: the only big band albums I own are ones I played on. I'd rather listen to a five piece jazz group. But that's just me. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Geoff Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 Years ago I played in a (big) dance band, so I'm kinda partial. G. "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the World will know Peace": Jimi Hendrix http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=738517&content=music The Geoff - blame Caevan!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 What and no mention of Stan Kenton? He really started something new - I could happily listen to his arrangements. I played, in rehearsal only, with the UK's National Youth Jazz Orchestra, or NYJO. The noise during rehearsal with so many brass instruments in a small room was fabulous. Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky McDougall Posted April 29, 2007 Author Share Posted April 29, 2007 When I was in high school (1953) and playing in a Western Band, we were discovering Stan Kenton. Jazz was new to me but I loved it and we began to integrate it into our Western Music. I have all of his albums and still listen to it quite often. Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57pbass Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 My father who played sax, was a big band leader(20 pc orchestra)in NYC during the golden era of jazz and when big dance bands where the norm. (Al Prine and his Orchestra) He worked very steady for 40+ ( 1940's thru 1980's )years in the metro NY area and during his latter years he worked for Lester Lanin who was "the" society band booking agent in this area. Our home was always filled with Big Band music and it really opened up my ears... great arrangements..amazing musicians and some smoking bass players... I love listening to big band music and highly recommend it to those who have not really "listened" to it... ( Al Prine R.I.P. 1984 ) www.danielprine.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky McDougall Posted April 29, 2007 Author Share Posted April 29, 2007 Back before TV, many guys and gals favorite date was to go to the ballrooms and dance to the Big Bands. To me, that was a golden era. I don't know if it will ever return, I doubt it. So many young people today have never experienced it. The Big Bands were all about "Horns" and great arrangements. As far as I know, Dave Grusin and the NY all stars are one of the few "doin it right". Someday if you have the time, look at the list of musicians in that band, they are the very best. Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thabottomend Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 When I was in college I saw the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra as a requirement for a Music Appreciation class. I was totally blown away by the sound. I think this was the first experience that opened my eyes to other genres besides Southern Rock. But my best memory of the show has nothing to do with the music. Sitting in front of me was an elderly gentleman who had been a B-17 pilot during WW2. He told me about seeing this group with Tommy in England in 1943. He spoke of the lovely young English lass he met at the show and dancing the night away with her. I asked if he remembered her name (he hadn't mentioned it up to this point), he said yes, but he usually calls her "Honey" now and introduced me to his wife. To see them talking and giggling all through the show, along with his occasional shouts of "Go cat go!" were the best thing about the concert. I had no idea of the power that music could hold over us until that night. Up 'til then it was just something I did to get girls. One of the best educational experiences I ever had. Do not be deceived by, nor take lightly, this particular bit of musicianship one simply describes as "bass". - Lowell George "The music moves me, it just moves me ugly." William H. Macy in "Wild Hogs" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky McDougall Posted April 29, 2007 Author Share Posted April 29, 2007 thabottomend, That is a neat story, and I understand the affect it had on you. I have only had the pleasure of seeing some BIG bands a few times. The energy they produce is impossible to describe. I was friends with Les and Larry Elgart and saw them alot. I got to dance with my wife to the music of "Les Brown". I saw Stan Kenton and have recently seen the GRP all stars. Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 Just got hold of the big band CD of Mahavishu Orchestra tunes - Billy Cobham performing wondefully with the German HR big band arranged by Colin Towns - phew! It's an awesome sound. link Some great solos and arrangements and incredible power. The bassplayer, Thomas Heidepriem, has a tough job on his hands and plays wonderfully throughout anchoring the complex arrangements and collossal grooves. He gets to shine on One Word with an intricate and melodic solo and an intense fluid improvised bass groove. http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 Great clip, Rocky! I love the vibes solo and of course the bass! The West Coast line up according to the poster- John Patitucci, Dave Weckl, Russell Ferrante, Arturo Sandoval, Randy Brecker, Chuck Findley, Byron Stripling, George Bohanon, Eric Marienthal, Nelson Rangel, Ernie Watts, Bob Mintzer, Tom Scott, Dave Grusin, Gary Burton, Eddie Daniels, Phillip Bent What a line up! Surprising to see British flautist Phillip Bent up there, I was offered a gig with him once and turned it down - doh! http://www.websmileys.com/sm/crazy/1261.gif Dave Weckl swung a lot more than I thought he might - and did you see that score laid out beside him! http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 Neat story thabottomend! I dig Dorsey. Never got into Stan Kenton, any recommendations? http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky McDougall Posted April 29, 2007 Author Share Posted April 29, 2007 I was a big fan of Dave Grusin when he was only a lowly jazz pianist. He linked up with with Larry Rosen and they formed GRP (Grusin Rosen Productions) in the early 1980's. I think they were the first all jazz/all digital company. In the early years they signed some fabulous talents. Grusin spent much of his time in scoring movies. But GRP grew and really expanded jazz recording. Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 Yeah I followed Dave and his brother Don's music with interest. GRP were groundbreaking, I think they were somewhat unfairly associated by some critics with smooth-jazz for a while - the label was definitely broader than that. Not that there's anything wrong with a little something smooth once in a while. http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky McDougall Posted April 29, 2007 Author Share Posted April 29, 2007 Smooth Jazz goes well with Scotch, Fusion Jazz is definately for Tequilla. Rocky "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb, voting on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb, contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Geoff Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 I'll drink to that!!! http://www.websmileys.com/sm/drink/trink42.gif G. "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the World will know Peace": Jimi Hendrix http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=738517&content=music The Geoff - blame Caevan!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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