Questions and more questions

[johngoldsby]

Greetings Fellow Forum Bassists! In the August Bass Player, I asked Reggie Washington 9 Questions. I've listed the questions and his answers below. If anyone would like to offer their take on Reggie's answers, please feel free.

 

As one who just passed the big *50*, I can relate to Reggie's most recent big mistake: "forgetting reading glasses on a reading gig." With my eyes, no glasses means absolutely no reading.

 

What do you think? Your most recent big mistake? Your most treasured possession? If you die, who would you want to come back as? Here are the questions and Reggie's answers:

 

BP* What is your idea of a perfect gig?

 

RW: Playing with my equipment, my music with my band in a great venue in front of a great crowd with my family therefor great pay!

 

BP* What is your most treasured possession?

 

RW: My family. Every member of my family is a treasure to me.

 

BP* If you were to die and come back as any musician, who would it be?

 

RW: A young me, so I can right the knucklehead WRONGS I did . . . plus play more acoustic bass!

 

BP* What is your third all-time favorite record and why?

 

RW: One Bad Habit from Michael Franks. It had wonderful musicians on it, slick tunes and Michael sounds killin!

 

BP* What is your dream scenario?

 

RW: Doing my Bass Choir (ReubenS BasS ChoiR) with me, myself and I, or with the cats I first asked to do it: Matt Garrison, Avishai Cohen, Marcus Miller and Dave Holland.

 

BP* What annoys you about the music business?

 

RW: American Idol, Nouvelle Star and other crap instant star programs. It isnt right that those of us who have paid serious dues get little to no recognition or get screwed out of gigs and festivals by these posers.

 

BP* Who are your musical heroes?

 

RW: Sam Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Stevie Wonder, Paul West, Chico Hamilton and my brother, Kenny Washington. In all of them was and is innovation, integrity, love for their craft and really good notes!

 

BP* What was your most recent big mistake?

 

RW: Not bringing my glasses on a reading gig! Also, using a cheap instrument cable past its warranty on my last tour!

 

BP* What are your goals for the coming year?

 

RW: To get my music heardmy CD A Lot of Love, LIVE !, beef up our website ( https://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/newpost/Board/5 www.jammincolors.com) and get my bands playing (Music of the Phrase, Washington TRio TRee & the Jazz Trio). I also want to spread some knowledge to cats young and old, create «bassisms» and be happy!

[_Sweet Willie_]

BP* If you were to die and come back as any musician, who would it be?

 

RW: A young me, so I can right the knucklehead WRONGS I did . . . plus play more acoustic bass!

 

 

That's the truth right there. I feel much the same way.

 

Peace.

--SW

 

[Davo-London]

He comes over a bit arrogant, which comes with the territory I guess. I like his dissing of pop idol et al, I'm totally with him there. Anyway, I've never heard of him. Who is he?

 

Davo

[johngoldsby]

Reggie is one of those bass players who works all the time but who doesn't get as much press as some of our more high profile colleagues. He is the brother of drummer Kenny Washington (a New York straight-ahead jazz icon) and Reggie has played with Steps Ahead, Will Smith, M-Base Collective, Me'Shell Ndegéocello, Roy Hargrove and Jean-Paul Bourelly, among others.

 

I should have been more specific about my post. I am just putting this format up for discussion. You can answer any or all of the questions yourself, comment on Reggie's answers, or take the thread off in a new direction based on any one of the questions.

 

I agree with Reggie about the American Idol phenomena. I think that hurts young artists who might be developing a career, and it blinds audiences to all of the hard work involved in the artistic and practical sides of learning to be a musician.

[Phil W]

Wow, Davo. You want to rectify that. Reggie is more musical than many whose names are better known. I first heard him with Shannon Jackson in 1986. He's always been someone who can animate a groove. I was immersed in Steve Coleman's music in the 90s and Reggie was all over that with some incredibly funky lines.

 

You can see a partial bio here:

http://www.jammincolors.com/presskit/Bio-Reggie%20W.pdf

 

Hey John, how's it going?

 

Neat to see Reggie's answers, we should hear more from him.

[jeremy c]

Davo, I don't see any arrogance at all in the interview. He sounds happy and confident to me.

 

Meanwhile, if I were being interviewed, it would go like this:

 

BP* What is your idea of a perfect gig?

 

JC: Playing with a band of my great-playing friends, with an easy load-in, and decent pay.

 

BP* What is your most treasured possession?

 

JC: I don't really care about possessions.

 

BP* If you were to die and come back as any musician, who would it be?

 

JC: I'd still like to be me.

 

BP* What is your third all-time favorite record and why?

 

JC: Third? Not first or second? Two Against Nature by Steely Dan is up there in my favorite recordings to listen to. Great songwriting and great playing.

 

BP* What is your dream scenario?

 

JC: Being the house bass player at Yoshi's Jazz House in Oakland and playing with every act that comes is a nice fantasy.

 

BP* What annoys you about the music business?

 

JC: Agents who take too much money, listeners who think that music should be free, radio stations that don't play music that anyone I know likes.

 

BP* Who are your musical heroes?

 

JC: Chuck Rainey, Abe Laboriel, Duck Dunn, Anthony Jackson and all the other great studio players.

 

BP* What was your most recent big mistake?

 

JC: You want me to admit to that in print? OK, recently on a big band gig, I looked away from the chart to watch the dancers and missed a bar or two.

 

BP* What are your goals for the coming year?

 

JC: Continue what I'm doing: playing gigs, teaching, traveling, swimming, enjoying my life in general.

[davio]

That's really cool. Now I'll have to go read more about this guy and dig up some of his recordings to listen to.

 

Of topic: why is this thread a sticky rather than just a regular thread?

[johngoldsby]

BP* What was your most recent big mistake?

 

JC: You want me to admit to that in print? OK, recently on a big band gig, I looked away from the chart to watch the dancers and missed a bar or two.

 

You only missed a bar or two?

 

I subbed on the show Annie in NYC once. It was my first time actually playing the show, which I had watched earlier in the day, so I was basically sight-reading. At some point in one of the charts, there was a big marking to look up, so I looked up. The band was down in the orchestra pit, and all of the show girls were walking by right above my head at that point in the chart. Needless to say, I got distracted and completely lost my place in the endless measures of two-beats that were flying by. I somehow ended the chart with the rest of the band, and they asked me to sub again, but from then on I've been extra careful about distractions when sight-reading.

 

Re: Why is this a sticky? Since it corresponds to the current BP column, I made the "9 Questions" a sticky rather than a regular thread. I've got some new players lined up for upcoming columns, the questions will change slightly and I want to invite you all to add your own comments and take the thread wherever it seems to want to go. Hopefully this thread will continue for awhile. If not, I will "unstick" it.

[tnb]

Nice. Best thing I've read here in a long while.

[jeremy c]

You only missed a bar or two?

You had much better looking dancers than I did.

I was playing a swing dance with a big band and the average age of the dancers was 70.

[johngoldsby]

Mmmm . . . I had more to look at, I guess. Took longer than 2 bars to look.

 

I actually enjoy playing for swing dancers. It can be entertaining for the band to see people of all ages strut their stuff.

[RalphM]

Here's my "interview":

 

BP* What is your idea of a perfect gig?

RM: Playing with people I've always dreamed of playing with in front of a great crowd and pulling it off. When all of that happens it doesn't matter if/what I get paid. I've been in the right place at the right time a couple of times and played alongside real "monsters", nailed it, and it was downright surreal.

 

BP* What is your most treasured possession?

RM: I'm not really materialistic but musically, I'd say my old, original Fender P-Bass. It's the first bass I ever bought, I still have it, play it and I'll never part with it.

 

BP* If you were to die and come back as any musician, who would it be?

RM: Tal Wilkenfeld. It's hard to fathom all the things she is accomplishing at her age. And to think, she's only going to get better.

 

BP* What is your third all-time favorite record and why?

RM: Jeff Beck Truth. I could say it was 1st, 2nd or 3rd. Great, seminal album from the guitar God himself. I think I wore out several copies of the LP and kept buying more.

 

BP* What is your dream scenario?

RM: Being a successful, full-time, well respected, well paid musician and possibly designing my own bass(es).

 

BP* What annoys you about the music business?

RM: I'd give the same answers as RW & JC. Additionally, seems like the live music thing is drying up and so many people seem to take it (performing music live) for granted.

 

BP* Who are your musical heroes?

RM: Any/all of the great bassists and guitar Gods, too many to list and I'd probably name all the same people everyone else does.

 

BP* What was your most recent big mistake?

RM: Buying into the crap a band leader told me in order to get me into the band only to find out it was all B.S. and the band turned out to be much less than hoped.

 

BP* What are your goals for the coming year?

RM: Keep playing gigs, learning, teaching, stretching my own "envelope" and seeking spiritual fulfillment.

 

 

[1111000]

In a way I miss the Soap Box, but in a way this is better. The Soap Box was hit or miss... at least here there is some predetermined structure. I would stay away from questions that are way too general though, like "What is your most treasured possession?" If it turns out it's a stuffed bear or a Civil War rifle instead of some kind of relic bass, no one's really going to get anything out of reading it.

 

BP* What was your most recent big mistake?

RM: Buying into the crap a band leader told me in order to get me into the band only to find out it was all B.S. and the band turned out to be much less than hoped.

 

Lots of band leaders are fantastic at making themselves seem important and intelligent and turning out to be nothing of the sort. Usually the "full of false promises and unfulfilled pipe dreams" type in my experience...

[johngoldsby]

I have to revise my most recent big mistake. The show I mentioned above was "The Will Rogers Follies," not "Annie." Big difference.

 

Thanks for your interview answers, Ralph.

 

I like the "treasured possession" question Joshua, because it seems like a lot of players will naturally answer with the name and model of a bassbut some will surprise us I think. Civil war relics . . . mmmm.

 

If you have suggestions for other questions that I should ask players, let me know.

[DavidMPires]

Sorry complety off topic but who is John? And how come he is a Moderator I've never heard about him?

 

And why is this thread a sticky?

[5 string Mike]

Interesting thread

 

One questionI might ask- "If you were not a bassist (or musician), what might your career have been?" That might generate some interesting answers.

 

I'm kinda with DavidMPires- How about a little background on you, John? You're showing 9 posts, and you have a sticky thread and a moderator- if you're on the BP staff, it would be nice to know a little more about you.

[davio]

He is BP staff. He starte the OP with "I asked Reggie..." so he's the one that did the interview in the August issue. He also said in a subsequent post "I've got some new players lined up for upcoming columns..." (which is also where he already answered when I asked him about it being a sticky).

 

I do agree that some background would be nice. Not necessary...but since this forum is such a close-knit community, we do like to get to know our members. Especailly since John seems to be a bit more active than other BP staff that drop in from time to time.

[davio]

Oooooooooor........we can dig around and check the link to his site in his sig which has a bio HERE.

[Phil W]

John is a top class double bass player. He occasionally plays electric. He has written articles for BP for some time. He has written some great books about bass especially the essential The Jazz Bass Book.

 

He's based in Cologne, Germany and has some great jazz CDs out under his own name. Check out his bio on the link from Davio above.

 

And this forum is related to Bass Player Magazine so we shouldn't be too surprised if BPM are a little more involved once in a while.

 

But yes, John, how about your own answers to 9 Questions? Amd what do you think about this place?

[johngoldsby]

Thanks for the interest in the thread . . . and for moi, in general :-) I started writing for BP in 1990, and I have contributed various long-running columns (The Tradition, Jazz Concepts, Mastering Jazz), plus a lot of different features over the years.

 

I am not officially a BP staffer, but I am a long-time contributor. I've had the honor of working with all of the BP editors Jim Roberts, Richard Johnston, Karl Coryat, Bill Leigh, and now Jonathan Herrera. I love the opportunity to write about bassists and bass playing. BP has been a big part of my professional life for the last 20 years.

 

You're right about the 9 posts (I guess this is #10). I have been active over at www.talkbass.com, and when I proposed this latest column to Jonathan Herrera, we thought it would be a good idea to also post it here in the Lowdown forum. I am moderating things, but I want you to have the say in the direction of the thread. Of course, every month I will be bringing in a new set of questions and/or answers from an interesting personality in the world of bass, so that should keep the thread coming back to a common starting point every few weeks.

 

I made the thread a sticky because it corresponds to the current article in BP. If it turns out to be a dud . . . well, I'll just un-stick it and let it go its own way.

 

You Lowdowners are the heart and soul of BP, so we want to make sure that we know what you would like to see in the magazine. Keeping the 9 Questions up and running seems like a good way to let everyone have a say about whatever they want to comment on.

 

BTW, I am writing this from sunny Lyon, France where I just picked up a new double bass made by the French luthier Jean Auray. I gotta' go practice a bit . . . later!

 

Back to the 9 Questions . . .

 

 

[Phil W]

OK, my go:

 

BP* What is your idea of a perfect gig?

 

PW: Great music, great people, great audience and decent pay

 

BP* What is your most treasured possession?

 

PW: For an actual 'possession' it's have to be my beautiful Wal fretless which I've had for 15 years and play 90% of the time. But most of you knew that!

 

BP* If you were to die and come back as any musician, who would it be?

 

PW: Yeah, I'd be a young me, and practise a lot harder! But then who knows how I'd have turned out. I might not have had the good times I've...hang on this question involves time travel and reincarnation anyway - I'll just say in any reincarnation I think I'd be a bassist.

 

BP* What is your third all-time favorite record and why?

 

PW: According to the list on my blog: http://philwbass.wordpress.com/2009/05/03/favourite-album/ (which John encouraged me to put together) it is Wayne Shorter's Speak No Evil: a fairly obvious, classic record but one your life would be incomplete without hearing. Great compositions, playing, soloing, moods...

 

Reading BP made me realise I've never knowingly heard Michael Franks.

BP* What is your dream scenario?

 

PW: I want to hear that bass choir: Reggie Washington, Matt Garrison, Avishai Cohen, Marcus Miller and Dave Holland. Phew!

For me, it probably involves bass, jazz, sunshine and sushi somehow...

 

BP* What annoys you about the music business?

 

PW: That it hangs on to outmoded ways long after they are irrelevant. A lot of people involved care about money more than art. And that some people in it forget you can be pleasant, ethical and successful.

 

BP* Who are your musical heroes?

 

PW: Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix, Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Paul Gonsalves, Joe Zawinul, James Jamerson, Marcus Miller, Michael Henderson, Alphonse Johnson, Bill Evans, Charlie Mingus, John Paul Jones

 

BP* What was your most recent big mistake?

 

PW: Err, getting my gig dates wrong; hitting the calibrate button on my tuner and tuning silently . . .

 

BP* What are your goals for the coming year?

 

PW: To find a family friendly jazz gig! One that involves great music, pays well and gets me home at a reasonable hour.

[johngoldsby]

I am still mulling over my answers . . . more to come.

[johngoldsby]

 

BP* What is your idea of a perfect gig?

 

JG: Good music & musicians. Close to home.

 

BP* What is your most treasured possession?

 

JG: Family.

 

BP* If you were to die and come back as any musician, who would it be?

 

JG: A younger me seems to be a favorite answer. It is fun to think Duke Ellington or Coltrane, but I don't know if I would want the pressure of being that legendary.

 

BP* What is your third all-time favorite record and why?

JG: Ahmad Jamal "Live at the Pershing" because Israel Crosby sounds so good doing his stuff that is technically not hard, but musically very clever. He grooves a whole lot with a little.

 

BP* What is your dream scenario?

 

JG: I would like to record the soundtrack for a movie version of my wife's novel, "Rhythm."

 

BP* What annoys you about the music business?

JG: I really like Phil's answer:

PW: That it hangs on to outmoded ways long after they are irrelevant. A lot of people involved care about money more than art. And that some people in it forget you can be pleasant, ethical and successful.

JG: I would add that attitudes about music education need to be adjusted to encourage music as a real part of daily life.

 

BP* Who are your musical heroes?

JG: Bass players: Wellman Braud, Milt Hinton, Jimmy Blanton, Oscar Pettiford, Paul Chambers, Red Mitchell. Others: Duke Ellington, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins.

 

BP* What was your most recent big mistake?

 

JG: I mentioned the slight problem in the Broadway show pit many years back. Recent: Totally spaced on a gig. Can't say any more without incriminating myself. Was late, me bad, fail . . .

 

BP* What are your goals for the coming year?

JG: Booking three little tours for the Fall (Rich Perry Quartet, Nachbar Trio, Bill Dobbins Duo), plus juggling concerts and recordings with the WDR Big Band. Want to record with my Nachbar Trio + One. Keep practicing bass and piano. Much to learn, much to play ;-)

[davio]

I think that "family" will become a monotonous answer. You should consider changing the question to most treasured material possession.

[davio]

BTW, I am writing this from sunny Lyon, France where I just picked up a new double bass made by the French luthier Jean Auray.

Luck soandso...I'm still gigging on the American Standard my parents bought me in middle school 13 years ago. What I wouldn't give for a quality URB...

[johngoldsby]

Davio, you're right about "Family" . . . I'll change it for the couple of interviews that are coming up.

 

Or, I could change to a new question. Any ideas?

[johngoldsby]

BTW, I am writing this from sunny Lyon, France where I just picked up a new double bass made by the French luthier Jean Auray.

Luck soandso...I'm still gigging on the American Standard my parents bought me in middle school 13 years ago. What I wouldn't give for a quality URB...

 

I wish I had never sold the American Standard that I had -- those are great sounding basses.

[davio]

Yeah they are but they're not as responsive and dynamic as most higher-priced alternatives. I don't think I could ever get rid of this bass, though. WAAAAAY too much history and good times. It also kicks for playing in my big band!

[johngoldsby]

That is the great thing about American Standards -- they are powerful . . . really move a lot of air.

[Steve Lawson]

Hi John,

 

great to see you here - been listening to your albums LOADS over the last few weeks. Really outstanding music, sir!

 

anyway, here's some answers

____________________________________

 

BP* What is your idea of a perfect gig?

 

SL: A house concert, with Lobelia, anywhere, playing to an interesting/interested audience, with great food at half time, killer sound-system, preferably preceded by some kind of music masterclass - love to combine gigs and teaching!

 

BP* What is your most treasured possession?

 

SL: Cliche, prob. my 6 string fretless.

 

BP* If you were to die and come back as any musician, who would it be?

 

SL: uhm, tricky one. Probably my wife, so I could find out what I'm like to play with for a singer

 

BP* What is your third all-time favorite record and why?

 

SL: well, #1 is Hejira, and #2 is High by The Blue Nile, so #3 is either Plumb by Jonatha Brooke or Nothing But A Burning Light by Bruce Cockburn... tough call...

 

BP* What is your dream scenario?

 

House Concert tour, across the US, interspersed with teaching, with wife and (soon-to-be-born) child and a new album of tunes to play, with every gig videoed, streamed and documented as widely as possible for anyone who can't be there

 

BP* What annoys you about the music business?

 

SL: almost all of it would if I let it. I tend to ignore it, until someone asks me to talk about how to fix it

 

BP* Who are your musical heroes?

 

SL: Michael Manring, Jonatha Brooke, Bruce Cockburn, Paul Buchanan, David Torn, Bill Frisell, Steve Rodby, BJ Cole, Cleveland Watkiss.

 

BP* What was your most recent big mistake?

 

Getting so into hanging out with the people who'd come along to a house concert that I got up on "stage" with no idea what I was about to play. Only takes me a few mins to think through a set-shape, but I hadn't considered it at all. Gave me a fright!

 

BP* What are your goals for the coming year?

 

New solo project, wife's covers album, trip to India to collaborate/gig/teach/learn, a lot more university lecturing, getting deeper inside the looperlative, becoming a better composer/improvisor/bassist/collaborator.

 

That was fun, thanks!

 

 

Steve