Ralphe Armstrong interview

[Barklessdog]

Only if you wear harlequin tights or spandex with it (Then audition for Yes, although you will need to ad 20 years)


Actually I like the SPCB, it has a Southern California hot rod look, that's right up there with the Bongo as far as cool industrial designs go, but in it's pointyness actually anti Bongo.

They filmed the next Batman here in Chicago over last summer. Pitty that Heath could not use your bass in the movie. Poor Heath either way, his last role being the Joker?

[Nocturnal]

You mean Heath?

[uwe]

I think he did!

I think he played brilliantly in Brokeback Mountain. RIP

[Barklessdog]

I never really heard of him, till he died, but remembered him in the wonderful Mel Gibson Hatchet movie

[Nocturnal]

I'm looking forward to seeing his Joker character in the new Batman movie. He's done some good work in other movies as well. He was great in 'Lords of Dogtown'.

[Dave W]

Ralphe Armstrong is in the new Batman movie? 

[uwe]

Moderator, don't give away the contents of the new Batman box office blockbuster just yet, ok?

Moving swiftly on to Jean-Luc Ponty: I am now equipped with a double CD Rhino compilation of his seventies and eighties work (with Ralphe on many tracks) and have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. Not so much jazzish than progish, some of it could be early Kansas backing tracks (or Kansas took influence from Jean-Luc ...). Very melodic songwriting, none of that "seventies-fusion-show-your-chops!" going on. And while the music is melodically and harmonically very accessible to someone with not much of a jazz-trained ear (like me), it never descends into Kenny G. elevator muzak.

Thanks for infecting me, John!

Uwe   

[Barklessdog]

Your Welcome.

Jean Luc Ponty's music is in its own class, just great MUSIC.

I have not met many who have not liked Jean Luc Ponty. Even my father who was a classical violinist, liked his music.
His work with Zappa was pretty good too. My favorite Zappa band- Fowlers, George Duke , Ruth Underwood, & Ponty

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pXkkcr7ABjo

This was my favorite Ralphe clip, although his part is simple it just takes the whole song to another level. His fretless Victory sounds amazing thru the Maestro Bass Brassmaster at around 3:00. The bass almost takes on a Taurus pedal sound. Works great with the fretless.

[uwe]

That clip also answers your question, John, whether Ralphe played a Victory Standard or an Artist fretless. Look at 6.40 of the clip - it's an Artist by the controls configuration, the double pups and the fin (sunburst, not available for the Standard). I saw an ebony fretless Victory Artist on ebay some years ago for around 600 or 700 bucks, should have snapped it up.  I do have a fretless Standard:



Uwe   

[Barklessdog]

Here is a picture from a Gibson newsletter that in in rout to Jules , that I was the middleman for-

[patman]

Saw the Mahavishnu Apocalypse tour in a small theater in Cincinnati...Ralphe was playing a fretless precision through an SVT---amazing player....I was in about the 3rd or 4th row...they really toured with an orchestra...

[EvilLordJuju]

Here is a picture from a Gibson newsletter that in in rout to Jules , that I was the middleman for-

Not sure if it's the look on his face, or the way he's standing - but he certainly looks like he's getting down with that thing. Cookin' is the word all right

[gearHed289]

Also I wanted to say that when Ralphe left Jean Luc Ponty, the young aspiring bass player who replaced him was American Idol Judge Randy Jackson- one hell of a bass player (saw him with Billy Cobhan)

I still think of Randy Jackson as "the guy that replaced Ralphe Armstrong". 

Great work on Mystical Adventures.

[Highlander]

The footage on youtube appears to have been moved, as has the original link, but the web-site photo clearly shows the head, and significantly, the "Artist" Phoenix like inlay...

... And anyone that says anything against fretless maple RD's will traumatise me...