Bass Solo's - MA - 1 Bret - 0

[Freuds_Cat]

OK ok I concede defeat! My derogatory mutterings about Michael Anthonys solo prowess has been trumped by Lane Baldwin (Lane on Bass). I've never heard of him but his website tells me he is one of the "best bass players in the world of of blues" and it is on the internet so I guess I have to accept defeat as gracefully as I'm able.  

According to Lane a bass solo is all about showmanship not bass playing. I have obviously had it wrong all these years as I thought it was about both. The music actually being slightly more important to me *Shrugz*  Live and learn I suppose ......


http://www.laneonbass.com/basssolo.htm

[nofi]

what a load of crap. i could waste days ragging on this guy and legions of souless white boys like him. as far as anthony's 'solo', you could only get away with this in a huge band like vh. try this in your local band and be prepared to duck and cover.

[Freuds_Cat]

      

[Dave W]

I remember Lane from the old TBL mailing list. He had a lot of good things to say and was always willing to help anyone who asked. He's an accomplished bassist. You don't have to agree with him about bass solos or anything else, but he's certainly no slouch.

[Freuds_Cat]

 I'm sure he is a better player than I will ever be and his comments in his articles on Musicians etiquette ( http://www.laneonbass.com/playband.htm ) and having a well equipped gig bag ( http://www.basssessions.com/dec03/gigbag.html ) are great.

Honestly cant see myself doing a one note bass solo though. 

[nofi]

it's been a long couple of weeks.

[Basvarken]

His gig bag must be quite heavy if it carries all that...

[Freuds_Cat]

Rob I gotta agree when he mentioned taking spare speakers and back up tubes for the backup tubes was probably overdoing it but most of his list was good common sense I guess.

[Highlander]

Maybe a spare drummer, too...

[Pilgrim]

I think that column is about exactly what it's meant to be about....showmanship.

Lane is pretty clear that what's missing from bass solos is not musicality, but showmanship.  Whenever a solo by any instrument is just the musician noodling to him/herself and not playing to the audience, I wouldn't expect it to get the attention it deserves.

Musicality is obviously important - but many times the missing ingredient is showmanship.  In the case referred to in the column, the scales tipped WAY over to showmanship - but that's his point.  Musicality alone isn't enough...and in this case, it wasn't even required.

I know that some here (not looking at you Dave, just standing around with my hands in my pockets, whistling idly) are not Dick Dale fans....but when he does a solo, he SELLS it to the audience.  They go nuts!  And I gotta give Sam Bolle, his bass player on the last tours I've seen, credit for doing the same thing.  It doesn't hurt that Dale clearly throws it to Sam, and he takes it and runs with it...and again, the crowd really responds.

If the band respects the solo, and pays attention, the the musician sells it, than a bass solo is a whole lot more important than if everyone treats it as a coffee break.

The bass player in the column did something simple but difficult - he sold his performance with showmanship.  Not everyone can do it, and it took the right setting to pull it off.  Ferinstance, not gonna happen that way with a jazz trio. I can see the pose on stage...and hear crickets!

[Dave W]

I have no problem with Dick Dale's guitar playing or showmanship. It's all about his falsification of history.

[Pilgrim]

I have no problem with Dick Dale's guitar playing or showmanship. It's all about his falsification of history.

Fair enough!  

How are you on Carol Kaye, or is that political?  

[Freuds_Cat]

 Musicality alone isn't enough...and in this case, it wasn't even required.

Sounds like you could be refering to messr Anthonys Jack Daniels solo here as well Al.

When I was quite young I was in a band doing a support for a quite well known band and I was having a bad night. I just couldn't get things to work as they should. When I came off stage the bass player from the headline act pulled me aside and told me that if I was ever having a bad night like that again, that I should move around the stage a lot more and look like I was really getting into it. So a few weeks later I had cut my finger just before the show and played most of it with just one finger (right hand) I remembered his advice and ran around acting like a maniac which of course made my playing worse.
After the show I was amazed at how many people came up and commented on how good my playing was that night.

I constantly ask the musicians that I play with (on my projects) to sell what they are playing, dont just play it.

I gotta say though that it should not be at the expense of the music itself.

[Pilgrim]

Yup, part of the magic of live music is the visual!  That is a big help in selling the music.

That's where my band falls down.  We stand there and play music - even as old farts, we could at least look like we're putting effort into it - other than getting terminal guitar face.

[Hornisse]

Honestly cant see myself doing a one note bass solo though. 

This is possibly the best song ever with only one note played on the bass.