Darryl Jones

[ilan]

Just came back home from my first Stones concert. I remembered Darryl Jones as a diehard J bass man, from his days with Miles and his signature Lakland, right? But he didn't use a single J or J clone. There were two P's, some great-sounding custom bass that had a soapbar in the P location, a hollowbody Kay reissue, and a short scale Fender Mustang bass. Do we have a convert?

[patman]

I know we have been here before...but I never liked to listen to the Stones till Darryl played in the band. Now they cook.

[copacetic]

Yes been here. Agreed Daryl makes the band cook and groove. Different day and different time. Saw the band with Bill 6-7 different times between 66-77. Bill had something a kind of reserve coolness and steadiness that really defined them. He was am archtect of their sound. I remember sitting next to my cousin George Porter in '76 and he a bass player of no small place in history of our instrument, marveling at the way he steered the band and his timing relationship with that drummer. 

[4stringer77]

Your cousin is George Porter Jr. of the Meters? That explains your profile pic. I think the last time I saw him play was at one of the gathering of the vibes festivals maybe ten years ago. Seems like he's still riding the hippie circuit since then. How's he getting along with Zig these days? Those two are like peanut butter and jelly. Hoping they team up again some day.

[copacetic]

Long story there. Our girlfriend & wives were all close sister from New Orleans. They all lived here in San Francisco. David Brown a bass player as well was with older sister. Needless to say we had a bassy atmosphere. As you may know the Meters had lots of 'fans' one of them the Stones who would show up at their shows  no matter where. Yes George and Zig being cousins themselves seem to ..  Have their family 'spats'.

[Dave W]

Yes, we've been here before. As talented as Darryl Jones is, IMHO the Stones without Wyman aren't the Stones.

[dadagoboi]

Yes, we've been here before. As talented as Darryl Jones is, IMHO the Stones without Wyman aren't the Stones.

Onstage these days the Stones play to a metronome.  Wyman was disdainful when he saw them a few years ago and only did one date on the 50 year tour when invited.

[uwe]

I'm with Dave - I find that the Stones' rhythm section has become more stadium rock conventional since the advent of Jones. I've said it before: If he played with Journey, his bass playing wouldn't be much different. He would "cook" in just the same way. That is not knocking Jones, Journey or the Stones, but Bill Wyman had a weird (or let's say: uncommon) approach to bass playing and that made the Stones sometimes sound empty or hollow which was part of their charm. The Stones were never a tight band in the conventional sense, there is something disparate and even wanton, yet magic in how lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass and drums interact with them. It's the beauty of being apparently a little messy. Jones doesn't have the word "messy" in his musical vocabulary. With him, their bass fundament now throbs and grooves continuously in perfect timing - he even drives the band, something Wyman never did, wanted or could -, whereas Wyman's bass playing was more rudimentary, for lack of a better word: derelict, and sometimes also more poetic. Wyman didn't have so much a continuous driving groove, but either played the most basic fundamentals or unexpected ornaments, yet very little in between. He played bass like a partially unhinged door in a ghost town creaks in the wind.

Chops-wise, Jones can of course play circles around old Bill, but that is not the point. And 95% of the Stones audience don't give a damn who plays bass how or would probably even prefer the newish "more powerful" Stones sound could they hear the old and new Stones side by side.

But putting Jones above Wyman is a bit like saying the Stones would also sound tighter and better if Joe Satriani or Steve Morse took the place of Keith Richards and Dennis Chambers the role of Charlie Watts. 

[westen44]

Yes, we've been here before. As talented as Darryl Jones is, IMHO the Stones without Wyman aren't the Stones.

It happens all the time in life.  Someone gets a position based on how good they're supposed to be rather than whether they really fit or not.  I see it in movies, too.  Actors get roles in movies based on previous movies they've been in, even if the newest movie has nothing really to do with any of that.  There is such a thing as a right fit.  Obviously, it means more to some than others.  It might depend on how concerned someone is with subtleties and nuances. 

[Highlander]

Is Chuck Leavell still on the keys for them...?

(just heard yesterday that the Allmans are shutting up for good later this year)

[Aussie Mark]

Is Chuck Leavell still on the keys for them...?

Yes