Gig Recap

Well, the gig on Friday night went very well. It's always a challenge when there are only two instruments involved. You really have to lean on each other. Especially when you play for two and a half hours straight. It's not that we didn't have a break, it's just that it's really fun playing and we opted not to stop playing. Granted, my hands were hurting after because I haven't had these epic sessions in a while, but, that's okay; I've gotten really good at dealing with water blisters. Anyway, we challenged ourselves by speeding up the tempo on some tunes, one of which could have been a train wreck, but we pulled out of it fairly unscathed. We also tried a couple of things that we hadn't looked at in ages as well. Being the Christmas season, we sight read a bunch of tunes and played around in different genres. All in all, a good time for both us playing and for those who came out and listened.



visit: www.melodiousvibes.com

Day & Night Tonight

To all that can come out, I'll be playing at the "Day & Night" restaurant on the corner of Brimley & Steeles in Scarborough. It will be piano & bass all night starting at 9pm. Just grab a table, have dinner and relax.

Take care all.

Quote of the Day

Expect the best.
- Joe Batten

Expect the worst.
- BassBassDude (during a time of pessimism)

A Cappella

On Monday November 15 at a club/bistro in Toronto, I got the opprotunity to witness three great a cappella groups. Cadence, Retrocity (both of which hail from Toronto) and a group that I had never heard of from the United States by the name of M-pact. I've been following Cadence and Retrocity for the past few years and have done my very best to come out to as many shows and support them, so I'm very familiar with their performances. Having a chance to listen to M-pact perform was an amazing treat. They were vocally tight and innovative with their arrangements. The biggest thing about this group of 6 young men is that they come at you with some serious fire-power and volume. It's like a huge sound of wall that hits you right in the face and leaves you keeled over by the wayside. Anyway, if you'd to learn more about M-pact, just visit their website at:

www.m-pact.com

Anyway, hopefully they'll be back in Toronto some time in the near future.

Quote of the Week

"In small proportions we just beauties see, and in short measures life may perfect be."
- Ben Jonson

"Just eat smaller portions"
- BassBassDude

Small Combos

One great way of becoming a better player is by actually watching people perform live. Just last weekend I went out and watched the Ron Davis trio play at the Top o' the Senator in Toronto. It was a good time watching these three play. I've always been a fan of trios and small ensembles. Each person has the opprotunity to be expressive and supportive at the same time. The drawback is that you are vulnerable to having the listener catch all your mistakes. As a bass player I've found that with a comping instrument like a guitar or piano, combined with drums, you can sometimes correct yourself within the rhythm section. Eliminate one of those elements and you, as a bass player, are exposed completely. So, in these situations, it's important to have confidence in your playing. I've also found in small combos, a bass player sometimes may be drawn into playing more than "the foundation". By foundation I mean, trying to be a little too expressive and overpowering every body in the rhythm section, let alone the soloist. A bass player should try ti fill in the holes when they come around; either in the soloists phrasing or when the rhythm section needs a bit of a boost. Anyway, when done well, like Friday night at the Top o' the Senator, it can become a great experience for both performer and listener.

Golf Recap

Well, I'd like to call this a first.

I had a tee time booked for this past Saturday, knowing full well that there was a strong chance of rain. Well, I got to the course and because of the mixture of rain and humidity without any wind, the whole course was covered in a thinck blanket of fog.
100 yards was all you could see in front of you. Needless to say, the course was closed until the fog cleared. On top of that, I found out that that was the last weekend that the course would be open. So, I headed over to the driving range and hit a couple of balls. After giving up on that course, I proceeded to head home. On the way, I found another course where the fog seemed to be less thick. I turned in and decided to play there. Things were going great. I was on my own and shooting well and I finished the first nine holes in just over an hour. The back nine was a different story. It slowed down right to a halt and the change in rhythm must have gotten to me. Thus, I played poorly on the back 9. The big rainfall didn't really hit until I was just finishing the 17th. Anyway, the whole day I was fighting my irons and pulling them. Anyway, hopefully, I'll be able to squeeze in a few more rounds before winter hits. I might be forced into playing only pitch-and-putt courses due to my budget.