Joshua Redman Pat Metheny Christian McBride Brian Blade

Thought I'd share this clip.

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Gig Recap - SCS ChristmasConcert (my Wish List)

First off,

I had a great time being a part of the Scarborough Choral Society's "Sounds of Christmas" Concert.  I enjoy being a part of an orchestra where everybody is a good player; it basically keeps me on my toes.  Anyway, I hope to be playing again with the SCS in the near future.

One thing that I have found after doing all these gigs is that my bass doesn't seem to produce a loud enough sound that I can easily play.  I always find myself needing to dig in a lot when I'm playing pizzicato without an amp.  Although I do develop callouses very quickly, it sure does use up a lot of energy always having o dig in to ensure that I can be heard.  Now, I'm not about to bring an amp out when I play in an orchestra, but I am thinking about upgrading my bass.

So, I've been doing a bit of web-window-shopping and I've had my eye on this one particular double bass.  It's the Emanuel Wilfer "Gentleman Jazz"

According to Lemur Music, The Gentleman Jazz "is a 7/8 bass with a playable 42" string length. Violin corners, antique amber color and medium-fancy woods make for a beautiful instrument that can really move some air. If you’ve dreamed of playing piano trio gigs without an amp, this could be your bass. It is also great as a four-string arco bass for regional orchestra section or serious musicals."

Looks may be deceiving but it sure does pull at my heart-strings. All I can do is keep pinching my pennies and wait.

Quote of the Week

"It makes all the difference in the world whether we put truth in the first place, or in the second place."

- John Morley

"It makes all the difference in the world whether we finish the race or mope in the gutter"

- BassBassDude

Scarborough Choral Society

This will be my second run playing double bass with Scarborough Choral Society's "Sounds of Christmas" Concert.

Here are the details.

Scarborough Choral Society presents
Sounds Of Christmas 2008

Director: Judy Scott-Jacobs
Accompanist: Claire Bresee
Guest Performers: CharACTOR Theatre Troupe
Performance Location: Markham Theatre (NW corner of Hwy 7 & Warden Ave in Markham)


Show Dates:
Saturday December 6th @ 3pm and 8pm
Sunday December 7th 2:30pm

Ticket Prices:
Adults $25.00
Seniors $22.00
Students $18.00


It is always a pleasure playing in the orchestra for this production and I look forward to playing there again this weekend.


Hope to see you there.

Quote of the Week

Every man is wise when attacked by a mad dog; fewer when pursued by a mad woman; only the wisest survive when attacked by a mad notion.
- Robertson Davies
Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.
- George Bernard Shaw
Competence, like truth, beauty and contact lenses, is in the eye of the beholder.
- Laurence J. Peter
Competence. A highly undervalued commodity to the incompetent.
- BassBassdude.

Gypsy's last week

Hey,

Just a quick reminder that this is the last week that Gypsy will be on stage at Theatre Scarborough. Three shows left. Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night is closing night. If you haven't had a chance, it's a great show and I'm having a good time playing in the pit.

Hot Pockets

Absolutely Hilarious.



Very clever stuff from Jim Gaffigan

Theatre Scarborough: GYPSY

So, I'm back with Scarborough Music Theatre playing bass in their production of the timeless musical "Gypsy". Here are the details:

Gypsy
October 30^th-November 1^st, 6^th-8^th, and 13^th-14^th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
November 2^nd, 9^th, and 15^th at 2:00 pm

Tickets: $24
Seniors & Students: $20 (Thursdays and Sundays only)
Groups of 15 or more: $20 each





Now, as most of you know, I am a harsh critic when it comes to vocalists and I have to say that the cast is filled with excellent pipes. It's a fun show and I highly recommend this show to everyone.

visit:
theatrescarborough.com for more info

Toronto Condo Show Recap

This past weekend, I had the chance to play at the Toronto Condo Show with Melodious Vibes.

Everything went well and the response that we got from the show was great. Thanks to all who came by.

Looking back, I found this a great time to take a look at songs that we haven't looked at in years. Saturday seemed to be the day of re-hashing all the "oldies but goodies". Some were songs that I had not played in over 6 years. Anyway that was nice.

Sunday I got a chance to do a number of songs with only Lianne; vocals and bass duet stuff. It's a good challenge to bass players to work in duet situations; especially if they are not piano or keyboard. It makes you think more about the notes you pick when supporting your partner. Walking also becomes more exposed and if you do too many songs that have the same tempo and feel, the song becomes the same song.

Anyway, the Toronto Condo Show was a great experience again and was an excellent opportunity to try new things and re-learn the old.

Lucky

On Saturday night, I had two gigs booked. Because the location of the two were close proximity, I figured things would be fine.

Normally after playing one gig I tend to be a little tired regardless of the duration. Having two gigs in two different locations, with different people each time, can be a little trying. Fortunately, for me both gigs went off without a hitch, but by the end of the second, I was mentally tired.

Well, when I arrived home and was unloading my gear, I quickly noticed that my bass amp was gone. I realized I left it in a parking garage where I played my second gig. I quickly called my friend who I had played with to see if she was still close to where we last played. In the meantime, I jumped back in my van and headed back down to the parking garage. Lucky for me, my bass amp was still where I had left it and my friend was able to pick it up.

Tired and exhausted with bass amp in-hand and a hard lesson learned, I went to bed with the feeling that I was given a very lucky break.

Marlowe Tomorrow Night

Hey,

I'll be up at Marlowe tomorrow night (Tuesday August 12th) playing with Melodious Vibes from 7pm until 10pm. We'll be doing a mix of Jazz and Old School R&B that night. Here's the details:

Marlowe Restaurant and Bar Grill
155 York Boulevard
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3B4, Canada
Call
(905) 771-8645

visit:
themarlowe.ca
melodiousvibes.com

Gig Recap

It's nice to always take a step back and take a good look at things. Especially, when at the time, it wasn't the greatest feelings. Last night's gig was one of those nights.

I arrived first to the gig with 2xbass in-tow and started to get ready. I made a quick call to just check in to see where my band mates were. It turns out they got caught in traffic behind a major car accident. Anyway, the chances of them arriving on-time were pretty slim. I was going to be left me on my own for a good chunk of time in front of a large number of people with not much solo bass repertoire under my hat. I'm normally the support in a musical stand-point, not a virtuoso soloist. Needless to say, I felt like a fish out of water and was wating for some sign of relief. I basically went into a number of songs withnot much direction (and not much reactio if I may add).

Anyway, one the rest of the group arrived, we got set-up very quickly and jumped right into our first tunes and played staight in just under two hours.

Once we got into playing, everything sounded great and the audience really enjoyed our show which was our main goal in the first place.

Lesson learned: try to prepare for anything. Time to work on some solo repertoire.

Quote of the Week

I wonder what it means when your grandson is more crotchety than you are.
- Aaron McGruder
If time flies when you're having fun, it hits the afterburners when you don't think you're having enough.
- Jef Mallett
On the whole human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time.
- George Orwell
Sometimes success is determined not by being great, but by being just good enough.
- BassBassDude

Street Party

Over the weekend, a friend of my mine was part of a Street Party and decided to provide some musical entertainment. So, he asked to come out and play on his front lawn. Long story short: it was a great time. Everyone that I spoke to at the party said the music sounded great and that we were very entertaining. I just wished it would happen more often, but it's not all that easy to close off a street for a day. Not bad for a beautiful Saturday evening full of good food, good neighbours, good music and good fun.

Quote of the Week

There is still a difference between something and nothing, but it is purely geometrical and there is nothing behind the geometry.
- Martin Gardner
I used to wake up at 4 A.M. and start sneezing, sometimes for five hours. I tried to find out what sort of allergy I had but finally came to the conclusion that it must be an allergy to consciousness.
- James Thurber
If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee.
- Abraham Lincoln
Coffee - Life's magic potion that makes everything seem a little better and makes my urine smell funny.
- BassBassDude

Casino Rama Gig

Hey,

I'll be playing with Melodious Vibes up at Casino Rama in Orillia tomorrow night courtesy of Tai Pan Tours. We'll be playing from about 8pm to 10pm in their Silvernightingale Ballroom.

Hope to see you there.

visit
casinorama.com

Weird Al Yankovic

Since I was a kid, I loved Weird Al Yankovic. Just on a whim, I did a quick search to see what he was up to. To my surprise, he's releasing another album "Straight Outta Lynwood". Here's a parody of Usher's Confessions; "Confessions Part III"



Hilarious Genius

Quote of the Week

Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough.
- Groucho Marx
Always be nice to your children because they are the ones who will choose your rest home.
- Phyllis Diller
Home is where the heart is. Just make sure your heart is still in your chest.
- BassBassDude
The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them.
- Sir William Bragg

Lesson Learned

Things are always funny when there are issues with your bass setup and it is important to have this in proper condition.

I made the little mistake of trying to put my double bass down that, at the time, I thought would be safe, but in fact was quite dangerous which had to pay the price. I arrived at a gig, but in order to put my bass down into the orchestra pit , I would have to carefully lower it from a 4 foot stage down into my section. I thought that my bass was fairly light and my strength and flexibility was more than enough to pull this procedure off but such was not the case. The momentum of this large instrument pulled me off the stage and pulled me down on top of my bass. After dusting my self off, I rolled my bass off its front and quickly examined it for some serious damage. To my relief, there was nothing that I could find.

Throughout the week, it felt that my bass was just not the same and I was not happy with some of the notes I would hit with both arco and pizzicato technique. To make a long story short, I found that the bridge had been slightly compromised and needed to be adjusted to return to form. For a while now, I've been playing around with the bridge's location in relation to the f-holes and the sound post in the bass. It wasn't until last night of fiddling around with the bridge again and practicing, that I found the bridge is where it should be. The bridge is at a correct angle and is properly aligned with the sound post and the f-holes. Most importantly, the sound is warm and projecting nicely.

The Lesson Learned?

Always take care of your instrument and never compromise your setup lest you play with fire.

Quote of the Week

To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there's no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other.
- Jack Handey
No matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up.
- Lily Tomlin
Who needs cynicism when I'm always right.
- BassBassDude

Quote of the Week

Punctuality is the virtue of the bored.
- Evelyn Waugh

Over-excessive boredom can breed extreme lateness as I have only discovered as of late.
- BassBassDude

Recording with Melodious Vibes

Last night I had a last minute recording session with Melodious Vibes. From what I can tell, it will probably be the last (for now, hehe). I never really realized it until last night how much I enjoyed being in a recording setting. In my case, I really enjoy the creative process and the focus one has to have in order to lay down a number of tracks. Moreover, in-between recording, I can just let loose and joke around which helps relieve any tension there could be in the room. Although, I tend to be pretty light-hearted when I'm playing music. It's funny, but almost every time I find myself behind a microphone in a studio, I feel really overly comfortable. Granted, I think I have come to the point where I can balance work-time and fun-time quite reasonably. Years ago, there have been a good number of times where I could go off on major humor-filled tangents that would suck up recording time; now a days, I'm much more focused. Don't get me wrong, I probably still have as much fun as I had years ago; it's just different when you mature.

I thought I'd also take the time to thank Mags and her team on helping us get this put together. As you can tell, I had fun coming into the studio and meeting you and your recording team. It's been a long time coming for Melodius Vibes to get together in a studio recording setting. I just hope the tracks we laid down are good enough for you and your team to play around with in post.

Have fun.

Quote of the Week

"A day of unselfish purpose is always a day of confident hope"
- Woodrow Wilson

"The music that can deepest reach, and cure all ill is cordial speech"
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that Ralph Waldo Emerson never learned his ii-V-Is"
- BassBassDude

Scarborough Music Theatre Oklahoma recap

It's been a while since my last post (my apologies). But, most of you might have heard I was the bass sub for Scarborough Music Theatre's production of Oklahoma.

Just to fill you in, someone had come out to watch Brigadoon where I was last sat in playing Bass. That person checked out my blog and then forwarded my name to another person who contacted me to see if I was interested. Long story short... I just finished playing the first week of Oklahoma as their Bass sub.

I really enjoyed being a part of Scarborough Music Theatre and I am completely impressed with the way they conduct their business. It's very professional in every facet and it seems like every one has a fun time whether in the audience, to the performers to the crew working to bring everything together backstage. From an orchestra perspective, it was great meeting some wonderful players and having a chance to play along with them. Hopefully, I'll be a part of Scarborough Music Theatre again in the future.

visit:
theatrescarborough.com

Also, I'll keep things up to date a little better once I have my internet hooked up at my new home.

Thanks.

Beat Box Vs Drummer

And More...

This is something that must be watched and listened to from beginning to end. Very fun and entertaining and some serious drumming skills.



Freakin' Wicked.

Quote of the Week

The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none.
- Thomas Carlyle
If one were unconscious, one could be considered faultless.
- BassBassDude
Virtue is its own punishment.
- Aneurin Bevan
Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them.
- Bill Vaughan

Quote of the Week

It is always easier to believe than to deny. Our minds are naturally affirmative.
- John Burroughs
This is one of those views which are so absolutely absurd that only very learned men could possibly adopt them.
- Bertrand Russell
Living in a vacuum sucks.
- Adrienne E. Gusoff
Living in a dryer blows.
- BassBassDude

Can I Get A Napkin Please

The Improv Musical



Here's the inside scoop from ImprovEverywhere.com

From http://www.ImprovEverywhere.com, 16 agents create a spontaneous musical in a food court in a Los Angeles mall. Using wireless microphones and the mall's PA system, both their voices and the music was amplified throughout the food court. All cameras were hidden behind two-way mirrors and other concealed structures.

This is one of over 70 different missions Improv Everywhere has executed over the past six years in New York City. Others include Frozen Grand Central, the Best Buy uniform prank, and the famous U2 Rooftop Hoax, to name a few. Visit the website to see tons of photos and video of all of our work, including behind the scenes information on how this video was made.

Song by Scott Brown and Anthony King.

Check it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkYZ6rbPU2M

Quote of the Week

A fine quotation is a diamond on the finger of a man of wit, and a pebble in the hand of a fool.
- Joseph Roux
It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.
- Oscar Wilde
To achieve the impossible dream, try going to sleep.
- Joan Klempner
When I sleep I dream of robot sheep. Does that make me an android?
- BassBassDude

Marlowe Part Deux

Hey everybody,

Last week went really well so we decided to do it one more time. I'll be playing some live jazz and R&B with Ken De Los Santos back at The Marlowe on Hwy 7 and Leslie in Thornhill. Here's the details:

Marlowe Restaurant & Wine Bar
155 York Blvd. Richmond Hill, ON
Tuesday March 11th
7pm to 10pm

Thanks to all who came out last time and to those who will be stopping by tomorrow night.

visit
themarlowe.ca
melodiousvibes.com

Marlowe Tomorrow Night

Hey everybody,

I'll be playing some live jazz with Ken De Los Santos at The Marlowe on Hwy 7 and Leslie in Thornhill. Here's the details:

Marlowe Restaurant & Wine Bar
155 York Blvd. Richmond Hill, ON
Tuesday March 11th
7pm to 10pm

Hope to see you there

visit
themarlowe.ca
melodiousvibes.com

Grand Central... coming to Canada?

Here's something that i hope comes up to Canada sooner than later.

Grand Central Communications is now a Google company that puts a new spin on how you use your phone. According to Google, it is a service that allows users to use their existing phone numbers and voice mailboxes into one account that you can access from the web.

Although, it sounds similar to what Vonage Canada already provides, but I think the potential to provide a little bit more is present. You can screen calls, record calls on the fly and listen to them online, block callers, and receive voicemail notifications via email or SMS. On top of all this, Google ensures that there will be more to come in the future.

As a Canadian, I'm licking my chops to see if this will be coming north of the border.

To see more, check out grandcentral.com

Loving JabbaWockeeZ

Alright, I admit, when my brother and wife introduced me to Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew I went in with a little pessimism. I must say, I think I'm pretty hooked. My brother told me to keep an eye out for a group called the JabbaWockeeZ. Sure enough, I'm backing these guys to the bank. Not only can these guys dance but they dance well as a unit. The philosophy behind this masked dance crew is uncanny when you think about it. Individually, each person is a great dancer, but with the anonymity that the masks bring, it creates this adhesion that makes the group reach new heights. No individual is more important than the sum of all the parts. In addition, they are extremely creative when tasks are presented to them and it seems they have a lot of fun when they perform. On top of all that, they're freakin' awesome.



http://youtube.com/watch?v=M9L7exvltPg&feature=PlayList&p=19A8B0219816359B&index=6

Quote of the Week

I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.
- EB White
I get up every morning thinking about pancakes.
-BassBassDude
Man is a clever animal who behaves like an imbecile.
- Albert Schweitzer
I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can't be done.
- Henry Ford

Quote of the Week

We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action.
- Frank Tibolt

Get off the couch
- BassBassDude

New Home Announcement

Well,

It's done (pending inspection). I am now a full-fledged home-owner. As exciting as this is right now, this is just the beginning to being in debt for a very long time. Anyway, here's hoping things continue to go well. Here's hoping I keep my mistakes to a minimum when dealing with all things with my new home. Here's to trying to pay off my mortgage.

Cheers.

Quotes of the Week

I am certain there is too much certainty in the world.
- Michael Crichton
No matter what side of the argument you are on, you always find people on your side that you wish were on the other.
- Jascha Heifetz
Criticism is prejudice made plausible.
- HL Mencken
No Comment
- BassBassDude

VGL lookback

My brother and I headed out to Video Games Live hosted by Tommy Tallarico of Video Game fame last Saturday night so here's a little insight into my experience.

Clearly, this was an event that understands its audience and delivered in a way in which the experienced video gamer would greatly enjoy. This was a great chance for old gamers like myself to take a trip down video game memory lane and reminisce a time when quarters were the only known currency; two dimes and a nickel would never cut it back then and a working change machine that took your wrinkled dollar bills was a god-send.

Video Games Live (VGL) is a video game production that takes a highly skilled orchestra and pits them into playing a vast number of memorable video game musical compositions while having it synced perfectly to a huge multi-media screen display of video games. Live orchestra playing to video games... live (hence the title). Classic title games that pioneered video gaming (such as Pong and Donkey Kong)to games of the near-future (Starcraft II and Metal Gear Solid 4) plus established franchises of the present (Super Mario Bros, Legend of Zelda, and Final Fantasy) all had its moments to bask in the sun and celebrate the creativity and efforts of all the people that had worked on these games. I'm not one to write a full play-by-play of the performance because I'm sure that there are a lot of videos of these concerts that can be found on youtube. Trust me when I state this, trying to watch any of these videos will give no justice to what a live show can bring. That is to say, the amount of tension, energy and release from live events that keeps an audience on the edge of their seats cannot be contained on a tiny recording device. Although, I have to admit, watching these videos does help reminisce what one was feeling at that time and it also adds a different perspective to where someone else was sitting.

As for those who are video game fringe fans or fell in the category of parent/girlfriend/boyfriend that were dragged out, probably had a relatively pleasant time. Objectively, this was a show that seemed to have had packed in a lot of bells and whistles including a lot of lighting effects and stage "gimmicks" that seemed to be thrown in to try to make the show more appealing. From this perspective, there was no connection to what was being presented and that is why I can see why the enjoyment level was paper-thin. It's hard for any non-gamer to connect to any of this because there is no emotional attachment to a good number of these games. A true gamer that has invested a lot of time and energy into playing these games and discovering these stories and creating emotional attachments to these characters and the universe that they reside, can make that connection and understand what VGL is trying to portray.

As an experienced gamer that was on hiatus for quite some time now, I found VGL to being something that helped me take a bit of time to reflect on my childhood and remember a time where my two biggest worries were where my next save point was or if I would find just one more 1up. But more importantly, it made me remember times with my family and hanging out with them; just being a kid and having fun.

It's funny how music can help make such strong emotional connections even if the music of the time was produced on an 8-bit console. My greatest disappointment of the evening was that I was not able to be one of the double bass players. I had payed close attention to this section as well as to the conductor, Jack Wall. I guess that can be a goal for something down the road. As for my highlight, Martin Leung is a 20-year old pianist that put together medley arrangements for Super Mario Bros, Final Fantasy and a game that I wish I had the pleasure of playing based on the music, Chrono Cross.

Enjoy.

Martin Leung: Chrono Cross


youtube.com/watch?v=hQ4fUhot1bI


Final Fantasy Theme by Martin Leung (Toronto 2008)


www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKKjQn5hSiA&feature=user

Video Games Live

Call it luck, but it looks like I'll be heading to Video Games Live at Massey Hall this Saturday. I may have ruined the complete experience by watching a ton of these videos on-line, but that's okay. I'm sure it will still be fun to watch. I think it would be more fun for me if I were to be part of the orchestra. I await that chance but in the mean time, I'll keep on practicing.



Check it out and enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVHGy9XEF9I

Quote of the Week

The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.
- John Kenneth Galbraith
The only function of long-range weather forecasting is to make people think they need to invest in a snow-blower.
- BassBassDude
Yesterday I was a dog. Today I'm a dog. Tomorrow I'll probably still be a dog. Sigh! There's so little hope for advancement.
- Charles M. Schulz

House Hunting for a bass.

I've come to a point where it is in my best interest to buy a house. This is a big step in a person's financial life. Now, I've been doing a little research here and there to see what's best for me, but it always seems that I keep coming back to one requirement... where will the music room be? Yes, I'm concerned about many other elements of the house (the foundation, the roof, moisture problems, gutters, the basement, number of bedrooms, condition of the bathrooms and kitchen, et al.) but I still would like one room committed to music. It would be nice to have one place away from bedrooms where I can practice without waking the kids; a room where I can practice and create and also invite others to play as well. I guess I'll need to research sound proofing as well.

Powerthirst

While watching Diggnation, I was presented with a commercial that brought me close to tears. Enjoy.



http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=qRuNxHqwazs


Pretty extreme stuff.

Quote of the Week

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend
- Martin Luther King Jr.

You have to love practicing. For the most part, you put in a lot of time and intesity into something that can be extremely frustrating with minimal reward and results. But there will always be that one moment where you achieve an epiphany that makes all that practicing worth while. Keep practicing.
- BassBassDude

Quote of the Week

Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian.
- Robert Orben
There are two things that will be believed of any man whatsoever, and one of them is that he has taken to drink.
- Booth Tarkington
I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it.
- Mae West
I'm tempted to listen to the Temptations... and other old Motown groups.
- BassBassDude

Flight Of The Conchords

If you ever get a chance, check out...

Flight of the Conchords.



These guys are great and hilarious and have their own show on HBO.

visit:

conchords.co.nz
hbo.com