Quote of the Week

Society, my dear, is like salt water, good to swim in but hard to swallow.
- Arthur Stringer
It is better for civilization to be going down the drain than to be coming up it.
- Henry Allen
Late to bed and late to wake will keep you long on money and short on mistakes.
- Aaron McGruder
Early to bed and late to rise makes for the envy of an insomniac.
- BassBassDude

Looking for a Venue

A friend and I are planning to put on a recital sometime next year in order to raise money for two charities (Shirley will be raising money for Canadian Hearts and Hands and I will be raising money for the Canadian Cancer Society). Our current concern is trying to find a suitable venue. Basically, it will be a piano/double-bass duet and we're already looking into some music to play together as well as our own solo material. I've been working on Bach's Cello Suite #1 in G for the past little while, so I think this will be my Solo pieces. But, we need a place that can hold a number of people and has good acoustics in the Greater Toronto Area.

More on how things are going later.

Still Miss It

It's funny how something small can trigger deep emotions and memories.

I found myself surfing the net and found myself at a-capella.com. It was here I stumbled upon Vox One, a group that I have first listened to when I was back at York U. I never had a chance to fully listen to their stuff, but after sampling a few of their songs, I wish I had paid more attention to this group.

Back to what I was talking about.

After sampling through a large number of the a capella goodness at a-capella.com, I kept thinking about how all the learning and fun I had at York; more specifically with Wibijazzn. Sight-reading and working on learning and memorizing your part, making the best sound possible and having it blend with the other sections, the trials and tribulations along with the excitement and energy that come with working so closely with such inspiring people, and creating new music and arrangements are only some of the elements that I treasure greatly and constantly reflect on, and at this particular time, can only recount. What I seem to love and miss the most, is hard to actually put into words. I guess you could call it the 'team' aspect; the idea that a group of people at this one particular moment, are completely committed into this one task. Not just the performance as a whole, or coming to a practice. It was when the group was about to hit that one 'crunchy' chord, or that one difficult passage with arpeggiated runs that were in a different key, or trying to keep time and sit in the pocket with a sick rhythm. It was those times, whether it be in practice or performance, when people would bear down and start listening just a little harder or focused just little bit more to try to hammer out the intricate details of their part. And when it all came together, it was breathtaking. Granted the breath-taking could have been from holding a note for 30sec, but that's besides the point.

I guess the real point is that there is great beauty in the music that is written, but it's the musician(s) that breathe into it its soul.

L-dia

I was looking for Musiq Soulchild's "Just Friends" video on YouTube where I stumbled upon this clip.



Check her out at myspace.com/lydiakaboesj

Props girl.

Gig Tonight: Marlowe

Sorry for the late notice.

I'll be up at the Marlowe. Here are the details.

155 York Blvd
Richmond Hill, ON
905 771 8645

Ken and I will be playing from 7 to 10.

Hope to see you there.

Quote of the Week

An economist is a surgeon with an excellent scalpel and a rough-edged lancet, who operates beautifully on the dead and tortures the living.
- Nicholas Chamfort
I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart.
- ee cummings
A joke's a very serious thing.
- Charles Churchill
The phrase "just kidding" really means "this is what I think, but I don't want to hurt your feelings".
- bassbassdude

Gig Recap: One Up

It's always great playing with a live drummer. Period. There's a certain locking and connection that happens between a drummer and bassist. Moreover, there's a character that one can discover when playing with a live drummer, as opposed to a midi drum track. Anyway, I had a great time playing up at One Up with Lianne, Glen and Dan. It went very well and everyone there had a great time.

Thanks to all for coming out and showing there support.

Gig: One Up Lounge

I'll be playing this Saturday August 18th at One Up Lounge in Toronto. Here are the details.

One Up Lounge
130 Dundas St W 2nd Floor
Just West of Bay on the North side of Dundas St
8pm to 11pm
Public parking directly across the street.

For more information, please visit oneup.ca

See you there.

Clark Terry Red Mitchell

Ever since I re-tuned my bass to 5ths I've been trying to listen to more stuff with Red Mitchell. I found this with Terry Clark and love it.




Enjoy

Recap: Marlowe Recording

With my eye acting up that night and having great difficulty keeping it open, I still found myself enjoying playing Thursday night at Marlowe's. Everyone who came out had a great time and I hope the recording came out well. Thanks to all who had a chance to come out and support us. Hope to see you again.

Live Recording Sessions @ Marlowe

Join me and Melodious Vibes on Thursday July 19th for a Live Recording Session @ The Marlowe.

Here are the details:

Marlowe Restaurant and Wine Bar
Thursday, July 19, 2007
6:00pm - 9:00pm
155 York Blvd.
Toronto, ON (Just west of 404 on Hwy 7)

Join us in this Live Recording Session and be the select few to see and hear this exclusive performance. This show will be produced and released on CD and DVD! stay tuned for more updates!

For more info on Marlowe and Melodious Vibes visit:
www.themarlowe.ca & www.melodiousvibes.com


Come on out for some good food, great music and lots of fun. Hope to see you there.

Quote of the Week

The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised.
- George F. Will
The power of positive thinking is very powerful.
- BassBassDude
We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.
- John W. Gardner
It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
- Walt Disney

Quote of the Week

Trust is the highest form of human motivation. It brings out the very best in people.
- Stephen R. Covey

Give me five minutes and I can bring the worst out of a person. Trust me.
- BassBassDude

New Travel Announcement

Just thought I'd share with you that I will be starting my own Private Travel Agency business. This is a very exciting time for me and I will be posting more about this new venture shortly. If you would like to know how I'm doing, give me a shout.

Gig Recap

Everything went great. It's always great playing with Allan and Glen. In the next little while, there will be a couple of Tuesday nights where I will be up at Marlowe with Ken. Once things are confirmed, I'll give you better notice. The dates will most likely be July 26th, August 7th, and August 14th.

Marlowe Thursday Night

Hi all,

Looks like I will be playing with MV up at Marlowe at Leslie & Hwy 7 this Thursday June 28th.
Here's the details:

155 York Boulevard
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3B4, Canada
(905) 771-8645

If you're available at around 7pm, come on by and say Hello.

visit: www.themarlowe.ca

City Chase - Toronto 2007

Well, I'm still licking my wounds from the Mitsubishi CityChase - Toronto race. My buddy Dave-o and I, with my brother Dean sitting on a computer at home, went through our 4th CityChase. Although, we were sporting some injuries prior to the race, we did pretty well. First off, we received an honorable mention for most clever name "Limp-A-Lot-But-Will-Finish". Soon after all the formalities were through, we headed out from Metro Hall to retreive our at the Court House. The clue sheet was loaded with over 35 chase points written in code. We headed west to the Toronto Art School (Adelaide & Spadina) and had to sketch a model. After finishing, we ran east to the Fire Hall on Adelaide where we had to hook up a fire hose and spray a target. Next we ran south King and grabbed a streetcar to a park on Walnut. There, we teamed up with another team and ran a small course on 4-person skis. We then ran north to Trinity Bellwood Park where we had to shoot a target with a paint-ball gun in 5 shots. After taking one for the team, we ran back down to King and grabbed a Westbound streetcar to Joe Rockhead's. There, we had to climb up a 20ft wall and received a 'Pass' card to jump infront of long lines. We next grabbed a bus south to the Ex and ran across Lakeshore to Ontario Place. There was a long line of about 50 teams so we used our newly-acquired 'Pass' card to jump the line. We jumped into a paddle-boat and run the Olympic course under 3 minutes and completed the Chase Point. We next found ourself at the Chinese Light exhibit where we had to run through a maze and find 4 checkpoints. After completing this point, we ran back to the Ex and grabbed the 509 Streetcar to Rees street where we had to jump into a canoe in a small urban pond. Although we almost capsized the boat, we ran the canoe through a samll course and headed East on another Streetcar. We jumped off the streetcar at a parking lot close to Harbour. There, we quickly raised $25 for Children's Wish Foundation (thanks for the donation Dave) and jumped on the Subway to Yonge and Eglinton. We headed to the Running Room just north of Eglinton and had to do a photo hunt with a camera-phone. We jumped back on the Subway to King, grabbed a street car back to Metro Hall and finished the race approximately at 4 hours and 45 minutes.

Lots of fun and I still have the welt on my backside from Dave-o's Paintball gun. Thanks to all who made this race happen and I hope to be a part of it again next year.

Video Games Live - Classic game themes Orchestrated

Now, being a retired gamer and having grown up using the scarce funds that I had playing most of these games, I must say, seeing this was pretty cool.



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

A true blast from the past... live.

Golf Recap

Yup. I had a chance to get out on to the links for the second time this year. Some good shots, but mostly bad. I started out parring the first two holes, only to double par the following par 3 and par 5 holes. Such was the case for the front nine. 49 (I could have sworn it was a 48). Anyway, the back nine led to mostly bogeys and double bogeys. 51 with the help of some 3-putts. Anyway, a good walk spoiled; such is the life of a golfer. I wonder if this still applies if you ride a cart.

Quotes of the Week

An ideal cannot wait for its realization to prove its validity.
- George Santayana

There are no such things as applied sciences, only applications of science.
- Louis Pasteur

A user of Mac applications makes a scientist not.
- BassBassDude

Recap: Forever Plaid

The run had to come to an end.

Over the weekend, Forever Plaid at the Herongate had come to a close and I, as the bass player, am happy of the time spent in this show. I had a chance to work with some wonderful and talented people and I hope to have the opportunity to work with them again. The time spent, although long, was worth while and fun. On a side note, I never realized how well I would be able to read music with my double bass tuned in 5ths. Nor did I realize how well I would be able to fill a room with its sound. Even with both a piano and drums, my bass cut through all that sound and was able to withstand being drowned out.

I learned a lot during this run and I am very thankful for the opportunity to play at the "barn".

Eye Problems

For about 2 weeks now, I've been walking around with an injury to my right eye. It wasn't until early this week that I finally got my eye checked out. Turns out, my cornea is scratched and now has a bacterial infections. Anyway, the moral of this story is: don't mess around with any eye injuries; no matter how macho you may feel.

Quote of the Week

"Worry is Nothing less than the misuse of your imagination"
- Ed Foreman

"I tend to worry about everything. Good thing I'm not very imaginative."
- BassBassDude

Ray Brown w/ Gene Harris: Summertime

I loved this.

Quote of the Week

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."
- Jim Ryun
"I have a bad habit of not starting"
- BassBassDude

Recap

The shows went very well this past weekend up at Herongate. Playing in this show for Forever Plaid has been a lot of fun and a great experience and I'm looking forward to the coming shows. I have to admit, I am not accustomed to playing in a show with such a long run. Although the show can be physically and mentally tiring from playing my upright bass without an amp, my hands are building callouses that were just as strong as when I was back in university. Anyway, I'm glad that we have a couple of days to re-charge and then jump back into the shows this Thursday and I look forward to these upcoming performances.

visit: herongate.com for more details about shows.

Hope to see you up at the barn.

Quotes of the Week

Knowledge is power, if you know it about the right person.
-Ethel Mumford
The first question I ask myself when something doesn't seem to be beautiful is why do I think it's not beautiful. And very shortly you discover that there is no reason.
-John Cage
When I came back to Dublin I was courtmartialed in my absence and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence.
-Brendan Behan
Indeed, history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.
-Voltaire
One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.
-AA Milne

YoshihiroUtsumi

I enjoy watching and listening to him play. This is YoshihiroUtsumi playing a great Schubert tune.



Enjoy

Quotesof the Week

I never met anybody who said when they were a kid, "I wanna grow up and be a critic."
- Richard Pryor
I say that a man must be certain of his morality for the simple reason that he has to suffer for it.
- GK Chesterton
Those who speak most of progress measure it by quantity and not by quality.
- George Santayana
The most erroneous stories are those we think we know best - and therefore never scrutinize or question.
- Stephen Jay Gould
The most common of all follies is to believe passionately in the palpably not true. It is the chief occupation of mankind.
- HL Mencken

Recap

My hands are in the process of healing and I don't have to play again until Thursday night. The rehearls, although long, went well. More importantly, the Forever Plaid shows are going very well. My most uncomfortable part of this show is that I'm on stage with the curtains drawn by myself for the opening of the show warming up while the audience files in. Although a little uncomfortable for myself, I actually don't mind some of that attention. Anyway, I'm glad to be a part of this show pounding away on my double bass.

Quote of the Week

Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.
- Peter Ustinov
A happy childhood is poor preparation for human contacts.
- Colette
A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something.
- Wilson Mizner
WHAT???
- BassBassDude

Forever Plaid @ Herongate

I'm back up at theHerongate Barn Theatre playing double bass for the musical "Forever Plaid".
This is the story of "The Plaids", a classic 1950's all male singing group, who were killed in a car crash on their way to their first big gig! "The Plaids" come back to perform some of the 1950's greatest hits: "Catch a Falling Star", "Three Coins in The Fountain", "Love is a Many Splendored Thing", and "Magic Moments".
"Forever Plaid" runs from March 30th - May 12th(Matinees on April 1st & 15th). For more info, please visit herongate.com

Herongate Barn Theatre
2885 Altona Road, Pickering, Ontario Canada
Award Winning Dinner Theatre
905-472-3085

Recap: Wine and Cheese Show '07

This past weekend went really well with MV at the Toronto Wine and Cheese Show. We had a lot of great compliments from the show manager, vendors, patrons and fellow musicians at the show. Although my hands are a little torn up from all the playing, we had a lot of fun playing and discovering new wine. Thanks to all that came out to show their support.

Just on a side note, I found a California Cabernet Sauvignon that I really enjoyed. I plan on picking up a couple of bottles some time this week.

Toronot Wine and Cheese Show

The Toronto Wine & Cheese Show is Canada’s largest and leading show of its kind. In 2007, the show will have reached 24 years of continued success and I will be a part of it. This year, I will be playing at the Wine and Cheese Show with Melodious Vibes. We'll be playing all weekend and we hope to see you there.

Here's the details:

March 23-25, 2007
The International Centre
6900 Airport Road, Mississauga



Friday, March 23: 12noon – 10:00pm
Saturday, March 24: 12noon – 9:00pm
Sunday, March 25: 12noon – 6pm

Enjoy the Show... Please don't drink and drive.

Must be 19 years of age or older. No children, no infants.

Quote of the Week

There is always more misery among the lower classes than there is humanity in the higher.
- Victor Hugo
On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog.
- Peter Steiner
On the Internet, everybody knows you're dodging work.
- BassBassDude

Quote of the Week

The only time to buy these is on a day with no 'y' in it.
- Warren Buffett
Sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world.
- Lily Tomlin
I worry about being a dog in a dog-eat-dog world.
- BassBassDude
Love thy neighbour as yourself, but choose your neighbourhood.
- Louise Beal

Marlowe Tonight

Tonight I'll be playing with Melodious Vibes again at Marlowe

Here's the details:
155 Yorkland Blvd
Unit 1
Richmond Hill, ON
L4B 3B4
905-771-8645
7pm - 9pm

visit: www.themarlowe.ca

Quote of the Week

Nothing is more admirable than the fortitude with which millionaires tolerate the disadvantages of their wealth.
- Rex Stout
When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of interest.
- William Hazlitt
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction.
- EF Schumacher
Me no Genius
- BassBassDude

SPO Rehearsal

This rehearsal went a lot better and with a lot more members present. From my perspective, I felt I kept up very well and I'm finding that I can hold my own with a bit of confidence. I just have to be careful that I don't stick out like a sore thumb in my section and try to create a nice tone. Overall, I'm happy with the way things are going and look forward to the next rehearsal and the following concert on February 4th.

Quote of the Week

Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made.
- Otto von Bismarck
Don't knock the weather. If it didn't change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn't start a conversation.
- Kin Hubbard
Nine out of ten people would agree that you cannot trust stats.
- BassBassDude
A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done.
- Fred Allen

Yoshihiro Gavotte-Rondeau from Partitas J.S.Bach by Solo Double bass

I enjoy watching this player's energy.


From what I understand, Yoshihiro doesn't read music. Fun watching, though.

visit www.youtube.com

Quote of the Week

Rage is the only quality which has kept me, or anybody I have ever studied, writing columns for newspapers.
- Jimmy Breslin
Love is not blind - it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less.
- Rabbi Julius Gordon
Man is the only animal that laughs and has a state legislature.
- Samuel Butler
Man, am I tired
- BassBassDude

Rehearsal Recap

With winter finally arriving last night in Toronto, it made for my very first Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra to be very interesting. Last night's snowfall proved to be tough for many of the orchestra members to venture through and were unable to make it to the first rehearsal of the year. Having so many people away was only one of last night's obstacles. The concert coming up is a Pops concert. Unfortunately, a good selection of music parts were missing and so we had to pass on a number of songs. From my perspective, sight-reading music was not and is still not my forte. Being a Pops concert, I thought that I would be able to get through with no trouble at all; I was mistaken. The music moves quickly with many key changes and tempo changes. Although I had dropped many notes, I still felt as though I was doing well. At least I know where my weaknesses are. Since moving into fifths, my strength lies in the key of C, F and G. When the songs quickly moved into Db and Ab, I found myself taking a few 'mental breaks'. Anyway, I had a good time and I will sound better next week.

Quote of the Week

"First you're an unknown, then you write one book and you move up to obscurity."
- Martin Myers
"Just because you can write a book, doesn't necessarily mean that you can read."
- BassBassDude
"By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher."
- Socrates
"I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted to pleasure."
- John D. Rockefeller

An Inconveninent Truth

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to watch "An Inconvenient Truth". If you haven't had a chance to watch it, you owe it to yourself to watch this film. I've always been a supporter of having a better environment, but it seems that more action needs to be taken by every one and should be taken seriously. Arguments opposed to global warming and the increase of CO2 in the earth's atmosphere are handedly squashed within this film. From a purely production level, it is interesting how the film was put together. Within three days, crews worked to put together a make-shift forum and shot Al Gore's presentation as a live television production.

Visit climatecrisis.net

Coming Up... Practice

Well, this weekend I'll basically be working on the exercises that I had before here. Also, This Monday will be my first Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra. We'll be working on a Pops concert that will be coming up in February. More on these and other events in the near future.

Amateur - Lasse Gjertsen

I just thought this was pretty funny and cool.



The magic of editing.

Happy New Year!

Here's to the year that has passed and to the one that holds much promise. Happy New Year!

Hyperactive Beat-Box

Just a little fun video on Beat-Boxing and Video Editing

Imogen Heap - Just For Now (live at Studio 11 103.1FM)

A friend of mine saw Imogen Heap live at Massey Hall here in Toronto and opened with this.


Pretty cool doing live-multi tracking.

Quote of the Week

"I shall never be ashamed of citing a bad author if the line is good."
- Seneca
"I shall never be ashamed of citing a bad author if the line is good."
- BassBassDude
"The town where I grew up has a zip code of EIEIO."
- Martin Mull
"My parents only had one argument in forty-five years. It lasted forty-three years."
- Cathy Ladman

Weekend Recap

Playing with someone new is always an interesting experience. I find myself with mixed emotions when thrown into these kinds of situations. Excitement to have a new situation presented and anxiety to think that you are not capable enough to keep up seem to run rampant with the anticipation of the first tune. This past Saturday at One Up, I had the fortunate opportunity to play with a new guitarist. Once we began, I could easily recognize that this guitarist had some very good chops and that I would have an easy time playing with him. Everything went very well even though I am still fighting through my bass tuning in fifths. Regardless, everything seemed to come together very well once we jumped into the first set right on through to the end of the third set. Anyway, by the end of the night, my hands were were spent and was happy with the way things sounded and I hope to play with Brennan (g), Lianne (v) and Dan (d)in the future.

What's coming up

Hey, this Saturday December 9th, I will be playing at One Up Lounge. We start at 8pm and will be there until midnight. Hope to see you there.

Stanley Jordan plays "Return Expedition" w/ Charnett Moffet on Bass

I never tried this type of slap bass on an upright. Anyway, a little virtuosity never hurt anyone.

Quote of the Week

To be a book-collector is to combine the worst characteristics of a dope fiend with those of a miser.
- Robertson Davies
I'm going to stay in show business until I'm the last one left.
- George Burns
It is better to have loved and lost than never to have lost at all.
- Samuel Butler
It is better to have never lost your keys in the first place.
- BassBassDude

Quote of the Week

You can only be young once. But you can always be immature.
- Dave Barry

Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.
- Samuel Johnson

If we were not all so interested in ourselves, life would be so uninteresting that none of us would be able to endure it.
- Arthur Schopenhauer

If my looks could kill, I should get a mirror.
- BassBassDude

Toronto Condo Show pics

Here's a few shots I took at the Toronto Condo Show 

Quote of the Week

"If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane."
- Jimmy Buffett

"I can't listen to that much Wagner. I start getting the urge to conquer Poland."
- Woody Allen

"There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion."
- Sir Francis Bacon

"Biblioteque"
- BassBassDude

Recap

The Toronto Condo Show went very well. Playing the entire length of the show really took its toll on my hands but it was a great chance to work on my bass in 5ths. I was surprised how quickly I made the transition; it was almost flawless. Although I fudged through a few lines and chord changes as well as falling back on some old habits, I found new short-cuts and lines and started figuring out how the changes would feel under my hands. Anyway, my hands are completely worn and still tired from the amount of playing I had done.

From a business perspective for Melodious Vibes at the Toronto Condo Show, we developed new contacts and many potential gigs for the future, which is what you can only hope for. Both the show owner and show manager were very pleased with what we had to offer and we hope to be back at the show next year in October.

Thanks to all who came by and said hello.

Coming Up... Toronto Condo Show

Here's what's going on this weekend...

THE TORONTO CONDO SHOW
Metro Convention Centre (North)

The Toronto Condo Show is a 1-stop exhibition designed to cater to the needs of everyone who is, or wants to be, a part of the emerging condo culture in Toronto. Attracting potential buyers overwhelmed by selection and unsure of where to begin, trendy young professionals looking to fuse modern design with small space, and seasoned owners who know exactly what they want, The Toronto Condo Show presents 3 days of everything “condo”.

Show hours:

* Friday November 10, 12pm - 8pm
* Saturday November 11, 10am - 8pm
* Sunday November 12, 11am - 5pm

Hope to see you there. Come by and say hi.

Video: Christian McBride & Niels H.O. Pedersen

I've always been a fan of Christian McBride & Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen. Both are fantastic players with two unique sounds. Here's a short clip of the two of them together. Enjoy.

Quote of the Week

Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, "Where have I gone wrong?"/ Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night."
- Charles M. Schulz

Sometimes I lie at night, and I go to sleep.
- BassBassDude

Recap

Here's a quick recap on this past weekend.

My appologies for not being present at the Road To Asia pavillion. I had come down with an "illness" and was unable to attend.

My lesson in 5ths went really well. I picked up some new exercises that would help with my technique and accuracy. Although the names are a little odd (vomit, flesh burning, and El Perro) they are very effective. The neat thing is that these are exercises that Joel Quarrington uses. I also found out that rubbing a small amount of almond oil on the strings helps keep them soft. As a beginner/novice at thumb postition exercises, I'll probably take this advice to heart. I'll probably start rubbing them down before I begin playing at the Toronto Condo Show.

Quick reminder,

I will be playing with Melodious Vibes performing this weekend at the Toronto Condo Show. Hope to see you there.

Coming Up...

Besides a lot of wood shedding and another lesson, here's what's coming up for me.

At the JCCC there is the The Road to Asia Festival 2006; a two-day festival celebrating the richness and exciting diversity of Asian culture. The festival creates a thriving multicultural atmosphere which highlights Asian cultures through traditional Food, Arts and Crafts, Music, Dance and Martial Arts, all under one roof. I won't be playing but I will be there. Visit www.jccc.on.ca

The following weekend, come down to the Metro Toronto Convention Center for the Toronto Condo Show. I'll be playing all day at the Melodious Vibes booth. Visit www.torontocondoshow.com for more details.

Hope to see you there.

Video - Oscar Peterson w/ NHOP & Ray Brown

Two greatly missed bass players.



I was glad to catch both of them.

Quote of the Week

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it."
- Henry David Thoreau

"Success can be found next to your lost set of keys. Good luck."
- BassBassDude

Lesson Revisited

I had my lesson on the weekend and it seems like I'm progressing pretty well with playing in 5ths. My tone is sounding better and my intonation is extremely close but not quite there when I shift quickly. In fact, the exercises given to me last week were etudes focused primarily on intonation; I just need to practice more effectively. Basically, effective practice comes from practicing slowly and deliberately with much concentration on each individual note produced. I also noticed that my left hand technique needed a slight adjustment in order to play properly in order to produce better accuracy and speed. My right hand bow technique also needed more work to create better tone and efficiency. Old habits die hard.

We also took a look at some music, of which I am happy to say is Bach's Suite #1 Prelude. Which brings me to one great asset of having my double bass tuned in 5ths; I can now play cello pieces. Now that's not to say that I couldn't play cello pieces, it's just that I can further understand what a composer is thinking when writing for cello. Furthermore, there is so much more fantastic pieces for cello than there are for double bass. It just seems more fun (and more challenging) to learn cello solos and on the double bass.

One last thing. I mentioned to my teacher that having my bass tuned in 5ths seemed to make more sense than having it tuned in 4ths. He agreed. Although it may be a little easier to play in 4ths, there seems to be something logical having my bass tuned in 5ths. My hands seemed to find notes with less trouble than when I was tuned in 4ths. This may be because I have a less of a learning curve having to figure out 3 of 4 strings, but old habits do die hard when your comfort notes are at different parts of the fingerboard.

There is a lot to woodshed before my next lesson and I need to bury my old habits and adopt better ones.

Coming Up...

Here's what's going on with me this weekend.

I have another lesson with my instructor. We'll probably keep ploughing through more on my technique with my left and right hands. Hopefully I'll get more stuff to work on (not to say that I didn't have enough to work on last time). Sorry, looks like I won't be at One Up Restaurant and Lounge. You can probably catch me next week from about 9pm to midnight. Other than that, I'll be spending most of my time working on my bass.

Have a good weekend.

For your listening pleasure...

Here's a quick snippet of Brian Bromberg's Wood II.

Audio:Shining Star

You can find more samples of Brian Bromberg's work at
www.brianbromberg.net
I might just have to pick this up. That and keep practicing.

Lights in the night

I took this shot back in the summer. I was playing around with the shutter speed at the time with a tripod. There is still a bit of motion blur that probably came from pushing down on the shutter button.
Lesson Learned: use the timer to avoid motion blur when slowing down the shutter speed.

Quote of the Week

"A timid person is frightened before a danger, a coward during the time, and a courageous person afterward."
- Jean Paul Richter

"I laugh at the face of danger... if that's danger at the door, tell danger I'm not home."
- BassBassDude

Change has been made

I have now officially taken the road less travelled and joined the "Dark Side".

On Saturday October 21st, I made the switch to have my double bass tuned in 5ths. I went over to my instructor's place and in 10min, he threw on the new "Pirastro Obligato 5ths". As soon as the new strings were thrown on, it seemed like I had a brand new bass. The best way I can describe it is that it was as if my bass could finally breathe properly. The open strings seemed to ring more and the tone seemed less stifled and bottled up. Shortly after re-stringing the bass, my instructor broke down my technique and re-structured it from scratch. He basically said that in order to play in 5ths, you must have sound technique and that meant starting from the ground up. From what seemed like the most simple exercises, I felt very inadequate trying to fight through all that was given to me. It was as though I was going through music physiotherapy; my brain could picture what needed to be done, but my hands were uncooperative.

After an hour-and-a-half, I left my instructor's place with a great new sound in my bass and a renewed passion in relearning what I had already learned.

Quote of the Week

"Nothing travels faster than the speed of light with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws."
- Douglas Adams

"If my brain were moving any slower, it would be moving backwards."
- BassBassDude

One Up Recap

Just a quick recap, played my first gig at One Up on Saturday night that went well. I never really played with the guitarist and drummer, but we got pretty comfortable with each other pretty quickly. Although I developed two blisters early on in the night, things went very well. I look forward to the next time we get to play together.

Just on the side note, I'll be playing at The Marlowe in Richmond Hill tomorrow night. Hope to see you there.

Endpin Upgrade

This past weekend I bareley got through a gig because of a recurring problem that I developed with my double bass' endpin. Basically, I had to do a few "modifications" for my endpin to work, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to use my double bass. Anyway, I got through the gig without damaging my bass and decided to replace my endpin.

When taking my bass in for repair at Heinl's, I decided to take the plunge and invest in a better endpin than just installing one that was of equal quality of the one that was broken. I'm not sure why, but it seems that I felt a little bit more comfortable with my bass. Whether it was the new endpin or if it was psychological, I'm happier with this purchase. At the very least, my endpin won't fall out while I'm playing.

Changing strings - Obligato

Upon my decission over the summer to switch my double bass tuning to 5ths, I just found out that Pirastro has a set of Obligato strings that are tuned in 5ths. To me, this is perfect. I've been playing Obligato strings for the past two years and I love the sound it produces from both pizzicato and arco playing. Furthermore, they are slightly softer than the Thomastic Spirocore strings that I was going to buy so this can help me get around the fingerboard a little better. Anyway, I'm very excited about this finding. I'll probably buy my strings in mid-October after a few gigs and take the plunge. The change is coming.

Quote of the Week

"If you don't find it in the index, look very carefully through the entire catalogue." - Unknown

"If you can't find it, it is probably lost."
- BassBassDude

Quote of the Week

"People with courage and character always seem sinister to the rest."
- Hermann Hesse

"I have plenty of courage and character. I am my own worst enemy."
- BassBassDude

Play! A Video Game Symphony

Get your tickets now!

PLAY! A Video Game Symphony is a Symphony world-tour featuring music from blockbuster video games. The music is performed by some of the finest, world-class orchestras and choirs. All concerts take place in classy, prestigious venues. Graphics on large screens suspended above the orchestra accompany the scores, highlighting memorable moments from the video games.

The concert tour took off in North America on May 27, 2006 in Chicago, followed by Europe, Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand.
PLAY! features award-winning music from a catalogue of blockbuster video game titles.

Says producer Jason Michael Paul: "We are working with distinguished orchestras that are concerned with providing quality programming for their fans all over the world. They all know about the success of our previous productions and are extremely pleased with the idea of presenting PLAY!.".

* FINAL FANTASY®
* THE ELDER SCROLLS® III: MORROWINDTM
* METAL GEAR SOLID®
* THE LEGEND OF ZELDA®
* HALO®
* SUPER MARIO BROS.®
* CHRONO TRIGGERTM
* CHRONO CROSSTM
* WORLD OF WARCRAFT®
* KINGDOM HEARTSTM
* SHENMUETM
* SILENT HILL®
* BATTLEFIELD 1942TM
* SONIC THE HEDGEHOGTM

PLAY! features around 20 titles in total, following the tradition of Dear Friends-Music from FINAL FANTASY by highlighting memorable moments of the games, showing the orchestra performing and soloists playing as well.

This should be a blast... in fact I know one of the double bassists playing in this.

Quote of the Week

"If your parents never had children, chances are you won't, either."
- Dick Cavett

"If your parents never had parents, chances are you won't be thinking too much about your family tree."
- BassBassDude

Dennis Masuzzo on Tuning in 5ths

Here's an article I found by Dennis Masuzzo on tuning in 5ths.

"For every challenge of fifths tuning (relearning three of the four strings and a new fingering system); there are many advantages, including the ability to play low C without an extension and a sense that the instrument vibrates more naturally. Intonation is one of the best reasons to play the bass tuned in fifths. I feel a connection with the other stringed instruments as though we are speaking the same language.

Learning a new fingering system for fifths tuning poses a problem initially; but if you have proficient knowledge of the fingerboard, across as well as up and down in fourths, you might enjoy the challenge of finding fingering solutions for fifths tuning. Occasionally, I shift farther to reach a given note; otherwise I use the same fingering system in fifths tuning that I use when the bass is tuned in fourths. It’s a small sacrifice for playing an instrument I enjoy more than ever."

You can read more about Dennis Masuzzo and tuning in 5ths on his website www.dennismasuzzo.com

When You Got It... Flaunt It

Well, the run of "When You Got It... Flaunt It" is up at Herrongate Theatre. I had a great time playing and learned a lot. The cast and crew were great and I hope to work with them in the future. In fact, the way things are working out, this might become a reality in the near future. More on this later...

A little bit of ingenuity...

... and a lot of free time can reap great rewards. That and a lot of scrap parts. Click the link below.
Double Bass Fun.

Quote of the Day

"Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects."
- Lester B. Pearson

"The skillled use of a baseball bat is also known as Effective Persuasion"
- BassBassDude

Quote of the Day

"A bore is a man who deprives you of solitude without providing you with company."
- Gian Vincenzo Gravina

"Boring"
- BassBassDude

Quote of the Day

"We're not lost. We're locationally challenged."
- John M. Ford

"We're not lost. We're just taking the scenic route."
- BassBassDude

Fountain Play

Fountain Play
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

Just playing around with the Shutter Speed.

With my interest in tuning my bass in 5ths, I found that there is a book my Dennis Masuzzo called "Playing the Double Bass Tuned in Fifths".  Here's a quick overvies of the book from www.inrmusic.com.

Hey! Come back here

Hey! Come back here
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

I took this photo while having a bit of a vacation up in Collingwood, ON. This boardwalk is part of the Hen & Chicken Trail that is just north of town.

When You Got It...Flaunt It!

Here's the info on the latest musical that I am a part of.

"When you got it... Flaunt It!"
Augist 18 - September 9, 2006

Herongate Barn Theatre
2885 Altona Road
Pickering, Ontario Canada
905-472-3085

visit: www.herongate.com for more details

Great Dinner. Great Show.
Hope to see you there.

Herongate Rehearsal

I've just completed two rehearsals for a musical theatre gig that I'm a part of. The rehearsals went well but I have a few things that I need to work on. Otherwise, I think I should be okay for these performances. More on this later. If you'd like, visit www.herongate.com

Electric woes

For a while now, my electric bass has been out of commission. I took it in last night to see what was the problem. It turns out that it just needs a bit of soldering. No problem. Although, the person looking at my electric did feel that there was a major problem with the action on my bass; I concurred. In fact, the action/tension on my electric has been horrible for a long time now. Anyway, I'm finally going to have that looked after as well. Hopefully this won't break the bank on a beat up electric bass. Coming out of there, I couldn't help but feel like I was dropping my bass off at a car dearlership's service department. Anyway, here's hoping they won't charge as much as well.

Quote of the Day

"Get all the fools on your side and you can be elected to anything."
- Frank Dane

"If I'm on the winning side, am I really that foolish."
- BassBassDude

Aikido Recap

All attacks were Ushiro Tekubi dori (Two wrists grasp from behind). Techniques applied were Shihonage (Four comer throw), Kotegaeshi (Throwing by turning out uke's wrist), and Iriminage (Entering throw). After working through these techniques, we had to apply them in a 3-man randori. Shortly after Randori, we had to apply 2 types of Kokyunage (Breathe throw), JiJunage (Arm entering throw), and Koshinage (Hip throw). Overall, randori practice is a great workout (as either nage or uke) and can easily display one's level of Aikido.

Lesson learned: Never stand still in Randori. Keep in mind where you are going next and keep in mind your center.

5ths Tuning

Here's a bit of insight on tuning the Double Bass to 5ths courtesy of Wikipedia.

Fifths tuning is a non-standard tuning for the double bass, used primarily in classical and jazz music. In this tuning, the double bass is tuned like a cello but an octave lower (C-G-D-A low to high).

Although once the most common double bass tuning in France in the 19th century, standard fourths tuning (E-A-D-G) has since become the most used tuning for the instrument. Fifths has recently been repopularised by a handful of bassists, most notably American Red Mitchell and Canadian Joel Quarrington. Other players who use the tuning include Dennis Masuzzo, Silvio Dalla Torre, and Larry Holloway. Although still relatively uncommon (most fifths players are in Canada), its popularity is ever increasing.

Its advocates say the advantages of fifths tuning are:

* Increased resonance, volume and quality of sound (the strings have more common overtones, causing the strings to vibrate sympathetically).
* Superior intonation with the rest of the string section due to the uniform tuning (for classical players).
* Best method of obtaining a low C, without an extension or a fifth string.
* Mostly used by jazz players for the major tenth which can be played easily without a position shift.

visit: en.wikipedia.org

Quote of the Day

"Washington is the only place where sound travels faster than light."
- CVR Thompson

"Washington... yummy Washington."
- BassBassDude

The Change to 5ths

I've decided to make the switch. By the end of September, I will be changing my bass to be tuned in 5ths as opposed to the traditional tuning in 4ths. I've had many conversations with a bass player about this and he feels that this will be a good change for me. Although I am a little concerned about where this will lead with my playing or whether I can wrap my head around re-learning the bass, I am certain that this will be a venture that will be beneficial for myself as a bass player. Essentially, it's just another way of having a deeper understanding of my instrument.

Quote of the Day

"This is the sixth book I've written, which isn't bad for a guy who's only read two."
- George Burns

"The sixth book I've written is still in the works, along with its five predecessors."
- BassBassDude

Quote of the Day

"An executive is a person who always decides; sometimes he decides correctly, but he always decides."
- John H. Patterson

"A procrastinator never gets anything accomplished. I'll tell you more about it later."
- BassBassDude

Sittin' in the sun

Sittin' in the sun
Originally uploaded by BassBassDude.

I have a firm belief that nothing beats sunlight when it comes to photography. On top of that, nothing beats using sunlight at either sunrise or sunset. It is at these two times where it seems like you get the most colour and vibrance out of your photography. Anyway, I took this shot on a gorgeous day just before sunset. I would have liked to see how the photo would have come out had it been a few hours later. Unfortunately, my subject was not very cooperative with this idea. Kids these days...