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

It's True

There's a saying.

"Where there's smoke, there's fire".

Well in my case, all talks are true, I will be a father once again. Child number 3 is on the way. Me, I'm extremely excited and hopefully, another child that loves music.


Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

A little under the weather... Chrono Trigger

Still sick, and it looks like I'll be like this for a while.

Anyway, during this time of "ailment", I've found a bit of time re-connecting with my video game "roots". Mostly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit systems. I never realized how "catchy" some of the themes were. Anyway, I'm not sure if I ever mentioned this, but in 2006, my bass instructor said that he was going to be in Play! A Video Game Symphony. I found a few clips of the performance and one of the games that was being featured was Chrono Trigger. I can't say that I played this game (although my cousin was a huge fan)but based on the music, I wish I had picked up this label. Anyway, enjoy.



I hope to some day be a part of something similar to Play! or VGL. It's something that I've thought long and hard about since I was in high school (12 years since graduation). More on those thoughts later.

Recap: Scarborough Choral Society

This past weekend was a lot of fun. Many thanks to Judy Scott-Jacobs and the Scarborough Choral Society for having me be a part of the "Sounds Of Christmas 2007" concert. It was a blast playing with many wonderful musicians and I hope to be a part of this concert next year. It's one thing to be a part of an orchestra with good players, but it's icing on the cake when those good players are good people.

Thanks to all who came out to watch.

Please visit www.actco.ca/scarboroughchoral to learn more about the Scarborough Choral Society.

Quote of the Week

So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.
- Peter Drucker

Self-management usually has a co-relation with Self-Control and Reason. In times of sitting in rush-hour traffic, most people, like myself, tend to be lacking in all these categories.
- BassBassDude

Rehearsal

I never realized how much I enjoyed playing in an orchestra.

Last night I had a chance to rehearse with the Scarborough Choral Society in preparation for the Sounds Of Christmas Concert scheduled up at Markham Theatre this Saturday December 8th and Sunday December 9th.

Everything seemed to go pretty well. Like any rehearsal where an orchestra first meets with a choir, there are a few wrinkles that need to be ironed out. Whether it be cues, notes, or entries, come show-time this weekend, everything should be ready to go. Friday's rehearsal up at the theater will help pull everything together; it will also give everyone involved a better feel on what the sound will be.

Here are the details:
Scarborough Choral Society - Sounds Of Christmas Concert
Markham Theatre For The Performing Arts
171 Town Centre Blvd.
Markham, ON, L3R 8G5

Saturday December 8th 3:00 PM
Saturday December 8th 8:00 PM
Sunday December 9th 2:30 PM

Please visit www.markhamtheatre.ca for more info

Hope to see you there.

My Mistake

This will be brief...

I thought I had a rehearsal last night for Judy's Christmas Concert for December 8th & 9th. With that, I hauled me and my bass out to said rehearsal. It turns out, the rehearsal was for the choir; the orchestra rehearsal was the night before. To sum up, in front of a 20-strong choir, I picked up my 6-foot bass and headed home with my chin up and my tail in between my legs. At least there will be another rehearsal before the concert. Hopefully, I won't embarass myself a second time.

Chalk it all up to experience.

Quote of the Week

If men could only know each other, they would neither idolize nor hate.
- Elbert Hubbard
To predict the behavior of ordinary people in advance, you only have to assume that they will always try to escape a disagreeable situation with the smallest possible expenditure of intelligence.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
- Alan Kay
Which came first: Procrastination or the person who invented procrastination. Theoretically, it hasn't been created yet.
- BassBassDude

Stevie Wonder: Toronto

Last night I had the chance to watch Stevie Wonder for the first time at the ACC. I have to admit, it was a great show. The band was great. Stevie was great. Most of the music performed were songs that I have grown up with. High energy to begin the show, laid back during the middle and incredible energy to close. The audience was completely sold on everything that was on stage. Fans of Stevie Wonder's music were not disappointed having performed many of his Old Motown hits, through his big 70s and 80s smash songs right up to a couple of his most recent projects. It is almost a given that Stevie's vocal, keyboard, and harmonica expertise were brilliant as well as his killer band which helped drive and keep everything together. To sum up, the performance by all the musicians was amazing.

My major concern is with the ACC and probably with stadium concerts on the whole. It seems you can never produce an intimate setting in these sorts of venues due to their vast size and concrete structure. The sound bounces all over the place so there is a great amount of clarity and tone that is lost in that environment. In addition, whenever Stevie was speaking, it was hard to make out what he was saying due to the poor acoustics that the arena provides which is unfortunate due to the various topics and tangents that were touched upon.

Stevie's music can make a lasting and personable impression on a person when listening in the car or on the radio or in the privacy of one's mp3 player, but to recreate that in a large setting is very difficult, or rather, near impossible. Having stated that, it was still a remarkable show and being a Stevie Wonder fan, I came away having a fantastic time.

Bartok- Romanian Folk Dances Cello

I really love Bela Bartok's Roumanian Folk Dances.

Here's one arranged for Cello & String Orchestra



http://youtube.com/watch?v=Kod0r2cV7_w

MSO Povolgya. Conductor - A.Levin
Arranged for cello & string orchestra - S. Antonov and M. Emilyanichev


Enjoy.

Gig Recap: Stroke of Bad Luck

"Always be careful"

That's what I should have been thinking when I was starting to pack up from my gig up at The Marlowe Restaurant & Wine Bar. To cut to the chase, Ken and I had just finished our third and final set of Jazz and Old School R&B. Before I begin, I should mention that since I started playing my bass in 5ths tuning, I also began playing sitting down on a stool. One of the accessories that I use is a Bass Anchor that attaches to my stool and keeps my Bass from sliding away from me while playing. Last night, I had put my double bass on the floor to begin putting everything away, but had accidentally placed the bass on top of my Bass Anchor. I turned away for a brief moment and heard an incredibly loud and hollow "Thunk". I turned around and there was my double bass lying on its front on top of the bridge. This, as you can imagine, was not a good thing. After a quick examination and slight bridge adjustment, everything looked relatively fine. No scrathes (which I don't care too much about), and no visible cracks. Granted, the lighting was poor and I was pretty tired after playing, so my examination may have been skewed. Anyway, here's hoping the power of positive thinking will bring about better luck.

"Always be careful"

Gig Recap: Melanie E

Phew. That was a relief.

I just had a gig Friday night with MelanieE. Melanie got my number through a "friend-of-a-friend" of mine and wanted a bass player that could sight read music. I agreed and this past Friday, I basically got up in front of an audience and performed music that I had only seen a half-hour before show time with a group of people I had never met before. I was a little tentative with some of the music but everything turned out really well. Style-wise, the music was straight-ahead Jazz which is right up my bass playing alley. On top of some of the Jazz "standards", were originals that were sung in French; Melanie's mother tongue. In addition, Melanie's husband, Keith, played tuba, taking many of the heads and solos. I've never head tuba in that way and I have to say that I was greatly impressed with Keith's skill in bringing tuba to the forefront. In fact, we were supposed to play Donna Lee (touch Charlie Parker tune) with the tuba playing the head, but Keith felt it would be a little much. I, on the other hand, would have loved to have seen "Donna Lee" played on tuba, just so I could have said that I saw "Donna Lee" played on the tuba.

I have to admit, I was very tentative early on in the gig, but started to warm up as the evening progressed. It's sometimes very hard to come out of your shell when your thrown into a different environment, but it was a great time nonetheless. I had a wonderful time playing with MelanieE and I hope to play with them all again.

Visit www.MelanieE.com to learn more.

Quote of the Week

When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package.
- John Ruskin
The only people who find what they are looking for in life are the fault finders.
- Foster's Law
Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.
- Don Marquis
I'll begin working on the art of Procrastination later.
- BassBassDude

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