Great post Janek. I love Jeff Andrew's playing! I double on upright and electric and the one thing I notice when a lot of people who don't play upright try to walk on electric there's something missing in note duration. They tend not to let the note blossom and move on too quickly and it seems to start sound 'tic tacky' for lack of a better term. There is also something to the use of open string movement and idiomatic skips (and skipity booms - triplets) and such on upright that gets missed on electric. Rhythmically, electric players really need to grasp that 2 + 4 feel that should be able to carry through even if the drummer falls out. The other thing is tone, not only will holding that note down longer affect tone, but the speaker has to move air similar to an upright and I think that gets lost a bit on electric if it's not dialed in well. Not that we're trying to be an upright with electric, but as you noted tone is super important. Those you mentioned do all of that extremely well. Thanks again.
I remember hearing this lineup, except that Adam Nussbaum was the drummer, at the University of Maine at Augusta close to this period I think in 1986. Every one of them a Heavy Master. I recall Brecker playing a Yamaha EWI for much of it but it is wonderful to hear his tenor playing here.
I like your statement about time and sound, and note how well the tenor and guitar lock in unison for the head in the same way tenor and trumpet might in a traditional bebop setting.
Jeff Andrews’ sound is exemplary here. Sadly, three of the five musicians here have passed from this world.
As someone who used to play upright after playing fretless electric for many years, I'm back to getting calls for mainstream jazz gigs on electric. I just don't love the upright enough, I guess! But I bought a big ol' archtop bass guitar with piezo pickups and some fat flatwound strings. When I run it through a modeler and play the thing legato with lots of drops and open strings, damned if it isn't pretty convincing. It's as you say- even a good electric player is last call after the upright players, but when the pickings get slim I do get calls.
Man, I love this type of blog of yours! Stories, facts and insights from your journey as a musician - such a good and interesting read. Appreciate your work Janek, you have changed a lot for me. Very much looking forward to London next week! Safe trip and see you at the masterclass/concert 🙌🏼
Great post Janek. I love Jeff Andrew's playing! I double on upright and electric and the one thing I notice when a lot of people who don't play upright try to walk on electric there's something missing in note duration. They tend not to let the note blossom and move on too quickly and it seems to start sound 'tic tacky' for lack of a better term. There is also something to the use of open string movement and idiomatic skips (and skipity booms - triplets) and such on upright that gets missed on electric. Rhythmically, electric players really need to grasp that 2 + 4 feel that should be able to carry through even if the drummer falls out. The other thing is tone, not only will holding that note down longer affect tone, but the speaker has to move air similar to an upright and I think that gets lost a bit on electric if it's not dialed in well. Not that we're trying to be an upright with electric, but as you noted tone is super important. Those you mentioned do all of that extremely well. Thanks again.
I remember hearing this lineup, except that Adam Nussbaum was the drummer, at the University of Maine at Augusta close to this period I think in 1986. Every one of them a Heavy Master. I recall Brecker playing a Yamaha EWI for much of it but it is wonderful to hear his tenor playing here.
I like your statement about time and sound, and note how well the tenor and guitar lock in unison for the head in the same way tenor and trumpet might in a traditional bebop setting.
Jeff Andrews’ sound is exemplary here. Sadly, three of the five musicians here have passed from this world.
As someone who used to play upright after playing fretless electric for many years, I'm back to getting calls for mainstream jazz gigs on electric. I just don't love the upright enough, I guess! But I bought a big ol' archtop bass guitar with piezo pickups and some fat flatwound strings. When I run it through a modeler and play the thing legato with lots of drops and open strings, damned if it isn't pretty convincing. It's as you say- even a good electric player is last call after the upright players, but when the pickings get slim I do get calls.
Man, I love this type of blog of yours! Stories, facts and insights from your journey as a musician - such a good and interesting read. Appreciate your work Janek, you have changed a lot for me. Very much looking forward to London next week! Safe trip and see you at the masterclass/concert 🙌🏼