Upright Bill

Another update:

That latest picture is here :

I've been thinking about what I would put on a BFT. I think I could assemble a collection of tunes that are not heard often enough. Sign me up, please.

I'm in and have sent you an email. Is there anything else I need to do?

Agreed. Any West Michigan members want to jam?

Amen!

Number 21 is good to begin to connect scales with chords as is number 1.

I use Aebersold Play-Alongs but I change them a bit both for myself and my students. I rip them to MP3s and using Winamp with LoopMaster and PaceMaker plugins I can change the tempos and/or the key they are in. Go to the lessons page on my website and check out the right side of the page for links to these (http://www.siasmusic.com/lessons.html). In addition, I also use Band In A Box. If I were on a limited budget I would buy this instead of Play Alongs since with this you can make all the play alongs you want. It even comes with the realbook already encoded.

...or decaf!!! (that's all we had this morning. ouch!) AAAHHHHHHH You scared me! Decaf That reminded me of Louisville. When we went out looking for a grocery store to buy coffee filters so we could make some of my home roast in our hotel rooms

Agreed. Can I put that on my tombstone? Sure but I always thought of that as words to LIVE by.

I think you should tell him, "Thank you." The only think worse than bad coffee is no coffee.

From my wife: CDs RVG: Jackie McLean - Jackie's Bag RVG: Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil RVG: Hank Mobley - The Turnaround RVG: Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers - At the Cafe Bohemia Vol 1 RVG: Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers - At the Cafe Bohemia Vol 2 RVG: Lee Morgan - The Rumproller Jim Ferguson - Not Just Another Pretty Bass BOOKS Thinking In Jazz, The Infinite Art of Improvisation, Paul Berliner Your Life As Art, Robert Fritz The Tibetan Book Of The Dead

I agree with almost every post. However the questions were, which do you prefer and do you think electric bass guitar will dominate jazz bass in the future. There are some amazing electric jazz bassists out there (Marcus Miller, Gary Willis, Gerald Veasely, ... ) and equally terrific Upright players. While I agree that its always the music that matters I still prefer the sound of an upright bass over an electric bass guitar. I play both with great pleasure. I do not think that bass guitar will dominate jazz but you will see more of it if for no other reason than the difficulties of traveling with an upright.

I have the Fresh Roast. http://www.freshbeansinc.com/ If you order one do yourself a favor and order a second roasting chamber, that way you don't have to wait for it to cool before doing a second batch. Its usually cheaper here http://www.coffeeismydrugofchoice.com/freshroast.htm but they are out of stock. Try the Guatemala Organic HueHueTenango Fair Trade "Shade Grown, Co-op" $4.25 a pound right now at http://www.coffeewholesalers.com/coffee_green.htm

I only make smoke when I screw up and burn it. Other than that my wife and I love the smell of the coffee roasting. I've never set off the smoke alarm.

Starbucks coffee tastes burned to me. I've heard other folks refer to them as Charbucks. "Serious" coffee drinkers where I work are always amazed by my home roast. I've turned two into home roasters as well. If I had a local shop that roasted small batches I'd probably never started roasting my own. The "best" local roaster here roasts once a month!

Guess what the nickname "Upright Bill" comes from. I, like most Upright players, play both electric and Upright. Electric Bass Guitar was invented to solve the biggest problem with Upright Bass, transporting the darn thing. Frets were soon added to solve the other problem with playing bass. Here is my list of advantages of each: Electric Bass Guitar 1. Easy to transport. 2. Easier to play. 3. Easier to amplify. 4. Easier to record. Upright Bass 1. Sounds better. I'm a huge fan of several electric bassists (I spent a week doing one-onone lessons with Gary Willis at his home, and Marcus Miller is also amazing) and I enjoy playing mine and teaching it. However, to me, jazz is Upright Bass.

We only buy Free Trade coffee here! I'm afraid that the enslaved peons will pee-on my beans!

Go to http://www.CoffeeIsMyDrugOfChoice.com. When you've tried that super smooth home roasted made one cup at a time it will actually BE coffee in that container!

Does anyone else roast their own coffee? We went the usual route of Grocery store coffe to coffee shop ground onsite to grind a week's worth at home to grinding daily.... Now we have a "Fresh Roast" home coffee roaster. I roast three day's worth of beans at a time. Grind seconds before brewing. Once you try really fresh roasted coffee you will never be happy with anything else. We've learned that fresh roasted is amazing, 24 hours old is incrediable, 3 days old is better than anything you ever bought in a coffee store, 1 week old is good coffee store, 2 weeks old is good grocery store coffee after that its just like Folgers or Maxwell House. Its also darn cheap. A good roaster is $50 and green beans are $3-$4. Try HuehueTenango.

I caught part of it on WGVU. I wish I could have been there. Joe, I heard why Uncle Skip wants lessons from you. I really like your phrasing (I don't say that very often about guitarists).

Chuck, great time last night! I got to work this morning and a Leinie's Red bottle cap fell out of my jacket pocket. Thank You! The music was amazing, the conversation incredible and the history lesson fasinating (there won't be a test will there? ).

AW HELL NO! You need to get your butt down there. You AND Upright Bill. B) I'm teaching tonight! If I cancel that then Uncle Skid's daughter and some other great folks will go guitar or bass lessonless! Plus, my students need to pay for the eight new CDs I got from Chuck last night

I agree. There are a lot of musicians and teachers who seem pretty bitter and make you wonder why they're doing it if they are so unhappy. As far as "needing to listen to more jazz", I doubt that would have much of an effect. Obviously there are personal issues about life and self-esteem that need to be addressed before any change in attitude (or musical taste)can take place. Change most often occurs only when someone wants to change. I tried a couple of times to quit smoking, but it wasn't until I decided that I wanted to change (for myself, not for anyone else) that I succeeded. Now the urges are so slight and manageable that I don't even notice them (it's been two years). Anyway, back to topic. I often have music on while I am doing something else- on the computer, working around the house- and I don't feel like I'm doing a disservice to the music. I also engage in focused listening- no distractions, maybe headphones. I think both types are certainly valid. EDIT: I would add that my "background" listening takes place when I'm doing things not requiring a lot of talking. If there's a lot of conversing involved I usually go w/o the music, because if I'm trying to listen to someone the music is always distracting me. Ever put on a choice recording for friends and they immediately (or eventually)start talking? Sometimes that really offends me, although I guess I shouldn't take it personally. I find that I have lost the ability to listen to jazz passively. I'd like to be able to put on headphones at work to both muffle the background noise but I find that I become lost in the music and get nothing done. I too get annoyed when people come over to listen to music and then start talking. Some close friends of ours are a well-known husband and wife bluegrass "band." Whenever we get together we share some music. I get a kick out of this 6 foot 7 inch guy raising his left hand in the air, his right index finder to his pursed lips "shushing" adults when the music is on. "If you need to talk I can turn off the music!"

I think, as a general life rule, when you dislike your job you should find a new one. Many people, our pianist is one, act as if their job is a court ordered sentence. They need to listen to more jazz!