Eddie Gomez

[Guest youmustbe]

My one claim to immortality as a bass player was being asked to replace Eddie Gomez in Guiseppi Logan's Quartet, the one with Don Pullen, who I wound up booking many years later and Milford Graves. Didn't do it.

But, not many folks are aware that Eddie was Miles' choice to replace Ron Carter as early as 1966. But Eddie turned it down and regerets it to this day. I heard Eddie with Miles or pretended to since he had no microphone and was next to Tony! But it would have been hipper than Ron, great as Ron is.

[Stereojack]

My one claim to immortality as a bass player was being asked to replace Eddie Gomez in Guiseppi Logan's Quartet, the one with Don Pullen, who I wound up booking many years later and Milford Graves. Didn't do it.

But, not many folks are aware that Eddie was Miles' choice to replace Ron Carter as early as 1966. But Eddie turned it down and regerets it to this day. I heard Eddie with Miles or pretended to since he had no microphone and was next to Tony! But it would have been hipper than Ron, great as Ron is.

Carter must have been unwilling to travel after 1966 or so. I can remember seeing Eddie with the band, and Buster Williams another time, although Carter continued to appear on the records into 1968. Albert Stinson is known to have played with them on west coast gigs.

[Tom Storer]

That's kind of close to blasphemy, there! I mean, not everything Carter has done since has been immortal, but that Miles quintet without him? Not that I don't love Gomez, but they have such radically different sounds. I'm trying to imagine the Miles Quintet with Gomez... Damn. I wish I could shunt into an alternative universe and hear what that sounded like!

[Harold_Z]

That's kind of close to blasphemy, there! I mean, not everything Carter has done since has been immortal, but that Miles quintet without him? Not that I don't love Gomez, but they have such radically different sounds. I'm trying to imagine the Miles Quintet with Gomez... Damn. I wish I could shunt into an alternative universe and hear what that sounded like!

Better intonation (for one thing.)

[JSngry]

You think so?

[Late]

I love Gomez' playing on Bill Evans' Montreux set with Jack DeJohnette.

Did Gary Peacock ever sub for Carter in that Miles band?

[JSngry]

I think he did.

[Harold_Z]

You think so?

Yeah. My post sounds a little harsher than I meant it, but I DO think Ron's intonation tends to go out and Eddie's is more on target, espescially on solos. It's a tough ax to stay in tune with and overall I love both Ron and Eddie's playing.

[Guest youmustbe]

Steve Kuhn was offered the piano chair after Mabern, but because Miles wasn't working regularly, and Getz was, he stayed with Stan instead of joining Miles. So Herbie got the gig!

Lotsa what ifs...the biggest one to me is...Paul Motian told me that contracts were signed for Miles to record with Bill Evans, Scott LaFaro and Paul...now THAT woulda been something!

[7/4]

Lotsa what ifs...the biggest one to me is...Paul Motian told me that contracts were signed for Miles to record with Bill Evans, Scott LaFaro and Paul...now THAT woulda been something!

Strangely enough, I was thinking about Miles and Motian this morning and how nice it would be.

[Guest akanalog]

i have heard some 1966 stuff with richard davis subbing in also.

i was also just reading that the other members of the "lost quinet" tried to convince miles to hire john surman to replace wayne shorter when he left.

[clifford_thornton]

Damn... but I can sort of see it, too.

[GA Russell]

i was also just reading that the other members of the "lost quinet" tried to convince miles to hire john surman to replace wayne shorter when he left.

Interesting that you should say that, ak. I interviewed Dave Holland two weeks before Shorter left the band. I asked him if there were any Europeans that I should keep an eye out for, and he said John Surman.

[Guest youmustbe]

Miles used to call Dave Holland 'Lana Turner'.

[Guest youmustbe]

BTW Why still call the 'lost quintet' when there is God knows how many live gigs availble audio or video? seems to me it's been 'found'.

[Late]

There's some (fairly famous) quote of Miles' in response to Dave Holland playing some Evan Parker for him. (Evidently Holland also wanted to get Parker into the band.) It goes something like: "Dave, that's some nice shit there, but that's not where my band is gonna go." I can't now remember where I've read that, but I know I've seen it more than once.

Miles dug Evan Parker?

[Peter Friedman]

I am sure this will rile some people up, but Eddie Gomez is a strong example of the kind of bass player I don't (as a rule) like very much. He is very technically proficient, but plays long solos primarily in the upper register. His playing fits the phrase I recall hearing of " a butterfly in a cigar box". many bass players strike me as wishing they were playing a guitar, rather than a bass.

To my ears, the bass should be primarily a lower register instrument. I want to hear big rich round swinging notes with a sense of the wood. My taste runs toward Ray Drummond, Rufus Reid, and George Mraz to mention just a few.

This is of course just my personal opinion.

[Guy Berger]

Lotsa what ifs...the biggest one to me is...Paul Motian told me that contracts were signed for Miles to record with Bill Evans, Scott LaFaro and Paul...now THAT woulda been something!

That would surprise me. With the exception of the Gil Evans collaborations, Miles was recording exclusively with his working groups during this period (late 1955 to late 1967).

Guy

[Tom Storer]

Better intonation (for one thing.)

Good intonation is overrated.

[Tom Storer]

He is very technically proficient, but plays long solos primarily in the upper register. His playing fits the phrase I recall hearing of " a butterfly in a cigar box". many bass players strike me as wishing they were playing a guitar, rather than a bass.

To my ears, the bass should be primarily a lower register instrument. I want to hear big rich round swinging notes with a sense of the wood. My taste runs toward Ray Drummond, Rufus Reid, and George Mraz to mention just a few.

This is of course just my personal opinion.

I know what you mean, but Gomez doesn't always sound like that. His solos do favor speedy upper-register lines, but as an accompanist he can certainly have a rich, deep sound. Much depends on how he's recorded, I think: back in the 70's when that trebly, butterfly-in-a-box sound was all the rage, that was the emphasized in recordings. Since then, both live and on record, I've heard him be much more full-bodied.

But whether the sound grabs you or not, he's a beautiful musician IMHO. His lines are never just flashy.