Ron Carter – Bass Every time I try a Ron Carter part, I remember why I hardly every try Ron Carter parts. His intonation and phrasing are so idiosyncratic, I am never sure what is going on for more than a couple of bars at a time. This one starts with what my ears is…

Dave Holland – Bass Dave Holland has recorded this tune at least twice that I am aware of. I believe the original version was the one that appeared on the ‘Extensions’ album from 1989 (was it really that long ago – the album still sounds fresh today) whilst the later version appeared on the 2008…

Phil Lynott – Bass I vividly remember seeing Gary Moore ‘and Friends’ on The Old Grey Whistle Test performing ‘Back On The Streets’ and ‘Parisienne Walkways’ (both from the 1978 album, ‘Back On The Streets’) and loving every second of it (I would have been around 15 at the time). BOTS was probably one of…

Dave Holland – Bass I think this trio recorded three albums for ECM, the first in 1975 and the second two in 1985 (the two later albums were recorded at the same time even though they were released separately). The ‘Homecoming’ album (the blue one) was the more composed whilst the ‘In The Moment’ album…

Jorge Roeder – Bass A folksy little tune from Jorge Roeder’s 2020 solo bass album, El Suelo Meo’, this is the complete transcription of the Manuel Alejandro tune ‘Chabuca Limeña’ (I have no idea what it means and Google Translate doesn’t help). It’s not nearly as hard to play as it first sounds and the…

Aaron Bell – Bass Another from what is probably my favourite Ellington album, ‘And His Mother Called Him Bill’. The 1968 album is a recording made in tribute to the recently deceased Billy Strayhorn who has worked with Ellington for years. Strayhorn died of esophageal cancer in May, 1967, and Ellington was said to be…

Dave Holland – Bass This one is actually pretty easy, both to read and to play. There isn’t much in the Holland canon that you can say that about but the piece is called ‘Bedouin Trail’ and has the languorous gait of a camel train, going nowhere fast. The one is all about the feel…

Dave Holland – Bass I struggle to say which is my favourite Dave Holland band; every line-up, from trio to big band, holds a special place in my heart. I loved the ‘Extensions’ band, the Wheeler/Coleman group, the DeJohnette/Coleman trio, all of the 90s bands, the Prism thing – it’s all incredible stuff. Even his…

Reginald Veal – Bass Something simple and soothing from Brother Veal, the complete bass performance for the tune ‘The End Of A Love Affair’ from the 1991 Wynton Marsalis album, ‘Standard Time Vol. 2: Intimacy Calling’. Just exert ballad playing and some nice easy reading to get started with. Watch the quavers/8th notes, though. Some…

Renaud Garcia-Fons A partial transcription (I am still trying to figure out how to transcribe his more intense arco stuff), this is the intro to the opening track of his 1997 album, ‘Oriental Bass’. There are a couple of moments where I can’t hear the details so I have relied upon the second time around…