Anthony Jackson – Contrabasse Guitar

One of those albums where the bass playing is stunning from the first note to the last. I first heard Michel Camilo on an album (yes, it was vinyl) called ‘French Toast’ which came out in 1984 and featured Anthony Jackson with both Dave Weckl and Steve Gadd but there was also a horn section and percussion. Great arrangements but stunning playing across the board. This led me to the ‘Suntan’ album with Camilo Jackson and either Weckl or Joel Rosenblatt (it is Blatt who is playing on this track). The album still fills me with joy to this day and I love every second of it. I was never able to transcribe any of as it was far to intense for my young ears and I have not way of writing it down before I could read. The rhythms are so intense, it has taken me a lifetime of playing to get underneath them. Thanks to Moises and Transcribe!, however, I can now isolate the Jackson parts and try to get a handle on them. There are a couple of sections where the notes are coming very fast and slowing them down until I can hear them makes them indistinct so I had to to go back and fore trying to find the notes – not 100% confident but that’s life.

This is the complete Anthony Jackson bass part for the tune ‘We Three’ from the 1986 Michel Camilo album ‘Suntan) (later released as ‘In Trio’). Many thanks to Gareth Hughes on Basschat for helping me with the mp3s necessary to get these tunes onto Moises. It’s what Bank Holiday’s are for.