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The Body and Soul of a Modern Walking Bass Line by Rhayn Jooste
The song/lesson for this month is the standard Body and Soul (Cuerpo y Alma) – music by Johnny Green. It’s inspiration is taken from Esperanza Spalding’s Esperanza album (2008). The key is Db major; however because the piece begins with an Eb minor, it means we are in Dorian mode. The technique you are aiming for is being able to walk a solid modern bass line through a jazz standard. Your goal is to master the basic pattern and riff and then play through the changes to create a dynamic walking bass part, with a twist – this standard is in 5/4. This piece will require a 5 string bass guitar.
Main Riff.
The main riff is a swung bass line that really accentuates the 5/4 feel with Latin tumbao offbeats. The primer should be used to get yourself acquainted with the main riff chord arpeggio shape (here an Eb minor 9) and counting the riff pattern – master that before moving onto the main groove part of the chart. There are some big stretches here, so go slow and get your left hand used to them first. Each bar of the primer adds something extra from the previous to build you up to the full riff – which does have a chromatic passing tone tucked away in it.
Things to note off the original are that Esperanza’s bass lines are rhythmic with lots of triplet and quaver pushes. An idea to steal off the record is Spalding’s subtle use of slides to outline the notes and definitely check out the scat singing with her bass line at 4’40”.
Technical bits.
To begin it’s worth saying that to play 5/4 convincingly in the pocket is going to be the main challenge here. So a few hints: break down the rhythm into smaller more manageable chunks of timing (think in terms of 3 + 2, or 2 + 3); count out loud with the record (away from the bass) to internalise the feel to gain awareness of the down stroke on the first beat (the 1) of each bar – that way you will never get lost rhythmically; most importantly sing the riff and bass line, really get it under your skin and into your head so that when playing it you will always know where you are in the changes.
Learn the road map of the main changes (pretty much straight from the standard). Sign post each one with a root note before walking up, down or around the chords. Know your chord arpeggios with the ability to move them around the fretboard (in other words know the names of the notes on each string – not just the shapes).
That aside this technique will not sound authentic without the right sound, think velvet acoustic – as Esperanza is playing this all on her upright bass. So pluck nearer the fretboard for a more sulcello effect. Turn down the treble slightly and add some more mid range. Another thing is to try some foam under the strings around the bridge (or constant light palm muting if foam is not your thing). Experiment with the right hand plucking position as you don’t want to lose those harmonic over-tones. For further listening check out Ray Brown or even J.S. Bach.
Backing Track.
This is a bass line that grooves and is dynamic in shape. The primer starts on all 5 beats and slowly adds in the syncopation, get used to counting the notes that are held. The track follows the music as written with a one bar break between the sections. The main section is where the chart begins with a bass solo groove for 4 bars. The piano then enters and doubles the riff. This section is where you will have to outline the changes – these are taken from the jazz standard and have been altered slightly. The piano is generally outlining chords in a 3 + 2 counting pattern and also doubles the main riff with the bass. Watch the rhythmic elements and understand how each chord tone is approached and left – (passing tones greatly aid the arrival of the chord tones). There are also hints from the melody see if you can spot them. Most importantly have fun with the groove and be sure to check out the original.
Backing track and track on Soundcloud.
http://soundcloud.com/rhaynj/body-and-soul-lesson-track
Lesson music/tab on Tumblr.
http://rhaynj.tumblr.com
About Rhayn Jooste…
Rhayn is a musician whose interest lies in musical spontaneity and improvisation. He is a commercially aware music graduate with in-depth insight into the processes of Indie music obtained through concerts and festivals.
A multi-instrumentalist, who shares, writes and elucidates music in a fusion of genres. It is the pure joy of utilising sound to create a magical world which others can share that inspires him. Currently playing bass in U.K. based rock group – Sankara.
Visit Ryan online at rhaynjooste.co.uk
Bass Videos
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes…
It is always great to meet a super busy bassist who simply exudes a love for music and his instrument. Erick “Jesus” Coomes fits this description exactly. Hailing from Southern California, “Jesus” co-founded and plays bass for Lettuce and has found his groove playing with numerous other musicians.
Join us as we hear of his musical journey, how he gets his sound, his ongoing projects, and his plans for the future.
Photo, Bob Forte
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Visit Online
www.lettucefunk.com
IG @jesuscsuperstar
FB@jesuscoomes
FB @lettucefunk
Bass Videos
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
“These stories from the front are with real-life, day-to-day musicians who deal with work life and gigging and how they make it work out. Each month, topics may include… the kind of gigs you get, the money, dealing with less-than-ideal rooms, as well as the gear you need to get the job done… and the list goes on from there.” – Steve the Bass Guy and Shawn Cav
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This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…
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Bass CDs
New Album: Jake Leckie, Planter of Seeds
Bassist Jake Leckie and The Guide Trio Unveil New Album Planter of Seeds,
to be released on June 7, 2024
Planter of Seeds is bassist/composer Jake Leckie’s third release as a bandleader and explores what beauty can come tomorrow from the seeds we plant today.
What are we putting in the ground? What are we building? What is the village we want to bring our children up in? At the core of the ensemble is The Guide Trio, his working band with guitarist Nadav Peled and drummer Beth Goodfellow, who played on Leckie’s second album, The Guide, a rootsy funky acoustic analog folk-jazz recording released on Ropeadope records in 2022. For Planter of Seeds, the ensemble is augmented by Cathlene Pineda (piano), Randal Fisher (tenor saxophone), and Darius Christian (trombone), who infuse freedom and soul into the already tightly established ensemble.
Eight original compositions were pristinely recorded live off the floor of Studio 3 at East West Studios in Hollywood CA, and mastered by A.T. Michael MacDonald. The cover art is by internationally acclaimed visual artist Wayne White. Whereas his previous work has been compared to Charles Mingus, and Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet with Charlie Haden, Leckie’s new collection sits comfortably between the funky odd time signatures of the Dave Holland Quintet and the modern folk-jazz of the Brian Blade Fellowship Band with a respectful nod towards the late 1950s classic recordings of Ahmad Jamal and Miles Davis.
The title track, “Planter of Seeds,” is dedicated to a close family friend, who was originally from Trinidad, and whenever she visited family or friends at their homes, without anyone knowing, she would plant seeds she kept in her pocket in their gardens, so the next season beautiful flowers would pop up. It was a small altruistic anonymous act of kindness that brought just a little more beauty into the world. The rhythm is a tribute to Ahmad Jamal, who we also lost around the same time, and whose theme song Poinciana is about a tree from the Caribbean.
“Big Sur Jade” was written on a trip Leckie took with his wife to Big Sur, CA, and is a celebration of his family and community. This swinging 5/4 blues opens with an unaccompanied bass solo, and gives an opportunity for each of the musicians to share their improvisational voices. “Clear Skies” is a cathartic up-tempo release of collective creative energies in fiery improvisational freedom. “The Aquatic Uncle” features Randal Fisher’s saxophone and is named after an Italo Calvino short story which contemplates if one can embrace the new ways while being in tune with tradition. In ancient times, before a rudder, the Starboard side of the ship was where it was steered from with a steering oar. In this meditative quartet performance, the bass is like the steering oar of the ensemble: it can control the direction of the music, and when things begin to unravel or become unhinged, a simple pedal note keeps everything grounded.
The two trio tunes on the album are proof that the establishment of his consistent working band The Guide Trio has been a fruitful collaboration. “Santa Teresa”, a bouncy samba-blues in ? time, embodies the winding streets and stairways of the bohemian neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro it is named for. The swampy drum feel on “String Song” pays homage to Levon Helm of The Band, a group where you can’t always tell who wrote the song or who the bandleader is, proving that the sum is greater than the individual parts. Early jazz reflected egalitarianism in collective improvisation, and this group dynamic is an expression of that kind of inclusivity and democracy.
“The Daughters of the Moon” rounds out the album, putting book ends on the naturalist themes. This composition is named after magical surrealist Italo Calvino’s short story about consumerism, in which a mythical modern society that values only buying shiny new things throws away the moon like it is a piece of garbage and the daughters of the moon save it and resurrect it. It’s an eco-feminist take on how women are going to save the world. Pineda’s piano outro is a hauntingly beautiful lunar voyage, blinding us with love. Leckie dedicates this song to his daughter: “My hope is that my daughter becomes a daughter of the moon, helping to make the world a more beautiful and verdant place to live.”
Bass CDs
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
In a thrilling solo debut, bassist Nate Sabat combines instrumental virtuosity with a songwriter’s heart on Bass Fiddler…
The upright bass and the human voice. Two essential musical instruments, one with roots in 15th century Europe, the other as old as humanity itself.
On Bass Fiddler (Adhyâropa Records ÂR00057), the debut album from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and bass virtuoso Nate Sabat, the scope is narrowed down a bit. Drawing from the rich and thriving tradition of American folk music, Sabat delivers expertly crafted original songs and choice covers with the upright bass as his lone tool for accompaniment.
The concept was born a decade ago when Sabat began studying with the legendary old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky at Berklee College of Music. “One of Bruce’s specialties is singing and playing fiddle at the same time. The second I heard it I was hooked,” recalls Sabat. “I thought, how can I do this on the bass?” From there, he was off to the races, arranging original and traditional material with Molsky as his guide. “Fast forward to 2020, and I — like so many other musicians — was thinking of how to best spend my time. I sat down with the goal of writing some new songs and arranging some new covers, and an entire record came out.” When the time came to make the album, it was evident that Molsky would be the ideal producer. Sabat asked him if he’d be interested, and luckily he was. “What an inspiration to work with an artist like Nate,” says Molsky. “Right at the beginning, he came to this project with a strong, personal and unique vision. Plus he had the guts to try for a complete and compelling cycle of music with nothing but a bass and a voice. You’ll hear right away that it’s engaging, sometimes serious, sometimes fun, and beautifully thought out from top to bottom.”
While this record is, at its core, a folk music album, Sabat uses the term broadly. Some tracks lean more rock (‘In the Shade’), some more pop (‘White Marble’, ‘Rabid Thoughts’), some more jazz (‘Fade Away’), but the setting ties them all together. “There’s something inherently folksy about a musician singing songs with their instrument, no matter the influences behind the compositions themselves,” Sabat notes. To be sure, there are plenty of folk songs (‘Louise’ ‘Sometimes’, ‘Eli’) and fiddling (‘Year of the Ox’) to be had here — the folk music fan won’t go hungry. There’s a healthy dose of bluegrass too (‘Orphan Annie’, ‘Lonesome Night’), clean and simple, the way Mr. Bill Monroe intended.
All in all, this album shines a light on an instrument that often goes overlooked in the folk music world, enveloping the listener in its myriad sounds, textures, and colors. “There’s nothing I love more than playing the upright bass,” exclaims Sabat. “My hope is that listeners take the time to sit with this album front to back — I want them to take in the full scope of the work. I have a feeling they’ll hear something they haven’t heard before.”
Available online at natesabat.bandcamp.com/album/walking-away
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
New Gear: Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
