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Be Inspired, Not Intimidated by Jonathan Moody
Be Inspired, Not Intimidated by Jonathan Moody… How many of us have said at some point “____________ is so good, I just want to quit playing altogether.” I know there was a time that I listened to music that frustrated me and made me want to rethink my musical career. Looking back, I know that mentality was holding me back from trying new things, experimenting, failing (hey, it happens), learning and succeeding.
Why on earth would I want to listen to a musician or group that would frustrate me, making me want to STOP playing altogether? It seems counterproductive, doesn’t it? And yet there are a lot of people doing just that; listening to music and being intimidated instead of being inspired. Music should inspire you, not intimidate.
Years back, Michael Manring played a gig an hour north of me. I bought tickets the day they were available, and was in the front row for the show. That’s right, I’m a fan. Manring was probably three feet in front of me, and his set was awesome. Sure, he’s got the level of skill that I can only dream about, but that wasn’t the point. The music, his musicality, spirit, etc. were inspiring. I got the chance to shake his hand after the set and even say “Thank you, that was inspiring,” which led to a discussion where he and I talked shop for about ten minutes. I can probably recite that discussion verbatim; it was one of those moments I won’t ever forget.
When I got home, I played for about four hours straight (which ended around 3am) and had two solid foundations for solo bass pieces (which I still play now). Manring’s concert inspired me to play more, push myself beyond what I was capable of, elevate myself to try and achieve the level of musicianship that he commanded. I can’t tell you how many new things I learned by just attempting his greatness, that I still use today.
What would have happened if I had kept the mentality of “Oh, he’s so good, I can never do that?” after I had attended that show? I’ll tell you; nothing. I probably would have driven home, told my roommates how awesome the show was, and left it at that. If I was intimidated by the performance, it’s pretty easy to wager that I wouldn’t have done anything at all, limiting myself in the long term and honestly, not fully enjoying the show.
We need to stop comparing ourselves to each other in terms of “He’s better, period” or “I’ll never be that talented” and leave it at that. I may never be able to play like Michael Manring, but I’d wager that he’s never going to be able to play like me either. That doesn’t stop me from trying to elevate my playing to greater heights, because the amount of skill and musicianship that I learn from just TRYING something new can lead to greater things.
Please realize that healthy competition between you and your musical friends is not what we’re talking about here. I’m fortunate to play with a guitarist that pushes me on a regular basis; on occasion, I push back. Our competitive nature while playing results in both of us learning a lot of new things, and when either of us fail at what we’re trying, we both smile and move on.
So the next time you’re listening to something and are just overwhelmed to the point of selling your instrument and becoming an accountant, stop the music. Give yourself a second to really clear your head. Then, hit play again and listen to something you normally wouldn’t in the song; maybe it’s the drummer, maybe it’s the keyboard, whatever it is, DON’T LISTEN TO THE BASS. Maybe even give another genre of music a try to see what they really have to offer, or *God forbid* turn on the radio. Whatever you’re listening to, find something new in that music that surprises and inspires you, making you want to turn off the album and pick up that bass and play.
In closing, here are a couple of my favorite “go to” albums that I pop in for inspiration; find me on Twitter at @monjoody and share with me yours.
“Night Train” Oscar Peterson Trio – Yeah, Ray Brown is a monster but I think Ed Thigpen was the glue that kept that trio together. He’s such a musical drummer!
“Rift” Phish – Concept albums are a tough sell on me and yet I still find something new and interesting in every single listen of this album.
“Equilibre” Michael Manring & David Cullen – This is my favorite Manring album because while there are obvious times for him to showcase his soloing prowess, when he’s just sitting in the back and backing up David Cullen, you understand and appreciate how good Manring is.
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
