the soundtrack to the day you wish you'd had
Stick iTunes on random, and write down what gets played…
Stevie Ray Vaughan – Pride And Joy
KT Tunstall – Through The Dark
From Branch To Branch – Gary Peacock and Ralph Towner
Like A Star – Corinne Bailey Rae
What A World – Bill Frisell
(Used To Be A) Cha Cha Cha – Jaco Pastorius
Whatsername – Green Day
Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper
Things Can Only Get Better – Howard Jones
She’s Leaving The Bank – Ry Cooder
That’s a pretty accurate version of where my head’s at, musicially, I think!
Back from a fantastic trip to Italy – a hugely enjoyable and creative time with Luca Formentini – a fabulous guitarist, and a great friend.
The trip started with a gig in Brescia, playing a soundtrack to a silent film, ‘The Unknown’ by Todd Browning. I’m not much of a silent/old film buff (I’ve seen Dodgeball more times that I care to remember but had never heard of Todd Browning before, and have never even seen Citizen Kane), but I really enjoyed this film. For the soundtrack I was joined by an Italian guitarist, who did a good job (though the circumstances surrounding him playing in the first place were a little more murky – I’ll save that blog-story ’til an email or two have been sent), and the whole thing was well received.
the plan for the weekend was to record a load of duo stuff with Luca – we’d recorded together before, and one of the tracks has ended up on a compilation of Italian electronica artists (Stefano Lawsoni? perhaps…) – the last time we recorded was certainly interesting enough to warrant a repeat session. With both of us being loopers, it always takes a few sessions to settle into roles and what to do with all the shared sonic space.
However, before that, we had a total nightmare with getting soundcards sorted out – Luca had ordered a new RME card, which wasn’t available in time, so his local music shop (the remarkable Musical Box in Verona) were lending us a card. First up, we took a MOTU 828, which just wouldn’t work at all. No good. Not happy running with Audition on a PC.
Back to Musical Box, and swap it for a PreSonus FirePod. Once again, not happy with the PC set up. Which eventually led to Luca swapping over his looping laptop with the Pc, so he did all his loopage on the desktop and we recorded onto the laptop, finally using Cubase LE.
Much stress and lack of sleep was the result for Luca, so it took us another half a day to settle into playing, but from there on, we got a lot of great music recorded. Whereas the first session was predominantly dark ambient, this time we were more melodically driven with more groove oriented stuff. I’m really looking forward to mixing these tracks…
So lots of recording lovely music was punctuated by regular swims in the pool, great food, much inspiring conversation, cuddling the cats, and generally having a totally wonderful time in Italy…
those of you of a sports-fan persuasion will already have worked out that I was there for the football final on Sunday night, when we decamped to a local restaurant to eat great food and watch the game. Penalties are officially a really shit way to end a football match. I reckon widening the goals by a foot every 10 minutes, and tying one of the goalies hands behind his back to speed up the chance of a goal would be better… I was really glad Italy won, though Zidane’s headbutt aside, the French played MUCH better football in the second half and in extra time…
Tuesday morning I got the train back to Musical Box to talk with the owner about playing at EuroBassDay in October, which is booked now, and to show him and the rest of the guys who work in the shop the looperlative, which naturally they all thought was amazing (because it is).
Then Tuesday afternoon I was special guest at a week-long intensive english language camp for teenagers, playing some tunes and having them interview me about what I do, about live in england and generally allowing them to try their english and stretch them in trying to understand me. A hugely enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, which I hope to get to do again.
And Tuesday night, as if all this wasn’t enough, Luca, Gio and I had dinner with Roberto Zorzi – a fantastic improv guitarist and fascinating bloke all round. Another magical Italy evening.
Got back Wednesday night, and poor TSP drove to Gatwick to pick me up in an overheating car. Need to get that fixed ASAP.
All in a marvellous week in Italy. It’s such a great country, the people are generous and positive to a fault, and the climate is just amazing. Love it.
Inspired by all the practicing for my edinburgh show with Julie, I thought I’d compile a top 5 cover versions list for y’all, in no particular order –
Boys Of Summer – The Ataris (originally Don Henley)
This Must Be the Place – Shawn Colvin (originally Talking Heads)
Like A Virgin – Teenage Fanclub (originally Madonna)
Smooth Criminal – Alien Ant Farm (originally Michael Jackson)
Little Red Corvette – Seth Horan (originally Prince – I don’t think Seth has released this, but I’ve heard him do it live a number of times, and it’s magic)
As you can maybe guess from the Ataris/Teenage Fanclub/Alien Ant Farm inclusions, I have a penchant for rocked up noisy versions of 80s classics – have always wanted to form a band doing that. Maybe I will one day, but right now, the duo with Julie is just as much fun, and a lot quieter which is preferable for a man of my advanced years and tender constitution.
And as those of you that ever look at my last.fm page will know, I can’t stop listening to our version of ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’. It’s another rehearsal demo, with the occasional duff note, unintended squeak and whatnot, but I’m loving it. :o)
this is a quick test to see if the ‘quick post’ option for this blog works… one click blogging! As if I don’t blog enough already…
x
[edit] This is also my 1000th post on this blog!!!! What a decidedly disappointing way to celebrate such an auspicious blogging landmark. Ah well, you can throw your own street parties, I’ve got work to do…[/edit]
I’ll be away, but some of you might want to go to this –
Internationally known and loved, the Vortex Jazz Club is holding its first benefit gig at the Hackney Empire on 12 July 2006 in aid of its education and community programme in Dalston, its new home.
It will be a night of stunning jazz, funk and fusion with the James Taylor Quintet and Julia Biel plus a special guest (to be announced).
Now the important bit- you need to actually book tickets!
There’s a few ways you can do this:
Call the vortex- 020 7254 4097
Call the Hackney Empire – 020 8985 2424
Or for the people who dislike talking to anyone- www.spicefestival.com
just had a beautiful email from a friend in California about the new album. I didn’t know that this guy knew Eric Roche, but it turns out he was a big fan, and was deeply saddened by Eric’s death. Likewise he had no idea that I knew Eric or would have been inspired to write a tune for him.
His email spells out his own loss, and the feeling of something missing at NAMM this year with Eric (formerly an ever-present figure on the Avalon guitars stand) no longer being there. ‘Deeper Still’, it seems, says something that he was feeling as well as what I was feeling, and I’m once again reminded that this music lark is deeper than all the day to day stuff of marketing CDs and getting gigs and hoping people like it enough to buy it.
It’s emails like this that are the REAL reason for music. They aren’t, to be honest, what I have in mind in the day to day business of being a musician (it’d be easy to pretend that my motives are that lofty, but obviously they aren’t), but they are the reason why music is there. They are about what music gives us, a wordless language to tell stories that we’d never get round to telling with words, or where a particular form of words would alienate some who would otherwise get the message, just not the syntax.
I don’t write music to move people. i write music to tell my own story, and to try and get as deep inside that story as I can. There are certain things within that story – in my case, they are very often deaths, but also environmental, political, social and personal concerns – that can indwell a particular piece of music, and when that comes across, it’s a very special moment. Not everyone who hears that new album is going to get that much from ‘Deeper Still’ – clearly, that doesn’t happen with anything – but to make that kind of connection with someone is a very special thing, and one not to be taken lightly.
It’s now just over a month til Julie and I start our run at the Edinburgh Fringe – we’re rehearsing weekly now (a pretty much unheard of phenomenon in StevieWorld), and the set list and arrangements are really coming together.
Today had a bit of an 80s vibe – we’ve just done a killer version of ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ with a couple of other 80s classix woven in in the middle, and we were working on a looped vocal version of Tom’s Diner by Suzanne Vega, where I get to put my bass down for a tune, but still do the loopage…
The set list is pretty much there, we think – about 12 or 13 songs, no filler material at all. The evidence for this is that I was trying to think which songs we’d do if we got a one or two song set on a radio program or cabaret set at the Fringe (or before), and was really struggling to pick out any one stand-out tune. I’m loving them all!
Don’t forget that we’re doing an Edinburgh Preview show in London on July 26th at This month’s Recycle Collective gig, which is also my official album launch. Yes, it’s going to be an amazing night and all the more amazing because Cleveland Watkiss is coming down to do a lovely improv set with Julie and I to close out the evening. I think ‘unmissable’ is the word. 🙂
see you there, x
just made the mistake of watching 15 minutes of Big Brother while waiting for the Edinburgh Show – BB have clearly plumbed the depths to find the stupidest most unstable desperate people in the entire country. OK, so it’s never been quality viewing, but watching this tragic bunch of no-marks trying so hard to come across like TV presenters in the diary room, but coming across like an annoying 12 year old that you’d really like to bodily pick up and throw out of the building but know that there are laws preventing you from doing such things.
Who’s watching??? (Other than CNL who has a commission to watch it all and report back) – actually, I’m feeling really guilty for encouraging Lizzie to watch it now – the poor lass is doggedly watching it daily, and reporting back. Giving that Lizzie’s a little bit mad herself, it’s probably heartening viewing, knowing that there are people out there considerably more unhinged than she is.
Anyway, pop culture has hit an all-time low, and I’m feeling better and better about being a solo bassist working so far outside of ‘the mainstream’, given that the mainstream is now a cess-pool.
5 things list – was tagged by Jan (not worth posting a link to Jan’s blog, as you have to be subscribed to it to read it)
5 things in my fridge:
smoothie
salad
M & S red onion chutney (mmmmmmmmm)
pita bread
hummus
5 things in my wardrobe:
80s pointy suede goth boots
two old grandad coats from my college days
a bass case
many other reminders of fashion disasters gone by…
5 things in my bag:
my new CD
a sharpie
my wallet
out of date recycle collective flyers
scissors
5 things in my car:
litter
crap tapes
not so crap tapes
a road atlas
last night, Marcus Miller. (!)
tagged? anyone reading this with a blog. :o)
Got an email last week from the lovely Nick at the Bass Centre telling me about the Marcus Miller clinic they were hosting last night.
The Bass Centre normally hold their clinics in the shop, but the take-up for the clinic was far to high, and they moved it to a local pub. I’ve chatted about this with a few people, and other than Victor Wooten, can’t think of any other band-leader/bassists that would draw that kind of crowd for a clinic. Even big names like Doug Wimbish, who did the last Bass Centre clinic, can’t compete with that…
The pub was packed, and Marcus played a handful of tunes (starting out with Run For Cover, a tune from David Sanborn’s album Voyeur that I haven’t heard since I was at college!) and answered questions. His natural sense of humour and passion for music comes across really well in this kind of setting, and the audience lapped up every demonstration.
These kind of events are always a great chance to catch up with friends, meet other bassists, and generally hang out with bass-people. this was no exception – the guys from the Bass Centre, Alex from The Gallery, Steve Davis, Mike Brookes, John East…
The gig was organised by Fender with the Bass Centre, and Fender UK’s AR head is an old friend from Ashdown days, Hoda – I so rarely get to see Hoda, he’s a v. busy man, so getting a chance to catch up was fab. The other lovely surprise was bumping into Pris from Holland – she helped organise the UK Bass Day last year, and is on tour with Marcus’ band doing merch.
Come the end of the night, Hoda, Pris, Marcus, BeBe (sp?) and I hadn’t eaten, and where else is there to go from the Bass Centre but over to Brick Lane for a curry – Chutney’s did the business, and much lovely food and chat was to be had. Then, like Bruce Cockburn in the song ‘Coldest Night Of The Year’ I ‘drove all the people home, I was the one with the car’.
A fun evening all round.