LeftyBassist.com

I've never offered any footage of me actually doing what I do. I've recently got involved with a project after quite a long layoff, and I thought it would be an idea to solicit the views of those whose opinions I value. I would characterise it as being somewhere near the heavier end of the Jazz Fusion spectrum I guess, but what do I know.

The audio and footage you are about to hear and see were taken live from an early rehearsal back in March of this year. The mix is rough as hell (based as it was on the tried-and-tested principle of Set and Forget), and I was still half asleep when we started playing Chromazone (hence the numerous, er, tacets during the song )

Equipment-wise I used my Sei Original headless 5 throughout - more recently I have taken to using Markcv's old fretless Roscoe on some of the numbers (Drop & Roll, The Chicken, etc.). The amp was the PJB Flightcase that I always use for rehearsals (my TC-E stage rig won't fit into the drummers miniscule studio! ). No effects whatsoever (well perhaps a little compression through the PJB...), just a DI into the Roland Ministudio (can't remember which model I'm afraid).

Recorded (live) warts'n'all, 'cos we like it that way


Here's the links:

MySpace page - http://www.myspace.com/consortiumsessionplayers

Youtube excerpt - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW3OuF0p0VU&feature=related

Hope you like it.

All comments welcome.

Interesting camera angle, and I like the bouncing ball in the lower right corner - oh wait, that's a head! Just kidding.... I like the song, and good melody line.

Edit: just listened to Work Song, it's cool we both post the same song within days of each other, and different as night and day - classic verses contemporary. You all sound great, but I want to say you guys are playing with a great drummer!

How on earth did you get a breast to bounce up and down like that throughout the whole song in front of the cymbal?!?!?!? oh, wait, that's the drummer's head!!

Great stuff on the Myspace page BTW. Nice bass tone on Drop and Roll, and you guys are kickin' serious arse on Work Song.

Thanks mate. He is good isn't he? Actually they're all great players - the sax solo on 'Wing and a Prayer' is my personal favourite - it's just a joy to work with such a talented bunch of people. Best part is that everybody's very down to earth and unpretentious at rehearsals - completely professional.

The sound is kind of rough, and I still didn't know some of the songs all that well (I think it was my second rehearsal with the band), but it was fun. We did a gig last weekend to a room full of musos at a private party, and got lots of great comments afterwards (I'm told the sax player's wife recorded the whole thing, so with luck some of it will appear on the MySpace page or YouTube soon).

Interesting thing about the Work Song is that I don't really like it in that version. It's kind of frantic for my liking (great for the others as it gives them a chance to have a good blow, but a little dull for me) - I much prefer your version. I loved your playing BTW - some great walking bass lines.

Andy

Thanks. I've recently started using the Roscoe fretless that I bought from Markcv on Drop & Roll. Everybody in the band prefers the sound - they want me to use it on some other stuff as well (we do an up-tempo version of The Chicken that seems to suit the Roscoe as well - watch this space!)

Andy, thanks for the compliment. Truth be told, I like the more traditional sound myself, but I like it when musicians take a chance and stretch the line. It takes good musicians to do that, and you are obviously playing with "blokes" that can do that!

If anybody's interested the Myspace link in the OP now has a selection of video footage from a recent gig, including extensive footage of me! Oh, and the main guitarist...

The drummer is an amazing character - smallest member of the band by a wide margin, and has some problems walking as a result of (I think) a birth defect. You wouldn't know it once he gets behind the kit though. He's just a joy to work with.

Just follow the 'videos' link from the main page or scroll down to 'sounds like'.