> canada’s greatest bass player, chris tarry, has asked me to guest blog
> on his blog – www.christarry.com/blog – it’s a fun resource for music
> where you can also learn alot about canada. for instance, i didn’t
> know that curling is actually scottish in origin. dating from the
> early 16th century. i also just found out that chris is buying a lamp
> for his apartment. so it’s a very diverse site. here’s my first
> posting – a little dispatch about a gig i played a few years back.
> and i’ll try to put some more things up there when i can.
>
>
> it’s only music
>
> it is a friday nite in the village. i don’t need to worry about
> parking because i rode in with the drummer who also lives in my
> brooklyn neighborhood. he’s a chatty fellow and on the way he told me
> all about the new bass player. how he’s the best bass player in
> canada and has won canadian national music awards and plays in this
> mahavishnu cover band. this doesn’t impress me because i also know
> this new bass player has been helping the drummer with his computer
> and said drummer is trying to do him a solid by getting him in this
> band – a roots, americana, blues band in the style of mose alison or
> taj mahal. so i’m also thinking the mahvishnu experience might
> actually be a liability.
>
> i’m setting up the electric piano and i look over to see the bass
> player pull out a nine string bass.
> ‘what are you going to do with that?’ i ask him.
> ‘eh?’ he says.
> ‘i said, is that the bass you’re going to use on this gig?’
> ‘um, yeah.’
> ‘well if that low string’s a b, you can just forget about that and
> there’s no bass soloing so you’re not going to need those top strings
> either.’
> and that was the first time i met chris tarry.
>
> ‘goddammit!! stay on the one chord!’ the band leader screamed back
> at us.
> we were playing a tune that for the sax solo the band just vamps on
> the one chord but chris couldn’t have known that. it wasn’t in the
> chart.
> ‘what the fuck! help the greenhorn out you mother fuckers!’ this
> particular bandleader communicates his intentions by yelling them in a
> condescending tone back at his sidemen.
> ‘aye aye, cap’n!’ i shout. ‘she’s taking on water but we’ll be able
> to fire another volley when we come about!’
> i reach into my bag, pull out a wire cutter, lean over and cut through
> 5 of chris’ strings.
> ‘that should keep us afloat till the end of the set, sir!’
> ‘well allright, then!’ the captain replies.
>
> on the set break i buy chris a drink and try to get him to tell me
> about his roommate who is there and is a dead ringer for my wife. i
> ask him if he’s heard her getting it on with anyone and if she’s loud
> about it.
> ‘we’re just friends,’ he says.
> ‘i didn’t ask if you were fucking her. i just want to hear some
> salacious details. get a cheap vicarious thrill. you know?’
> ‘well, i couldn’t really….uh….’
> ‘fine. you’re no help.’ and my voyeuristic fantasy gets shot down
> like a migrating canadian goose.
> ‘i don’t think my bass is going to play in tune without those strings
> you cut off.’
> ‘just stay in first position. you’ll be fine.’ and we get ready to
> play the second set.
> ‘goddammit!! now let’s stop fucking everything up!’ the band leader
> gives us a pre set pep talk.
> i pull chris aside.
> ‘dude, do you have a pick?’
> ‘what for?’
> ‘it’s hard to play too much bass with a pick. you might try that.’
> ‘well i know geddy lee used to use a quarter sometimes.’
> ‘never mind.’
>
> chris lasted a few more gigs with that band and even showed up with a
> proper four string bass after that. but he just didn’t have the
> grease you need for that style of music. it takes years of getting
> inside a particular way of playing. just like it takes years to feel
> comfortable playing mahavishnu time signatures and playing lightning
> fast fusion lines. and it’s experiences like this that make all of us
> musicians who we are and if there’s a musician who doesn’t have
> stories like this one with him in the role of chris, i guarantee they
> suck and don’t even know it. and chris doesn’t suck. he’s a damn
> fine musician.
>
> next time……..dred gets his ass kicked.
>
> tonite
> the dred scott trio
> rockwood music hall
> midnite
> ben rubin, bass
> tony mason, drums
>
>
> Dred Scott Trio with Strings
> Wed June 10, 9 and 10:30 pm
> Smalls
> 183 W 10th st @ 7th Ave, New York, NY
> $20 (includes 1 drink)
> http://www.smallsjazzclub.com/
>
> Dred Scott Trio hosts a benefit for Breast Cancer Research
> featuring: Richard Julian, Sasha Dobson, Leah Siegel, Michael Daves,
> Carol Lipnik, Xylopholks, Jason Darling, Rebecca Pronsky
> Tuesday June 9, 9 pm til 2 am
> Rockwood Music Hall
> 196 Allen St, New York, NY
> http://www.rockwoodmusichall.com
>
> Dred Scott Trio
> Saturday June 27, 1 pm
> Freihofer’s Jazz Festival at SPAC
> Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
> http://www.spac.org/
>
> Dred Scott Trio
> Sunday August 30, 3 pm
> Charlie Parker Jazz Festival
> Tompkins Square Park, East Village, New York, NY
>
>
> www.rockwoodmusichall.com
> www.dredscott.com
> www.myspace.com/dred666
> dispatches – www.dredscott.tumblr.com
> www.imeem.com/dredscott
> crossposted at www.thebloomeffect.com/blog

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