[Dixielandjazz] Resting Chops

[Stephen Barbone]

Pat Cooke said (polite snip)

"I assume your bass man plays without an amp, for this would be the only
reason anyone plays with high strings anymore.  What's even tougher are
the steel strings most everyone uses now.  Gut strings are easier on the
fingers than steels, but are twice as expensive and don't last nearly as
long, and need constant tuning.  I tend to use minimum amplification and
pick hard, which leaves my fingers hurting down to the bone after a gig.

The bass has a better sound than picking easy and letting the amp do all
the work.  No blisters, but it hurts to try to play after a long gig."

Pat & List mates:

Our bass player is Ace Tesone. He plays high bridge, gut strings, with
an amp on minimum settings. basically because that's the way he always
played. He is a rhythm bass player who never solos. Just walks the hell
out of the bass on 4/4 and his 2/4 is also a joy to hear. Always right
notes, always in tune, knows thousands of songs, always in time, swings
like crazy.

He has played with: Lester Young, Ben Webster, Billie Holiday, Clifford
Brown (recorded), Mel Torme (recorded), Sidney Bechet, Buddy Rich, Max
Roach, Charlie Ventura (6 years on the road), Tony Scott and lots of
others. Can't keep a steady job :-) VBG.

Bassist Steve Gilmore met him at one of our gigs a year ago and told him
he was his hero in the 1950s/60s when Gilmore was a kid, etc., etc.

His most profitable record was with Chubby Checker, "Lets Twist Again
Like We Did Last Summer" for which he still gets residuals occasionally.
In semi-retirement, he plays OKOM exclusively now. In earlier years,
when jazz hit the skids, he played "Society" to make a living with
Lester Lanin,, Howard Lanin,  Meyer Davis, Emory Davis et al.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone