[Dixielandjazz] Cloddish MUSICIANS?

David McCartney yup1275 at earthlink.net
Tue Sep 7 10:39:21 PDT 2004


As a bassist, with an amplifier, I need to speak up here.
I resent any musician that gives others a bad name,
including too-loud bass players. They hurt ME.

Thanks Bill Haesler for the gr8 example of the banjo player.
All of us are sposed to be part of a team and if anyone
throws it off balance, there is a problem.

We can whine about each other, but that is where the
leader comes in. If the leader can't/won't communicate, he
isn't leading. If he rehires the jerk who is out of phase
with the rest of the band, maybe he/she doesn't care.

There is a local guy here and we agree to disagree and
I don't play with him. He wants a distant thumper on
a trailer behind the trailer, not a musician. Too bad.

My amp allows the E string to be heard. My amp allows
the strummer and the drummer etc to play along with
my solo instead of leave town. I don't wish to overpower
or offend anyone, but I like to be part of the sound.

The modern listener expects to hear a bass line because
that's what our sound systems give us now,  the full
spectrum of sound. Some folks 80 years ago did get
the full sound - if they sat near the bassist.

So I say it is a matter of balance, cooperation, and leadership.


D a v i d   M c C a r t n e y
     A real standup fella





More information about the Dixielandjazz mailing list