“TE QUIERO” - MALUMA
One of the fun things about being engaged to a “Spanish as a first language” speaker is that you get introduced to all sorts of new music.
On a road trip recently, Regina played me this tune and I instantly fell in love. I unfortunately couldn’t find any info on who played on this track, but check out the interesting use of arpeggios throughout the verses. They don’t always end up where you think they will. Also who doesn’t love a sensible “Samba Slap” (Im gonna trademark that name!)
“IN FRANCE THEY KISS ON MAIN ST.” - JONI MITCHELL
I've always maintained that Jaco's best work was with Joni.
His melodic style plays off her so well it's almost like they were destined to create memorable work. His sing-song type playing on this track is one of the reasons I wanted to purchase a Fretless.
This transcription took a long time for me to finish because of correctly notating all the dead notes and figuring out where his slides come into play.
This is hands down my favorite example of what is possible on Fretless and is a study in counter melody. Enjoy!
“SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN” - MICHAEL BUBLE
Chuck Berghofer has always been my hands down one of my favorite studio bassists to exist. His tone is unparalleled and his ability to coax such resonance and bottom from his upright is amazing. His lines are always a lesson in taste and simplicity and this one is no different. Enjoy!
“SHORT COURT STYLE” - NATALIE PRASS
I heard this tune in a shoe store and was immediately struck. I put down my boxes and found out who and what the song was ASAP. I then bought this outstanding record and sat down and transcribed this tune because I couldn’t get it out of my head.
Note the drag in the Verse groove. So tasteful without hitting you over the head with the “Dilla Beat” over and over.
Also, pay close attention to the instrumental break hemiola and the slight variations on the out Chorus. A study in simplicity and slowly adding spice to create a full dish!
PLAY - THROUGH (LINKS TO YOUTUBE)
“ALIVE” - ISRAEL & NEW BREED
Israel Houghton was my first introduction to gospel when I was about 13 and I’ve always been meaning to get to transcribing this tune. I used to listen to this record in high school on my way to school if you can believe that!
This tune starts with a BOLD diminished lick that just makes you stand up and pay attention. It also sits surprisingly well on the fretboard, it just takes a minute for your fingers to get used to series of notes that aren’t really in the “box” us bass players get stuck in.
The tasteful use of slap was what really made me love this tune. Hanging on the b3 during the Pre Chorus is bold but works so effectively. I have to tell myself to not rush when I play this section because the tendency is to push the anticipation rather than let it sit in the pocket. Lock in with the Hi-Hat and you’ll be fine! Also Low - B alert in the 3rd verse and outro!
Enjoy Terrence Palmers outstanding playing on this track!
PLAY THROUGH (LINKS TO YOUTUBE)
“WRAP YOUR TROUBLES IN DREAMS” - HAMPTON HAWES/SCOTT LAFARO
Scott LaFaro is next to Ray Brown as one of my absolute favorite Acoustic Bass players of all time. He truly pushed the limits of what is harmonically possible on the instrument and his virtuosic use of thumb position and chordal work in unparalleled. No one was doing what he did and his work with Bill Evans is some of the most outstanding use of 10ths and upper extensions I can think of.
Scott was also a master of passing tones and using subtle changes in directions with the shape of his lines. Going down to the 3rd on a line was a trick that Ray used to great effect but no one was able to land as gracefully as Scott was.
He uses to great effect upper voicings but keeps the tonal center strong. Mostly 10ths (minus the tritone he starts this tune off with) and calmer harmonic extensions but no one was willing to play that kind of stuff when he was alive. Now its commonplace to play a high F# over the open D but at the time, he was pushing boundaries of what bass players were doing.
We also cannot go further without mentioning the push and pull of his rhythmic sense. He deploys straight 8ths in this ballad to great effect and able to almost mime a really swinging 2 feel in the middle of the piano solo.
I rediscovered this transcription going through some old pieces of paper from my days at Berklee so enjoy this transcription in my own terrible handwriting (incorrect notes and all) because sometimes it's humbling to see the progress you've made.
GET HERE - OLETA ADAMS/PINO PALLADINO
I’ll admit that I’m on a not well hidden quest to get more Fretless Bass on pretty much everything I ever do.
This song is a perfect example why. I think people go one of 2 camps when they think of Fretless
Gino Vanelli/Hair Ballad with a chorus pedal over the top “mwah”
Jaco
I always gravitated towards Pino because of his more recent work for the Soulqaurians and the like, but digging back through his catalogue is when I found his absolutely delightful Fretless work of the 80s and early 90s.
This tune is so beautifully structured and is such a slow burn but when it really opens it’s like the sky opening up.
Pino really shines here. He constantly will use the readily available harmonics to play the major 7h and 11th over top of the many Eb Maj9 chords and it just rings out so beautifully and doesn’t muddy the track at all. His work is just impeccable on this tune.
On a side note, I discovered this record in college and it just SLAYS. Oleta Adams is VERY underrated. But this record and enjoy some great early 90s soul.
This is also the only tune I can think of that has a rain sound effect loudly throughout the bridge ha!
I had transcribed this tune a long time ago but came across this transcription by Arcellus Skyes in my files that were way clearer than mine so all credit goes to him on the PDF.
MANY THE MILES - SARA BAREILLES
“Little Voice” was one of those records that just hit me at the right time in my life. It came out my junior year of HS and it really flipped my notion of “pop” on its head.
I was one of those kids who completely wrote off much of the late 00’s pop because I had my head buried in the sand of Jazz/Steely Dan/Fusion/what I stupidly decided was “real music” at the time to really be aware of it.
However, something possessed me to buy this record (I had probably heard “Love Song” at some point) and I fell in love with it on the first listen.
Sara’s musical knowledge is so deep and her groove sits like the transmission of a 63 Corvette. So much power that it blows you away.
Her lyrics in this record have just gestated over every late night beer with a friend and talk in a dark corner of a bar somewhere. (“Vegas” and “Gravity” are standouts)
She gives such a musical bedrock to some of the greatest session players to grace the scene in the past 20 years (Lyle Workman and Matt Chamberlin anyone???)
However Chris Chaney just Blows.Me.AWAY on this record. He gives such a perfect amount of space to the music and sits behind in such a beautiful way without ever getting in the way of the left hand of the piano. (Not an easy feat I might add)
This entire record really is a lesson in breath and tone. Chris uses the entire tonal spectrum of his bass to stand out when he needs to, and lay down footballs when he needs to be felt and not heard.
The 3rd verse of this tune in particular. I had never thought of having a breakdown of just the bass playing 10ths and 5ths with a light drum groove but it provides such a lift to the music that gives it that special something.
Chris also uses space so well. Giving us just enough of a bounce between the “uh” of 1 and the “and” of 2 that just makes the groove what it is.
As you can tell, I could talk for hours about this record and this tune and Chris Chaney but enjoy my attempt at it.
QUEEN OF CALIFORNIA - JOHN MAYER
This song is one that for years I’ve just totally loved. In fact this whole album doesn’t get as much love in the Mayer discography as his others but I’ve always really liked it.
The simplistic laid back “Grateful Dead” vibe of this song is just so *chefs kiss*
Sean Hurley just destroys it for me on this tune. He has this wonderful approach to his playing that creates this bed upon which the layers get added. His counter melody to the guitar lick is so perfectly designed and simple, but it’s so sing-able. It’s the kind of bass line I wish I could write myself!
Sean also has this lovely touch to his playing. He can get so many sounds out of simply moving his hand around. He plays close to neck and has a fat round tone and let’s his left hand do most of the work during the verses, but during the instrumental breaks he moves his hand a bit closer to the bridge to get some more rasp out of his tone and anchor everyone with a bit more booty.
Pay close attention to his use of space and hammer-ons. Not every bar is the same. Sometimes he will keep the 7th hanging for just a litttttttle bit longer and it can create this wonderful tension against the guitar movement before he resolves it.
His use of hammer ons are so wonderful because they create this almost lack of bounce, so that when he does articulate every single note in the bar, the “re-strike” of them will push the rhythmic movement to the next bar in this beautiful way that is indicative of someone really tuned in to what everyone around them is doing.
I love this tune and I of course need to remind myself to not push on the beat but that will be a quest until the day I die....
BRIGHTER DAY - KIRK FRANKLIN
I am an unabashed fan of this album and Keith Taylor’s playing on it. I used to blast this record in my car alllllll the time in HS.
Bobby Sparks also kills so so many of the arrangements on here. “Brighter Day” is a deceivingly simple tune, but to really get it back enough in the pocket is not easy.
Also, some of these shifts make me want a 6-String! Full vid on YouTube.