While cleaning up my backup CD shelf, I’ve found a very early version of my DoubleBassGuide website from 1997. Wow, this is more than ten years ago! I remember that back then, I used a HTML-editor called Page Spinner and Photoshop 2.5 with Mac OS 7 or 8 running on a Quadra 950 …
As far as I remember, Spam wasn’t invented yet at this time, either. Good old times 😉
Apple has finally launched the iPhone/iPod software update last week, which makes it possible to run a couple of new applications. The first software I downloaded for my iPod touch was, of course, “Band”. This little application has a virtual drum set, keyboard, guitar and – and electric bass. So I don’t need to leave home without a bass at all anymore …
Direct link for downloading “Band” from iTunes
In our western countries, most people use to know very little about the Chinese music and instrument making tradition.
At the website of chinese maker Shan Jiang, I’ve found this picture of a Gu Pin Hu, a Chinese folk bass. It was made by his father, Mr.Yun Kai Jiang, who taught violin making in the Conservatory of Music in Shen Yang.
This bass instrument has rather the size of a cello, but a very deep rib depth. It also has a flap on it’s right side – an adjustable soundhole?
I’ve started to put together a new Google map for Jazz Jam Sessions. The German double bass forum GEBA gave me some input for locations in Germany. International location suggestion are also welcome!
“Every once in a while, if I see a beautiful double bass lying backstage at a festival, like Charlie Haden’s bass, I’ll pick it up and hit the E string, just to feel it vibrate against my body. It’s one of the great feelings in life.”
Steve Swallow
(answering the question if he ever picks up the upright instead of an electric bass guitar, e. g. “for old-times sake” …). Found at All about Jazz.
Over 20 fire engines and 100 firefighters rushed to the Berlin Philharmonic after a fire broke out this afternoon. No one was injured, but instruments may be damaged by smoke, fire or water.
Links: www.spiegel.de
Denis Prosenc, amateur bassplayer and professional stone cutter from Germany, has come across this picture of NHØP’s gravestone. He explains: “A very beautiful gravestone. The material is probably marble from Portugal. The scroll and the letters are cut from the solid stone, and not cut separately and applied later. As well as the area below the letters; the names of other family mambers will be cut there later. The scroll was sanded with fine sandpaper, which makes the stone smoother and darker for better contrast. The gravestone is surrounded by beautiful, square stones. Of course, the planting is allowed to grow out of the joints. A very suitable and clear gravestone for the sympathic Dane.”
Within 25 years in business, double bass luthier Giorgio Pianzola (Bern/Switzerland) has come across many … mmmh, let’s call it ‘strange’ things. He just has sent me this photo of an interesting tailpiece. “This tailpice doesn’t make sense to me”, Giorgio told me. “This makes has installed hundreds of these tailpiece to local Folk music basists, in order the make the sound ‘softer’. New strings should do a better job for that. This thing is a sound killer, only making unwanted noise und turns the bass into being un-tunable.”
This video of the Bill Evans Trio features Eddie Gomez on bass. Nice: you can study Eddie’s right hand technique quite well on this clip.
