The Biggest Phallic Symbol In Music: Stogie's Bass

I have now completed five of the six classes assigned in my "Beginning Big Band" adult education course.  It
has been great for me, giving me an incentive to really learn my double bass (also called string bass, upright bass, bass fiddle and dog house).  Yes, I have the biggest fiddle in the room.  Well, the only fiddle, actually. Why did I choose to play the double bass?  Because it was the biggest phallic symbol I could find.   Thank you for asking.

Ever hear the old saying, "He couldn't hit a bull in the butt with a bass fiddle"?  Well my bass fiddle is taller than I am, wider than I am, but only weighs 22 pounds.  So it is possible, though I am yet to find a bull on which to test the theory.  This piece of irrelevant trivia is presented as a public service.

Our latest song to play is "In The Mood."  Scroll down to hear Glenn Miller's version, which is somewhat better than ours.

After five weeks in the class, my note reading ability is the best it has ever been.  That alone was worth the $72 registration fee.  The strength of my fingers has increased considerably, as well as my knowledge of the bass neck.  However, I still have much to learn.  I will continue practicing scales intently, until I can find any note anywhere on the neck, accurately and instantly.  Then I will continue practicing scales to be sure I don't lose the skill.  The songs we are practicing now include the following:  In The Mood, Sing Sing Sing, Pennsylvania 6-5000, A String of Pearls, and Greensleeves.  These are all big band songs from the 1940s, which is why you haven't heard of them.

My friend and attorney, the alto sax player, is very enthusiastic about forming a small jazz trio or quartet and playing some gigs.  That man is a wailing fool!

The bad news:  our band leader, a lovely lady Brit, is returning to the U.K. at the end of the month, and we will have to find another.


This is how they rocked out in '41

The shenanigans of the band are a bit corny by today's standards, but the music is great.  This song is still a popular jazz piece today.  The little blonde sitting at the table is Sonja Henie.  She was a Norwegian figure skater and film star, a three-time Olympic Champion in Ladies' Singles, a ten-time World Champion and a six-time European Champion.  She died of leukemia in 1969, at age 57.

Music Update

I have been reading my bass clef with increasing speed this week.  Sometimes I find myself sight reading (seeing the note and playing it simultaneously) and then I think, "I'm doing it!"  Reading notes is not that hard.  The secret to gaining most skills is patience and repetition.  Take it one measure at a time.  Don't worry about speed at first, that will come automatically (and more quickly than you think).  Knowledge is not acquired instantly, you accumulate it with experience.

I'm playing my big stand-up bass, and I do get tired standing up too long.  So I bought a wooden 29 inch stool from Walmart for only $20.  This allows me to play the bass sitting down, sort of.  Since the stool is tall, I can still handle the tall bass.

Possibly my biggest musical goal has been to play stand-up bass with a jazz and swing band.  However, how do you break in?  Where do you start?  I could never figure that out.  This class, however, appears to be the door.

Batman Has His Bass, and I Have Mine

My new Rickenbacker 4003 bass guitar has arrived at my son's house in Washington state, and he has opened it and inspected it and has found it completely perfect and without blemish.

He is planning to deliver it to me this coming Thursday and I am planning to receive it.  BUT I WANT IT NOWWWW!

Patience, my puppy.  Patience.

"Stray Cat Strut" With String Bass! (Stogie Band)

I really like the music of the British American rock group "Stray Cats."  They tried to capture the spirit of 1950's rock and roll and did a great job of it.  Their band used an upright string bass, like the great old rock groups of old, and the string bass has acoustic qualities that the electric bass has never been able to equal.  Here's my group where I try out my string bass on "Stray Cat Strut."  We were pleased with the result.

The video was captured using a Canon hand held camcorder, so the acoustics are not perfect by any means.  Our keyboard player Kenny sings and does a surprisingly good job, I think.  Are we feminists or not?  Our lead guitar player is a woman, Lorraine, and she is "better than sex" on guitar.  Great riffs!

Etta James Sings "Damn Your Eyes"

My band continues to practice regularly and it is paying off. We feel very comfortable making music together and we have noticed a growing polish to our performance. The latest song we are learning is "Damn Your Eyes" by Etta James. It is embedded below.

Our female soul singer does a very good rendition.

Is the Sun Finally Breaking Through the Clouds?

This morning I was feeling pretty down.  However, I was contacted by a financial consulting firm who says they can put me right to work, and I am meeting with the CEO tomorrow to discuss projects.  I feel optimistic after a long phone chat with her.  She's swamped, and I am idle, so maybe we can help each other out.

On Wednesday evening I practiced with a gigging classic rock/blues band in Gilroy.  They play every weekend and get paid for it, and that's what I am looking for.  The band I am playing with now is mostly hobbyists who aren't looking to gig (music term for "playing for a paying audience") on a regular basis.

My age is always a concern.  I show up at a band practice with three guys who are all young enough to be my sons, and we hit it off right away.  The male singer (and band leader) is good; the guitar player competent and the drummer very competent (he has a degree in jazz from San Jose State).  We ran through eleven of their set list songs that I had practiced in advance, on my own.  It seemed like a really good fit, we played quite well together and they were complimentary of my playing skill.  The band leader said I did great and it is obvious that I love the bass.  Yep, it's the only instrument I have ever wanted to play.

However, I don't have the job yet, though they told me I am on their "preferred list."  They are still auditioning bass players.  I told them, "if you can find a better bass player, hire him!"  However, I am still in the running, and that's good.

The drummer was playing on a mismatched set of drums:  all of them red with one yellow snare, and his cymbals and high hat had holes in them -- it looked like a rat had chewed on them, but rats don't chew on brass.  He said he had found the cymbals discarded under a stairwell and appropriated them.  It doesn't matter, he sounded great.

So is the sun about to break through the cloudy skies of my life?  Maybe.

Musical Performance for the Veterans

Today I will be performing with my band for the wounded veterans and the employees of the VA Hospital in Palo Alto, California.  We've been practicing twice a week for the past month and we should be ready.

Wish me luck!