Several years ago, I was dropping my parents off for a cruise from Port Canaveral while a hurricane (I can never remember which one was which) was coming in on the West coast of Florida. They had perfectly calms seas while I went to sleep unsure that the roof would still be there in the morning.
Seeing this, I wouldn’t wish rough seas on anyone on a cruise. That looks plain-old scary.
***offensive language ahead***
Loosely transcribed at AAJ:
”I don’t speak Italian, but I hope that somebody who speaks English tell those a**holes to shut off those f***ing cameras. Until you don’t do it, music won’t be at its best and you will have spent your money for nothing. I’m speaking to you, you, you, and you, and also you up there. If I see one single flash during the concert, I and Gary and Jack reserve to ourselves the right to stop playing and leave this goddamn city. It’s your privilege to be here, not mine”.
What is the performer’s relationship with the audience? Do musicians of a certain caliber possess the right to castigate their audience? Daniel Biro doesn’t think so and expressed his views here.
It’s amazing to think that audience members put up with this.
The following is probably one of my favorite jazz bass Youtube finds. It’s a nine-part feature of a Ray Brown masterclass with English students. It has a watermark in the top left corner, some credits at the end, and is dubbed in French. The cuts appear to consider only filesize, as no effort appears to be made to create cuts that fit the flow of the video.
All that said, there are so many jewels from Brown in this video. Even without the lecture portion, this video is an education in jazz bass. Brown’s wit and charm allow him to lay down the law with his charges while maintaining a light, friendly discourse.
Do yourself a favor and stop to watch them all right now:
I:
II:
III:
IV:
V:
VI:
VII:
IIX:
IX:
There’s a discussion about it at Talkbass in this thread.
Jeff Berlin has a tendency to cause quite a stir. He has very strong, sometimes controversial opinions about music instruction and the learning process. He has written for Bass Player magazine and founded the Players School of Music.
This video is a hilarious testament to his musicianship. There are plenty of bass players who can’t sing the National Anthem and play it simultaneously. Ever fewer can shift the lyrics one syllable: