104 weeks now has a favicon! You’ll notice that, next http://mwengerd.blog…… in the address bar is a tiny version of the bass clef here. Favicons are particularly useful for surfers who are not yet using del.icio.us and still use their browsers’ favorites bars, where the favicon will be displayed next to this blog’s desription.
This website will convert a photo file into a favicon.ico file and this webpage has instructions for installing your favicon into a WordPress blog. Now everyone can have a favicon!
At roughly 11:43 pm yesterday, I (somewhat) successfully completed my first year of Graduate School. I started this blog to chronicle the experience and it is slowly evolving into something greater. Summer is upon me and I can finally do the practicing I feel I need to do, without the distraction of assignments.
These last few weeks have overwhelmed me, so I’m going to catch my breath on this last day of work (for the year) at the CJC and get into this full steam shortly. I have a secret project brewing, too, so keep your eyes peeled.
When I was a young boy, I had convinced myself that, if I belly-flopped to the ground, I would not land, but could fly. I could never attain much height but was capable of gliding along the ground, giving my too-young-to-be-weary legs a rest. I had vague memories of actually performing this manoeuvre, but was unable to do it on command (or even really do it at all, for that matter).
I’m old enough to know better now, but I still allow myself the pleasure of those memories. Denis Darzacq’s La Chute(The Fall) brought me right back to those fond dreams.
Darzacq’s no-trick photography is a reminder of the alienation of youth, straddling the border in my mind of the childish gliding of my dreams and the sense of utter freefall I felt as a teenager. Many thanks to be.jazz for the story.
In light of recent additions to Lakeland traffic safety, I guess it’s time to re-examine my driving style.
I am very reticent to slam on my brakes at any time because, 9 times out of 10, my double bass is in the car when I am driving. I often run yellow lights and occasionally see red before I’m through the intersection. I’ve always told myself I could talk my way out of it, informing the officer that I was concerned about the safety of my $16, 000 bass and the possible damage it could cause to me.
My favorite part is the fact that his response was, “My dissatisfaction with Judge Brannon’s ruling can be summed up in three words: procedure over substance. This is not honorable.” Sounds like a viola player, huh?
He deserves respect for a valiant effort, though! Guess I better come up with a new excuse.
If you are unfamiliar with Tom Harrell’s playing, do yourself a favor and get familiar. Tom is an extraordinary jazz trumpet player who suffers from Paranoid Schizophrenia. I saw this interview when it occurred, well before I had any clue what it actually takes to be a jazz musician.
This is not the full interview; there is a longer version on Youtube, but it has japanese overdubs.
My friends have been ribbing me for quite a while now about the fact that I will be attending Jamey Aebersold’s Summer Jazz Workshops this year. Yes, I’m going to summer camp at 25.
Thousands of people have played jazz tunes counted off by that inimitable heartland accent of Jamey’s (“One, Two, One, Two, Three, Four…”) via his jazz play-along books. Every summer, the Aebersold staff and an A-list jazz faculty descend on the University of Louisville for week-long intensive training in jazz improvisation. The two one-week courses are supplemented by rhythm section primers (g,b,d) on the weekends.
Of interest to me (and hopefully some of my readers) is the bass faculty:
This Who’s who of the bass community is at students’ service throughout the camps. Additionally, USF Jazz Faculty members Jack Wilkins (sax – jazz department chair) and Steve Davis (drums) are on faculty.
I will be attending both weekends and both weeks, working one week and being a student the other. If you already plan on attending, let me know and we’ll be sure to get together while in Louisville. If you are just now hearing about the Workshops, please consider them. Jamey encourages players of all levels to attend to maximize their playing potential.
By the way – that’s Chris Fitzgerald and Steve Davis in the picture.
Some of you may already know that, due to recent damage, I have sent my bass of to Gary at Upton Bass for repairs. Gary runs a well-thought-of business and is an active participant in the Talkbass forums. He also sold me my Revolution Solo pickup with which I am extremely happy.
Once I confirmed that insurance would cover the loss, Gary sent down a Kolstein Trunk (for his Klotz – The bass mine is modeled after) in which I was to return the bass. Gary advised that I remove everything from the bass (most importantly strings), which meant knocking down and removing the soundpost. The removal of strings meant no tension on the top (so as not to exacerbate the structural problems) as well as on the extension.
My extension has the same chassis as this one, though a different stopping mechanism – it is the KCStrings extension. You can see a little wheel at the top around which the string double back to the tuning machine. This is held in place and falls out when the string is removed. So, I packed this up in a box along with my Laborie endpin, strings, KC Marvin Tailpiece, Revolution Solo Pickup, soundpost, etc. The box was in my car, ready for shipping that afternoon.
Now, I had just made a purchase from Lemur Music of some SuperSensitive Clarity rosin and some hide glue. Do you think you see where this is going? The hide glue was at home, but I had brought the rosin along to switch out at orchestra rehearsal. The tub in which the rosin came was cracked and, in a car under the hot Florida sun, oozed out of the container and onto my seat and this little metal wheel, which had fallen out of the box (I should have taped it up by then). In a hurry to make a class, I set the container upright, pried the rosin/wheel mass off the seat and placed it on top of the open rosin container. I think you know what happened next.
Upon returning to the car, I found the rosin had leveled itself back out, looking lovely as ever, but almost overflowing. Encased in it:
I busted out laughing. What else could I do? I didn’t realize Gary was going to put my bass together to check the setup before he started work (what was I thinking?), so I delayed the inevitable freeing of this object from it’s synthetic tomb. I tried freezing, melting, and scraping the stuff off to no avail. I finally sent it out with a thin film of rosin, assuming Gary would know what to do. I haven’t heard any complaints from him yet. I assume he’s on an island in the pacific somewhere, cloning my bass.
Unless you get your butts out to Starbucks on the North side of Lakeland, this will be matthewwengerdtrio’s last night. School obligations prevent me from playing tonight, but I have a faithful and diligent sub.
Please make your way out and let management know that you appreciate what they’ve been doing. Oh, and buy lost of coffee.
104 weeks now has a favicon! You’ll notice that, next http://mwengerd.blog…… in the address bar is a tiny version of the bass clef here. Favicons are particularly useful for surfers who are not yet using del.icio.us and still use their browsers’ favorites bars, where the favicon will be displayed next to this blog’s desription. 
At roughly 11:43 pm yesterday, I (somewhat) successfully completed my first year of Graduate School. I started this blog to chronicle the experience and it is slowly evolving into something greater. Summer is upon me and I can finally do the practicing I feel I need to do, without the distraction of assignments.
Some of you may already know that, due to recent damage, I have sent my bass of to Gary at 
My extension has the same chassis as this one, though a different stopping mechanism – it is the KCStrings extension. You can see a little wheel at the top around which the string double back to the tuning machine. This is held in place and falls out when the string is removed. So, I packed this up in a box along with my Laborie endpin, strings, KC Marvin Tailpiece, Revolution Solo Pickup, soundpost, etc. The box was in my car, ready for shipping that afternoon. 
