i’m sure numerous other bass players and hardcore fans of legends Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten who attended the insane concert tonight would have much to blog about as well, but i would be doing myself a disfavour if i didn’t do a post mortem myself.
it was crazy. as aptly expressed by each of the three as well, crazy man number 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
they brought out the versatility of the instrument, peppered it with resonant riffs and licks and oozed musical style. each player was distinct and unique in their own right. Marcus Miller’s trademark steady, ’spanky’ slap tone that packed a rhythmic punch. Victor Wooten’s consistent doublethumbing technique, felicitous use of harmonics and solid all round tone, slap not forgotten, was a stunner. (ok i’m slightly biased on this point) i prefer the Fodera tone over the Fender and Alembic. Stanley Clarke’s slap tone is definitive by itself, lush jazz melodies, counterpointed with its supporting harmonies supplemented the music. the confluence of musical genius was witnessed, entrenched in the bassics (:P) of technique, enriched by the creativity of the individual musicians. i sat amazed, and slightly stupefied.
as a musician/bassist, of course i was trying my best to figure out what they were doing but early into the concert i just gave up. i was too noob man. lol. so being the novice that i am, i chose to sit back, relax, and let myself be engaged by the workings of the three basses. the drummer definitely deserves a standing ovation as well. he never missed a beat, complex combinations of rhythms were thumping throughout, and he was almost perfectly in sync with the three, giving all round sturdy grounding and providing the pulse. i laud the keyboardist’s rendering of the solo, and the way he made the synths fade, blur, and blend into the soundscape, underpinning the ongoing artistry on the basses.
i loved the acoustic set when Stanley Clarke picked up the double bass. he pulled a stunt and gave the audience a pleasant scare when he started strumming it like a badass guitarist, that i will not forget. Marcus Miller’s talent on the saxes leaves much to be desired as well. his deft fingers produced great tone which was overarching everything else, and sat nicely on the band setting, and i was taken aback when he blew on the low note which made the walls of the esplanade theatre reverberate significantly, even i could feel the vibrations. that brings me to talk about the mad setup of the stage. amps were huge, 04xCabs, and the sound that came through just boomed. i thought the mix was fine, what else do you expect when you put 3 basses together? the acoustic pickup was fantastic though, i could hear the sound that Stanley Clarke’s fingers makes when he does the vibrato, created when his fingers rub against the fingerboard, a brushing sound. perhaps that was due to it being a little overamplified, but heck. loved that set. Victor Wooten’s dexterity and skill shone during his solo. quoting a friend, he said something along the lines of how one can see the technical range of things you can do with the bass, demonstrated in a single song of Wooten’s. that is echoingly true, if you’d been there, you know.
it never failed to amaze, was a crowd pleaser (apparently noticeable in the atmosphere in between the end of the last song and the beginning of the encore), the audience showed unwavering enthusiasm, some even grooving to the beat and clapping along excitedly. kudos goes to the organisers of the mosaic festival for bringing these three legends down so that this audience in our little red dot can have the privilege of enjoying good music, without having to resort to watching Youtube videos. (:
