Blog
John makes occasional blog posts about things related to bass playing and beyond.
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“You Don’t Mind If We Post This, Do You?”
I’ve been doing gigs for about 50 years now, if I count the rock, top-40, and fusion bands that I played with in my early
Step on Some Toes — the Richard Davis—Mel Lewis Rhythm Section
This excellent article by Vinnie Sperrazza gave me food for thought. Sperrazza dissects the dynamic between Richard Davis and Mel Lewis in the early carnation
The Super Summer Workshop Post
Like many musicians, I often teach at workshops during the summer. I always learn as much from the students as I hope they learn from
Fingerings for Artificial Harmonics on “Three Short Stories”
I got this email recently from Jack, a bass teacher who was looking for new material for his jazz student: Hi John, I just picked
Questions, Answers, and more stuff you might not need to know.
I receive quite a few questions from bass players, fans, and “others” from around the globe. Here is a sampling of a some recent inquiries. Am
But Is It Music?
Chord/Scale Theory Practicing scales is great for your musicianship, but it’s not music! I recently got an email from Hector in Florida asking for my
Whaddya’ Know? Learning Jazz and Standard Repertoire
I recently got a dub from a cassette recording of a gig I played in 1979. I was young, in over my head, and playing
Why Did I Write a Jazz Bowing Book?
I recently received an email from a masters student who is doing research on jazz bowing techniques. He asked a few interesting questions about my
