jookeyman wrote:
Personally, I would have taken a different approach. Don't get me wrong, I think you're one helluva good player and you played very well over the tune. But this is what collaboration is all about. You put two different ideas/styles/interpretations/mindsets/approaches whatever............together and you see what happens.
first off....i've taken no umbrage, offense, nor do i regard any of the above as "criticism".
Just to give you an idea of how I compose or 'think' or map out or whatever.(Just so you can better understand me and the way I think, for whatever purpose that may serve.............). I never played the root on the bottom of the arpeggios. I think I would have played a more minimal bass part concentrating on establishing these roots of the progression. Then I would have left space for the mallet parts to play off the 5ths (which are missing from the arpeggios themselves). This would have balanced out all the chords harmonically but in free form. This is tricky as you know because there aren't any time constraints and it has to feel free, not rushed.
as i see it, sometimes it makes sense for the bass to function as an instrument holding things together... sometimes it free lances....and it's determined by what else is going on in the tune. on your tune....w the free, rubato feel and lack of a constant pulse it's almost impossible (for me anyway) to guess where your next downbeat is going to land....esp so when you change from one "section" to the next. those are the places where a more 'traditonal' bass approach would be tying and "unifying" things.
so in trying to add what i thought worthwhile....what i didn't hear was many hooks or melodic phrases present in what you gave me to work with. that, to me is what was missing from your free take on it. and since it clearly was/is a very free approach you chose to take...trying to straighten it out w a more traditional roots and fifths approach seemed rude, and to contradict the cool and very NON traditional approach you went with!
here's one of my takes on the chord progression where there's plenty of "melodic info" from the steel drums and gtr so to me... that's where the more traditionally rhythmic role w lots of roots and fifths makes sense and is called for.
https://soundcloud.com/planetguy-1/em7bbm7soca2 I don't have a bass w/ me but I think you probably did what I was referring to on the bass and may have incorporated the 5ths there (most bassists do) and played those notes on the bass instead of the vibes.
well, since both the vibes and bass versions have melodic phrases.... they both use roots, fifths (perfect and flatted), thirds, ninths, etc.
i'm listening to the bass version as i'm typing and lo and behold, though it IS a very melodic approach i took...i'm also hearing hearing plenty of places where i do come to rest on the root of the chords! plus, many of the phrases do land (and sometimes start)on the root or fifth.
Just my slant, FWIW. Again, this is not criticism. It's just a description of how I work. I think the next # will work better because it is straight up and not as conceptual. Conceptual pieces can get strange and really tie you down if you let them. They are fun but sometimes it's best to switch gears.
well, i had fun messing w it and i'm glad you enjoyed what i did. it's interesting to see where people take things on their own when left to their own devices and sensibilities.....but i have no problem w being given some direction either and when someone has a clear cut vision or ideas of what they'd like to hear.....it takes the guess work out of things.
i'm looking fwd to the next collab.
is it me or is it them!