Basses, "Be Cool", and the Gig

I had a pretty good day considering the fact that I had to drive so much and it was raining outside. Road travel and precipitation do not mix well in Southern California. Nonetheless I made it down to Laguna Niguel in plenty of time to check out the bass shop and see a movie before my gig.

The bass shop was great. It's the mail-order bass shop in the country, when you're in school and your teacher tells you to order some specific sheet music or a bass method book and some etudes or anything like that, you call Lemur. If you need a pickup, rosin, bows, anything bass-related you call Lemur. Well I never knew they had an actual shop until I moved down here, and I had yet to check it out. So I finally made it down there today. The owner recognized me from a Steve Tyrell gig he had met me at so he gave me a tour of the entire facility including their bass workshop, machine workshop, offices, library of music, etc. Very cool. But the best part was playing all of the basses he had there. I was checking out all of these wonderful instruments (all in the $10,000-$20,000 price-range) including this great Italian bass. It had a really big sound and a nice, rich tone. I loved it. Only 15 dimes. Next time I have that kind of money lying around I'll go pick it up. I love my bass and all, but it's really not that quality of an instrument. It would be great to have something really nice.

Then I saw this new movie Be Cool. A friend of mine saw it and said it sucked but I still really wanted to see it for a few reasons; it's a sequel to Get Shorty which I really dug, Uma Thurman's hot ass was in it, and it's really the only thing that was playing down there that I had an interest in seeing. Well I liked it, good movie. I mean, it's a gangster movie about the music industry and Los Angeles. Right up my alley. I like movies about L.A. Not just set in L.A., but about L.A. I dunno, strikes more of a chord with me since I live here. (Best L.A. movies include The Big Lebowski, L.A. Confidential, Magnolia, and Bowfinger).

And the gig was fun too. Even if it was a haul to get down there. The group plays an older style of swing, it's fun to put that hat on and really play stylistically. Good times.

Sleepy time ...