Jazz fusion and Shostakovich, with an Air Norton (sound clips of my band)

[adrian]

Anyone into Shostakovich here? My band tried to make a jazz fusion version of his 7th string quartet. It has a very special theme, so it can easily be recognized.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=877519&songID=7109341

The first part is direct note reading, the rest is a collective improvisation - no real solos. Our bass player use a non-amplified stand-up bass: don´t ask me how he can play that theme on that instrument. :eyecrazy: I like the drummers nerdy playing, but I´m not so sure about the guitar. What say you all? It´s my Gibson Howard Roberts, and I use the Dimarzio Air Norton in the bridge for the tune. Pic:

 

[mudpuppy]

Re: Jazz fusion and Shostakovich, with an Air Norton (sound clips of my band)

The upright bass tone on the clip is awsome (as well as the playing). The guitar part sounded a little bit too compressed. I think if there was a little bit louder attack the guitar would stand out against the horns better. An obvious thing to do would be to EQ the guitar track to give it more treble. I don't think that would be the best solution, because you would loose the really nice Pat Martino - type tone you have already. I think going for less compressed dynamics would be better.

 

[Fusion1]

Re: Jazz fusion and Shostakovich, with an Air Norton (sound clips of my band)

Sweet guitar there! I would also advise either an EQ or just upping the volume, you were drowned out by the cacophony of the horns. Other than that it seemed like it would work well together. I also think in that context with the horns you would stand out more with less compression. What's your amp situation?

 

[adrian]

Re: Jazz fusion and Shostakovich, with an Air Norton (sound clips of my band)

I use a Fender Blues Deville, where I have put in two SED 6L6 for power, one GE 5751 in V1, a Sovtek 12ax7 LPS in V2, and a JJ 12ax7 in V3. I run the signal from the guitar through a Boss OD3, a Boss DD3 and a Boss Chorus1. An Air Norton is good but very bright in the bridge, so I have for this recording put the tone knob at 5. Probably that is why is it sounds compressed at the recording, and also because of the Boss OD3. In real life it sounds great, though. The idea with the improvised part for this specific recording is not to play a great solo. The idea is to make a collective improvisation where everybody goes on at the same time and no one takes over. In my opinion we succeed with that idea.

 

[TimmyPage]

Re: Jazz fusion and Shostakovich, with an Air Norton (sound clips of my band)

Man a friend of mine just got one of those Howard Roberts.. great feeling and playing guitar. Though I really love the other model of it..

 

[adrian]

Re: Jazz fusion and Shostakovich, with an Air Norton (sound clips of my band)

Yes, I´ve seen those too. They were first made by Epiphone and later by Gibson. But I´m very happy with the later Gibson version of Howard Roberts Fusion that I got. A perfect blend of a ES 175 and a Les Paul, jazzier than a ES 335.
IMHO, of course.