Catching Up With Those Pesky December Dates + A Bass Transcription of Justin's Suit & Tie

Yeah, the blog is running behind and I gotta admit I don't like that to be the case.  Gonna have to cheat a bit here and lump a few together in the interest of getting current...

Had the fine pleasure of subbing for Fuji once again at Pastis in Roswell.  Third Party continues to provide thumping party grooves for the socially gifted.  This time out, Derek was out of town and Steve Humphrey filled in the slot.  He was a founding member of the group, so it was like stepping into a bit of a time warp.  Steve sounded great and filled up the jams with his dynamic comping and high-energy leads.  I was thrown a bit by some of the segues.  For some reason, I always miss Glen's cue for the Boz Scaggs hit Lowdown.  Eventually I figure it out, but it's a bit disappointing considering I've played that tune so many times in the past.  I was positioned on the floor, which got to be a bit crowded and almost claustrophobic.  I brought both cabinets, which I though was a good idea.  However, Glen remarked the next night that my sound lacked the punch that my lone 15 seemed to provide.  Hmmm.  Less is more?

The crowd at Pastis

The next night I was with Platinum at the World of Coca-Cola, playing a Christmas party.  We were in the atrium, which meant a quick set up as they didn't want to close down before 6.  The load in was through a side door and parking was not comped.  I think all in all, we did a great job, but there was a feeling of fatigue running through the band.  Not sure why.  My rig had a buzz, and I guess it has been going on for a while, according to Jason.  He set me up with a direct box, so that my buzz didn't travel through to his system.  Fortunately, I brought my leather pants and a showy shirt, as V pointed out that my pants were past their prime.  I had just recently picked up a new (for me) pair at Goodwill, like new.  As much as I wear black dress pants, it pays to have several pairs.

The hang in the green room before the show

We've been playing Suit & Tie quite regularly now.  I have been in touch with a gifted bassist named Dave D'aranjo, who transcribed the SNL performance of Justin Timberlake debuting that song live.  The bassist and musical director, Adam Blackstone, absolutely kills it.  As that is the version we are playing, I was very happy to find this.  I actually wrote Dave to ask him about it and point out that I could see Adam stepping on what I thought was a octave effect pedal.  Dave wrote me back confirming that it was and actually modified his chart accordingly.  I liked the idea of tuning the low B down to a low A, but the octave pedal does give a more "hip-hop" vibe to the slow groove section.  Does my unit get down to a low A?  Well, sometimes yes, sometimes no.  I may have to pull out my Boss OC-3 and try that.  I'm certain Adam has the latest and greatest unit, perhaps an EBS or the latest from MXR.  At any rate, Dave gave me his blessing to share the new & improved chart here - thanks Dave!  If you try this, just watch out for the lick at the end of the 2nd verse - yikes!  Look up him up here to find more transcriptions and info on his performances: Dave D'aranjo.  He's a great player and a nice guy!