Bass Solos

[pauln]

I meant to make the simple point that using a bow opens up a whole new world of expression for the instrument as a lead voice, and that I find it odd that in the history of a genre full of instrumental technique innovations and experimentation, so few bassists embrace the bow as a tool to expand their playing.

Now along that line of thinking, do you as well find it odd that so few jazz guitarists ever play with a slide?

The foundation of jazz was blues, and early blues instrumental technique as a historical genre was full of slide guitar. Both country music and rock were founded in the blues and both well developed the use of the slide ... but not jazz.

I don't have an explanation for the absence of slide guitar playing in jazz... just an honest sense of thankful relief that it never caught on.

[grahambop]

Ry Cooder's 'Jazz' has him playing some slide on tunes by the likes of Jelly Roll Morton etc. Generally I guess slide is a bit unwieldy for jazz though.

The nearest I've heard is Buddy Emmons playing jazz on pedal steel guitar (he did an album with Lenny Breau).

Having said that, I think Derek Trucks plays some Coltrane tunes on slide.

[pcsanwald]

Ry Cooder's 'Jazz' has him playing some slide on tunes by the likes of Jelly Roll Morton etc. Generally I guess slide is a bit unwieldy for jazz though.

Dave Tronzo is a giant and probably the most well known slide guitarist in jazz. I also think Doug Wamble is really great at it, he does a lot of different stuff these days, but still works with JALC and played some nice slide on the recent John Lewis tribute.