Jamando and Da Krusha

Vondy

2008-02-18T10:23:00.000-08:00

Have you ever known someone that affected you so much, that even after they're gone, you make decisions based on what they would do or think? For a lot of us, it's a close relative. I'm not really any different, as I find myself asking in the back of my mind, "what would Dad think about this?" But I also find myself asking "what would Vondy think?"

If you've read through some of my blogs, you'll know who Vondy Campbell was. If you haven't, then please go back and do so.

In a bit of conversation the other day, a gentleman by the name of Tony Diorio came up. Tony is a monster bass player up in the Detroit area that Vondy hooked me up with years ago. I only sat with Tony for an afternoon, but I left with my musical flood gates wide open (Thanks Tony!). After the conversation, I decided to google Tony. The second site I checked out was about a band Tony had played in called White Mud. Some of the stories about that group of kids are really funny and amazing. As I was reading about White Mud, Vondy's name came up.... I got the impression he was one of the ring leaders of the outfit..... imagine that! There were a bunch of old photos posted there, and a link to a site put up about Vondy by his brother. As I went through all of this stuff, I was overcome with emotion.

Vondy was a unique character. Upon first meeting him, you realize right away that you've just met one of the coolest people on the planet. And I'm not using cool like other people do..... I mean super cool.... this guy exuded hipness that you could feel when you entered the same room with him. And Vondy had a knack for surrounding himself with other cool people. Who else do you know that could have Lyle Lovett wanting to hang out with them?

Once you got close to Vondy, you started to realize a certain frailty about the man that was in such contradiction to the hipness, it only drew you closer to him. I tend to think of Vondy as a sort of Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally".... high maintenance. However, upon closer inspection, you'd find that his tastes were relatively simple, and the high maintenance aspect was just him wanting things to be kept that way.

Musically, Vondy was not the most technical guitar player I ever knew, but he played with more heart and emotion than anyone I ever knew. The guy made everyone playing around him better. He had a great ear for what everyone else was playing, and he could comp what they were doing in a way that made the band sound great.

As a friend, Vondy was the best. He always called me when there was something awesome happening... and with Vondy that was regularly. Great concerts, jam sessions, Space Dog Nigel reunions (you had to be there!), sales, restaraunts, people... whatever. After 17 Reasons Why split up, is when I got really close with Vondy. Our drummer, Johnny, Vondy and me could be found jamming regularly, or just hanging out at Orleans in Mt. Clemens shooting pool, throwing darts, and drinking Bass Ale on tap (Vondy wasn't drinking then though).

When I left Detroit for a job opportunity in Reynosa, Mexico, Vondy told me I was selling my soul to the corporate world. At the time, I didn't believe it. I left with every intention of doing a 2 year stint down there, and coming back to Detroit with better opportunities. A year into being there, Johnny called me to say our friend was gone. He died in his sleep. I was crushed. My initial emotions were the same as anyone who just lost a dear friend. A few hours later, I found myself extremely let down, as I realized at that point that I was stranded. There was no reason to go back to Detroit, and I became bitter.... indeed, my soul had been sold.

I skipped out on the funeral. I just couldn't do it.... I was crushed.

It would be about a year for me to start to get over it. I lost contact with everyone back home, and moved to Chicago for a couple of years, and then to Tennessee (where I'm at now).

Over the course of the past six months, I've started to make contact with old friends back home. I miss them. I miss Vondy. He is in my thoughts everyday. Of course, he has to be..... We named my youngest son after him. Anthony Avaundal .... or Vondy, for short!

Da Krusha

Sound Addendum, Pt. 2

2008-02-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

Some more stuff to ponder.....

The GK growl that I speak of is not some big ole' overdrivin distortion thing.... Bob Gallien describes it as a small amount of even order harmonic distortion. For me, it's just a bit of throaty, low end authority. It tends to warm the sound up a bit, especially if you're running the eq flat. Driving the amp with the pre-amp gain, to me, sounds like shite, and that is not the kind of distortion I want.

G&L basses have been a "guilty" pleasure of mine for a few years. I currently own three, but one is about to be put up for sale. I love my SB1 and SB2. The SB2 is relatively new, while my SB1 is was purchased new in '87.

The SB1 is super hip, as it has a lot of "mojo"...... and it's all my mojo! Every scratch, ding and worn area on it was done by me! Everytime I see a recent picture of George Porter, Jr.'s beat to all hell Fender P bass, I find my self picking up my SB1. Strung with flats, she's a funky bitch, and with the volume and tone rolled off just a bit, she sounds even better than a 40 year old Fender! This bass has been ultimately dependable, and I can nail setups no matter what strings I throw on her. She currently sports a recently broke in set of Thomastik Jazz Flats, and a piece of foam under the strings at the bridge.

The SB2 is really a "sleeper" bass. If you're in the market for a P/J setup, then this is the bass! Super fast, slim neck, and the hot MFD P Pickup make this thing a wicked beast. The J pickup by itself is pretty useless. But using it to change the character of the P is where it shines. This bass does not have a tone control, although, there is a pretty cheap and easy mod out there to add one (which I have not done). Between the Thomastik Jazz Flats, and wise usage of the J pup volume, I find there is no need for the tone control. I roll the P volume down to about 80%, and run the J volume at about 20%..... silky smooth!

I still own the '92 MIA Fender Jazz Bass I used with 17RW. I'll never part with it. Like the SB1, it was purchased new, and every bit of mojo on it is mine. She's been modded just a bit..... I threw in Seymour Duncan Antiquities, a Bad Ass II bridge, Hipshot detuner, Tort pickguard, and vintage style knobs. Recently, I replaced the standard Fender plastic nut with a bone nute. I a/b'd it with my guitar players '60's Jazz bass, and it sounded nearly identical. About the only difference was mine had a bit more of a woody tone, and a touch more sustain (probably due to the Leo Quan Bad Ass II bridge I installed on it back in '94). Also, like my SB1, this bass is very forgiving in the setup department, and sets up with virtually any string, with low action and no fret buzz. She sports D'Addario nickel roundwounds at the moment...... but I'm looking at Thomastick rounds to put on her next.

Thats it for now!

Da Krusha

Sound Addendum, Pt. 1

2008-02-18T10:19:00.001-08:00

Okay.... I've had a few folks ask why don't play a 5 or 6 string basses. Here's the answer.......

I've tried both 5's and 6's..... in fact I owned a 5 string Yamaha for a bit. The problem for me is that the 5th string was just useless. It just felt like a wet noodle strung up on there. And when I did play anything with those extra low notes, I found I was just interferring with the bass drum, especially below the low D. Any notes higher just didn't sound right when played on the B string.

6 strings just didn't feel comfortable, and the higher notes offered by the C string just seemed to interfere with the guitars or horns.

Ultimately, the 4 string is harder to play. You have fewer note choices, and you're forced to change position more frequently, where the 5 and 6 allow you to play passages with only a string change instead of changing positions. Whatever.... I've played 4's for so long, it's just what I'm into. I'll occasionally drop my E string to a D using a Hipshot detuner, or, in the case of one of my basses, I tune down a half step. Anyway.... Jaco, Rocco, James and Duck didn't/don't find a need for anything other than 4 strings..... that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

One more thing on the amps. A lot of folks have said with the way I play, they're suprised I don't play an old Ampeg SVT. Trust me, I've thought long and hard about it. I just can't justify the size or expense of it. Most clubs and stages are just too small for the SVT...... 300 tube watts, and at least a big 4x10 or 8x10 would blow down the walls of a small club. Bigger clubs end up running you through the board anyway, so no one really gets to appreciate the big tone you've invested in, as you end up running a direct signal from your bass.

My GK sounds incredible. I've got it set up so that it punches through like a mic'd kick drum, and it's extremely warm. I think the warmth comes from using the 700RB, which growls at lower volumes than the 1001RB, and has the lower "5string" voicing than the 800RB. I've never been a fan of 12" bass speakers until recently. The Neo212 is as loud as any 4-10 I've ever used, and offers a nice compromise between the punch of 10's and the depth of 15's. The head weighs just under 20 lbs. and the cab comes in at 64 lbs....... that's a lot less than a 85 lb SVT head and 160 lb 8x10 cab.

Da Krusha

My Sound

2008-02-18T10:18:00.001-08:00

Howdy Folks:

Been a while.... I've been fairly busy lately..... a good kind of busy. I'm playing with this blues cat here, and things are really starting to sound good. We'll be ready to take out to the public real soon.

I just recently added a G&L SB2 to my stable of basses. Wonderful Bass! It could unseat my SB1 as my primary player. I'll probably sell my G&L L2000. It's a great bass, but it just isn't my "sound".

Musicians encounter this potentially expensive sickness call Gear Acquisition Syndrome... or GAS for short. As I'm playing regular again, I'm reminded of how I avoided GAS over the years. Any of you musicians out there reading this should take this to heart..... It could save you a ton of cash:

1) Find an instrument that you can "sing" on. It has to have the sound and playability that allows you express yourself. And don't underestimate workmanship and quality of the instrument. For me this is how it's panned out: When I'm creating lines, I hear Precision basses or Jazz basses. When I play something else, I'm like a fish out of water. For me, this has been an expensive lesson. No matter what I've bought, I always seem to end back up with either my '87 G&L SB1 (Leo Fender's more modern take on a P bass) or my '92 Fender MIA Jazz in my hands. Both play and sound wonderful (although the Jazz required a little bit of modification for the "sound"). My latest acquisition, the SB2, was made because I have a need for three basses. This bass is a P/J configuration, and the workmanship is beautiful. I've also come to realize that I do not like the sound of ash bodies, preferring the sound offered by alder bodies. It's a bit more rounded, without the compressed sounding high end of ash. A definite no-no for me is double coil pickups with an ash body.

2) Amps..... don't get caught up in the hype on the music forums, and definitely don't get sucked into the ad barage found in the bass mags. If you look at the last 40 years, you'll find that there are basically 2 sounds that have stood the test of time. The Ampeg SVT tube warmth and rumble, and the GK punch and growl. Other sounds have come and gone, but these two have stuck around. I've settled on the GK sound for a few reasons. First, the sheer size, cost and maintainability of the SVT's is more than I care to deal with. My GK rig is light, relatively cheap, and since it's solid state, I don't have to mess with re-tubing. Second, when you're up on stage, you're usually plugged into a direct box that sends a signal to the house PA directly from your bass (another reason to find the right instrument). For me, in live applications, I want good clean power (so the band can monitor me), with some warm punch. The GK does this perfectly. I settled on the GK 700RB simply because it offers more than enough volume, and is a bit warmer than the GK1001RB. I had thought about the 800RB, but I like the extended low end of the 700RB better. For cabs, I settled on the GK NEO212. It weighs only 64 lbs, as compared to the 90+ lbs of the Hartke 4.5 I used to play years ago, and offers a nice blend of punch with warm low end. There are a lot of great amps and cabs out there, but in the end, I just need something that will help me get the rest of the band shaking their asses...... when that happens, you can bet the audience will feel it too!

3) Strings - This, to me, may be the most important decision you have to make. Ultimately, this is the interface to your instrument. Find a string that is comfortable, contributes to your sound, and has a reasonable life span ('cuz these things are expensive!). I've settled on Thomastik Infeld Jazz Flats for my SB's. These, to me, are the absolute best string out there. They last forever, and once broken in, they are the most articulate string you can buy. I'm still trying to find the perfect roundwound for my Jazz bass. I love DR Lowriders, but I hate what they are doing to my frets. I currently have D'Addario XL's on it now, but this string is not for me. I'm probably going to try the Thomostik Superalloy rounds, or maybe the Jazzrounds.

4) Effects - I don't really use them. I have incorporated the EBS Multi-comp to my signal chain. I've done this only because the output of the pickups on the SB's is super hot..... when I dig in, I clip the input section of my amp. The Mult-comp helps that out without overcompressing my sound...... and the Tube Sim mode really contributes to the warm punch sound I crave.

Once you've found these things, stick with them. Trying to redefine your sound is usually expensive, and sometimes pointless. I always try to remind myself that the gear I'm using is how I've defined my sound, and I'm usually better off sticking with it. For me, this is the ultimate cure for GAS.

Luv,

Da Krusha

Groovication

2008-02-18T10:16:00.000-08:00

Howdy All!!!

Been a while since I've blogged........

I'm doing well..... in fact, I'm doing excellent. Been really busy around here lately. 'Tis the season. That, and the fact that I'm playing regular again! I'm playing with this guy up in Monterey, TN. We're doing a blues and R&B thing, and it sounds like it's going to work out. My playing with others chops are starting to come back! Personally, those are the most important chops to have. It doesn't matter how fast you can play if it doesn't work with what everyone else is playing. Feels good to groove again.

My equipment all sounds great. The G&L L2000 is just a monster! Big sound.... and like I mentioned before, I should have bought one years ago. My new GK rig sounds great as well.

Anyways..... I hope everyone is staying sane during this holiday season. I'll keep everyone posted.

Luv,

Da Krusha

James Meets John

2008-02-18T10:13:00.000-08:00

The next installment in our review of 17 Reasons Why material is going to be the song "Tear Down". Tear Down is the title track from the band's only full length CD which was released in 1993. Marco says in reference to this song "There was that same kill all the towelheads mentality at the time, and it was my reaction to not only that but racism, intolerance, and hatred in general." The song also was responsible for landing 17 Reason Why a victory in the Yamaha/Soundcheck Best Un-signed Band Contest.

This song was actually written at Roscoe's studio during the recording of the album. The song mentions some of the happening around the time such as the fall of the Berlin wall (just because some wall came down, it don't mean the cold war is through! marco be speakin' the truff!) and "Desert Storm". Ah yes... "Desert Storm", our country's first foray into Iraq. With that conflict everyone seemed to think it was a sporting event or something. Yes, the see it live on TV war! T-shirts and bumper stickers were being sold like it was the Super Bowl or a rock concert. When in reality we were fighting to restore a monarchy that did not even give it's female citizen's the right to vote. As usual it was the civilian population that suffered the most casulties from our "smart bombs". The song also speaks of ignorance and violence, two things that always go hand in hand. If anyone thinks that ignorance is in short supply these days then check this out. It seems ignorance is abundant on both sides of the aisle, and where power meets arrogance and ignorance you are only left with tragedy.

nuff said... now back to the song...

As the song starts with it's ska/funk like staccato guitar riff, you are at a loss of where it is going next, but you know you're on to something good. Once the pounding drums and syncopated bass line kick in you are trapped. Then come the horns to slap you in the face and the aforementioned lyrics kick in with our very own Marco delivering them in a soulful, somewhat angry fashion. He is still angry. Angry because 15 years later and we have not learned a thing. Near the end of the tune, an interesting guitar solo comes in which seems to be probing for the right notes, asking questions, looking for the answers. The songs then ends with a guitar-horn riff that puts an exclamation mark on the whole song.

But..... 15 years later and Marco is back in Roscoe's studio recording a new album with My Secret Life. The question is will there be another "Tear Down" to come out of these sessions? Confidence is high. Chances are very good that MSL will be able to come out of these sessions with a John Lennon meets James Brown classic such as "Tear Down". A further continuation of "Mind Games":

"Love is the answer and you know that for sure, Love is flower you got to let it, you got to let it grow"

Peace and a different world start within all of our minds. Stop playing games and tear down those walls!

Give it a listen, then give it some thought!

Tear Down

Jamando

Other Girls

2008-02-18T10:09:00.000-08:00

There are plans in the works for a MSL podcast that you will be able to access from this site once we get the technical end of things figured out. WMSL should be up and running sometime by the end of the year, with our very own air ace, Marco Platt bringing you the "best music you never heard!".

So hows about we start off this whole idea of a podcast with a look back at what some would say is the fore runner of MSL, 17 Reasons Why. As most of you now 17 Reasons Why (17RW) was a dominant force in the Detroit music scene from about 1990-1996. I am told their live shows were something to behold; unfortunately I never got the chance to see them live. What we do have left of this band though are many recordings that can be found on the 17RW website. One of the songs that sticks out for me is the song "Other Girls". I asked Marco during a break in rehearsal a few months back what this song was about. He told me it was in reference to a guy who had been taken advantage of a few to many times, had his heartbroken one to many times. I found this to be quite interesting since for the most part, most of the songs that deal with heartbreak or heartache from this angle are from a female perspective. Just another indicator of the depth and sensitivity that is the songwriting talent known as Marco Platt.

This song starts off with a lonely guitar riff, and you can just see this guy sitting at a bar, nursing a drink, watching his cigarette burn. The guitar shuffles along as the drums and bass kick in and start taking us on a journey. In comes Platt's smoky vocals and all of a sudden your hooked! The song crescendos into a glorious horn solo and then it all comes back into another verse and chorus. Just when you think the song is over, and you are thinking how can it get any better than this? Woosh! In comes an absolutely stunning guitar solo from the late great Vondy Campbell. I don't know about you folks, but I can never listen to this song just once, twice in a row is the minimum.

Have a listen: Other Girls

Jamando

10.85 Miles

2008-02-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

10.85 Miles

That's the distance from Motown Studios to Roscoe's Recording. I "mapquested" it. 2648 W. Grand Blvd. to 16209 Mack Ave,Detroit City. The city where my Italian immigrant great grand parents ended up in, after the long boat trip. The city where my parents were born, the city where I was born. In 1959 Berry Gordy bought the house on the Boulevard. Who would have ever thought that from this industrial town would rise a musical wave that still resonates today. The distant waves of Motown are still ringing in places like Manchester, England and Stockholm, Sweden. But back here in Detroit the force that started that wave is nearly dead. Left over is a used shell of a city, longing for her people to come back. She cries like a church on Monday, to borrow a lyric from Gregg Alexander, another native son. Her people who were scattered by the violence of racism. By the cold hearted economic realities of this town built on the back of automobiles. I only live about 3 miles from Detroit. But it is detached from those of us who have fled to the suburbs. We are voyeurs now. Watching her crumble. When I go to Detroit I feel like a refugee going back home. A place that looks so familiar but will never be the same. But maybe "the same" wasn't so great after all. Maybe one day Detroit will be what she always should have been. A place where people of all colors and persuasions can build a community that is as vibrant as that city back in 1959 when Berry Gordy bought that house and turned it into a studio. The Huron, Ottawa and Potawatomi lived together before the Europeans came to this land the French called "le detroit". It is in this spirit that some day the tribes of today will come back together.

So what does all of this have to do with MSL? I dunno, but driving to Roscoe's Recording on Saturday got me thinking about Detroit. As I walked up the creaky old stairs of what was once Fiddler's Music and got up to the third floor oasis known as Roscoe's recording I couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic for the old city. As I looked across Mack Ave to Grosse Pointe Park. I imagined it was not too much different than other borders around the world. Just across the street from each other are two totally different worlds. It was in this setting that we began recording our new full length CD. The atmosphere of the place seemed to relax us all as we laid down bed tracks for six songs in only six hours. As I sat in the control room surrounded by my band mates (these people that I have known for less than a year but I feel like I've known all my life) I can only describe the feeling I had as magical as the first strains of "Life Is Rhythm" hit my ears. What ever happens after we release this CD I can only hope that it captures even just a touch of the magic of Motown, a hint of the soul of this town buried under so many years of neglect. We are off to a promising start. The band is headed in the right direction even though I don't think any of us can give that direction a name.

From Wikipedia the definition of Soul music reads like this:

"Soul music is a combination of rhythm and blues and gospel which began in the late 1950s in the United States. Rhythm and blues (a term coined by music writer and record producer Jerry Wexler) is itself a combination of blues and jazz, and arose in the 1940s as small groups, often playing saxophones, built upon the blues tradition. Soul music is differentiated by its use of gospel-music devices, its greater emphasis on vocalists, and its merging of religious and secular themes."

I don't know about all that. My definition of soul music is just music that touches me. Genres are for fools, if music touches you in your heart, call it what you want, I call it soul music, and MSL is all about "soul music".

A name for the new album is still to be born, but if it goes as things usually do with this band, it will present itself in a mysterious way.

Praise Jeebus!

Jamando