Another Gorman

[Calvin Marks]

Here are five photos of Dave Currie's bass (Conductor of the Ottawa Symphony, retired NACO Assistant Principal Bass). This bass is quite a bit smaller than mine on top, and with a much lighter varnish.


http://www.dropshots.com/Calvin87#da...02-15/21:54:21

Enjoy!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Calvin Marks

Here are five photos of Dave Currie's bass (Conductor of the Ottawa Symphony, retired NACO Assistant Principal Bass). This bass is quite a bit smaller than mine on top, and with a much lighter varnish.


http://www.dropshots.com/Calvin87#da...02-15/21:54:21

Enjoy!

Didn't you show these pictures before somewhere here or TB when you were ordering yours? I have seen that Bass and I recall it was from your posting.

[Calvin Marks]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Didn't you show these pictures before somewhere here or TB when you were ordering yours? I have seen that Bass and I recall it was from your posting.

Yes, I posted these photos about one year ago on TB. I thought it would be nice to show off a great modern bass, sorry...

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Calvin Marks

Yes, I posted these photos about one year ago on TB. I thought it would be nice to show off a great modern bass, sorry...

How do we know it's great when we can't hear it. More like a 'pretty looking' modern bass for now. Hopefully that bass didn't have all of the set-up problems that your bass had.

[Calvin Marks]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

How do we know it's great when we can't hear it. More like a 'pretty looking' modern bass for now. Hopefully that bass didn't have all of the set-up problems that your bass had.

Well, do you have sound-clips of your basses? How do we know they're great apart from you telling us so?

You don't have to play devil's advocate in every post.

Yes, my bass had set-up problems but I don't think that you should judge someone's ability based on one set-up. Don was at the ISB convention, did you voice your opinion to him then?

Cheers.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Calvin Marks

Well, do you have sound-clips of your basses? How do we know they're great apart from you telling us so?

You don't have to play devil's advocate in every post.

Yes, my bass had set-up problems but I don't think that you should judge someone's ability based on one set-up. Don was at the ISB convention, did you voice your opinion to him then?

Cheers.

Don did not visit me that I recall at the ISB and if he did, he didn't have a bass with him. If Don wants my opinion, he can come over here, show me something and ask for it. Until now, all I have been hearing is about your problems to match a string to the bass and get the bass properly set-up to your liking or workability. I have not seen your bass in person or played it. I can only go by all the posts you have been making about it.

I do have one question for you. When do you find time to play and practice?

If you don't mention your bass or other basses here on my forum, I will not start a thread to post an opinion about it, deal?

As far as my basses go, I usually just repeat the comments I receive from other people. Most of them top professionals and some top Luthiers. I do not post comments from students or beginner players as they have yet to learn a bit more before their opinions might be shared by their seniors.

[Calvin Marks]

Sorry, but please send me a list of which professional orchestras you play for. As far as I'm concerned we're all on roughly the same level here. I'm also 22 and a University grad, so don't act as if I'm 14 and playing the Elephant's Gavotte.

[Calvin Marks]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

I do have one question for you. When do you find time to play and practice?

If you don't mention your bass or other basses here on my forum, I will not start a thread to post an opinion about it, deal?

As far as my basses go, I usually just repeat the comments I receive from other people. Most of them top professionals and some top Luthiers. I do not post comments from students or beginner players as they have yet to learn a bit more before their opinions might be shared by their seniors.

When do I practice? During the day. It's summer. I can get in 4 hours of solid practice.

I think it's pretty rude how you call people out on their credentials.

I thought people were allowed to post info on basses in this forum...Seems that whenever I ask for advice or share an opinion you have a problem with it...Seems like you need to spend your time doing better things.

PS: Why would Don want or need your opinion??

[Brian Gencarelli]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

If you don't mention your bass or other basses here on my forum, I will not start a thread to post an opinion about it, deal?

Calvin and Ken-

Not to get in the middle of your pissing contest, but I do just want to point out the logo at the top of the page- Ken's Corner. I think if you pay for the site, you can pretty much say whatever you feel like.

I have posted pics and asked for opinions, they are not always kind, but they are always honest- this is valuable info. At least to me.

If it was "Calvin's Corner" then we would be having a completely different discussion.

BTW, It's a nice looking bass.

BG

[Calvin Marks]

Originally Posted by Brian Gencarelli

Calvin and Ken-

Not to get in the middle of your pissing contest, but I do just want to point out the logo at the top of the page- Ken's Corner. I think if you pay for the site, you can pretty much say whatever you feel like.

I have posted pics and asked for opinions, they are not always kind, but they are always honest- this is valuable info. At least to me.

If it was "Calvin's Corner" then we would be having a completely different discussion.

BTW, It's a nice looking bass.

BG

it is indeed a nice bass...that's what i was sayin'

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Calvin Marks

Sorry, but please send me a list of which professional orchestras you play for. As far as I'm concerned we're all on roughly the same level here. I'm also 22 and a University grad, so don't act as if I'm 14 and playing the Elephant's Gavotte.

Calvin, FYI, this is MY HOUSE. Be respectful here. You get what you give or a little more.

I played 20 years professionally in NYC. You want a list? It's long. Orchestra work was not my thing. I have no interest in it then. Now that I restarted playing a few years back I have been doing some Orchestra Gigs. One is a local/regional fully paid per-service Orchestra. I was appointed Principal there several years ago. I never asked for it. I also get called to sub in a few others here that are mixed Community Orchestras that hire extra players as they need. I don't need to re-start bass playing as a profession.

I did play in some Orchestra settings in NY in recordings. One job I recall was a Jingle, 3 Basses and Homer Mensch sat first. Usually there was only one bass. One Recording was a Movie, with Quincy Jones in the control room (The Wiz). Ron Carter sat in front of me.

I played as a sub for the Principal in the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra when it was a Symphony in the '70s (before you were a thought) and played there later as well doing various shows. I worked for Pop singers like Johnny Mathis, Shirley Bassey, Jimmy Roselli, Frank Sinatra Jr., Perry Como, Linda Hopkins, Issac Hayes and many others.

I also gave private lessons. In a 12-15 year period I taught about 450 students. Some of them were professionals and some of them became Professionals. One of them came up to me at this last ISB and handed me his CD. He gave one of the master classes there as well. He told me I taught him when he was in High School just before going into College. I read thru the program and realized who he was.. The Principal of the New Your City Ballet Orchestra.

I played on over 2,000 Jingles, some of them VERY famous.. All of the OJ Hertz, MnMs Candy Man song, National Airlines, 'take me I'm yours' (b4 that became a sexist slogan), and countless others. I worked in about 18 B'Way shows. The real ones on B'Way. Most of them as a Sub because I was too busy to take an 8 show a week gig because Recordings paid more. Some of the Jobs I did on B'way were because the Conductor requested me.

20 years in NY, making a living, paying my bills and starting my company. I could have gone the Orchestra route if I wanted to. I had the chops but not the interest. I had the Bass too. It now has P.A. Rogeri papers and a lable. The Label someone recently put in to match the older papers as it had a Rivolta label when I had it. False to that bass but the label was real.

Calvin, enjoy yourself out here but before you go further, check into just who I am as a Bass Player.

Stanley Clarke replaced me in the Horace Silver Quintet in 1969. I was only 17 and still won the job. Stanley had just turned 18 and was legal to work in clubs where they served alcohol.

I recorded several records (with music) for Music Minus One in 1971 when I was still only 19. I still collect royalities from them.

In 1971 as well, the Glenn Miller Band flew to NY after playing in London and re-recorded a good part of the Library from the 40s before Miller died. All the living members that could still play were invited to play something on the session. Eight/8 sessions were booked in NY that week, each session being 3 hours. The Band did not have a steady bass player as I had subbed for them prior and was hired 2x before since I was 18 and quit both times to take gigs in town instead of on the road. Guess who they called to play on these recording sessions, all 8 of them? Huh? Huh?.. ME.. I was the young Bass player in NY that could do just about everything on either the DB or the EB. Why, because I could play, read, play almost any style and I would always show up on time.

I did good as a bass player. My former teacher Bill Blossom who taught me in 1970/71 before moving away for an Orchestra Gig and before he was in the NY Phil told me that I was his most sucessful student, ever. When he came back, I was studying with Lew Norton. Lew studied in Texas with Keith Robinson, Hal Robinson's father. Anyway, Bill mentioned that I was making more in town freelancing in the Commercial/Pop scene than he made in the Orchestra back then.

For whatever that's worth, I did good. I told Luthier/bassist Paul Biase recently that now that I am doing some Orchestra stuff locally, I wish that I had tried to do more of that back then when I was in NY. Paul looked at me and said "Kenny, you did good. Everyone knows who you are". I worked in an Orchestra with Biase as well back in 70/71 that did Union Trust Fund Concerts. It was mixed with Pros and Amatuers. I was one of the paid players. The famous Latin bassist Cachao (Isreal Lopez) played next to me on one concert. Biase did 14 years in the New Jersey Symphony so he was a real player as well.

Calvin, I worked so much that I started turning down Gigs just to take a break and clear my head. In the end when my business started taking off, I would turn down shows and recordings that the average Pro in town would have loved to get and they did later on because I didn't want it.

Any more questions about my playing experience?