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In the 1960’s I started to buy my own Dynagroove, High Fidelity black plastic jazz discs. I built a Heathkit radio so I could listen to my beloved jazz on FM. The radio worked magically using glass tubes filled with glowing wires. While everybody else was listening to the Kingston trio and other folk groups, I continued to listen almost exclusively to jazz. In August 1970, I married Jan. We shared a love of music and Jan even knew how to play music. But it had not occured to me that I could actually play the music I loved so much. In the 1970’s, Jan and I would go to periodic bluegrass “jam sessions” with our friends, I was about the only one who didn’t play an instrument. I did enjoy listening to this newly discovered folk music and at one “jam session”, I was inspired to hold a spare guitar upright and mess around pretending it was an upright bass. Jan noticed that. In February 1979, Jan bought me a double bass for my birthday. After I developed the callouses to endure the pain of pushing down on strings the size of piano wire, I did learn to play it. I taught myself fingering and notes with the help of a book on bluegrass bass. In the 1980’s, I became a regular part of the bluegrass jam sessions, and started to play bass at masses at our church. In August 1989, Larry Mack invited me to become part of The California Trio. The trio played the folk music which I had ignored in the 1960’s. It was like brand new music to me. Somehow I fit right in with these guys who had been playing Kingston Trio songs for years! In September 1989, I had the thrill of my life when I first performed for an audience with the Trio. I have since played bass with other folk, bluegrass and jazz groups, but not as regularly or as extensively as with The California Trio. In April 2002 I took a great leap and bought an electric standup bass. The action is a lot lower and the strings are a lot lighter than my double bass. It is easier to get volume out of it, but I am still working on how to control the huge sustain it has. It is so much easier to carry around! EQUIPMENT: Bass: Wenzel Kohler Luby (Schonbach) Double bass (made in Czechoslovakia) (Barcus Berry pickups on bridge) Bass: Zeta ZESX24 electric crossover upright bass (Made in Oakland , California) Bow: German style bow (made in Berlin, Germany) Amp: SWR Baby Baby Blue (Made in Sun Valley, CA) Click here for Jim's E-MAIL |
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