Bass Desires 'Samurai Hee-Haw'

Feb. 14, 1986-Frankfurt, Germany
Marc Johnson~Bass, Peter Erskine~Drums,
John Scofield~Guitar, Bill Frisell~Guitar

[@martydibergi5228]

I just Love the band and the song. It makes me happier during these challenging times. Monster Musicians All.

[@chaliceb5]

Two awsome guitarists, two different approaches, yet both are individually great. True masters...

[@Prometheo1]

Professional musicians, that's who. They write this stuff down in their dreams. Talent is good, but training makes talent really shine. These guys are disciplined and focused. Look at how they play... with ease and grace. Their minds and bodies are merged. Zen Kabbalah meditation. That's what Jazz is all about.

[@KoxxMobilhome]

Marc Johnson's Bass Desires are my introduction to modern jazz in the eighties.This music will become classics later on,doesn't loose any of its power and originallity.Really great stuff.

[@Iloveofrahaza87]

I love, love, love, love this music. For me one of the best cd's of John Scofield. The others are equaly fantastic. The mix of Scofield and Frisell is amazing, magic, fabulous. Erskine superb. Marc Johnson sounds so sweet and nice... The whole cd sounds just with a very very good sound. Thanks Marc Johnson ;.-) I listen to it since 1989 ;-)

[@druhyelew]

This is definitely one of my favorite marc johnson compositions

[@RUNRUT]

True that! Bill's lead there is just insane. Very very cool!

[@greatgooglymoogly]

One of my favorite groups ever!

[@JazzProphet1]

Always a pleasure to hear this fine tune...

[@MitchTenderness]

this group is so awesome, i just got second sight and i love it. i love bill's playing i would almost describe it as surf jazz.

[@promisefailed]

Gerry Anderson filmed Thunderbirds in Supermarionation - and Bill looks like 'Brains'! Seriously, this band was and is such a great meld of musicians - they don't just play like a list of great names, they play awesome and powerful music. I really enjoyed the clips of them 20 years apart. Bill's solo here is killer!

[@michaelsherer9718]

Dang, we were young back then!

[@profkeenan]

Cool. Listened to the studio version for years. Didn't know about this. Thank you for posting.

[@Pettenderk]

Thanx for posting! Still one of my favorites, especially Erskine's solo on the record, amazing! And sir Frisell... goddammned!

[@slamiam]

Great stuff! Saw these guys January '87 at long-gone Fat Tuesday's on 2nd & 17th in NYC, a tiny room that they just kicked apart. There was confetti and plastic hats on the floor from New Year's Eve the night before. Frisell and Scofield went on to their huge careers, but this period is what launched them. Always thank the rhythm section. Amazing band -- thanks for posting.

[@Fiddlingflynns]

Was Marc johnson on bass?

[@slamiam]

@@Fiddlingflynns Yes, the band was his project.

[@zendograilseeker]

I love these modal jams....

[@scumber56]

So digging this!

[@Tfunkize]

This is so good - man !

[@uzzz]

Great stuff !! my heros !!

[@paulb869]

fris' sole at the end is MONSTEROUS!!!

[@deltadogful]

I love that Scofield visibly tells Frisell to turn down during Scof's solo. They are like oli and water musically (Scofield sensitive, Frisell bold), but it works. Amazing stuff. Erskine really grooves.

[@cellbiol7298]

That's a super interesting remark. I love both, Sco and Frisell, but I never saw it that way. But it is true, Sco is perhaps the more disciplined team player. And Frisell disguises his boldness with smoother sounds (when not soloing), and with hair.

[@gmrios]

Oli who?

[@Fiddlingflynns]

Also Scofield plays with technique. Frisell plays with one finger and a sense of wonder

[@chrishenson4450]

Take a moment to consider: this is the exact same instrumentation as KISS. But sooooooo much better.

[@Bix12]

do i have to think about kiss for an entire moment...? my god, man...you are brutal.

[@mickewennergrund3200]

Chris Henson. Hahaha! What an genius anylysation! Sample that one.

[@scumber56]

Uh oh Chris! lol

[@gmrios]

Different Genre. Chicken and Dumplings will never be a Salad. It's like saying, children are made up of the same material as infants except children are sooooooo much better.

[@dcross8034]

One of my favourite records thanks for posting Bass desires was awesome. Frissell was' nt that well known when this band was put together I read somewhere.

[@casimsalabim]

you're absolutely right! "I like pleasure spiked with pain and music is my aeroplane..."

[@zornfizza2]

WOW ...never thought I'd 'see' this played - great jam. What's up, bowtie?!?

[@blackdogbite]

I loved this band... Keep coming back. I like almost all of Scofield's stuff and Frisell's stuff separately. Scofield is great. Unfortunately the soundman is screwing Scofield because it sounds like he is being miced just from bleed on the kick drum mic! He had that chorus to the max... But his tone wasn't THAT bad back then. Strikes me that the JC120 was maybe not the right amp for this gig anyways.. Frisell is scary when he really cuts loose. He solos the melody for a couple choruses before he decides to goose the throttle. Man... I LOVE his tone! The attack on the notes... The mids... It's so ballsey! He makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I've always thought of Bill as having grown up playing guitar on another planet and one day he lands in NYC and starts gigging! His approach is so completely different than almost any other musician. You hear a tune in the radio... ONE NOTE! You can tell it's Frisell. Guy is an absolute genious. The energy in this band was fantastic... Despite what I think may be Scofield in his Prima Dona role.

[@123must]

What a personnel !

[@mic270469]

grande bill!!!!

[@loren1283]

CCCCCCCC COOL!

[@promisefailed]

Bills's playing in Supermarionation. And that waiter sure can play the drums...

[@thirdzomby]

gotta point out that Sco is gesturing to the monitor engineer offstage right to turn Bill down in his wedge, apparently it was CRANKED. (I heard this from one of the musicians onstage.)

[@BlimpyBoy]

It's funny to see people marking this down - because actually, that's also the impression I got, and I happen to *like* Sco's playing. I guess it's a part of that bizzare "be positive, ALWAYS" policy some people live by...

[@unclejunglebass]

i love sco on the chorus.

[@TheWolfDucky]

The ending is cutoff everyone

[@avaboot]

anybody out there got marc johnson current affairs on video, love to see some of that.

[@maidoodesu]

nice ! 侍ヒーホウ.

[@tommaso39540]

IMHO con le prime note Frisell ha già cancellato il per altro ottimo assolo di Scofield

[@FredAstaire76]

The Great Eastern! ^__^

[@squeekysqueek]

Is this version available on CD anywhere? Or is this video anywhere to be purchased? The version on the Bass Desires disc is good, but Bill's solo on this video is ferocious, the other one doesn't compare!

[@EmphaticItalic]

The electric guitar is a very oriental sounding instrument!

[@Cacophonyhead]

How dare you tell Frisell what to do... Bad Scofield! Bad!

[@larkydozer]

What's Sco motioning for at the 2:00 mark?

[@Steakfinger]

Last time I checked you listen with your ears, not your eyes.

[@MontyCraig]

As far as volume and tone, Bill's Boogie Mark II would have been smoking Sco's Roland Jazz Chours also....

[@cellbiol7298]

2:04 and 2:28: Sco is a little unhappy, because he feels his soloing should not be interrupted

[@stefanblue660]

Killer Solo by Bill Frisell, but people unable to react, most of people are paralysed and full of fear to stand out.

[@MontyCraig]

That Fender would have been smokin' the Roland amp also...

[@94Harrymitchell]

Am i the only one that thinks frisell sounds like a shreds video?

[@larkydozer]

Peter looks like the Cheap Trick guitarist.

[@pisquanciano]

e da un tedesco che ti aspettavi

[@frankie28web]

Scofield's Ibanez sounds very thin in comparison to Frisell's SG...

[@prinznevsky]

what's Sco doing at 2:04?

[@absoluteunit8628]

Hes telling frisell to lower his volume.

[@jirikrajnak9047]

don't wave your finger at bill, sco.

[@franklinnash]

I'm getting whiffs of Frank Zappa.

[@Steakfinger]

People who can ready music and have to deal with something a little more complicated than some simple ass rock vamp, I guess.

[@mcrestwood7378]

shame the mix is so bad,,sco motioning for frisell to turn down-lol,,,the sound guy just,,maybe the mic was not workin on johns` amp--who knows,,,loved this band though.

[@pongufogu9457]

How beautiful this could be without John Scofield?

[@Genemusic111]

hah what?? Supermarionation?

[@romaneberle]

frisell is cool :) yeah, sco, too :) lol, dumb audience, no applause for frisell's solo ;)

[@tiluriso]

Sco is too low in the mix...you can't really hear Sco's full tone...even if it''s that tone from his 80's chorus days, that everyone (with the exception from me) seems to dislike so much...was he motioning to Bill to turn down?

[@scumber56]

Too short!

[@freejazzfree]

i dig some of sco's playin but his tone is horrible here.. frisell always sounds good!

[@tiluriso]

tone is overrated in my humble joe-schmoe opinion(in comparison to what/how the actual lines are saying/articulated), but I guess it's an equally essential element to some people- however I dare too say that tone is ultimately a matter of subjective/personal taste. Peace to all of you Bass Desire/Johnson/Erskine/Frizz/Sco fans

[@larkydozer]

er, I mean Cheap Trick drummer.

[@rorshakks]

Sco's tone kinda sux here. It's too flutey.

[@UpjoanCrawford]

Bill's clean volume sounds about right to me, compared with the rhythm section. Sco's horrible '80's digital fizz-tone has no guts, and therein lieth the problem. Plus he's a cranky old bastard. I once watched him scowl and sulk his way through a 2 hour set. Perhaps he hates his job..

[@harry2928]

o.k. so why is it cut off so prematurely blunt at the end. that leaves a very shoddy /shitty effect.