Meditations on Take The A-Train

Some exploration on the A-Train. Written by Billy Strayhorn and made famous by The Duke Ellington Orchestra.

[@samukajova2958]

Who's listening to this still in year 2020? This is timeless inspiration for me at least! :)

[@dvh8888]

I am.

[@samuelebrunori764]

!

[@socalguyinfrance]

2022 baby

[@Wheelly1]

2023

[@AndreaRuoccomusic]

2023

[@Julien_grsc_elka]

Absolutely beautiful improvisation... made me emotional ❤

[@mikemcgibney]

Absolutely sensational. Your soloing is exactly how I want to play!

[@nicolosenigagliesi2482]

amazing solo, proof that rhythm makes a big difference

[@stevenmonroe8652]

You know ... I come back to this video on a very regular interval and it never gets old ...

[@stefanomorbidelli8871]

You're amazing, one of the few guys I've heard playing bebop style jazz on the bass guitar beautifully.

[@JHL]

Thanks, Stef! I really appreaciate it. :)

[@Piggyedits]

I’m currently studying jazz bass at college and I wish to be able to play like you in the future. Fantastic playing, you’re great inspiration. Please keep playing!

[@roomfullofbasses]

I am in NO WAY disrespecting your efforts. You are an amazing talent - the world needs more of you. Thank you for sharing your gift.

[@markpeacockmusic4136]

Here I go again... I click on a video to see if I can pick up on a few pointers, and about half way though this I unstrapped the P bass that I was so anxiously getting ready to play and I chopped it up for firewood! WTF.... this guy just tapped into some unknown frequency from beyond. Meditation was an understatement for this wonderful piece of pure magic. Bravo

[@JHL]

While I would prefer inspiring others to play more music rather than chopping up their instruments for firewood, I am most grateful for your kind words. :)

[@popace]

This is an absolutely sick solo man... Jesus. Im gonna transcribe this shit.

[@albinsundstrom1925]

Jag tittar på det här klippet med jämna intervall så att mitt självförtroende ska få sig en käftsmäll. Fyfan vad du spelar bra!!!!!!❤️‍🔥

[@JHL]

Tack, Albin! :)

[@JHL]

Thank you :) I mostly use scales/modes/arpeggios from major, melodic minor, harmonic minor, harmonic major and double harmonic major.

[@JCloyd-ys1fm]

Thanks. I never bothered with the melodic minor, but that’s gonna change. Solo was spectacular by the way!

[@jazz65]

JHL knows how to play the changes ... one of my jazz inspirations.

[@CocosBassment]

This is F***ing awsum who would dislike this??

[@don8oz]

That was a nice ride. It's good to know that The A Train is still running.

[@Foulball0206]

Beautiful playing

[@JHL]

Thank you! :)

[@guenther-fusion]

Wow, what a GREAT Bass Player !

[@argyle6674]

Great lines and chops!

[@perlarsen717]

Ove been coming too for years. Its simply amazing.

[@EmilDahlMusic]

Det här är ju läskigt... Vilken time, vilka melodier! Helt otroligt!

[@JHL]

Tack Emil! :)

[@AutschbachPeter]

You really have it down, Johan. Badass musicianship. Very melodic and tasteful at the same time.

[@franklintorres1440]

MIND BLOWING

[@FabianTimm]

what did just happen?! wtf this is soo amazing! totally love everything about it.

[@nomonkeymind]

jaw dropping... outstanding in language, performance, and musicality! Bravo!!!!!

[@sirenwavemtv8334]

The ideas are so coherent!!! Sensational and spectacular!!!

[@ultimatefab]

you are a killer ! BRAVO !

[@abara887]

Sensational ❤

[@josha4913]

Gave the whole fretboard a workout 😮 very nice, still very much relevant in 2022. I need to practice 😅

[@TheRobWay1]

Awesome! Great lines !

[@socalguyinfrance]

Bro, your my spirit animal bass animal. Your vocal riffing, so me

[@vadimnktn563]

Man. That's Great. Thanks.

[@Hopskots]

Thanks for sharing 🙏

[@Voya1009]

I can say u are a must listen bass player, thanks for ur input to the music, very inspiring!

[@JHL]

That's very kind of you to say, and I'm very happy you're enjoying the music. :)

[@larryholland7192]

Awesome!!

[@mattiameis3300]

You are a great Jazzist!! :)

[@enarf]

Lovely, well done!

[@mattclef]

Always a good time! Thanks!!

[@jaco3714]

fantastic !

[@Carryon392]

That was great! Thanks.

[@sri888]

This is outstanding

[@delflago]

Excellent homie. Keep up the good work.

[@spider5604]

Brilliant.....

[@paulhochaime5069]

very good musical work, really inspiring!!!

[@Samyham007]

Phenomenal.

[@bassm302000]

Wow, here's another player. Thanks for the great music brother.

[@JHL]

Thank you for the kind words brother.

[@libertinocopola8543]

Tremendo impecable maestro!

[@marcogermin9557]

Super... 👍

[@Espinoza_Gabriel]

Very nicely done Sir!! ...Suscribed! ;)

[@maartentaelman1572]

this is amazing! thanks for the music verry inspiring...

[@1gguzman1]

That was SICK Bro!!! Thanks

[@MattLawton]

Amazing!

[@malikhaylou483]

Nice one keep it up...!

[@baphometos]

very very nice....

[@MrZamberto15]

even now i cant find a better electric bass player than this guy

[@esc94]

JHL is great, checkout Christian Gálvez it's awesome too

[@BilltheBass88]

Awesome stuff man! slick!

[@V.G.Studio]

fine musical feeling...

[@sbedfordbass]

Instant subscribe!

[@alessandroberti1320]

Very nice

[@saxmanvladimir]

bass from space:] thanks man!

[@ericsmith4558]

Wow ! Back to the woodshed for me. :(

[@alexxiong.w2249]

wow the train went crazy!

[@carabata64]

tremendoo !!

[@JHL]

Yes sir! :) I have my own band called Pulse. You can find our first album here on my youtube channel. We play a mix of jazz and Brazilian and African rhythms. You can also find a video with the band Bass, Bone & Dark Matter among my videos. The music is more progressive jazz/hiphop/indie/whatever :) I'll have some new stuff coming up shortly, until then I suggest keeping an eye on my twitter or facebook page.

[@JHL]

Thx Matt!

[@Miguejazz]

Great solo man! Congrats! It would be great if you can share with us how you approach the improvisation, some tips. Greetings from Chile!

[@o454545a]

i adore you mister

[@JHL]

Thank you very much :)

[@tombeimel9170]

❤️💫🙏🏻

[@hamzazeramdini4811]

Yeah !!

[@JHL]

Wow. Thanks! Really happy you dig it. :)

[@bedroomstudios2614]

Wow.

[@paulpasmanian]

YES ! :)

[@ShilohMcGroove]

Nice m8

[@bassplayer883]

Nice

[@BarnabyJonez]

wow

[@JHL]

Haha, I'll try to make the next one without an ending!

[@diegorandi]

Amazing improvise man!!

[@takakok0831]

good with scat!

[@davidsanchez2641]

Babade doo doo babado boo dee doo bee doo...

[@lucianogonzalez1166]

Amazing soloing man!! that feel is perfect, and you can sing!! what scales you used here?

[@kattankarl]

Helt otroligt, har du någon hemsida eller något liknande där man kan få veta när du ska gigga osv.?

[@JHL]

I didn't take any offense what so ever. I was just attempting a joke :) Thanks for listening and for the support bro!

[@roomfullofbasses]

The only thing I dislike is that it ends.....

[@vincentm614]

That had a nice swing to it and I liked the dissonant chords at the beggining. What was that a sort of a 9th chord?

[@BudderB0y2222]

Great performance by iDubbbz's doppleganger

[@tobbebergman7583]

3 Personer har helt missat meningen med livet ;) Den här killen är ett föredöme för alla människor !

[@JHL]

Haha, tack Tobbe. :)

[@billylikitsakosmusic6367]

I love that you play a 4 string electric bass...you can play your melodic ideas linearly, up and down a single sting, or vertically, across the fingerboard....great playing, man. do you ever play a 5 or 6 string?

[@JHL]

Hey Billy! Sorry for the late reply, and thanks for your comment. Nowadays I don't play much bass, but I have played everything from 4 to 7 strings. If I were to design a perfect bass for me right now it would probably be a 6-string tuned E-A-D-G-C-F, since that's how I tune my guitars and since it would allow more access to more chordal options.

[@JohnWanderer]

Online lessons?

[@Crissbass1]

Something your in Dezzer o spotify??? :) pls

[@JHL]

I play bass on an album you can find on spotify if you search for "kristian persson elements".

[@cprovatas]

dude you are so killing! is that a carbon fiber neck?

[@JHL]

Thanks. :) It's a "rockwood" neck, which is a composite neck made from thin slices of birch cooked in phenolic resin if I recall correctly. It was made by Curbow.

[@timburnell1544]

how did you learn to do that?

[@JHL]

Practice, open ears and analysis, with a sprinkle of obsession. :)

[@JHL]

Tackar! :) Lättast är nog att hitta mig på twitter eller facebook. JHLTheBass på twitter och Johan Hansén-Larson på fb.

[@wippi7071]

How long did it take you to learn to solo on this piece?

[@JHL]

That's a difficult question to answer, but I'll do my best. I started playing bass at age 12 and was 29 at the time of this recording. I'd been focusing on jazz for maybe 8 years at that time. I think I started working on this song specifically a few years before this recording.

[@wippi7071]

@@JHL Awesome man, thanks for the response and dope playing!

[@bluarcher5941]

nice...now all he needs is a bass player to play a bass line.. ( : P very nice playing

[@jonhenriksson15]

JÄÄÄÄÄÄ ffyfan va du lirar

[@patbassman8251]

Your playing the melody not the bass part

[@JHL]

Pat Bassman Interesting comment. I am playing the melody on the bass, per definition making the melody the bass part. But perhaps you are making a moral statement, i.e. "It is wrong to play the melody on the bass"?

[@patbassman8251]

@@JHL Take the A Train has a melody and a Bass part , I was expecting to hear the bass line it would of been more useful ,having said that I don't think its wrong to play the melody im just sick of people putting up posts like eg how to play the pink panther bass then playing the melody probably because its easier .

[@iracknads]

It's the quickest way to get to awesome! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIW7Z41tg855Zqc

[@mariosouza3670]

Bêlez à monstruosité