road to swing blue my first mistake --- about 1967 Feedboy the teacher that died ( read 2nd blog) had the same roots like me Italian American from Brooklyn and the chord chart he directed me to was great advice and another one -- he gave was on improvising ------ add improvised notes between the melody notes --- that's a good way of commercial improvising one thing he taught that I might not agree instead of using the 2 fingers plucking he had me play with the thumb not slapping but actually bass walking typed lines I no longer use that technique although more players are using all kinds of fingering there was another teacher I heard about named Rector Bailey he was an African American who lived in kind of the semi hood he actually was off of Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn also a major orthodox Jewish area he too was Jewish as well as African American Rector was a very well celebrated Hammond organ player on the local scene but he could play other instruments as well his mom played upright bass but he truly lived old time pimp life even had a lover that looked like little Richard
when I went for my lesson I waited hours before he got to me I just stood at his house while he jammed with some of his colleagues I met his little Richard lover as well he was a chain smoker while at the piano he kept coughing and saying it was lot better than being married when he did get to me he said I was playing wrong told me about the two finger plucking and I think even my left hand he gave me fingering for the upright bass which I use today despite some disagreement on it funny what he said is now the way I play the bass guitar but I was not comfortable in the environment he was not all that nice my background was a contradiction I was raised in the shadows of my Mafia uncles and cousins but my dad God bless his soul was a German American and he was very sweet unlike my cocky and hard nose Mafia side of the family and my mom was extremely quiet (she is more out going now at 92 God bless) so I was as hoodlum wanna be deep down inside I was very insecure quiet person Hard to believe right? well I did not go back to rector bailey a brilliant grooving musician looking back that was a bad move he would have gotten some of the weakness I am still haunted today as a musician knocked out of me due to his crude and natural ability to truly groove and not give a crap about anything else some of that attitude is a good thing -------- see you on the next bog
