Double Bass Tips for writing a jazz players/musicians bio

[hdiddy]

Ego time...

I've been dragging my feet long enough that it's finally time this needs to get done. What the heck do we put into a bio used for marketing? Tips?

And I have questions and there's so much gray area:
* What constitutes a student of a particular artist? I love Ron Carter's playing and have done a clinic with him but obviously it's a stretch to say i'm his student. Influenced by? Yes indeed.
* I would consider playing with X person in a jam doesn't count as having performed with them. Where do you draw this line? Playing a whole gig (I would think so). What if it was just one tune?
* Venues: I did a student performance at a couple local big name venues. I suppose that suffices? Lets say I was part (I would barely consider it side man) at Yoshi's Oakland... is that too far a stretch to list it?

Thoughts?

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

1) I don't know the answers to the first question because I consider myself self taught even though I've had the odd one off lesson with 5 or 6 folks.
2) I consider playing a whole concert or gig to fit here.
3) I would consider playing a gig as part of the featured ensemble of a set to count as having played venue X.

Take that with a huge grain of salt, though!

 

[Sam Sherry]

Huy, your question reflects well on your honestly and morality, on a topic where "truthiness" is the predominant modality.

I think you, Chris and I are synced up. My bio is an example of how hubris, timing and luck can make someone appear on paper to be much more of a player than they really are.

{Edit: I had a long post about my bio and how it's bull-puckey. It STILL came of looking like, "Wow, am I not so so special!"}

For me, the positive value of all of this is to show what a beautiful, small community the jazz world is. Although I am nobody special and no great player, people who played with John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Chick Corea were willing to make music with me. I am far on the fringe but nevertheless a member of an amazing community in space, time and art.

Can't wait to see your bio, maestro!

 

[damonsmith]

Ego time...

I've been dragging my feet long enough that it's finally time this needs to get done. What the heck do we put into a bio used for marketing? Tips?

And I have questions and there's so much gray area:
* What constitutes a student of a particular artist? I love Ron Carter's playing and have done a clinic with him but obviously it's a stretch to say i'm his student. Influenced by? Yes indeed.
* I would consider playing with X person in a jam doesn't count as having performed with them. Where do you draw this line? Playing a whole gig (I would think so). What if it was just one tune?
* Venues: I did a student performance at a couple local big name venues. I suppose that suffices? Lets say I was part (I would barely consider it side man) at Yoshi's Oakland... is that too far a stretch to list it?

Thoughts?

I wouldn't add jam sessions. I have workshops in mine. I only took a few lessons with John Lindberg and Mark Dresser, but they both gave me important lessons that changed my playing.
Also, a bio is really just about context. If Ron is huge for you and you did a clinic, then I'd add it. How many years have you studied his lines?

I did a couple gigs in a huge orchestra with the choreographer Merce Cunningham, I have it in my bio to show a serious interest in other art forms like modern dance. I did two performances and a workshop with Roscoe Mitchell, one was a quartet that was gig of a lifetime, so I have him on there. That is as much about how influential his work is to mine as it is that we played together.

 

[oliebrice]

My rule of thumb is - would they consider that they've been your teacher or done a gig with you? if yes, then it counts - if not, not...

 

[hdiddy]

Do you mean would they consider me as one of their students? From attending music camps/clinics I have performed more complicated pieces in front of large audiences with people I consider my teachers and they in turn me as a student. Certainly people I'm influenced by.

I wouldn't add jam sessions. I have workshops in mine. I only took a few lessons with John Lindberg and Mark Dresser, but they both gave me important lessons that changed my playing.
Also, a bio is really just about context. If Ron is huge for you and you did a clinic, then I'd add it. How many years have you studied his lines?

Whether or not I'd choose him as my first choice, Mr. Carter's playing is something I gravitate to the most - his was my first transcription and certainly not the last. And I've been playing for 10+ years now? Off and on the whole time and listening to his work frequently.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

Tim Givens (who posts here occasionally, but I can never remember his screen name) has a funny thing to say about this sort of thing - " The list of people I've played with once is pretty ****ing impressive. The list of those I've played with a second time is decidedly less so..." That may not be it exactly, but you get the gist.

Anyway, when you say "marketing" *** you talking about? Your own website, something for a band website, something for a press release, something to send to clubs, something for a specific gig? Website propaganda can be longer and involve everything from influences to education to your favorite foods. IF YOU'RE NOT THE LEADER, then stuff for a band website or press release needs to be short and sweet and hits the high points. If you ARE the leader, then the personal website stuff kind of holds true for web. Stuff for specific gigs can pull in the general pertinent stuff then anything that relates to the gig at hand.

Nobody cares about jam sessions, who was on the same bill that you were but who you didn't play with (that "shared the stage" crap) or anything that sort of smacks of the "Best Dressed Camper" award that you got in third grade (although I actually did receive the Best Dressed Camper award in third grade. ahem.) On the other hand, I never did a paying gig with Elvin Jones but I did get to play with him on a couple of tunes a day for a solid week and do a concert at the end of that week. So while I never played in Elvin's band, I played with him a lot more than anyone who never played with Elvin.

As far as stuff for a club, I don't think that they really care about any of that crap, they just want to know how many asses you're going to put in seats and how many beers in the hands of those asses. So they don't care so much about BIO as they do about FOLLOWING, do you have one, do they show up and do they spend money.

Anyway, Ima copy in a blurb that is the "sideman" bio that went to a club and in press releases, and the pdf of a program for a gig I did as a leader (which includes some sideman bios for the other two guys) which was aimed at the specific market in the town that the gig was in.

SIDEMAN BIO -

ED FUQUA has performed with established jazz luminaries like Dakota Staton, Frank Gant, Bernard Purdie and Eliot Zigmund as well as up and coming artists like Leon Parker, Dave Berkman, Jacob Sacks and Tatum Greenblatt. He is the author of the recent Sher Music publication, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.

 

[damonsmith]

Mine says "studied double bass with _____ & had lessons with ______, ______, _____". It is context, what you are interested in, mainly.

 

[Don Kasper]

We're supposed to have a Bio???
S***.
Anon.

 

[hdiddy]

Tim Givens (who posts here occasionally, but I can never remember his screen name) has a funny thing to say about this sort of thing - " The list of people I've played with once is pretty ****ing impressive. The list of those I've played with a second time is decidedly less so..." That may not be it exactly, but you get the gist.

Anyway, when you say "marketing" *** you talking about? Your own website, something for a band website, something for a press release, something to send to clubs, something for a specific gig? Website propaganda can be longer and involve everything from influences to education to your favorite foods. IF YOU'RE NOT THE LEADER, then stuff for a band website or press release needs to be short and sweet and hits the high points. If you ARE the leader, then the personal website stuff kind of holds true for web. Stuff for specific gigs can pull in the general pertinent stuff then anything that relates to the gig at hand.

Nobody cares about jam sessions, who was on the same bill that you were but who you didn't play with (that "shared the stage" crap) or anything that sort of smacks of the "Best Dressed Camper" award that you got in third grade (although I actually did receive the Best Dressed Camper award in third grade. ahem.) On the other hand, I never did a paying gig with Elvin Jones but I did get to play with him on a couple of tunes a day for a solid week and do a concert at the end of that week. So while I never played in Elvin's band, I played with him a lot more than anyone who never played with Elvin.

As far as stuff for a club, I don't think that they really care about any of that crap, they just want to know how many asses you're going to put in seats and how many beers in the hands of those asses. So they don't care so much about BIO as they do about FOLLOWING, do you have one, do they show up and do they spend money.

Anyway, Ima copy in a blurb that is the "sideman" bio that went to a club and in press releases, and the pdf of a program for a gig I did as a leader (which includes some sideman bios for the other two guys) which was aimed at the specific market in the town that the gig was in.

SIDEMAN BIO -

ED FUQUA has performed with established jazz luminaries like Dakota Staton, Frank Gant, Bernard Purdie and Eliot Zigmund as well as up and coming artists like Leon Parker, Dave Berkman, Jacob Sacks and Tatum Greenblatt. He is the author of the recent Sher Music publication, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.

I think this is the push I needed, as I was just needing a sideman bio for the short term and a larger bio for the long term. I limited the sideman bio to just two sentences that just stated my main influences and the teachers I've studied with. Once I perform at more recognizable venues and/or names, I'll list those. Beyond that I didn't need to feel like I'm stating a resume. That will be more for an artist bio that will come for a project where I'm producing the whole thing.

PUKESPRAY wisdom ftw!

 

[fdeck]

Granted, I'm not at the professional level of most players here, but I have a sort of bio at my personal web page, the "non commercial" link shown in my sig. It needs to be updated, but you can get the gist of it. I don't name names, for the specific reasons mentioned in this thread: The well known players who I could mention, are people who hired me as a sub, and might not even remember me.

The main purpose is to give an indication of what level I'm at, without inflating anybody's expectations.

 

[Don Kasper]

Some items that won't be on my Bio -

1. Influences: bassist Dickie Smothers - one of the best "open string" bassists of all times. Maybe the first Double Bassist I'd ever seen?
2. Member, 1 night only: Beverly Hills Symphony, Bill Conti (Rocky, II,III....) conducting. Soloist was Georgia Frontiere (former owner of the Los Angeles Rams.) Her performance here may have expedited the hasty move of the Rams to St Louis, back then.
3. Appeared With: Saxophonist Dave Liebman, Guest Soloist with the Eastman New Jazz Ensemble (I was 1 of 2 student "bassists"). (Dickie Smothers could have played the gig - it wouldn't have affected Mr. Liebman's virtuosic performance, at all.)
4. Appeared with: Impressionist Fred Travalena, at a week of Corporate shows. Not the "Debussy/Ravel" - type of Impressionist, BTW.
5. Appeared with: (one tune - he sat in with the band) Composer/Comedian Steve Allen - Bad Toupe, and kind of a d***, as I recall. Has allegedly written "over 3000 Songs"....(Yeah, name 2.) Played a G blues Shuffle. HEAVY Left Hand.
"What? And get out of Show Business?" (...said the gentleman shoveling up the wild animals' crap at the end of the Circus Parade.)
Thanks.

 

[oliebrice]

Do you mean would they consider me as one of their students?

Yeah. I mean if you said to them "have you gigged with / taught Hdiddy they'd say "yes" rather than "who?"

I've played in front of thousands of people backing Talib Kweli, but I'm 100% sure he wouldn't have a clue who I am and I certainly wouldn't list him as someone I've played with.

 

[JRA]

What the heck do we put into a bio used for marketing? Tips?

tip 1: know your audience: to whom are you marketing? what does that market need to know? what do they want to know? it's really about them, not you.
tip 2: while remaining truthful, it is necessary to engage in "show business" if you're trying to be in "show business." hubris won't work, but neither will humbleness (i'm talking about the printed page). it's OK to 'exploit the lesser if you lack the greater' (it's what publicists, agents, and managers do).
tip 3: you're 'selling something' with a bio: decide what it is. (see tip 1).

my .02

 

[gerry grable]

Some items that won't be on my Bio -



This Could Be the Start of Something Big and Gravy Waltz, to name two.
Steve was a true renaissance man and innovator in TV, comedy, literature and music. He was a great supporter of jazz and jazz players on his shows and gave many jazz greats (BillEvans) their first chance at wide exposure to potential audiences (and gigs?).
As for the G blues. Milt. Jackson sat in with my group one time in Chicago. He called an F Blues. What do you expect? Stella in Gb? Heavy left hand? Maybe he didn't trust the Bass Player?





5. Appeared with: (one tune - he sat in with the band) Composer/Comedian Steve Allen - Bad Toupe, and kind of a d***, as I recall. Has allegedly written "over 3000 Songs"....(Yeah, name 2.) Played a G blues Shuffle. HEAVY Left Hand.
"What? And get out of Show Business?" (...said the gentleman shoveling up the wild animals' crap at the end of the Circus Parade.)
Thanks.

 

[Don Kasper]

Well Played, Sir!
Thanks.

 

[MLysh]

Ray Brown wrote "Gravy Waltz." Steve-a-reno wrote lyrics for it. Anyone remember the lyrics?