Off Topic - Who was Jerry Scheff and why did he play so many notes?????

[2ndBassGuitar]

I live in a small town on beautiful Vancouver Island. Not too many good gigs come this way these days (maybe because of advancing age and declining ability?), but I have a couple of gigs this week playing behind a very good Elvis impersonator from Australia. I was very surprised while working out my parts, to listen to Elvis' bass player, Jerry Scheff. Man can that guy play. I hope he got paid by the note, cause if he did, he must be a rich man. A very good player. I think I will dumb it down just a tad..... on my 25th 4HH BFR, I think.

 

[Caca de Kick]

Before Elvis, Jerry was also the studio bassist on the last Doors album. The Doors liked him so much, he was to join the band after Jim got back from his France trip.

 

[Aussie Mark]

I've been learning a bunch of Doors tunes for a tribute concert this Sunday on the 40th anniversary of Jim Morrison's death. There are definitely a lot of notes in LA Woman - a very busy song. Definitely a great player.

 

[Jason Hebert]

Same here. Got on an Elvis kick once, and was blown away. Not as easy as I thought it would be. Great player. Enjoy the Elvis gig.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

I transcribed "Love Her Madly" and that's a really busy bassline and it's so fast that I can't really read it at tempo!

Funny enough you should mention Elvis because my band just got an end of summer gig to pay tribute to Elvis at a festival. It's not an impersonation, but we do have to learn about 25 - 30 tunes in the next couple of months! It should be interesting.

 

[Musicman Nut]

I live in a small town on beautiful Vancouver Island. Not too many good gigs come this way these days (maybe because of advancing age and declining ability?), but I have a couple of gigs this week playing behind a very good Elvis impersonator from Australia. I was very surprised while working out my parts, to listen to Elvis' bass player, Jerry Scheff. Man can that guy play. I hope he got paid by the note, cause if he did, he must be a rich man. A very good player. I think I will dumb it down just a tad..... on my 25th 4HH BFR, I think.

He is a Rich man and that was what Elvis wanted, watch the rehearsal DVD's if you can find them Elvis asked for more notes.

 

[r goldsmith]

I love Jerry Scheff. Saw him and James Burton in 1987 backing up the "other Elvis" i.e. Costello.

By the way GH, what's the name of the Australian Elvis impersonator?

 

[drTStingray]

He is a Rich man and that was what Elvis wanted, watch the rehearsal DVD's if you can find them Elvis asked for more notes.

I'm guessing but I think that this reflected the 'Jamerson' effect across much of pop and other genres late 60s/early 70s. Suspicious Minds has a very busy bass line especially towards the end.

He is a great player - I was amazed watching a documentary about the late 60s/70s Elvis era (Las Vegas). A band I played in until recently did a lot of early Elvis stuff (Bill Black was his original player I think) and I found it interesting to hear Scheff's take on this in the Las Vegas work - he stayed fairly true to the originals. He also used a precision with an Acoustic 370 + rig in the film I saw - fantastic sound.

 

[syciprider]

I love, love love his lines and tone in the Elvis in Las Vegas CDs.

 

[2ndBassGuitar]

I love Jerry Scheff. Saw him and James Burton in 1987 backing up the "other Elvis" i.e. Costello.

By the way GH, what's the name of the Australian Elvis impersonator?

Mark Anthony from Adelaide. You can find him on You tube under the name Himselvis.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahACzpgU7rs&h=d9ea6

 

[Sonnyonbass]

I thought he played with Chicago as well?

A while ago I came across a Youtube vid that showed Chicago playing on some sort of stage in the middle of the streets on the sidewalk. (New York I thought)
I thought I recognized him.

 

[lowliferumble]

I thought he played with Chicago as well?

A while ago I came across a Youtube vid that showed Chicago playing on some sort of stage in the middle of the streets on the sidewalk. (New York I thought)
I thought I recognized him.

I believe that would be his son who plays with Chicago. He is truly an inspirational player. I think between him and Tony Levin & Leland Sklar they have played with or recorded with pretty much every one EVER!!!!

 

[r goldsmith]

Mark Anthony from Adelaide. You can find him on You tube under the name Himselvis.

My town! Think I've heard of him.

 

[rpolady]

Because he could. He still only uses one finger. Duck Dunn lost his bet

 

[Big Poppa]

that is his son jason a great singer too and a funny man