| Author | Message | ||
| J B Faires (keebler)
New Username: keebler Post Number: 5 Registered: 2-2003 |
Hello Alembic Club members! I've been playing bass in bands for 14 years. About four years ago, I was practicing with the guys when my wife showed up to give me an early X-mas present. Imagine how extatic I was to open the case and find an Alembic Spoiler! (here in the mid-west, we'd call her a keeper!) I am currently working towards a Masters in Music Performance at Eastern Illinois University while playing in bands ranging from jazz, to funk/rock/R&B, to bluegrass. (I'll post some pics of my 84 Spoiler as soon as I can get the image size down a little) Peace to you all, JB | ||
| Paul Ellsworth (elzie)
Member Username: elzie Post Number: 90 Registered: 8-2002 |
Welcome JB! We really need to get your wife and my wife to talk......... Paul (the good one)  | ||
| Paul Lindemans (palembic)
Advanced Member Username: palembic Post Number: 331 Registered: 9-2002 |
Hi JB, welcome to the club. I'll bring my wife to that meeting too! For one or another reason I knew the good one would react this way (he has the same sense of humour I guess). Paul (the bad one) PS: hey ... we need an "ugly one" to make our trio complete. Any Paul available? | ||
| Dino Monoxelos (dean_m)
Member Username: dean_m Post Number: 84 Registered: 7-2002 |
Well, I suppose I could change my name to Paul. I'd certainly fit the ugly description. HA!! Welcome to the club JB!!! Hey are you familiar with a bass player by the name Chris Clemente, plays with Kick The Cat and Amazing Headgear? He's a friend of mine in your area. Great player too! | ||
| J B Faires (keebler)
New Username: keebler Post Number: 6 Registered: 2-2003 |
Thanks for the welcome, I've never been to Europe, so if we have this "meeting" I vote for Paul's hometown (the bad one)! I hear those Belgian monks have a few years experience brewing some tasty ales. . . The name Chris Clemente sounds familiar, but I don't recognize the band names. Might have heard of him while hanging at Guitar Center in Villa Park? | ||
| Dino Monoxelos (dean_m)
Member Username: dean_m Post Number: 85 Registered: 7-2002 |
Uh Oh!!!! You just brought up my favorite subject other than motorcycles and basses!!! BEER!!!! I just had a couple of Paul's native brews this weekend. Paul, what do you know about Chimay. I thought is was very good. | ||
| Paul Lindemans (palembic)
Advanced Member Username: palembic Post Number: 341 Registered: 9-2002 |
Brother Dino and brothers and sisters, I propose we call Dino: "Brother Paul -The fake one" LOL!!! Chimay is also one of my favourites. It's a beer that is more reddish as color. About that "monk" thing. Hm-hm - here comes some beer lessons from Brother Paul "the Bad one". So "good, fake and (candidates?) ugly" listen up. In Belgium and all over the world you'll find: "Abdijbier" litterally translated meaning: "Beer of an Abbey". Most of the time those beers are brewed by small or large industrial breweries and having nothing to do with an Abbey. In the best case the beer is brewed following an original (Abby) beer recepy. "Leffe" is one of those highly popular Abbey-beers having nothing to do with an Abbey anymore. You also have "Grimbergen", "Affligem". But on those places there ARE actually more or less famous Abbeys. The beer is not brewed by those monks or in that Abbey but by an industrial brewery (I think it's the "De Smedt" brewery in Opwijk who makes Grimbergen and Affligem). Beware -it's getting as complicate as the typename of Alembic guitars- there ARE small Abbeys (being NO TRAPPIST) who have their own beers but that is on really small local base. For instance in the Abbey of "Val Dieu" (Litterally: "The Valley of God") they make an extremely good Abbey-beer, on very small base, only for sale in the neighboorhoud. With a "monk" beer most of the time we mean beer made by "Trappist" monks. I don't remember the "brand" of those monks but (...) "trappist" were monks from the "silent" type. A monk beer (a trappist) MUST be brewed by monks, it's the law. There are only 6 "trappist" abbeys in the world, 5 of them are Belgian. The REAL monk beers (trappist) are: Westmalle (B) Westvleteren (B) Orval (B) Rochefort (B) Chimay (B) La Trappe (Nl) This last one -following may last info- lost the right to call it's beer "Trappist " because there is no longer a monk alive and involved in the brewing process. Take in mind that the name of the beer is also the name of the place in Belgium where it's brewed. So if you can imagine that Belgium is about the dimensions of New York ... you can visit all of them in some days. More easy: hop into a bar and start tasting. There are bars specialising (ever been to a bar with 320 types of Belgian beer???). The monk beers -yes Brother Paul "the fake one" also CHIMAY- comes in different strenghts: 8 - 10 - 12° alcohol. Most of the time it's clearly noted on the outside, we in Belgium we talk about a red, yellow or blue Rochefort = three strenghts of the beer. What else could I say? If you coming to Belgium, rent a car or a motorbike, and travel to Orval and its Abbey. It's a majestic place. It's very strange to see silence fill a space. Outside there is a busy café. BTW: Orval makes a very good cheese too! You can also celebrate the 4th of july here in Leuven: I have a gig in a Irish pub that night. We start with irish beers and go further on something belgian afterwards! Cheers brothers Paul PS: I think i'm gonna get Brother Paul (the fake one) over here: I have an Alembic, I'm from a brewery family and I know a place where I can rent a motorbike ... how's that sound? IN short: irrisitable! I even can provide decent food for the baby coming along! (Message edited by Palembic on March 25, 2003) (Message edited by palembic on March 25, 2003) | ||
| Paul Ellsworth (elzie)
Member Username: elzie Post Number: 91 Registered: 8-2002 |
That is some great info Paul! I brew my own beer, so it is nice to get some info from one of the beer capitals of the world By the way, I will start brewing a Red Ale this week. Paul (the newly enlightened one) | ||
| Paul Lindemans (palembic)
Advanced Member Username: palembic Post Number: 343 Registered: 9-2002 |
Brother Paul-the good one (who-is-enlighted-now-and-this-joke-can-runs-for years-this-way), I read it somewhere that you are in the home-brewing business (now I understand why you were in trouble with the IRS - LOL). Gosh .... beer-brewing. I guess it's as spectacular as building (breeding) basses. I don't know THAT much about beer-making. My personal all-time favourite is still "Duvel". It was one of the first "strong" Belgian beers exported to the US. That goes back to the 70ties I guess. It was imported by an Austin based company. I think it's more "common" in liquor-stores these days. I know you Americans have a sweet taste. See if you can find the DARK "Kasteelbier" (Litterally: Beer of the Castle) on your side of the pond. It's very sweet (but -alas-) also a fair heavy one. Cheers Paul (the drunken one) PS: ssssssssshhhhhht brother Paul no one is hearing us here. Can you send me some bottles??huh??? | ||
| Dino Monoxelos (dean_m)
Member Username: dean_m Post Number: 86 Registered: 7-2002 |
WOW!!!! Paul, thank you so much for that info. That certainly answers a lot of questions. My friend who bought the beer and I were trying to figure out what a "Trappist Monk" is. I am forwarding this info to him right now. See, I learned something new today!!! Everything else is "icing on the cake". As far as coming to Belgium, how can I resist!! Alembics, beer, motorcycles and good friends!!! What could be better? Paul, what is the nearest airport to you? I might as well start pricing tix now. This way, after my new baby is born, I can maybe come out, pending the approval of my boss(wife) HA!!! Talk soon, Paul(the fake one) | ||
| Paul Lindemans (palembic)
Advanced Member Username: palembic Post Number: 344 Registered: 9-2002 |
Dino, I couldn't find immediately what monk "brand" a Trappist is. Please you'll have to wait on that. Airport? Brussels Interantional Airport is on 30 km of my door. Some years ago there were direct flights from Boston to Brussels. Now the National Airway company changed policy. I don't if it still exists. Schiphol (Amsterdam) is on 400km, the same for Paris. Hick | ||
| J B Faires (keebler)
New Username: keebler Post Number: 7 Registered: 2-2003 |
I've had the Chimay red label before and I can attest to its greatness. A friend of mine brought back a bottle of Leffe for me last summer. He said it tasted much better over there straight out of the tap, but I thought it tasted pretty good. I didn't know it wasn't a "real" Trappist beer. . . Being of Scotch-Irish/Dutch/Swiss/English heritage, I have an affinity for fine drink. Unfortunately, American beers just don't cut it! (much like making love in a canoe): I'll take a room temperature Guiness over a cold Budweiser any day!!! Anyway, I would love to do some playing over there. Is the music scene healthy and diverse in Europe right now? I'm in a situation where the band I'm in is really three bands in one. The keyboardist, guitarist, and I can all play jazz (standards and originals); the lead vocalist/guitarist/mandolinist, and I can play a mix of country and bluegrass; and all of us together with a drummer form a five-piece funk/R&B/rock and soul review (Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, et.al.). Five guys, three bands. We could travel pretty cheaply. What are the clubs like in your neck of the woods? Do people enjoy originals as well as covers? Peace, JB | ||
| Paul Lindemans (palembic)
Advanced Member Username: palembic Post Number: 357 Registered: 9-2002 |
Hi JB, sorry for the late answer to your questions. I'm not a person to speak over "the Europe" scene. In fact there are very few people who can. Let me explain. You people -your side of the pond- speak about the US as 1 whole. I KNOW there are cultural differences between Boston and San Diego, between Florida and Helena but nevertheless US people tend to talk about 1 "whole". In EU everything is going on on a much (VERY MUCH) smaller base. I have not the faintest clue what musically is going on on the live music scene in France. Let alone that I know something about Finland. In out teeny-weeny small part of EU I can give an opinion. Live gigs are -for the moment slowing down a bit- at least that is what we and out band experience. Generally spoken however there is a real tendency to go for more live gigs in smaller venues: bars for instance. People like to have a good time. I guess in US there is more a tradition of putting a live band in a bar than over here. Everything is SOOOO much SMALLER!! I don't say there is lesser quality but the market, the "audience" a sa group is very small. So you say: go on the move and travel around with your band. Well, there comes the thing EU being a want-to-be 1 whole but in fact styill having different countries. For me the way to Holland is not that obvious. Most of the audience would react kinda "what are those guys doing here? We have bands that can do the same...". So ...only when you're VERY good you work abroad. Small amateur bands tend to stay even in our province or region. Maybe a lack of ambition but also but things are sooo small. You have to understand: in 2 hours you cross the whole country. Now for US bands coming EU it's something different. I guess you have to contact touring organisations. Alas ... I can't help you right now on that but will try if i can get the time and the right persons. CU Paul (the bad one) | ||
| J B Faires (keebler)
New Username: keebler Post Number: 8 Registered: 2-2003 |
Thanks for the frank reply, Paul. I find it very interesting that European audiences enjoy our jazz music better than we on this side of the pond do. At least this has been the case for several decades. The audiences over here don't really want jazz "in their face." They want it to be background, dinner-conversation music. Audiences in EU are passionate about it as an art form. Many of the best American jazz musicians end up spending most of their time gigging in EU and Canada. We play such a mix of every genera of music because you never know who you'll be entertaining. The point is for everyone to have a good time; the trick is to find what music facilitates that best! PEACE, JB | ||
| keebler
Junior Username: keebler Post Number: 11 Registered: 2-2003 |
Hey, I've posted pics of my Spoiler in the Showcase section. She needs a little polish, but she still looks and sounds beautiful! Check it out! JB | ||
| sstillwell
Junior Username: sstillwell Post Number: 11 Registered: 2-2003 |
Hey, if you want more info about Trappist monks, try http://www.monks.org. It's the web site of a Cistercian Trappist abbey in Trappist, KY, USA. They've got some info on the history of Trappists and monastic orders. Also, try Chimay's web site at http://www.chimay.be or http://www.chimay.com. More good info. From a fellow brewer and bassist! I'm going to have to get all my brewing gear cleaned up...I haven't brewed anything in years, but suddenly it sounds good... (Message edited by sstillwell on April 25, 2003) | ||
| palembic
Advanced Member Username: palembic Post Number: 392 Registered: 9-2002 |
Hithere Scott, wow ...good info there. So you answered the question: "What monk-'brand' are Trappist?" Cistercians! So now you have to re-read my part of the thread to accept some correction: there are definitely MORE Trappist abbeys in the world than 6. What I meant to say was that there are only 6 of them brewing beer and 5 of them are in Belgium. Sounds better no. BTW: Scott, you're a beer-brewer too? Brother Paul (the good one) -also knowed as "Elzie"- is a brewer too! Brother Dino (Brother Paul the Fake one) and me are merely beer lovers. However that an uncle of mine runs the "Lindemans" breweries. They make beers that seems to be very popular at your side of the pond: the "framboise" and the "pecheresse": both beers with fruit added. Okay ... who of those brewers around here will invent a good "Ale-mbic"??? a real "bass"beer! Bottoms-up! Paul (the bad one) | ||
| sstillwell
Junior Username: sstillwell Post Number: 12 Registered: 2-2003 |
Oh, Paul, you shouldn't have said that... I LOVE Lindeman's Framboise... Rasberry soda pop with a kick! Or barley champagne with Chambord, depending on how you look at it... It's just useless trying to brew a proper Lambic here, though...the whole thing depends on lactobacilli that "sour" the beer (actually controlled spoilage). The whole thing is location-dependent...If you don't have the right bacteria, you won't get the right flavor... Hmmm...an Ale-mbic beer...Well, it would obviously have to be BOTTOM-fermented...but then that would make it a lager, not an ale...hmmm...that could pose a problem...decisions, decisions... Ok, I need to go on a beer run. Let's see, I need some Lindeman's, and some German Rauchbier, and some Spaten Oktoberfest...hmmm, throw in some Chimay for good measure, and some Guiness to top it off! Oooo...can't forget the Theakston's Old Peculier... Uhhh...then I'll put it in the little fridge next to where I keep my bass rig when I'm not using it....I had to mention basses in there somewhere... <grin> | ||
| palembic
Advanced Member Username: palembic Post Number: 397 Registered: 9-2002 |
Brother Scott, go for the Chimay "Blue Label"!!!! Paul PS: I'm ashamed of myself but I don't like the Framboise beer. Too sweet! Lambic beer is originally VERY sour. When I was young we drank it after harvesting the potatoes with a friend farmer. VERY refreshing on a hot day! | ||
| sstillwell
Junior Username: sstillwell Post Number: 13 Registered: 2-2003 |
I'll have to try some of the other Lambics as I can find them here (they're a bit hard to come by). Maybe I can find some Gueuze and get a little closer to the traditional Lambic. Regards, Scott (Message edited by sstillwell on April 30, 2003) | ||
| keebler
Junior Username: keebler Post Number: 15 Registered: 2-2003 |
Man I'm thirsty! |
