| Author | Message | ||
| wfmandmusic
Member Username: wfmandmusic Post Number: 77 Registered: 1-2012 |
Did some work on the family today and thought< why not a group pic. Having fun!  | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Senior Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 1732 Registered: 10-2006 |
Very nice! Is that modder Dave's old fretless? Peter | ||
| wfmandmusic
Member Username: wfmandmusic Post Number: 78 Registered: 1-2012 |
Yes Peter it is and its a super fine instrument to play. I really enjoy it. | ||
| charles_holmes
Advanced Member Username: charles_holmes Post Number: 346 Registered: 3-2009 |
That is some really excellent basses you got there Ken!!! So how did you come to love Alembic? What's your story there? For me it was hearing Lopsy Lu in 1973? I can't remember when Lopsy Lu came out but that's when I had to have one. Then I heard Stanley & his band live @ the Tower Theater on 69th street (you remember that theater?). He played "The Jester" and the highs were Crystal Clear combined with monstrous lows! Anyway, I had the chance to pick one up in 1983/84 from my bass teacher Bruce Kaminski when I was going to Combs College of music in Chestnut Hill but I wanted the short scale.Some 20 yrs later...Bingo! Got my dream bass! | ||
| wfmandmusic
Member Username: wfmandmusic Post Number: 79 Registered: 1-2012 |
Charles, the Tower still has shows. I go there all the time. For me, back in the 70's, I loved Returned To Forever. Then I got totally hooked on School Days. I was playing the upright bass in school orchestras and jazz bands at the time. But, I was raised in Detroit so James Jamerson's sound was calling me. But, rock and roll was blasting full blown and I got into The Who, Led Zeppelin, and The Dead. So a lot of my favorite players were slinging Alembics. The next 20 or 25 years I spent as a struggling musician. Put a few albums out, toured around the country as an opening act for bands like The Romantics, Night Ranger, Joe Satch, etc. I always wanted an Alembic but never seemed to have the cash when one presented itself. You know the usual things that happen to us in life like I got all my gear stollen from me in Boston, a few divorces, a few kids, lived in 13 different states, that stuff that slows you down financially. Sometime in the mid nineties, I ended up in Ann Arbor Mi., and joined a Dead tribute band. Somehow we landed on the bill at the High Times Whee Festival and performed at Buckeye Lake Music Center. We had the worse time slot going onstage on Sunday morning but I got to spend the entire weekend with some of my idols backstage. JGB band bus parked right next to me. Andrew Tosh, Michael Rose, Merl Saunders, John Entwistle Band, Jefferson Starship, Rick Danko, Richie Havens, Country Joe McDonald, and canned Heat were all on the bill for the Weekend. Sitting and talking with Richie was great. I had a partial dinner with John E and he asked me what kind of bass I played. My answer was a 1974 P bass I bought used for 125.00 in 1974 but it's not what I wish I played. He said Ken, you need to get the bass you really wish you were playing. Later that night I stood in the pit and watched him play Boris the Spider. I never forgot what he said. It took me 15 or so years after that to purchase Dave's fretless. A year later came the Distillate, then a year after that the series 11. You know it was one of those weird things in life, you keep trying hard, saving money, then something would come up. So life has been a wishing for a very long time, road to joy that is known as Alembic. Ending with the best is still good enough for me  | ||
| artswork99
Moderator Username: artswork99 Post Number: 1997 Registered: 7-2007 |
Great story! Thanks for that Ken, beautiful family photo ;) and, nice question Charles ;) good thread topic. (Message edited by artswork99 on July 11, 2014) | ||
| enzo
Senior Member Username: enzo Post Number: 403 Registered: 4-2009 |
Whoa, you have quite a bit of stories to tell! Lived in 13 states, a few divorces, a few kids and that managed to slow you down only financially? It would have slow ME down even mentally Beautiful Alembic trio btw. | ||
| wfmandmusic
Member Username: wfmandmusic Post Number: 80 Registered: 1-2012 |
You know outside of leaving my kids fatherless, if I was to die tomorrow, I would die knowing I had a nice full life. That's what it is all about right? One time I spent my Alembic money when I met Joe Zon at a NAMM show. I was working at a music store at the time and Michael Manring was doing clinics. I drove him around to a few shows and we talked Zon. I spent some time talking to Joe (mostly about price) and all he kept saying was Michael Anthony doesn't even get that good of a deal on one. I remember telling him well, He can afford a whole room of Zons and I can't. All I had to do was give Zon credit on recordings and let anyone who wanted to play it to try it out. Well 3 months later I received a really nice 5 string fretless BUT was then back to zero in my Alembic account. That bass has a special place in my heart because someone showed some kindness to this broke kid from Detroit. At that time we were getting a little radio play (3 piece instrumental prog rock), a label was interested but we had to work with a singer to make it happen. Oh yea, they had someone in mind. It was Dee Snider. After a conversation with his former guitarist we decided against it. That ended up being a turning point in my life. I wonder how many of us have refused to compromise what we thought was our musical integrity to further our endeavors? | ||
| charles_holmes
Advanced Member Username: charles_holmes Post Number: 347 Registered: 3-2009 |
Ah the 70's was such a great time for superb bands and musicians! I too am a RTF fan (I still am a fan to this day!). My 1st exposure to their music was "Light as a Feather" Then there is Mahavishnu, Larry Coryell..I could go on & on. It is good that you at least got a chance to pursue your dream!! In addition you got a really good bass in It being a Zon (do you still own it?) The Closest I got to my dream was being an opening act for Patti Labelle(she talked to me back stage after a performance and said that I had a great voice). I was singing & playing bass on the tune called "System" By The System) I opened for the Chi-Lites too. I was doing the "Chittlin' Circuit" back then . I was the musical director for a girl trio singing group called "Sparkle" In addition Patti & her band used to rehearse at our rehearsal hall @ 15th & Dickerson in South Philly. Anyway,to get back to turning points. At the age of 21 I chose to marry my high school sweetheart because I got her pregnant and thought it was "the right thing to do" I remember my dad walking in my room, sitting on the side of my bed asking me if I was sure that I wanted to get married because I loved music so much. Of course I wanted to be like him and "Do the right thing thing" (well that (marriage) turned out to be a train wreck). Right now I don't wanna die If I kicked the bucket I'd probably be a frustrated ghost and go around haunting everybody playing an Alembic!I still want to visit the Mothership, get to hang out @ an Alembic Gathering (Chi-town) cause it's closer. Maybe we could ride together if they have a gathering at Bag End amplification in Chicago! (just a fleeting thought). Maybe we could have a mini gathering in Philly!!! I'm rambling now...cya! | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4136 Registered: 6-2002 |
My first exposure to Return to Forever was sometime in the 70's on a late night serious music programme in the UK called The Old Grey Whistle Test. I remember hearing Stanley Clarke do this impossibly fast run on his double bass and that blew me away. Winding forward a few years I was properly introduced to return to forever by the drummer of a band around 1982 who had the most amazing car stereo system and he played the whole of the romantic warrior album and you could feel the music as well as hear every little impossible to play phrase. I was hooked and still am. Outside of The Wailers & Bob Marley, return to forever is probably the band I've listened to the most in my life. I would love them to come out with an album of completely new compositions. They are probably one of the few great fusion bands from that era who have all their members still alive and making music. I have little faith in that happening though. | ||
| wfmandmusic
Member Username: wfmandmusic Post Number: 81 Registered: 1-2012 |
A new album would be a dream come true. Romantic Warrior really push my musical composition theory and ranks way up there on my best album ever list. Hey Charles, Patti Labelle is no joke but the Chittlin Circuit made me laugh. I feel your frustration but I for one wouldn't want to see a haunting Alembic player. A trip to Chi-town would be great as it was one of the cities I have lived in in the past. Yes I still have the Zon and most likely it will be with me until I have departed this plane. Even though I'm not currently married, I read something a guy wrote about his gun collection. His fear was after he died, his wife would sell his collection for what he told her he paid for everything. Here is a pic of the Zon Legacy Elite.  |
