Normally I post my latest fiftytwo self portrait on Saturday morning but that will have to wait until tomorrow. The picture is already taken and published on Flickr but instead I wanted to write about another musical landmark – my first gig playing (almost) only the electric upright bass.

It was a jazz gig with The Pico Brown Five over at Woodcote Golf Club, where we have played several times this year. I took both the upright and my Sei 6 string, expecting to swap after a few tunes or if something fast was called. As it was, I found the upright flowed well and my fingers held up, so I stayed on it most of the evening.

The only tune I changed bass for was my own composition, Faraway Street (you can listen to an earlier recording on the band website), because it has a rather funky bridge section that I didn’t think I would nail. It felt strange having that tiny, light stringed instrument in my hands. I have to confess that it was also the tune I mucked up most, starting in entirely the wrong key because I forgot that my six string is in a non-standard tuning.

Ho-hum. Most of the rest sounded pretty good (although it won’t be until later today that I get to listen to my recording). I am definitely progressing on the upright though. I hope that I will sound better in a few months but it is definitely getting there and much quicker than I had dared to hope.

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