SOME GIGS

• 12 February 2012, 3-6 pm, Jazzology I: the first in a new series of jazz music and film events: ‘a Sunday afternoon of deep bass grooves, sonic explorations and jazz standards, featuring Swerve Trio, Adverse Camber (double bass duo) plus a screening of The Cry of Jazz (1959).’ £3 (kids are free). The Gregson, Lancaster.
• 19 November, 12 noon, Green Fair, Quakers’ Meeting House, Lancaster
• 15 October, Dukes Theatre, Lancaster,  before Jah Wobble.
• 17 July 12-4 pm, Summer Daze Festival, Fairfield, Lancaster.
• 28 June, 6-7 pm, Dukes Theatre, Lancaster, Chill Out Tuesday.

For the past couple of years I have been playing in a double bass duo with Ken Johnston, called Adverse Camber. The music we play is a mix of jazz standards, blues, originals by me, with a variety of sounds–pizzicato, arco, percussive, vibrato. There’s a conscious effort for the music to be accessible to an audience, partly I suppose because we recognise that a double bass duo is an unusual musical combo to start with.  

Things I like about Adverse Camber include but are not limited to  

• the pure and slightly austere aesthetic of that deep sound (though admittedly it hasn’t led so far to too many pub gigs);
• the insistence that choice of instrumentation makes on really listening to the other player;
• the unusual freedom for the bassist soloing because there is another bassist playing the changes at the same time (very rare: usually the bassist when soloing has to keep the chords or melody going while trying to do an interesting solo too);
•  the impactful visual pleasure of the double bass doubled—especially two such interesting, battered, historic instruments;
• the challenge it’s given me both in terms of playing the melodies and playing arco. It’s good fun. There’s nowhere to hide, which is how it should always be;
• the impact playing with another bassist has had when I’m not playing with the other bassist;
• regular rehearsals (mostly Tuesday evenings, followed by a couple of pints) which makes it both a gigging band and a kind of a bass workshop for us both.

Recent gigs have been at a book launch at Lancaster Maritime Museum, a bookshop party, jazz upstairs at the Gregson community arts venue in Lancaster, at the Dukes Theatre… It may be a bit of a minority taste but, hey, minorities are important. And people like it—we’re getting more gigs. Book us!