Yesterday I drove up to Leeds and bought myself a beautiful shiny Boosey & Hawkes 400 series 3/4 double bass. The drive, three hours each way, and fuel cost, of about £50, were well worth the effort and expense. I’m absolutely delighted with this gorgeous looking and sounding instrument.
On getting home, after taking Chester for his daily constitutional in the back garden, I immediately set about getting intimate with this curvaceous dusky maiden. Woefully out of tune out of the bag, thanks to an handy iPhone app I was able to swiftly get her singing much more melodiously/accurately.
To my great delight, some of the licks and riffs I used to play started coming back to me, so I made a little video. Mostly excited chatter, with a good dose of itchy nose fiddling and talking to Chester, who’s off camera mewing plaintively (wants to get outside again). Showing my ineptitude publicly like this is, perhaps, rather fool hardy. But hey… who cares!?
Why my iPhone wants to film video in a misty soft-focus – and I’ve cleaned the lens numerous times – I really don’t know. Photos come out perfectly clear and sharp. Weird! I’m thinking of naming my bass, with Brigitte and Fran as top contenders. Mind you, Valerie, or Leonie, for Valerie Leon also appeal. Mind you, I absolutely hate that total musical non-entity of a track Valerie, by Amy Greenhouse, so that’s out, methinks.
Fran is for Fran Jeffries, and, based on sheer sexiness, is my favourite. But Brigitte sounds as cool and sexy as the bass looks. Hmmm… bit of a poser, eh!? Or should I say conundrum (or even Conan-drum?)?
And sticking with the utter sexiness of this bass. The back is very feminine. Put me in mind of Ingre’s Bain Turc. But then, when I see the painting, I think the bass is actually sexier. The painting, by comparison, is less subtle or sophisticated, more harem as meat-market!
