Small Package, Big Deal

The Little Axe

I just couldn't resist.

I've gotten so used to carrying around my little Kala U Bass (a diminutive but powerful bass guitar built on a baritone ukulele body) that I was prompted by the gods of music to go ahead and purchase a concert-sized uke to add to my growing arsenal of euphonious implements. The UPS driver brought it to my door today and, just as I had hoped, I'm not disappointed.

Another well-built instrument from the folks at Kala Brand Music, this KA-CG mahogany uke fits my need for a quality, practical learning tool without having to mortgage the house to get it.  It looks like a miniature classical acoustic guitar, has great tone, and is light as a peacock feather (and darn near as pretty). With its sparkling gloss finish, traditional white binding, and chrome die-cast tuners it radiates a touch of class that is well-matched to the cool vintage tweed hard case (complete with an attached Uke Crazy medallion) that I bought to go with it, also from Kala.

After excitedly removing the concert uke from its shipping container, I first looked for scratches or flaws in workmanship. Finding none, I proceeded to tune it (to G C E A for soprano, concert, and tenor ululeles -anyone out there remember "my dog has fleas"?), and took a quick look at the documentation that came with it. The first song I strummed out from the simple printed music lesson in the box was the old classic, Home on the Range. What better way to break in my newest musical tool/toy than with this unofficial anthem of the AmericanWest.

Sweet!

Next. I'll have to try one of the songs from the AC/DC for Ukulele song book. Dirty Deeds Done Cheap, oh yeah! Look out, Angus Young! I wonder how I would look in an English School Boy outfit?

Well, if playing a ukulele is good enough for Roy Smeck, George Harrison, and more recently, Ed Vedder, it's more than likely good enough for Billy Radd, eh? No worries, mates.

Can't wait to jam a few choice chords with my ukulele-crazy rehearsal buddies, Neil Lawrence and Will Corbet.

We'll have to see what's up next for Asheville's newest light-weight trio.  Matching aloha shirts anyone?

Don't Miss Neileeo

My good friend and musical coconspirator, Neil Laurence, will be busking (playing for tips on the street) from July 29 - 31, 2011 at the Belle Chere Festival here in Asheville, NC.  Neil, who recently goes by the name Neileeo, is a singer-songwriter who's thoughtful lyrics and happy melodies entertain audiences of all ages with his personal message of peace and spirituality.  As a former beach comber on both coasts, Neil's compositions profess an idylic "life on the beach" which most people can smilingly identify with.  Sporting a signature straw hat and his toe-tapping menu of diverse musical styles (like blues, rock, surf, country, folk, and fantasy), his broad experience as a live entertainer gives him a empathetic connection with any audience that can only be described as a mutual love fest.

As a seasoned one-man band, the multitalented Neileeo really rocks the street with his ukulele, harmonica and clear, articulate voice.  The man can whistle up a storm, too.

If you happen to pass by Neileeo on an Asheville street during Belle Chere, or any other time for that matter, give him a listen.  Pay particular attention to his original lyrics.  He'll make you smile and fill your head with good, happy thoughts.  Being a personal friend, I know that spreading joy through music is his only goal and a conscious mission.

As part of his audience, you might also want to drop a bit of cash into his tip bucket to return the favor.

Kon Tiki Retro Bop

As we lumbered down the stairway to the level ground below the Wedge Brewing Company in the River Arts District of Asheville, I began to hear a familiar lilting tune, and one that brought back many happy memories from my idylic youth:  Quiet Village by Martin Denny.  My wife, Anita, myself and our friend, songsmith Neil Laurence were about to sample the mellifluous delights from the group called Kon Tiki, a local quartet  made up of Lin Llewellyn, songbird on uke, Lora Pendleton on string bass, singing, monkey and birdcalls, Russ Wilson handling percussion, tenor guitar and singing, and, the Man of a Thousand Songs, Hank Bones on guitar, steel guitar, cornet, marimba, and crooning.

The weather in Asheville has been unusually hot and humid for this time of year but Kon Tiki's happy melodies washed over the sweating but appreciative audience like a cool, offshore breeze. Seemingly unaffected by all the heat, the smiling members of Kon Tiki meted out lighthearted tune after sunny song that would make anyone "forget your troubles, c'mom get happy".

Fun.  That's the best way to describe the experience of their toe-tapping play list of old favs and original lighthearted material.  One Meatball, Sweet Leilani, On a Coconut Island, South Sea Island Magic, and Rum and Coke are just a few of the classic tunes in Kon Tiki's exotic bag of musical tricks.  Just like their myspace page says, it's like an evening on the Beach at Waikiki.

With influences like Martin Denny, Harry Owens, Ray Kinny, Johnny Pineapple, Sal Hoopli, King Benny Nawahi, the Andrews Sisters, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, and Hoagy Carmichael, what's not to like?

I've heard that Kon Tiki performs live at Wedge Brewing Company every Wednesday evening and, with no cover charge, just great homegrown Asheville beer, the very live entrainment provided is certainly a musical bargain.

But, you might want to feed Tiki head on the floor in front of the band with some well-deserved cash offerings from time to time to show your appreciation AND keep the Tiki head's curse off of you.

Go, and see Kon Tiki for yourself, if you know what's good for you, that is.

A New U-Bass Is Born

It doesn't take a genius to figure out when something just flat works.

I believe that's the case with the new solid body U-Bass from Kala Ukuleles.  It's the next step in the evolution of the diminutive little bass with the pudgy urethane strings and big sound, but with a price tag of $1,200 it might be a while before I get my hot little hands on one.

What a great new musical invention!

I've owned four electric bass guitars in my life; a Framus short scale when I was in high school, a beautiful Gibson Ripper that I bought in the middle '70s, a Fender active P bass I bought last summer, and my little Kala U-Bass which I bought a few months ago.  They all had different advantages, features and tonal qualities, but the little U-bass sounds the most like an upright or double bass AND is the easiest to play.  I'd love to play one of the new solid models of U-bass but I'm afraid I'll have to wait until they possibly become available at a local music store here in Asheville, which may take some time.

The other remote possibility would be that I could buy one at the $1,200 introductory price.  So, I'll just have to wait until they get cheaper (which doesn't usually happen with quality built musical instruments), or until they become known as a novelty, in which case the value may go up as well.

Anyway, in their current manifestation, the solid body U-Bass comes in four cool colors, freted or fretless, and in 4 or 5-string models.  I prefer the natural colored finish since it looks like what a Hobbit bass player might jam with on the vales and in the taverns of Middle Earth.  Rustic and small.

The new Kala solid body U-Bass is currently made and assembled in Petaluma, California, which may explain their premium price tag.  But, my hollow body spruce-top U-Bass, which I believe is manufactured in China like seemingly most everything else affordable, seems to be built very well so I have no complaints and only good things to say about my little baritone uke with the fat strings.

If you play bass at all, I'd check out both models.  They are a real hoot to play and everyone loves their low, broad tone.  And, they weigh about as much as your lunch box.

Check out Hutch Huchinson, an experienced session player and bassest for Bonnie Raitt.

Devolving

Elvis Costello? Kid Rock? Popeye Doyle? No, Billy Radd.

Well, I got this new hat so now I have to wear it, right?  Will it make my playing sound any better? You betcha! 

I need all the help I can get.

My buddy and co-conspirator, Neil Laurence and I are practicing half days two or three times a week to get ready for our premier together in front of an audience in Asheville NC, and I think I need "an attitude".  Maybe people will think that the chapeau is sooooo cool that they won't notice any minor slip ups on my part of the deal, playing bass accompaniment to Neil's singing his songs, strumming his uke, blowing the harp, and whistling.

If I could get away with it, I'd simply record my part and play a CD of it behind Neil as he performs solo.  But, no!  He expects me to stand next to him, to just hang it out there, so to speak, and play.  This takes a measure of bravery and devil-may-care panache that I am not used to displaying in public.  Sure I've exhibited lots of my paintings at art auctions, written, produced and shot hundreds of TV commercials, and other genre of visual media.  The latter endeavors typically involved much planning, feedback from other professionals, and a kind of distance that insulated my ego from the reactions of the end user.  

Not so with performing live music in front of an audience.  For one thing, people will be looking at me personally, not just my work.  Thus, the hat becomes an embellishment and a prop, a distraction and perhaps a point of interest to any specific listener.

So, it has finally come to this.  Where I used to consider myself to be an author of a work, now I am part of the work, part of the "show".

Eeeeeeek!  I'm "devolving".

But, then again maybe it's like my old mentor at film school, Tim Baar used to say.  "Sometimes you have to go back to go forward".  I had assumed that he meant that you merely backed up for a while.  I didn't realize that I would actually have to turn around and face my future full on. Another Life Lesson learned by Billy - The Future is ALWAYS in front of you.

I'll let you know how it works out in about a month.  Say, maybe I can wear the hat over my face.

Uh, probably not.

B12N Repair Update

Here's the thing.

My local tube amp repair man, Aaron, called me yesterday to report on his upgrade of the power cord on my vintage bass amplifier, an Ampeg B12N. He had found some additional problems.

"Have you used this amp in the last 20 years or was it just stored in a closet or something?" he asked.

"Oh, uh, I've been using it to practice with since last summer," I said innocently.

"Well, I'm surprised at that because there are a few problems with the electronics," he said. "Does it hum a lot?"

"Well, no, it doesn't hum a lot but I haven't turned it up very loud, though. Maybe there is a hum but I can't hear it at low levels," I responded. "Is there something wrong?" Duh.

"Yeah, there is a blown capacitor and a few other problems. Plus, someone replaced some of the original tubes with a kind that isn't really meant for your amp. I'm surprised it doesn't hum a lot, " Aaron reported. "These tubes won't perform as well as they should - kinda lower capacity power tubes. There are two KS 16's instead of the two GY96's that should have been used, " he said, or something like that.

"I did have a music store replace some tubes about 20 years ago, " I remembered vaguely.

This conversation was beginning to sound like my typical sobering trip to the local car repair shop. I don't know much about car parts either.

"Uh, OK, " I said authoritatively. "Well, can you fix it?" Ah, the perpetual question.

"Oh, sure," Aaron responded happily. "It will take me about 5 or 6 days to get the parts in."

Now, this was really starting to sound like a car repair routine.

"Ok, then go ahead and do what you need to do and let me know when I can pick it up, " I said.

"OK, man," said Aaron cheerily.

We both knew our last two lines very well from years of practice. But, the B12N will be back into service in about a week. I will be happy thumping away through the B12N's new vintage electronics and Aaron will feel the satisfaction a doctor feels when restoring the life of an older patient who was very near death but didn't even realize it.

For myself, I spent the remainder of yesterday trying to think of a good nickname for the old amp. This is my typical level of personal interaction with my instruments, besides playing them - thinking up a good name.

Then it hit me hard and quickly while looking at the above pic of the lit Ampeg logo that decorates the top of my B12N. Peg is her name. The logo, to me at least, says, "I am Peg", so that's her new name.

Anthropomorphism - it's a great hobby - not too expensive and VERY non-technical.

The Alohas Have It

The Sound of Mela

Many thanks to those who voted in my "Name the Kala U Bass" questionaire which ended today. The beautiful Hawaiian name Mela (which means Song) won with 50% of the votes. This is doubly great because that was my favored choice as well. BTW, Kani, meaning Sound, came in a close second so I may have to call it Song Sound, which is somewhat appropriate for such a classy little music maker.

In other music news, I discovered yesterday, while reading a bass forum on the net about Ampeg B12N fliptop amplifiers, that the vintage boomer of that very type my parents gave me for my 16th birthday in 1963, is a no-kidding electrocution waiting to happen. It seems that, since it was manufactured way back when grounded outlets were not the norm that they are today, the vintage two-pronged power chord my B12N sports has no way of grounding the power that might surge through the unsuspecting player if he, she, or me were to touch a microphone or any AC powered device plugged into a different amplifier.

That would be a rude awakening indeed, and maybe The Big Kahuna of All Rude Awakenings..

So, today I loaded my beloved B12N into Big Red, the Jeep, and hauled it off to Asheville's Guitar Mama Store for a sorely needed upgrade to a grounded power plug. Good thinking, don't you think?

When I play bass, I want the sparks to fly, but not from my ears.

My New Kala U Bass

The Little Wonder

I was surprised to hear the door bell ring about noon today and find our friendly FedEx delivery woman holding a box I didn't think would arrive until the middle of next week. This early arrival was my new U Bass electric baritone ukulele. And, what an amazing new invention this beautiful baby is!

It's called a Kala U Bass and is very small (30 inches stem to stern) and light (a mere 2 lbs) as opposed to my Fender P bass (45 inches long and 7 lbs). It sports soft polyurethane strings, has piezo electric pickups, (one for each string) and sounds just like an upright or double bass. I'm rehearsing with an Asheville singer songwriter, Neil Laurence, to join his act soon playing at coffee houses, parties, etc.