Jimmy Haslip and The Yellowjackets
MARTa / Herford 24.05.2009

It's been almost a decade ago since I first met Jimmy Haslip in Munich.We've kept in e-mail contact since, but a personal visit was well over due. So I took the opportunity to meet him again in the "MARTa" in Herford, where he performed with the "Yellowjackets"."

Shortly after we met up I was devistated to find out, that his very good friend Wayman Tisdale had died. Wayman was also a left-hand-bassplayer and he played his bass, just like Jimmy, on a right-hand-strings. Wayman died due to cancer on the 15th May 2009 aged only 44.
There will be a benificial concert held in America to honour the decised and to support the cancer foundation.

I don't think I need to say much about the "Yellowjackets" concert. All four members are extraordinary musicians: Bob Mintzer (Saxophon), Marcus Baylor (Drums), Russel Ferrante (Piano) and the already mentioned Jimmy Haslip (Bass). I would only like to say the following about the concert: Perfect performance mit a perfect, but subdued/mellow lighting.

The "Yellowjackets" have been on world tour for a couple of weeks and have been giving several concerts on the way. You could tell the exhaustion of the members but more in personal talks rather than on their performance. The music was doubtlessly fresh and phanomenal.

At the concert in Herford the Bass equipment was obviously supplied by the firm "Glockenklang" and consisted of a Bass Art Classic Amp and a 4x10 Box. Haslip's enthusiasim with the firm "Glockenklang" started well before this concert night. He pointed out on several occassions, that he will use the provided equipment again at the Bendic Hofseth Symphony Orchestra and the concert with Vinzent Mendoza and he articulated his high respect for the company from Northrhine-Westfalia.

His personal bass-equipment, which he uses when playing in the USA, consists of the following components:

SWR 4x10 cabs
SWR 900 Amps
Dunlop und Dean Markley strings

He also owns the following basses:
Keith Roscoe 6-string fretted
Tobias 5 & 6-string fretless
Tobias 6-string fretted
Moon 4-string bass
Yamaha TRB 5-string and BB 1200s 8-string bass
Jim Tyler 5-string bass
5-string Innerwood Bass (by H.Kiuchi)
MusicMan 5-srring


His "loyal companion" is the six-string Keith Roscoe with an amber coloured Quilled Maple top, a mahagony body and, as already mentioned, with upsite down configuration.
This bass model is already 11 years old, but you will still hear and see it played on thousands of concerts. The bass and his master have toured the world several times, but now its pension is coming close.

This is Jimmy Haslip´s new Wyn "Gabriela Rose" bass. Named by Jimmy´s daughter!

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Check out: http://wynguitars.tumblr.com

Jimmy Haslip will present his long awaited Solo-CD "Nightfall" in the summer of 2010. The following well known musicians have participated in this project: Bob Minzer (Tenor Saxophon), Jimmy Dranly (Drums), Steve Tavaglione (Sopran-Saxophon), Katisse Buckingham (Flut), Roger Burn (Vibraphone) und Jason Hann (Percussion).
Co-Produzer is nowbody less than Joe Vannelli. One can anxiously look forward to the piece of work.

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