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Bassist Renaud Garcia-Fons
July 3, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.
Add new comment | Filed under: auray, berimbau, bowing technique, cello, contrebasse, Discovery, double bass, FIJM, fingers, flamenco guitar, francois rabbath, gesu, jazz players, Listening Post, montreal jazz festival, musicians, no doubt, percussion, pizzicato, renaud garcia fons, tutelage, woodshedNotice anything unusual about this bass?
Take another look at the fretboard. You'll see five strings on the Jean Auray bass, a French-made instrument. But that's not the only difference. This bass is played by Renaud Garcia-Fons, who plays the instrument and makes it sound like a cello, a drum, a Brazilian berimbau, even a flamenco guitar. His pizzicato, or plucking style, sounds most like flamenco. Renaud uses the tips of his fingers, rather than the sides (like most jazz players). He has a flawless bowing technique, no doubt developed under the tutelage of the master of the contrebasse, Francois Rabbath. Garcia-Fons can execute a sequence on the double bass that would send most musicians back to the woodshed. He looks like he's doing these pyrotechnics with little effort.
But enough about technique. What makes Renaud Garcia-Fons so interesting is that he plays some amazing music. In Montreal, he performed with a trio (guitar, percussion) at the Salle de Gesu.
Click here to listen to Renaud Garcia-Fons at the Montreal Jazz Festival 2008.
-Josh© 2008 WBGO
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Broadcasting FIJM
July 3, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.
Add new comment | Filed under: FIJM© 2008 WBGO
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In Montreal, Oscar looks over us all
July 3, 2008. Posted by David Tallacksen.
Add new comment | Filed under: FIJM, Jazz AliveThis year's Jazzfest is dedicated to Oscar Peterson, who was born in Montreal. It's been mentioned there is a large sign with his picture in the Place des Arts, and Michael Bourne has spoken of it many times on air. But talking and blogging doesn't do it justice, and in this case a picture is worth a few more words, as Oscar looks over us all:

© 2008 WBGO









