John Goldsby, Bassist
John Goldsby has been a member of the world-renowned Westdeutscher Rundfunk Big Band (WDR Big Band) in Cologne, Germany since 1994. He also records and performs with his own ensembles there. Before moving to Germany, Goldsby was active in the New York City jazz scene from 1980-1994.
A native of Louisville, located just across the river from Jamey Aebersold’s hometown, New Albany, Indiana, Goldsby literally grew up under Aebersold’s tutelage, playing in jam sessions with Aebersold and learning from classic jazz recordings Aebersold gave him.
He is featured on 10 Aebersold Play-A-Longs.
What was it like recording the Play-A-Longs in Aebersold’s basement?
When he set up to record, he had a four-track, reel-to-reel tape recorder. I don’t think they did much mixing and mastering, what you would do today. You know, take the recorded product and then put it into the computer, and add effects and maybe pump up the bass sound or make the piano sound more brilliant, make the drums sound larger than life.
Back then, it was just whatever we got on tape was what we put out on the market. It was a great thing because it was an honest way of hearing all these different rhythm sections that recorded under similar situations in Jamey’s basement.
When I think back, it’s very unusual, because, now, this would never happen.
When Jamey would record his Play-A-Longs in the basement he would talk to us during the recording (on their headphones). He would say in this kind of quiet, calm voice, we’d be playing through a few choruses of a tune and he would say, ‘OK, we’re coming up on the turnaround. We’re going to play the last melody chorus out and then play a 1-6-2-5 over and over and over.’
And so I’d be hearing this in my headphones which is sort of like a strange feeling because I can’t see anybody; I’m behind the books in his basement. And sometimes he would scat a little bit or he would whistle in the headphones like a little solo.
He would usually do the Play-A-Longs in one day. I didn’t think it was strange at the time. Now, you’d think well that’s very athletic. It’s athletic to do one album in one day; but to do two! He’d often have two rhythm sections there. For me, as a young guy, I’d be hanging out there and Rufus Reid would be there and I’d have to record. Just knowing that Rufus was there put a little pressure on.
I think it adds a lot to the feeling of the music; it’s not like a sterile, overly produced studio album. It sounds like three jazz musicians coming in and playing through some tunes and trying stuff out, and the fun is you can jump in there with them if you’re working on your improvising.
What do you consider the legacy of the Aebersold Play-A-Longs?
Jamey is one of those visionaries who only comes along once in awhile.
I think the beautiful thing about his Play-A-Longs is that a world-class musicians like a Randy Brecker or Chris Potter can use those Play-A-Longs and still work on improvising with that Play-A-Long, as well as somebody who just bought a horn a month ago or they’re just figuring out a major scale, they can also use the Play-A-Longs.
It’s a tool that, if you have the right guidance, any musician can use the Play-A-Longs to become a better musician.
If you see his promotional materials, it says ‘Anyone Can Improvise.’ And it sounds like just a sales slogan, but he really believes that anyone can improvise, or that anyone can sing.
He believes no one is tone deaf. I’ve seen him work for hours with somebody who can’t carry a tune just trying to match pitches, or sing a melody, or have him sing, and he’ll play chords under it. He won’t give up on people.
So, his slogan ‘Anyone Can Improvise’ is really a way of life for him and he really believes that improvisation feeds your soul, and music has this great healing power. I think that’s his contribution.
To paraphrase something he told me once that still sticks in my head: All the answers are on the records. ‘You want to know how to do it, well, here’s the record. Come back in a week and let me know how far you got.’