Darren's Gig Blog

Thanks to all the folks who sent me kudos for the review of Cumulo in the May 2009 issue of Bass Player Magazine (it's the one with Phil Lesh on the cover). I of course feel very privileged to be selected for such a lauding. Bryan Beller wrote such a beautiful review, so I want to thank him (as well as admire him) for his steller proficiency as a wordsmith.

I also want to thank my wife Cindy for being there for the meltdowns as well as the successes and loving me through all of it. Of course the album wouldn't be in the world without Chris Moore of East Hall Recording. Go check him out. He's a beast of a producer not to mention his studio kicks major tail. Also thanks to Garrett Haines of Treelady Mastering studios for making it all fit. Thanks to the basses I play, too. I could go on with the "thank yous" going from my family to my twenty year old Volvo wagon. So just know that I am without a doubt thankful beyond words' expression.

However, I do want to point out something I find interesting, and I hope this doesn't rub others the wrong way. The vast majority of the emails and phone calls I got about the review said "You deserve it". While I understand the sentiment, I couldn't help but be bothered by it. I may be taking this out of context, but by saying I deserve it would infer that others do not. I hear a lot of solo bass from recordings to live playing (from those not entitled to record and release their efforts) and while a few players still need time to refine themselves, ALL have been deserving of praise and honors. The courage it takes to place your art out into the world to an unknown end is very deserving. In the realm of solo bass, it is the intellectual equivalent of trail blazing or pioneering. These guys and gals are going where very few of us bassists have thought to tread. While the waters are many times warm and inviting, I've seen the adverse and I've seen it harm artists. So please, dear reader, go lift up the solo bassists in your neck of the woods today. Go put them in the sunlight and nuture their growth.

Also of note, I spent the last week at Wooten Woods Retreat as volunteer help for the first Bass Nature Camp to be held at the location. Among other things, I spent most of the week in a ditch doing dishes. It afforded me a wonderful view of what was going on at the camp. I washed and watched as campers came in so unsure of themselves and afraid to talk to each other let alone play bass in front of each other and their hero teachers. As the camp progressed, beautiful people blossomed and a 60 or so person tribe was formed. The heros walked among them having lifted the whole tribe up onto the pedalstools which they themselves had been placed. The light was blinding and the sound reverberated through me. And I was there and I saw it. I glutted myself on the wisdom and love (and Chef John Schopp's, Jeff's, and Lindsay's killer food) that was to be had. From the nature and music staff to the campers and camp itself, I learned. Now I feel that much closer to where I'm going.

I won't go into details, because that may ruin what's waiting for you at the retreat. Go check it out at www.wootenwoodsretreat.com.

Thanks for reading. A few gigs are coming up in Denver, so check my calendar for info. I'll be attempting to add more as I wander about. Please drop me a line if any of you have ideas or would like to swap/share gigs. Oh yeah, my birthday is Friday, May 1st, but I'll be accepting gifts all month

. Take care!