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Soft Machine bassist Roy Babbington |
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hieronymous 
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Joined: December 27 2012 Location: Oakland, CA Status: Offline Points: 308 |
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 Topic: Soft Machine bassist Roy BabbingtonPosted: February 16 2019 at 19:27 |
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I wrote about my recent experience seeing Soft Machine live in Berkeley, California and briefly meeting bassist Roy Babbington. I was chuffed that Leonardo Pavkovic of MoonJune Records posted my blog entry on his Facebook page!
Really hoping they come back to the US again!
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hieronymous
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Joined: December 27 2012 Location: Oakland, CA Status: Offline Points: 308 |
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Posted: February 22 2019 at 12:02 |
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Can I get special recognition for no responses?
 (Is that a radioactive sign or a tape reel?)Well, I wrote another blog post, this time about a live Miles Davis album on the eve of the electrification of his music. On the surface not prog, and yet one of the most progressive artists of the 20th century - that has to count for something? Edited by hieronymous - February 22 2019 at 12:03 |
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Mascodagama
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Honorary Collaborator Joined: December 30 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 5111 |
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Posted: February 22 2019 at 13:09 |
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Well, I enjoyed reading it. Roy is tops, and a first-rate upright bassist in more conventional jazz contexts as well as his electric work. I think the first time I heard him was on a duet album of Ellington numbers with pianist Stan Tracey and I was immediately captivated by his melodic sense as well as his way of propelling a tune. Edited by Mascodagama - February 22 2019 at 13:25 |
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Soldato of the Pan Head Mafia. We'll make you an offer you can't listen to.
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hieronymous
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Joined: December 27 2012 Location: Oakland, CA Status: Offline Points: 308 |
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Posted: February 23 2019 at 00:43 |
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Thanks for reading! One of the things I want to keep doing is writing about bassists that have influenced me, that blow me away, etc. I guess write about music in that way too. Also share my collection of music and hopefully insights that I have gained. That's cool that you have experienced those other aspects of Sir Babbington's career - my knowledge is definitely limited to his tenure in Soft Machine. Edited by hieronymous - February 23 2019 at 00:43 |
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Tom Ozric
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Joined: September 03 2005 Location: Olympus Mons Status: Offline Points: 15926 |
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Posted: February 23 2019 at 00:54 |
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He was great on the Delivery album with Carol Grimes. He is an awesome bassist, and he played that rare 6 string bass you see him with on the Soft’s Seven album.
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hieronymous
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Posted: February 23 2019 at 18:45 |
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This one?  Pretty sure this is the '62 he mentions in this article in Jazzwise Magazine: |
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Tom Ozric
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Posted: February 23 2019 at 22:16 |
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^ Yes Sir !! I
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hieronymous
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Posted: February 24 2019 at 09:24 |
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That Bass VI is partly what led me to become a fan. He is one of the only bassists who I am aware of that plays it like a "regular" bass and with his fingers. Seems like a contradiction since he came from the double bass. Lots of great shots in it from the video of the NDR Jazz Workshop 1973 video:
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hieronymous
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Joined: December 27 2012 Location: Oakland, CA Status: Offline Points: 308 |
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Posted: August 28 2019 at 23:40 |
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I wrote another post about Roy Babbington and Soft Machine:
https://hieronymousseven.wordpress.com/2019/08/29/roy-babbington-continued/ Edited by hieronymous - August 28 2019 at 23:41 |
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Sean Trane
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Prog Folk Joined: April 29 2004 Location: Heart of Europe Status: Offline Points: 20408 |
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Posted: August 29 2019 at 01:52 |
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Actually, that's a funny one, cos I (I don't think I'm the only one at that, too) never thought of it as a rape reel.  However if it was the nuclear trisector, it's got the good colours allright, but the black parts should go all the way to the edges and touch the center "dot/hole", and it's not the case   Soooo you could be right about a tape reel.   ================= Babs is excellent, but filling Hopper's boots is a tough assignement.
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hieronymous
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Posted: August 29 2019 at 17:42 |
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Yeah, the classic lineup of Third is untouchable. But I came to embrace the change that the band went through over the years and really enjoy the Babbington/Marshall stuff. Glad we have the tape reel emoticon - it needs to be used more!  (actually I noticed that it's flashing red so either it means "recording in session" or "meltdown"!)
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Lewian
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Posted: August 31 2019 at 05:32 |
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Nice to read by the way. I've seen the Softs fairly recently and they are still amazingly fresh.
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BaldFriede
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Posted: September 01 2019 at 04:09 |
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I saw him play live with Paraphernalia, the band of sax-player Barbara Thompson, at the Subway, a jazz-club in Cologne, in the 90s.
Edited by BaldFriede - September 01 2019 at 04:10 |
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 BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
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hieronymous
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Posted: September 02 2019 at 00:19 |
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I updated the "continued" post - found more information (evidence?) related to the Jimi Hendrix & Soft Machine tour, including an ad for their concert at the university I went to (Clark U. in Worcester, Massachusetts USA) - and that there is a recording of that show! Unfortunately it looks like the Grateful Dead & Soft Machine didn't cross paths in Dallas, Texas
 (Here's the link again: https://hieronymousseven.wordpress.com/2019/08/29/roy-babbington-continued/)
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BrufordFreak
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Posted: September 02 2019 at 12:03 |
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Didn't know the guy was still on the planet but I was immediately sucked into the Ian Carr-Nucleus/middle Softs stuff by his work. Haven't really paid attention to anything he contributed to since the 70s, but I'm open to suggestions!
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Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
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hieronymous
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Joined: December 27 2012 Location: Oakland, CA Status: Offline Points: 308 |
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Posted: September 02 2019 at 18:23 |
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I can only point to recent Soft Machine - the most recent album, Hidden Details, is great! He was also involved in some of the albums when they were called Soft Machine Legacy. Hidden Details is John Marshall, John Etheridge, and Roy Babbington from the "later" (middle?) period Soft Machine, plus Theo Travis.
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hieronymous wrote: