JAY LEONHART: The Bass Lesson CD/DVD

Jay Leonhart

The Bass Lesson CD/DVD

© 2003 Chancellor Music Co.

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

SPECIAL: 20% discount if you buy more than one copy of it today!

This is a CD and a DVD of The Bass Lesson, the one man musical comedy by Jay Leonhart that takes you though a lot of the funny, touching, and philosophical moments of his career as a jazz bass player.

notes

THE BASS LESSON at The Los Angeles Friars Club

JAZZ REVIEW
Leonhart: Humor played to a bass rhythm
By Don Heckman
Special to The LA Times

September 9 2003

Add Jay Leonhart to the small, very exclusive list of jazz humorists. The New York bassist-singer-songwriter's performance at the Friar's Club on Sunday easily positioned him in the upper echelon of a group that includes Oscar Brown Jr., Dave Frishberg and Bob Dorough.

Appearing as the headliner in a "Parlor Performances" event, Leonhart
offered a one-man show, "The Bass Lesson," singing and telling his
original songs and stories with the sole accompaniment of his own bass
playing.

He immediately addressed the quandary he faced by singing "It's
Impossible to Sing and Play the Bass," countering the premise of the song
by displaying that - given sufficient talent - it was indeed possible to
simultaneously sing while operating his cumbersome instrument.

Another number, "Ban Bass Solos," decried the difficulties facing
audience members when bassists take their solos, drummers get lost, and
listeners lose their musical reference points. Continuing his lesson, he
described his instrument's origins with a humorous fragment explaining
its development by the 16th century violin maker Gasparo da Salo.

Reaching even further back, he came up with a hilarious fantasy about the
"first bass players" in a song describing the difficulties of "Life in
the Middle Ages."

Along the way, other tunes were tossed into the hopper: a description of
a plane trip in which he was assigned a seat next to Leonard Bernstein
(who "did the London Times crossword puzzle in 10 minutes - with a pen");
a sardonic view of the flight of the Hindenburg; and the need to keep
dogs away from basses ("they're made of wood, you know").

Good stuff, all of it, the product of a whimsical imagination combined
with artfully understated musical virtuosity.
Don Heckman LA Times


"What I learned at "The Bass Lesson" is that Jay Leonhart is a masterful entertainer. His show is hilarious and superbly paced, underpinned throughout with his unabashed love of jazz, and his respect for the great bassists who were his mentors. It's a sheer delight on every level."
Max Morath


"The Bass Lesson is very, very funny".................The Irish Times


"The Bass Lesson is very, very funny".................The Irish Times

"The Bass Lesson starts off attempting to give us a bass lesson, but once Jay Leonhart senses that the audience is not so devoted to bass viol studies, his "lesson" skillfully and humorously turns into a series of funny and touching songs and vignettes about life, with or without a bass violin in tow. It's another kind a bass lesson altogether. The songs in the show are original and totally unique to Leonhart--from his airplane trip with Leonard Bernstein and a special gig with jazz drummer Louie Bellson, to a very funny song about women's choices of apparel, and another about a slightly off center potato sculptor. All the songs are skillfully composed and Leonhart is a masterful performer. The Bass Lesson is a real lesson in life and great fun, with a charming and funny performance by a master musician.

Paul Pearce..... Time Out Baltimore

reviews

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  • Absolutely terrific!
    author: Anon

    This is one of the funniest, wittiest, most musical CD/DVDs I've ever heard/seen. You'll be glad you bought it.

  • inspired and fun
    author: s.overland

    A great performance. Great bass playing, marvelous humour and the amiable mood of the performance is very well captured on this dvd.

  • Jay Leonhart is a true master of his instrument.
    author: Stephen Kennedy

    This DVD is musical, funny, entertaining, and educational. Being a bass player myself and being fortunate enough to have had a real bass lesson from Jay, I learn something new every time I watch it, but whether you're a musician or not, this performance with keep you entertained from start to finish.

  • I should have bought more than one...
    author: Stephanie Nystrom

    We heard "The Bass Lesson" song on the radio and loved it. If we ordered more than one DVD, we got a discount. I couldn't think of anyone else who I knew would like it and just ordered the one. What a mistake! We have shared our DVD with everyone who has come over, and everyone (regardless of age or taste in music) has loved it - humorous lyrics and music to die for! Now I am trying to figure out how many more to get...

  • Verbally and musically entertaining
    author: Scott

    Jay is very impressive on both the storytelling/poetic side and the music side. As an amateur bassist, I found a lot to learn in watching how Jay accompanies himself. The production values are not going to intimidate George Lucas, but they're very acceptable. This is an entertaining performance I expect to enjoy watching and studying numerous times.

  • Thanks CD Baby
    author: Gruffpuppy

    Great company to deal with. The DVD very nice. Great match, Jay's humor and Jay's bass. Hope he comes to Boston soon.

  • Very funny and I Like Da BASS!
    author: Connie Zimmermann

    I am a bass player, so I not only accutely enjoyed the humor (laughed my head off), but also really enjoyed the chance to hear so much bass! It's not often that I am able to hear the bass without all of the other instruments mucking it up!

  • Great CD
    author: Jerry MacDonald

    Wonderful, fun CD

  • Jay is terrific, the production values a little lacking
    author: Cole Roland

    This DVD is a recording of a live performance by Jay Leonhart, performed in a small jazz club. While Jay is very entertaining and captivating, and as big a fan as I am, I was distracted a little by the low production values. The DVD contains no extra features. Solely judged as a DVD, it is very plain and offers only stereo audio. However anyone who is a Jay Leonhart fan will find this opportunity to see Jay perform live, irresistible. Hopefully in his future DVDs, the production values and features will be healthily improved.

  • Understated and Brilliant Humor and Entertainment
    author: Jessica Goff

    Unique and very enjoyable.

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