Doug Walker

THE LOVEBIRDS – Nutsy Pants

doug — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:36:56 +0000

COMING SOON!!!

Tuff-Bag Upright Bass Cover

doug — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:47:05 +0000

I purchased the Tuff-Bag double bass case earlier this year from String Emporium. Amazingly, this gig bag only came to a fraction over $300 “out-the-door” with a 3-year warranty, so I couldn’t not give it a shot. So far, I’m extremely happy with that decision! I’ve had bad luck with cases in the past, namely Lemur’s CheapAss™ Bag (words to that effect), but that’s a review for another time. Focusing on the Tuff-Bag, it’s easy to stay positive. It’s got a plethora of handles, which are all useful and ergonomically placed. The zippers seem very sturdy and there’s an ingenius padded flap that lies between the zipper and your bass. It has a generous amount of pouches. I use one for cables, one for my tool bag and/or wheel, and one for the bow case. There is a large pocket on the back, divided in two; one for sheet music & one for you endpin. My endpin rod is actually too long to fit here, so I just slip it in with my bow case. The handy neck-clinch adds to the overall snugness and leaves me very well satisfied with the level of protection I’m getting. I’m only a few months in, but so far there is truth to the claims that this case is as high-quality as ones sold for twice as much.

Online Resources Coming Soon

doug — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:24:17 +0000

SDReader Blog – DGQ @ The Loft

doug — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 21:55:52 +0000

Check out this SD Reader blog review of DGQ @ The Loft: A recent gig featuring Ricky Giordano (guitar), Tony Dangond (keys), myself (bass) and Charlie Weller (drums). We played a set of Ricky & Tony’s tunes as an opener for Ian Tordella Group. We plan to do more with this project in the coming months.

SD Troubadour – Tim Flannery “The Restless Kind” CD Review

doug — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:07:05 +0000

Tim Flannery “The Restless Kind” – SD Troubadour

SD Troubadour – Christy Bruneau “Stories To Tell” CD Review

doug — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:04:49 +0000

Christy Bruneau “Stories To Tell – SD Troubadour

SDReader Blog – Danny Green Quartet @ The Loft

doug — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:56:44 +0000

Here’s a review of the Danny Green Quartet @ The Loft, which I had the honor of subbing for exceptional local bassist Justin Grinnell. The group also features Julien Cantelum (drums) and Tripp Sprague (saxohones). I was given the sheet music and their new CD a day before the gig, and apparently pulled off the performance. Danny writes some very creative, involved and intelligent arrangements, which were definitely challenging, but there’s no easier way to learn tough music than with the aid of flawless charts & crystal-clear audio to go along. The challenge and spontaneity of the whole thing made it quite a memorable gig.

Acoustic Jazz Duets Unleashed

doug — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:24:29 +0000

Versatile guitarist Nick Tocco joins bassist Doug Walker to perform acoustic jazz duets, showcasing their distinct collaborative vision of straight-ahead jazz in the 21st century. Their arrangements of classic jazz repertory, modern masterpieces, and original compositions reveal a heavy influence from such legendary guitar/bass duos as Joe Pass & Niels-Henning-Ørsted-Pedersen, and Jim Hall & Ron Carter, while embodying many innovations of the following generations. Listen.

Starting in 2012, you can catch this duo every 1st Saturday at the Kensington Cafe for 2 sets (7:00pm & 8:30pm). The food there is excellent, and they have a great selection of beer & wine, so please stop in for dinner & drinks to support live jazz. Special Thanks to all who came out November 5th for our sneak preview.

Benedikt Lang double bass, 3/4 size gamba

doug — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 04:07:12 +0000

I’m so lucky to have acquired this bass! I bought it from fellow Southpaw – the extraordinary bassist Jennifer Leitham, known in Southern California & the East coast. Anyhow, she was kind enough to sell it to me and I like to think I’ve put it to good use. It is my main bass, so I use it for pretty much everything I do in jazz, bluegrass and folk. It is fully carved Gamba design with a rounded back. It is on the smaller end of the 3/4 size, so it is light-weight and low-profile with a fairly steep slope to the upper bouts. It was constructed by Benedikt Lang in Mittenwald, Germany, 1961. The only flaw I can see, and you can sort of make it out in the photo, is that it has a very minor issue with it’s overall symmetry. Leitham had it converted to left-handed when she bought it back in the ’70s at some point. The top was re-graduated 1985 by the sought-after luthier Robert Daugherty. Since I’ve owned it, San Diego’s own Dave Millard has given me a better setup for my tastes. It definitely took some experimentation with strings to finally get the right match for me. I’m now sporting some Pirastro Obligatos, which the bass itself seems to like. They are punchy, but with plenty of sustain. I like the tone throughout the range of the bass. And they bow well too. Since I need the same setup for jazz & bluegrass, I think I’ve found the best of both worlds. I even like the color! I currently use the David Gage Realist pickup under the bass foot of the bridge, which sound great, but I aim to switch to the Realist SoundClip in the near future.

Nick Tocco / Doug Walker

doug — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:10:22 +0000

Mamacita – Joe Henderson
Relaxin’ At Camarillo – Charlie Parker
Beatrice – Sam Rivers
I Fall In Love Too Easily – Jule Styne
Let’s Cool One – Thelonious Monk