I recently unearthed the very first track I recorded upon my arrival here in Japan...An+ was one of those short-lived J-pop projects featuring a media-savvy muso-cum-manager and a cute young female protege who sang about three octaves higher than most dogs can hear!

While these kinds of acts are ten-a-penny over here, one lucky break can rocket the lucky hopefuls into the stratosphere. Sadly, this success is usually based on the attractiveness and all-essential ditziness factor of the young singer, who, if she's lucky will suddenly find herself a talk-show/variety show staple (where all she has to do it look cute and giggle).

It was a fun project while it lasted, and though a bunch of songs were recorded, nothing was ever officially released.

Anyway, here it is: "Own Way" by An+

If you're a fan of Squarepusher -- aka Tom Jenkinson -- be sure to grab a copy of December's issue of Bass Player (on sale now).

My transcription and analysis of his classic track "Iambic 5 Poetry" (from 1999's Budakhan Mindphone) may surprise you: Although seemingly straighforward, there are actually two 4-string basses on the song -- and one of them is tuned down a minor third!

Hands up anyone who can think fast enough to sight-read normal notation while tuned C#, F#, B, and E. (Cue tumbleweed blowing across vast empty parking lot ...)

Even discounting his astonishing bass work, Jenkinson's all-round musicality is astonishing. He is, quite simply, one of the most genuinely creative cats out there today, regardless of genre.

Quality with a capital "Q."

You may or may not be familiar with the Japan-published Bass Magazine, which is, in effect, the equivalent of the U.S.-published mag Bass Player. This is the only regular bass publication over here in Japan and is picked up by pretty much all low enders at one time or another.

Anyhoo, every two years they run a contest called "Saikyo Players" (literally "strongest" or "best" players), which is open to professionals and amateurs alike.

To cut a long story short, I got through to the grand final and battled it out with two other lads on stage at the nation's biggest music fair last week... And, though I didn't win (I came joint second) I still managed to walk away with a very nice Atelier Z 20th Anniversary Z-Plus Bass, which can be checked out here.

The whole shebang (including a photo of yours truly) is documented in this month's edition of Bass Magazine (Dec. '09), and if you're really keen, the magazine has set up this special site featuring pix and video of the event.

The winning tracks will be featured on a CD contained in the February edition of the mag, which goes on sale Jan. 19.

I'm happy to report that Jimmy Johnson gets some long overdue coverage in the October issue of Bass Player magazine with my full-song transcription and analysis of his bass part and solo on "Panic Station" from Allan Holdsworth's 1985 album Metal Fatigue.

Check it out if you have the chance, Jimmy's a great musician -- and a great guy.

On a side note: Many of you are likely aware that U.S.-based annual subscriptions to Bass Player can be taken out for roughly the price of a pizza and a couple of beers (give or take). Sadly, however, this same pricing comparison does not hold true if you happen to live in Tokyo, where a single copy of the mag currently costs more than half the price of the yearly U.S. subscription fee!

Ouch!

As a long-term Finale user, whenever I read/heard/tasted the word "Sibelius," I'd automatically block out the ensuing information and immediately rush to my computer, open up Finale and take solace in the lovely splash-screen featuring a cool-looking guy wrapping himself around his sax like a hungry cat around its owner's legs...

As most folks likely know, there are various brands of music notation software out there, but the professional world is dominated (broadly speaking) by the two giants of the genre: Finale and SIbelius. And, like the evangelical hyperbole bandied about in the ongoing Mac/ PC debate over which is best, the rival notation software camps are separated by a yawning gulf of suspicion and mistrust. (Okay, I'm exaggerating slightly for dramatic effect.)

Anyway, I dipped stuck a tentative toe into Sibelius-related waters, and—brimming over with the knowledge that my Mesozoic-era decision to plump for Finale was the correct one—I felt sure I would hate Sibelius and that only Finale knew how to "do it right."

I was wrong.

I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say I was surprised and humbled at Sibelius' intuitive simplicity and beneath-the-hood power. And, in a rare flash of insight, it occurred to me that—despite fears to the contrary—there's absolutely no need to discard previously hard-won knowledge to make way for the new, as the two elements can happily coexist.

Bottom line: I'm now more likely to reach out and shake a stranger's hand in expectation of making a friend, rather than worrying about having my watch expertly snaffled.

Deep, huh? ;-)