I've always admired of how well piano players can play changes with walking bass lines. It's not so easy to accomplish on vibes. The way I attempt this requires some mallet dampening to keep everything sounding full and clean.

To get started you might try writing out a walking line to practice with, but ultimately you want to be able to create your voicings and "walking bass" spontaneously.

Here is traditional tango very weel played by an authentic argentin player. He is 34 years old, and he plays with a lot of bands in Buenos Aires, some of them new tango (Piazzolla and his musical's sons). Perfect tecnician, and for me the real tango feel (length of the notes, accentuation, lyricism, etc...). He has many albums, and many Youtube videos with this duo.
Hope you enjoy !
http://www.youtube.com/user/mghersa
http://martinghersa.bandcamp.com/

Another great player, interesting too. There are others videos of them on Youtube. Hope you enjoy it !

Here what i've got about him :

I disscovered this player, i like his feeling. There is another video on Youtube where he is playing a swinging tune with a 4tet. I hope you enjoy, and it's intersting to see new things..

His bio :

Christian Tamburr is a multi-instrumentalist, accomplished on the piano and trapset as well as world and orchestral percussion. Confirmed in May of 2001 when in their annual poll of collegiate musicians, Downbeat Magazine awarded him "Outstanding Solo Jazz Performer".

Well sort of free. I'll give away 2 sets to two people (1 set each) who want to do the following.

I'll be giving away the soft version of the mallets. Great for quiet(er) gigs and practicing.

Do a GOOD report on a living vibe player.
Put up his discography, and get 5 of his latest cds in our amazon section. Gather his important links, youtube vids, tell us something about him. (Don't plagiarize).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOE!!!!!!

I've said it many times here, but Joe is a true ambassador of the vibraphone. A phenomenal player, great stage presence, great guy and glowing charisma! I think we're lucky that Joe hangs out with us!

He's a great friend of mine and I'm lucky to know him and get to hang with him!

So happy birthday!

Marie asked me if I know Wolfgang Lackerschmit. Here's a picture he recently posted on my Facebook page. It was a vibraphone summit from the middle 70's (Check out the hair!!!!) with Wolfgang, Karl Berger, Tom Van der Geld, Frank Tusa(bass) and drummer Janosh Stefansky. (Sp.?) Wolfgang is in the upper right hand corner and I'm the 2nd from the left.(Check out the hair!!!!)
Too bad the picture is so small. Maybe he has a bigger one.

normally i would not post this tune yet and practice it some more weeks but then i remind me about my own spirit of posting thoughts and here it is. i´m not satisfied with some parts of it, specially the verse before the melody starts is played a bit loveless.but you get an idea what i´m working on at the moment. it´s alsmost the same style like i did on the sunny side of the street but this song is harder for me to do...no idea why, maybe because it has more chords.

tarik

I've been "not playing" now for three years. I think that's longer than some of you have been playing. I still digest music daily internally and I often get the attention of my brother firefighter/paramedics at work who notice the non-stop whistling or humming. Emilie (sp?) helped me learn this in her "Up Jumped Spring" post and I think it's going to help me out of my "hiatus" mode and start writing and playing again.… (thank you Emilie).

Todd directed me to the channel of this German vibist... Oh wow!! I loved all his tunes, but totally dug that one! Smoking, grooving, light, fun, open ears... musical!

Anyone knows him? David? Tarik?

Wolfgang's channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/hipnet#p/u/27/LgBcH8HWBls