What can I say? The guy deserves his own thread.
Enter anecdotes, compositions, performances, meetings, whatever - anything about Scott Ambush.
I thought of this on my way to work today, listening to Big Dance Number.
It's been said that one of the few problems listeners have with Original Cinema is we don't get as much of Scott as we have on other albums. But I've noticed that his bass line on BDN is very much there. (He's felt on most of the other songs, too, but it may take more than a few listens to get it.)
I had my car stereo cranked up to level 25 (out of a possible 30). This by no means is going to cause seismic disturbances and might not even get me a citation from the noise police. But, while I'm in the car, 28 is about as loud as I can stand it for most music.
Anyway, I was stopped at a red light when I noticed that my rear-view mirror was vibrating in time with the bass. In my car, that's never happened before.
Sure, the mirror has been knocked off its mount a couple of times in the past week when I was trying to set up my sun shield. Still, I've played other music even louder than OC, including a mix from an old George Duke album that has lots of good bass and percussion.
When it comes to great bass lines that don't overpower or distract from the rest of the music, Scott's da man!
(Don't get mad at me, 'cause I'm liable to say the same about Kim Stone whenever I get around to doing a mix of Let It Ripp. :p)
Seriously, I don't believe I've heard any bass player - in a group - who can give us that much oomph without being too dominant ... with the one possible exception being Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire.
What do you think?

Well put! Excellent observation Woody! In addition to BDN, I think he does some great work on Extrovertical.

I've been listening to Three Wishes lately and notice the same thing. What a talented man! Can't wait to see the live show this weekend!

BTW, was Three Wishes the first Spyro album that Scott played on?

Anecdotes you say? I've shared this one before, but I'll share again.

A few years ago I saw them at a festival in downtown Akron. Right at the beginning of the Joel- and Scott-only version of Deep End, I noticed that all the highs cut out of Scott's bass. I could see that he was looking quizzically at Joel as he played.

Afterward we went around the back of the stage and were talking to some of the guys. Scott came up and had his bass in his hands. Let me stop here and say that thing is gorgeous close up. If I had an extra $3k laying around and thought I in anyway deserved to play on an instrument like that, I'd...ahem, well getting back to the story. I started talking to him and mentioned what I had heard. He said that he had put his bass down kind of hard, or wrong, on the stand - or maybe it had fallen off - I can't really remember, but it was something about the stand. AND that he thought it had damaged the pot. With that he turned around and walked away yelling "you see , I told you..."

So I turned to my wife kind of nodding my head, straightened my shirt a little bit and, sniffing in gratification, said "See that? I was just talking to, uh, Scott (because, you know, we're on a first name basis now) about the treble pot on his bass and all that and he went to tell the other guy what I said." She said "You're an idiot."

Aw, man, Rob, that is a great story. "You idiot"? LOL. And yeah, I know what you mean about the $3k. For me, though, I'd go for Schu's setup - if I knew what to do with it.
Yes, LibraLady, Three Wishes was his first album with the group. And yes, all those things are there - Breathless, Whitewater, Nothing to Lose, Three Wishes, Inside Your Love .. heck, darn near every song has that presence.
I also noticed he was really on it in the tape that Gary sent me.
Hey, Rob, did you know Scott has his own bass-making company? Check it out:
http://www.ambushbass.com/

Ah, let's see, Ambush anecdotes... Shake out the cobwebs a little...

Is anyone surprised that I'm throwing my hat into this ring?

OK! Not everyone all at once! S#*T!!!!!

Went to see the fellas several summers ago at a festival at Lake Fairfax Park in Virginia on a heavily overcast day. Several bands preceded Spyro on the card, the skies turned more ugly by the hour. Acoustic Alchemy attempted to begin their set in a downpour all the while remarking that the weather was no big deal at all to them - reminding them of home. Soon thereafter, the stage roof began buckling under the weight and force of the water. Bye bye Acoustic Alchemy.

People, musicians included, were just generally milling around the grounds killing time and hoping the weather would ease up - didn't happen. At some point, I ran across Scott among the wanderers and asked for his take on the weather situation. He shrugged and commented that it happens to them all the time and that he had re-named the band "Hydro Gyra."

What a story, huh? Stay tuned, there may be more to come...

Tell you what, probably the sweetest tune I've heard come off his fingers was a rendition of "Blackbird" that he performed in a club in DC as a duet with Mary Ann Redmond. Gave me chills.

Yunz guys had better be right about "Deep End" on the current setlist!

ROFLMAO "Hydro Gyra" That's great!
Keep, em coming, folks.
Oh, and Gary, knowing these guys, they'll keep The Deep End on the setlist, but change how they play it 5 or 6 times before they get to you.
I noticed on the tape that Shaker Song was similar to what they did on Road Scholars, but slightly different.
I listened to Love & Other earlier tonight. It never fails. I am totally thrown when Scott goes off On Liberty Road - especially that dialogue with Jay at the end.
I'm not sure this solo has been mentioned anywhere, although I intended to some time ago — during The Schuu's solo on Rockaway to Sunset, Scott is IN THE ZONE, man!
Just a 4-note pattern played repeatedly, but so awesome.

I'm just hoping they do a live version of Extrovertical where Scott just goes off 'The Deep End' so to speak!! When I saw him and Joel do the duet version of The Deep End, I almost sh** in my pants! That was totally freaky what Scott did there! In fact, to this day, I still can't believe what I saw him do! I place him among the elite when it comes to bassists! Bassdom better watch out for Scott. There's gotta be a solo cd in him!!

Crossing my fingers for that one! That would be abso-freakin-lutely fantastic!

That would be great. But my impression from when Donna put that question to the guys was they don't want to mess with that one - at least not yet.
(I'll be highly peaved - well, jealous anyway - if they do add it to the show and you guys get to see it. :p )

Hey everyone this is Lawrence. The story I have to tell is unique, very unique. I'm a proud owner of an Ambush Bass. What makes its so awesome is Scott delivered the bass to my house personally!!! If you think he works it out with Spyro invite him to your house and have him play the bass he just built you. I see him often when he's off tour, we are very good friends. The bass is amazing, but its truly in the hands, the guy is a beast! Me and a couple of my closest buddies got a 45 minute bass lesson you wouldn't believe. Not to many bass players out there as awesome as Scott. Now that's an Ambush story.