Jazz bass lines

[MikeMason]

I have a trumpeter friend who wants me to form a duo playing mostly standards for brunch gigs. Working band name-high low standards. I have a couple real book volumes with enough tunes to get it done. I do not at all improvise, though I’m a fan of standards and will probably be doing the singing too. We know this won’t be profitable, if it really happens at all. So things I’m looking for: pre made suggested bass lines for standards, a drum machine, maybe a synthesized piano or guitar software or iPad app that could comp. The trumpeter will handle most of the soloing and can do basic comping on piano if I’m singing or soloing. I know many of you will tell me to suck it up and learn to improvise. I don’t have time to devote to that, though I suspect I will get ok at it over time. I’m not afraid to throw some money at this. I think it will be fun. I’m also considering a sousaphone. I own an old fiberglass that’s been in storage over 10 years. It feels leaky. Aren’t there some sort of rubber gaskets that go bad on old fiber sousas? Replaceable? I also have a way to acquire a very old but good playing 20k. I’m afraid it may be too loud and too heavy to schlep around,but may still do it. All advice and opinions welcome, even Bloke.if nothing else, hopefully this will be a good conversation starter. My miraphone 190 still waiting in line at shop. I told them to take care of more urgent school band horns first. Ill be reporting on that when done.

[bloke]

I have no advice to offer - re: the first part of your inquiry.

Fiberglass feature (sizes vary slightly, depending on make) a pair of O-rings at the brass-to-fiberglass slip joint.
Surprisingly, I've found that Ace Hardware franchises seem to have a pretty good selection of O-rings (I was able to find the right size for the Yamaha (cheesy - in my view, instead of using a proper cork) bass clarinets at Ace, which avoided ordering them from Yamaha in California.

King fiberglass (ignore those currently made, and seek those older ones (not THE oldest) with only TWO acorn nuts - which attach the valveset to the body and NO (super-early vintage) threaded ring at the brass-fiberglass joint...these "best vintage" King fiberglass will feature the "popcorn" finish) are the best-in-tune sousaphones combined with the lightest weight, and offer (via the smaller body size and 11/16" bore size) a bit more "punch" (some use the word, "articulation" - which I find to be confusing) on the front of the sound. If you go with King, the two tuning bits are two different sizes, with the smaller of the two accepting the mouthpiece.

LATER vintage King brass sousaphones are also not particularly heavy, because (beginning in the 1980's...?? 1990's...??) - to this day - they are fabricated of very thin (Cerveny-ish thickness) sheet metal. Of course, these are dent magnets. You might come across a later-vintage King that looks horrible, but (as long as none of the bad dents are along the outer body ribs) they are easy (requiring LESS-THAN-Herculean strength) to magnet away. (H. N. White vintage King brass sousaphones are remarkably thick and remarkably heavy.)

I would be tempted (if no bids) to move on this one myself, but I have "pieces and parts" to stick together a (no cash outlay to me) Conn brass 14K with good valves. (I just sold my fiberglass sousaphone, so I'll be needing another lightweight one, myself. I'm not putting together any of my "attic" sousaphones for my own use, because those are school-sales-worthy.)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/403802330009

[UncleBeer]

Re: comping software: check out iReal Pro or Band in a Box.