| Maurice Fitzgerald Clinic at Zeagler Music | Print This Article |
By Lane Baldwin
On Saturday, March 25th, Zeagler Music in Baton Rouge, LA, sponsored an Eden clinic featuring Maurice Fitzgerald. For those who don't know, Maurice is one of the top bassists in Contemporary Christian and Gospel music, and has toured with the likes of Destiny's Child and Beyonce as well. Soon he will be on tour with Grammy winner CeCe Winans.
District Sales Manager Jim Marince and I had already been in Baton Rouge for a few days doing training. We picked Maurice up at the airport Friday afternoon. After stopping at the hotel to give Maurice a chance to settle in and grab lunch and a short nap, we headed to Zeagler Music for a rehearsal with the local musicians who would be working with Maurice the following day. Hats off to Eric Johnson of Zeagler Music for gathering together an outstanding group of musicians. They were all top-notch and very easy to work with. The group consisted of:
TaRon Lockett - Drums
Rod Jackson - Alto Saxophone
Brandon Adams - Keyboards
Esco McCollum - Keyboards and Synth Bass
Amos Singleton - Guitar, Keyboards and Drum Loops
The clinic itself was held at the nearby The Baton Rouge Little Theater. The venue was an excellent choice with excellent acoustic properties, and provided a great view for all attendees. Sound was provided by Jacob Cardona of Sounds Good. Many thanks to Jacob for doing a great job, especially in that he perfectly captured Maurice's sound on both Bass and Piccolo Bass.
Maurice and the band strut their stuff. From left to right: Amos Singleton,
Esco McCollum, Rod Jackson, TaRon Lockett, Maurice and Brandon Adams.
For his 5-string Bass, Maurice used the same rig he uses in concert: a WT800B powering two D410XLT cabinets (in Bridge Mode). During his performance, Maurice used thumb, fingerstlye and slapping techniques, often employing all three in a single tune. The rig captured every nuance perfectly. For his 5-string Piccolo Bass, he elected to use a separate rig so he wouldn't have to change settings mid-show. This rig consisted of two Nemesis combos strapped together (via the Headphone Out routed to the FX Return): an NC210 and an NC115. Maurice was very impressed with the rig, saying that it did a great job of translating the Piccolo Bass's unique sound.
In addition to the two bass rigs we used for Maurice, we used a second WT800B and a D610XLT cabinet for the Synth Bass parts played by Esco McCollum. All three rigs were fed to the PA via their DIs. They all sounded awesome!
After a quick greeting and introduction of the band members by yours truly, Maurice launched the band into its first tune. It was a treat to watch jaws drop and eyes glaze among the 50 or so attendees. To say the audience was impressed is a serious understatement. Maurice addressed the audience between tunes and answered questions on his sound and technique as well as on music as a career choice. I've got to say, Maurice is a natural. He's very accesible and warm, making it very easy for the audience to ask questions.
In the middle of the clinic, Maurice asked me to provide an overview of the company and our gear. He was also kind enough to help me demonstrate the effectiveness of the EQ section on the WT800. Having no desire whatsoever to play bass during the clinic, I aprreciated that very much! <smile>
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After the product demonstration, it was back to music interspersed with Q&A sessions. Maurice is a generous bandleader, making sure that every musician had ample opportunity to solo and share the spotlight. Just before the last tune, Eric took a moment to say a few words and acknowledge all who help make the event a success. He then asked Maurice to draw the winning tickets in the raffle. The winners were:
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Dad Roy and son (and aspiring bassist) Jody had come to the store earlier in the day to audition amplifiers to replace the unit (NOT an Eden!) that had just died on Jody days before. When they learned of the clinic, they immediately went to the theater and were the first two in the door. Jody now has a new practice amp to use (since Dad isn't a bass player) and a killer amp that will last him many years. He plans to use the money originally meant for a new combo to buy a companion speaker cabinet.
 Maurice draws the winning tickets in the raffle. |
 A group shot of the winners. Left to right: Lane, Waymond Simmons, Maurice, Roy LeCompte, Jody LeCompte and Eric Johnson. |
Maurice and the band kick it one last time.
Aftter the clinic, Maurice and most of the band returned to the store, along with most of the audience. Maurice was surrounded by fans for the next two hours, graciously answering questions and signing autographs.
In all, the clinic was a huge success. Maurice and I talked at length of doing more clinics in the near future. We both had a great time, and enjoyed working with each other. I don't think we could find a better representative for Eden and its products. Our sincere thanks to the Zeagler staff for making the event a success. On behalf of the Zeagler staff and the Eden team, many thanks to Maurice for doing such a great job. And here's hoping the tour with CeCe Winans is a blast!