Devising Bass Lines for Jazz Standards

Last week my jazz group had a gig at the Slapface Coffee & Tea Cafe in Fremont, CA.  To prepare for the gig, I practiced the songs on my own (as well as with the band).  I record every practice and gig with my H5 Handy Recorder, then upload them to www.Soundcloud/gwaltrip for the band members to review.  Some of the songs are tight and others are not, particularly when we are playing new songs for the first time.

We have another gig this Sunday (July 22, 2018) at the Big Basin Cafe, on Big Basin Way in Saratoga.  There will be a car show on the street and we are expecting a good crowd. [Update:  gig was postponed due to a scheduling mixup.]

I am continuing my own approach to arpeggios and learning the songs:  I go through the sheet music and experiment with the chords, how best to play a minor 7th flat 5 while transitioning to the next chord, for example.  What sounds best?  What's the best way to play a major 7th chord?  This experimentation has yielded knowledge and new sounds from my fretboard.  It helps me remember  how to handle various chord arrangements during performance.

Various jazz musicians have said that memorizing the songs is the best approach.  You must know each song thoroughly, to play it through smoothly without mistakes, without getting lost.  Memorization is the way to do that.