Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, Sons of Apollo, David Lee Roth)
Courtesy of DiMarzio Com
There are a select few players you must see before we depart this mortal coil for that great gig in the sky (I hope they have backline!) …and this is one of them, regardless of what genre(s) speak to you as a fan and / or a musician.
The noble undertaking of every bass player is to make those around him or her sound better -which brings us to virtuoso Billy Sheehan, who has been plying his craft before millions on record and on stage for over 40 years.
Billy’s all-embracing playing technique, which incorporates tapping, picking, and the use of extensive chord voicings, is nothing short of astounding. And Sheehan’s expressive use of progressive, funk, jazz, pop, classical, soul, and blues motifs and rhythms along with his improvisations are legendary – as is his ensemble playing.
His note choices whilst toiling in-the-pocket always bring out the colors of a chord and the composition. Which is precisely why Sheehan enhances the work of any artist he collaborates with as evidenced by his chart- topping metal-pop work with David Lee Roth and Mr. Big; his forays into fusion with Niacin and Richie Kotzen; his gritty post-grunge blues venture The Winery Dogs; Sons of Apollo, and his exemplary, far-reaching canon as a solo artist – and in tandem with Steve Vai, Talas, and Terry Bozzio, among scores of others.
A true, prolific giant of the instrument, and an acclaimed clinician, educator, songwriter, winner of several notable instrumentalist polls and awards, and bass designer (Yamaha Signature Altitude) – the best way to keep up with Billy is to check his website daily www.BillySheehan.com
