He anchored one of the most successful ensembles in the history of popular music – and one which furthered the careers of several iconic songwriters including Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Laura Nyro, Paul Williams, Harry Nilsson, Hoyt Axton, and Randy Newman – to cite a very select few.
We all know Jeremiah was a bullfrog, however if you came within earshot of an AM radio in the late ‘60’s – early 70s you also know the work of late Joe Schermie by way of “One,” “Easy To Be Hard,” “Eli’s Comin” “Celebrate,” “Mama Told Me Not to Come,” “Joy to the World,” “Liar,” “Old Fashioned Love Song,” “Never Been To Spain,” and “Black & White” among others.
Three Dog Night was America’s premier pop singles band of the era, knocking out 21 Top 40 hits between ‘69 and ’75.
Founding bassist Joe Schermie (nee Shermeltzer) was their soul-inspired harmonic bedrock: always in the pocket, rendering all the right notes with a diversity of rhythmic variations, and allowing space within the songs for their remarkable triumvirate of singers to shine. Joe was a true finesse player with a rock ‘n’ roll edge. Schermie’s weapon of choice was the Fender Jazz, which he customized, and affixed a fuzzy Troll doll to the headstock which he never explained!
A powerhouse live ensemble, Three Dog Night’s album tracks where equally as engaging as their singles – dig their rendition of a Beatles track which was never officially released by the Fab Four “It’s For You” from Captured Live at the LA Forum https://youtu.be/PFaIwt6nfdU
Following his dismissal from the band in ‘73 – for reasons unknown, Joe later emerged in the ensemble S.S. Fools featuring Bobby Kimball who would go on to front Toto, along with former TDN members Mike Allsup and Floyd Sneed, who were also axed, again, for reasons unknown. They waxed one slab which sank in the marketplace which was now focused on punk, disco, and hard rock.
In his later years, Joe worked in various ensembles – some with Floyd Sneed, which featured his former band’s hits, and new material. Schermie passed at age 56 in 2002 shortly after the filming of the aforementioned television show.
Joe Schermie Sound & Vision….
Three Dog Night:
BBC In Concert 1972 https://youtu.be/6SBd9ZfzzMA
“My Impersonal Life” https://youtu.be/U6IjeTXHKU8
“Eli’s Coming” https://youtu.be/K8SRD0FK2EE
“Try a Little Tenderness” https://youtu.be/eyNRMkrfyFk
Tony Senatore’s rendition of “One” https://youtu.be/JIQWQlTfDok
S.S. Fools:
American Bandstand: https://youtu.be/xAovwsPiReQ
“Whatever Happened to America” https://youtu.be/BHhQfO7pz9Y
Dig Joe and Floyd cooking fried chicken on an independent TV program entitled Food Rules https://youtu.be/yf051qxnnZ4
Bassist Fran Festa with his Joe Schermie Tribute Bass.
Check out Fran’s Joe Schermie Fans Facebook Page! (12) Joe Schermie Fans | Facebook
Photo courtesy of Nathan East Com
Courtesy of Duck Dunn Remembered Com
“I listen to the first playback, then go back into the studio and play half of what I did!” Donald “Duck” Dunn
Along with James Jamerson Jr., Carol Kaye, and many of the Wrecking Crew players of the early 1960s, Duck established the electric bass as the bedrock of popular music by way of his work in Booker T. and the MG’s and as an in-demand A list studio player.
Dunn’s style is a master course in the use of rhythm and space. Play through his transcriptions and you discover not a superfluous fill, grace note, nor rapid-fire motif. Duck let the music breathe, and by doing so you can hear the song within his bass passages.
A player whose influence is incalculable, Duck’s legendary weapon of choice was the Fender Precision outfitted with heavy gauge LaBella’s akin to his peer Jamerson – which he amplified with various Ampeg rigs, most notably the B-15, again akin to the aforementioned Motown icon.
So what Donald “Duck” Dunn done? Booker T. & the MGs, Ray Charles, The Blues Brothers, Roy Buchanan, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Isaac Hayes, Albert King, Ritchie Havens, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross, Muddy Waters, Bill Withers, Neil Young, The Manhattan Transfer, The Staples Singers, Boz Scaggs, Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks, Freddie King, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Jerry Lee Lewis…to name a scant few.
Nick Rosaci’s transcription book Soul Fingers: The Music & Life of Legendary Bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn – is essential reading for all bassists who work in a pop, rhythm and blues, soul, funk, rock context.
Every track Duck cut is worthy of exploration – so rather than choose one of his more popular passages, dig this somewhat obscure Slowhand recording “The Shape You’re In” https://youtu.be/yFVXxxvkFiU
Tony Senatore’s Booker T. medley with some of Duck’s classic passages: https://youtu.be/6KdK2KyZlAg
Kenny Aaronson, Tom Semioli in the Duck Dunn shed!
Courtesy of Thin Lizzy Co UK
There is no Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame vast enough to accommodate the legacy of the late, great Philip Parris Lynott. The creative genius behind Thin Lizzy and one of the most influential rock artists of all time, Phil is beloved, revered, and emulated by indie and alternative rockers, punks, folkies, and metal heads alike.
Pounding out root note passages on top of the beat with his instrument positioned ergonomically chest high, this Dublin by-way-of Birmingham working-class poet bared his restless romantic soul in compositions and performances that were reflective, cocksure, cavalier … and jubilant – all in the span of a five minute pop song.
Detailing the blue-collar blues (and triumphs) of the proletariat and its fringe characters, Phil’s artistry evokes comparison to such acknowledged poets including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Leonard Cohen, and Joni Mitchell. His unique style of conversational vocal phrasing – half sung / half spoken – afforded his witty libretto a cinematic quality.
Phil’s weapons of choice included his signature black Fender Precision bass, Rickenbacker, and in his later years, an Ibanez Roadster.
Phil Lynott Sound & Vision …
“Sarah” https://youtu.be/sEmkIxOolxc
“The Boys Are Back in Town” https://youtu.be/SGZqDzb__bw
“Whisky In the Jar” https://youtu.be/6WDSY8Kaf6o
“Bad Reputation” https://youtu.be/gqSzDJGFCgI
“Jailbreak” https://youtu.be/dMko8DlY9IA
“Cowboy Song” https://youtu.be/fMdmjoAB-5Q
“Old Town” https://youtu.be/d2OcIqwmSaY
By Thomas Semioli
“I’m not a star. I’ll never be a Frank Sinatra or Elvis Presley or a Ray Charles. I’m just an imitator, man. I’m doing a very bad imitation on the bass of Jerry Jemmott, Bernard Odum, Jim Fielder, Jimmy Blanton, Igor Stravinsky, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, James Brown, Charlie Parker… the cats, man. I’m just backing up the cats…” Jaco Pastorius
You can divide the history of the bass into two categories: Before Jaco. After Jaco. As a student at the University of Miami in the late 1970s – a time when the electric bass was not considered a legitimate instrument by the jazz establishment (aka “the jazz police”), in the many instances when we were confronted by such ignorance – we simple responded to the misbegotten taunts with one word, one name: Jaco!
Jaco’s influence is, in a word, incalculable. Drawing on his deep reference for Cuban music (especially percussionists), jazz, rhythm & blues, Frank Sinatra, big-band, funk, rock, pop, soul, and every permutation thereof, Jaco brought an exciting, fresh voice to the instrument akin to his artistic peers Jimi Hendrix and Charlie Parker, to reference two.
On the technical side, Jaco’s virtuoso application of harmonics, chords, advanced harmonies, and lyrical improvisations all coaxed from a battered fretless Fender Jazz – known as the “Bass of Doom,” shook the foundation of popular music. His unique tone shattered the long-held tenets of what a bass should sound like. The full possibilities of the electric bass which Jaco pioneered are still being explored today by players of all generations. On stage, he was a master showman.
Jaco’s work with Weather Report, Joni Mitchell, Ian Hunter, and as a solo artist and collaborator remains watershed, and continues to inspire scores of players.
Kudos to film makers Paul Marchand, Stephen Kijak and Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo for telling Jaco’s story with the grace, dignity, and respect he so richly deserves: Jaco – Passion Pictures / 2014.
Jaco Pastorius Sound & Vision…
Jaco and Joni: “Shadows & Light” https://youtu.be/bLKb9Ms68ME
Ian Hunter “All American Alien Boy” https://youtu.be/i9y7IIjS3Kk
From Rock ‘n’ Roll Sweepstakes: Ian Hunter – The Authorized Biography Volume Two by Campbell Devine (Omnibus Press). Tom Semioli, who runs the US website KNOW YOUR BASS PLAYER describes the record that introduced (Jaco) Pastorius to rock audiences as “…an overlooked masterpiece. Jaco’s bold motifs beautified Hunter’s intense, introspective, observational verses and melodies. Unlike his time with Joni, Jaco didn’t dare outmaneuver Hunter. An undeniably captivating marriage of jazz, rock and poetry, no album (All American Alien Boy / 1976 / Columbia Records) sounded like this before, and no album has sounded like it since….”
Weather Report:
“Teen Town” https://youtu.be/a3113eNj4IA
“Birdland” https://youtu.be/SvhmaNlLgRM
Jaco:
“Donna Lee” https://youtu.be/dGbCxcuNjBU
“Portrait of Tracy” https://youtu.be/IqndXUPBjIo
Courtesy Paul Jackson Com
By Thomas Semioli
A giant of the instrument, Paul Jackson’s tenure as anchor of Herbie Hancock’s groundbreaking Headhunters ensembles brought jazz fusion and funk to the masses, and continues to influence generations of bass players and hip-hop artists who have endlessly sampled his work.
A master of rhythm and space, Jackson’s “economic” approach was founded on repetitive lower-register motifs punctuated with tuneful upper-register fills which complimented Herbie’s melodies and the grooves forged by drummers Harvey Mason and Mike Clark.
A Grammy Award nominated composer, solo recording artist, and in-demand session player/collaborator with artists including Santana, Stanley Turrentine, George Benson, Al Di Meola, the Oakland Symphony, and the Pointer Sisters – to cite a very select few – Paul Jackson was also an acclaimed educator and founder of Jazz for Kids.
Paul Jackson Sound & Vision…
Herbie Hancock “Palm Grease” https://youtu.be/sRn7WlikdUA
Paul on the tracks he composed with Herbie:
“Chameleon” https://youtu.be/WYRrIBqKsJ4
“Hang Up Your Hang-Ups” https://youtu.be/d7kRlufrZJo
“Spider” https://youtu.be/HQPdVhYZgR0
Mike Clark / Paul Jackson Funk Tutorial Part One: https://youtu.be/i-3v0NN3FNo
Paul Jackson Trio “Everything” https://youtu.be/grQBpNRIAY0
Santana: “Give Me Love” https://youtu.be/0MGBQffSVSY
Pointer Sisters “Chainey Do” https://youtu.be/xhmp3J79CNI
By Thomas Semioli
He anchored the Elton John Band during their initial glory years in the early 1970s, and on the piano player’s subsequent comeback tours and slabs until his passing in 1992.
David Murray Oates, aka Dee Murray, was among the signature bassists of his era. A melodic and pocket player extraordinaire – Dee’s passages were instrumental (pun intended) throughout the former Reggie Dwight’s unparalleled career. With Dee Elton waxed great records. Sans Dee, Elton waxed very good records – though we tip the KYBP hat to Kenny Passarelli on Rock of the Westies (1975), and Blue Moves (1976).
Murray first came to prominence with the Spencer Davis Group in the late 1960s where he was paired with his future EJ Band drummer Nigel Olsson. Dee and Nigel commenced their work with Elton in 1970. For some odd reason, producer Gus Dudgeon opted for mostly studio players on Tumbleweed Connection (1970) and Madman Across The Water (1971) despite the fact that he later commented that Dee was among the best bassists he’d ever worked with, and that Murray often nailed his parts in one or two takes upon first hearing the track.
To atone for Dudgeon’s curious refusal to utilize his extraordinary road band in the studio during his early career (and to stem the tide of bootlegs), Elton John released 11-17-70 which is among the essential live albums of any era in rock. Dee and Nigel distinguished themselves as an elite rhythm section comparable to Entwistle/Moon and Bruce/Baker.
Dig Dee on “Sixty Years On” from 11/17.70 https://youtu.be/rRngmF-AcFQ
In 1972 Elton had the clout to call the shots, and Dee, Nigel and newly added guitarist Davey Johnstone were now in the studio wherein they cut a historic run of era defining pop-rock gems Honkey Chateau (1972), Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player (1972), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973), Caribou (1974) and Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975).
Dee deep album tracks:
“Salvation” https://youtu.be/BaXnZmAvxJQ
“Honky Cat” https://youtu.be/iPicSRPwogI
“Elderberry Wine” https://youtu.be/iPicSRPwogI
“All The Young Girls Love Alice” https://youtu.be/DkZ2tpLugsE.
“Grimsby” https://youtu.be/M7K3ddSNGbA
“Tell Me When the Whistle Blows” https://youtu.be/tU7-WxUEv74
Murray and Olsson, who were also world class backing vocalists and arranged their own parts, which was a major component in Elton’s chart-topping successes.
When Elton canned Murray and Olsson in 1975, his career tanked artistically and commercially. When he rehired Dee and Nigel in the early 1980s, his career enjoyed a remarkable resurgence.
Latter day Dee with Elton…
“Cold as Christmas” https://youtu.be/hH_asvZ799U
“Kiss the Bride” https://youtu.be/tkmwVDLMZNk
“Just Like Belgium” https://youtu.be/nEuo-ZEfcXY
Aside from Elton, Dee worked in Nashville as a studio player, anchoring sessions for Bob Weir, John Prine, Shaun Cassidy, Yvonne Elliman and Procol Harum among others.
Dee and Nigel with Bob Weir: “Easy to Slip” https://youtu.be/EjOkk8uf4Cw
Murray’s weapon of choice with Elton was primarily a Fender Jazz bass, and on occasion, a Fender Precision (see photo below). In the 1980s, Dee utilized the Steinberger XL.
Dee, Nigel, Davey, Bernie Taupin, and Ray Cooper’s omission from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Musical Excellence category is inexcusable.
Coda: Tom Semioli / Huffington Post “11 Bass Players Who Belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” Dee Murray https://bit.ly/2UBjiyg
Dig Tony Senatore’s rendition of classic Dee tracks:
“Bad Side of the Moon” https://youtu.be/1XcSszsPE_c
“Step Into Christmas” https://youtu.be/EDr63mHDt3w
“Take Me to the Pilot” https://youtu.be/wuPx9P2iNjU
“Bitter Fingers” https://youtu.be/Fzm8dMa9ows
“Grey Seal” https://youtu.be/j3KODmu4qUk
By Tony Senatore:
In 1972, John re-recorded the song with his band (Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone) during the sessions for Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player. The new recording used piano instead of harpsichord, and strings and oboe arranged by Paul Buckmaster.
Originally issued as the B-side of the hit-single “Daniel”, it first appeared on CD in 1988 as part of the DJM issue of the Lady Samantha compilation album, then a few years later in the US and abroad on the 1992 Mercury release Rare Masters, and as a bonus track on the 1995 reissue of Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player.
The 1972 version of “Skyline Pigeon” appears again on the third CD of John’s 2017 compilation box set Diamonds.
“Skyline Pidgeon” https://youtu.be/IlA0jl4foEI
Photo courtesy of Charlie Haden Com
By Thomas Semioli
By Thomas Semioli
He is the foundation of an ensemble whose influence, akin to The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin, is incalculable – and will be for as long as there is an art form which calls itself rock ‘n’ roll.
Subtract Ozzy and Bill Ward at your own risk – however if you dare eliminate bassist Terence Michael Joseph “Geezer” Butler from any version of Black Sabbath: call it a Tony Iommi project, with all due respect to the iconic guitarist and the gifted musicians who nobly served in the various Sabbath mutations.
Geezer wrote the book (and most of Sabbath’s lyrics) by way of his massive tone which fortifies the sound of metal; along with his execution, technique, altered tunings, and innovative use of pedals and effects.
By positioning his right hand at the base of the neck or atop the neck pickup and striking deliberately hard– Butler achieves a brutal crunching resonance that studio bassists and engineers once feared!
Eschewing flash and dexterity for rhythm – Butler’s brilliance lies firmly in the manner in which he encircles the almighty riff – embellishing Iommi’s maudlin motifs with sustained notes, hammer-ons, and glissandos that groove.
Geezer Butler Sound & Vision…
Black Sabbath
“N.I.B.” https://youtu.be/MWTzHHoySaI
“War Pigs” https://youtu.be/S_A6y58afFY
“Supernaut” https://youtu.be/7H4PIWBcnYs
“Hole In the Sky” https://youtu.be/TyiwkLoXTTs
“Sweat Leaf” https://youtu.be/boNNEoXdzIM
Solo Geezer:
“Plastic Planet” https://youtu.be/EHeRbpVhKVo
“Has to Be” https://youtu.be/R-v4eYol15I
With Sabbath firmly in the past, Geezer anchors Deadland Ritual, featuring Matt Sorum, Franky Perez, and Steve Stevens.
“Broken and Bruised” https://youtu.be/RUPp6fD7Jco
KYBP Adjunct Professor Tony Senatore’s Rendition of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” https://youtu.be/2MraS5gK0SM
Courtesy of Black Sabbath Com Deadland Ritual Courtesy of Geezer Butler Com
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By Thomas Semioli
He is a true giant of the instrument who accomplished so much at a young age, it’s remarkable to consider that after departing Free at the age of 21, he hardly played bass anymore save for a brief stint in a short-lived collective with Chris Spedding, and with various ensembles to support his sporadic solo work and other one-off projects.
This remarkably articulate and instantly identifiable bassist composed the seminal guitar anthem “All Right Now,” and penned hits for Robert Palmer (“Every Kind of People”), among others.
Andy Fraser worked his Gibson EB-3 like Miles Davis played trumpet – every note had a purpose, and he possessed a signature sound that was both gritty and sweet – depending on the musical situation.
Phrasing akin to tuba and an upright, Fraser was an absolute master of rhythm and space – utilizing whole notes, quarter notes, and rests to their maximum effectiveness and drama.
Classically trained, Andy was on the bandstand with John Mayall at the age of 15.
Andy Fraser Sound & Vision
With Free…
“Mr. Big” https://youtu.be/Ai-4zRRnD4k
“All Right Now” https://youtu.be/5wiF6b4rxno
“Be My Friend” https://youtu.be/XvDNS_x3BTo
Andy solo…
“Beautiful” https://youtu.be/bGmR10TYQ2w
“Healing Hands” https://youtu.be/lv_SruC9UzQ