A composer, sideman, collaborator, producer, singer, recording artist, educator and bassist… Fernando Saunders a one-man orchestra!

 

His tenure with Lou Reed is a master class in the symphonic powers of the fretless bass in a rock context.  Akin to Sir Paul, Brian Wilson, Ron Carter, Paul Chambers, and Jaco Pastorius – to cite  a select few – Saunders’ approach to the instrument is composition. His bass passages are songs within the songs – employing chord extensions, harmonics, pedal tones, and sustained notes, among other techniques to serve the singer, songs, and melodies. 

 

Fernando has waxed seminal sides with Lou, Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin, and Marianne Faithfull, among others, and his collaborations are numerous. Be sure to check out Fernando’s solo slabs as well which traverse jazz, funk, rock, rhythm & blues, new age, pop, soul and permutations thereof!

 

Fernando Saunders Sound & Vision….

 

Fernando with Lou:

 

“Legendary Hearts” https://youtu.be/Ltk-F6eFfmc

 

“My House” https://youtu.be/Dtiih7wk4uQ

 

“Pow Wow” https://youtu.be/VS5mzCDz2vQ

 

“New Sensations.” https://youtu.be/PrXIoHyfObg

 

Fernando with Jan Hammer and Jeff Beck:

 

“Earth (Still Our Only Home)” https://youtu.be/2i9tEXyDqes

 

Fernando with John McLaughlin and the One Truth Band: “Electric Dreams Electric Sighs” https://youtu.be/18Lnod4TAsY

 

Fernando with Marianne: “Times Square” https://youtu.be/B8CqnKYfNTQ

 

“Live in LA” (Part 1) https://youtu.be/In0_XQfbiyw

 

“Live in LA” (Part 2) https://youtu.be/nDwQrziwW0M

 

Fernando flying solo “I Will Break Your Fall” https://youtu.be/3Cr_WgCxBJE

 

Keep up with all things Fernando:  http://fernandosaunders.net/

 

 

Sunday, July 25, 1965 – Bob Dylan takes the stage of the hallowed Newport Folk Festival backed by Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, Sam Lay and the most significant affront to the aesthetic of traditional folk – an electric (Fender Jazz) bass in the hands of Jerome Arnold! The rest, as they say, is history…and a moment in time which reverberates over a half-century and counting.

 

In addition to his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tenure with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chicago born Romeo Maurice “Jerome” Arnold also anchored a few Howlin’ Wolf ensembles – all of which continue to inspire generations of blues rock artists.

 

Working soulful rhythms, harmonic extensions, and jazzy chromatic runs; Jerome’s support of Butterfield, Bloomfield, Dylan, and the former Chester Arthur Burnett was a major factor in the acceptance of the electric bass in the studio and on stage.

 

 Jerome Arnold with Paul Butterfield:

 

“East West” https://youtu.be/NvWvOwLCWGg

 

Arnold swingin’ on “Work Song” https://youtu.be/cF6fCzEZ3Hs

 

“I play things with strings…”

 

As a bassist for Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, David Crosby, and Neil Young in their innumerable configurations – Calvin “Fuzzy” Samuels complimented his bandleaders’ wayward folk, rock, blues, and country yearnings with soulful bass passages borne of his love for Muddy Waters, Count Basie, and Fats Domino.

 

 

Nowadays Fuzzy is a bandleader who records under his own name – which, incidentally, does not include the last “s” in his surname.

 

Fuzzy Sound & Vision

“Carry On” from CSN&Y Four Way Street https://youtu.be/BAkMlzOBFbc

“Me Wanna Go Home” from Love Don’t Taste Like Chicken https://youtu.be/Gv2yax5QOSs

Tracks from Fuzzy’s Island Breeze https://www.calvinfuzzsamuel.com/media

Manassas “Rock and Roll Crazies” / “Blue Grass” https://youtu.be/09dYiDz8Fmo

 

 

 

They were one of rock’s greatest influencers, yet remain largely unknown to the masses. And though press photos and lip-sync TV clips show The Seeds’ bandleader Sky Saxon as a bassist, or the band with no bassist at all – the player who actually cut those groovin’ tracks was session cat Harvey Sharpe.

 

Essentially “the fifth Seed” Sharpe shaped soulful passages into the band’s magnificent mélange of psychedelic blues and garage rock.

 

Harvey Sharpe from the Documentary “Pushin’ Too Hard” A Film by Neil Norman https://youtu.be/nE-eFMeM7ys

 

Sound & Vision….Harvey and The Seeds:

 

“Excuse Excuse” https://youtu.be/HKWcJeIELsI

 

“Can’t Seem To Take You Off of My Mind” https://youtu.be/mWRslLvUCOk

 

“Pushin’ Too Hard” https://youtu.be/aKZ1NYmgDHc

 

 

By Thomas Semioli

 

Gone at Last, Mind Games, Sweet Disposition, Stranded in a Limousine….  Live from New York, it’s Gordon Edwards!

 

He was the bassist who helped forge the soundtrack of the Big Apple in the 1970s wherein jazz, funk, punk, rock, disco and reggae created a magical musical brew.

 

The Bronx was burning uptown, CBGB was forging new waves downtown, and the beautiful people were boogieing in mid-town Studio 54 as Gordon Edwards grooved mightily with passages that percolated with the rhythm of the streets.

 

Edwards was surprise choice for John Lennon’s Mind Games (1973) as the ex-Beatle usually favored unadorned accompaniment from his bassists. Gordon contributed a funky undertow to one of Lennon’s most under-appreciated collections. 

 

A first call session cat, Gordon was a founding member of Stuff, a highly sought-after ensemble comprised of studio legends at the peak of their collective and individual powers: Richard Tee (keyboards), Eric Gale and Cornell Dupree (guitars), and drummers Chris Parker and Steve Gadd. Stuff and Edwards were everywhere in that halcyon era – in the clubs, touring, and recording under their own name and backing such artists as Paul Simon, Phoebe Snow, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Leon Thomas, Joe Cocker, Carla Bley, Donny Hathaway, and Aretha Franklin, among many others.

 

 

Gordon was the bassist on the infamous SNL episode wherein John Belushi spoofed Joe Cocker! https://youtu.be/aZsOyO_lXD8

 

 

Gordon Edwards Sound & Vision…

 

 

Stuff live at Montreux in 1976: https://youtu.be/MZcTP3-ARFQ

 

Joe Cocker:

 

“The Jealous Kind” https://youtu.be/F-FaZTyLkq4

 

“I Broke Down” https://youtu.be/c7MMhIbrPB8

 

“The Man In Me” https://youtu.be/hHwK_RWrHcs

 

John Lennon:

 

“Mind Games” https://youtu.be/QLeObvcUii4

 

“Intuition” https://youtu.be/7KI0nVS2BtU

 

“Only People” https://youtu.be/-SVbqK01ImM

 

Paul Simon:

 

“Tenderness” https://youtu.be/WNcmOBVvuxs

 

“Gone At Last” https://youtu.be/wT_zVoA6mYE

 

“Stranded in a Limousine” https://youtu.be/xVvbxAIrT-Y

 

Daryl Hall & John Oates: “Las Vegas Turnaround” https://youtu.be/up0qIJlETO4

 

Aretha Franklin: “With Everything I Feel in Me” https://youtu.be/37_c2VzXsfI

 

Grover Washington: “No Tears in the End” https://youtu.be/ZApAWvaZoZw

 

Donny Hathaway: “Magdalena” https://youtu.be/M-fPEiFxLt8

 

Carla Bley: “Song Sung Long” https://youtu.be/_VvfhAoaGC4

 

Phoebe Snow: “Sweet Disposition” https://youtu.be/PhxryBBwN4g

 

Leon Thomas: “Let’s Go  Down to Lucy” https://youtu.be/1BnHNeUauww

 

 

A consummate pocket player given to soulful grooves, Gary Gilmore served as the anchor of Taj Mahal’s early watershed slabs and ensembles which introduced a new generation to traditional folk blues and a guitarist named Jesse Ed Davis. Gary also helmed seminal platters by J.J Cale, among others, including Slowhand drummer extraordinaire Jamie Oldaker’s tribute to Oklahoma’s rich musical heritage, aptly entitled Mad Dogs & Okies (2005).

Gary Gilmore Sound and Vision

Gary and Mad Dogs on “Daylight” with J.J. Cale https://youtu.be/zXJn8gUqqlA

With Taj:

“Leaving Trunk” https://youtu.be/9V9jtHjno9w

“Ain’t That A Lot of Love” from the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus https://youtu.be/bpKPhsC9Nnw

“Giant Step” https://youtu.be/lHbZapq69xQ

bass

Courtesy of Sandberg Guitars

Though he plies an upright in the video clip, his sleek electric bass harmonics and groove passage on the massive 1987 “sophisti-pop” hit “Mary’s Prayer” https://bit.ly/1wuI4KX with Meet Danny Wilson underpinned a timeless tune of its era – dare I say “standard.”

A busy session player who currently anchors Simple Minds, Gerard “Ged” Grimes is also a producer – composer for television , film, and video games (Earthworm Jim 3D, Enter the Matrix, Shrek 3, Amplitude and Quarrel); a sideman for noted Gaelic artists Kathleen MacInnes, Mackenzie, and Ellidh Cormack, and music business entrepreneur.

 

Ged is an endorser of Sandberg guitars and Mark Bass amplification.

 

Ged on stage with Simple Minds

“Big Music” https://youtu.be/mzpp8h_Vi2M

“Sanctify Yourself” https://youtu.be/ntYEE5ix2L0

“Waterfront” https://youtu.be/2VXGK_HHCkQ

 

 

Randy Jo, a dandy persona with mutton chops and fanciful headwear, plied brazen funky, staccato lines in the service of Johnny Winter as the guitar icon switched gears from blues to a more soulful  mainstream line-up which sometimes included Rick Derringer, keys, horns, and backing vocalists.

 

Mr. Hobbs, who was a member The McCoys (“Hang On Sloopy”/ 1965) with Derringer, anchored such seminal sides as Johnny Winter And (1970), Still Alive and Well (1973), and Saints & Sinners (1974) among others, and was featured on Ronnie Montrose’s Jump On It (1976). Working with a plectrum, Hobbs rendered a perfect balance of treble and bottom in the studio and on stage. His main weapons of choice were Fender Precision, and Dan Armstrong basses. 

 

Randy Jo Hobbs Sound & Vision…

Johnny Winter:

“Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo” in ’71 at a Backstage Jam. https://youtu.be/o5R_7unuvPI

“Still Live And Well” https://youtu.be/mb2frZOA1Fw

“Rock and Roll People” (John Lennon) https://youtu.be/Evaw2APwUK0

Randy Jo and Ronnie Montrose:

“Let’s Go” https://youtu.be/9p35aVdBZr8

“Jump On It” https://youtu.be/jZCo1u3QQ8s

Randy Jo lip-synching “Hang On Sloopy” with The McCoys https://youtu.be/DO2Y2sGZ1dk

 

Courtesy of Johnny Winter Com

Courtesy of Mark Bass

By Thomas Semioli

Supporting a guitar icon is a daunting task, especially in the blues rock genre wherein solos are oft interminable, and the repertoire is frequently given to songs which are more improvisatory vehicles than compositions.

 

Which brings us to Tommy Shannon, who anchored two of rock’s most influential blues guitarists: Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

 

Shannon met Johnny at The Fog in Dallas in 1968, forming the Progressive Blues Experiment which waxed one indie album before Winter inked a then record deal with Clive Davis and Columbia. Tommy backed Johnny on his debut self-titled platter, appeared with Winter at Woodstock, and helmed Second Winter (1970). When Johnny began his association with Rick Derringer, Shannon’s services were no longer needed as the guitarist/producer favored his rhythm section of bassist Randy Jo Hobbs, and Derringer’s brother Randy. For the ensuing decade, Shannon played in various bands with moderate success.

 

 

Once again, The Fog played a major role in Tommy’s life wherein he developed a relationship with an emerging guitarist who needed a bassist: Stevie Ray Vaughn. With drummer Chris Layton, SRV’s backing band was dubbed Double Trouble. Working first as a trio, then expanding to a quartet with keyboardist Reese Wynans, SRV & Double Trouble emerged as one of the most popular blues bands of all time, waxing platinum sides, playing to large audiences, and turning a new audience on to the blues in an era of sizzle over substance MTV.

 

Following SRV’s untimely passing, Shannon kept busy – auditioning for the Rolling Stones upon Bill Wyman’s retirement, and collaborating (often with drummer Layton) with such high profile artists as Eric Clapton, Susan Tedeschi, Little Richard, Hubert Sumlin, Jeff Beck, Jimmie Vaughn, Eric Johnson, Charlie Sexton, and Doyle Bramhall II to cite a few.

 

With Johnny, Shannon skillfully embellished Winter’s 12-bar blues forays with chords and rhythmic variations rendered with a warm, legato touch.

 

With Vaughn, Tommy stuck to the 1 / 3 / 5 / b7 modus operandi (tuned down to Eb)  as Stevie was a Chicago-blues devotee.

 

Tommy’s weapons of choice include Fender Jazz, Fender Precision, MusicMan Stingray, and Yamaha basses. Shannon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member Stevie Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble.

 

Tommy Shannon Sound & Vision

Johnny Winter, live in Copenhagen 1970 https://youtu.be/eNYDHZZSXIY

SRV & Double Trouble, live “Texas Flood” Austin City Limits https://youtu.be/evjMjpd4PNM

 

Courtesy of Columbia Records

Courtesy of Jethro Tull Dot Com

 

He forged an indelible identity on one of the most innovative and influential rock ensembles of any generation: Jethro Tull.

 

The first in a long line of bassists who worked under the auspices of Ian Anderson; Glenn Douglas Bernard Cornick anchored Tull’s most enduring early collections: This Was (1968), Stand Up (1969), and Benefit (1970).

 

Judging from the photographs that have been published over the years, Glenn utilized a wide array of basses, ranging from a battered graffiti laden reverse neck ’62 Fender Jazz to various Gibson instruments (Thunderbird, EB-3), to cite a few.

 

Regardless of his tools, Glenn’s phrasing, tone, and approach afforded him instant recognition as his lines were simultaneously supportive and melodic. 

 

The rhythm section of Glenn and drummer Clive Bunker were the driving force beneath Tull’s signature meld of blues, jazz and progressive – these cats could swing and rock at the same time.

 

Glenn Cornick Sound & Vision with Jethro Tull…

 

“Bouree” https://youtu.be/z6ZJGaT30wk

 

“Back to the Family” https://youtu.be/a3uqdoJxJ50

 

“Teacher” https://youtu.be/NyLPX-YhpLo

 

“My Sunday Feeling” https://youtu.be/nzjp-cFkNoE

 

 

KYBP Adjunct “Il Professore” Tony Senatore’s Cornick Clinic 

Explanation of Jethro Tull’s “Bouree” https://youtu.be/oTrMIuFltEQ

 

 

Working on “Bouree” https://youtu.be/XHEsfehUK-Y

 

Tony Senatore’s Complete Rendition of “Bouree” https://youtu.be/aA08zaXmbH8

Tony Senatore’s rendition of “Inside” https://youtu.be/oAVDpSpNh4A

 

 

Tony Senatore’s rendition of “Living In The Past” https://youtu.be/cNfV5RgNrg4

 

 

Tony Senatore’s rendition of “Nothing Is Easy” https://youtu.be/9ppRo_8a2sQ

 

 

Tony Senatore’s rendition of “Nothing to Say” https://youtu.be/tHoj47W1aUg

 

 

 

Following Glenn’s departure from Tull, which was never fully explained, Cornick formed prog-rock collective Wild Turkey with guitarists John Blackmore, Graham Williams, vocalist Gary Pickford, and drummer John Weathers. 

 

 Glenn with Wild Turkey on their debut slab, aptly titled Wild Turkey – waxed in 1972 https://youtu.be/qsEU1QfF9Y0

 

Despite critical acclaim Wild Turkey folded after two releases, and Glenn entered into a collaboration dubbed Paris, a decidedly hard-rock trio with ex-Fleetwood Mac member Bob Welch and former Nazz drummer Thom Mooney, and later, for their second slab drummer Hunt Sales.

 

Once again, despite critical acclaim and extensive touring, Cornick’s ensembled folded after two releases.

 

Glenn with Paris “Pale Horse Pale Rider” https://youtu.be/kY-xYPEb0j8

 

In his later years, Glenn -whom Anderson noted was the only member of Jethro Tull who maintained his signature appearance as he aged – worked in assorted Jethro Tull repertory ensembles with his former bandmates, participated in a Tull reunion with Anderson, and also reunited on occasion with Wild Turkey, in addition to other musical projects. Cornick passed in 2014.

 

Ian Anderson’s tribute to Glenn Cornick, courtesy of Drew Cornick https://youtu.be/GObmgmmjrts