Kerri Jane, bassist, by Joe Gagliardo

As a child Kerri Jane started writing songs on a plastic guitar.  That didn’t sit well with mom – who expected her daughter to attend med school. On the sly at age fifteen, Kerri purchased a Les Paul copy guitar from a used-car salesman, along with a small amp and instruction book, and began to practice quietly in the basement. Soon after, Kerri realized something was missing…something about that six-string guitar wasn’t stirring her soul! A guitarist friend suggested she switch to bass.  Once again, Kerri begged mom for a bass, but to no avail…

However her mother eventually relented, and surprised her daughter with a 1976 Gibson Ripper, but there was a string attached—Kerri had to agree she would never perform live with that bass guitar! Mom was convinced that if Kerri took to the stage with that instrument- there would be no turning back. Mom was right!

Shortly after, Kerri’s mom tragically passed. (Kerri still treasures her beloved Ripper, which remains in her possession.) She kept her promise to never gig with the Ripper. So she purchased a ’63 Fender Jazz from Randy Kertz (see his KYBP profile) which she uses to this day, with her dad’s approval. In 1993 Kerri anchored The Nomads, an an all-original ensemble from Ireland. That gig came to an abrupt halt when their visas expired! By that time, Kerri was playing in a two or three Chicago ensembles, and subbing in others. After working with The Nomads, she performed in numerous outfits which plied diverse, original music including: Eternalux, a shoegazing pop band; a punk/rock /funky jazz group which worked under the moniker of Hot Heels; Sister Soleil, purveyors of pop/industrial music; and hard-core industrial instrumental band aptly titled Lab Report.

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Her tenure with the band Lyla Stone led to Kerri a gig with the Fabulous Janes, followed by Catfight and Libido Funk Circus. All these bands were wildly popular on the club and festival circuit.  After four years with Libido Funk Circus, playing fifty-one weeks a year, Kerri decided to devote more of her time to Diversified Audio, a company that specializes in providing high performance sound reinforcement and lighting systems.

With Kerri’s history and ability to play in an array of musical styles, it’s no surprise that her influences are equally diverse. She cites James Jamerson, Carol Kaye, Paul McCartney, Eric Avery (Jane’s Addiction) and Mike Watt (Minutemen) among her bass heroes.

These days, you can catch Kerri laying down the bottom with The Gingers, a high-energy classic rock band which also includes Chrissie Olstad and Debbie Cielen on guitars, Emi Fukuda on keys, guitar and flute; and drummer John Sweeney.

With The Gingers, Kerri’s go-to bass is a ’99 Silver Sparkle Fender Jazz which she typically runs through an SWR 850 Watt Head, and 2 Eden Cabs—a 2×10 and a 1×15. Kerri also works the pocket with Gone Country, an ensemble which includes vocalist / guitarist Steve Calzaretta, lead guitarist Doug Schoenbeck, Rob Geiss on rhythm guitar, and drummer Chris Starke. Kerri’s go-to bass for Gone Country is a ’73 Jazz bass.

 

Kerri Jane Sound & Vision:

 

The Gingers / “Whole Lotta Rosie” https://youtu.be/6yeGJTqlOJo

 

The Gingers – Redheads that Rock! Live Performance Video   https://youtu.be/NbVTnrsfIcQ

Este Haim, bassist by Tom Semioli

 

Artists/Band: Haim 

 

Seminal Sides: Days Are Gone (2013), Something to Tell You (2017) –  

 

They got the looks… they got the hooks….

 

The sister trio of Este (bass), Danielle, and Alana Haim were raised in a musical San Fernando family and the rock and roll aesthetic most associated with their So Cali environs shines through their artistry i.e. strong vocals, memorable melodies, prominent guitars, and a solid rhythm section with an occasional flash of brilliance.

 

Akin to their ancestors Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and Sheryl Crow, Haim rock a lot harder on stage than they do on record, and their impromptu jams are a welcome relief in an era wherein rock bands refuse, or are incapable of walking the improvisatory high-wire.

 

Bassist Este, the eldest sibling, is primarily a song-player.  In the studio Este is mostly restrained, doubling sparse lower register keyboard motifs. However on the bandstand she’ll cut loose (somewhat) rhythmically.  

 

Este’s weapon of choice is a naturel finish Fender Precision with a big 70s headstock logo – does it get more Echoes of the Canyon than that, I ask you!?

 

Dig Este with Haim…

 

“Right Now” live at Glastonbury https://youtu.be/hqkyTsY2c9g  “Oh

 

Well” live at T In the Park https://youtu.be/VikyxJoBF2k 

 

Rock in Rio 2018 https://youtu.be/vlMqr9pEl70

“It’s not for the faint of heart!” From Terminal Studios in beautiful downtown Bermondsey, London, Later …with Jools Holland bassist, revered sideman, studio ace, bass collector, educator, clinician, journalist, and low end philosopher Dave Swift discusses the ups and downs of the upright!

Tom Semioli: Interviewer / Writer. Mark Preston: Producer / Director. Derek Hanlon, Oliver Harley Symonds: Cinematographers. Mark Polott: Editor.

John Pazdan, bassist by Joe Gagliardo

Seminal Sides: Pezband United Technique (1972) and Women and Politics (2016)

 

Artists / Bands: Pezband, Milton and Winston, Off Broadway

 

John Pazdan has pursued an eclectic array of musical styles during his five-decade career as a bassist – from rhythm and blues, to pop rock, soul, rockabilly and jazz. Though the Chicago area-based musician generally prefers performing an improvisational set at a New York City club or composing electronic tones from his studio in Aurora, Illinois – he also gigs in the Midwest with well-known power-pop bands.

 

Pazdan broke into the Chicago music scene in 1971, with an electric Wurlitzer piano and a Fender guitar, as one of the founding members of the power-pop legends Pezband. John played with the group until 1973, and occasionally through its several metamorphoses thereafter, switching over to the bass guitar.

 

From that two-year stint with Pezband, Pazdan appeared on United Technique (1972), which was released forty-one years later, and was followed by the release of a 1982 recording, Women and Politics in 2016. These records afforded Pazdan the opportunity to tour Japan and the East Coast with Dwight Twilley and Shoes.

However, it was the soul music of the 1970s, as well as the rhythmic delights of roots reggae, funk fusion and African music that turned Pazdan to the bass! Post Pezband, Pazdan joined up with the Southside Chicago soul band Milton and Winston, a well-known duo on WVON, which was Chicago’s premier soul, r&b and blues radio station, which released several of their 45s. 

This was the experience that made John a bona-fide bass player, Pazdan says – keeping time, playing the pocket, pushing the groove – and opening his own bass playing to influences that shape his improvisational focus.

Pazdan lists bass players such as James Jamerson and Leroy Hodges, funk fusion pioneers Michael Henderson and Paul Jackson, reggae bassists Robbie Shakespeare and Aston “Family Man” Barrett (Bob Marley & The Wailers) among the influencers of his style.  

Pazdan rolled with the 70s – playing funk and fusion instrumentals, as well as circling back to the power pop scene. A stint with the TS Henry Webb Band (after Webb moved on from The Flock), morphed into Off Broadway, which featured former Pezband lead singer Cliff Johnson. The band’s debut album On was released by Atlantic in 1980 and included the hit single “Stay in Time.”

By the mid-1980s, Pazdan had been to Los Angeles and back to Chicago playing blues at the storied Kingston Mines with Joe Kelley (Shadows of Knight), and blues greats including Sugar Blue and Hubert Sumlin. These sets, which ran every weekend for a year, often lasted until 4:00 AM!

Also during the 1980s, a new form of rocked-up traditional country music, now known as “Alternative Country” drew Pazdan’s interest. He teamed up with former Off Broadway bandmate and guitarist John Ivan to form Big Guitars from Memphis. The band, which became popular in Scandinavia, toured with The Jordanaires, top session player Charlie McCoy, and Beatles’ mentor Tony Sheridan – a rockabilly guitarist.

Through all these musical transformations, John mostly finds his groove in improvisation, such as a 2016 gathering of bass players at the Manhattan Inn in Brooklyn, New York.  That evening, Pazdan, set for the final solo of the evening among fourteen bassists, decided to invite Brooklyn-based baritone sax player Maria Eisen to join him along with upright bass players Scott Ritchie (Lady Gaga) and Louis Levitt (Sybarite 5) at the show for a free-form set. For Pazdan and his impromptu crew, that was exhilarating music!

Since the 1980s, Pazdan has produced and released compositions of bass and electronic instrumentals.

You can catch Pazdan live with Off Broadway, and check out his playing at the links below.

Also, watch for John’s electronic “free noise” ensembles St Fu and The Empty Set, as well as a new free floating “skronk-noise thing” under the monkier Scorched Space Policy.

John Pazdan Sound and Vision: 

 

Off Broadway-“Stay In Time” https://youtu.be/zJOTXWoeIew

 

Off Broadway-“She Said, She Said” Live https://youtu.be/h43wgg9erWc

 

Pezband-“Fab Girlfriends” https://youtu.be/hyHUIKENm0A

 

John Pazdan-“Murder” https://soundcloud.com/johnp352/murder

Notes John: It was written as a protest against the murder of black and brown people in the Middle East.  My “Machine Gun”…I like the false endings…

 

Weapons of Choice: Pazdan has used a diverse array of gear over the years, including a 1959 Danelectro Longhorn, a Mocha Brown Fender Precision bass, Fender Bass VI, MusicMan StingRay, a Piccolo bass, and an Ibanez Mikro bass, as well as Washburn, Jerry Jones and Alembic basses.  His go-to basses these days for jazz and improv are a custom Rick Turner Renaissance five string fretless, tuned from E to high C and a heavily modified Mikro bass using a variety of tunings. 

 

With Off Broadway, he prefers a MusicMan Sub from the early 2000s.  While he had monster rigs in the past, with MusicMan and Hi-Watt heads, and multiple 4×12 and 4×10 cabinets, his go-to rig these days is a GK1001 and a TC cabinet with 2x12s. He recommends tipping the monitor mixer a $20 bill to hear bass through the sidefills! For pedals / effects, he uses the Malekko Charley Foxtrot, and two extremely bent Roctek pedals from Circuit Benders UK. He also plays a Mbira Huru which is a large kalimba style instrument from Zimbabwe,  and various synthesizers.

By Tony Senatore

While other bass guitar related websites focus primarily on all things bourgeoisie, Know Your Bass Player’s sentiments have always resided within the proletariat, and the working-class bassists that comprise it.  Jeffrey Allen is a prime example of a bassist who has made a name for himself by constantly being able to deliver what his clients need, by selling his wage labor as a commodity. Unlike his radical chic bass brethren who call for a destruction of the very system that provides their sustenance, Jeffrey Allen embraces the best features of our American way of life, and works hard to deliver for those that hire him, whether the gig is a NYC bar, in the pit on Broadway, or on a world tour.

Moreover, in selling his wage labor he does not feel the alienation that Karl Marx said was a feature of a capitalist economy. In this feature, we at Know Your Bass Player want the bass players of the world to unite and come to the realization that they have nothing to lose but their chains. In our new global economy, some might say that all that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real conditions of life, and his relations with his kind. The staff at Know Your Bass Player beg to differ. It is time to break the trend of false consciousness and learn what it takes to make a living as a working musician through the wisdom of Jeffrey Allen.

Tony Senatore, 2020

When and where were you born?

I was born the day after Magical Mystery Tour was released, in the fair city of Englewood, New Jersey, just over a mile away from the house in which I was raised, on November 28, 1967. On another note, Magical Mystery Tour eventually became one of the first cassettes I ever owned, along with the Jackson 5’s Third Album. Those were two tapes I was passionately grooving to as a five year old on my portable cassette player.

 Did you study music in college? I am curious as to your educational background, and/or specific teachers who guided you, not limited to only music teachers.

I did. I studied classical string bass at Juilliard with Homer Mensch and Eugene Levinson. I’ve been quite lucky to have had many incredible and influential teachers along the way. When I started playing clarinet in second grade, my very first teacher was the great and legendary reed pedagogue Joe Allard. He lived across the street from us and agreed to my dad’s request to give me a bit of guidance. I was always wildly intrigued by the comings and goings of the various long-haired sax players.

The main electric bass teacher I worked with in high school was a fella named Tony Oppenheim. He had written a very popular slap method book called Slap It! around that time, and my young, white suburban ass wanted to get down! I ended up getting way more than I had bargained for, though. He really was a great and patient teacher—we worked on reading rhythms extensively and other stylistic minutiae, both of which significantly helped me in later years when I started working professionally.

Once I thought I was making some headway on electric after playing for a few years, I thought it’d be cool to try and play upright—in the name of jazz and being well-rounded. Funnily, I started studying with a classical bass teacher, Linda McKnight, who valiantly attempted to teach me how to legitimately play the instrument and launched me into a years-long fascination with orchestral music in addition to the Sisyphean task of trying to make the double bass sound good. Linda was really responsible for me getting my whole upright bass thing going. I started attending Manhattan School of Music on Saturdays (pre-college division) and playing in multiple youth orchestras. All this led me to attending The Juilliard School after graduating high school. Along the way I also studied bits and pieces with Henry Portnoy, Tiny Martin, and Stuart Sankey.

Did your family support your decision to study music at the college level?

Yes, I was amazingly lucky in that regard, although it wasn’t exactly a straight line. They were initially less enthusiastic when I was only playing electric. I wanted to play rock and become a session musician. But as the classical thing took hold and I started achieving certain goals, culminating with getting into Juilliard, their tune started to change. I think it was a combination of their pride in me, the prestige of the institution, and their view of classical music that precipitated the shift. But they continued to be unbelievably supportive even after I finished school and pivoted back toward playing popular music. For this I’m incredibly grateful.

 Do you make your entire living playing music?

I do and have for the past approximately twenty-five years, although this current Coronavirus disruption is poised to possibly change that. We shall see.  Your classical training is a big part of who you are. How has your classical training helped you in your pursuit of making a living as a professional bassist? It has and it hasn’t. It certainly gave me a great foundation in being able to read well, understanding traditional harmony, appreciating western classical music, and playing the double bass in a reasonably effective manner. But I also learned many valuable skills in the trenches and clubs freelancing in New York City, playing in a wide variety of bands, as a rhythm section player, playing with great drummers, playing under the microscope of the studio, dealing with a wide range of different personalities and situations, being able to read and provide what’s necessary in one situation but not in another. I could go on and on.

Who influenced you coming up, regarding bassists that caught your ear? When you listen today, do your early bass influences measure up to your perceptions of them when you were young?

Early on it was: Gene Simmons, Michael Anthony, Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, and Chris Squire.

As I got a bit further along in playing the instrument: Jaco, Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Will Lee, Anthony Jackson, Paul McCartney, Pino Palladino, Edgar Meyer, Eddie Gomez, Ray Brown, and Paul Chambers.

That list continued to grow consistently as I learned more, was exposed to more, researched more: Larry Graham, Verdine White, Louis Johnson, Rocco Prestia, James Jamerson, Duck Dunn, George Porter, Me’shell Ndegeocello, Nathan East, so many others. I’m still discovering and cluing in to great bass players that make me feel something physically: Keni Burke, Bobby Vega, Rusty Allen, Derek “D.O.A.” Allen, Leon Sylvers III, Sharay Reed, my homie and fellow Bergen County native Jonathan Maron. Once again, I could go on and on.

More often than not, my early perceptions are affirmed when I listen today, and a lot of the time I get even more out of it, as I have a much broader context and understanding.

Are there any bass players or musicians in general that inspire you today?

Man, I get inspiration from all sorts of things these days, both musical and nonmusical. I’m sometimes impressed with just how severe and athletic many people’s technique has become. But generally speaking, I find beauty in simplicity and understatement—be it in a lyric, a melody, a chord sequence, or a repeating pattern in nature. I’m still moved by a lot of the music I’ve been listening to for years, like Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, and the Beatles. I just love good songs and songwriting. A few years back I discovered a cool band called MuteMath. They embody many things I enjoy in popular music (cool writing, great sonic palette, awesome rhythm section playing) and I find them compelling. I’m also frequently inspired by many of my colleagues here in New York—so many incredible, adventurous musicians and bass players.

 I am sure that like me, you have many basses. I have about forty, but I could exist with only my 1973 P bass if I had to. What bass that you currently own is your main instrument that you would never part? I

I have several incredible instruments, both vintage (Fender, Gibson, Hofner, Kay) and modern (Sadowsky, Musicman, F Bass, Lakland). That’s really a hard question to answer, but if I had a gun to my head, I’d say my ’65 P Bass and my ’66 Jazz Bass. They’ve been with me for a long time and are staples in creating the sounds I envision in my head a large percentage of the time. That said, some of the hollow body basses I have also see a lot of action, and there are many situations where one of my modern instruments is absolutely the right thing. That’s a part of the creative process I always enjoy—choosing the right sound and casting the right instrument that will work best in the context of what else is happening in the arrangement and how the part itself is operating within. Fun times!

Mark Twain once wrote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” I know you have done a lot of traveling in your career. Does this quote resonate with you? If so, please explain.

I absolutely love this quote and often refer to it when meeting people from various parts of the world. There’s no better way to expand one’s view of humanity or the world in general than seeing, experiencing, and being exposed to cultures and viewpoints that are different from your own. It saddens me that more people don’t recognize this. When you travel, you learn, in real terms, that the commonalities between people are way more substantial than the obvious differences.

 Do you have any significant gig nightmares or stories from the road that you would like to share?

The nightmares I’ve tried to forget and any specific stories are either not appropriate for this venue or you’d have to ply me with alcohol to shake them loose.

 When I went back to school from 2008 to 2017, my goal was to teach history or social studies at either a public or a charter school. This changed when I consulted with some of my friends who have been educators for many years.

They informed me that changes in the education system, and the advent of Common Core standards pushed them into early retirement, and that if I had any ideas about teaching with my own style in my effort to change the world one student at a time, I should reconsider teaching. In a similar way, I feel the same obligation to be honest which young musicians that often asks for my advice regarding a career in music.

It is more difficult to survive playing music today than in past eras. Reality is not negativity, and I feel an obligation to young musicians to make this clear. If you could offer one piece of advice to aspiring bassists, what would you tell them?

I would say, have other skills you can use to make money in addition to pursuing music. Or, at the very least, develop multiple skills within music to increase your potential earning capability. I hope I’m wrong, but the ongoing devaluation of creative content in our culture will continue to make it harder and harder for creative people to monetize their creativity, thereby making it more and more difficult to make a living.

Jeff has had the good fortune and pleasure to perform and/or record with some truly great musicians, singers, producers and songwriters over the last several years: Billy Preston, Rosanne Cash, Duncan Sheik, Chantal Kreviazuk, Chris Botti, David Garrett, Marc Cohn, Vanessa Carlton, Stewart Copeland, Five For Fighting, David Sancious, The Dragonflys, Leonard Bernstein, Avril Lavigne, Linda Eder, Lesley Gore, Bill Deasy, Susan McKeown, Donna Lewis, Phoebe Snow, Joan Osborne, Paul Buchanan (The Blue Nile), The BoDeans, Edie Brickell, Lucy Woodward, Mandy Moore, Graham Colton, David Johansen (New York Dolls), Sloan Wainwright, Black 47

BROADWAY SHOWS: Spring Awakening, Spiderman, Beautiful, Finding Neverland, Book Of Mormon, Kinky Boots, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Waitress, Tuck Everlasting, School Of Rock, The Band’s Visit, King Kong, Ain’t Too Proud, Moulin Rouge,Jagged Little Pill

FILM SCORES: Caught, Hurricane Streets, Safe Men, Girl Fight, State And Main, Wet Hot American Summer, Old School, The Deep End, The Bee Season, Hope Springs, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, Zoolander 2, Keeping Up With The Joneses, A Dog’s Purpose, Book Club (2018)

By Joe Gagliardo

When Lou Reed inducted Dion DiMucci into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 he closed by saying “after all, who could be hipper than Dion?”

Eddie Denise, “The Wanderer’s” bassist agrees!

In the beginning: it is a time-honored, familiar story to countless bassists – and one that that profoundly changed Eddie Denise’s musical trajectory: the bass player in his band quit, and Eddie switched from guitar to our instrument!

Since then, Eddie has provided the harmonic and rhythmic foundation for a wide array of iconic performers, including the Shangri Las, Chiffons, Bobby Rydell, Eddie Holman, Ronnie Spector, and John Sebastian, among others.

Though Eddie is left-handed in “real life,” he plays the bass right-handed.

Bobby Rydell’s drummer and musical director also had a deep impact on Eddie’s career. Several years ago, he called Eddie to sub at the last minute to back Bobby Rydell. However, Denise missed out on the gig because he could not read charts. Rather than allow that incident defeat him, Eddie worked hard to learn to read and sharpen his skills, studying with Broadway bassist Paul Adamy whose stellar career includes a fourteen-year run as the bassist in Mamma Mia.

Recently Eddie once again had the chance to be part of the Rydell’s backing band. As fate would have it, the legendary Detroit rocker still employs the same drummer and music director, and Eddie took the opportunity to thank him for motivating him to improve his skills and further his career.

For the past ten years, Eddie has played bass in support of the legendary Dion DiMucci.

Having worked numerous shows with Dion, among the highlights for Eddie was playing The Tonight Show, Starring Jimmy Fallon.  In terms of the music, while there are plenty of hits, Dion was ahead of the curve, playing blues and folk music before it became fashionable!

Writer’s note: It has to be a thrill to play the cool major scale bass line leading into Abraham, Martin and John!  One surprise for Eddie was to learn that, notwithstanding The Wanderer’s pulsing music, the song hangs together because the bass only renders quarter notes!

“Abraham, Martin, and John” https://youtu.be/rwn8hIyiHvI

In addition to his gig with Dion, Eddie has supported guitarist Arlen Roth for the last nine years, including his Grammy nominated LPs All Tricked Out.

Eddie with Arlen: “In The Heart of This Town” https://youtu.be/0mzYcqlRAhg

Another Grammy nominated album Eddie helmed was The Journey Continues by the father and son acoustic duo Sundad. Eddie and his son, Jayson, have an acoustic duo named Set To Stun, which has released a self-titled album.

Eddie and Sundad “Out of Body” https://youtu.be/KgV3jPre-ic

As if that isn’t enough to keep busy, Eddie also plays bass and sings with The John Hall Band (listen to the bass on ”Dance With Me by Orleans” -it is killer!) and with Vincent Pastore’s The Gangster Squad.

“Dance With Me” (bassist Lance Hopper) https://youtu.be/op9ApJJyhD4

Weapons of Choice: Eddie’s first bass was a semi-hollow body Red Mosrite.  He then moved to a Gibson EB1, akin to Felix Pappalardi, who, along with Paul McCartney, has been a major influence on his playing.

These days, Eddie’s go-to basses are a 1965 Fender Jazz with Roundwounds, and a Warmoth P Bass, with GHS Bright Flats.  Both basses have Lindy Fralin pickups wound at +5% for a little extra mid-range growl.

At clubs, his basses run through an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 and 2 DB 1×12 cabinets, and his concert rig is the Aguilar 751 head with two Aguilar DB410 cabs.

Check out Eddie’s playing with Dion:

“King of the New York Streets” Live at Westbury Music Fair https://youtu.be/wWks1N40igc

“Ride With You” Live Westlake NY, 2016 https://youtu.be/TD_kkiTFjEs

From 1989 to ‘97, she anchored Minneapolis indie rock legends Walt Mink (a name they pilfered – in the tradition of Lynyrd Skynyrd – from a Macalester College professor), waxing five fab slabs which traversed punk, pop, thrash and permutations thereof.

As with many a rock trio bassist, Candice Belanoff pulled double duty as a pocket player and riff renderer – filling as much space as necessary (and then some) whilst serving the almighty song.

The band had their shot with a major label (Atlantic) – however akin to many of the best alt-rockers of the era, the fringe was their most fertile platform. Regardless, they were a force to be reckoned with, often sharing the stage with simpatico ensembles including The Lemonheads, Mudhoney, and Soul Asylum.

Their star of fame adorns the renown First Avenue venue in their home metropolis.

Dig Candice and Walt Mink….

“Stood Up” https://youtu.be/WbnmxDSjifI

“Pink Moon” https://youtu.be/jqGoa1TZ5l8

“Shine” https://youtu.be/pyVF_Zo7NKg

“Betty” https://youtu.be/VBvvyDnEkAA

“Fragile” https://youtu.be/hRDQWh8DI68

By Joe Gagliardo

The American Dream—you flip out after seeing the Vanilla Fudge at the age of fourteen; play a bunch of their songs in a band; retire from the music business for twenty years; and then years later, go from being an Assistant Webmaster of a Vanilla Fudge fan site to being the bass player in the Vanilla Fudge and Cactus.  Only in America!

Pete grew up in a house filled with music.  His mom played piano (though they didn’t have one in the house), and his dad tinkered with a 1949 Hammond Spinet organ.  His dad also owned and operated an electronics company that built stereos and TVs.  That meant a lot of demonstration records were in the house, and his dad was always spinning records – from classical to jazz.  Pete had his own cool collection of 45s, including “Bad Boy” by the Jive Bombers.

In 1962, when Pete was nine or ten years old, he was a percussionist in his grammar school concert band. Many bass players picked up the bass after seeing Paul and The Beatles, but Pete picked up drumsticks instead, after seeing Ringo.  Pete banged on a practice pad and furniture, until he cobbled together a drum set.  By his freshman year of high school, his parents bought him a set of Ludwig Black Diamond Pearl drums, which he still owns.  He studied music theory in high school, and attended William Patterson University for two years studying percussion, where he studied with Thad Jones.

Like many kids at the time, having friends play music in his basement worked well, but once his bandmates decided they wanted to jam at other houses, pulling the drums on a wagon was not a viable alternative, so Pete volunteered to play guitar.  One day, his best friend said to Pete “we have enough guitars—play bass! It only has 4 strings, and you only have to play one low note at a time.”  Pete thought that would be cool, but after developing into a pretty good drummer, he quickly grew bored playing roots and fifths.  That was soon about to change.

When Pete was fourteen, a musician friend who was a year older, and always on the cutting edge of new music, took him to an outdoor concert in New Jersey to see a band called the Vanilla Fudge.  It was August, 1967, the day before the Fudge’s debut LP was released.  Although the band had released the 45 “You Keep Me Hanging On,” Pete had not heard it.  Seeing the Fudge and hearing Tim Bogert changed his life that day. Tim’s lines were innovative, and he played with speed and muscle. To this day, Tim is one of the fastest bass players Pete has ever seen, even if he is sometimes only playing with one finger. The bass was no longer boring!

In addition to igniting his interest in the bass guitar, Pete immersed himself in the music of the Vanilla Fudge, even learning the keyboard parts on his dad’s Hammond Spinet.  There came a point when Pete could play the entire Vanilla Fudge album on bass, organ and drums!

When Pete was part of a cover band, Heaven’s Sundae, they became popular playing the teen clubs, CYO events, and school dances.  Because their repertoire included a heavy dose of Fudge music, they were often referred to as the Heaven’s Vanilla Fudge Sundae.

After playing the New Jersey music circuit for several years, Pete retired from music for about twenty years.  During that time, he worked in the printing industry, married and raised a family, became a volunteer firefighter, and became a volunteer search and rescue dog handler.

You must be wondering–how did Pete get pulled back into music?

Well, his bass playing neighbor signed up for a gig around Christmas, 1993 playing cover tunes, and when he realized he didn’t know most of the songs, and it was only a few days away from the gig, he asked Pete to share the gig with him as a favor.  The neighbor didn’t care that Pete hadn’t played for twenty years, and Pete did the gig, playing two of the three sets.  That ignited the “bug” in him, and he started going to weekly jam nights, just to listen.  Ultimately, the bass player of the house band found out Pete played bass, and got him up on the bandstand.

When Pete was in his early forties he was looking to get a part-time job, and his wife suggested that he start playing music again.  He reunited with his childhood friend who originally encouraged him to play bass, and they started gigging together.  During the entire time, whether he was playing music, or in retirement from music, he continued to follow the members of the Fudge in their various projects.

Over the years, some of the bassists Pete has loved listening to include Tim Bogert, Paul McCartney, Chris Squire and John Entwistle.

In March, 1997, on a night he couldn’t sleep, he went to his computer, rather than turn on the TV, and, by chance, punched in Vanilla Fudge.  A fan web site popped up that had only been in existence for a few months, and he started communicating with the Administrator.

Since Pete had some familiarity with websites, he became the Assistant Administrator.  At this point in time, the Fudge was not together, the Fudge members had no affiliation with the site, and Pete had no contact with members of the Fudge.  Over time, each member found the site, and the Administrator convinced the band to make it their official website, and that’s what happened.

One of the first official steps taken by the official site was to interview Vince Martell.  When Pete saw the interview, which was done outdoors, he realized that he and Vince lived in the same area.  Although Pete had no contact with Vince Martell, one of Vince’s friends contacted Pete through the website to talk about the band.  Pete gave him his contact information, and asked him to pass it on to Vince.

Months later, Pete received a call from Vince, who was impressed Pete knew so much about the Fudge.  Pete asked Vince to let him know when he would be playing, and Pete ended up going to see Vince play an acoustic show at a coffee house.  When Pete asked Vince to play the song “Thoughts”, from the Renaissance LP, a song Vince wrote, they hit it off, had a lengthy conversation, and became friends.

Weeks later, Vince was telling Pete that he had an acoustic duo gig that night, but the bass player dropped out at the last minute.  When Pete offered to fill in, Vince was surprised, because Pete had never mentioned that he was a musician.  Pete filled in, and that further solidified their friendship, and led to Pete joining the Vince Martell Band in 2000.

In 2002, the Vanilla Fudge consisted of Vince on guitar, Tim Bogert on bass, Carmine Appice on drums, and Bill Pascali on keys.  The band had three gigs lined up for a Friday, Saturday and Monday–at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, a club in Virginia, and BB Kings in NYC.  Pete and his wife had decided to take a mini vacation, and catch the band at each of the three stops.  To his surprise, he received a call from Carmine on Thursday, at 4:15 pm, saying Tim had suddenly taken ill. Vince had told the band Pete knew all of the material, and Carmine asked if Pete would be able to sub.  Thursday night at 10 PM, they did a quick run through the set at Pete’s house, and Pete did all three dates, playing bass and singing Tim’s harmony parts.  That subbing went on for the next six months, including tours of Sweden, Denmark and California.

Pete’s playing with the band ended when his vacation time ran out at his day job, and he was replaced by T.M. Stevens.  Pete was so upset that he quit his job in the printing industry, and acquired a real estate license, so he could play music and make his own hours at work.

In 2004 and 2005, Pete toured with Essra Mohawk, whose Primordial Lovers album was rated by Rolling Stone as one of the 25 top albums of all time.  Essra is also known for her songwriting, including “Change of Heart” by Cyndi Lauper, and “Stronger Than the Wind” by Tina Turner, and she played for a period with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, and assumed the moniker “Uncle Meat.”

In 2005, the original Fudge members reunited, now including Mark Stein on keys.  Tim Bogert asked Pete to be his bass tech, and Pete also became the band’s road manager during 2005-2006.

Tim Bogert retired from playing in 2008, and in 2010, Carmine booked the Fudge for a gig at BB Kings in NYC.  At that point, 10 years after the odyssey began with joining the Vince Martell Band, Pete became the bass player for the Vanilla Fudge, and remains there today.

Prior to Pete’s joining the Fudge full-time in 2010, Carmine, had reformed Cactus with Tim Bogert and Jim McCarty.  Tim retired shortly thereafter, and another bass player was brought in.  When that bassist couldn’t make a gig, Pete was called in, and ended up being with Cactus for the next five years.

Pete has multiple releases with all these bands, including solo albums with Vince Martell, and live and studio albums with Vanilla Fudge and Cactus.  He has also played a number of memorable gigs with these bands, including the Fudge on the Jimmy Fallon Show; the Fudge headlining the Suwalki Blues Festival in Poland in front of 10,000 fans; and Cactus appearing with Govt. Mule at a blues fest in Germany.

Pete’s original go-to bass was a ’66 Hagstrom II bass, which he hot-rodded by adding a Gibson Humbucker pickup, and he wired it in stereo so that it could run through a Marshall stack and a Standell Super Artist.  In 1974, he purchased a “74 Fender Jazz bass, that he played regularly until 2007.  In 2007, he bought a Washburn 6 string, that became his go-to bass, tuned BEADGB.

In recent years, he has acquired a stash of Michael Tobias Design (“MTD”) basses, including a USA 635-24, a USA 5-string Saratoga, a Kingston KZ6 with Bartolini pickups, a 4-string Kingston CRB that he uses with Vanilla Fudge, and a Kingston 5-string Saratoga.  For his rig, he uses Hartke HyDrive 4×10 and 1×15 cabinets with a HA 5000 head.  He supplements his sound with a Boss Bass Chorus and a Boss Distortion pedal.

You can catch Pete and the Vanilla Fudge on tour, and you can check out Pete’s playing here:

Vanilla Fudge–“You Keep Me Hanging On” Live on Jimmy Fallon https://youtu.be/RuisGkFcDXI

Cactus—“Parchman Farm” Live in Tokyo https://youtu.be/_Sc6J3rPeMw

By Joe Gagliardo

Harlan Lee Terson started playing bass in 1966—his first bass was a 1966 Pelham Blue Gibson EBO.  He played in various bands while in high school and college, and after receiving a Bachelor of Arts in music from the University of Illinois-Chicago, he began playing professionally on the Chicago scene.

For the last forty-five years, Harlan has been a familiar figure on Chicago’s musical landscape.   His steady “in the pocket” groove has kept him working on the competitive Chicago blues circuit, recording and touring internationally with some of Chicago’s greatest blues artists. He has played bass on more than forty- five recordings and jingles, and Bass Player Magazine has described him as “…one of Chicago’s great blues bassists.”

His influences include all styles of blues, as well as the recorded sounds of Stax/Atlantic and Motown. James Jamerson, Carole Kaye, Tommy Cogbill, and Duck Dunn are just a few of his favorite bassists.

Harlan’s career highlights include playing with the Lonnie Brooks Blues Band where he played on five recordings, two of which received Grammy nominations.

During his time with Lonnie, the band played three European tours, including Hamburg, Germany, 1981 Blues Estafette in Utrecht, Holland (with Jimmy Rogers and Walter Horton), and 1982 Chicago Blues Giants tour (with Lefty Dizz, Eddie Shaw, Ken Saydak, and Melvin Taylor).

He has also appeared, recorded and toured extensively with many other artists, including the legendary Otis Rush, Bo Diddley, Magic Slim, Albert Collins, Sunnyland Slim, Eddy Clearwater, Jimmy Rogers, Kim Wilson, Duke Robillard, Eddie Shaw, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Big Mama Thornton, Lurrie Bell, Steve Freund, Tad Robinson, Dave Specter and the Bluebirds, Jimmy Johnson, Sharon Lewis, Bob Margolin, The Chicago Rhythm Review, The Blue Coast Band, and Chicago blues rockers, The Fabulous Fish Heads.

In addition to his gigs, Harlan performed at the internationally famous Kingston Mines in Chicago for more than twenty years, and at Rosa’s Lounge.  He has been on the teaching staff at The Old Town School of Folk Music since 1999.  Notable alums of the Old Town School include Roger McGuinn and John Prine, among others.

These days, you can catch Harlan playing one of his Fender Jazz or Precision basses with the Rockwell Avenue Blues Band, made up of many veterans of the Chicago blues scene, including Ken Saydak (Big Shoulders, Lonnie Brooks Blues Band), Steve Freund (Sunnyland Slim, Big Walter), Tad Robinson (Dave Specter and the Bluebirds, Solo), and Marty Binder (Albert Collins, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells).  The band recently released an album on the Delmark label, Back to Chicago.

You can also catch Harlan with The Blue Coast Band, whose members have also worked with many of Chicago’s greatest blues artists, going back to the vibrant Chicago Blues Scene of the 1970’s.  Blue Coast has released a CD Lake City, and includes Mark Wydra (Eddy Clearwater, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells), Ron Sorin (Hubert Sumlin, Willie Kent) and Jon Hiller (Jimmy Johnson, James Burton and Charlie Musselwhite).

Being a busy player, you can also catch Harlan with Dave Specter and the Bluebirds, which also includes Marty Binder from the Rockwell Band, and Chicago Blues Legend, Brother John Kattke.  Harlan has recorded multiple records with Dave Specter.

Check out Harlan’s playing:

Otis Rush-“Crosscut Saw” https://youtu.be/xpk6kIJCZ_s “Just trying to play it true to the Albert King version….”

Dave Specter/Jorma Kaukonen-“How Low Can One Man Go?” https://youtu.be/5JrlaCWQfMk “This song felt like a Boogie, so I played it like a Boogie….”

Rockwell Avenue Blues Band-“Boogie in the Rain” https://youtu.be/doU1i-y8MOA  “Here, I am following the guitar….”

Lonnie Brooks-“Sweet Home Chicago” https://youtu.be/Lw4-sExT–M

Blue Coast Band-“Northeaster” https://youtu.be/Nroh3lOXz0k “These last two songs, I was just trying to push the groove….”

Val Burke, bassist (electric) by Tom Semioli

 

Seminal Sides: You Broke My Heart So…I Busted Your Jaw (1973), The Mirror (1974) by Spooky Tooth; Willie & The Mighty Magnificents Play That Funky Beat.

 

Artists / Bands: Spooky Tooth, Willie & The Mighty Magnificents

 

Cited by Marcus Miller and Jamaaladeen Tacuma as a profound influence on their playing, Val Burke hails from the bass player capital of the world: Queens County, New York City.

 

Val served as the house bassist for Stang / All Platinum records, waxing sides with The Moments, (Ray, Goodman & Brown) Whatnauts, Linda Jones, Donnie Elbert, Sylvia. As the Concord Resort Orchestra bassist, Burked backed Ben Vereen, Tom Jones, Tony Martin, Robert Goulet to cite a few. Val also worked A&R for Cameo.

 

He anchored two latter day Spooky Tooth slabs You Broke My Heart So…I Busted Your Jaw (1973), and The Mirror (1974). Tooth were long in the tooth with regard to their commercial and artistic prime, yet these platters do have their enjoyable, groovin’ moments.

 

Dig this Burke bass passage which must’ve inspired Marcus and Jamaaladeen: “Women and Gold” from The Mirror  https://youtu.be/1IVm5kwyoOk

He worked the bass chair for Elephant’s Memory Band sax colossus Stan Bronstein’s Living On the Avenue (1976), and Willie & The Mighty Magnificents Play That Funky Beat.

 

Dig Val working the pocket with Stan Bronstein on the title track to “Living on the Avenue” https://youtu.be/PHkeywFLw6E  

Dig Val with Willie & The Mighty Magnificents “Funky Beat” https://youtu.be/X36hc5wh3Eo

 

Interview with Val Burke in Ebony Live: Larry Smith Unsung Hero of Hip Hip Gets His Props (2017) https://bit.ly/3h4J6gw

 

Interview with Jamaaladeen Tacuma which cites Val Burke: For Bass Players Only by Jon Liebman https://forbassplayersonly.com/interview-jamaaladeen-tacuma/

 

“But there was one bass player who turned my head completely around and became a major influence. His name is Val Burke. Val was the bass player in a self-contained R&B band called Willie & the Mighty Magnificents. They were the backup studio band for a group called the Moments, which had hits like “Love on a Two-Way Street.” At the time, they were headed up by hip-hop pioneer Sylvia Robinson of Sugar Hill Records. This band was cooking all the time when I saw them…..”