By Tom Semioli : Note this op-ed was NOT composed by ChatGPT

*”Rock” is a term loosely used by the author.

 

In the beginning…

 

If I’ve learned anything in my sixty-three years on this mortal coil it’s that every generation (within my reach) holds their respective era of pop culture sacred. Sports, music, film, theater, television, radio, literature, fashion, journalism, art, and permutations thereof.

 

Everything was better “back in the day” including sex, drugs…and rock and roll!

 

My dad’s greaser pals revered Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, and Jerry Lee Lewis as the true rockers until “The Beatles came along and ruined everything….”  

 

My (slightly) older colleagues beholden to the 1960s cannot imagine a world sans The Rolling Stones, Who, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Dylan, among others.  I was a three-and-a-half-year-old on 9 February 1964 whilst my family gathered to watch the black-and-white transmission of The Ed Sullivan Show. The closest I came to experiencing Beatlemania was when my mom dragged me to witness Help! at the British Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair in 1965. The girls shrieked as if the lads were physically on stage. I get it. And now we have hologram concerts! How the mighty have profited postmortem…

 

In the 1970s I came of age in an ever-shifting landscape spanning Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Elton John, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, The Ramones, and Stevie’s Fleetwood Mac to cite a few. This decade of decadence and artistic innovation has been recast ad nauseum in film, cable television, theater, books, and multi-media exhibitions well into the 21st Century. I was there folks. The 1970s were very good, perhaps great, but let’s get over it already.

 

Maybe those ’50s rockers were on to something. From the 1960s onward rock fractured in several disparate directions. Some view it as expansion of the artform. Others maintain the artform was diluted. Rock and roll, at its very core beginning was/is the bastard child of country, folk, jazz, and blues – so there never really was a “pure” version of the genre.  

 

Hence rock can be a hybrid of any of those aforementioned genres. And add the more recent musical formats such as rap, hip-hop, electronica and subdivisions thereof to the melting pot. Rock’s spirit of experimentation is certainly rooted in the 1960s, yet by the 1980s the tools were available to stretch the boundaries even farther. 

 

Artists and Audience Enjoy the Benefits of New Tech…

 

Which brings us to the 1980s – the era wherein I worked as a musician. Once reviled, and oft relegated to kitschy nostalgia obsessed with big hair and even bigger shoulder pads, time has come today for a reevaluation of the decade. My stance is that the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s are not inferior. Simply, in the 1980s we built upon the greatness of those that came before us. And those that followed, namely the ’90s and 21st Century, basked in our shadow. 

 

What happened?

 

Several watershed advances in technology were available to the artists and their audiences in relatively short time frame. This fact alone separates the decade from its ancestors.

   

In the studio, digital recording – cleaner and easier to edit and mix- overtook analog with its fragile inconsistent tapes which were prone to wear and tear; were easily damaged, and poorly duplicated. The introduction of MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) changed the game with combining sounds and timbre. The horizon of tones and textures became limitless. 

 

 

When Yamaha debuted the portable and affordable DX7 keyboard in 1983 – rock stars to neighborhood bar bands now had an infinite number of sounds and textures at their disposal.  You could bring arena rock to your local pub. Orchestral works could now be replicated on stage. I was witness to Paul McCartney bringing side two of Abbey Road to sonic life at Madison Square Garden in 1989 – something the Fabs and George Martin couldn’t have fathomed in 1969. 

 

Electric basses and guitars vastly improved with active electronics, new ergonomic designs (Steinberger), effects pedals and rack mounts which, akin to their keyboard cousins, were portable, affordable, and durable.

 

 

In particular, the electric bass dominated the decade. No longer relegated to a low rumble in the stage mix or hum on record, bass players were now coming to the forefront as both groove masters and melodic equals. Note that on many ‘80s hits – the bass is the hook! 

     

 

Guitar and bass rigs became more reliable, moveable, and noise reduction developments (including instrument pick-ups) eliminated unwanted din and distortion – or enhanced it if you were so inclined.  Acoustic guitar and horn pickups became the norm – every note rendered could now resonate on record and on stage. Wireless systems afforded guitarists and bassists the freedom to prance about the stage and occasionally snag the spotlight.

 

Electronic Simmonds and Linn drums put percussionists in the same league as their voltage enhanced comrades.

 

The multi-track Porta-Studio replaced the cassette deck – hence demos became more precise – affording composers and arrangers more tools to hone their craft in their bedrooms and rehearsal studios. Heck, “unsigned” rockers released cassettes recorded and mixed on said gear which sold in indie shops and such chains as Tower Records. 

 

 

With the advances in music instrument tech, home and compact audio systems also developed in leaps and bounds. Compact Discs relegated vinyl, 8-track cartridges, and cassettes to dinosaur status. CDs eliminated surface noise and did away with the degradation and fragility of the LP / cassette since nothing actually touched the surface of the medium, and they were usable at home or on the road in a Walkman or car disc player.

 

 

New recording tech, new gear, a new music delivery system all added up to recordings that sounded better than ever. In fact, record companies helmed by profit motivated bean counters began to digitize, remaster, and repackage their valuable back catalogs complimented by sales gimmicks to sell Boomers their old records again: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, followed shortly by the Reunion Tour…and later, the Never-Ending Farewell Tour. 

Much of the aforementioned tech innovations had their shortcomings at first, but they were upgraded in ensuing years. All progress is messy at best. Musicians, experimental by nature, took the new technology and ran with it – sonically, and artistically.

 

I Want My MTV…

 

Of course, no discussion of the 1980s cannot ignore the impact of MTV. Though 24/7 cable TV video didn’t quite kill the radio star (radio killed itself with media consolidation), that dirty ass genre known as rock and roll was absorbed into the entertainment industry mainstream. 

 

When MTV became fairer and more balanced, the platform afforded exposure to artists who would have gone otherwise unnoticed in secondary and tertiary markets. Programs such as 120 Minutes, Headbangers Ball, Yo! MTV appealed to hardcore and casual audiences alike.

 

 

Props to MTV Europe whose videos veered more towards artistic expression as MTV USA fell prey to product placement and degenerated into soft-core porn.

 

 

 

I watched for research purposes only….

 

 

 

From hair bands to pretty boy-and-girl techno rockers, having a bigger and more bombastic mainstream also begat a healthy, stealthy “alternative” DIY scene in many a college town, which would eventually rise to the surface in the 1990s. The 1980s were a golden era of indie rock with loud guitars and melodies.

 

     

 

Sad Songs Say So Much…

 

To my ears, the 1980s was the last era of classic pop songwriting, based on the two forms of musical structure familiar to our western ears: AABA / “Tin Pan Alley” and “12 bar blues” and all the permutations thereof. I won’t debate the songs nor the artists. Each spoke to their generation in their language.

 

 

 

And I extend kudos to the ’60s and ’70s rockers who were able to adapt and reinvent themselves as the concept of the “legacy artist” had not quite gestated until the end of the decade. 

 

 

 

To my ears, the 1980s was the greatest era of musicianship. 1980s musicians were educated in the 1970s, hence we read music, not tablature. We also learned aplenty from the past masters of our respective instruments. Those of us who were serious about our careers delved into theory and composition – as did previous generations. Again, we had more tools. For example, when you composed a horn or a string passage, you could actually hear it (and modify it) in the moment thanks to electronic keyboards. And you could play it on the gig the same day! Think of what Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn could have accomplished with such toys!  Composition was everywhere!

 

Instructional VHS tapes afforded players private lessons with the greats to compliment a formal music education.  

 

 

All That Jazz….

 

Though its roots lie in the soul-jazz movement as exemplified by CTI recordings in the late 1960s and 1980s, contemporary jazz and jazz fusion fell (mostly) into the category of “smooth jazz” or “quiet storm” – two hideous marketing titles. Many jazz artists approached the art of recording akin to rockers in that the long-player was not simply a souvenir of a live performance, but an entity unto itself. Yet jazz was still considered popular music – and the masses responded. Witness hits by George Benson (“Give Me The Night”), Herbie Hancock (“Rockit”), and Anita Baker (“Caught Up in the Rapture,” “Sweet Love”), to cite a few – all of which brought audiences back into the clubs and prompted the casual listener to purchase jazz recordings.

 

The bassist named for a small, sharp pointed organ at the end of the abdomens of bees employed many a contemporary jazz star for his stellar debut disc The Dream of the Blue Turtles in 1985, namely Darryl Jones (Miles Davis, Steps Ahead), Kenny Kirkland (Branford and Wynton Marsalis), Branford Marsalis, and Omar Hakim (Weather Report).

 

In 1986 a jazz film ‘Round Midnight starring Dexter Gordon (Academy Award nomination for Best Actor), and Herbie Hancock, was a resounding box-office success. Jazz was hip again in Hollywood! Bassists Marcus Miller and Stanely Clarke, among many others composed numerous television and film scores. 

 

 

 

Though ’70s jazz superstars Return To Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Weather Report flamed out – save for Jaco Pastorius’ brilliant World Of Mouth (1981), Miles was still leader of the pack even as Wynton Marsalis became the “chief of jazz police” – determining what jazz is and what jazz is not. Refer to Ken Burns’ woefully incomplete and misinformed PBS Jazz (2001) documentary series which anointed the bloviating trumpeter as spokesperson for a genre he did absolutely nothing to advance. 

 

Sadly, jazz has yet to recover from the death of Davis in 1991 and Wynton Marsalis’ shameful, pandering corporate sell-out of the artform. (Wanna know how I really feel?) 

 

 

   

 

 

I Want to Play for You… Last Era of Guitar Gods… Instrumental Virtuosos….

 

The decade was rife with instrumental virtuosos who inspired us to be better. To cite a few: Eddie Van Halen, Kirk Hammett, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Johnny Marr, Randy Rhoades, G.E. Smith, Yngwie Malmsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Stanley Jordan, The Edge, Emily Remler, Joe Satriani, Prince, Mark Knopfler, Slash, Mike Campbell, Mike Stern, John Scofield, John Ashton, Mark King, Flea, Pino Palladino, Marcus Miller, Geddy Lee, Tony Levin, Fernando Saunders, Doug Wimbish, Cliff Burton, Tony Franklin, John Taylor, Will Lee, Mick Karn, Bakithi Kumalo, Carmine Rojas, Robbie Shakespeare, Guy Pratt, Sting, Darryl Jones, Billy Sheehan, Neal Peart, Steve Gadd, Stuart Copeland, Phil Collins, Jeff Porcaro, Chad Smith, Kenny Aaronoff, Vinnie Colaiuta, Simon Phillips, Greg Phillinganes, Howard Jones, Vince Clarke, David Paich, Thomas Dolby…

 

 

Rock and a Hard Place…Prog Progress

 

Among the most significant musical developments of the 1980s was the evolution of hard rock.

 

In the disco era of the mid to late ’70s, the genre became irrelevant as its greatest practitioners – Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin, among others either broke up, or lost their way due to substance abuse.  However “heavy metal” a term attributed to many sources, was regrouping by ’78. Bands such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Def Leppard, Motorhead – all founded in the ‘70s – were all laying the groundwork for the “New Wave of British Metal.” 

 

“We want to be the band that if we moved in next door to you, your lawn would die.” bassist Ian Fraser Kilmister aka “Lemmy”

 

By way of new recording technology, as referenced above, heavy metal and hard rock records sounded far superior to their ancestors in the ’70s. The muddy din of such metal classics as Deep Purple’s In Rock, and Machine Head along with all the Black Sabbath releases from ’70s up until the Dio years which began in 1980 – though influential, were rendered sonically ancient – even with their ’90s remasters. 

 

 

 

Similar to the way ’80s pop artists were improving on the work of their predecessors, these artists hit their stride in the new decade. And there was plenty of room for the older guard as well: Ozzy Osbourne with Randy Rhoads, Ronnie James Dio, Robert Plant, Rainbow, a reformed Deep Purple, a sober Alice Cooper, a rejuvenated AC / DC, Whitesnake, Runaways alumnae Joan Jett and Lita Ford, among others waxed classic sides.

 

Aerosmith commenced their first career resurgence, collaborating with Run DMC on their classic track “Walk This Way” – which ran in heavy, heavy, heavy rotation on MTV and was a major factor in hip-hop crossing over into the mainstream.  

 

In California, it was no surprise that the west coast hard rockers took their artistic and aesthetic cues from Hollywood. Made-for-MTV collectives including Van Halen with a bona fide rock god guitarist, Motley Crue, Poison, Dokken, Warrant, and New Jersey heartthrob Bon Jovi, topped the charts. Guns ‘n’ Roses upgraded the Aerosmith / Rolling Stones modus operandi with great success . Underground metal mavens Slayer, Anthrax, and Metallica also enjoyed commercial acceptance.

 

In fact, it was ’80s metal which paved the way for ‘90s alternative – which was essentially a stripped-down version of ’80s hard rock with no guitar solos, no keyboards, no entertainment value, and with desperation replacing celebration.

 

 

 

Prog rock – emblematic of ’70s excess – went decidedly pop and further opened the genre to millions of new listeners. Though purists revile this era of “prog progress” it was a natural growth. Bands such as Rush, King Crimson, Yes, and Genesis / Phil Collins / Peter Gabriel (’70s vets all) retained their signature instrumental prowess while trimming the bloated filler that weighed down many a prog-rock platter. 

 

 

The Blues Never Went Away…

 

A genre most responsible of the artform that is rock and roll – the blues, did not enjoy a comeback simply because it never really went away. You can’t keep a virtuoso down for long. Thanks to ‘80s technology, the blues sounded fresher than in previous generations. 1980s Blues artists did not try to “sound” old. Vintage gear was left where it belonged – in the storage bins or museums!

 

Players such as Stevie Ray Vaughn served as a conduit to blues’ illustrious past. Yes, he worked his Hendrix mojo to the max. Which prompted young players to research Jimi – note all the Hendrix re-issues throughout the decade. Not a bad thing to my ears.

Eric Clapton started sounding like Eric Clapton again on Journeyman (1989). Bonnie Raitt’s Nick of Time (1989) scored several Grammys for its indelible meld of songcraft and musicianship. Jeff Healy, Robert Cray, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, George Thorogood, Colin James, and Robben Ford, cut remarkable records that resonated beyond the genre’s faithful.

 

 

Once again, the older guard thrived: Johnny Winter, ZZ Top, J. Geils Band, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, to cite a few, continued their mastery and influence. Agreed, The Blues Brothers album and film were steeped in parody, however it reminded a new generation the importance of Memphis Stax, and Muscle Shoals. The movie also brought Aretha Franklin back into the mainstream.

 

The World’s Most Dangerous Band…

 

Assuming the mantle created by Doc Severinsen’s legendary NBC Orchestra as heard on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson – bandleader Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee’s groundbreaking tenure in the World’s Most Dangerous Band for David Letterman’s Late Night and Late Show brought the language of rock, blues, soul, folk, country, jazz fusion, and funk to the Great American Songbook: a major shift in pop culture that happened in the 1980s!

 

 

Snthly The Best…

 

Call it “New Romantic,” “Synth Pop,” call it whatever you like. In the 1980s British artists such as Spandau Ballet, OMD, Duran Duran, Art of Noise, Erasure, Human League, Heaven 17, Culture Club, Depeche Mode, and Gary Numan, among others, appropriated the same three chords Chuck Berry rendered on “Johnny B. Goode,” transferred Brill Building harmonies to electronic keyboards, tarted up their appearance, and created a sound unique to any generation before or after. Try that in the 1990s or 21^st Century!

 

 

 

Keys also played a key role in the resurrection of soul music. Now dubbed “contemporary rhythm and blues” legacy artists along with a new breed of singers borne of a jazz gospel pedigree stood toe to toe with Motown, and Sound of Philly’s finest. Whitney Houston, Darryl Hall and John Oates, Tina Turner, Lionel Ritchie, Prince, Michael Jackson, Terence Trent D’Arby (Sananda Maitreya), Diana Ross, and Madonna cut electro groove tracks that moved a generation – literally and physically – with melodies to boot!  

 

 

 

Even teen pop pablum artists-steeped in dance / disco mode, such as New Kids on the Block, Debbie Gibson, Laura Branigan, and New Edition used new tech to their artistic and commercial advantage.

 

Make Americana Great Again…

 

Artists influenced by the folk, singer-songwriter, and outlaw country artists of previous decades created a sub-genre which embraced all the aforementioned camps.

 

 

 

Americana or “roots rock” artists including Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, John Cougar Mellencamp, Jason and the Scorchers, Steve Earle, The Del Lords, Chris Isaak, The Blasters, and Los Lobos all commenced careers which extend well into the 21^st Century.

 

 

 

George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison – then old geezers in their mid-40s – collaborated as The Travelling Wilburys for a classic slab that reminded the kids where it all came from. Folk rockers including Suzanne Vega (with KYBP on Film bassist Mike Visceglia), and Tracy Chapman topped the charts too, and exemplified the diversity of the era.

 

 

 

Prince… (No Explanation Necessary) 

 

 

Seminal Moment…

 

The 1960s were defined by the Woodstock Music Festival. Several music extravaganzas emerged in the 1970s, with George Harrison’s Concert For Bangladesh in 1971 being the most memorable. For the 1980s it was Bob Geldof’s Live Aid. Though Queen stole the show, my favorite performance was Bryan Ferry with bassist Marcus Miller and moonlighting Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. 

 

You could argue that Woodstock was the G.O.A.T. however the “Live Aid” tag did not plague the artists who appeared, whereas the “Woodstock” association branded bands who were far more expansive than that one psychedelic moment in time. The 1990s’ attempt to restage three days of peace and love was a disaster.

 

By the ’80s, the musicianship and staging was significantly more developed. Good work Woodstock – thanks for the idea George, but Live Aid was better.

 

  

 

Smells Like Teen Redundancy …

 

Why not the 90s? Great songs, great artists, and the infusion of hip-hop, rap, and electronica continued but was no longer as groundbreaking as it was in the 80s. Rock commenced its backward slide. Pro-Tools, with its cut-and-paste modus operandi didn’t require instrumental proficiency. 

 

Musicianship in general plummeted. Especially my instrument, the electric bass, which on most ’90s rock recordings served as a root note adjunct to the guitar. As a result, by the 2000s the electric bass vanished from pop records, a trend which continues well into the 2020s. Props to all the ’90s jam bands, in particular Dave Matthews, Phish, 311 to name three, who kept the musicianship bar high. 

 

The 1990s put a new coat of paint on old ideas. By the 2000s and beyond, pop culture became American Idol-ized. We were better off when ugly people made beautiful music instead of the other way around! Song structure which served Frank Sinatra to Phil Collins gave way to algorithms and scientifically certified pleasurable timbres. The triumph of spectacle over substance became evident not only in music, but in American life. If only Nero were here to fiddle with auto-tune!

 

For all ye who opine that the high-tech, spandexed, Aqua-Netted ’80s strayed too far from the proletariat roots of rock and roll, imagine if you will Jimi Hendrix with a guitar synthesizer, and massive digital video monitors. How would The Beatles have taken Sgt. Pepper to the stage with keyboard samples, lasers, and moving stages? What could Elvis Presley’s TCB cats have conjured with MIDI?

 

Granted, the 1980s got lucky. We stood on the shoulders of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. The results of years of technological and artistic experimentation, innovation, and tech hardware came to fruition at the onset of the decade. Audiences were ready for something new. “Retro” – which wasn’t even a term then, was passe.  In the current pop realm especially, the 1980s are oft imitated but never surpassed. Rock music in all its sub-genres has been in a perpetual rinse and repeat cycle for the entirety of the 21st Century.

 

You could argue that the 1980s is the G.O.A.T. by accident, sheer luck…or by design.  You could be wrong, you could be right. What say you Johnny? 

 

Tom’s Essential Bass Centric 1980s Tracks.  

**You fret less with a fretless…

 

Duran Duran: “Rio” (bassist John Taylor)

 

Madonna: “Like A Prayer” (bassist Guy Pratt)

Level 42: “Running With the Family” (bassist Mark King) 

Paul Young: “Everytime You Go Away” (bassist Pino Palladino**) 

 

Lou Reed: “My House” (bassist Fernando Saunders**) 

T

The Clash “Magnificent Seven” (bassist Norman Watt-Roy)  

Metallica: “Master of Puppets” (bassist Cliff Burton) 

The Firm: “Radioactive” (bassist Tony Franklin**) 

Paul Simon: “You Can Call Me All” (bassist Bakithi Kumalo**) 

      

 

A body of experience… the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught…

 

I met Phil Spalding in London in 2019 when I interviewed him for my Know Your Bass Player film series with Mark Preston, Derek Hanlon, and Oliver Harley Symonds. As best as I can recall he was recommended to me by bassist / publicist Dave Clarke, to whom I am greatly appreciative of.  I knew of Phil from my record collection: Seal, Terence Trent D’Arby, GTR, Toyah, Mike Oldfield, Ray Charles, Bernie Torme, Right Said Fred, Elton John, Mick Jagger, The Who, and Robbie Williams to cite a select few.

 

When I interviewed Phil at Terminal Studios in beautiful downtown Bermondsey, I was surprised to learn that he did not study music formally or informally. You can hear Phil explain this to me in the film clip below. I was even more perplexed that he had paying students and hosted lectures on bass education.

 

How can an “illiterate” musician teach aside from regaling students with tales of rock stardom and demonstrations of his most recognizable bass parts, and provide said audience with tutorials on gear?

 

Not that there’s anything wrong with telling stories about famous people and places and talk equipment.

 

When I expressed my stance to Phil – he shot back in the “you can do anything if you work hard, follow your dreams, and are passionate” formulae.

 

I agree. Though I am extremely pleased that the doctor who removed my cancer and saved my life in 2017 attended med school. Phil challenged me to set up bass lectures in New York City so he could fly in and show me his methodology. Sadly, that dare never materialized due to our conflicting schedules and his untimely passing.

 

Phil was a natural ala Paul McCartney, and Prince. Phil had the gift of coming up with great parts for great songs by great artists.

 

His stage presence as a sideman was infectious – you could not take your eyes off the lithe, follicularly challenged performer regardless of the caliber of musicians with whom he shared the stage.  Off stage, Phil was a loving, charming, humble cat who loved to eat Kit-Kat bars with a loud crunch whilst other bass players were being interviewed on film. His contribution to the instrument in his era is to be lauded – which is where I am going.

 

Phil kept our instrument relevant in an age – the 1980s – when synthesizers were pushing the electric bass to the background, and in some instances, eliminating the instrument. Depeche Mode anyone?  

 

Magnificently, Spalding found ways to make our instrument essential among the sonic din of digitally enhanced keyboards and guitars which were all the rage.

 

And he did it all on a Fender Precision – a tool that was considered a dinosaur in the Reagan / Thatcher years. Phil didn’t change instruments like some players change socks. He made that device work regardless of what was vogue. Akin to Pino Palladino’s use of the Precision on D’Angelo’s watershed Voodoo (2000), Phil made the P bass forever relevant.

 

So, what did Phil do?

 

Technically he employed harmonics, muting, slap/pop, hammer-ons, plectrum, assorted methods of finger plucking (atop the string, beneath the string), string bending, trills, alternate tuning, flopping strings, and glissandos among other physical practices. Phil harbored no prejudices to the techniques oft derided by the “bass police.” Can you teach an open mind? Not sure…

 

Rhythmically he played on top of the beat, behind the beat, ahead of the beat, staccato, legato; he accented off the kick-drum, guitar motifs, vocal inflections and the like. He’d render a reggae groove on a rock tune and play punk eighth notes on a reggae track; he danced around synth lines – to analyze a few. Phil was a daring cat! Be like Phil say I!

 

Harmonically he would voice lead other than with the root, utilize pedal tones where you wouldn’t expect to hear them, and run a chromatic passage, leave space,  utilize 6ths, 9ths, 10ths, 13ths to enhance lyrics and melody; render chords – all in the service of the almighty song. Spalding had a golden ear. Do they sell golden ears at Sweetwater? Denmark Street? Can you get a good used golden ear at Reverb? Not the last time I checked…

 

Sonically – though a devout Fender Precision practitioner, he did wield a fretless Steinberger XL – both fashionable and functional in its time. Phil also worked every bass pedal known to man and beast. And probably a few others as well.  Phil was a timbre chameleon.  

 

Phil was unusually gifted. To negotiate time-signature shifts, abrupt key changes, and complex unison lines – among other requirements of players at Phil’s level – by memory – is challenging even to the most learned of players. And to be called upon to create parts to complement such artists and their compositions is the stuff of world class players. If Phil did that off the top of his bald pate then hats off to Spalding! We should all be blessed with such aptitudes.  I get Phil’s theory regarding passion and hard work…

 

What about the rest of us? What about the other stuff? 

 

Music education cannot teach creativity. Music education cannot make you Phil Spalding, yet it offers you the opportunity to understand what Phil Spalding did – making you a better you -no matter where you are in your career.  And music education is not just note reading and a working knowledge of music theory – which is essential and not as daunting as it appears. It’s listening, analyzing, asking questions, and practice, practice, practice.

 

Music history is also a key to knowledge, improvement, and the joy of discovery.

 

Phil spoke intelligently of players spanning his hero Phil Lynott to Jaco Pastorius. When I posted social media missives spanning Muscle Shoals, Motown, The Sound of Philadelphia, Funk Brothers, Wrecking Crew, Memphis Stax; Nashville, New York City and London session aces, Leon Russell’s Oklahoma posse, among others, Spalding knew every name and could tell you what made them great. He incorporated those lessons into his toolbox, which made Phil great.

 

To know where you are going, you have to know where you came from! 

 

Yet, unless a divine (and I’m not referring to actor Harris Glenn Milstead) creator taps your headstock and fills your world with glorious bass lines, as was the case with Phil Spalding as far as I knew him and what he imparted to me on film and in our conversations; education is the best answer. 

 

I am deeply grateful of the brief, rich friendship I had with Phil. His diverse, entertaining, and innovative recorded canon is testimony to the man. Phil was blessed and he blessed us by sharing his talents. I highly advise that you analyze this Phil Spalding playlist, brilliantly compiled by “Didymus” on Spotify.  

 

Godspeed you Phil Spalding, we shall meet once again in that great gig in the sky. I’ll bring my ’76 P bass. You can play it… if you wipe the Kit-Kat chocolate off your fingers!

 

Phil Spalding Playlist:

 

Spotify (Entire List): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3L15ENGPrH7NLikRC67M86?si=37f0d652a1b94ac1

 

Selections:

 

“It’s a Mystery” Toyah https://youtu.be/hKDi6ym3Ny0

 

“Moonlight Shadow” Mike Oldfield https://youtu.be/cL0r7Sc6_BA

 

“Kids” Robbie Williams https://youtu.be/cvn6eYJh-0c

 

“Wishing Well” Terence Trent D’Arby https://youtu.be/ynIHsHYaig0

 

“Goddess in the Doorway” Mick Jagger https://youtu.be/ExtDXLXleSs

 

“Melt” Melanie C https://youtu.be/k0RBIkWpyd8

 

“I Want to be Free” Toyah https://youtu.be/c4s7xqntVaY

 

“I’m Too Sexy” Right Said Fred https://youtu.be/P5mtclwloEQ

 

“Stars” Dubstar https://youtu.be/b-x6ywUqVvk

 

“The Key” Roger Taylor https://youtu.be/pNRW6IJLwZA

 

“Feel” Robbie Williams https://youtu.be/iy4mXZN1Zzk

 

“Come As You Are” Beverly Knight https://youtu.be/IQNoanH2Iak

 

“I’m No Angel” Marcella Detroit https://youtu.be/mIZ2OebnURw

 

“Sexed Up” Robbie Williams https://youtu.be/mBhqMwOl_ZE

 

“When The Heart Rules the Mind” GTR https://youtu.be/ARERFbiqCfk

 

“Prayer for the Dying” Seal https://youtu.be/Btl5PYdpcNs

 

“Loveboat” Kyle Minogue https://youtu.be/FR6C6kNuHKM

 

“Love Is the Law” Toyah https://youtu.be/O7YicicF9Hg

 

“Not So Manic Now” Dubstar https://youtu.be/7JHp8Cc3wBY

 

“Contenders” Heaven 17 https://youtu.be/ARARRPaqNvk

 

Know Your Bass Player on Film

 

Phil Spalding Explains How He Became a Bass Player https://youtu.be/SCK4SQt_ADQ

 

 

This past weekend, I watched the Robert Trujillo-produced documentary about the life of legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius entitled Jaco. Although the film was made in 2014, I finally got around to viewing it, and the timing was perfect. A steady diet of highly mediocre Instagram bass videos sent to me by my bass-playing friends featuring cute children, overplaying adults, and sexy, scantily-clad women who didn’t get the message that they should be working toward the fall of the patriarchy was draining my soul and spirit. The videos demoralized me because they depicted the art of music and bass playing as a cheap parlor trick that anyone could do.  People say that if you do something that you love for a living, you will never work a day in your life. I have never been a fan of aphorisms, but in my life, I have come to a different conclusion; Sometimes, doing what you love as a means of sustenance can make you despise what you once loved. As such, it is often necessary to find inspiration in any way possible. 

 

The Jaco documentary, available for viewing here, did not make me feel any better about my decision to pursue a career as a professional bassist for the last forty-three years but instead explained the motivation behind that decision. It is very impactful when someone profoundly influences your life, as Jaco influenced mine. Someday there might come a time when you realize that you should have emulated Bill Gates rather than Jaco Pastorius.  Often, it is impossible to deviate from the course you set out on once the passion takes hold. This is especially true for those pursuing careers in the arts.  Although it is not stated directly, what is implicit in the documentary is the idea that whatever your chosen instrument, all musicians must strive to develop a personal style and voice.

 

Jaco did this by transforming his life’s joy and chaos into art and settling on one specific bass to express himself; a 60’s fretless Fender Jazz Bass played through his beloved Acoustic 360 amplifier. This is a crucial lesson for those (like me) that feel the need to have a vast array of bass guitars. Know Your Bass Player “head honcho” Tom Semioli has often pointed this out to me to no avail. Sometimes too many equipment options are a detriment to finding your voice. After trying to break new ground on my six-string bass between the years of 1987 to 1995, an unexpected encounter with a Hamer 12-string electric bass guitar in a New Jersey music store changed my life. With that instrument, I could finally express myself like never before. I released an audio CD entitled Holyland in 2005 and my 12-string bass X-ploration DVD in 2007. From that point on, my career took off, and modest critical acclaim followed.

 

The themes of mental illness and family were the aspects of the documentary that resonated with me the most and shaped my life and Jaco’s. The birth of Jaco’s daughter Mary was the catalyst for him to get serious about his life and ultimately become a better bassist. As he looked at his newborn daughter, he turned to his brother and said, “Gregory, I have to do something on the electric bass that has never been done before.” Jaco was a working musician in Florida, but he instinctively knew that wasn’t enough to give her and his other children the life they deserved. Unfortunately, Jaco’s mental illness, undiagnosed until much later in his life, caused him to become estranged from his children and lose his career and, ultimately,  his life.

 

On the other hand, he achieved his goal of becoming arguably the most incredible electric bassist ever. Although I have no biological children, the birth of my niece Alexandra in 1993 radically altered the trajectory of my life. Moreover, I am no stranger to mental illness. My late sister suffered from schizophrenia and manic depression and could not raise her daughter. I relocated from Florida to raise my niece as my daughter with the help of my parents. By 2004, I was in the same place Jaco was when he told his brother Gregory that he needed to become the world’s greatest bassist. Unlike Jaco, I decided that getting a day job unrelated to music was a better plan than becoming a better bassist.

 

By 2008, I decided to get the college degree I abandoned in 1980. By 2017, I received my bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in the City of New York. During my nine-year journey in academia, I never stopped playing the bass. I played live sporadically and maintained a rigorous practice schedule. I wasn’t trying to break new ground but simply preserve what I had developed over the years.

 

After graduation, I got a better job and resumed my music career. By 2018, I realized that although reinventing myself as an academic was perhaps the most extraordinary period in my life, music and playing the bass were what I did best. After graduating college at age 55, I recorded some videos with friends, including a dual bass performance with Steve Swallow, which fills me with pride. The message is clear. There is no one size fits all solution to succeeding in life or the music business. My favorite scene in the documentary is when Jerry Jemmott showers Jaco with accolades regarding all the innovations he bestowed on the bass guitar’s history, lexicon, and development. Jaco turns to Jemmott and says, “ get me a gig!”

 

Jaco’s mental illness wreaked havoc on his personal and professional life. As Jemmott wisely pointed out, if you are a musician and your life doesn’t have stability, your art will suffer. Success in the music business always was, and always will be, about having the respect of those that you respect and having paid work and a full schedule of gigs. Everything else, including popularity on social media platforms, is an illusion and a distraction.

 

Although it might be a controversial statement, I believe Jaco Pastorius’s bass playing has not been surpassed. I agree with Flea, who asserted that “he’s the greatest bass player that ever played… there’s nothing else like it… am I missing something or someone… is there anything close to it on bass? Not to me, man!”

 

Robert Trujillo deserves much respect for his effort to document the life and legacy of Jaco Pastorius.

 

 

 

A prolific player, bassist Van Conner was best known as a co-founder of iconic alternative rockers Screaming Trees. Akin to many who anchored aggressive ensembles in the grunge era, Conner was a no frills roots player – serving the song whilst providing a firm foundation for the sonic onslaught of guitars and assorted rhythmic mayhem.

 

In addition to his Trees pedigree, Connor also fronted Solomon Grundy as a lead vocalist / guitarist, and formed several low profile alt-rock collectives. Connor also performed with kindred-spirits Dinosaur Jr. on occasion in the 1990s.

 

Van Conner Sound & Vision…

 

Screaming Trees:

 

“Nearly Lost You” https://youtu.be/PE5f561Y1x4

 

“Dollar Bill” https://youtu.be/1lfd7zeHRRs

 

“Shadow of the Season” https://youtu.be/vujMy_r5NsY

 

“Sworn and Broken” https://youtu.be/JMNfTrLG380

 

Solomon Grundy “Time is Not Your Own” https://youtu.be/AJ5JgpMy01U

 

 

 

Lawrence Haber is a new acquaintance who has been making a name for himself on the New Jersey music scene. Fads come and go, but if you are a musician, things like reading music, preparedness, and being on time never go out of style. In an age when young bassists aspire to become influencers on Instagram, Lawrence has decided to focus on becoming a respected working musician by satisfying the needs of his clients, whatever the situation. Know Your Bass Player has always been associated with world-class players deserving broader recognition. Still, in my view, the best aspect of KYBP is the stories about the working bass players of the tri-state area and what it takes to make a living in today’s challenging environment.  I am pleased to introduce Lawrence Haber to the readers of Know Your Bass Player.

 

Tony Senatore

 

When and where were you born?

 I was born in 1982 in Brooklyn, NY.

 

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

 

Although I took several music classes while studying Communication and Psychology at Rutgers University, my formal music education began in high school, studying privately with an incredible instructor named Joe Macaro. Joe studied Jazz at Berklee College of Music as well as Classical at New England Conservatory. Joe has played professional gigs on Electric Bass and Double Bass since the 1960s. We studied lesson plans from Charlie Banacos on both instruments, Charlie Parker solos from the Omnibook, classical repertoire with the bow from his time as a student of Bill Curtis, and many other formal methods. I learned ear training, functional piano, reading, improvisation, and many other core areas that made me the professional player I have been since 2003, when I began gigging full-time (the ultimate education). I also credit my father, Jeff, who introduced me to all kinds of music as a child, music appreciation is also critical to becoming a well-rounded player with a full musical bibliography. I have also studied privately with Gerald Veasley, John “JD” Di Servio, and most recently Evan Marien, helping me with an artistic concept beyond the bass.

 

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

My family supported my decision to pursue a music education with love and respect. My father suggested Joe as an instructor because he knew Joe would guide me both professionally and artistically. My father is a DJ and always encouraged me to listen to music with intent and curiosity. He also helped open doors for me to build my network.

 

Do you make your entire living playing music? What are the various types of gigs that you do?

Since 2003 I have played 50-200 professional gigs a year, but I also work for an incredible music program called Music Together as a Licensing Manager. I also do a good deal of professional recording and teach privately. Most of my professional live gigs come in the form of corporate events and private parties such as weddings, clubs, and restaurants. Bands in those settings mostly play Top 40, but I also play straight-ahead jazz gigs, original singer/songwriter gigs, and the occasional theater pit gig.

 

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?

 

The first bassist that caught my interest was John Entwistle from The Who. His attitude and intent struck me, and he had a beautiful presence both sonically on recordings and live on-stage with the band. Louis Johnson’s tone and rhythmic approach excited me to dig in more, bringing me to Marcus Miller, one of my major heroes as a sideman bassist and composer/producer. Like many young players, I would sing along to Paul McCartney’s melodic lines. I loved Motown and R& B growing up, so James Jamerson and Anthony Jackson quickly became the standards I wanted to pursue once I understood their contributions to pivotal recordings. Joe introduced me to Jaco, who changed everything and made me want to understand jazz harmony, tone production, composition, and improvisation. On Upright, I was floored by Scott La Faro’s lyrical approach and Ron Carter’s command of time and sound. I appreciate my early bass influences more and more every year. I still transcribe them to gain insight into the details of their playing.

 

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

In addition to my teachers, Hadrien Feraud and Janek Gwizdala are two of the most important living bass players. Both have incredible facilities but use their technique to create gorgeous musical landscapes. Pino Palladino and John Patitucci constantly push boundaries and have beautiful things to say about the bass. Every time I hear them play, I smile and want to pick up the instrument. I want to use this opportunity to shout out some local musicians whose playing influences me whenever I can perform with them or initiate a conversation. Guitarist Michael Vanderweerd is one of my closest musical associates and friends. Mike plays guitar like Stevie

Ray Vaughan and sings like Ray Charles. He is the most soulful person I know. He has given me countless opportunities to play paying gigs with great players. Richie Monica is a world-class drummer who taught me a lot about how to conduct myself early in my career and how to listen. He never held back the truth about my playing and schools me to this day when I’m not on my game. Stephen Bard is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter who knows more about delivering a clear musical statement than anyone I have ever met. He is a prolific musical creator who consistently produces fantastic original music and is a blast to play with on live gigs. I am blessed.

 

When I went back to school from 2008 to 2017, I aimed 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 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.

 

Similarly, I feel the same obligation to be honest when young musicians ask for my advice regarding a music career. It is more challenging to survive playing music today than in past eras. Reality is not negativity; I am obligated to young musicians to clarify this. If you could offer one piece of advice to aspiring bassists, what would you tell them?

  

Always go back to the fundamentals while remaining curious about where your tastes can lead you. This combination will continuously inspire you to grow as a bass player, musician, and human. Also, play upright, write your own music, and sing!

 

 

Lawrence Haber: Electric/Upright Bass Player, Music Educator/Clinician, GHS Strings Endorsing Artist, Genzler Endorsing Artist, Bartolini Emerging Artist, Master Strap Artist https://www.lawrencehabermusic.com/

 

“Sir Horace Gentleman” anchored one of Ol’ Blighty’s most influential ‘70s ensembles: The Specials.

 

A master of the 2-tone groove which fused trad Jamaican ska with stripped down new wave rock, Panter and his pals – oft bedecked in ‘60s style rude boy attire (pork pie lids, loafers, mohair suits), scored several UK hits during their golden era which spanned roughly 1979-81.

 

Panter is also a painter. The Croydon native studied at Lanchester Polytechnic, served as an art educator, and has hosted several exhibits throughout his career.

 

His autobiography Ska’d for Life is essential reading for rockers beholden to the said genre. Panter’s primary tools of the trade were trad Fender basses – Precision, Telecaster, and Jazz.

 

Horace Panter Sound & Vision…

 

“Rudy A Message to You” https://youtu.be/cntvEDbagAw

 

“Stereotype” https://youtu.be/fxQ5ooPT4Gw

 

“The Gangsters” https://youtu.be/lgCZN1rU5co

 

“Rat Race” https://youtu.be/AmkMEoVb6rA

 

“Ghost Town” https://youtu.be/RZ2oXzrnti4

 

The Know Your Bass Player Interview by Tony Senatore

 

Recently, one of my Facebook friends, who happens to be a fine bassist, posted that although he started his days with great optimism, after checking out his Facebook feed, he realized that either he was a substandard musician, had made bad decisions, or had any combination thereof. My reaction to his words was quite the opposite. My daily social media habits have reinforced my view that the world is more vapid, vacuous, and morally bereft than I ever imagined. Whether I searched for quality journalism, music, or depictions of humankind at its best, it seemed as if there was none to be found. When creative people are faced with such obstacles, they have choices. They can go with the crowd and follow trends rather than set them or try to uphold all they hold sacred in everything they do, no matter what the cost.

 

Moreover, they could either remain aloof and unsupportive for fear of losing whatever notoriety they have or be nurturing and try to align themselves with like-minded people who toil away in relative obscurity, unwilling to lower their standards.  In my life, when faced with such choices, I have decided on the latter. When I learned of Charles Nagtzaam via my friend Tony Renaud, I was pleased to see that many individuals are still willing to uphold the time-tested tenets of music while resisting the latest fads, and I wanted to be acquainted with him. Charles is the type of bass player that I admire. He doesn’t live in the past. Charles is constantly trying to break new ground on his instrument. What I like most is that, like me, he always tries to move forward while tipping his hat to the great bassists like Anthony Jackson, that inspired him.

 

Things ranging variously from technology to guns are decidedly non-moral. Whether they are used for good or nefarious purposes is ultimately in the hands of the user. While I have come to despise social media, without it, I would never have learned about the brilliant playing of Charles Nagtzaam. Moreover, if it wasn’t for my friend Tony, there is a good chance that I might never cross paths with him. The lesson is clear. We must stop thinking about ourselves and instead put some effort into others. Social media should not be a place to question your worth. On the contrary, it should be a place to confirm what we are doing right and to help people that we are in a position to help. That said, I would like to introduce Charles to the KYBP family. – Tony Senatore 

 

 

When and where were you born?

 

I was born in June 10, 1967 in a small town called Cuijk, near Nijmegen, which is in the Netherlands

 

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.

 

From where I grew up, there was not much of music in Elementary School. My parents discovered I had affinity with music and made me play the wooden flute (recorder?) at the local music school, thinking that learning how to read notes was the most important base. After two years of this (I was around 9 years old), I wanted to play drums or electric guitar, but my parents decided to put me on classical guitar lessons first, most likely to prevent complaints of our neighbors.

 

In 1979 when I was twelve my dad died, and I was tired of classical etudes and wanted to be able to just play a song. Preferably songs I heard on the radio or on those records which my four-year older brother had. By then I was heavily into all kinds of music. The first time I briefly picked up the bass, it felt like home to me. Due to my classical guitar training, my left hand was already a bit familiar to a wider neck and where the notes were. I didn’t own a bass yet and started playing along with songs on the lower strings of my classical guitar. A year or two later, my mom got me a cheap bass guitar (Kumika P-bass clone) and I started playing with friends from school. That’s when it all started.

 

After high school I wanted to study at the conservatory and wanted to play (preferably) jazz funk. However, in order to get admitted, I had to play upright bass. After some upright bass lessons with Ruud Hendriks I got admitted to the conservatory of Arnhem to study upright bass with Henk Haverhoek (http://www.henkhaverhoek.nl) a great musician and teacher who has played with many famous jazz musicians. 

 

Two years later the school contracted Lené te Voortwis as the main subject electric bass teacher, and I finally got my first real electric bass guitar lessons. Both Lené and Henk had a huge part in my development. After my graduation I got a lot of wisdom from artists which whom I’ve worked with.

 

If you studied music in college, did your family support your decision to study music at the college level? Are there any musicians in your family?

 

My dad used to sing in the church choir. My mom (85) was a housewife and used to sing all the time. When I was in college she was already a widow and did everything she could to make ends meet. She somehow found the strength to carry on, take a part time job and found a way to give us everything we needed. She came from a large single parent family too and, just after WWII, only her brothers could study due to financial reasons. So, she never got the chance to study and was determined to give her children the chance to be able to become anything they wanted. She was very supportive in my decision to make a living from music. I only had to get my high school diploma first, which was kind of a struggle for me after I took up the bass guitar. She had to lock it away in a closet at times in order to make me finish high school first.

 

My brother plays drums but isn’t a professional musician. My older cousin taught me the first barre chords on guitar but is also not a professional musician.

 

 Do you make your entire living playing music, either live or in the studio, or do you have an alternate source of income?

 

I make my entire living with music. I’m still playing a lot live, and get the occasional calls for a studio gig. I’m also teaching bass and band-coaching at the conservatory in Arnhem (https://www.artez.nl/en/courses/bachelor/jazz-pop-arnhem) and at Rockacademie in Tilburg (https://rockacademie.nl). This mixed practice is enough to make the ends meet. I have two daughters of 18 and 17 years old and they’re somewhat at the start of their college education.

 

Who influenced you coming up, regarding bassists that caught your ear?

 

Verdine White, Bernard Edwards and Leon F Sylvers III were a huge influence. I’ve always loved soul music! When I picked up the bass, Mark King was conquering the charts with Level 42. So that was a huge influence at first. My brother pointed out Stanley Clarke and bought his first two albums. And I got more and more into jazz rock and serious about music. Marcus Miler, Anthony Jackson and Jaco Pastorius were the main influences during the time before I got admitted into the conservatory.

 

 But also so many other great bass players like Nathan East, Louis Johnson and Will Lee caught my attention. Marcus, Anthony and Jaco however would really “make my jaw drop” more than a few times whenever I heard something “new” of them. And I never stopped listening to them ever since. There was no Spotify neither CD’s, so discovering new music was really a thing you couldn’t do by surfing on the internet. You were relying on good friends who bought a lot of records. And you had to buy some yourself. And of course, we had Maxwell and TDK, which made it a little cheaper for a music freak like me.

 

During my study James Jamerson, John Patitucci, Pino Palladino and Francis Rocco Prestia were very much of influence, and of course upright bass players Ray Brown, Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Paul Chambers, Scott LaFaro. And I have to mention Gary Willis and Jeff Andrews.

 

When you listen today, do your early bass influences measure up to your perceptions of them when you were young?

 

I think my perception of how to experience those early influences changed. At a young age one is full of questions like “how do they do it,” “how do they get that sound,” “what’s happening harmonically/rhythmically” etc. As you grow older and understand that there are no real secrets in music, and that it’s also hard work and understanding of theory, analyzing, studying and more, a lot of those early questions might have been answered. But each one of those early influences are very authentic players with a signature sound. Something one only gets out of that unique individual person in combination with a certain instrument. And that still holds up to me with each and every one of them, while in the meantime I’m still searching for my own signature sound. That might be a downside of transcribing and analyzing too much of almost everything.

 

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

 

 For sure! It’s amazing to see how some newer players still grow into “their thing” which appears to be another new way of approaching the instrument. Like Victor Wooten, MonoNeon is a second to none authentic player, as is Thundercat. I also like bassists Michael League and Joe Dart who are influenced by stuff from the era I grew up in (mid 70’s), giving it a fresh new formula. Also Hadrien Feraud and Dario Deidda are very inspiring bassists. And, of course, Pino Palladino.

 

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 have enough basses, although not forty. I have to say my STENBACK FIVE will probably be that bass. Amazing response, great tone. A five string that feels like a four string somehow. Well balanced. When I bought it, it probably hadn’t been played that much, and the bass really had to come alive through playing. After two months it definitely did, a day and night difference.

 

If it wasn’t for the need of a five string, I could exist with only my 1972 Fender Jazz Bass, too.

 

Your YouTube channel has a vast array of very accurate transcriptions of some of the greatest bass lines ever recorded. Of all of the transcriptions that you have done, which was the most difficult?

 

Thanks for the compliment. I try to be as accurate as possible. There are a few of those videos which I had to do in more than one take. “Voice” by Hiromi was three takes, “M&M studio” had a cut right before the solo, which I still can’t play as accurate as the original. “You Got It!”, “Some Sharks” and “Island Magic” were all a one straight take eventually, but that doesn’t mean that those were less difficult. It has to do with focus, staying relaxed and, of course preparation.

 

 Also, “difficult” evolves to “getting a little bit more comfortable” every day with a good practice routine. I wasn’t able to feel odd meters in an even flow yet, for instance. After transcribing and practicing it, it just gets more fluid because it starts to feel natural and balanced. You just have to put in the hours of practice, which are harder to find at a later age. But I’ve still managed to put in the work to do it, so far. Difficulties come in all areas. Even a “simple” 4/4 groove has its difficulties if you don’t understand the feel or the pocket. So it’s not only a matter of a lot of notes or odd meters. Switching from pick to fingerstyle playing could easily call for hours of practice. So Leon Sylvers’s bassline of “Here I Am” by Dynasty also took some time to get a little more comfortable with.

 

Can you recommend any specific method books that have helped you to become the bassist that you are today?

 

When I studied, I probably checked out anything I could get my hands on. “Standing in the Shadows of Motown”, “The Funkmasters”, “What Duck Done”, “Sitting in with Tower of Power”, “Modern Electric Bass” & Oscar Stagnaro’s “Latin Bass Bible” of the more style-method books. As for improvisation, David Baker’s “Bebop Era”, Adelhard Roidinger’s “Jazz improvisation & pentatonics”, “Charlie Parker Omnibook”, “John Coltrane Omnibook”, Hein van de Geyn’s “Comprehensive Bass Method” were all great books to discover and get ideas from. And there’s so many more of which I probably took a few excerpts from in my daily study routine.

 

 As a recommendation to upcoming players I would say: explore the stuff that moves you yourself first. Whenever I hear a great melody with a great chord sequence, I want to know what that is. And not by ONLY looking up a YouTube tutorial or (maybe even worse) a quickly written TAB sheet. The same with basslines, drum rudiments or odd time signatures. When I hear something great, I’ll bury myself between the speakers or headphone until I exactly know what it is that moves me. Train your ears and carefully listen to what you really hear, not taken all of those videos and websites as an instant truth. The blessing of having all the acces to all the material with just one click can also set you on a detour when watching an incorrect explanation.

 

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 ask 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?

 

 At Rockacademie, where I also teach, each student is forced to choose a learning path from the perspective of a mixed professional practice. So, next to a skill (main subject) (vocals, bass, guitar etc) one has to choose for either “session musician”, “artist”, “audio engineer”, “skills- & band coach (education)” and “business manager”.

 

At Artez Jazz & Pop, we stimulate all students to be as artistic and authentic as possible (more like the “artist” direction), which makes it probably harder to get instant work that pays the bills once a student graduates. Some students rather do a different profession alongside their career so they can carry on with their own intrinsic creativity without any concession to commercial succes.

 

Both schools have alumni who are really successful, so I would advise a student to really look around, check out each school’s curriculum to know what appears to be the best thing for your own growth. And by this I most certainly don’t mean “the easiest path to making money”. One should know that, if you’re in it for the money, it will never pay off. I believe Wynton Marsalis said something like: “You really have to be obsessed with making music, otherwise it’s barely impossible to put in the amount of work you need to make it a successful path”. Or Woody Shaw: “So you’ve tried to play the trumpet but didn’t have the talent? Really? Well, start practicing three hours a day for one year, come back, and then we’ll talk about talent again”.

Since you really have to love what you do, it’s probably a good idea to have a wider palette of options, but only if those options are almost equally joyful as playing your instrument. And with some of these options you might just want to try it first.

 

 Keep an open mind and if a different direction doesn’t get in the way of your development as a musician: do it. It’s better to quit after trying than wondering how it could have worked out a few years later when that ship has already sailed and chances have passed. You’ll probably never have the same amount of time to explore other options. If you still want to make a living only through making music, though: be ready to sacrifice and put in the hours. And remember that success should always be measured by the things you have had to give up for it.

 

Charles Nagtzaam Renders Anthony Jackson’s classic Chaka Khan bass passage “Sleep On It” 

 

Charles Nagtzaam Website : https://charlesnagtzaam.wordpress.com/

 

 Charles Nagtzaam YouTube https://youtube.com/channel/UCZ-rbZYrz45_WgbqAaosV7w

 Photos by Frank Boeigen, Kathie Danneels 

 

The  concept of purity of principle is central to many of the world’s most influential ideologies. To individuals concerned with philosophical and aesthetic issues, preserving the purity of the doctrine is of utmost importance. Marxism is one example of such an ideology. Whenever historical facts challenge the dogma, proponents deny these elements are part of the story. Unfortunately, too often, preserving the doctrine in its unadulterated form becomes more important than the problems than the moral and ethical issues that need to be resolved.  During my forty years as a musician, or recent career as a journalist, I have often committed myself to a concept or ideology.

 

Ayn Rand’s Objectivism has always made sense to me, and the thought of deviation from its primary ideas was not an option. Rand defined Objectivism as the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.

 

I did a TEDx Talk https://youtu.be/SRQSqM1aljg on the meaning of education, in which I described myself as a modern-day Howard Roark that used music rather than architecture to make my mark on the universe. Like Roark and his architectural designs, I used to believe that my musical ideas, bass lines, and opinion pieces were my own and not open to interpretation or collaboration. Many years after I became the self-professed Howard Roark of the music business, I realized that whether it was my music or my journalism, the result was always far better when I let others I respected have input over my final product. I also realized that my talents were perhaps not as formidable as I thought they were. The record of human history is crystal clear: unwavering adherence to principles that often fall apart in the real world often results in tragedy, but notable exceptions exist. That exception is the bass career of Anthony Jackson.

 

When reflecting on Jackson’s career, it is most interesting that his artistry is steeped in the time-tested essential elements of music as we understand them in Western culture. His style is not derivative of any bassists that came before him. In the traditional sense, slapping, tapping, and harmonics are essential to many bassists, but Jackson is not concerned with these techniques. Jackson uses melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, structure/form, and expression (dynamics, tempo, and articulation ) as the foundation of his style. To be clear, other bassists also use these essential elements. Still, in my opinion, no one has been able to incorporate these elements while forging a personal style as successfully as Jackson has. Bass solos, usually a forum for the latest Instagram bass trends, is perhaps the area where Jackson has made his most notable contribution to the bass world. His solos are not rendered traditionally, emphasizing histrionics and grandstanding. They are complete musical compositions unto themselves. Having multiple instruments for specific situations is vital to many bass players. Jackson can fully express himself on only one instrument his Fodera Anthony Jackson Presentation II contrabass. This design extends the range of the standard electric bass guitar with two extra strings; a B tuned a fourth below, E and a C tuned a fourth above G.

 

I rode to Tambour in Brooklyn this past Saturday to participate in Joey Lauricella’s birthday celebration. Joey is not only a bassist but also the co-owner of Fodera Guitars, the company that built Anthony’s contrabass. I had heard rumors that Mr. Jackson was unwell, so I wanted to be there as a show of support. When I arrived, the table I reserved was next to Mr. Jackson. I noted that he was about to have dinner and was probably more interested in devouring his cheeseburger and fries than in discussing the influence of Oliver Messiaen’s overall concept on his bass guitar style. I did not want to disturb him. I waited for an opportunity to tell him how much he has influenced me, not as much stylistically, but rather the standard of excellence he forces anyone who considers themselves a serious bass player to uphold.

 

That opportunity came when my friend Dave Fields, leading the band assembled for the occasion, introduced me to Mr. Jackson. I knew I had to keep it brief. Hoping not to sound like a fanboy, I simply told Anthony that I was confident that at least a thousand bass players had told him what his legacy meant to them. I told him that I wanted to be person one thousand and one. I asserted that those words would neither pay his bills nor mine, but I hope my sincere appreciation for his life-changing influence on me meant something to him. He smiled widely as he departed for the stage. When the music started, Anthony sounded as formidable as ever.

 

Anthony Jackson has forged a career by setting and not following trends. His journey led him from a standard four-string bass guitar to the contrabass. His determination to adhere to the principles he holds sacred without deviation has been integral to his success and mine. We need to learn from his example. More importantly, when someone profoundly influences the direction of your life, whether it is a teacher, a musician, or an ordinary person, we should take the time to let them know how much their influence has shaped our lives, no matter how mundane or trite you think the gesture might be. On the contrary, it is the type of exchange that makes life worth living. 

 

 

Know Your Bass Player Q&A With Jon Rogers, By Joe Gagliardo

 

How/when/why did you start playing bass guitar?

 

I grew up in a house with a lot of live music.  My dad and his brother (my original guitar heroes) played and wrote folk music, and there were always guitars to play in the house.  I started learning how to play at about 8 yrs old, and joined the school band at North Main Street School in Spring Valley, New York when I was 11.  Bill Withers’ sister was the special ed teacher there and arranged to have Bill’s full band play in the little gym/ auditorium.  That was my first live concert and a real music lesson about what a rhythm section can do.  After the show, as the band was packing up, Melvin Dunlap came over to where I was standing with my elbows on the stage, and said he saw me checking him out, and asked if I liked the bass (I’m sure I was staring at him!).  I told him I did, and that I was learning guitar.  Melvin grinned and said “this is the bass; bass is where it’s at!”

 

When I was 13, my best friend Andy Rossi (now senior vice pres. at Korg) who also played guitar, suggested we start a band, but insisted that I play bass.  I immediately thought of Melvin Dunlap and said yes!  No looking back!

 

 Any formal training?

 

That was my dad’s condition on my buying a bass.   When I was 14, I found a teacher through the original Alto Music in Spring Valley.  I can’t remember the guy’s name, but he had an old full-size upright and an Alembic electric bass that lit up!  He was very relaxed and promised that he wouldn’t make me read out of the Simandl studies if I practiced my exercises, and learned my theory!  I stayed with him until I was 16 or so, and then started commuting into Manhattan on weekends to study with different bass teachers-anyone I could find really.  When I was 17 I got a job teaching bass at Alto Music, and had the realization that you can also learn from your students!

 

In 1981 spent my first semester of College at Berklee in Boston.  Berklee was a great experience, but I heard that Ron Carter was going to start teaching at the City College of New York in Harlem; a very short train ride from my apartment.  So I came home, auditioned with Ed Summerlin at City College (played a Jaco-inspired version of Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee”), and was accepted into the program.  I showed up early for the commencement faculty performance and sat in the audience right next to where Professor Carter’s bass was lying on the ground.  He showed up almost 45 minutes late due to a snag at a prior recording session, not in the best mood.  He uncased, picked up and tuned his bass, and then launched into the first notes with the faculty jazz orchestra with such volume and power that I literally almost fell off my chair.  First lesson.  I learned so much from him- a real master, and a very nice man.  He made me defend every note choice I made.  Ron and I split up after my first year over my preference for electric bass.  I then studied with Blood Sweat and Tears bassist Ron McClure-a great bassist and guy, again through the City College, and then privately with Homer Mensch, from the “Jaws” soundtrack/ NBC Orchestra/ New York Philharmonic.  

 

Bass players who influenced you:

 

First from my parents’ records; Dee Murray, Paul McCartney, Bill Wyman, Billy Cox, Harvey Brooks, Rick Danko…

 

Then from my High school days; John Paul Jones, John Entwistle, Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, Glenn Cornick…

 

 Post High school and later; Jaco, Stanley Clarke; Ralphe Armstrong, James Jamerson, Paul Jackson, Pino Palladino, Tony Levin…

 

 Summary of bands/years, recordings, and current music activity.

 

In 1982 I got a job teaching and playing bass at Talent Unlimited, a NYC high school program for the performing arts, where my brother attended.  TU was a NYC entity with connections to a lot of cultural organizations, so we got to play for the gospel choir at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, and regularly performed at civic events for the City and Board of Ed.  The program had an astounding array of young performers, including Cory Glover of Living Colour.  Keith Jarrett and Joanne Brackeen sent their kids there. 

 

I also joined the act “Mike Quashie, King the Limbo,” a glam rock-Calypso band.  Mike Quashie was famous for his friendships with Jimi Hendrix, Lou Reed and Led Zeppelin, and was a fixture in New York’s West Village.  We played a lot of dance clubs.  Quashie really focused on theatrics as well as the music, and I learned a lot about presenting on stage from him.  You can see him doing his fire act, setting John Bonham’s gong ablaze on the opening reel of the Led Zeppelin DVD. 

 

My brother (a drummer) and I also hired ourselves out in the mid-80s as a rhythm section, and worked as a band in Manhattan with some of the talent from Talent Unlimited.  We called ourselves “The Worx” and did studio work, supported other acts, and performed our own original music in local venues.  In 1985, we cut a demo “Invisible Man” for Sony, but turned down the deal offered.  My brother continued to court Sony, and wrote for them, ultimately focusing on songwriting, engineering and production.  Dee Lite’s “Groove is in the Heart” is a good example of his early skills behind the console.  He’s still making it happen, big time.

 

I also played bass for several independent New York bands during the mid 80s including Rich Blood and the Equators, Black Tire Safari, and The Troubleshooters with Alan Freedman, and in 1985 I joined Bill Sledge and his Hammers, playing jazz six nights a week during the summers at Tavern on the Green. 

 

During winter of 1986 I escaped the cold by joining Princess Cruises’ Love Boat Orchestra; an 11-piece band playing production shows, and backing guest performers in the ship’s main theater.  This was a stellar band, full of seasoned pros from Vegas and younger pedigreed jazzers.  The only guys in the band who didn’t have degrees were myself and saxophonist Victor Goines (Wynton Marsalis’ cousin and director of jazz studies at Julliard and Northwestern University).  That was the most musically challenging, yet cushiest gig imaginable.  I can’t understate the luxury of not having to set up and breakdown gear for each show!   Of course the food, the itinerary and the social life were extraordinary.  Then I met my future wife from Chicago on board the ship, and by 1990 I was back to living life on land. 

 

When I got to Chicago I started jobbing on events with the Michael James Orchestra; a local big band, and working in the studio and on live dates for local indie bands, including Jack Salamander and later Barrett’s Hidden agenda, but my focus was primarily family and raising kids.

 

Nowadays, with the kids out and having their own adventures, I feel lucky to be playing more.  Currently, I’m recording both locally and back on the East coast, and I’m very happy to be playing live again with the popular festival band The Sofa Kings, Barrett, Jack Salamander, the Vini Bruckert Band, Black Partridge, and country band Hodie Snitch.  And I’m looking to do a whole lot more!  Have guns, will travel!

 

Your go-to basses back in the day, and now, and rigs:

 

1974 My first bass; a one pickup Guild Jetstar mated to a Gibson EB neck, so that it looked like a Gibson EB0 (it took a few years before I figured that out).  Rig:  My dad’s black Kustom plush.  I loved that amp.

 

 1978; a Rickenbacker 4001 modified with a brass ingot milled to fit the slot under the bridge, the brass was welded to a Badass bridge (all work imagined and done at Alto Music); sounded great for a couple of years but too much tension eventually made the neck warp.  Rig:  Ampeg SVT.  I took that to a couple of gigs on the NYC subway (with help). 

 

 1982 An Aria Pro II

 

 1983 I traded Ron Carter a broken down old 7/8 size Czech upright I had, for a fretless Fender Jazz with a neck of unknown manufacture (solid piece of rosewood with a single strip of maple down the back for the truss rod, no fingerboard, metal inlaid markers on the side only, old style grover tuners, but with a crack behind the nut before the first tuner).  I took the bass to Roger Sadowsky for an assessment before agreeing to the trade. He took the neck off and told me that Dave Schecter signed it, that the crack repair would be stronger than new, and that if I didn’t want it, he would buy it.  Good enough for me; by the end of the week it had a new set of EMG J pickups, a set of Roger’s hand-wound pots and wiring, and a headstock that still looks like it was never cracked.  Always my go-to if frets aren’t required.

 

 1986  A ‘57 Fender P bass with cut down body. 

 

 1987 The moisture at sea was taking its toll on the fretless, so I made an emergency run to the big guitar chain in LA as soon as we made port, and played every bass in the store.  The best playing instrument at any price was an Ibanez RD707.  It was cheap, light and sounded great; perfect for the gig, and it still feels and sounds great.  Rig: Dad’s black Kustom plush!

 

 Today, I still play the fretless and the Ibanez.  I picked up a new Gibson Thunderbird a few years ago and am just loving it.  The redesign makes it hang so much better than the old version, and the look and sound are just iconic.  Rig:  TC Electronic RH450 and Eden Nemesis.

 

 A description of your playing style.

 

I like to think, musical and natural.  Everything else is so artist/ song-dependent for me.  I take my note choices seriously and focus on the feel.  I try to give every song what it needs from the bass, adding a little fun and flavor, just when and where it can really use it.  That’s it; Fun!

 

A few songs to highlight your playing:

 

Nayobe; “I Don’t Have to Make Believe” 1986 https://youtu.be/3-4HI9HzgaI

 

The Equators; “Road to Panama” 1986 https://bit.ly/3dmE1Tf

 

Chubby Checker (with Jerry Marrotta, Tracy Bonham, Happy Traum, Professor Louie); “Lookin’ for Me” 2016 https://youtu.be/_vIrRUedv2M

 

Jack Salamander (with Chicago poet Gregorio Gomez); “Midnight Dreams” 2021 https://youtu.be/VmBevzX3CN0

 

Vini Bruckert Group; “That Thing” (Lauren Hill) 2022 https://bit.ly/3C7dvYm

 

For All Things Jon Rogers …. Jonathan Rogers Music (jonrogersmusic.com) 

 

Courtesy of Lynyrd Skynyrd Com

 

Despite his self-taught approach and working his instrument with a left / right hand technique that bore resemblance to a soft-shell crab skittering across hot pavement, the late Leon Russell Wilkeson was a dexterous player who purveyed many a thrilling passage as anchor of the classic Lynyrd Skynyrd line-up.

 

Born in ’52, akin to many of his generation, Wilkeson learned his craft emulating such ’60 – ‘70s bass icons including Sir Paul, Jack Bruce, Phil Lesh, Berry Oakley, John Entwistle, and Jack Casady. When he nailed the Skynyrd gig, a job which he held for life, Wilkeson got cold feet and sat out the band’s debut platter Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, waxed in 1973.

 

Bandleader Ronnie Van Zandt and producer / mentor Al Kooper convinced Leon to rejoin the collective, and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Dubbed the “Mad Hatter” by way of his proclivity for eccentric headwear on and off stage, among Wikleson’s more notable instruments was a purchase from his aforementioned bass hero Entwistle – the hybrid Gibson Thunderbird body and Fender Precision neck – hence the moniker “Fenderbird.”

 

Though Skynyrd’s redneck posture was both a blessing (to fans) and a curse (to detractors) – they were a force to be reckoned with, deftly melding British rock influences with American blues and the gift of a pop hook.

 

Sadly, Wikleson was seriously injured in the ’77 plane crash which essentially destroyed the band’s classic line-up and he lost much of his abilities as a premier pocket and melodic player. He continued his career, nonetheless, holding the bass chair in his bandmates’ two terrific post LS  ensembles; Rossington-Collins, and later The Alan Collins Band – until Skynyrd reconvened with Johnny Van Zant as vocalist. Leon passed young due to substance abuse issues; no doubt prompted (enhanced) by Skynrd’s tragic fate.

 

Leon Wilkeson Sound and Vision…

 

With Lynyrd Skynyrd…

 

“One More Time” https://youtu.be/46PqCZHzBdw

 

“Freebird” (live) https://youtu.be/1kphg_kWMwE

 

“I Got The Same Old Blues” https://youtu.be/UporLxuEg1E

 

“Cheatin’ Woman” https://youtu.be/R4auSmfb2JU

 

“Travellin’ Man” https://youtu.be/_61OW8EUjwg

 

“That Smell” https://youtu.be/2n-azBfzcuU

 

“I Never Dreamed” https://youtu.be/eg6x3opGozk

 

Bass Solo (1987) https://youtu.be/q_MeNKcvHdE   

 

Rossington-Collins Band “Don’t Misunderstand Me” https://youtu.be/RZsYKYUYZeE