One: The bass is your spouse. If you are fortunate in life to find the ideal soul mate, why cheat? Why look elsewhere? Older players understand where I’m coming from…youthful indiscretion is an important part of…. youth! And growth. (Note: the author has been married twice!) 

 

Two: You become a better player by negotiating the strengths and weaknesses of a single instrument. If you jump to another instrument because playing a certain style is easier on said instrument– you compromise your potential to improve and the opportunity to truly forge your own voice. M’shell Ndegeocello slaps with heavy flats. Bobby Vega funks with a pick. Fernando Saunders and Tony Franklin did not concede their fretless inclinations for their respective bandleaders Lou Reed and Jimmy Page – two artists who couldn’t be more diverse.  Be like these cats!  

 

Three: Identity. Your sound is you! Your phrasing is you! Your note choices are you! Unless you toil in a repertory or tribute ensemble, all musicians (should) strive to be recognizable in a single passage. To a significant degree, when you move from instrument to instrument to instrument you do so at the expense of tone and playability which have a direct impact on your identity. I concur with the tenet that tone is (mostly) in your fingers and soul– however the instrument buffers the two. Don’t mess with that synergy!

 

Playing basses with different neck widths, shapes, weight distribution, fanned or trad frets, extended range, and scale lengths – among other characteristics – alters the way you play. The more instruments you play, the more your true identity is distorted. That is, if you want to have a “true” identity. I’ve met many a player content to appropriate their respective heroes. And it’s big business too – behold the massive popularity of “signature artist” instruments and tribute bands. Shoot me if you see me on stage dressed as Overend Watts. 

 

Four: Visuals. When you compose, practice, and record – you are an artist. When you step on the stage, you are an entertainer.

Macca / Hofner

Jaco / Fender fretless Jazz

Marcus Miller/ Fender Jazz by way of Roger Sadowsky’s revisions

Chris Squire/ Rickenbacker 4001

Berry Oakley / Fender “tractor” Jazz

Peter Hook / Yamaha BB1200S 

Stanley’s Alembic …

For those obsessed with aesthetics – swapping out pickguards affords you a fresh veneer when you get fidgety. You get the picture…. 

 

Five: And bandleaders, producers, engineers, sound-techs, and bandmates get a picture too. Among the most crucial roles of the bassist is one of infallible reliability. Be that cat who is dependable with the gear that is best for you and the situation gig after gig after gig. Fact is most basses are indistinguishable in the final mix – which is where they belong. Who knew Macca was playing a Fender Jazz on The Beatles, Abbey Road tracks until the archival releases revealed photos of the actual sessions? Can you pick out the P bass or the J bass with David Hood, Willie Weeks, Dee Murray, and John Paul Jones – all of whom used both models? Exaggerating an element of a tone of a bass: refer to Jaco Pastorius, Chris Squire, Aston Barrett, Jack Bruce, and Robbie Shakespeare – is rare – though commendable in the hands of a master.  You can hear nuances in the headphones or perhaps during a solo, but those subtleties vanish among the din of other instruments. Don’t sweat it. 

 

Six: Whoa, I want more timbre options! Good for you. Invest in strings! Instead of piling up instruments – have at your disposal multiple string species (flat-wound, round-wound, tape-wound, half-round…) in multiple gauges (light – medium – heavy). Game over! Now you have a myriad of pitches that will accommodate the majority of circumstances wherein your services are required. Cut the strings to size in advance and you can change ’em in under three minutes.

 

Play with your fingers, play with a plectrum, learn to palm mute, employ a “waddafoam” in proximity to the bridge. All these techniques affect your tone, note choices, and approach to the instrument. Variety is the spice of… growth, evolution!

 

Seven: Attitude! Miles Davis “Anybody can play. The note is only 20%. The attitude of the mother****er who plays it is 80 %.” How cool is it to observe keyboard players, drummers, guitar players, and the motley hassle with assembling interconnecting gear, pedals, elaborated rigs etc. as I simply and swiftly plug and play my Fender Jazz bass? I can soundcheck from the bar – and often do. Cool tries to be me! The bass is a relatively “simple” instrument – don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be. 

 

Eight: Multiple instrument ownership breeds indecisiveness. With one instrument, you never have to choose. Did Hank Aaron choose what size bat he was going to hit with every time he stepped to the plate?  

 

Nine: Old chickens make the best soup de jour. Maybe it’s my vintage ears, but the more I play the same instrument the better it sounds. And with battle scars, dings, dents… older looks even better. 

 

Ten: Space! Unless you reside in a house or have access to storage, basses in cases take up too much spaces!  

 

I could be right I could be wrong I could be…Every one of these ten reasons can be argued, debated, disapproved, or validated. Be my guest! 

 

A bona fide Nashville legend…here’s DP’s official bio from, of all places, www.DavidPomeroy.com

 

Dave Pomeroy has been on the cutting edge of Nashville’s music scene for more than 40 years as a bassist, bandleader, and producer. He was born in Naples Italy, into a U.S. military family and lived in Colorado, England, Virginia and Pennsylvania before moving to Nashville from London, England in 1977. From 1980 to 1994, Pomeroy toured and recorded with country music legend Don Williams, and has also performed live with Steve Winwood, John Fogerty, Willie Nelson, Peter Frampton, Mose Allison, and many other major artists. He has played the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Merle Fest, Carnegie Hall, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and London’s Royal Albert Hall.

 

As a studio musician, Pomeroy has played bass on more than 500 albums, including six Grammy winning recordings, with a diverse range of artists including Keith Whitley, Emmylou Harris, The Chieftains, Alan Jackson, Earl Scruggs, Sting, Elton John, Alison Krauss, and Trisha Yearwood. His television appearances include work with Chet Atkins, Vince Gill, Eric Johnson, Sheryl Crow, and Earl Klugh. A multiple Nashville Music Awards winner, his instrumental band Tone Patrol was voted “Jazz Band of the Year” in 1991 and Pomeroy was voted “Studio Musician of the Year” in 1992 and “Bassist of the Year” in 1997.

 

Pomeroy has also released more than a dozen projects on his label, Earwave Records over the past two decades. These include his groundbreaking all-bass and vocal solo albums “Basses Loaded” and “Tomorrow Never Knows,” “The Taproom Tapes,” an album of live improvisations featuring 14 of Nashville’s finest players, CDs by harmonica virtuoso Paco Shipp, and bluegrass vocalist Lorianna Matera, and the jazz-grass instrumental trio “Three Ring Circle” with Rob Ickes and Andy Leftwich, whose most recent release, “Brothership,” was released in 2011. His latest all- bass and vocal solo album, “Angel in the Ashes” was released in 2017 and immediately garnered great reviews, including an in-depth article in Bass Player magazine, and Music Row magazine’s Robert Oermann’s description of the project as ‘wildly inventive” and “a fascinating listening experience!”

 

In 2012, he produced “Restless,” the latest album by country duo The Sweethearts of the Rodeo, and in 2013 made a music documentary film about legendary rockabilly artist Sleepy LaBeef, which was selected for the Nashville Film Festival and is selling well around the world. Earwave’s latest release is the DVD “The Day The Bass Players Took Over The World”, a digitally remastered re-release of the successful 1996 concert video originally released on VHS featuring Dave and the All-Bass Orchestra with special guests Victor Wooten and Friends. The DVD also includes five bonus cuts and a mini documentary “Building The Bass Orchestra.” These projects are all available online at the Earwave Music at www.earwavemusic.com.

 

Over the past 20 years, Pomeroy has raised over $480,000 for Nashville’s “Room In the Inn” homeless program with his annual “Nashville Unlimited Christmas” benefit concerts and CDs. He is a longtime columnist and Advisory Board member for Bass Player Magazine, and has contributed as a writer to numerous books about the music business. Pomeroy was profiled in Backbeat Books’ release“ Studio Bass Masters,” and Michael Visceglia’s “A View From the Side.”

 

A longtime activist for working musicians, Pomeroy was elected President of the Nashville Musicians Association, AFM Local 257 in 2008, and was unanimously re-elected in 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2020. Since them, he has been responsible for transforming Local 257 into a real world, responsive and proactive organization for all Nashville musicians. In 2010 he was elected to the International Executive Board of the American Federation of Musicians, and has since been re-elected three times, in 2013, 2016 and 2019. Local 257 is on the cutting edge of the AFM, having developed new agreements for home recording, payment for use of studio tracks onstage, and working with publishers, labels and independent artists to make recording with the best musicians in the world affordable and enjoyable experience.

 

With the release of “Angel in the Ashes,” and his recent re-election to a fifth term as AFM 257 President, Dave Pomeroy continues to balance his passion for helping musicians take care of business with his first love – playing the bass!

 

 

 

By Ken Voss

Bass player Maureen Herman (7/25/66) has musical roots you would never have imagined. Growing up in Libertyville, she worked on the high school paper Drops of Ink with none other than Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Adam Jones of Tool. She would go on in the ‘90s and become a key figure in the all-girl punk band Babes in Toyland.

 

Herman was introduced to punk and new wave through a high school friend whose brother was an album cover artist for Warner Bros. and Beserkley record labels. Through the connection she attended her first concert when she was just 12 seeing the Stranglers and meeting their lead singer Hugh Cornwell. From that point, she was hooked.

 

Graduating from Libertyville High School, Herman moved to Minnesota, attending the University of Minnesota with a major in Film Studies and minor in Journalism. She returned to Illinois briefly to help high school alumni produce a video, The Season of the Snow Bitch, a horror spoof. At the time Morello and Jones had a band Electric Sheep and provided the musical soundtrack for the video project.

 

Her brother had a garage band. “He taught me ‘Smoke on the Water’ one day,” she remembers. Then in 1988, when her brother injured his hand in a restaurant kitchen accident she inherited his bass guitar and began playing in her first band M&M Stigmata.

 

Meanwhile Babes in Toyland was first formed in 1987 by vocalist/guitarist Kat Bjelland in Minneapolis. She first met drummer Lori Barbero at a friend’s barbecue, bringing on bassist Kris Holetz and vocalist Cindy Russell to complete the initial lineup. Some changes in the early going saw Holetz and Russell leave, bringing on bassist Michelle Leon with Bjelland handling lead vocals. They released their first record in 1989 with the single “Dust Cake Boy” (Sub Pop) which led to their debut album Spanking Machine (Twin/Tone) in 1990.

 

Deciding to move back to Chicago Herman was quickly embraced by the burgeoning indie scene. As a matter of fact, veteran producer Steve Albini let her park her U-Haul in front of his place and the people at Touch and Go Records let her store her stuff in their warehouse. Soon, she was living in a space with the band Jesus Lizard dating their guitar player and was playing bass at the time with Cherry Rodriguez.

 

With Babes in Toyland getting ready to head into the studio for their second album, Leon left the band shortly after the death of her boyfriend Joe Cole who was killed in an armed robbery.

 

Herman recalls, “An old friend phoned with news that the bassist had quit the band and asked if I’d like to join. That band, Babes in Toyland, had just signed to Reprise and was about to record their major label debut. I joined,” she said in an interview with Harmony Central. She almost missed the opportunity when she headed back to Minneapolis to work out with the group but missed the first session when she was arrested and jailed for delinquent unpaid parking tickets. Once that was resolved, “In two weeks I was on tour, with a recording session scheduled immediately after we got off the road.”

 

That initial tour, by the way, was an international tour opening for Nirvana. For the next four years, Babes in Toyland would tour extensively in the alternative rock music circuit including major festivals such as Lollapalooza and the Reading Festival in the UK. The group would record three albums and an EP for Reprise.

 

You would think they were on the road to success. But for Herman, it was just the opposite. She left the band in 1996 due to what was indicated as “health problems.” In Herman’s words, “I couldn’t remember the last time I had enjoyed music either as a player or a listener. It had been far too long. Warner Bros. (Reprise) and the rest of their dysfunctional family had chewed up all the good parts, leaving only the greedy, ugly parts exposed.”

 

The band plugged along for a little while with different bass players filling in, going on hiatus, and then announcing in 2001 that they had disbanded.

 

Herman returned to her journalist roots and went on to work as associate editor for Musician magazine and freelance journalist for Rolling Stone. In 1998, she started her own company, Pollyanna, which was involved in the music business in various forms, including management, booking, promotion, publicity, and music publishing. In 2006 she joined the music, technology and e-commerce platform Fuzz as Senior Director of Business Development and Editor-in-Chief of their social networking editorial e-zine The Fix. Taking an active role in social justice causes she founded the non-profit Project Noise Foundation.

 

When Babes in Toyland re-united in 2014 and started playing live again Herman returned to the lineup. But when an international tour was planned for 2015, Herman was fired and replaced by Clara Salyer. Apparently, her journalistic credo got in the way of the band’s potential plans as she had written a piece on the Boing Boing website citing sexual assault allegations against Kim Fowley. As Babes in Toyland had industry connections tied to Fowley, there was concern of harming future business for the band.

 

Looking back on her years with Babes in Toyland, when asked whether it was hard to be in an all-girl punk band in a male dominated industry? She didn’t really think so. To her the hardest part was dealing with the press. In her eyes, “We were another band, not an all-girl band.” But they kept getting pigeonholed with the likes of L7 and Hole who had different styles of music. “We were in indie rock vein.”

 

For Herman, it was time for her to retire her bass guitar. Babes in Toyland would continue on, only to break up again in 2020.

 

Herman has returned once more to her journalistic roots, moved back to Illinois into a house that was once high school alum and friend Tom Morello’s grandparents’ home. She’s domesticated, raising her daughter and continues writing. She’s in the process of finishing up her memoirs, which will be released mid-year 2022 titled It’s a Memoir, Motherfucker (Flatiron Press) which she says as she’s reflected on a life that involved addiction, alcoholism and PTSD, “is my way of trying to bridge that gap between who I am and who people think I should be.”

 

You can follow Herman on her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/maureenherman and she invites you to get deeper into her writing on https://www.patreon.com/maureenherman, a subscription-based outlet where she says she takes her personal writing to a more intimate level.

 

DISCOGRAPHY

 

Babes in Toyland (with Herman)

 

1992 Fontanelle (Reprise 25998)

 

1993 Painkillers (Reprise 45339)

 

1995 Nemesisters (Reprise 45868)

 

1995 Sweet ’69 (Reprise WO391TEX) 10” 3-song 45 r.p.m. EP

 

The Babes in Toyland track “The Girl Can’t Help It” was included on the 1994 various artist compilation Fast Track to Nowhere: Songs from the Showtime Original Series “Rebel Highway” (A&M 540240).

 

The relationship with A&M continued that year with the girls contributing “Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft” on the various artist compilation If I Were a Carpenter (A&M 540258).

 

 

MIKE WATT “Good God’s Urge” Pornos for Pyros

 

The alt-rock bass maestro vacillates between upper-register melodicism and pocket riffage on this trippy Peretz Bernstein composition. 

 

Live Acoustic Version: https://youtu.be/It1u7FtJ8gE  

 

Studio Version: https://youtu.be/lrN0f94W7Xw

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MELISSA AUF DER MAUR “Out of Our Minds”

 

The power of…one note! Dig Melissa’s hypnotic bass loop intro which morphs into airtight lower register grooves with Vince Nudo’s kick-drum.  

 

“Out of Our Minds” https://youtu.be/OHan_RwI_VU

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BILLY PETERSON, TONY BROWN: Blood On The Tracks Bob Dylan

 

Most bandleaders / producers would have opted for the doghouse. Waxed in the waning days of ‘74, Bob’s Blood on the Tracks stands among his (numerous) classics and an exquisite example of the subtle powers of the electric bass in an acoustic folk context.  Tony Brown anchored the September A&R NYC dates (“Simple Twist of Fate,” “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome,” Meet Me in the Morning,” “Shelter from the Storm,” “Buckets of Rain”). Billy Peterson (pictured) helmed the December Sound 80 Minneapolis sessions (“Tangled Up in Blue,” “Idiot Wind,” “Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts”). Sans charts with minimal direction, the bassists fixated on Dylan’s every nuance whereas many other backing musicians who couldn’t “catch” Bob were dismissed one by one.  

 

Nowadays Americana artists aplenty opt for the upright, however the warmth of the Fender P and phrasing borne of an electric bass afford these recordings a modernist twist (pun intended) despite the fact that they were cut nearly a half-century ago. Everything new is old again.  

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NORMAN WATT ROY “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick” Ian Dury and The Blockheads

 

“He’s the man with the face, from outer space, on his faith and grace” bellowed the late, truly great Ian Dury of his virtuoso bassist Norman Watt-Roy. A rite of passage for players of my generation, Norm’s Jaco inspired (spot the “Teen Town” riff) motifs brilliantly underpin Dury’s lunatic libretto.  Sometimes busy is better!

 

Ian Dury “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick” https://youtu.be/0WGVgfjnLqc

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BENNY RIETVELD “Are You Ready” Santana / The Isley Brothers 

 

Notes From An Artist Radio / Podcast / Video Series guest Benny Rietveld takes the staccato 16^th note Francis Rocco Prestia route replete with a dub resonance that would do Robbie Shakespeare proud on The Chambers Brothers classic “Are You Ready” from the amazing collaborative LP Power of Peace. Essential!

 

“Are You Ready” https://youtu.be/lHK9vzhxxLE

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GORDON EDWARDS: “Let’s Go Down to Lucy’s” Leon Thomas

 

The bass in the hands the master, Gordon Edwards, serves as the melodic hook and the anchor – double stop included! And that’s Bernard Purdie on drums…from the slab Blues & The Soulful Truth (1973).

 

“Let’s Go Down to Lucy” https://youtu.be/xx4uOZ77KLk

 

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JOHN GUSTAFSON / OVEREND WATTS / PAUL PAGE “Lounge Lizard” IAN HUTNER / MOTT THE HOOPLE ’74.

 

Yet another Ian gem, “Lounge Lizard” was originally intended as a B-Side for Mott’s “Saturday Gigs” swansong.  The original with Overend Watts was probably the last blast of Hoople bombast abetted by the profound plinkery of Morgan Fisher. The first released version appears on Ian’s s/t debut with bassist John Gustafson taking a more soulful / pocket approach. For the Mott ’74 reunion tour, KYBP On Film star Paul Page negotiates between his predecessors with equal measures of rhythm and bluster. Great songs make for great basslines….

 

Ian Hunter: https://youtu.be/lQ7Mm_TkJOE

 

Mott The Hoople: https://youtu.be/xPQByEZE8Y8

 

Mott The Hoople ‘74 https://youtu.be/dnf3z62mP9U

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BILL WYMAN “Jivin’ Sister Fanny” Rolling Stones 

 

Why this killer coldcocked Stones cut never found its way on an official slab is beyond me! Dig the former William Perks’ equitoxic quarter-note groove abetted with more supplementary fills and upper-register grace notes than the stone-faced bassist is typically noted for. Best B-side ever? Could be. Imagine if Joey Kelly. Michael Muller / Dave Donen covered this track…

 

Audio Link: https://youtu.be/LgVo0Krv6Yg 

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MICHAEL HENDERSON: “Right Off” Miles Davis 

 

The jazz police continue to debate these sides, which to my ears, reverberate magnificently decades after their release. With hypnotic repetitive motifs and piercing upper register fills Michael Henderson anchored Miles’ most controversial, groundbreaking, and influential jazz funk recordings. “Right Off” kicks off with a James Brown “inspired” motif in the universal funk key of E then abruptly jumps to Bb – though it took a few bars for Henderson to catch on. Regardless, “Right Off” is a jazz fusion touchstone. Following his tenure with Davis, Henderson forged a successful career as a contemporary jazz singer, composer, and recording artist. 

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DAVEY FARAGHER “Farewell, OK” / “The Boy Named If” Elvis Costello & The Imposters

 

Yes, Declan’s Imposters are indeed “The Subtractions” (as in minus Bruce Thomas), but there’s evidence aplenty on the last few EC slabs (especially Look Now / 2018) that bassist Davey Faragher has been studying the work of his irreplaceable predecessor with remarkable attention to detail. Ditto producer / engineer Sebastian Krys taking liberties (pun intended) from Nick Lowe’s approach to The Attractions classics in both sound and execution. Eschewing the (yawn) pocket for melodic motifs, glissandos, and upper register riffery – check out “Farewell, OK” and the title cut- Faragher gives further credence to the credo that imitation is the sincerest form of ….flattery!  Even the album art evokes comparison to Blood and Chocolate… Imperial Bedroom.  Oh well, if it worked the first time around….

 

“Farewell, Ok” https://youtu.be/eGcbRIX0Fjw

 

“The Boy Named If” https://youtu.be/9Tjuygr65SU

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JIM RODFORD “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman” / The Kinks 

 

During the 70s’ disco zeitgeist rockers aplenty including the Rolling Stones (“Miss You”), Sir Rod (“Do You Think I’m Sexy?” Macca (“Good Night Tonight”), Kiss (“I Was Made for Loving You”), and even The Clash (“Magnificent 7” with Blockhead maestro Norman Watt-Roy in the bass chair) all set their sights on the dance floor. All but Strummer sacrificed their street cred. Ditto Ray Davies with his self-effacing social commentary on the aforementioned single from their stellar Low Budget (1979) collection. The late, truly great bassist Jim Rodford eschews the usual cliches for a punchy descending motif which served the song well and translated note for note when The Kinks rocked this tune on-stage – as I was witness. That’s Jim and I at The Horn in St. Albans (2014) with his modded Fender Mustang which he used on most of the band’s sessions and gigs.  

 

“(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman” https://youtu.be/DV-4Ge78OaI 

ROBBIE SHAKESPEARE: Bob Dylan “Too Late” 

 

Audio link: https://youtu.be/RUT7N8RYgSI When is “too many notes” not too many notes? Right here! Dig Robbie’s double-time riddum on this Zimmy outtake entitled “Too Late,” metamorphosing a mid-tempo folk ditty into a groovin’ reggae psalm! And the libretto ain’t to shabby either… 

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JERRY SCHEFF: Mick Jagger “Memo From Turner” 

 

Audio Link: https://youtu.be/yCoCgB3eIU4  Recorded by the Stones a few months following the Beggar’s Banquet sessions in ‘68, various versions of this incendiary track from Mick’s Performance film have found its way on to bootlegs. However the official release is the definitive, produced by Jack Nitzsche in L.A. with session cats aplenty: guitarists Ry Cooder and Russ Titelman, Randy Newman on piano, drummer Gene Parsons, and bassist Jerry Scheff.  

 

Presley’s late 60s-70s anchor drenches his trad Fender P bass tone with distortion, and he’s a far busier player than the former William Perks, affording this somewhat forgotten gem of a recording a decidedly southern fried rhythm & blooze veneer abetted by Jagger’s jagged drawl.

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HERBIE FLOWERS: David Bowie David Live

 

Introducing Ziggy Souldust….

 

It could be the greatest concert recording ever by a major rock artist …or the worst.

 

Despite overdubs aplenty, a near mutiny by his backing band (allegedly commandeered by this bassist), and horrific reviews – the former David Jones’ first (and to my ears finest) live set waxed in the summer of ’74 is a fascinating, futuristic, and funky meld of glam, soul, theater, and avant-garde. 

 

Anchoring an all-star ensemble which featured Earl Slick (guitar), Michael Kaman (keys), David Sanborn (sax), Tony Newman (drums), Warren Peace and Gui Asandro (backing vocs), Pablo Rosario (percussion), and Mike Garson (piano), Richard Grando (sax/flute) was virtuoso session bassist Herbie Flowers. 

 

Herbie’s sizzling staccato lines, jazzy harmonic counterpoint, and rhythmic variations re-cast David’s Ziggy era canon with a decidedly Broadway flair.

 

Akin to Robert Zimmerman, Bowie completely reinvents his canon on this now expanded twofer which blew minds aplenty upon its winter release. I’m sure it took concertgoers a few minutes to figure out what song the motely were rendering. Every now and then a cocaine fueled train wreck works, that’s David Live at the Tower Philadelphia.

 

Kudos to producer Tony Visconti for pushing Herbie up in the mix!

 

“Moonage Daydream” https://youtu.be/SOYNkDPqsso

 

“Suffragette City” https://youtu.be/WuyTVxvfIig

 

“1984” https://youtu.be/JIPt9UpHtXQ

 

“Rebel Rebel” https://youtu.be/QLyDNl0rfi0  

 

“Sweet Thing” https://youtu.be/CiydgQymvTE    

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BRUCE THOMAS: Elvis Costello & The Attractions Punch The Clock 

 

Times, trends, tones, and technology were a-changin’ during the Reagan / Thatcher era, hence the trad low-end resonance of Fender and Danelectro, among other studio staples, could not compete with the barrage of snazzy synthesizers that dominated the pop music landscape.

 

As such many a bassist opted for more treble trolling instruments. Enter Bruce Thomas on Declan’s superb 1983 platter Punch the Clock with his “electric Wal bass guitar” as listed in the album credits. Featuring Chet Baker and TKO sax colossus / clarinetist Geoff Blythe (listed as “Jeff”), Bruce’s signature countermelodic harmonic forays forged a decidedly sharper twang.

 

Thomas’ tempered timbre manages McManus’ melancholy melodies and “sugary” stanzas quite magnificently.  

 

“Everyday I Write the Book”    https://youtu.be/V1d4r9awjKE 

 

“Let Them All Talk” https://youtu.be/NaYJCfenR20

 

“Invisible Man” https://youtu.be/3o-iZ_GfTTs

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DAVID HOOD: Traffic On The Road

 

Extended live slabs are oft ponderous affairs, however this terrific Traffic twofer with Muscle Shoals “Swamper” David Hood in the bass chair is the rare exception.

 

Waxed in Germany ’73 – dig the “wir fahr’n fahr’n fahr’n auf der Autobahn” cover artwork – Hood along with polyrhythmic percussive purveyors Jim Capaldi, Rebop, and Roger Hawkins stir up a Bitches Brew brouhaha on super stretched out renditions of the studio originals.

 

Hood masters the pocket – rendering subtle variations on what are essentially jam vamps tailored to the improvisational prowess of Messrs. Chris Wood, Steve Winwood, and second keys man Barry Beckett. 

 

“Glad / Freedom Rider” medley https://youtu.be/K37bsDlutes

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JOHN BAKER SAUNDERS: Mad Season Above

 

Doomed by drug addiction, this 1990s alt-rock super group comprised from Seattle’s finest – Alice in Chains (Layne Staley), Pearl Jam (Mike McCready), and Screaming Trees (Barret Martin)- waxed a gem of a slab that traversed ambient, jazz, blues, trad hard-rock, experimental and “grunge.”

 

Bassist John Baker Saunders, who cut his teeth with notable artists including Hubert Sumlin and The Walkabouts, nimbly works the pocket with inventive harmonic extensions and legato passages.

 

Intense, understated performances from all involved – it’s pity that half of Mad Season left this mortal coil way too soon….     

 

Lifeless Dead”  http://bit.ly/2tPMebm

 

“River of Deceit” https://youtu.be/StqioKCPqF8

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JIMMY ASHURST: Izzy Stradlin & The Ju Ju Hounds

 

Start to finish, this was the best album Guns ‘n’ Roses never recorded – save perhaps for Gilby Clarke’s Pawnshop Guitars (1994). The Gunners best songwriter fires on all cylinders with a collection that strips the pomp and circumstance of Use Your Illusion l & ll with songcraft and a laidback Stonesy vibe that would do Keef proud – note Ronnie Wood, Nicky Hopkins, and Ian McLagan’s individual appearances on three cuts.

 

Veteran bassist Jimmy Ashurst (Buckcherry) renders a fine chordal intro on the slab’s single / video “Shuffle It All,” and works the pocket with sparse grooves that leave space aplenty for Charlie Quintana’s fat back beat and Rick Richards (than name again!) riffage.

 

Buried in the grunge era, this is one of the great lost rock albums of the 1990s.  

 

“Shuffle It All” https://youtu.be/TKBgbbFaF2U

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DUFF MCKAGAN Guns ‘n’ Roses “Pretty Tied Up”

 

“Cool ranch dressing!” Michael Andrew McKagan stands among the hard rock’s premiere bassists – and this track proves why. Controversial libretto aside, Duff’s mastery of melody and the pocket achieves perfection on this cut, abetted by a funky flange resonance.  Had Axl had a handle on his ego, you pull the best tracks from solo Slash, Duff, Gilby, and Izzy slabs and they’d have had a career equal to the Stones. But…. GnR as a nostalgia act in the 21^st Century continues…yawn. 

 

“Petty Tied Up” https://youtu.be/uOzA23ibxjU 

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ROB RAWLINSON: Ian Hunter’s Overnight Angels 

 

Whenever I mentioned Overnight Angels (1977) to Ian Hunter during our four or five interviews since 2000, the usual reaction was a groan, or a grimace, or a combination of thereof. Though it was an album out-of-time, out-of-touch, and somewhat out-of-tune thanks to producer Roy Thomas Baker’s misdirection, the songs and bass playing on Overnight Angels are, to my ears, rather astonishing. Rare is the player who can overplay – yet play to the song.

 

Yet that is exactly what Rob Rawlinson achieved on this collection, which, incidentally, was only available as an import in the United States upon its release.

 

Rawlinson, who went on to found Atomic Studios in London, also anchored sessions and gigs with Freddie Mercury, the Climax Blues Band, the Lloyd Langton Group, Rick Astley, and Alison Moyet, among others.

 

“Golden Opportunity” https://youtu.be/xOgI42s53uA

 

“Overnight Angels” https://youtu.be/HzYBO4Uw92o

 

“Wild and Free: https://youtu.be/KwFFEw5BtOo

 

“Miss Silver Dime” https://youtu.be/qzADr4fkbUQ

 

“Shallow Crystals” https://youtu.be/7stOZSXUFU4

 

“To Love a Woman” https://youtu.be/Hb4mTJnPFrQ

 

“Justice of the Peace” https://youtu.be/PjWzp2gb-yU

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MARTYN LENOBLE: “Dirty Sticky Floors” (Live) Dave Gahan

 

Veteran (Pornos For Pyros, Scott Weiland, The Cult) alt-rock anchor Martyn LeNoble (that’s Mr. Christina Applegate to you!) furtively works the fuzz on this Depeche Mode-minus magnum opus whilst a sustain pedal does the heavy lifting for his three-note bass break at 2:30. Yep, ‘twas a time when rock gods traversed the terrain…

 

“Dirty Sticky Floors” https://youtu.be/guB5PHcArLw 

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ADAM CLAYTON “Mysterious Ways” U2

 

Groove monster Adam Clayton works his dub bass magic on this 90s classic. What is it with bass players and their model mates?

 

“Mysterious Ways” https://youtu.be/TxcDTUMLQJI 

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LESLIE LANGSTON: “Devils Roof” Throwing Muses

 

Of all the bassists who served in Kristen Hersh’s corps (with / without Tanya Donelly) over the years, Leslie Lansgton was by far the most accomplished, incorporating funk and reggae influences beneath her bandleader’s mystically twisted libretto. An alt-rock collective way ahead of its time…. 

 

“Devils Roof” https://youtu.be/E9-Zqgxvogw

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GAIL GREENWOOD “Geppetto” Belly

 

Rock critics who opined that grunge bass lacked finesse didn’t know what they were talking about…again…and again. Dig Gail’s grooves as each note melts into the next.  

 

“Geppetto: https://youtu.be/gQlk8eKdIIA

 

John brings the root, the fifth, and occasionally the minor six! He can dance, he can sing and boy-oh-boy he can do THAT thing! Swing, Johnny, Swing!!!  Emily Duff

 

Akin to many of our g-g-generation John Hamilton came to the instrument by way of the six-string. Yet as contra-bass icon Anthony Jackson and such Jacksonian devotees as Dave Swift (Later …with Jools Holland, UK’s most recognized bassist) rightly pontificate: the electric bass is indeed a member of the GUITAR family!

 

Unlike many a convert, Hamilton eschews the riffage approach (see Keef, Ronnie Wood….) and works the pocket in the Willie Dixon / William Perks (that’s “Bill Wyman” to you civilians!) perspective in his supportive slant on stage and in the studio with the aforementioned Duff collective and The Bakersfield Breakers – the latter of whom have embarked on “a mission to reawaken the classic guitar-driven sound of 1950’s Bakersfield and the driving tunes of 1960’s surf rock….” 

 

As Ms. Duff details, Hamilton serves the singer, song, and soloist with a warm tone borne of his “mutt” P bass, among other fine tools of the trade.

 

John Hamilton Sound & Vision:

 

Emily Duff Band Haverford Music Festival:

 

The Bakersfield Breakers

 

L to R: Kenny Soule, Scott Aldrich, Emily Duff, Charlie Giordano, and John Hamilton with his “P Mutt”

Photo by Charles Chessler

 

John Hamilton and the “Mutt P Bass”

 

 

By Tony Senatore

‘

Appreciation: recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something; gratitude; a piece of writing in which the qualities of a person or the person’s work are discussed and assessed; a full understanding of a situation.

 

In November 2016 Huffington Post Entertainment published my annual Bass Players Who Belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame op-ed (rant) which included Lamar Williams, David Goldflies, Allen Woody, and Oteil Burbridge of the Allman Brothers Band. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/eleven-more-bass-players-_b_13153786

 

The Hall, in all its infamy, cited the founding members despite the extraordinary contributions of those that followed. Including a virtuoso bassist from a place called Oxford, Ohio.

 

I can’t quite remember the exact details or time frame wherein I received a “thank you” missive from David “Rook” Goldflies. When I discovered that his extraordinary repertory A Brothers Revival ensemble had a show in Long Island, which I unfortunately could not attend (I had a gig as well!) I asked if he’d sit for an on-camera interview at Euphoria Studios in Manhattan the next day, to which he agreed.

 

I invited photographer Wade Gradia, who’d shot photos of David’s predecessor, the late great Lamar Williams, and had attended many Allmans, Sea Level, and Dickey Betts Great Southern concerts back in the 1970s.

 

Also among my crew was renown bassist and collector Tony Senatore, who came up with a brilliant visual: a vintage Alembic bass similar to the one David used with the Allmans and Betts. Surely Goldflies had not touched one of these four string beasts in a long, long time! (He hadn’t – and was thrilled to discover that Senny had paid rapt attention to detail!)

 

When the legacy of the Allman Brothers Band is reviewed, the emphasis is obviously on the original watershed version featuring Duane, and Berry Oakley.

 

The second version with bassist Lamar Williams, and keyboardist Chuck Leavell oft garners hosannas aplenty as they were actually the most commercially successful of the Brothers’ bands replete with chart-topping records, heavy rotation FM radio play, gossip magazine / TV coverage (Cher & Gregg), and high-profile engagements including Watkins Glenn, and The Midnight Special.

 

 

The latter-day line-ups with bassists Allen Woody and Oteil Burbridge are probably the most recognizable to the masses due to the emergence of digital media / video sharing platforms and extended star-studded engagements at New York City’s hallowed Beacon Theater.

 

So, what about my David “Rook” Goldflies version of the Brothers?

 

The year was 1979 and American roots music was not represented in the mainstream – which is where most teenagers, myself included, got their information during the Carter Administration.

 

Also note that this was ancient times previous to social media, websites, and the indie-specialty publishing explosion of the 1990s wherein every genre of popular music was represented in numerous magazine formats. Sure, there was Rolling Stone, Spin, Creem, New Musical Express, and Circus in the rock forum – however their spotlight, to my tastes, all to often shone on artists with a lot more sizzle than substance.  

 

The Allman Brothers never lacked substance. Their sizzle was their musicianship. Go figure!

 

With Rook they waxed a trio of records which acquiesced to the commercial tastes of the day. Again we must remember, this was before the emergence of the “legacy artist” in rock music. Either an artist resonated with what was considered “contemporary” lest they be relegated to the group-think journo tastemakers and radio programmers as “irrelevant.”

 

Nowadays veterans spanning Tony Bennett to the Rolling Stones are cited for the classic artistry that initially brought them the recognition they richly deserved in the first place. The final incarnations of the Brothers were able to bask in that legacy glow, but that was not the case with the Rook Brothers Band.

 

Ignored and somewhat disdained by the establishment, David’s version of the Allman Brothers Band kept the flame burning for a generation too young to experience the Fillmore East/West era on the concert stage. Their fiery performances and musical references prompted young players such as myself to dig out vintage blues and jazz records to uncover where these cats were coming from. And Rook was just a kid barely in his 20s! How did he play with such depth and maturity?

 

But don’t take my word for it: The Allman Brothers Band – Full Concert – 01/04/81 – Capitol Theatre (OFFICIAL)   https://youtu.be/uYaSKFSdzRA

 

I was witness to the Brothers with Rook during my days at the University of Miami, and the bass players, guitarists, and drummers were all taking notes!

 

And as for those overlooked Allmans ’79 – early ‘80s slabs, if they were cut by a younger, prettier ensemble with million-dollar video budgets and designer clothing endorsements, they’d be considered career highlights rather than Allmans lowlights. Perhaps I should abscond the masters, hire a few TikTok models, and re-release the music!  

 

Goldflies’ career since the Allmans is the most diverse, adventurous, and exploratory of all the members who served in one of rock’s most influential ensembles. I advise you to follow him on social media and his website. https://www.goldfliesmusic.com/

 

Sans the Rook version of the Brothers, would the band have ever reunited in the late ‘80s until their retirement in the 21^st Century wherein they recaptured some of the old glory and added a few new chapters? Maybe, maybe not.

 

Regardless, Rook’s role was undeniably vital. But that’s the life of the bass player, ain’t it? The other guys get all the credit!

 

To paraphrase Ron Carter “You may be the bandleader, but the bass player leads the band…” On behalf of my generation of bass players (“The Rook Renegade”), thank you David Goldflies for the inspiration (at the right time) and the timeless music. Long may you pluck, plectrum, bow, mute…

 

(Note that Tony Senatore anchors a power – progressive rock ensemble dubbed “Rook.” However the official inspiration for the name is drawn from the chess game piece. Though I do detect a Goldflies aesthetic to Senny’s playing. Where’d he learn that?) 

 

Read David’s take on the Allmans….

 

Own a Little Piece of the Allman Brothers Band? You Probably Already Do.

By David Goldflies (Medium.Com)

 

First, this article here on Medium is not an offer to buy a piece of the Allman Brothers Band or anything else for that matter. If someone calls you on the phone and offers to sell you a part of the Allman Brothers Band, hang up!

 

The Allman Brothers band has achieved legendary status in American rock music culture. While younger generations have mostly moved on, the iconic status of much of their music, especially from their early years, keeps their music very much alive. Selections like Dreams, Midnight Rider, and others are part of the soundscape of current movies and TV shows.

 

I was fortunate to play in the Brothers from 1979 to 1983. After that experience and in the 38 years since I noticed an interesting phenomenon. It goes something like this.

 

I’d meet someone, and they would at some point ask me what I do. I’d say, “I’m a musician,” to which they would say, “Oh great, where do you play”? Eventually, it would come out I was a bassist for the Allman Brothers Band. At that point, if they had had any experience of their own with the Allman Brothers, such as going to a concert, buying an album, or a favorite song, they would tell me about it.

 

But I then realized that at that moment, they had inadvertently had another experience with the Allman Brothers Band — Me! I wondered, where does this chain of association stop?

 

For instance, it might go something like this:

 

I met a dude from the Allman Brothers! The person would then tell their significant other: I met a dude from the Allman Brothers. In turn, their significant other would tell their friend, hey, my other half met a dude from the Allman Brothers! Later, that person who has a dog would take the dog to the vet and, in conversation, tell the vet my friend’s significant other met a dude from the Allman Brothers! Later that day, after treating the dog for fleas, the vet would tell his co-workers, I treated the fleas on a dog that was owned by someone whose friend dates the guy who met a dude from the Allman Brothers.

 

I’ll stop here. You get the idea. My question once I observed this was, where does the chain end? Or does it?

 

Flash forward to now. In the spring of 2021, my band, A Brother’s Revival, where we strive to bring the original recordings of the Allman Brothers Band to life, resumed touring. The audiences at these gigs were enthusiastic to hear live music again after over a year of various lockdowns due to COVID-19.

 

After each show, while hawking our band merch in the theater lobby, many fans would come up to us, and almost every one of them, after expressing how much they loved the show, would then slip into a more serious, almost reverential demeanor and would tell me about their previous experience with the Allman Brothers. One man told me that he had seen over 50 shows by the band. Another woman told me the story of serving the band dinner one night in Ohio and how Gregg Allman had spoken to her during the evening. Another knew someone that had dated a roadie of the band 40 years ago.

 

Each story was different in detail, but there was a common thread. Each person owned their story and, in some cool, magical way, felt a strong sense of connection to the community that has surrounded the Allman Brothers for decades. In most cases, these memories went far past identifying with the actual music the band played.

 

The keyword in all of this is “owned.” The sense of ownership in these stories was palpable. And a bit humbling since we were here to bring this music to life. The fact that these stories came out so easily after our show helped me believe that we are doing a respectable job representing the Allman Brothers’ music.

 

So I got to thinking about the piece of the Allman Brothers that I own. Although I didn’t know it at the time, and to be honest, I’m sure the Allman Brothers didn’t know it either, by being asked to play with guitarist Dickey Betts (and eventually with Greg Allman, Butch Trucks, and Jai Johnny Johnson), I was being entrusted to learn and in some way carry on the music of the Brothers. That idea took almost 35 years for me to understand, let alone put into motion.

 

What part of the Allman Brothers legacy do musicians like myself, that have developed their talent and style from the Allman Brothers’ music, own? When arranging, rehearsing, and touring A Brother’s Revival, I find my relationship to the music, culture, and yes, the community that defines the ABB’s legacy keeps expanding as we dive deeper into the music of the band. Each story told to me after our gigs, in fact, wherever I hear them (at the grocery store, in the doctor’s office, on an airport shuttle), makes me think of the endless chain of association that exists around the group.

 

I’m glad I can be a self-aware flea on the back of the dog that was treated by the vet of the person whose friend dates someone who met a dude from the Allman Brothers.

 

Although I didn’t realize it at the time, it has been the most unexpected gift I’ve experienced in my life.

 

 

 

 

Rook bassist Tony Senatore affords a public service announcement on behalf of Studio 601 “Music Against Drugs and Alcohol”

 

When I was a student at Columbia University, I made a comment in class that human beings, regardless of geographic location, all aspire towards the same things. Love, family, and the never-ending quest to find the meaning of life are just a few of the things that bind us together. I asserted that when it comes right down to it, global citizens have more similarities than they do differences. My comment was summarily rejected by my professor, but in retrospect, I stand behind my original statement. Drug and alcohol addiction is a problem that we all face. Often, those that suffer with these afflictions have long periods of remission from disease, only to have their addiction recur many years later. The staff at Studio 601 realize that drug and alcohol addiction is a serious problem.

 

To raise awareness to addiction, they have put together a non-traditional concert event in which musicians share their views of the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. In their own words, and in their native languages, musical performers from around the world share their music and their stories in an entirely internet-based concert event. The wonderful Soviet teacher Vasily Sukhomlinsky said that just as gymnastics straightens the body, music straightens the soul. Music has the manifest function of giving us immediate joy and gratification, but it also has a latent function; it helps to awaken the idea of the sublime, majestic and beautiful, not only in the surrounding world, but also in ourselves. Music is a powerful means of self-education. We must help our children make the right choice.

 

As such, Studio 601 is proud to present this virtual concert whose primary goal is to convey that playing and listening to music is a powerful alternative to drug and alcohol addiction. Studio 601 would like to thank all the musicians who participated in the concert. Your support in the fight against this serious problem of humanity which has affected the entire world, is greatly appreciated. The staff at Know Your Bass Player would like to thank Juliya Gorbachyova who represents the soviet satellite branch of our KYBP organization for her tireless efforts in procuring talent for this event.

 

The original date for the six-hour concert event was planned for October 3rd, a significant date, as it coincides with World Sobriety Day. However, to comply with various laws and regulations, the concert event will be rescheduled, and we will keep you posted as to the new date, and a link to the event.

 

“The Path” Rook, the Progressive Jazz / Fusion band formed in 2020. A versatile set of musicians whose foundations are firmly rooted in music theory and improvisation, who have honed their skills over the years with never ending playing and practice in the Tri-State Area. Rook’s Chariot is the stage — and each member of the band can take the reins at any point during a performance and set the tempo of the song. Alan LoPresti (guitar / vocals), Andy Rothstein (guitar), Tony Senatore (bass), Tom Cottone (drums), Joe Deninzon (violin)

 

By KYBP Austin Bureau Chief Robert Jenkins “Austin Underground”

 

Thad Stevens. Thad Stevens. Thad! Stevens!

 

Know that name. Know that bass player. Because Thad Stevens is one of the best bassists on the Austin Underground scene right now. He is a dedicated fretless player with a wide range of abilities that allows him to be somewhat of a chameleon in the jungle of bands in Austin.

 

Thad got his start at a relatively young age when he was in middle school. His brother played guitar and when a family friend offered to sell a bass, Thad took a stab at it. With a little background in music from middle school, the interest for Thad to play the bass was immediate, if only diversionary, at first.

 

Coming up during the post – grunge era, Thad was influenced early on by bands like Alice In Chains but was also drawn deeper into bass playing by listening to Steve Harris of Iron Maiden.

 

The music of Pink Floyd got Thad deeply interested in the sound of fretless bass. Listening to Death (and Steve Di Giorgio) helped Thad understand and love melodic bass playing in a metal context.

 

Thad’s bass career really started when he joined local Austin prog metal heavyweights Ethereal Architect. It was with this band that he was able to really showcase his range on the fretless bass in a setting of complex arrangements with broad melodic structure. The regimented style of Ethereal Architect helped Thad to really refine the style of playing fast and in tune on fretless.

 

Thad went on to play with Immortal Guardian and Descendants of Erdrick, continuing to explore his opportunities to add his fretless sound and style to a metal context.

 

Thad currently plays with local Austin hardcore behemoths Böndbreaker. “I really like playing with Böndbreaker because it allows me complete freedom to play my style while engaging in and promoting a message that I feel is important and worthy. It is very fulfilling” says Thad. He also plays with singer/songwriter Amanda Lepre. This provided him with the opportunity to learn to play in a “less is more” style, playing to the song so as not to be overbearing in a lighter musical setting.

 

Thad Stevens really can play just about anything. He is a musical chameleon with the ability to play a wide range of genres with a unique sound and style. You should definitely know this bass player.

 

Thad is an endorser of Clement Basses by Tom Clement of Florida.

 

He plays two Clement Basses: 5-string Wide Joan and 6-string Wide Joan, both fretless. His  5-string is a swamp ash body with a black limba top; white limba neck; black/white ebony finger board; Bartolini Original Bass Dual pickups; Bartolini preamp.

 

Thad plays through a Genz – Benz Shuttle Max 6.0 through Genz – Benz Shuttle 2/10 and 2/12 cabinets.

 

Who are Thad’s influences? There are too many to mention. But he credits Doug Kaiser of Wrathchild, Lars Norberg of Spiral Architect, Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, and Geddy Lee of Rush as being his primary influences.

 

Thad Stevens Sound & Vision…

 

Thad with Ethereal Architect: https://youtu.be/kuVDC9PjU08

 

Thad with Immortal Guardian: https://youtu.be/jRUK6EpLUFI

 

Thad with Amanda Lepre: https://youtu.be/47VK3I4Zo_4

 

Thad with Descendants of Erdrick: https://youtu.be/WSFH2G0nXqM

 

Thad with Böndbreaker (full performance): https://youtu.be/8yWKu0hbjr4