A virtuoso electric and upright player, and composer, the name Herb Bushler many not resonate with casual music fans who glossed over album credits and liner notes, however his expansive body of work is rather astounding, spanning folk, classical, jazz, pop, funk and groundbreaking permutations thereof.

Among the artists Herb has collaborated with include The Gil Evans Orchestra, Joe Farrell, Paul Winter, Les McCann, David Sanborn, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Tom Paxton, Burt Bacharach, Michael Franks, and David Peel & the Lower East Side, to cite a select few.

Herb Bushler Sound & Vision

With David Peel & The Lower East Side “The Lower East Side” https://youtu.be/fzY01c6WJUg

With Gil Evans “Little Wing” https://youtu.be/WEXTTAsAp0U

With David Sanborn on Herb’s composition “Herbs” https://youtu.be/gaXAcdiT7hs

With Paul Winter Consort “Icarus” https://youtu.be/CSCNYazFBk4

With Dee Dee Bridgewater “He’s Gone” https://youtu.be/fOcgUcc4xHc

Joe Farrell “Animal” https://youtu.be/yR9ME1M7BoI

 

 

He was Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson’s go-to player in 1975.

 

A member of The Rats with Ronno in their Hull hometown in the 1960s, bassist Geoff Appleby anchored Ian Hunter’s superb debut solo slab (save for one track “Lounge Lizard” waxed by John Gustafson) and subsequent promo tour, and backed the platinum haired ex-Spider on a one-off BBC Old Grey Whistle Test TV appearance.

 

In addition to cutting two pop singles under his own name, Geoff toiled in various glam and punk bands before retiring from the music business.

 

Know Your Bass Player French Bureau Chief Laurent Moitrot reports: That’s Geoff, me and “The Blue Bass” in 2012. This is the bass he played on Hunter’s first solo LP. He once decided he’d paint it blue cuz he thought it’d look better on a video they were filming with his (then) band.  

 

 

Geoff Appleby Sound & Vision…

 

 

   

The Rats:

 

“Guitar Boogie” https://youtu.be/cgxcudnZQkM

 

 

Ian Hunter:

 

“Once Bitten Twice Shy” https://youtu.be/oz0EKpTn5gg

 

“I Get So Excited” https://youtu.be/w9CoUQH-S4c

 

Geoff solo

 

“Make Me Take Me” https://youtu.be/IjBctCQk3do

 

“Live Wire” https://youtu.be/VzFj6WORjTs

 

An iconic visual figure of the punk era with his blonde Mohawk, Jean Beauvoir adroitly anchored two rather contrary ensembles; The Plasmatics, and Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul.

A vastly prolific composer, singer, recording artist, bandleader, musical and theatrical director, sideman, multi-instrumentalist (guitar / bass), producer and entrepreneur – Jean traverses an impressive array of genres with expertise and authenticity.

Among his collaborations include Kiss, The Ramones, Debbie Harry, Nona Hendryx, The Pretenders, Doro Pesch, and John Waite to cite a select few…

Dig Jean in “Feel The Heat” https://youtu.be/2UvAu4Tb33Y

 

Though they never garnered the attention afforded their peers Yes, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, and ELP: FM radio staple Gentle Giant were an equally groundbreaking prog rock collective.

 

Writer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist (most notably violin) bassist Ray Shulman, akin to his contemporary Chris Squire, was a dexterous player, melding melodic counter-point and pocket playing based on styles that spanned classical, jazz, and funk abetted with numerous effects. Ray’s primary weapon of choice was Fender Precision.

 

Following the band’s split, Ray composed for films, advertising, and produced several artists. 

 

 

 

Ray Shulman Sound & Vision…

 

BBC Live 1978 https://youtu.be/vMrYSTzqFI8

 

“Words from the Wise” https://youtu.be/nHtNpaFIsM8  

 

 

 

Courtesy of Bass Centre Co UK

 

The late Paul Ryder and Happy Mondays’ hypnotic grooves fueled the “Madchester” explosion in the late 1980s. Fusing Northern soul, dub, psychedelia, house, and funk – Ryder and his mates essentially created a new genre which had tremendous crossover appeal.  The band spilt in 1993, however after several reunions of varying success, they continue on the European festival circuit. 

 

Paul’s main weapons of choice were the Fender Jazz bass and MESA Boogie amplification: M9 Carbine Rackmount Head, Standard Powerhouse 8×10 and 4×12. In addition to HM, Paul worked as a DJ, television writer and actor, and anchored ensembles including Big Arm and Supafreak.   Upon his passing in 2022, his brother and Happy Mondays bandleader Shaun Ryder cited Paul as “a true pioneer and legend.” 

 

 

 

Paul Ryder Sound & Vision:

 

Happy Mondays

 

“Step On” https://youtu.be/mFBQ0PH5rM4

 

“Wrote for Luck” https://youtu.be/YNn51e11_dQ

 

“24 Hour Party People” https://youtu.be/0zWpHxfQvtk

 

Big Arm

 

“Flexin’ https://youtu.be/vCS0sd330sI

 

“Sunrays” https://youtu.be/lJrsIIggVG8

 

Paul Ryder “Flashbacks” https://youtu.be/ewyPz1RSllc

 

 

A hitherto “unknown” icon of the instrument….

 

Along with guitarist Norman Harris and drummer Earl Young, bassist Ronnie Baker anchored “The Sound of Philadelphia” which produced scores of hits in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. A combination of funk and rhythm & blues with pop songcraft enhanced by an orchestral / big-band backdrop; “Philly Soul,” TSOP, or simply the “Philadelphia Sound” achieved massive cross-over appeal.

 

Anonymous to most record buyers and Top 40 AM radio devotees as Philadelphia International and similar labels were notorious for omitting musician credits, Baker was also a producer, composer, and arranger.  In fact, Ronnie was the legendry songwriting / production team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff’s go-to session cat.

 

A James Jamerson disciple, Ronnie adhered mostly to outlining the changes in a traditional manner (1/3/5/7), and unlike James, kept his harmonic extensions and grace notes to a minimum. As such, he afforded space aplenty for Harris and Young to groove, and for the horns, strings, and vocalists to do their thing.

 

A Baker’s dozen of Ronnie’s iconic credits included Labelle, Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes, The O’Jays, Billy Paul, The Spinners, The Stylistics, MFSB, Blue Magic, The Trammps, Archie Bell & the Drells, Mighty Clouds of Joy, Laura Nyro, Johnny Nash …

 

Ronnie Baker Sound & Vision….

 

The Spinners “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” https://youtu.be/xttw2AHaNFE

 

The Spinners “I’ll Be Around” https://youtu.be/AOgfQoEUNHI

 

Tony Senatore’s rendition of The Spinners “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” https://youtu.be/Tpa6jvL70Vo

 

Tony Senatore’s rendition of The Spinners “I’ll Be Around” https://youtu.be/4tDyE7nfXZY

 

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes “Bad Luck” https://youtu.be/mykhgDJvp6g

 

Billy Paul “Brown Baby” https://youtu.be/lTD8IcRlknM

 

O’Jays “Back Stabbers” https://youtu.be/RmXRQ3vfzcA

 

Dig this clip of “Love Train” from Soul Train with the O’Jays lip-synching atop Ronnie’s groove https://youtu.be/QyT9jTW7MHc

 

Laura Nyro and LaBelle “Gonna Take A Miracle” https://youtu.be/5CoN9PyoU80

 

Laura Nyro and LaBelle “Monkey Time / Dancing in the Street” https://youtu.be/nyREgIqMCcU

 

Wilson Pickett “Engine #9” https://youtu.be/Geb7kUnKDzc

 

Photo courtesy of Fela Net

As the main anchor of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s watershed Africa 70 collective, bassist Franco Aboddy helped establish his iconic bandleader’s Afro-Beat artistry into a worldwide phenomenon which resonates to this day.

 

Plying repetitive Dorian mode-based passages (mostly written by Fela) which were borne of West African highlife, jazz, and funk ala James Brown, Aboddy’s warm tone and staccato articulation fortified the ensemble’s percussionists, horn section, dancers, and singers.

 

Franco on “Unnecessary Begging” https://youtu.be/I7ZY_r5RJJE

 

Note that Fela employed numerous bassists, including Maurice Ekpo, Francis Mbappe and Newke Atifoh.

 

“The radio is playing some forgotten song, Brenda Lee’s comin’ on strong…”

 

Noted for his double neck Danelectro, among numerous other instruments (including his own Vox Humana line of basses), Rinus Gerritsen has anchored Dutch legends Golden Earring since 1961. From their beginnings as a traditional pop band to their far-flung forays into metal, prog, psychedelic, boogie, and permutations thereof; Rinus rocks into his sixth decade as a fluid pocket and harmonic player. Gerritsen also toils as a producer with Steve Harris, and Herman Brood among his distinguished clientele.

 

Born in 1946, Rinus turned on to rock and roll when he first heard Little Richard and Eddy Cochran. His first band was “The Jumping Jewels” wherein Rinus switched from guitar to bass out of necessity – as so many of us do. His father was a craftsman who built his son his first bass – which Gerritsen occasionally plays in the studio.

 

Rinus Sound & Vision….

 

“The Devil Made Me Do It” https://youtu.be/9QiN0zzqHEc

 

“She Flies On Strange Wings” https://youtu.be/xXeJ7JooE3w

 

“Twilight Zone” https://youtu.be/wIaaBuGNwNw

 

“Radar Love” https://youtu.be/ckM51xoTC2U

 

 

 

“Matty told Hatty about a thing she saw. Had two big horns and a wooly jaw. Wooly bully, wooly bully.”

 

He anchored the iconic Tex-Mex hit “Wooly Bully.” Founding Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs bassist David Martin plied supportive passages with a rhythm and blues disposition for a few platters and minor hits including “Ju Ju Hand,” “Lil’ Red Riding Hood,” and “Ring Dang Do.”

 

Following his Pharaohs foray, David ran a TV repair shop in Garland, Texas until he passed in 1987.     

 

David Martin Sound & Vision…

 

“Wooly Bully” https://youtu.be/DKG57e8XZDE

 

“Little Red Riding Hood” https://youtu.be/NQqBAP7Du5c

 

“Rang Dang Doo” https://youtu.be/bOd64IqJJ1c