By Joe Gagliardo

Though they did not enjoy the commercial success of their peers Chicago, and Blood, Sweat & Tears – this Chicago based jazz rock band were among the best of their generation, and worthy of reevaluation in the evolution of rock music.

Between 1966-1968, The Flock released multiple singles on the local Destination and USA record labels, and they were favorites on radio and in the teen clubs.

On the first release “Can’t You See,” bassist Jerry Smith was featured on the lead vocal.

“Can’t You See” https://youtu.be/W2AxRoeCJKo

That single was followed up by a horn driven rave up “Take Me Back!”

“Take Me Back” https://youtu.be/sjZQADQg4aw

The Flock did not have a full horn section at that time – however by 1969 they added Frank Posa on trumpet, Rick Canoff on saxophone, and Tom Webb on saxophones and flute.

The band also brought in violinist Jerry Goodman – who would go on to greater recognition as a founding member of jazz rock superstars: Mahavishnu Orchestra. On their debut LP The Flock on Columbia records, John Mayall described them as the best band he had heard in America in his liner notes.

One listen to the first LP, and it is evident that the band was pursuing more of a jazz fusion sound, rather than the horn band sound that was popular at that time.  That said, the band rocked!

After a guitar and violin “Introduction”, the song “Clown” kicks off with Jerry’s thumping bass line, followed by a blast of horns that will blow your hair back, leading into lead guitarist, Fred Glickstein’s frenetic vocal, and ends with a soaring unison run up the neck by Jerry on bass, and Jerry Goodman on guitar.

The Flock’s sophomore on Columbia in 1970, Dinosaur Swamps, followed a similar musical vein as the debut LP. The Flock enjoyed a great run touring the U.S. and Europe, and playing major festivals and shows with The Who, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Frank Zappa, among others.

One of the most memorable gigs was playing in front of 350,000 people at the Rotterdam Pop Festival in 1970. Smith and Goodman’s images are featured on the promotional poster from the movie Stamping Ground.  This was the “European Woodstock” with considerably more people in attendance.

As with all good things, they don’t last forever, and by 1971 Jerry was playing bass with Aura, and co-producing their debut LP on Mercury records.  Aura was a horn band led by the talented and charismatic lead singer, Al Lathan, and consisted of former members of legendary Chicago bands, including For Days & A Night, The Flock and The Mauds.  The LP was a mix of original songs, with a few cool covers of obscure songs by Richie Havens and Doug Sahm.

After Aura’s run ended, Jerry reunited with Fred Glickstein and Ron Karpman (drums), former founding members of The Flock, and they released the album Inside Out in 1975, which was produced by Felix Pappalardi on Mercury records.

Fast forward to today, and after a six-year stint in the re-formed Mauds, Jerry is part of the band Dinosaur Exhibit, which includes Jerry Goodman on Violin, Mike Flynn on Guitar, Pete Flynn on Drums, Quent Lang on Sax and Flute, and George Barr on Trumpet. The band plays the music of the members’ former bands, The Flock, Aura, The Mauds, as well as Jerry Goodman’s solo work.  A highlight for Dinosaur Exhibit was performing with Steely Dan last year at the Ravinia Fest in Highland Park, IL during Labor Day weekend in front of 43,000 people over two nights.

Jerry’s start as a bass player is like many other bass player stories—he was a guitar player, and the band needed a bassist.  He went through various basses, a Gibson EB-3, a Gibson EBO, a Hofner Beatle Bass that he traded for a Rickenbacker 4001, and by 1968, he had a Pink Paisley Tele Bass, with a matching Tele Guitar.  Jerry can be seen playing that bass on stage in the movie Stamping Ground.  While it would be great if he had the matching Paisley Teles, they are long gone.  Over the years, Jerry has favored Fender Precision Basses, Rickenbackers, and Laklands.  His current go-to bass is a Metallic Blue Lakland, with a Maple Neck, and he has a Copper-colored Fender American Performer with a P/J pickup configuration, as a back-up.

Jerry’s amps over the years have gone from an Ampeg Portaflex, to dual Acoustic 360’s, to dual Sunn Coliseum bass cabinets with 1x18s, driven by a 300 watt head, to a Trace Elliot 600 watt head pushing a Trace Elliot 2×10 and an SWR 4×10, and today a GK MB 800 watt head pushing a GK NEO 2×12 and a GK NEO 1×12.

In terms of Jerry’s playing style, he has always played tastefully, with a lot of improvisational movement, following in the footprints of his influences, Chris Squire, Jack Casady, Jaco Pastorius and Jack Bruce.  On the Flock and Aura LPs, his bass lines propelled many of the songs.  As his playing has progressed, he has become more of a melodic player, creating a pocket by being locked in with the drummer.

Traveling across the USA and Canada a few years ago with Steve Gadd, in his capacity as Director of North American Sales for Zildjian and Vic Firth, Jerry focused on the concept that it is not how many notes he plays, but how he plays the notes, and how to leave space.

You can catch Jerry and Dinosaur Exhibit in clubs and festivals, and check out his playing below:

The Flock “Clown” https://youtu.be/bKs1Zw47oyo

The Flock “Crabfoot” (Dinosaur Swamps) https://youtu.be/wrPIKrZ4yL8

The Flock “My Ok Today” https://youtu.be/5n0uGjGvSKc

Aura “No Opportunity Needed, No Experience Necessary” https://youtu.be/6zLjKFEswwI

By Joe Gagliardo

For some reason, the sound of bass always resonated with Tom as a kid, especially after he heard the Booker T & The MGs groove classic “Green Onions,” and was further driven home when he saw The Beatles. When he asked his parents if he could get a bass guitar, his mom suggested he would be better off with a 6-string guitar so that he could play chords and accompany himself, so in 1966, that’s what he did!

Fast forward to 1980, and a geographic move to the far North Side of Chicago which landed him in the proximity of the legendary blues club Biddy Mulligan’s, and that all changed.  Inspired by the blues, Tom went immediately purchased a 1974 Fender Precision Bass with a maple neck and a Peavy bass amp, and in short order, was the bass player in the group that rehearsed at the club.

That fateful decision to buy the P-bass drove Tom’s music career. Tom got his biggest boost working with Glenn Davis and the Blues Commission at various clubs in the Midwest. He became a staple of the Chicago Blues clubs, at jam sessions held at Blues Etc. on Chicago’s North Side as a member of the house band (which was Glenn Davis and the Blues Commission).

Tom has played with many Chicago blues luminaries including Hubert Sumlin, Son Seals, Studebaker John and the Hawks, Shirley King (BB’s daughter), Eddie “The Chief” Clearwater, Jimmy Dawkins, Jimmy Johnson, Rockin’ “Johnny” Burgin, Joe Moss, Liz Mandeville, Byther Smith, Dave Weld, and Brewer Phillips and Ted Harvey from Hound Dog Taylor’s Band.

Tom also did a tour with Blue Watusis, a group made up of veterans of the Chicago music scene. That band had one release with Tom on bass – Welcome to the House of Blues (1992).  That release is available
at https://bit.ly/2LJ61iQ

In the years 2005-2010, Tom was a member of the rock band Beatnik Turtle- a six-piece band that played original material. With Beatnik Turtle, Tom added his bass to two major projects. The first major undertaking was “The Song of the Day” – wherein the band wrote, recorded and uploaded to the web an original tune for a total of 365 compositions.  The second project was “Song of the Week” – where 52 original tunes were crafted weekly. Beatnik Turtle also recorded 20 CDs of original material featuring many tunes from the aforementioned projects. Information is available at: http://blog.beatnikturtle.com/

Along with gigs in the Midwest, Tom has also worked at the 1995 Festival di Torino in Turin, Italy, 1995 Amsterdam Blues Festival, 1995-96 Tampa Bay Blues Festival, 1994 King Biscuit Blues Festival, and the 1995 Montreal Jazz Festival.

Tom’s bass influences start with Duck Dunn. Tom considers Duck Dunn the “Gold Standard” and the template for his style. Other influences include:  James Jamerson, Hutch Hutchinson (Bonnie Raitt), Jerry Jemmot, George Porter and Ray Brown.

Tom’s “go-to” bass is a Fiesta Red Fender ’62 Precision bass American Reissue, with a Rosewood neck. He also has a 2017 Candy Apple Red Fender American Professional Precision bass, also with a Rosewood neck, a black-on-black Tony Franklin Fender Precision bass and a 2020 Fender American Professional Jazz bass. His amps of choice are Fender Rumble 500 or a Yorkville 200 Watt head run through a 1×15 and/or 4×10 cabinet – depending on the venue.

These days Tom is a part of the Blue Monday Band, and works on various projects in the Northern Illinois/Central-Southern Wisconsin area.

Check out Tom’s rock solid in the pocket bass playing:

Blue Watusis – “Chicago Breakdown” from “Welcome to the House of the Blues” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jOn8jidO9Y

Beatnik Turtle – Live performance (June 9 2009 – Gallery Cabaret) of the song “Sick of Sandwiches” from the “All in a Day’s Work” CD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXBRZWSC94U

With Li’l Davy Max (David Janke) live performance of Long Distance Call at the Indian Crossing Casino, Waupaca, WI – 10/06/2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Flz86t4xI4

By Thomas Semioli – Photo Courtesy of Michael Anthony Com

 

Michael Anthony Sobolewski was Van Halen’s secret weapon – so much so that when he was “excused” from the band, samples of his backing vocals were piped in for their live shows and his replacement had to replicate his passages or else….

 

In fact, Anthony’s remarkable harmony vocals afforded his band a unique identity – much like The Beach Boys and other vocal groups of the classic pop era of the 1960s.

 

Akin to Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page; Eddie Van Halen’s emergence was a rock and roll game changer. Guitarists of my generation will tell you exactly where they were when they first heard EVH.

 

An extraordinary performer, “Diamond” David Weave Roth, oft derided for his vocal chops or lack thereof, brought the “attitude” and humor that also set VH apart from the metal motley.  And Alex was among the most average hard rock drummers of his era who also had a knack for playing to the song.

 

Simultaneously supporting a guitar god and larger-than-life lead singer(s) is/was a daunting task. Michael outlined the changes as Eddie furthered the sonic scope of his instrument and DLR/SH entertained the masses. Dig deep into the VH catalog and focus on Anthony – his gritty tone, the subtle movement in his motifs ala Sir Paul, and the occasional note flourishes and riffage prove that he was the right man in the right place at the right time supplying the right grooves.

 

 

 

In keeping with the over-the-top modus operandi of his bandmates and the 80s, Anthony’s mid-concert bass solo was more of an exercise in cacophony than musical. However it was entertaining, and gave his mates a chance to leave the stage and engage in “extraneous” activities.

 

A barbecue sauce entrepreneur (“it’s so hot you’ll need two assholes”) and lefty who plays right-handed, among Anthony’s idols include the aforementioned Zep bassist, along with studio ace Harvey Brooks, and Jack Bruce: all of whom, it must be noted, were exemplary song players.

 

A collector of basses, among Anthony’s arsenal include his signature Schecter series, Yamaha, MusicMan Stingray, and his infamous Yamaha Jack Daniels custom bass which now resides in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

 

Sadly, the demise and “rebirth” of Van Halen is the stuff of soap operas. In his post-VH projects with Sammy: Chickenfoot, The Circle – Anthony improves with age, he still hits the high notes, and he remains a master of the hard rock pocket.

 

 

Michael Anthony Sound & Vision…

 

Van Halen

 

“Beautiful Girls” https://youtu.be/bJ9h2m06sFQ

 

“Light Up the Sky” https://youtu.be/bJ9h2m06sFQ

 

“Dirty Movies” https://youtu.be/NjVbokE_cFA

 

“Poundcake” https://youtu.be/GcABbx_pUCo

 

“Bass Solo” https://youtu.be/fgNzyyvPG20

 

Van Senatore – Tony Senatore’s VH Bass Renditions and Tutorials…. 

 

“Feel Your Love Tonight” https://youtu.be/4L6N_qnlIJ0

 

“Light Up the Sky” https://youtu.be/fZM7XKMxcss

 

“Love Comes Walking In” https://youtu.be/CVtzsrMPP-4

 

“Dead or Alive” https://youtu.be/hsGwlcfgHzI

 

“Dreams” https://youtu.be/akgzyosNzXQ

 

“You’re No Good” https://youtu.be/G-QisRzXSSo

 

Bass Intro “You’re No Good” https://youtu.be/0HfyJ5XCqzA

 

Michael with Chickenfoot: 

 

“Highway Star” https://youtu.be/GQVTtpE9J7s

 

“Oh Yeah” https://youtu.be/oy04wm_bj3Q

 

“Soap on a Rope” https://youtu.be/pHqA6HtVU70

 

 

By Joe Gagliardo

While many of us were inspired to pick up a bass or guitar after seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan, Phil Orsi was already cutting 45s, long before that fateful Sunday. Growing up not far from Chess Records and Record Row on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Phil was inspired by some of his blues and soul musical heroes, including Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon, who would visit his parents’ Italian store on the South Side of Chicago.

Phil was also inspired by the Rock and Roll and Doo Wop of the late ‘50’s that he was hearing on the radio that his Grandmother gave him.  By the late 50’s, Phil was playing guitar, however due to a serious accident which affected his fretting hand, he switched to bass.

Phil’s first bass was a gold and white Danelectro Longhorn, but in November 1960, he went to the Chicago Music Cooperative, and bought a 1960 Fender Jazz Bass with a hard-shell case for $227.00, which he still owns.

During the early 60’s, Phil played with the Don Caron Orchestra, backing various national recording artists who came through Chicago, including Dion and The Marvelettes.  He also had a band, The Uni-Beats, and their first record, “Someone New”, was released in 1961.  True to his love of Doo Wop, he had The Sheppards, a Chicago vocal group, as background singers.

After the Uni-Beats, his next band was Phil Orsi and the Little Kings. The band had a run from 1961-1964; playing all of the hot clubs in Chicago including The Peppermint Lounge, Whisky A Go-Go, The Scene, and others.

Phil and the Little Kings released many records and his love for the music he grew up on, never left him.  Some of the band’s early to mid-60’s releases were great covers: “Sorry” I Ran All the Way Home,” (The Impalas), “Stay” (Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs), “Don’t You Just Know It” (Huey Piano Smith and the Clowns), “California Sun” (The Rivieras) and “C’mon Everybody” (Eddie Cochran).

Phil also wrote some of the songs released as 45s, including “Someone New,” “Oh My Darling” and “Whoever He May Be.”  Stay, Sorry and Whoever He May Be” were released on the USA record label, which gained notoriety a few years later when The Buckinghams had a No. 1 national hit with “Kind of a Drag” on that label. By the mid-60’s Phil was part of The Thunderbirds.

That collective was an in-demand act, and they regularly opened for many of the British Invasion groups, including the Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Dave Clark 5, Moody Blues and Chad and Jeremy.  They also worked with the Beach Boys and Tommy James and the Shondells.  Like the Little Kings, the Thunderbirds also released a string of 45s on local Chicago labels.  At this point, the band had that classic mid-60’s Garage Band sound.  Check out “Your Ma Said You Cried.”

After The Thunderbirds, Phil reformed the Little Kings and they had a run until 1970, and released a 45, “Loving on Borrowed Time”, which became a “Northern Soul” classic.

From 1970-1985, Phil was part of a horn band, Happiness Is, which released another “Northern Soul” classic, “Love is Slipping Away,” which was a rearranged remake of the 45 previously released with The
Little Kings.  Phil continued playing regularly until 1992, a music career spanning over 30 years.

Phil Orsi & The Little Kings “Loving on Borrowed Time” https://youtu.be/1tO6hp1S0ms

Phil Orsi & The Little Kings “Love Is Slipping Away” https://youtu.be/RFiiH47ccx4

Thunderbirds “Your Ma Said You Cried (In Your Sleep Last Night)” https://youtu.be/O5mdUgyXNT8

Happiness Is “Love Is Slipping Away-Love Is Slipping Away” https://youtu.be/5U_ssR70vXY

By Robert Jenkins

The music of Barry Manilow has made a massive impact on contemporary pop music. However, Barry’s records were often unfairly criticized in their time for their high commercial production values, love themes, and overall MOR appeal. Yet Barry Manilow hit the scene like an asteroid and redefined the genre.  His early hits, including “Mandy,” “Copacabana,” “I Write the Songs,” and “Even Now”, to cite a few, have endured as pop standards.

Note that Manilow did not compose many of his biggest hits. Using outside writers, as well as co-writing, Barry’s arrangements on these songs (and others) were the key ingredient that have stood the test of time.

Case in point, in the mid-70s Barry took a Bruce Johnstone composition “I Write the Songs” – which failed to chart for Captain & Tennille and David Cassidy – and he nailed a #1 hit on the Billboard charts and Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Everything about the Manilow version shines, from his instrumentation and orchestration, arranging, to his vocal phrasing. He simply took the bare elements of the song, like so many others, and sent it over the top. His work was nothing short of genius.

Ditto rocker Ian Hunter, who revealed to KYBP founder Tom Semioli that he was in awe of Barry’s rendition of his song “Ships” – which became yet another huge hit – #9 in 1980 – thanks to Manilow’s magic touch.

Akin to many of the greats, Barry Manilow worked with the best players. And that list includes bassist Steven Donaghey.

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Steven was deeply influenced by the Kingston Trio. He started playing guitar at an early age, working in several midwestern bands. In 1973 Steve switched to bass and merely a year and a half later, he got a call to do a four-week tour with an up and coming artist named Barry Manilow.

That short trek turned into four years plus of steady studio and touring work – making him the primary bassist for Manilow’s City Rhythm Band.

Manilow often employed studio players on his sessions as well, and while the credits for the individual players are sketchy – names were not always documented in liner notes or cover art – we know
that Donaghey anchored Trying To Get The Feeling, This One’s
For You, and Barry Manilow Live. Steven’s work on those two
aforementioned studio albums puts him on at least nine of Manilow’s biggest hits during the 1970s!

One of my favorite Donaghey bass passages is the studio version of “Weekend In New England” from This One’s For You.

To me, it is a perfect example of how a musician plays to the song and how a bass player does their job well. The line has a wonderful sense of motion without being too busy in a ballad setting. Steven structures this line to perfectly support the melody, harmony, and rhythm. Conversely, his live bass line on “Beautiful Music (Part III)” from the Barry Manilow Live album simply rips; he plays disco style octaves up and down the entire length of the fretboard, ending with a pentatonic lick that puts a perfect showcase flourish at the end of the entire set.

After leaving the City Rhythm Band – details on Steven Donaghey’s career are unclear. It is known that he stayed in Brooklyn, continuing to play in bands around the scene, sitting in as a call player, and working with young, up-and-coming bands. He worked with members of the Kingston Trio at their fantasy camps in Arizona and continued to teach and inspire musicians. Steven also performed regularly with John Stewart of the Kingston Trio. In his later years he played in an ensemble named Stretch Cunningham, leaving a scant bit of video evidence of his playing on YouTube.

Steven Donaghey passed away on 11 December 2015, leaving behind a legacy of bass playing. His work worthy of study, and undoubtedly contributed to shaping of pop music in the 1970’s. In all my research I found people consistently calling him a great friend, great bass player, and great cat lover. Steven Donaghey is a bass player you should know.

And if anyone in the KYBP community or beyond has any other information on the career of Steven Donaghey please share it with us. 

Dig Steve and Barry:

“Weekend In New England”  https://youtu.be/IqUTWVuUC8E 

Beautiful Music (Part III)- Live https://youtu.be/d8mi6QyJrCc

By Joe Gagliardo

After moving from the Humboldt Park neighborhood in Chicago – yes, the very same hometown of rock legend Patti Smith – to the suburb of Northlake, Bill made some new friends who were musicians and he started playing bass on a guitar with the B and E strings removed!

Shortly thereafter, Bill purchased a Hofner Beatle bass and was off on his journey as a player.  First with a prog rock band entitled Mother Country, then he moved on to a Montreal based show band named Fancy Colors. Bill tells of having to fly to Montreal for the audition and is grateful he got the gig, because he only had enough money for a one-way ticket.

Ahhhhhhh to be young and confident!!!!! 

Returning to Chicago, his career kicked into high gear when his band Skylady, which he founded and also served as a songwriter – morphed into Tantrum.

There was nothing like them! Picture walking into a club in the late 70’s, and witnessing the visual impact of three energetic and strong female singers; Pam Bradley, Sandy Caulfield and Barb Erber, backed by a hard-rocking band, Bill, Phil Balsano (keyboards), Ray Sapko (guitar) and Vern Wennerstrom (drums).

The band performed at major venues including the Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago Amphitheatre, Aragon Ballroom, Park West, ChicagoFest and toured extensively across the United States.

A concert and radio favorite, Tantrum produced three albums on the Ovation label: Tantrum, Rather Be Rockin’, and Breaking Away.

Following Tantrum, Bill joined Alan Hewitt & 88; an ensemble which played original pop music composed Hewitt – who later worked with the Moody Blues as their touring keyboardist – and toured throughout the Midwest and made two appearances on the nationally syndicated, highly rated TV show, Star Search, during its premier season.

From 1988-1993 Bill toured with Survivor throughout the United States and parts of Europe, with numerous appearances on German television. He toured with both Dave Bickler, the original singer of Survivor, as
well as Jimi Jamison. Bill appears on the band’s Too Hot to Sleep and Greatest Hits LPs.

Bill and Davie Bickler also had a band, Radio City, which included former Trillion and Jinx guitar player Frank Barbalace.

In addition to live performances, Bill was busy playing numerous sessions, including with renowned guitarist Jennifer Batten – noted for her work with Michael Jackson and Jeff Bec,), Marc Scherer on his releases Battle Zone, White Cross, and High Gear; Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger) I’m Alive and Time Passes; Scott May (Ides of March)  Outside the Inside; Harry Nilsson’s Lost & Found;  and Jim Peterik (Survivor, Ides of March) Pride of Lions and World Stage discs.

As a songwriter, Bill has co-written several songs, often with Jim Peterik for various projects, including “Under the Spell” recorded by the Doobie Brothers. He co-wrote much of the music with Joe Vana for his Mecca 3 album, which was recorded in Nashville with David Hungate (Toto).  He currently writes the majority of Classical Blast’s original music.

Bill’s songwriting has given him a different perspective on his bass lines, prompting him to listen more intently to all the players, to provide support, but also to supply melodic fills in open spaces to keep the song moving forward.  Bill’s bass influences include Jack Bruce, Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, and Jaco Pastorius.

Currently Bill’s go-to basses include: a ’72 four string Fender Jazz bass, a ’91five string Fender Jazz bass, and a five string Sire Marcus Miller Bass.  He runs his bass through a Hartke 1×15 Combo Amp with a Hartke 2×10 extension cabinet.

These days, you can catch Bill with R-Gang, a band that specializes in Motown/Soul/R&B music, and which he has been co-leading since 1988.

Bill is also with Classical Blast, a band that features mashups of famed classical pieces with contemporary rock music, along with originals.  The band has released three albums, two of which can be found on the Toucan Cove label (Seattle), and have received regional acclaim and airplay.

His concert shows include Bach to Rock: A Musical Metamorphosis, Dark Side of the Yule, a holiday concert show; and Classical Blast in Kilts, a Celtic rock revue.

They’ve performed an instrumental rock version of the National Anthem at Wrigley Field three times and opened for numerous national acts, including Joan Jett, Michael McDonald, The Orchestra/ELO, among others.

While Bill has many accomplishments, he is a gracious performer, and plays guitar and performs weekly for cancer patients, caregivers, and families as part of the Caring Arts Program.  The Caring Arts
Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing emotional
support to Chicago-area cancer patients and their families.  Its mission is to facilitate and encourage expression and healing through music, fine art, journaling, photography and other creative disciplines.

Learn more about Caring Arts Foundation at: http://www.caringarts.com/

Check out these tracks and videos from Bill’s remarkable career:

Tantrum (album track montage) https://youtu.be/U8ExN1zBiKc

Tantrum live at Haymaker’s Reunion (“Rock n Roll Waltz”) 2012 https://youtu.be/N8XwwcdUuBw

R-Gang on WGN-TV, 2010 https://youtu.be/-0bB3rIZnNc

Survivor “Didn’t Know it was Love” (music video, 1988), From Too Hot to Sleep https://youtu.be/AJJSej2ru0c

Survivor “Eye of the Tiger” on German TV, 1993 https://youtu.be/NsbXE8A9Rtg

Classical Blast Live Stream at Arcada Theater (“Let’s Pretend” song written by Bill Syniar & Barbara Weigand), March 2020 https://youtu.be/vniZjUYHjL8

Bill performing at Children’s Hospital for Caring Arts (2015) https://youtu.be/pTaV08WE_Yg

By Thomas Semioli

John McKenzie, bass player; Seal, The Pretenders, The Eurythmics, Dr. John, Everything But The Girl, James Ingram, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Damien Rice Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, Alison Moyet, Renato Zero, Karl Jenkins, Bond, Moya Brennan, Eternal, Shakira, Graham Lyle, Charles Aznavour, Andrea Corr, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Jim Diamond, Tom Scott, Paul Brady, Johnny Mathis, Wham, Andy Newmark, Blair Cunningham Leon Ware, Mudbone, The Breakfast Band, Kokomo,  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Maksim Wild, Sinead O’Connor, Reel People Steve Hillage, Man, Leo Sayer, Eric Burdon, Annette Peacock, Davy Spillane, Mirage, Global Village Trucking Company, Albert Lee, Tim Finn….to cite a select few.

A remarkably prolific genre-traversing, versatile UK session ace, sideman, collaborator, composer, bandmember, and educator, among other endeavors: John Michael McKenzie’s resume of credits was astounding.

A supportive soulful player who worked the trad four, fretless, and extended range…dig John with…

Everything But The Girl “Five Fathoms” https://youtu.be/x67EEIBuwIw

The Pretenders “Let’s Make a Pact” https://youtu.be/Lteg_r9alSU

Seal “ Future Love Paradise” https://youtu.be/cj21h504wKU

Bond Live at the Royal Albert Hall https://youtu.be/6OLEnJj5Y80

Steve Hillage “Live at Canterbury” https://youtu.be/MExLFl2g688

“John McKenzie Rocks That Bass” https://vimeo.com/196673711

By Joe Gagliardo

To understand Chris Scruggs’ career, it is important to understand country and pop music history!

Chris’ mom, Gail Davies, is an accomplished singer / songwriter and was the first female record producer in the history of country music.  She duetted with Roger Miller, Ralph Stanley, and her bass players on record included such studio legends as Leland Sklar and Willie Weeks.

Chris’ maternal grandfather is the late country singer Tex Dickerson, and his paternal grandfather is bluegrass banjo legend, Earl Scruggs.  Simply put, Chris grew up surrounded by music, and great singers and players!

After seeing A Hard Day’s Night at age eleven, Chris decided that wanted to play guitar and two years later, he added bass.  His first instrument was an Aria Pro Cardinal Series bass.  After it was stolen, Chris moved to a 70’s Fender Precision bass.  Between the ages of fifteen and seventeen, he played bass in a rock and roll and rockabilly bands.

When he was seventeen, recording artist Rosie Flores, whose music combines, rockabilly, country, honky-tonk, and western swing sought an upright player – and Chris fit the bill. He borrowed a Kay from a friend and hit the road for the next eighteen months with Rosie.

Upon his return home, Chris was invited to play bass for the band BR45-49 -named after the phone number of a used car dealer in the TV series Hee Haw! However when singer/guitarist Gary Bennett left the band, Chris took over his duties, and the band brought in another bass player. Chris played with BR5-49 until early 2005.  During that time, he wrote and performed the title track of the band’s release, Tangled in the Pines.

In 2005, Chris left BR5-49 to pursue a solo career and to support other artists as well.  Since then, he has forged a busy career playing live and doing session work in Nashville. His work has included playing guitar and steel guitar with Mike Nesmith and Suzy Boguss; upright bass with Chicago legend Robbie Fulks; and bass guitar with She & Him.

Chris released his first solo album, entitled Anthem, in 2009.  He produced the album and composed eleven of its twelve track; Ron Davies, Scruggs’ uncle who best known for having written the rock standard  “It Ain’t Easy” recorded by David Bowie, Three Dog Night, and Long John Baldry, among others, wrote the remaining song.

At the end of 2014, Marty Stuart’s bassist Paul Martin decided to leave Marty’s Fabulous Superlatives. When Chris was asked to recommend a replacement, he stepped in and took the gig himself – and he continues in that roll now in 2020.

Upright influences: Chris has been impacted by Bob Moore (played on Owen Bradley sessions, including Patsy Cline, Elvis and Roy Orbison); Junior Huskey (Grand Ole Opry and session bassist); and Joe Zinkan, a melodic slap upright player.  Another influence is Nashville upright bassist of the 1940s and 1950s, Ernie Newton, who brought an informed sense of jazz elegance and creativity to many of Nashville’s classic bass lines.  These bassists helped create the classic Nashville sound from the 50’s-70’s.  Chris’ knowledge of the Nashville bassists and their playing styles runs very deep.

Electric bass influences:  Lee Sklar and Willie Weeks, who played on Gail Davies’ records; David Briggs and his Memphis soul sound; and melodic players, including Paul McCartney, Joe Osborne and Carol Kaye (both pick players from the Wrecking Crew), Paul Simonon (The Clash), and Graham Maby (Joe Jackson Band).

Chris’ playing style is varied: fingers, thumb and pick, depending on the needs of the song.  He likes thinking of the bass as a range of tones, and how those tones can move the melody, including the vocals, without taking away from what the other instruments are playing.  In his playing, he has taken stock of the style of some of his influences.  For example, Junior Huskey playing a tag at the end of a song, playing the 5th under the chord, rather than the root, or Bill Black playing the 3rd rather than the root on the downbeat of “Good Rockin’ Tonight.”

Chris’ main electric basses are a 1964 Lake Placid Blue Fender Precision Bass, and a late 60’s Telecaster Bass, both strung with LaBella Deep Pocket flatwound strings.  On occasion Chris uses a 60’s Hofner violin bass, strung with Pyramid flatwound strings.  He has two Kay uprights, with gut strings.  The D & G strings are gut strings, and the E and A strings are metal wrapped gut strings.  His amplifier is a Fender Bassman 100-T on top of a 1 x 15 Fender Bassman cabinet, and he uses a Radial Tonebone, as a DI.

You can catch Chris playing bass live with Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives, or playing acoustic guitar and singing with his own band, Chris Scruggs and the Stone Fox Five.

Check out Chris’ playing on the tracks below, and his explanation of his basslines on those songs:

“Time Don’t Wait” https://youtu.be/IS7xPPcR4Bc

For the video of Marty Stuart’s “Time Don’t Wait,” we decided to go and film with the First Nation people’s on Pine Ridge Indian reservation. This is a special and sacred place for Marty. He was officially adopted into the tribe and he and his wife (Country Music Hall of Fame member Connie Smith) were married there. On this song, I play high on the fretboard, anchoring the bassline’s downbeat with an open A string and playing an angular, pulsing run on the 12th and 14th frets. The 1960s style “busy bass” of Paul McCartney and Chris Hillman gave me inspiration for this part.

“John Henry” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4Wl1RTTF7c

Here’s me playing the old-time tune “John Henry” with Marty Stuart. My stylistic starting point for this piece lies with Joe Zinkan, the great Nashville session bassist of yesteryear who was often featured playing instrumentals on the Grand Ole Opey with his upright bass in the percussive “slap” style. Some melodies work well for playing tunes on “slap” bass, some do not! Even while showcase pieces like this are occasional fun, it’s always important to remember that the role of the bass is to support all the other players on stage, be they in the rhythm section or on the “front line.” 

“Way Out West” https://youtu.be/CULSrvkzBfc

For the title track of Marty’s most recent release “Way Out West,” I used a pick and took my navigational lead from west coast bassists like Carol Kaye and Joe Osborne, muting my heavy flatwound strings with foam and playing occasional counterpart lines to the song’s chord changes. Sometimes it’s fun to let the guitars anchor the changes while the bass steps out for a change.

By Thomas Semioli

“When I met Chuck [Rainey] I felt there really was no need for me to be bringing my bass guitar to the studio anymore…” Walter Becker (Steely Dan Reelin’ In the Years by Brian Sweet)

Just three records into their incomparable career, Donald Fagan and Walter Becker opted for studio cats even though Becker, who was also a stellar guitarist, was an exemplary bass player!     

A guitar student of Randy California, a master composer/lyricist, an accomplished producer (Rickie Lee Jones, Donald Fagan) among others, Becker deftly incorporated his deep knowledge (and passion) for rhythm and blues and jazz into his bass passages.  A consummate song player, Becker’s pocket and rhythmic variations were subtle yet powerful. No filler, no wasted notes and his tone was a perfect meld of bottom and edge.

On the original Steely Dan vinyl slabs and the latter-day digital remasters, Becker (unfortunately) is down in the mix. Given Steely’s penchant to highlight the songs, biting libretto, and the soloists, that is somewhat understandable.

Chuck Rainey cut the most bass tracks from ’75 until Dan’s initial demise in 1980.

When Dan reconvened in the mid-90s, Tom Barney was their primary bassist in the studio, and held the anchored the ensemble on their extensive touring schedule which commences to this day after Walter’s passing in 2017.

Becker returned to the instrument on occasion for various Steely cuts and for his fine solo efforts 11 Tracks of Whack (1994) and Circus Money (2008). On their final effort Everything Must Go (2003) the bass chair came full circle as Walter rendered all the tracks on his Sadowsky. On that particular platter, Becker can be heard front and center.

Any major dude will tell you that Walter was a top shelf player – I highly advise readers to don the headphones for those early Steely sides and dig Becker’s bass artistry.

Dig Walter’s double stops on “King of the World” https://youtu.be/Us0EsdiLBJY

Dig Walter’s grace notes and fills on “Your Gold Teeth” https://youtu.be/qxk-yVT6pfE

Dig Walter’s upright phrasing on “Razor Boy” https://youtu.be/Y3Krg8Nc69Y

Dig Walter working his soul chops on:

“My Old School” https://youtu.be/rFnwczuvb74

“Changing of the Guard” https://youtu.be/roLIYw8Ov_I

“Pearl of the Quarter” https://youtu.be/roLIYw8Ov_I

What about a kiss for your … “Cousin Dupree” https://youtu.be/80b4Y_d8W8o

“Things I Miss The Most” https://youtu.be/80b4Y_d8W8o

 

By Joe Gagliardo

Gordon Patriarca was born into a family that loved music – dad was a jazz / blues buff and mom played piano and show tunes.

 

Then along came the transistor radio! Gordon and his brother were inseparable from these new portable devices as the Top 40 sounds of WLS and WCFL in Chicago became the soundtrack of their childhood.

 

When Gordon was in 8th grade, a friend from Ireland with older brothers introduced him to Rory Gallagher and Taste, Jethro Tull, John Mayall, Cream, Led Zeppelin, and much of the great British blues rock of the era. By the time he entered high school, Gordon was in love with the music, however had yet to pick up a bass.  That was about to change soon…

 

His younger brother was excelling with guitar lessons, and Gordon – fired up by Jack Bruce’s incendiary musicianship – decided that playing bass would be “cool.”  A neighbor kid owned a Montgomery Ward’s bass and amp that he loaned to Gordon, and he and his brother would spend hours playing 12-bar blues progressions.

 

Eventually Gordon got bass, a cherry red Epiphone Newport, and joined a band with his brother while taking lessons from a pro – Paul Zibits.  Gordon’s high school graduation gift was ’76 Fender Jazz bass.

 

Circa 1979-80, Gordon honed his craft with Trouts, which was in the Elvis Costello / Squeeze / Joe Jackson bag: melodic and hooky.

 

At this point, Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello & The Attractions) became a huge influence. Regulars on the local circuit, Trouts lasted for three years.

 

Following Trouts, Gordon took on a rockabilly gig with Stevie Starlite’s band, followed by a blues-rock-fusion gig with Don Griffin and the Griff Band. Gordon then spent five years with The Remainders, a band that started out as a Cajun / Zydeco / New Orleans style band which morphed into an Americana / roots-rock/ pop band which released a cassette and CD.

 

After his tenure in The Remainders, Gordon was back on the local club circuit, and busy in the studio appearing on over forty releases.  His many studio credits include albums with Yardsale and Word Bongo, Joe Pug, Kelley McCrae and Sage Francis, also recording sessions at Abbey Road Studio with Icos. Gordon also anchored European tours and recorded with Jan James.

 

Over a forty-year span, Gordon has played thousands of gigs, including shows with Survivor, Spirit, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Sugar Blue, and Robbie Fulks, among others.

 

Gordon’s go-to bass for twenty years was an Ampeg AEB-1 Scroll bass that he purchased for $90.00 in 1984, and consequently modified.

 

These days he has a penchant for Squire Precision and Tele basses which he “hot rods” by, among other things, changing the pick ups and bridges.  He also uses a custom SG Bass, and a Fender Jazz bass with DiMarzio pickups and flat wound strings. His bass rig is a Yamaha PB-1 Pre amp, run through a Peavey IPR Power Amp, into either an Eden 2×12, Sunn 1×18, Mesa 1×15, or some combination thereof.

 

Gordon’s playing philosophy is to focus on the groove with melodic flourishes, as well as to be intimately familiar with the style of music he is playing, and how to play it, whether it is rock, pop, country, blues, or reggae.

 

In addition to Jack Bruce and Bruce Thomas, his early bass influences include James Jamerson, Phil Lynott, Tony Stevens (Savoy Brown and Foghat), and Greg Ridley (Humble Pie).  Later on Gordon drew inspiration from Jaco Pastorius, Colin Moulding, and Rocco Prestia.

 

In addition to being the Musical Director for The School of Rock, he is involved in multiple projects: Simply Elton, Simply Billy(Joel), Too Bad Company, Heroes (Bowie), Yacht Rock with the Yacht Rockettes, Rick Lindy and Dave Specter.

 

 

Gordon Patriarca Sound & Vision …

 

Gordo’s Gigs Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNPW-Nl7KKAP3QkN3zt07Gh5etV39Hv5g

Music I have appeared on as a bassist from 1980 to the present. Some solo bass weirdness included here too. Tracks include recordings as a band member and as a studio musician. Some live stuff too.

 

The Remainders “Two For The Blues” https://youtu.be/b-_GxL2a_Lc

 

Word Bongo “Witnesses” https://youtu.be/Csj9ftRiAp8

 

Yardsale “How Good It Feels” https://youtu.be/-R1Ysrormpg

 

Icos “Only You and I” https://youtu.be/QNGI7aa1vpA