Ricardo Rodriguez by Tony Senatore

 

I first heard about Ricardo Rodriguez when I was hired to play bass on the Shrapnel Records release entitled Midnight Drive in 1991. At that time, Ricardo was making a name for himself as a fiery bassist in the tradition of Billy Sheehan, and we traveled in the same circles. In those days, I was known for performing 10-minute Bach inspired bass solos while clad in spandex and played on stages with smoke machines. By the mid 1990’s, I started to get some session work thanks to an introduction to the late, great engineer Jason Corsaro, and needed to radically alter my approach. Playing bass lines that were suited for the song in perfect time, with no fret rattle or buzz took precedence over trying to replicate Paganini on the electric bass. Around this time, Ricardo made similar changes to his bass style. We both made vast improvements in our bass playing, but it was not because of what we were playing, but rather what we were leaving out. Ricardo has built a career as a bassist on his own efforts. He’s not a member of the elite circle of NYC bassists that play on Broadway or do sessions at the top studios. Like me, he has built his career from the perimeter.

 

For all of the talk about an alleged “bass brotherhood,” I have learned that if a fraternity of elite bass players truly exists, new members are only admitted if they have something to offer in the form of a tour or a Broadway show to gain access. To truly thrive, a musician must create their own opportunities.  Ricardo and I also have a similar view that there is much more to life than music. Financial security is important to us. As such, we both maintain day jobs that are unrelated to music and would not have it any other way. You can’t build a career with Instagram likes, by posing for pictures with famous bass players or “liking” their posts on Facebook. Getting hired and getting paid for your work is the only thing that matters. The rest of it is just a façade. Know Your Bass Player has always tried to convey the story of the working musician trying to navigate their way through a never-ending sea of obstacles, often in obscurity. As such, we are proud to present this feature on Ricardo Rodriguez, a true pragmatist who lives his life on his own terms.

 

When and where were you born?

 

I was born at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson New Jersey. When I was born the doctor looked at my hands and told my mom that I would either be a doctor or a musician. I was fortunate to be raised into a family full of Latin jazz musicians. Since our family functions were quite large, we would often rent a hall and my cousins and uncles would always bring the band to perform. As a kid I had no idea how good they were until I heard other bands that rarely sounded as good. They were all very well-educated schooled musicians at the top of their game. Now that I am older, I really appreciate having this influence very early on.  

 

I am curious about your educational background or specific teachers who guided you, not limited to only music teachers.

 

I was always fascinated with technology and studied electronics and computer science however my mind often drifted into music land. There came a time when I was getting busier musically and so I studied theory at William Paterson and took lessons from various local professional bass players. However, my cousin Frankie was my earliest bass player influence who I looked up to and guided me. He still plays Latin jazz to this day.  

 

Did your family support your decision to be a musician?

 

I put in as much time as I possibly can into my music endeavors while maintaining a day job. I’ve always been the responsible type, so my parents never gave me any arguments about my music activities. My family has always been supportive of my musical ventures. Not once has anyone given me any talk about moving in a different direction.

 

Who influenced you at the beginning of your career?  When you listen to their work today, do your early bass influences measure up to your perceptions of them when you were young? Are there any young bass players currently on the scene that inspire you?

 

As early as I can remember I was always humming the bass lines to songs. Not sure why I did that to be honest. But Silly Loves Songs by Paul McCartney as well as songs like “Sir Duke” by Steve Wonder were some of my earliest influences. I had no idea what a good musician was at that age. I just knew that I was drawn to it. As time went on, I realized their genius. As far as new young bass players on the scene that I admire, Henrik Linder from Dirty Loops, Sam Wilkes from Scary Pockets, Michael League from Snarky Puppy, Joe Dart from Vulfpeck and Jacob Collier come to mind.

 

I am a big fan of the Carol Kaye series of bass method books. Her method, combined with The Evolving Bassist by Rufus Reid, and Bach’s Six Suites for Violoncello Solo are the backbone of everything that I do on the bass guitar. Are there any books, or YouTube video channels that have inspired you?

 

Great question! I have Bass Guitar for Dummies by Patrick Pfeiffer. I bought a few from this series and I loved the cds that came with them. I tend to drive a lot and loved listening to these lesson books while on the road. It really helped me absorb many things I was trying to understand at the time. I later found Patrick in NYC and took lessons from him. As for YouTube channels Scott’s Bass Lessons is my go-to, however any session bass player that records a memorable line will grab my attention. I recently found the stems to Lady Antebellum’s hit song “I Need You Now”. I removed the bass track then recorded myself playing the entire track. Craig Young is the bassist on that track. In my book that is textbook perfect bass playing.

 

When I started playing live in 1976, I was lucky enough to acquire a vintage Ampeg SVT. During the ’80s, I got caught up in the sterile “divide and conquer” bi-amping approach to live bass tone. These days, I prefer the character that I believe is only attainable by plugging straight into an amplifier, and I have wisely decided to revert to my roots. How has your approach to getting a great live sound evolved over the years? What was important to you in the past, and what is important today? What is your current setup?

 

My early influences were Steve Wonder, Parliament, and other r&b artists. I would often confuse synth bass parts for real bass parts, and I wanted synth like lows to be a part of my sound. My first serious bass cabinet had dual 18’s. In those days bigger was better. I remember an older bassist telling me I could do so much more with less and that I would let all that big stuff go one day. My first thought was no way. How boring! I lugged that beast for about five years then down sized to 15’s. I lugged the 15’s for a few years then down sized to 12’s. The 12’s, in my opinion, are the sweet spot size wise and still have those around. I held onto the 15’s thinking I would go back to them someday but never did. What I have learned is having booming bass on stage can get messy at times. Most of the time I must trim the bass down and get a more focused sound so I can hear the pitch of my notes. It’s better to let the front of house get that boomy sound and just let your stage amp be your focused monitor.

 

Back in 2019 a friend asked for my opinion on great combo amps. The one I had was an Ampeg Portaflex 2×8 which for its size had a great sound however they were discontinued. I told my friend I would go to a few stores and see what new amps were out there that met my approval. I hit all the stores I could find within an hour drive from my house. I was at Alto Music in Middletown. They had a bunch of Phil Jones bass amps. I tried them all including the Fender, Peavy, Ampeg, Blackstar and other brands. To my surprise the PJB BG400 kept coming out on top. I went to a few other stores that had Phil Jones amps to compare it to other manufacturers and once again the BG400 for its size kept coming out on top. The last test I did was to compare it to my Ampeg combo and the BG400 blew it out of the water. I sold my Ampeg’s and bought the BG400. Since 2019 the only amp I have gigged with is the BG400 with its extension cab. I never thought in a million years that a 5” speaker could cut it but to my surprise so far it has. So, I guess that guy who was trying to educate me in my teens was right all along.  Setup, outside of the Phil Jones amps I just carry a few pedals to my live events. Nothing fancy. Just a few basic Boss pedals. Tuner, Limiter, Octave, EQ and Chorus. I love Boss pedals because I have been using them since I first started, and they never have failed me. If someone invites me to a session, I have a few boutique pedals that I will bring with me. Origin Effects Cali76 Compressor and a Noble DI. In my studio I use a Neve 1028 Preamp. It would be nice if someone would make a pedal version of this but the closest I have gotten to that is the JHS Colour Box. My travel session chain is always evolving so ask me next month what I am using.

 

To answer your question of what was important to me in the past and important today. That all ties into my first real recording session experience. I was only 20 years old and completely green to the process. But what I do remember was how amazing my bass not only sounded but felt under my hands. I asked the engineer a lot of questions. He explained the importance of a great preamp and compressor. All recorded bass is compressed to some degree. I like my bass to have that studio sound live, so I always add a touch of compression. Prior to knowing what a compressor was or did, the only time I experienced such a pleasant sound was with a tube amp with what is known as tube sag. A compressor mimics this sound. However not all compressors sound the same. I have a ton of them, and one will sound good with one bass and another sounds good with a different bass. So, your mileage will vary. But when you find the right combo its heaven. So, a good preamp DI, and compressor is everything these days.

 

Your decision to assemble a home studio to track bass parts for clients was a wise one. When asked to add bass to a project, I have yet to do the same and rely on area studios. Tell us a bit about your studio. Can you recommend a basic setup that would enable novice and veteran bass players to get started?

 

As much as the pandemic wreaked havoc for many it forced me into putting the studio together. I always had it in my mind of wanting to have my own recording setup, but I was always too busy and feared the learning curve. It was much easier to just show up and let someone else deal with all the technology. I just wanted to focus on playing and that’s it. I was already purchasing pieces for my studio and was already about 70% there with the gear I needed. Once we were forced to stay home and the only people that were still working musically were the ones with home studios, the rush to complete my studio went from hardly a focus to priority number one. The only problem was the whole world was in the same panic because the gear you needed was hard to come by. I ran around for a few months and spent whatever I had to get what I needed before someone one else took the opportunity away from me. What a crazy time that was. 

 

As for setup recommendations. This topic requires a lot of discussion; however, I will try to keep it basic for now. You need a computer with lots of RAM. At least 32Gigs. Most people use Pro Tools on a MAC however I am a Windows guy and since I work in  IT, I managed to put a system together that cost me 1/3rd of what an equivalent MAC would cost. So, it depends on your budget which system you want to go with. You want a good sounding interface. Apollo series of interfaces is the standard these days. Warm Audio is a decent brand that makes clones of much more expensive gear. I would check them out for a good recording DI, compressor, preamp, and microphone. As for nearfield studio monitors, Yamaha is a decent brand and would shoot for those. Lastly you can operate Pro Tools with your computers keyboard and mouse, but a control surface makes life easier. I like Icon series control surfaces. I think this covers it.

 

Do you make your entire living playing music? If not, why have you decided to work an unrelated day job?

My first love will always be music however personally I prefer a steady income with medical benefits. I admire the few hundred musicians that have managed to make a steady living, but I just don’t see a return to the days of the Wrecking Crew session musician life. If that were to ever happen again, I would entertain the idea of giving up my day job. Until then I just do not see paying a mortgage and car payment with on and off cash streams unfortunately.

 

My decision to release a solo CD in 2005, and an instructional DVD in 2007 was the catalyst for much of the session work that I am doing now. I am curious as to whether you have thought about deviating from your current path of playing on other people’s music and have considered releasing something of your own. Perhaps you have done this already, and I am unaware of it.

 

When I first hit the scene in the ’90’s I was only doing the New Jersey cover scene circuit. In 1999 I started working with a singer in NYC which opened a new door to session work with various singer songwriters. I was so busy that at one point I had 20 bands on rotation. Those were crazy fun times. I never gave the solo idea any thought because up until March of 2020 I was too busy working on everyone else’s projects. My mind set was always study and emulate the great session players like Pino Palladino and Nathan East.

 

In 2010 a Jazz band by the of Rubber Skunk hired me and for that year we had a lot of fun stretching out and I thought this might be a good band to showcase my talents but the band disbanded before we got to go into the studio. I still may one day go down that solo path but at this time I find it rewarding working with singer songwriters and bringing their ideas to life. 

 

I have a large collection of over 40 bass guitars. If forced to get rid of all of them except for one, I would keep my 1973 Fender Precision bass. Which of the basses that you own is the instrument that you would never part with?

 

If forced, I would keep my Sadowsky NYC Series Chambered 5 String Bass. That bass records well and has a great neck for live playing.

 

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

 

Give music as much as you can give it but keep an eye on reality. Think about your future. One thing I try hard to do is to not get into a day job that sucks the life out of me. If you come home every day drained to the point where all you want to do is sit on your couch, then you must make some important life decisions. These types of jobs shorten your life span. Music increases it. So, find a job that will allow you to balance your creative life with your professional life. This has worked well for me so far.

 

Ricardo’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RicardoRodriguezBass

 

Ricardo’s SoundCloud page: Stream ricardobass | Listen to Studio, Live and Demo Recordings playlist online for free on SoundCloud

 

Ricardo’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/alotabass/

 

 

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).

 

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”

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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.

 

 

 

 

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

 

Conceived, created, and gestated by Dr. Patricia Arean, this bass playing miniature replica of Know Your Bass Player “honcho” and Notes From An Artist radio / podcast host Tom Semioli traverses landmark locales in New York City….

 

 

 

 Rooftop hang on the #UpperEastSide of #Manhattan…. #trailguardian #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #StayingPutInNYC

 

 

 

“Twenty, twenty, twenty, twenty-four hours to go, I wanna be sedated, Nothing to do nowhere to go,  oh I wanna be sedated…” #LowerEastSide #JoeyRamone Place #Bowery & 2^nd Street #NYC #trailguardian #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #stayingputinNYC #TheRamones #NewYorkCityRock #punkrock

 

 

 

“Happy and I’m smilin’ walk a mile to drink your water….” Standing Up with #IanAnderson #MartinBarre #GlennCornick #CliveBunker #JethroTull #NYC #trailguardian #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #stayingputinNYC

 

 

 

#GrandCentralStation #NYC #trailguardian #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NYTransit #MTA #NYSubway #NewYorker #StayingPutInNYC

 

 

 

“Once upon a time you dressed so fine, Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn’t you?”  Hangin’ at 4 Gramercy Park West in #NewYorkCity – the cover image locale of #BobDylan #Highway61Revisited 1965 #trailguardian #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #StayingPutInNYC

 

 

 

Hangin’ on the 50^th Anniversary of the last concert at Bill Graham’s #FillmoreEast 27 June 1971 #trailguardian #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #stayingputinNYC #NewYorkCityRock #NewYorkCityLandmark  #SanFranciscoRock #FillmoreWest #AllmanBrothers #JGeilsBand #AlbertCollins

 

“Once I had a love and it was a gas, Soon turned out had a heart of glass …”#DebbieHarry #Blondie Mural at #BleeckerStreet & #Bowery #NYC #trailguardian #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #stayingputinNYC #NewWaveRock #NewYorkCityRock #punkrock

 

 

#TompkinsSquarePark #LowerEastSide #EastVillage #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #stayingputinNYC

 

 

 

“The magnificent seven… Ring! Ring! It’s 7 A.M.! Move y’self to go again…” Hangin’ at the #JoeStrummer mural on the #LowerEastSide of #NYC at #NiagraBar adjacent to #TompkinsSquarePark!  #trailguardian #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #stayingputinNYC #NewYorkCityRock #punkrock #TheClash

 

 

 

“Felix Unger was asked to remove himself from his place of residence; that request came from his wife. Deep down, he knew she was right, but he also knew that someday he would return to her. With nowhere else to go, he appeared at the home of his friend, Oscar Madison. Several years earlier, Madison’s wife had thrown HIM out, requesting that HE never return. Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?” Hangin’ at 1049 Park Avenue,  #UpperEastSide #NYC Site of opening credits and “home” to Oscar Madison and Felix Unger 1970-75 #OddCouple #NeilSimon #TonyRandall #JackKlugman #Broadway #NewYorkTheater #trailguardian #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #StayingPutInNYC

 

 

“Tom, get your plane right on time, I know your part’ll go fine. Doh-n-doh-de-doh-n-doh. And here I am, the only living boy in New York… Hangin’ on the east end of The #CentralParkReservoir (since renamed for Jackie O.) at the precise locale of #SimonandGarfunkel album image for their first Greatest Hits collection. #PaulSimon #ArtGarfunkel #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #stayingputinNYC Feelin’ groovy?

 

 

 

“Let me take you to the movie.. Can I take you to the show? Let me be yours ever truly…Can I make your garden grow?” Hangin’ at 96-98 St. Mark’s Place, #LowerEastSide #NewYorkCity site #LedZeppelin #PhysicalGraffiti album cover #JimmyPage #JohnPaulJones #JohnBonham #RobertPlant #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #stayingputinNYC #StMarksPlace

 

 

 

Hangin’ at the #VillageVanguard #GreenwichVillage #NewYorkCityJazz #JohnColtrane #BillEvans #ScottLaFaro #PaulMotian #NewYorkCityLandmark  #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #stayingputinNYC

 

 

 

“I hear voices, I see people I hear voices of many people, everything is everything…” Hangin’ at the legendary #BitterEnd #folkrock #DonnyHathaway #CurtisMayfield #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #stayingputinNYC “Hush now child and don’t you cry, your folks might understand you by and by, just move on up towards your destination, though you may find from time-to-time complications….”

 

 

 

“I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains, I’ve walked and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways …”  Positively West 4^th and Jones Street in #GreenwichVillage, site of #BobDylan Freewheelin’ (1963) album image  #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #folkrock #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #stayingputinNYC

 

 

 

“A hustle here and a hustle there, New York City’s the place where they said, ‘hey, babe, take a walk on the wild side…” What was once #CBGB at 315 #Bowery #punkrock #TheRamones #Blondie #LouReed #Television #PattiSmith #JohnVarvatos #RichardHell #IggyPop #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #stayingputinNYC

 

 

 

“…a smile relieves a heart that grieves, remember what I said, I’m not waiting on a lady, I’m just waiting on a friend…” Hangin’ at 96-98 St. Mark’s Place, #LowerEastSide #NewYorkCity – site of #RollingStones video “Waiting on a Friend” #MickJagger #KeithRichards #BillWyman #CharlieWatts #RonWood #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patjisan #NewYorker #stayingputinNYC #StMarksPlace

 

 

 

“I’m just sittin’ here watching the wheels go ‘round and ‘round, I really love to watch them roll…” Hangin’ at #StrawberryFields and The Dakota, home of #JohnLennon in #NYC #CentralParkWest #TheBeatles #GeorgeHarrison #PaulMcCartney #RingoStarr #YokoOno #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patsjisan #NewYorker #StayingPutInNYC

 

 

 

“I’ll be your mirror reflect what you are, in case you don’t know, I’ll be the wind, the rain and the sunset, the light on your door to show that you’re home…” Hangin’ with #LouReed at the #East86thStreet #NYCSubway station. #ChuckClose #NYCsubwayart #NYCarts #VelvetUnderground #JohnCale #NewYorkRock #RockHall #bass #bassplayer #FenderBass #FenderPrecisionBass #BassGuitar #NewYorkCity #NewYorkCityBassPlayer @trail_guardians @patsjisan #NewYorker #StayingPutInNYC

 

Hosts David C. Gross and Tom Semioli converse with bassist, producer, collaborator, entrepreneur, label owner, recording artist, musical director, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and light-bulb changer Michael League from his home in Spain. ML discusses his new solo record “Right Where I Fall” which was released on 6/25, his work with Snarky Puppy, his ongoing musical evolution, and the state of the music industry in the 21st Century.

 

 

 

 

“Ask him about throwing Roy Harper off a ferry!”

In this video preview from an episode of The Bass Guitar Channel Radio Show on Cygnus Radio with host David C. Gross and Know Your Bass Player “honcho” Tom Semioli, Richard Thompson discusses the bassists he’s employed over the years including Jerry Scheff (Elvis Presley, The Doors), David Pegg (Jethro Tull, Fairport Convention), Danny Thompson (Pentangle), Pat Donaldson (Fotheringay, Chris Spedding, Sandy Denny), Bruce Lynch (Kate Bush, Cat Stevens), Willie Weeks (Donny Hathaway, Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton), and Taras Prodaniuk (Lucinda Williams).