A young Marcus Miller learned his bassline to “The Bottle” note for note!

The words of the great American poet, activist and musical pioneer Gil-Scott Heron resonate as profoundly today as they did four decades ago. And so does the work of Danny Bowens, who anchored Gil’s watershed collaborations with Brian Jackson, working the pocket with his Fender Jazz and a decidedly funky disposition.

During his time at Lincoln University in the late 60s, Bowens picked up the bass from his college roommate and soon after he was a working musician on the world stage with Gil and Brian’s Midnight Band. Among his admirers included Stanley Clarke, George Benson, Richard Pryor (who booked them on Saturday Night Live), and Stevie Wonder.

When The Midnight Band split, Danny studied with Marshall Hawkins and Keter Betts (Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald) and Charles Fambrough (McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington, Jr.). Among the artists he has worked with include Kenny Barron, Esther Phillips, and Jack McDuff. Danny is also a composer, and solo recording artist – mostly working in Gospel music.

Dig a few of Danny’s signature passages:

“The Bottle” https://youtu.be/EdhoX1Xu6ZI

“Ain’t No Such Thing as Superman” https://youtu.be/2PTyTqdxwqQ

“New York City” https://youtu.be/hbHtU4-Vlqg

“It’s Your World” https://youtu.be/mZ9VxLqkHso

One day you’re up and the next day you’re down… you can’t face the world with your head to the ground…

Formed in the Bronx in 1964, and legends of the Greenwich Village rock scene in the 1960s via their residency at the Night Owl and several television appearances, his bass motif to The Blues Magoos’ signature hit which he co-composed “(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet” is among the most recognizable and co-opted in the history of rock and roll. 

Ronnie Gilbert was a straightforward pocket player whose passages were based (pun intended) on booming pentatonic riffs, which was the perfect approach for the Magoos’ magnificent mélange of psychedelia, folk, soul and…blues!   Gilbert’s primary weapon of choice was the Fender Precision with the treble rolled off.

Dig Ronnie and the Magoos on tracks he co-wrote….

“(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet” https://youtu.be/TOWOdKs6KUo

“Pipe Dream” https://youtu.be/EwmyWwyUUZE

“Life Is Just a Cher O’Bowlies” https://youtu.be/AHdbA42hCb8

“I Wanna Be There” https://youtu.be/WvHYfAVcM-g

“There She Goes” https://youtu.be/e7Ij7h2GQxY

“You’re Getting Old” https://youtu.be/6Z-cKpGuuug

They are considered garage rock legends, however I don’t think there’s a motor vehicle storage space which could contain this mighty quartet…

Contemporaries and kindred spirits of the MC5, Grand Funk Railroad, and The Stooges – Brighton Michigan’s Frijid Pink were a fiery foursome which fused boogie, blues, psychedelia, and hard rock.

Founding bassist Tom Harris plied his craft with a decidedly distorted din akin to his peer bassists – which was most representative of the era and genre in which they so mightily defined.

Dig Tom with Frijid Pink….

“House of the Rising Son” https://youtu.be/jqC3LrskVyE

“Sing A Song for Freedom” https://youtu.be/iuIhOoFrOqQ

“God Gave Me You” https://youtu.be/sKm1BpnPOLc

By Joe Gagliardo

Jim Pons grew up listening to the music of Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Little Richard.  As much as he loved these rock pioneers and their music, they were borne of the previous generation, and were not his peers.  The Beatles, however, were his peers, and when he saw them on The Ed Sullivan Show, it was an epiphany—if they
could do it, that meant it could be done! Jim’s passion for the Fab Four was deep: he secured a job as an usher at the Hollywood Bowl just to see the band perform live!

Even though he could not play nor even afford an instrument, Jim knew as early as his sophomore year in High School that he wanted to be a musician.

Using insurance money from an auto accident, Jim purchased band equipment and proceeded to recruit fraternity brothers to be part of an ensemble.  Guitarist Bill Rinehart and vocalist / sax player, tambourine, and harmonic man John Beck were added from outside the brotherhood, hence The Rockwells were born.

As the music scene changed and band names consequently evolved, The Rockwells became The Leaves and their big break arrived when they succeeded The Byrds as the house-band at Ciro’s on the Sunset Strip. The band also inked a deal with pop crooner Pat Boone’s production company and Mira Records.

Within two years and a few personnel changes, The Leaves had the # 1 record in California, “Hey Joe,” with Jim’s iconic bass lines and energetic vocals. Soon he was playing at the same Hollywood Bowl where he had seen The Beatles. Fact:  Jim added the middle section of the song based on Larry Williams’ “Boney Moronie.”

As The Leaves were started to lose steam, as many pop groups do, Jim was wondered what he would do next.  That question was answered when The Turtles’ bass player Chip Douglas, left the band to produce records for The Monkees.  Jim joined in 1967 while the band was recording the Happy Together LP.

That success led to a series of tours, sold-out shows, and more hits, including, “She’d Rather Be With Me,” “You Showed Me,” and “Elenore.”  Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and even the Ray Davies produced album, Turtle Soup, could not save the band.

Jim’s next stop was with his Laurel Canyon neighbor Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention.  Former Turtles Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, were already part of the group and recommended Jim to Frank.

This presented a new challenge for Jim as he was a self-taught musician, and Zappa wrote complex “avant garde” music in the style of the great classical composers he loved.  Jim adapted, and Frank even sang “Hey Pons” on “Flower Punk,” the Mothers’ version of “Hey Joe.” Pons played the part of God in “Billy the Mountain.”

Jim’s tenure with the Mothers came to an abrupt end when a delusional fan jumped on stage at The Rainbow Theatre in London, and pushed Frank into the orchestra pit, twenty-feet below. Zappa’s serious injuries forced
him off the road and to suspend all activities pending his recuperation.

However Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman remained active, and put together a band with former members of the Mothers, including Jim, which they dubbed  “Flo and Eddie.”  They released two albums, and hit the road with Alice Cooper for a long tour of ninety-two cities in one hundred and two days.

At the conclusion of the tour, Jim decided to move to New York which led to a turning point in his career.  He received a call from former Leaves bandmate John Beck, which led to Jim becoming the Film Director of the New York Jets Football Club, where he worked from 1973-2000.

Among Jim’s influences include Paul McCartney, Bill Wyman and The Byrds’ Chris Hillman whom he used to see every night at Ciro’s.

Jim Pons’ basses:  Jim followed in the footsteps of his bass heroes with Framus akin to Bill Wyman, a Guild similar to Chris Hillman, and Sir Paul’s signature Hofner violin bass, before settling with a classic Fender Precision which he still has.

As to his playing style, Jim has always “resonated with the bass notes.” He pays close attention to where one is, and makes sure the band has a strong bottom at all times. According to Jim, he does very little fiddling around; he loves McCartney’s melodic style but he played more like Hillman.

Fast forward to current times, Jim has written a book, Hard Core Love -Sex, Football and Rock and Roll in the Kingdom of God, which traces his life and career, and journey to find God.  Jim’s memoire was cited with a 2017 Florida Writers’ Association Royal Palm Literary Award for Book of the Year.

Jim currently plays bass in a bluegrass band called Lonesome Ride. He loves traditional string band music and it has always been his  dream to play bluegrass.

Among Jim’s signature recordings include:

The Leaves “Hey Joe”  https://youtu.be/KWv03Wgz0PQ

Turtles “Happy Together” https://youtu.be/mRCe5L1imxg

Turtles “She’s My Girl”  https://youtu.be/D-6KbRi6mVE

Turtles “Elenore” https://youtu.be/f09itrlXcic

Mothers of Invention – live version of “Call Any Vegetable” https://youtu.be/nkMvvy8Uc5E

The late Richard Allen “Dickie” Peterson may be considered the first heavy metal bassist – as per the opinions of Eric Clapton and Neal Peart, among others who were there.

As lead singer and anchor of the mighty San Francisco power (and that’s an understatement) trio Blue Cheer, Peterson’s persona as a performer and bass player exuded the sheer force and attitude of hard rock in its earliest incarnation.

Though they never topped their ’68 debut slab, Vincebus Eruptum, and consequent reunions in the ensuing decades were more exercises in nostalgia, Peterson’s decidedly primal approach to the instrument set the bar, however high or low, depending on musical disposition!

Dig Dickie and Blue Cheer on their classic rendition of “Summertime Blues” https://youtu.be/YXcYZsqkZ-g

Among the preeminent pioneering prog-rock bassists, Lee Jackson is a versatile player with a capacity for dexterous passages (“Rondo 69”), psychedelic pocket grooves (“The Thoughts of Emerlist Davejak “), swingin’ jazz runs (“Little Arabella”), hard rock boogie (“War and Peace”), counter melodic mastery (“Ars Longa Vita Brevis”) and metal mayhem (“Bonnie K”) and permutations thereof.

After The Nice decided to call it quits, Jackson toiled in a few ensembles; most notably Jackson Heights and Refugee which included such kindred spirits as Michael Giles, Ian Wallace, and Patrick Moraz, to cite a few.

Lee Jackson Sound & Vision:

“Hang On To A Dream” https://youtu.be/7RSRoM_fc9I

By Thomas Semioli

“The blues are the roots and the other musics are the fruits. It’s better keeping the roots alive, because it means better fruits from now on. The blues are the roots of all American music. As long as American music survives, so will the blues.” William James Dixon

We revere him as “the poet laurate of the blues,” and “the father of modern Chicago blues.” To paraphrase KYBP / Dr. Winston O’Boogie, if you had to give the bass another name – call it Willie Dixon! Every rock song ever composed bears his imprint. The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter… to Gary Clark Jr. and Greta Van Fleet would not exist without him. Willie’s influence on popular music is incalculable.

Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Dixon moved to the Windy City in 1936 and commenced to anchoring such popular acts as The Five Breezes, The Four Jumps of Jive, and The Big Three Trio. As a member of the Chess Records staff in the 1950s and 60s, Dixon arranged, produced, composed, and played bass on slabs spanning Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Litter Walter, and Sonny Boy Williamson II, to cite a very select few.

An artists’ rights activist (Blues Heaven Foundation), among other endeavors, Dixon’s amalgamation of jazz, jive, jump and Chicago blues and permutations thereof endures generation after generation after generation.

You could argue the Willie Dixon, a bassist, is the most influential musician ever…

“Spoonful” https://youtu.be/6HMafOfhAus

“I Can’t Quit You Darling” https://youtu.be/rpxNJcNRwFA

“Hoochie Coochie Man” with Stephen Stills https://youtu.be/-q8R6cb_7tM

“I’m Ready” https://youtu.be/GMKM7v3Aydc

“I Just Want to Make Love to You” by Muddy Waters https://youtu.be/RnlvHP1AXPo

“Back Door Man” https://youtu.be/5IaWmphWLro

“I Ain’t Superstitious” by Howlin’ Wolf https://youtu.be/aIkwAoWqE6E

“My Babe” by Little Walter https://youtu.be/duRp_avXtMM

“Wang Dang Doodle” by Koko Taylor https://youtu.be/_w6IY0v-0pA

Willie Dixon’s Legacy

Paul Page (Ian Hunter Rant Band, John Cale) One of my favorite quotes of all time was in his book I Am The Blues. Talking about about recording he said something to the effect of “the goal is to record a performance, not perform a recording”. I’m reminded of that every time I find myself crawling up my own ass in the studio. Brilliant.

Jeff Ganz (Johnny Winter, The Hit Men….) Willie was simply delightful and very friendly. He is truly one of my long time bass, vocal, and songwriting heroes!

He had the daunting task of succeeding Larry Graham in Sly & the Family Stone – on Larry’s recommendation – and James Dewar in Robin Trower’s iconic 70s ensembles, affording the virtuoso guitarist a decidedly funkier disposition as Dewar set aside the bass to concentrate on his vocals.

Rustee Allen (sometimes referred to as “Rusty” on album credits) is a soulful pocket and harmonic player who also cut sides and/or worked on stage with Angela Bofill, Rose Stone, George Clinton, and Bobby Womack, among others.

Check out http://www.rusteeallen.com/ for all things Rustee Allen!

Rustee Allen Sound & Vision…

Robin Trower:

“In City Dreams” https://youtu.be/Ua_uPPv90Kw 

“Caravan to Midnight” https://youtu.be/GcHR3lxqsUg

Sly Stone:

“If You Want Me To Stay” https://youtu.be/gZFabOuF4Ps

“Keep On Dancin’  https://youtu.be/TwGt12ywrZs