By Thomas Semioli

Rock ‘n’ roll lives in the blood, sweat, and beers of the American bar band, and to my ears, among the genre’s best were the Iron City Houserockers, later to emerge as Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers.

Oft compared to the E Street Band in style and execution (The Boss produced the band’s spectacular American Babylon LP in 1995); founding bassist Art Nardini has been working the pocket with Joe since ‘76. Art’s weapons of choice include the Fender Telecaster and Jazz, and MusicMan Stingray.

Why this band and their leader never enjoyed the commercial success of Bruce, John Mellencamp, Steve Earle, or Tom Petty, among others, is among rock ‘n’ roll’s great mysteries!  

Art Nardini Sound & Vision with The Houserockers:    

“I Can’t Take It” Live (1979) https://youtu.be/FMRsZCUZoWo

“Junior’s Bar” Live (1988) https://youtu.be/9307ZVkFvOY

“Everything’s Gonna Work Out Right” https://youtu.be/ryQ3AuxPTaM

“American Babylon” https://youtu.be/52L5-64cm2E

With The Boss “That’s What Makes Us Great” https://youtu.be/VirqIl99q6A

Courtesy of George Porter Jr Com

Behold Brit Pop Royalty!

A founding member of Ocean Colour Scene, Damon Minchella is a purveyor of hazy, hypnotic grooves which he plies on his battered Fender Jazz with a reverence for psychedelia, baroque pop, and classic rock.

In addition to his work with OCS (five Top 5 UK slabs, fifteen Top 20 UK singles the last time I counted…) Damon also anchored Paul Weller’s band for a dozen years, and appeared with The Who at Live 8.

Following a serious hand injury, which he as fully recovered from, Michella now turns to academia, teaching a pop music course at The University of South Wales.

Damon Minchella Sound & Vision…

Ocean Colour Scene:

“The Day We Ride the Train” https://youtu.be/1rr4tXN2eJM

“The Riverboat Song” https://youtu.be/brzzM31G4x8

“You’ve Got It Bad” https://youtu.be/GSCRUwJk1_Q

Paul Weller:

“He’s The Keeper” https://youtu.be/dUx-E8w3ctU

“Horseshoe Drama” https://youtu.be/byB1-AWxZlU

The ‘Oo at Live 8

“Won’t Get Fooled Again” https://youtu.be/t1fJVdpIyRM

Updating the sounds of 1990s Madchester for the 21st Century, Leicester lads Kasabian continue to forge a mesmerizing meld of hard rock, psychedelic and electronica.

Among modern rock’s most spirited live ensembles, bassist Chris Edwards anchors bandleader Sergio Pizzorno’s sprawling, ambitious compositions with crunchy, in-the-pocket grooves and countermelodies abetted with a myriad of effects which solidify the band’s signature din.  His primary weapons of choice are the Fender Deluxe Jaguar, Fender Jazz, and the Gibson EB-2.

Dig Chris’s raucous riffage on “Clubfoot” https://youtu.be/lk5iMgG-WJI

Dig Chris’ disco thumpery on “You’re In Love with a Psycho” https://youtu.be/kimPUWSwxIs

Dig Chris on “Where Did All the Love Go?” https://youtu.be/Xl3QoD6wiDI

Since their formation in Omaha, Nebraska in the late 1980s, there has been no genre left untouched by the remarkable 311 and their virtuoso bassist Aaron “P-Nut” Wills. 

Plying his craft with his signature Warwick extended range bass replete with illuminated fretboard markers, Mr. “Nut” seamlessly alters his tone, technique and harmonic range to fit the composition. His solo segment, which often features a myriad of effects, are among the many highlights of 311 concert performances.    

Dig P-Nut’s mighty grooves….

“Too Much to Think” https://youtu.be/t-8hSpJOAyo

“All Mixed Up” https://youtu.be/JjTjtJDZomw

“I’ll Be Here Awhile” https://youtu.be/CnYnO-eWwC4

“Amber” https://youtu.be/SUFSB2plwzM

Tim Lefebvre is among the most in-demand bassists on the contemporary rock, jazz, jam-band, experimental and electronica scenes … and permutations thereof. He adapts to every genre he works in – stretching his harmonic and melodic chops as an improviser / catalyst – or simply laying down the groove and working the pocket.

Using a wide array of instruments, from vintage Fender Jazz and Precision, and Moollon, to extended range and upright, Tim’s stage and studio credits include David Bowie (Blackstar /2016), the Tedeschi-Trucks Band (Let Me Get By/2016), Donald Fagen, Dave Binney, the Saturday Night Live Band, Donny McCaslin, and Mark Giuliana, to cite a few.

Tim Lefebvre Sound & Vision…

Donny McCaslin https://youtu.be/JOhOjMQLOfQ

“In Memory of D.B. and D.E.” https://youtu.be/m8rlOBLcdYQ

Tedeschi-Trucks “Get What You Deserve” https://youtu.be/C9G91tiUDfA

David Bowie “Blackstar” https://youtu.be/kszLwBaC4Sw

A prolific hit songwriter (“Free Ride,” “I Can Dream About You,” James Brown’s “Living In America,” “Instant Replay,” Black Box “Ride On Time” among others), producer, multi-instrumentalist, and recording artist, the late Daniel Earl Hartman anchored the most commercially successful incarnation of the Edgar Winter Group in the early 1970s, which also featured a couple of other legends: Rick Derringer and Ronnie Montrose.

A pocket player (“Frankenstein”) given to the groove, Hartman also plied his craft (s) with Tina Turner, Nona Hendryx, Joe Cocker, The Plasmatics (Metal Priestess) and Steve Winwood, to cite a select few.  Hartman was a prolific solo recording artist, waxing eight slabs from 1976 through 1989.

In 1989 Dan released New Green Clear Blue – an ambient instrumental album inspired by Vangelis and Harold Budd.

Dan was also renowned for his design and use of the infamous “bass suit” with the Edgar Winter Band, which set him back $5000 – a small fortune in 1974. Note: the instrument’s controls are on the sleeve attached to an aluminum plate. The guitar neck ends in a Crescent Moon and the suit itself has moons on it.

Said Hartman “The bass suit was actually one of the first cordless guitars in existence, and I invented it. It was built right into this silver bodysuit so it looked as though the bass was coming out of my body, and the volume and tone knobs were on the sleeve. When it worked it was great, but the tunings were a little strange, plus I can’t tell you how many times I got shocked. It wound up being just one more thing that we had to worry about on tour…’well, I wonder if this will work tonight.’ After a while I couldn’t stand wearing it anymore so I gave it up.”

Dan Hartman Sound & Vision…

Dan’s MTV video for “Instant Replay” with GE Smith miming on bass! https://youtu.be/jW-OfaiBs9k

Hartman and his double-neck on this live rendition of “Free Ride” with the Edgar Winter Group https://youtu.be/nIBOG8BRcdY

“Frankenstein” from The Old Grey Whistle Test https://youtu.be/gnewLUgjoQ4

“Miracle of Love” https://youtu.be/yyaKf2L7G68

“I Can Dream About You” MTV video https://youtu.be/621Nk3Ubz4A

Dan Hartman New Green Clear Blue https://youtu.be/vVTR9ORROxU

“I have to be on the stage. That’s when it comes to me… period.”

He started out on clarinet, then took up the doghouse at age seventeen, honed his craft in military bands in the 1950s, paid his dues as Dinah Washington’s musical director for a few years, migrated to Detroit’s burgeoning jazz scene in the early 60s, then relocated to New York City a few years later to emerge as one of the most versatile and prolific bassists in modern jazz.

An educator, composer, and recording artist, Cecil McBee’s canon spans seminal works by Charles Lloyd, Wayne Shorter, Yusef Lateef, Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, Joe Farrell, Leon Thomas, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Norman Connors to cite an extremely select few.

McBee’s work in the late 1960s “soul jazz” movement was watershed, as he rendered melodic passages and deep grooves that inspired both upright and electric players.

Dig Cecil with…

Leon Thomas “The Creator Has a Master Plan” https://youtu.be/uoYnvw-97II

Alice Coltrane “Journey to Satchidananda” https://youtu.be/TQtEFdyhgdE

Pharoah Sanders “Summun Bukmun Umyun” https://youtu.be/0qHLbGALJZg

Yusef Lateef “Juba Juba” https://youtu.be/LNXq4OE0Vw0

Norman Connors “Dance of Magic” https://youtu.be/NYCb8J6h-0s

A bassist, composer, producer, band-member, collaborator, and educator, among other titles – this Berklee College of Music alum cites Geddy, John Paul Jones, Sir Paul, Marcus Miller, and Jaco as his mentors. Chaney seamlessly blends his tone and approach to whatever the situation warrants – working alternative rock, pop, blues, funk, country, rhythm and blues, and country genres as a first call session player.

Utilizing trad four-string, extended range, fretless, and acoustic instruments, Chaney’s canon spans artists as diverse as Joe Cocker, Glenn Campbell, Jane’s Addiction, Alanis Morissette, Cher, Slash, Orianthi, Josh Groban, Sara Bareilles, Camp Freddy, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, and Gavin Degraw to reference a very, very select few.

Chaney has also helmed the bass chair for numerous film scores and television soundtracks.

A Fender endorser, Chaney is a collector! Among his weapons of choice include vintage Fender Jazz and Precision basses, plus instruments and sound equipment from Fender Custom Shop, Lakland, Sadowsky, Guild, Gibson, Epiphone, Rob Allen, Aguilar, and Ashdown, to name a scant few.

Dig Chris with Jane’s Addiction “Just Because” https://youtu.be/sb3FJdRk-tI

Dig Chris with Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders “Middle Child” https://youtu.be/Ld7azdCyBMw

Dig Chris with Alanis “You Learn” https://youtu.be/N1Nr4engFhk

Dig Chris with Camp Freddy (Scott Weiland, Rick Nielson, Matt Sorum, Billy Morrison…) https://youtu.be/9kTdT89-0qk

Dig Chris with Taylor and Perry “I Really Blew It” https://youtu.be/g3E5ah6Hj3A