His big break came in the late 1970s when he was the house bass player / producer at TK Studios in Hialeah, Florida wherein Stephen Stills was seeking a young, funky cat to appropriate the disco grooves which permeated the pop pantheon!
George “Chocolate” Perry leveraged that opportunity to wax sides and tour which such renowned artists as CSN and various permutations thereof, along with Dion, Bobby Caldwell, Jon Secada, Bee Gees, Joe Walsh, John Cougar Mellencamp, and Dionne Warwick, among many, many others.
A producer will several impressive credits (Joe Walsh, Bobby Caldwell, The Blue Notes, among others) Perry quit the road and the biz in the early 90s, however his grooves can still be heard on classic rock radio, and I’m sure he’s been sampled in innumerable hip-hop and rap tracks.
Session cats rarely make the artistic leap to a career as platinum selling recording artists – however Toto was a notable exception. Comprised of LA’s premier players who waxed hits for scores of world renowned artists, bassist Mike Porcaro joined his brothers Jeff (drums) and Steve (keyboards) for their Isolation album (1984), replacing studio ace and band-member David Hungate, and also anchored Fahrenheit (1986), Mindfields (1998) and Through the Looking Glass (2002).
A valued sideman of tours and record dates with Boz Scaggs, Larry Carlton , Michael Franks, Cher, Stevie Nicks, Seals & Crofts, Donna Summer, Carlos Santana, Natalie Cole, Joe Walsh, Aretha Franklin, and The Pointer Sisters, to cite a select few, Mike excelled in a wide array of genres spanning pop, funk, soul, rhythm and blues, rock, Latin, disco, techno – and every permutation thereof.
Mike Porcaro, who passed in 2015, was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville in 2009 with Toto.
Kenny Passarelli (Elton John, Hall & Oates, Joe Walsh)
By Thomas Semioli
A composer, producer, bandmember, collaborator and recording artist – Kenny Passarelli has been the go-to bass player for numerous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artists, serving as the harmonic and rhythmic catalyst on several seminal sides, and ensembles.
Born in Denver, Colorado, Kenny’s musical journey began as a classical trumpet player – studying with Byron Jolivett, and performing with the “Inaugural Band” as a member of the Denver Junior Police Band.
Following his meeting with Stephen Stills, who played him demos of his new group Crosby Stills Nash &Young, Kenny opted for a career in rock and roll. Though he missed the opportunity to work with the iconic guitarist at Woodstock in ‘69, Kenny nailed a gig with Joe Walsh, fresh out of the James Gang, with his band Barnstorm also featuring drummer Joe Vitale.
Working on-and-off with Walsh throughout the 70s, Kenny co-authored “Rocky Mountain Way” and his ascending fretless motif enabled Wash to live a “Life of Illusion” – another classic rock track which he co-wrote with Walsh.
Along with Rick Danko and Boz Burrell, Kenny was an early proponent of the fretless bass in a rock context which he plays with a decidedly soulful / rhythm and blues approach.
At the recommendation of Walsh, Kenny was the foundation of Reg Dwight’s second greatest band as heard on Rock of the Westies (1975), Blue Moves (1976), and the archival Captain Fantastic Live at Wembley (2005).
As the bedrock of the Darryl Hall & John Oates band, Kenny waxed Livetime and Along the Red Ledge (1978) in addition to Hall’s iconic Sacred Songs slab.
Courtesy of Hall and Oates Com
Dig Tony Senatore’s renditions of Kenny’s select work with Darryl Hall and John Oates:
Several musical guests on Live From Daryl’s House have rendered compositions from Sacred Songs with their esteemed host– and with good reason: it stands among the seminal slabs of its era!
Go figure why RCA shelved it for three years fearing its lack of commercial potential.
Produced by Robert Fripp, who also renders his signature sonic guitar soundscapes, Sacred Songs prominently features the core of Sir Elton’s most dexterous ensemble : guitarist Caleb Quaye, drummer Roger Pope, and bassist Kenny Passarelli. The tracks, which were recorded in 1977, burst forth with the vibrancy a concert performance – even though they never played ‘em on stage!
Kenny works his gritty soul influences from cut to cut, and keeps the pocket percolating when reinforcing Daryl’s left-hand keyboard motifs throughout.
Dig Tony Senatore’s rendition of Kenny’s bass passages from Sacred Songs…
Kenny also shined on notable slabs by Stephen Stills (Stills and Stephen Stills Live -1975), Rick Derringer (All American Boy / 1973), Otis Taylor, and Dan Fogelberg (Souvenirs / 1974), among others.
His impressive solo canon, which also features Kenny’s talents as a pianist, includes releases which are a meld of classical, new age, and Spanish heritage.
Coda: In November 2016, I cited Kenny Passarelli among Eleven More Bass Players Who Belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Huffington Post http://huff.to/2gHNIOA in the Musical Excellence category.
Among Kenny’s weapons of choice include the Fender Jazz bass, and the fretless Fender Precision bass.
