When David Jo first flew solo following the New York Dolls he assembled a streetwise ensemble for his first two releases which featured a core band of drummer Frankie LaRocka, guitarists Johnny Rao and Thomas Trask, and ex-Doll Syl Sylvain along with brilliant cameos by Ian Hunter, Dan Hartman, Stan Bronstein, Nona Hendryx, Scarlet Rivera, Sara Dash, Joe Perry, Felix Cavaliere, and producer/guitarist Mick Ronson to cite a distinguished few.

The bass player on those dates was the charismatic, pompadour coiffed Buzz Verno who laid the foundation pure, simple, and in-the-pocket to enhance David’s restlessly romantic character portraits set to three chords and a thundering backbeat.

Dig Buzz on stage with David for “Frenchette” https://youtu.be/08MuQAC5zpw

Dig the Buzz Verno Band with Joey Kelly…

Part One: https://youtu.be/vQ_UbAj7bhs

Part Two: https://youtu.be/wuAQaP59bPc

He was an “alternative” rock innovator years before the genre was officially tagged. Ernie Brooks is that rare bassist who can effortlessly move from in-the-pocket to contrapuntal to improvisational to experimental – sometimes within the same composition! Mr. Brooks made (belated) history as a founding member (with future Talking Head Jerry Harrison) in one of rock’s most influential ensembles: The Modern Lovers, by way of their seminal self-titled debut as produced by John Cale.

Though that record hit the shelves nearly five years after it was waxed, it was, and still is, ahead of its time. Rendering bass passages that groove, weave through a melody, and consequently push a composition, Brooks has distinguished himself as a long-time collaborator on stage and on record with Elliott Murphy.

Ernie also contributed to essential sides by David Johansen (Here Comes the Night – 1981), and Jerry Harrison (Walk on Water – 1990) among many others.

Ernie Brooks continues to ply his bass artistry with Murphy, Gods and Monsters, and Peter Zummo, to cite a select few.

Watch Ernie Brooks on Know Your Bass Player on Film Season One, 2015 New York City, Euphoria Studios https://bit.ly/31CV4s3