“It’s like a tear in the hands of a western man… tell you about salt, carbon, and water…”
Pete Sears, who also distinguished himself as an in-demand session keyboardist, was the perfect choice to succeed the legendary Jack Casady in Paul Kantner’s ever-changing Jefferson Starship collectives. Though Pete’s tone and approach to the instrument were in direct contrast from Jack – he is also an exemplary accompanist, soloist, and improviser.
A prolific plinker, composer, producer, and solo recording artist, Pete forged major contributions on seminal sides by Rod Stewart (Gasoline Alley, Every Picture Tells a Story, Never A Dull Moment, Smiler), Hot Tuna, Grace Slick, Nick Gravenites, Papa John Creach, Robert Hunter, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Kathi McDonald, and Starship to cite a very, very select few.
As a bassist – most notably in Jefferson Starship – Pete’s grooves and upper register forays cleverly merged the band’s multi-dimensional vocal arrangements as rendered by Marty Balin, Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, David Freiberg, and Mickey Thomas in various configurations. Sears’ extended bass solo was a highlight at many a Starship show as I was witness.
Weapons of choice: a master pocket and melodic player Pete utilized a custom instrument created by one of Jerry Garcia’s favored craftsman, Doug Irwin (which went missing for 40 years and was recently returned), along with Fender Jazz and Rickenbacker instruments.
Pete with his Doug Irwin bass – Pete Sears Facebook
Pete Sears – Producer – Kathi McDonald / Insane Asylum
Her stage and studio credits include Long John Baldry, Ike & Tina Turner, Dave Mason, Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen, the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street, and Leon Russell & The Shelter People among others.
The late Kathi McDonald’s lost gem of a slab Insane Asylum (1974) is a magnificent mélange of blues, hard rock, and soul. Produced and arranged by renowned keyboardist/bassist Pete Sears, Kathi’s esteemed collaborators include Ronnie Montrose, Nils Lofgren, Neil Schon, John Cipollina, and Papa John Creach.
Dig the title track to Insane Asylum with Pete cutting the bass and keyboard tracks https://youtu.be/rnI9vUC6FKQ
Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna)
Photo courtesy of Hot Tuna Com
The most stunning aspect of Jean Luc-Goddard’s film of Jefferson Airplane rendering “House at Pooneil Corners” atop a roof in midtown Manhattan on December 7, 1968 – weeks before the Beatles pulled the exact same filmed stunt replete with police intervention on Savile Row in London – is how it accurately captures the massive resonance of Jack Casady’s bass artistry ricocheting off the sooty Gotham skyscrapers on that frigid winter day. At the time Jack was playing a Guild Starfire II bass run through a Versatone amplifier.
Akin to his peer Jack Bruce, Jack Casady expanded the harmonic language of the bass with his fearless forays into the instrument’s upper register and his Hendrix-esque use of volume. Casady is essentially a blues man given to experimentation wherein he quotes raga, jazz, and folk – oft times in the same composition. At any given moment, on record or in concert – Jack utilizes an amazing arsenal of walking bass-lines, chords, and counter-melodies that no electric bassist previous to him ever dared.
Jack’s work with his lifelong collaborator Jorma Kaukonen in Hot Tuna, which is steeped in traditional blues and rag-time in a semi-acoustic / electric setting, is equally groundbreaking in its execution. Hendrix invited Jack to play on Electric Ladyland – it’s a pity Jimi never made a full album with him.
Of all the remarkably progressive and innovative musicians who came to prominence during the psychedelic Summer of Love era – Casady remains among the most revolutionary.
Dig Tony Senatore’s rendition of “Crown of Creation” https://youtu.be/nrM_ba46R3s