By Thomas Semioli

He set the template for scores of players – including Kenny Aaronson, Sal Maida, and Joe Gagliardo – with a lifetime’s worth of bass riffs. When he put down the instrument, he forged an equally influential (and more high profile) career as a producer during the zeitgeist of the singer songwriter movement of the 1970s.

Cradling an Epiphone Rivoli, Paul Samwell-Smith’s decidedly aggressive motifs with The Yardbirds profoundly inspired generations of rockers spanning Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, and the original Alice Cooper band to cite a very, very, very select few.

As a founding member of The Yardbirds, Paul Samwell-Smith anchored  classics including “For Your Love,” “Over Under, Sideways, Down,” and “Heart Full of Soul” among others, which were a watershed meld of blues, pop, and psychedelic rock.

After Paul split from the group in 1966 – surrendering bass duties to Jimmy Page –  he turned to the producer’s chair guiding such artists as Renaissance, Cat Stevens (Mona Bone Jakon, Tea for the Tillerman, Teaser & the Firecat,  Catch Bull at Four, Buddah & The Chocolate Box), Carly Simon (Anticipation),  Chris De Burgh, and Murray Head, among others, on several of their finest recorded works.

 

Paul Samwell-Smith Sound & Vision

Dig Paul Samwell-Smith workin’ the pocket and walkin’ double time on multi-instrumentalist / bassist Graham Gouldman’s composition “Evil Hearted You.” https://bit.ly/2R4nUsE

Dig the Yardbirds on American television “For Your Love” https://youtu.be/HU5zqidlxMQ

Dig Kenny Aaronson in the 21st Century Yardbirds https://youtu.be/HBzIHJwJlt8

Dig Billy Sheehan talkin’ and riffin’ Paul Samwell-Smith https://youtu.be/GTZHEo9gY6I

 

Just two years after she first picked up the instrument in her native Australia, Tal Wilkenfeld commenced studies at Los Angeles Academy of Music. She split college for New York City wherein she sat in on local jam sessions and quickly built her reputation as a top player. An invitation by Allman Brothers Oteil Burbridge and Derek Trucks to join the band on stage at their annual Beacon Theater residency led to widespread exposure and an impressive audition tape which she sent to Jeff Beck. Within months of that performance, Tal waxed her debut slab Transformation (2006) and was on the bandstand with Chick Corea. She later joined Beck’s band for several tours, one of which is  captured on the incendiary Live At Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club.

 

Wilkenfeld quickly rose to the top echelons of her profession, which is where she sits now, collaborating with the crème de la crème of rock, jazz, and pop artists including Prince, Herbie Hancock, Warren Hayes, Corinne Bailey Rae, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, The Roots, Wayne Krantz,  David Gilmour, Macy Gray, Ryan Adams, Pharrell, Buddy Guy, Jackson Browne, Todd Rundgren, Ringo Starr, Brian Wilson, and Dr. John to cite a very select few. Tal’s weapons of choice are Sadowsky basses, and EBS amplifiers.

 

Her solo bow entitled Transformation (2007) is a 21st Century jazz-fusion masterpiece.

 

Tal’s sophomore slab, Love Remains (2019) was a surprise to her “bass only” fans as she emerged as a formidable singer-songwriter, drawing influences as diverse 70s Laurel Canyon and 90s alt-rock!

 

Tal Wilkenfeld Sound & Vision…

 

Tal with Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scott’s “Nadia” https://youtu.be/drAv2FoYji8

 

“Transformation” https://youtu.be/iBKChtJ2AeU

 

“Corner Painter” https://youtu.be/sJuO_HKrVPQ

By Tony Senatore

While other bass guitar related websites focus primarily on all things bourgeoisie, Know Your Bass Player’s sentiments have always resided within the proletariat, and the working-class bassists that comprise it.  Jeffrey Allen is a prime example of a bassist who has made a name for himself by constantly being able to deliver what his clients need, by selling his wage labor as a commodity. Unlike his radical chic bass brethren who call for a destruction of the very system that provides their sustenance, Jeffrey Allen embraces the best features of our American way of life, and works hard to deliver for those that hire him, whether the gig is a NYC bar, in the pit on Broadway, or on a world tour.

Moreover, in selling his wage labor he does not feel the alienation that Karl Marx said was a feature of a capitalist economy. In this feature, we at Know Your Bass Player want the bass players of the world to unite and come to the realization that they have nothing to lose but their chains. In our new global economy, some might say that all that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real conditions of life, and his relations with his kind. The staff at Know Your Bass Player beg to differ. It is time to break the trend of false consciousness and learn what it takes to make a living as a working musician through the wisdom of Jeffrey Allen.

Tony Senatore, 2020

When and where were you born?

I was born the day after Magical Mystery Tour was released, in the fair city of Englewood, New Jersey, just over a mile away from the house in which I was raised, on November 28, 1967. On another note, Magical Mystery Tour eventually became one of the first cassettes I ever owned, along with the Jackson 5’s Third Album. Those were two tapes I was passionately grooving to as a five year old on my portable cassette player.

 Did you study music in college? I am curious as to your educational background, and/or specific teachers who guided you, not limited to only music teachers.

I did. I studied classical string bass at Juilliard with Homer Mensch and Eugene Levinson. I’ve been quite lucky to have had many incredible and influential teachers along the way. When I started playing clarinet in second grade, my very first teacher was the great and legendary reed pedagogue Joe Allard. He lived across the street from us and agreed to my dad’s request to give me a bit of guidance. I was always wildly intrigued by the comings and goings of the various long-haired sax players.

The main electric bass teacher I worked with in high school was a fella named Tony Oppenheim. He had written a very popular slap method book called Slap It! around that time, and my young, white suburban ass wanted to get down! I ended up getting way more than I had bargained for, though. He really was a great and patient teacher—we worked on reading rhythms extensively and other stylistic minutiae, both of which significantly helped me in later years when I started working professionally.

Once I thought I was making some headway on electric after playing for a few years, I thought it’d be cool to try and play upright—in the name of jazz and being well-rounded. Funnily, I started studying with a classical bass teacher, Linda McKnight, who valiantly attempted to teach me how to legitimately play the instrument and launched me into a years-long fascination with orchestral music in addition to the Sisyphean task of trying to make the double bass sound good. Linda was really responsible for me getting my whole upright bass thing going. I started attending Manhattan School of Music on Saturdays (pre-college division) and playing in multiple youth orchestras. All this led me to attending The Juilliard School after graduating high school. Along the way I also studied bits and pieces with Henry Portnoy, Tiny Martin, and Stuart Sankey.

Did your family support your decision to study music at the college level?

Yes, I was amazingly lucky in that regard, although it wasn’t exactly a straight line. They were initially less enthusiastic when I was only playing electric. I wanted to play rock and become a session musician. But as the classical thing took hold and I started achieving certain goals, culminating with getting into Juilliard, their tune started to change. I think it was a combination of their pride in me, the prestige of the institution, and their view of classical music that precipitated the shift. But they continued to be unbelievably supportive even after I finished school and pivoted back toward playing popular music. For this I’m incredibly grateful.

 Do you make your entire living playing music?

I do and have for the past approximately twenty-five years, although this current Coronavirus disruption is poised to possibly change that. We shall see.  Your classical training is a big part of who you are. How has your classical training helped you in your pursuit of making a living as a professional bassist? It has and it hasn’t. It certainly gave me a great foundation in being able to read well, understanding traditional harmony, appreciating western classical music, and playing the double bass in a reasonably effective manner. But I also learned many valuable skills in the trenches and clubs freelancing in New York City, playing in a wide variety of bands, as a rhythm section player, playing with great drummers, playing under the microscope of the studio, dealing with a wide range of different personalities and situations, being able to read and provide what’s necessary in one situation but not in another. I could go on and on.

Who influenced you coming up, regarding bassists that caught your ear? When you listen today, do your early bass influences measure up to your perceptions of them when you were young?

Early on it was: Gene Simmons, Michael Anthony, Geddy Lee, Steve Harris, and Chris Squire.

As I got a bit further along in playing the instrument: Jaco, Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Will Lee, Anthony Jackson, Paul McCartney, Pino Palladino, Edgar Meyer, Eddie Gomez, Ray Brown, and Paul Chambers.

That list continued to grow consistently as I learned more, was exposed to more, researched more: Larry Graham, Verdine White, Louis Johnson, Rocco Prestia, James Jamerson, Duck Dunn, George Porter, Me’shell Ndegeocello, Nathan East, so many others. I’m still discovering and cluing in to great bass players that make me feel something physically: Keni Burke, Bobby Vega, Rusty Allen, Derek “D.O.A.” Allen, Leon Sylvers III, Sharay Reed, my homie and fellow Bergen County native Jonathan Maron. Once again, I could go on and on.

More often than not, my early perceptions are affirmed when I listen today, and a lot of the time I get even more out of it, as I have a much broader context and understanding.

Are there any bass players or musicians in general that inspire you today?

Man, I get inspiration from all sorts of things these days, both musical and nonmusical. I’m sometimes impressed with just how severe and athletic many people’s technique has become. But generally speaking, I find beauty in simplicity and understatement—be it in a lyric, a melody, a chord sequence, or a repeating pattern in nature. I’m still moved by a lot of the music I’ve been listening to for years, like Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, and the Beatles. I just love good songs and songwriting. A few years back I discovered a cool band called MuteMath. They embody many things I enjoy in popular music (cool writing, great sonic palette, awesome rhythm section playing) and I find them compelling. I’m also frequently inspired by many of my colleagues here in New York—so many incredible, adventurous musicians and bass players.

 I am sure that like me, you have many basses. I have about forty, but I could exist with only my 1973 P bass if I had to. What bass that you currently own is your main instrument that you would never part? I

I have several incredible instruments, both vintage (Fender, Gibson, Hofner, Kay) and modern (Sadowsky, Musicman, F Bass, Lakland). That’s really a hard question to answer, but if I had a gun to my head, I’d say my ’65 P Bass and my ’66 Jazz Bass. They’ve been with me for a long time and are staples in creating the sounds I envision in my head a large percentage of the time. That said, some of the hollow body basses I have also see a lot of action, and there are many situations where one of my modern instruments is absolutely the right thing. That’s a part of the creative process I always enjoy—choosing the right sound and casting the right instrument that will work best in the context of what else is happening in the arrangement and how the part itself is operating within. Fun times!

Mark Twain once wrote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” I know you have done a lot of traveling in your career. Does this quote resonate with you? If so, please explain.

I absolutely love this quote and often refer to it when meeting people from various parts of the world. There’s no better way to expand one’s view of humanity or the world in general than seeing, experiencing, and being exposed to cultures and viewpoints that are different from your own. It saddens me that more people don’t recognize this. When you travel, you learn, in real terms, that the commonalities between people are way more substantial than the obvious differences.

 Do you have any significant gig nightmares or stories from the road that you would like to share?

The nightmares I’ve tried to forget and any specific stories are either not appropriate for this venue or you’d have to ply me with alcohol to shake them loose.

 When I went back to school from 2008 to 2017, my goal was to teach history or social studies at either a public or a charter school. This changed when I consulted with some of my friends who have been educators for many years.

They informed me that changes in the education system, and the advent of Common Core standards pushed them into early retirement, and that if I had any ideas about teaching with my own style in my effort to change the world one student at a time, I should reconsider teaching. In a similar way, I feel the same obligation to be honest which young musicians that often asks for my advice regarding a career in music.

It is more difficult to survive playing music today than in past eras. Reality is not negativity, and I feel an obligation to young musicians to make this clear. If you could offer one piece of advice to aspiring bassists, what would you tell them?

I would say, have other skills you can use to make money in addition to pursuing music. Or, at the very least, develop multiple skills within music to increase your potential earning capability. I hope I’m wrong, but the ongoing devaluation of creative content in our culture will continue to make it harder and harder for creative people to monetize their creativity, thereby making it more and more difficult to make a living.

Jeff has had the good fortune and pleasure to perform and/or record with some truly great musicians, singers, producers and songwriters over the last several years: Billy Preston, Rosanne Cash, Duncan Sheik, Chantal Kreviazuk, Chris Botti, David Garrett, Marc Cohn, Vanessa Carlton, Stewart Copeland, Five For Fighting, David Sancious, The Dragonflys, Leonard Bernstein, Avril Lavigne, Linda Eder, Lesley Gore, Bill Deasy, Susan McKeown, Donna Lewis, Phoebe Snow, Joan Osborne, Paul Buchanan (The Blue Nile), The BoDeans, Edie Brickell, Lucy Woodward, Mandy Moore, Graham Colton, David Johansen (New York Dolls), Sloan Wainwright, Black 47

BROADWAY SHOWS: Spring Awakening, Spiderman, Beautiful, Finding Neverland, Book Of Mormon, Kinky Boots, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Waitress, Tuck Everlasting, School Of Rock, The Band’s Visit, King Kong, Ain’t Too Proud, Moulin Rouge,Jagged Little Pill

FILM SCORES: Caught, Hurricane Streets, Safe Men, Girl Fight, State And Main, Wet Hot American Summer, Old School, The Deep End, The Bee Season, Hope Springs, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, Zoolander 2, Keeping Up With The Joneses, A Dog’s Purpose, Book Club (2018)

Steve Priest, bassist by Tom Semioli

 

Seminal Sides: Just about a any Sweet Greatest Hits compilation will do….

 

Artists/Bands: The Sweet 

 

Are you ready Steve?

 

He anchored the “Godfathers of Glam” – however The Sweet were much more than a passing pop trend. Pub rockers with a rhythm and blues background and strong vocal harmonies which set them apart from their loud and proud peers, the classic quartet of Brian Connolly, Andy Scott, Mick Tucker, and bassist Steve Priest initially made their commercial bones with bubble-gum tunes composed by Mike Chapmen and Nicky Chinn.

 

Yet the lads could also pen hits and album tracks that rocked hard akin to their competition– Thin Lizzy, Mott The Hoople, and T. Rex – hence the contradiction which plagued their career and legacy: were they substance or sizzle?

 

You be the judge. They certainly inspired the LA metal scene (Quiet Riot) and second wave of British metal (Def Leppard) of the 1980s, and indie-rockers of the 90s who worked in the pop spectrum cited them as a touchstone despite their tinsel trappings.

 

Akin to many players of his generation, Priest was drawn to the instrument by way of Jet Harris, and the harder edge aesthetic of the Rolling Stones and The Who.  He toiled in various beat groups in the 1960s, The Countdown and The Army wherein he worked with legendary producer Joe Meek.

 

A singer / composer Priest was among rock’s consummate song players – working the pocket with occasional rhythmic and harmonic flourishes as the situation warranted.

 

Following The Sweet, Priest migrated to Los Angeles and formed The Allies which failed to reach a wide audience. In 2006 he waxed a solo slab Priest’s Private Poems.  In 2008, after years away from the biz, Priest led his own version of The Sweet, and penned an autobiography Are You Ready Steve? in 1994 to tell his side of the Sweet story.

 

Among Priest’s weapons of choice included Fender and Rickenbacker basses.

 

Steve Priest Sound & Vision

 

“Fox On The Run” https://youtu.be/qBdFA6sI6-8

 

“Love Is Like Oxygen” https://youtu.be/zRgWvvkSvfk

 

“Talk to Me” from Priest’s Private Poems https://youtu.be/sUZxfMUSThE

 

Steve Priest’s The Sweet live in 2019 https://youtu.be/qCgIW8ZjleE

By Fran Festa

Bassist Rick Haynes of the Gordon Lightfoot Band may just have the longest running gig in popular music.

Born and raised in Toronto, Rick actually started out in the early 60’s on the piano, and was classically trained at the Royal Conservatory under the direction of his pianist mother. Later… he took up the guitar, leaning toward jazz and blues, and then grabbed a bass to help out some friends. He passed his audition with Lightfoot in 1968 and has been with the revered singer songwriter – recording artist since then.

Rick’s first LP with Gordon was the stellar ’69 release Sunday Concert. Fast forward to 2020 and Haynes has anchored 20 plus albums, hit singles, and thousands of concert performances.

The consummate song player, check out Rick Haynes as he supports Gordon with a combination of pocket grooves and countermelodies – rendered with a warm, resonant tone which serves the singer and his songs:

“If You Could Read My Mind” https://youtu.be/23nUU1xxx3s

“Baby Step Back” https://youtu.be/Zl8CqCmSqcw

BBC In Concert – taped in 1971 https://youtu.be/PEVQiUMbvHU

Over the years, Rick has been seen mostly with his vintage Fender Precision basses, though he has used Fender Jazz, MusicMan StingRay, and a Kramer Focus.

More recently, Rick has returned to the P with a newer Fender American Deluxe Precision.

When he’s not touring or doing TV appearances, Rick listens to old blues, he digs old cars, and probably best, hangs out with the grandchildren.

All richly deserved after his amazing fifty-two-year stint – and counting – with Canada’s finest export!

 

By Joe Gagliardo

Gordon Patriarca was born into a family that loved music – dad was a jazz / blues buff and mom played piano and show tunes.

 

Then along came the transistor radio! Gordon and his brother were inseparable from these new portable devices as the Top 40 sounds of WLS and WCFL in Chicago became the soundtrack of their childhood.

 

When Gordon was in 8th grade, a friend from Ireland with older brothers introduced him to Rory Gallagher and Taste, Jethro Tull, John Mayall, Cream, Led Zeppelin, and much of the great British blues rock of the era. By the time he entered high school, Gordon was in love with the music, however had yet to pick up a bass.  That was about to change soon…

 

His younger brother was excelling with guitar lessons, and Gordon – fired up by Jack Bruce’s incendiary musicianship – decided that playing bass would be “cool.”  A neighbor kid owned a Montgomery Ward’s bass and amp that he loaned to Gordon, and he and his brother would spend hours playing 12-bar blues progressions.

 

Eventually Gordon got bass, a cherry red Epiphone Newport, and joined a band with his brother while taking lessons from a pro – Paul Zibits.  Gordon’s high school graduation gift was ’76 Fender Jazz bass.

 

Circa 1979-80, Gordon honed his craft with Trouts, which was in the Elvis Costello / Squeeze / Joe Jackson bag: melodic and hooky.

 

At this point, Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello & The Attractions) became a huge influence. Regulars on the local circuit, Trouts lasted for three years.

 

Following Trouts, Gordon took on a rockabilly gig with Stevie Starlite’s band, followed by a blues-rock-fusion gig with Don Griffin and the Griff Band. Gordon then spent five years with The Remainders, a band that started out as a Cajun / Zydeco / New Orleans style band which morphed into an Americana / roots-rock/ pop band which released a cassette and CD.

 

After his tenure in The Remainders, Gordon was back on the local club circuit, and busy in the studio appearing on over forty releases.  His many studio credits include albums with Yardsale and Word Bongo, Joe Pug, Kelley McCrae and Sage Francis, also recording sessions at Abbey Road Studio with Icos. Gordon also anchored European tours and recorded with Jan James.

 

Over a forty-year span, Gordon has played thousands of gigs, including shows with Survivor, Spirit, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Sugar Blue, and Robbie Fulks, among others.

 

Gordon’s go-to bass for twenty years was an Ampeg AEB-1 Scroll bass that he purchased for $90.00 in 1984, and consequently modified.

 

These days he has a penchant for Squire Precision and Tele basses which he “hot rods” by, among other things, changing the pick ups and bridges.  He also uses a custom SG Bass, and a Fender Jazz bass with DiMarzio pickups and flat wound strings. His bass rig is a Yamaha PB-1 Pre amp, run through a Peavey IPR Power Amp, into either an Eden 2×12, Sunn 1×18, Mesa 1×15, or some combination thereof.

 

Gordon’s playing philosophy is to focus on the groove with melodic flourishes, as well as to be intimately familiar with the style of music he is playing, and how to play it, whether it is rock, pop, country, blues, or reggae.

 

In addition to Jack Bruce and Bruce Thomas, his early bass influences include James Jamerson, Phil Lynott, Tony Stevens (Savoy Brown and Foghat), and Greg Ridley (Humble Pie).  Later on Gordon drew inspiration from Jaco Pastorius, Colin Moulding, and Rocco Prestia.

 

In addition to being the Musical Director for The School of Rock, he is involved in multiple projects: Simply Elton, Simply Billy(Joel), Too Bad Company, Heroes (Bowie), Yacht Rock with the Yacht Rockettes, Rick Lindy and Dave Specter.

 

 

Gordon Patriarca Sound & Vision …

 

Gordo’s Gigs Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNPW-Nl7KKAP3QkN3zt07Gh5etV39Hv5g

Music I have appeared on as a bassist from 1980 to the present. Some solo bass weirdness included here too. Tracks include recordings as a band member and as a studio musician. Some live stuff too.

 

The Remainders “Two For The Blues” https://youtu.be/b-_GxL2a_Lc

 

Word Bongo “Witnesses” https://youtu.be/Csj9ftRiAp8

 

Yardsale “How Good It Feels” https://youtu.be/-R1Ysrormpg

 

Icos “Only You and I” https://youtu.be/QNGI7aa1vpA

 

 

By Joe Gagliardo

He anchored one of the most accomplished, versatile, and influential ensembles in the history of rock and roll. Do you believe in magic?

Steve Boone was raised in household brimming with the sounds of music – most notably the classical works of Liszt and Chopin, along with Broadway musicals such as Annie Get Your Gun, and South Pacific.

Mesmerized by Buddy Holly’s singing style, and his unique rhythmic disposition, Steve decided to be a musician upon hearing Lubbock Texas legend’s seminal classic “Peggy Sue” on the radio.

Steve was also influenced by his guitarist brother Skip, six years his senior. Skip made it as far as recording a few demos at RCA with Chet Atkins and cutting an LP with the band Auto Salvage.  Consequently, Skip had significant impact on Steve’s music career.

At sixteen while recovering from a serious auto accident, Steve began to play an acoustic guitar which his mom purchased for him – a Gibson LGO. Skip taught him a few chords, and Steve began playing along with the songs he was hearing on the faint, late night signal of WKBW radio in Buffalo, New York.

When Steve was a high school senior – Skip was working in a popular Westhampton, New York band – The Kingsmen. One of front men was drummer / singer Joe Butler – who also would play a major role in Steve’s career.

At Skip’s invitation, sometime in October 1962, Steve joined The Kingsmen on acoustic guitar for a few impromptu numbers and was invited become a full-fledged group member – which prompted Boone to get his hands on a 1957 Les Paul Goldtop.

Within weeks after joining, The Kingsmen’s bassist announced he was returning to Louisiana – and he suggested Steve as his replacement.  After a few quick lessons from the outgoing bass player, Boone quickly realized that he enjoyed creating and rendering bass passages.

Steve also learned that the bass and the kick-drum are essentially “married” to each other and he developed a dynamic rhythmic rapport with Joe Butler.

Steve and Joe gigged together as a tight unit for two-years until the summer of ’64, when Boone decided to leave the band for an extended tour of Europe. Steve was in search of the Merseybeat / British Invasion sound which was garnering worldwide popularity by way of The Beatles, Dave Clark Five, and Gerry and The Pacemakers. He also planned to attend college following his sojourn overseas.

By the end of 1964 Skip and Joe Butler had moved to Greenwich Village and their band, The Sellouts, had a regular gig at one of Trudy Heller’s clubs.

During one of Steve’s visits to New York, Skip suggested that his kid brother bring along his bass.  Despite his reluctance as he was planning to head off to school soon in January 1965, Steve did as his brother asked.  When Steve arrived at Skip’s apartment, he was greeted by Joe Butler who asked if he was interested in putting his bass guitar to use with a few guys who were serious musicians. Steve made his way to
the Village Music Hall where he met John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky.

John and Zal, who had briefly played with Cass Elliot in the Mugwumps, were seeking to assemble their own group – and all they needed was a rhythm section!

Sebastian grew up in a musical family; a guitarist and composer, he learned harmonica from his dad who was a virtuoso on the instrument. John explained to Steve that was writing songs that blended the traditional sounds of rhythm and blues records with folk style guitar.

The duo asked Steve to jam – and he pulled out his ice-box white Fender Precision bass. They jelled instantly. Having similar influences, the music came together – even in the absence of a drummer!

The night following their introductory jam, Steve went to the Night Owl Cafe to hear John play with some of his friends—Tim Hardin, Fred Neil, Buzzy Linhart, and Felix Pappalardi.  By the end of their set, Steve was convinced that he wanted to be part of this scene.  As he walked back to his brother’s apartment – all the reasons he had for returning to school and pursuing a proper career were disappearing under the dark sky above.

Steve, John and Zal had decided to move forward, and Steve would “delay” college and dedicate the next six months to getting the band off the ground.

During rehearsals the following week, John received a call from Bob Dylan, asking if he could play bass on a few songs he was recording.  As Sebastian didn’t own a bass (nor did he drive) Steve loaded his bass (and John) into his car and headed off to Columbia Studios.  As John’s parts weren’t working out, he suggested that Steve play bass. Boone’s work with Bob can be heard on Bringing It All Back Home.

The Lovin’ Spoonful – a name derived from a Mississippi John Hurt song – made their live debut in February 1965 at the Night Owl Café.

Enter Joe Butler once again, who replaced the original Spoonful drummer. Another change took place – at the suggestion of renown producer / bassist Felix Pappalardi: Steve traded his beloved P bass for a Guild Starfire II with custom electronics.  With the line-up set, the band worked to tighten up its sound and bonded as friends.

The band cut a demo of “Do You Believe in Magic”- a classic song sans a chorus, and featuring Autoharp – which was rooted in rock – yet thoroughly indebted to the folk scene from which John and Zal were a product of.  The demo was so good that Kama Sutra label pressed it and it became a smash hit!

From 1965-1968, the Spoonful enjoyed a terrific artistic and commercial run—seven Top 10 singles, three charting albums, including a Top 10 album.  “Summer in the City” reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August1966 and remained there for three weeks.

Unlike many pop bands of their era, the Lovin’ Spoonful wrote and played on all their hits. In 2000 they were finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In addition to his bass playing, Steve also had success as a composer, co-writing “You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice,” “Summer In The City,” and “Night Owl Blues.” Steve also wrote “Butchie’s Tune” which appeared in the film Blow Up as well as in the acclaimed TV series Mad Men. The bassist also penned “Full Measure” and “Forever,” which appeared on the final Spoonful album Everything Playing.

Boone utilized the Guild Starfire II on most of the Spoonful records save for Hums of the Lovin’ Spoonful and Everything Playing wherein Steve played a ‘61 dual concentric Fender Jazz bass – which was later stolen.

In 1973, after spending time living on a boat docked in St. Thomas, Steve moved Baltimore, where a female drummer he met while on the Islands was cutting a demo.

The recording studio featured a board equipped with parametric equalization on all the faders which was built by George Massenburg – which consequently opened the door to digital recording.  The studio had fallen into disrepair when the owner left the country and Steve took it over, renaming the venue Blue Seas Recording Studios.

Among the notable albums and artists who recorded there included Little Feat (Feats Don’t Fail Me Now) Robert Palmer (Pressure Drop),  along with tracks by Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Verdine White, Sonny Terry, Joe Butler, John Sebastian and Ricky Scaggs, among others.

The Hunt Valley, Maryland studio was ultimately moved to a barge that was docked at Baltimore’s inner harbor.  The studio abruptly came to an end in 1977 when the barge sank.  At the time Steve was playing four nights a week with his band, Blanche, Ltd.

In 1981, Steve was playing music regularly in Baltimore with the Scott Cunningham Blues Band, doing occasional duets with John Sebastian, and sometimes, with Joe Butler, as a trio.

Steve moved to Florida in the late 1980s, taking a break from music until he was inspired by a Ft. Lauderdale pub band called The Irish Times – Steve co-produced their LP Live at Maguires Hill 16.

In 1990 promoters were itching for a Lovin’ Spoonful tour. Steve and Joe Butler decided to put a band together after John Sebastian and Zal declined a reunion of the four original members.

That band, with some personnel changes, has toured worldwide since 1991. Joe Butler has moved out front to sing, and the drums have been handled for the last twenty-five years, by Chicago born drummer Mike Arturi.

These days Steve no longer utilizes the Guild Starfire II though he did bring it out for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.  Steve’s go-to bass for the past thirteen years the Ibanez BTB.  He loves the feel of the instrument and its resonance, though he advocates that tone comes from the player – from pressure on the fretboard to sustane, and of course, and deep notes tying in with the bass drum.

In 2014, Steve published a memoire entitled Hotter Than A Match Head Life on the Run with The Lovin’
Spoonful. The book not only spans the life and career of Steve Boone, it affords a life-lesson in rebounding after facing adversity multiple times, and also details how the Spoonful emerged in the era when folk music was not widely known, yet they achieved great success by combining that roots music with rock.

In February 2020, The Wild Honey Orchestra hosted an epic four-hour celebration of the music of The Lovin’ Spoonful as a fundraiser for the Autism Think Tank at The Alex Theatre in Glendale, California.

Steve, John Sebastian and Joe Butler participated in this event.  The Orchestra included Elliot Easton (Cars),
Dennis Diken (The Smithereens), Dave Alvin (The Blasters), Susan Cowsill, Carnie Wilson (Wilson Phillips), Carla Olson (The Textones), Mickey Dolenz, Claudia Lennear, Peter Case, Marshall Crenshaw, Marti Jones, Don Dixon, and Bill Lloyd, along with many other guest performers.

Nowadays you can catch Steve and the Spoonful on tour, and listen to Steve’s weekly radio show which airs Mondays at 6 PM EDT, on www.flaglerbeachradio.com.

Watch, listen to Steve Boone:

“Do You Believe In Magic” and “You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice” from the Big TNT Show 1965 https://bit.ly/3d48EaL

“Only Pretty, What A Pity” https://bit.ly/2VSa9mu

“Summer In The City”  https://bit.ly/3bWlIi1

“Night Owl Blues”  https://youtu.be/11-YxOGJ6Bs

“Butchie’s Tune” https://youtu.be/BRTkqGSKTts

American Bandstand -Interview The Lovin’ Spoonful https://bit.ly/2WgEuua

“Revelation: Revolution ‘69” https://youtu.be/PlGVriLQyn8

Steve’s Hotter Than A Match Head Life on the Run with The Lovin’ Spoonful can be found at www.SteveBoone.net

CODA:  A View of Steve Boone from “The Drum Throne”

Mike Arturi has forged a backbeat with Steve Boone for twenty-five years.

An accomplished drummer on the Chicago club circuit who has toured with such popular bands as Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows, Jade 50’s, Rick Saucedo, and radio personality Big John Howell, among others, Mike has been working 300 dates a year for close to twenty years! Aturi is an ardent student of the instrument, inspired and tutored by Petula Clark’s road drummer Shelly Elias, who was a legendary Chicago based percussionist, composer and educator.

In assessing his experience playing with Steve Boone, Mike describes Steve as a singularly unique bass player.  “He anchors the songs, and his passing tones are beautiful—extremely melodic.  He inspires me, and I play totally different because of him.” 

Notes Mike, “as long as I have Steve in my monitor, with my snare and kick, that’s all I need.”

And according to Steve, Mike became a foundation upon which he could build his bass playing. “Mike is a drummer I could comfortably lock in with as a rhythm section… [we] have developed the best chemistry I have had with any drummer.”

Honorable Mention:  When Mike in not drumming with the Spoonful, he is the Founder and Executive Director of the Universal Music Center (UMC), a non-profit music school located in Red Wing, Minnesota.

UMC is dedicated to enriching lives through music and live performance education, and is staffed with University trained educators who are also professional working musicians with national and international touring credentials.

UMC is proud of the fact that to-date, eleven students have gone on to become professional working musicians.  Mike also devotes an extensive amount of time to working with underprivileged and at-risk students.  In recognition of his contributions, Mike has been honored as a National Artist for the John F. Kennedy Center Turnaround Arts Program, and is a Teaching Artist for the St. Paul MN COMPASS Arts
Program.

By Robert Jenkins

Forebode bassist Guillermo Madrigal is a force of nature.

He stands close to nine feet tall and weighs almost 700 pounds of pure muscle!! Okay, maybe 6’3” and 250 but it’s still pure muscle; and he looks like he can bench 400….

Frighteningly, Guillermo’s bass rig matches his physique!

His main rig consists of a Sunn 300T and an Ampeg SVT2 both running into a Worshipper 4×15 speaker cabinet. FOUR. FIFTEEN. INCH. SPEAKERS!

His bass of choice? A vintage Peavey T-40, which is, of course, the heaviest bass ever made. Guillermo is also an avid collector of vintage Peavey basses and guitars, sporting three T-40 basses in his collection. Needless to say; he can move some air.

Asked about his fascination with the T-40 Guillermo simply replied that when he first tried the instrument as a beginning player – “it just felt right!” And he puts all of them to good use!

Forebode is a crushingly heavy band, leading the “Doom Metal” scene here in Austin. In my honest and humble opinion, Forebode is the heaviest band on the scene right now. They have one EP and are currently working on a full-length album, hopefully due out in 2020.

Despite his intimidating physique and stage presence, Guillermo is one of the nicest people you could want to meet. A recent devotee to the bass, Madrigal was naturally drawn to the instrument. Once again, the instrument “just felt right for him.“

His influences are wide and varied, however when I asked who his favorite bassist was he had to call it a tie between Jaco Pastorius and Al Cisneros.

Guillermo can be seen and heard with Forebode regularly around the Austin metal club scene and in the surrounding metro area.

Check out Forebode on their most recent EP

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_laW3j9z7YihhA8kws_bn853KunVHSados

By Robert Jenkins “Austin Underground Vol. ll”

Oddly … but somewhat fittingly, Tarantula Mountain gets categorized locally as a “Doom” band.

 

Are they heavy? Sure! Do they rock hard? Absolutely and without question! 

 

And yet, when I listen to them – I hear bits of melody and groove that remind me of 1990s indie pop (albeit just a bit heavier) and sometimes the catchy grooves of Duran Duran, or even The League of Gentlemen. 

 

Through it all Tarantula Mountain is anchored by the solid foundation of Jasmine Jew – laid out on her trusty new Rickenbacker 4003. 

 

On stage, Jasmine utilizes an Ampeg SVT Pro4 and an SWR 410 cabinet with a few tasty pedal options to enhance that classic Ric – Ampeg growl. In the studio? She just goes right into the board -as it should be IMHO! 

 

Jasmine began playing very recently in 2013, proving that it’s never too late to pursue a rock and roll dream. And with a position working at the Austin School of Music she has the unique opportunity to learn extraordinary musical skills in a welcoming environment.  

      

When asked what she treasures most about her vocation, Jasmine replies “I really love working with and encouraging girls and women of all ages to play music.” This bassist revels in her role to inspire and educate the next generation of players. 

 

In addition to tenure in Tarantula Mountain, Jasmine is working on a true “solo” effort – composing and playing all the instruments. She notes that it may take awhile – but the journey is most of the fun, and she wants to get it right.  

 

Tarantula Mountain can be seen and heard regularly in the Austin club scene and frequently in north Austin at Anderson Mill Pub.  

Jasmine’s favorite bassist is John Taylor of Duran Duran!  

 

Check out  Tarantula Mountain’s newest singles…

 

“Kintsugi” https://youtu.be/bxo_ZxffPwM

 

“For Once” https://youtu.be/0jCwxkKvN_U