John McVie (Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers)

 

 

 

He is the Mac in Fleetwood Mac!

 

Seminal Sides: John Mayall & The Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton; Then Play On (1969), Future Games (1971), Mystery to Me (1973), Fleetwood Mac (1975), Rumours (1977), Tusk (1979), Live (1980), Say You Will (2003).

 

The late, truly great British blues guitar icon Peter Green was clever to name his fledgling ensemble for drummer Mick Fleetwood and former tax inspector / bassist John Graham McVie. Acknowledged among the most identifiable and flexible rhythm sections in rock history, Fleetwood’s bona fide Mac is a consummate song player – from pop to improvisatory blues.

 

Born in London in 1945, John commenced his musical journey as a teen, moving from trumpet, then to guitar, and then to bass when his dad purchased a snazzy Fender akin to Jet Harris – which must have cost a small fortune in the economically depressed post-war UK! 

 

McVie’s tenure in John Mayall’s Blues Breakers commenced when he was still relatively new to the instrument. Yet McVie help set the template for standard rock blues electric bass: working the lower register, outlining the changes, plying subtle harmonic extensions, and supporting the resident god-like guitar hero with a fat tone.

 

As with The Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman, Mac’s approach evokes how Willie Dixon might have sounded had he played electric – which is quite logical given that his boss John Mayall (who hired and fired Mac several times) tutored the emerging musician, and was a staunch Dixon devotee.

 

Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (aka “Beano”) is among the most influential albums of the classic rock era. Note that McVie and drummer Hughie Flint worked the pocket in the service of Mayall and Slowhand with a decidedly swing feel.

 

John McVie Sound & Vision…

 

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

 

“All Your Love” https://youtu.be/rUUEtCBhn_Q

 

“Steppin’ Out” https://youtu.be/PkulcvRkd4I

 

With Fleetwood Mac, and its various singer / songwriter / “front persons” including Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan, Bob Welch, Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham, Dave Mason, Rick Vito, Billy Burnette, Neil Finn, and Bekka Bramlett, McVie waxed inventive passages in support of the superstar singers and their chart-topping songs and album tracks. Often the subject of his ex-wife Christine McVie’s songs on Rumours, McVie’s weapons of choice included the Fender Jazz, Precision, and Telecaster Bass, and Alembic. Nowadays he’s a Lakland man. In 1992 John waxed his sole solo slab John McVie’s Gotta Band with Lola Thomas.

 

 

 

McVie also worked the occasional session, most notably with Warren Zevon on the classic track “Werewolves of London” with Mick Fleetwood helming the drum chair: https://youtu.be/iKtPOC3VqGs

 

And dig these Deep Mac tracks…..

 

“Rattlesnake Shake” (Then Play On / 1969) https://youtu.be/ob5Q_daCOB8

 

“Coming Your Way” (Then Play On) https://youtu.be/JCEqKVDsa0E  

 

“Station Man” (Kiln House / 1970) https://youtu.be/YSZJFWn7OM4

 

“Sands of Time” (Future Games / 1971) https://youtu.be/1Jkp34jMeEw

 

“Child of Mine” (Bare Trees / 1972) https://youtu.be/F–ImFAn8oU 

 

“Revelation” (Penguin / 1973) https://youtu.be/chcRAWh8Tik

 

“Miles Away” https://youtu.be/3za5HwkfuVQ and “Hypnotized” (Mystery to Me / 1973) https://youtu.be/fDzXbdxeeHI

 

“Bermuda Triangle” (Heroes are Hard to Find / 1974) https://youtu.be/f83nXE0TBvA

 

“Rhiannon” (Fleetwood Mac / 1975) https://youtu.be/jQAK6sVovUk and “The Chain” (Rumours / 1977) https://youtu.be/kBYHwH1Vb-c

 

Photos Courtesy of Fleetwood Mac . Com

 

Roscoe Beck (Leonard Cohen, Robben Ford)

Photo by Laura Lea Nalle Courtesy of Roscoe Beck FB Photo by Laura Lea Nalle Courtesy of Roscoe Beck FB

 

By Thomas Semioli

 

A Grammy nominated producer, recording artist, sideman, bandmember, musical director, multi-instrumentalist, educator, clinician, and bassist – among other distinctions: Roscoe Beck’s remarkable five-decade (and counting) career has spanned rock, fusion, jazz, folk, reggae, funk, Americana, blues and permutations thereof. 

 

Among Beck’s notable collaborations include Leonard Cohen, Eric Johnson, Robben Ford, the Vaughn Brothers, Jennifer Warnes (a Grammy nod for Famous Blue Raincoat), Passenger, Darden Smith, and The Dixie Chicks to cite a few. 

 

A fretted, fretless, and upright player, Roscoe served as Leonard Cohen’s musical director and bassist for several years until the Canadian bard’s passing. 

 

Fender has issued two signature Roscoe artist models – a four and five string with design cues taken from the Fender Jazz bass.  

 

Dig Roscoe plying grooves aplenty with Leonard from Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979 “Field Commander Cohen” https://youtu.be/EyLmYpSP4w4 

 

Dig Roscoe from his Walk On solo slab “Wasn’t It Fine” https://youtu.be/8FlYT66IF0E 

 

Dig Tony Senatore’s rendition of Roscoe’s “Talk To Your Daughter” with Robben Ford https://youtu.be/zeu4h5QnqYo 

 

Dig Roscoe with Passenger “Baked Benson” https://youtu.be/1nSChuNprKI

 

Dig Roscoe with Jennifer “Came So Far for Beauty” https://youtu.be/xlXNhoELB6g

 

Dig Roscoe with Oz Noy, Warren Haynes, Chris Layton, Reese Wynans https://youtu.be/imhsexYLwTE
  
  

Keith Voegele (The Bottle Rockets)

image025_opt.png image025_opt.png

By Joe Gagliardo

Karma? Serendipity? Fate?  

All of the above with reference to the career of bassist Keith Voegele!

The journey started on a holiday visit to Keith’s cousin’s house when he was age thirteen – which consequently became a turning point in his life.

Keith’s cousin played bass … and he let Keith play the instrument. Back home, Keith returned from school one day and his Dad surprised him—he had purchased his cousin’s Rickenbacker 4001 copy Electra bass guitar and Marlboro amp! Though Keith took a few lessons, his best teacher was his record collection, immersing himself in the grooves and styles of several players.

By fourteen he was in a band – Equinox – whose members were high school seniors, and he toiled the next eight years honing his craft in bars, clubs and beer bashes.

In the late 80s Keith spent five years with Axe Minister, a metal band based out of St. Louis. While working at St. Louis Music making Ampeg and Crate equipment, he joined Lex Luthor, a band that mixed originals with covers.  However, a contact made from the metal days, lead to him moving to Boston to play with Epic recording artists, Meliah Rage, a thrash metal band.  The drummer of that band was Sully Erna, who went on to become the lead singer of Godsmack.

In the mid-90’s, Keith was back in St. Louis anchoring with The Phonocaptors, playing hard-edged original music in the vein of the Velvet Underground, MC5 and The Stooges.

That band had a tune on a compilation CD entitled St. Louis’ Tribute to Chuck Berry. The Bottle Rockets also had a song on that CD. Some years later when the Bottle Rockets needed a bass player, the engineer of that release suggested Keith.

After moving to Springfield, Illinois, Keith joined the Bottle Rockets in 2005 – and has held down the bottom ever since. The band’s rootsy / Americana repertoire gives Keith the opportunity to render up-tempo rockers as well as country music.

As they often tour with and back up acclaimed singer, songwriter, recording artist Marshall Crenshaw – Keith enjoys the opportunity to replicate the melodic bass passages from Crenshaw’s hit records which were originally cut by such notable players including Tony Garnier, Chris Donato, Graham Maby, and Tony Levin.

Keith cites his influences as Paul McCartney, Geddy Lee, Steve Harris.  Chris Squire, and Jack Cassidy. Given his metal background and the fact that his bass heroes are players who often ply complicated passages, Keith focuses on being a consummate “song player” – and limits his playing of lines that are overtly “busy.”

Weapons of choice: Keith  owns an array of basses, including a 2003 butterscotch blonde Fender Precision bass with a maple neck, strung with flatwounds; a 2013 Lakland Darryl Jones jazz bass, strung with roundwounds; a Rickenbacker 4003; a Fender Justin Meldal Johnsen Mustang bass; and a Creston Lee Tele-styled bass.

While he utilizes the traditional Ampeg SVT 8×10, GK 800 RB, and other cabinets, his go-to amp is an Ampeg B-100R combo amp that he fell in love with while playing a gig at the Sportsman’s Tap.

Catch The Bottle Rockets when they come through town on their own, or with Marshall Crenshaw, and check out Keith’s playing…

… The Bottle Rockets on Audiotree Live (Full Session) https://youtu.be/2cm2XpmtJV8

image024_opt.png image024_opt.png

Billy Rich (Taj Mahal, Buddy Miles Express, Paul Butterfield)

Among the top session/touring sidemen of the late 1960s and 70s, Billy Rich brought his rich knowledge of blues, soul, funk, gospel, and jazz to several notable artists including Taj Mahal, John McLaughlin, The Buddy Miles Express (with Jimi Hendrix), Geoff Muldaur, Seals & Crofts, Jesse Ed Davis, and Paul Butterfield, to cite a few.

 

An Omaha native inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 2004, Rich was offered the bass chair in Jimi’s Band of Gypsys by producer Alan Douglas but declined. Billy’s composition “69 Freedom Special” as recorded by Les Paul & Friends, won a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental in 2005.

 

Rich remains active on the bandstand and recording studio – check out all things Billy Rich at http://www.billrichmusic.com/

 

Billy Rich Sound & Vision:

 

Geoff Muldaur “Chevrolet / Alice” https://youtu.be/wEkoKntwRV0

 

Buddy Miles “Freedom Special” https://youtu.be/0L5ZG96b-xg

 

John McLaughlin “Marbles” https://youtu.be/l0wnc-eBRbg

 

Taj Mahal “Johnny Too Bad” https://youtu.be/l0wnc-eBRbg

 

Paul Butterfield “New Walkin’ Blues” https://youtu.be/SV-aqZXlhDI

 

Les Paul & Friends “69 Freedom Special” https://youtu.be/cTC0acyGpMg

 

Bill Rich “Can You Pheel It” https://youtu.be/vO-ui58SwYg

 

Charlie McCracken (Taste with Rory Gallagher)

Courtesy Rory Gallagher Com Courtesy Rory Gallagher Com

Courtesy Rory Gallagher Com

The classic line-up of Rory Gallagher’s Taste featuring bassist Richard “Charlie” McCracken and drummer John Wilson waxed two seminal studio sides along with a couple of archival live slabs which traversed blues, jazz, and hard rock.

A fluid bassist who intuitively left space for Wilson and Gallagher to shine, McCracken often doubled Rory’s trills, hammer-ons, and glissandos, thereby creating a massive sound which, to my ears, rivaled Jimi’s Experience and Cream.

Dig Charlie and Rory from Beat Club https://youtu.be/HlM03tr48Hc

Courtesy Rory Gallagher Com Courtesy Rory Gallagher Com

Courtesy Rory Gallagher Com