By Joe Gagliardo

He is Chicago’s “bass doctor!”

From violin, to bass violin to bass and guitar player and eventually guitar maker – Carl Pedigo used the skills he learned in his high school machine shop and wood shop classes, and made his first guitar cobbling together pieces from a Teisco Del Ray guitar!

This passion ultimately led to him playing a 35” scale four string bass tuned BEAD. Carl later moved on to a fretless five string with flat wound strings.

Among Carl’s bass heroes include Alain Caron (UZEB); and Larry Graham of Sly & the Family Stone and Graham Central Station: universally acknowledged as The Godfather of “thumpin’ and pluckin!’

Carl spent a large part of his live bass playing career in Chicago with various bands including legendary singer/songwriter Jim Desmond, The Hightones, and L & L All Stars.

He has the distinction of playing his own hand-made basses for most of his playing career.

Over the years, Carl’s work on musician friends’ gear, led him to going to work with a luthier.  His repair work showed him that many of the issues he was dealing with were the same, no matter the brand name of the bass guitar.  In 1994, he was thinking that the situation could be rectified if basses were made that eliminated the most common issues he was seeing. Dan Lakin and Hugh McFarland shared that same thought,  and that was the beginning of Lakland Bass Guitars, using parts of Dan and Hugh’s last names.

Carl has made Lakland Basses for a virtual who’s who of bassists, including Prince (the bass was commissioned by Rhonda Smith who was then playing bass with Prince), Duck Dunn (Booker T & the MGs, The Blues Brothers), Bob Glaub (Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen), Jason Scheff (Chicago), Adam Clayton (U2), Joe Osborn (“The Wrecking Crew”) and the first Jerry Scheff Lakland Signature Bass, with  Kent Armstrong hum cancelling lipstick pickups.

For a complete list of client’s check out http://www.chicagobassdoctor.com/clients.html

These days Carl still works with Lakland, and he is also doing repairs— as well as making custom basses and guitars for his Carlo brand.

And Tim Commerford (Rage Against the Machine) is a fan!

To learn more about Carl – visit www.chicagobassdoctor.com

By Joe Iaquinto

“There’s two people who I always wanted to be…a Beatle or a Beach Boy…” Peter Cetera

 

When I started playing the electric bass in 1971, back when it was the voice of popular music, there was no shortage of great players in any style. Carol Kaye, Joe Osborn, Bob Babbitt, James Jamerson, Richard Davis, Wilton Felder, Chuck Rainey – all of them had a huge influence on my playing and helped me to develop my own voice, but it was Peter Cetera who brought it all together for me.

 

The first Chicago song that I was aware of was “Saturday In The Park.”  Hearing that thunderous, melodic bass part four bars after the infectious piano intro was all it took.

 

Once I realized who I was listening to I went out and got all the available albums and immersed myself in the music.  “I’m a Man,” with its percussive picked bass intro, the upper register runs and ever-shifting feel of “Questions 67 and 68,” the disciplined simplicity of “25 or 6 to 4, ” and the bass tour de force that is “Dialogue, Part 1 and 2.”

 

The latter is from Chicago V, which is arguably one of the band’s finest albums.  From a bass playing standpoint, it is  Peter Cetera’s best work, in my humble opinion.  Armed with one of two early-sixties Fender Precision Basses (Cetera owned one and producer James William Guercio’s white P-Bass was used on the first album and here and there on others) and a slot-headed Gibson EB-3, Peter Cetera’s bass playing runs the gamut from progressive rock goodness (“A Hit By Varese”) to finger funk ferocity (“State of The Union”) to walking jazz expertise (“Goodbye”) and Pop Rock Royalty (“Saturday in The Park”).

 

But the real gem on Chicago’s first single disc offering, is the aforementioned “Dialogue, Part 1 and 2.”  To me, it is every bit as wonderful and important as Paul McCartney’s playing on “Something.”  Terry Kath and Peter Cetera share lead vocals on this Robert Lamm composition, which is a musical conversation between two people with different ideologies, and Peter’s bass part is brilliantly back and forth, supportive yet restrained, and then bursting with emotion when proper.

 

Ever-evolving but never in the way. I remember literally picking the record player arm up and playing this song over and over and over and over.  Chicago V is also the album I use when bassists look at me cross-eyed when I tell them that Peter Cetera was my bass idol.  One guy laughed and asked me if I liked any ‘real bass players.”

 

He apologized profusely after I loaned him that album.  One of Peter’s biggest influences and favorite bassists was the late, great Andy Fraser, a fellow Gibson EB-3 player, and you can hear that in his playing on songs like “Now That You’ve Gone,” and “State of The Union.”

 

Even as the albums started to become less daring and more commercial, like the following release, Chicago VI, Peter never dumbed it down and always played something catchy and interesting. Listen to what he does with “Just You N Me,” by James Pankow. It’s a classic PC bass part, complete with tasty fills and that perfect blend of percussive-yet-melodic sensitivity.

 

Peter would go on to record nine more studio albums with Chicago and tour almost non-stop in front of each release, never failing to play and sing his ass off.  Even in their darkest moments, like the huge disaster that was Chicago XIV, you would never hear him phone it in.

 

Blessed with one of the most recognizable and iconic voices in modern music history, his bass playing has often gone unnoticed and unheralded.  But those who know, know!  Just ask Will Lee and Nathan East if you don’t want to take my word for it.  I’m grateful to have become friends with Peter over the years and in 2012, while I was Peter’s brother Kenny’s bassist and MD, I got to perform with him and play bass and acoustic guitar on several of his biggest hits when he joined us onstage in Las Vegas.

 

For this poor kid from Sheepshead Bay, that was all the proof I needed that miracles do exist!  He also bought me lunch. Twice!  Monumental bassist/singer/songwriter and one hell of a great guy.

 

Till this day, I channel him in everything I play on the electric bass. It’s impossible not to.

 

Other than the songs I’ve already mentioned, I would highly recommend the following cuts for the total Peter Cetera bass experience:

 

Wake Up Sunshine (Chicago II) https://youtu.be/-7Qz2xPyJbc

 

At The Sunrise (Chicago III) https://youtu.be/o_X909h1x1k

 

All Is Well (Chicago V) https://youtu.be/jPVWCq8EWxY

 

Hollywood (Chicago VI) https://youtu.be/mmvUvYGzlgk

 

Something In this City Changes People (Chicago VI) https://youtu.be/_447n9Omc34

 

Hanky Panky/Life Saver (Chicago VII) https://youtu.be/6c3F46dz94A

 

Woman Don’t Want To Love Me (Chicago VII) https://youtu.be/VGaghf6nS6Y

 

Brand New Love Affair (Chicago VIII) https://youtu.be/L83kotQdhKs

 

Never Been In Love Before (Chicago VIII) https://youtu.be/3-mTxJy3qJA

 

Scrapbook (Chicago X) https://youtu.be/rbq2bap4xQk

 

Mississippi Delta City Blues (Chicago XI) https://youtu.be/fY3F6FP61os

 

No Tell Lover (Hot Streets) https://youtu.be/C_lOqptCAiU

 

Life Is What It Is (Chicago 13) https://youtu.be/-2ku4x4SKi4

 

Chains (Chicago 16) https://youtu.be/EVTWHcCeDH4

 

Stay The Night (Chicago 17) https://youtu.be/5LTWwkBNilI

 

I had the pleasure of doing a radio interview some years back with James William Guercio, the man who brought Chicago to California and produced their first eleven albums and  managed their career. He also played bass with the Beach Boys on tour and recorded a few tracks on the other side of the glass with Chicago. In fact,  that’s him playing bass on “If you Leave Me Now.” 

 

When I asked Guercio what it was like working with Peter in the studio, he told me that he never had to tell Peter what to play on bass and recounted a funny story about how he mixed the bass on those albums.  He said that he and Peter would take a cassette mix out to his car and if the plastic dashboard Jesus danced, the bass was perfect! 

 

I can go on forever about what an impact Peter Cetera’s bass playing had on me, his vast array of basses and amps, and more.  The bottom line (pun intended) is that he was  truly one of the best players of the era, and  his name should always be included when speaking of all the great singer/bassists, like Sting, Geddy Lee, Paul McCartney, Jack Bruce, Randy Meisner, and Glen Hughes. 

 

Anyone who writes him off as a balladeer is grossly uninformed and needs to join the Peter Cetera Bass Club!  Heck, even Jaco was a fan! Yes, that Jaco!  Peter told me that Jaco would come over to his house in Malibu and play his Ernie Ball Earthwood acoustic bass and told him  he wanted to sub for him in Chicago!   

 

I guess Jaco forgot about the singing part of the gig…

 

By Joe Gagliardo

Influenced by jazz and rhythm and blues bassists, Charles Colbert started playing his Fender Precision bass guitar in his church, and graduated to playing the “chitlin circuit” behind many successful singers and groups, including Jan Bradley (a protégé of Curtis Mayfield), The Contours and The Drifters.

 

In the early 60’s, Charles was a member of The Daylighters; a Chicago-based soul vocal group.  Their single, “Cool Breeze,” was produced by Johnny Pate, and was a regional hit.

 

“Cool Breeze” https://youtu.be/iNGgcoVLWXo

 

In 1965, Charles was playing bass with Gary and the Knight Lites.  The band released a number of singles on local labels, but chart success eluded them until they changed their name to The American Breed, who were among the first racially integrated rock bands.

 

In 1967, with Charles on bass guitar, Gary Loizzo (American Breed, Pumpkin Studios Production) and Al Ciner (American Breed, Rufus and Three Dog Night) on guitars, and Lee Graziano (American Breed and Rufus) on drums; took “Step Out of Your Mind” to the Top 10 in Chicago, and it climbed to # 24 on the national charts.

 

“Step Out of Your Mind” https://youtu.be/cC1cl3LiJeU

 

Their next single, “Bend Me Shape Me,” with its immediately recognizable drum and horn introduction, took them to # 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and resulted in multiple appearances on national TV, including American Bandstand and The Joey Bishop Show, where they were presented a Gold Record for their million-selling record.

 

“Bend Me Shape Me” https://youtu.be/9vXD55sf6ZU

 

Their live shows were filled with great music, vocals, and energy including drummer Graziano, who simultaneously played the drums and trumpet! As they were sponsored by Baldwin, the band had an array of fine guitars and amplifiers, which, combined with their stylish suits, created a cool visual on-stage symmetry.

 

 

As the musical and social landscapes were changing, so did the music of the American Breed.  The band gravitated towards funky soulful sounds.

 

Check out Charles’ driving bass and singing on “Hunky Funky” and on the socially conscious “Room At The Top,” co-written by Charles.

 

“Hunky Funky” https://youtu.be/yXv92nYDD_0

 

“Room at the Top” https://youtu.be/zFVNdJlPQhg

 

This was the precursor to what was to become Ask Rufus, and later Rufus.  However, Charles, deciding he wanted to sing and perform more, became one of Rufus’ three dynamite lead singers.  Charles was joined by Paulette McWilliams (Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, solo) and Jimmy Stella (The Circus).  At that point, Willie Weeks took over the bass chair in Rufus.  Note that this was pre-Chaka Khan!

 

Since the American Breed and Rufus, Charles has worked with, and/or produced, a virtual who’s who of artists, including Harry Belafonte, Ahmad Jamal, Johnny Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Kurtis Blow, Pops and Mavis Staples, Peabo Bryson, Rufus Thomas and Oscar Brown, Jr.

 

Charles is currently producing an inspirational CD on the American Breed entitled “Epiphany”, and he is also currently part of a musical project that will build on the We Are The World concept, using all legendary Chicago singers and musicians.

 

True to its name, it is an effort to “Bring Back The Love” between people.   These days, Charles’ go-to basses are his vintage Fender Precision and Jazz basses.