BP Magazine 08/18

BEN FOLDS FIVE’S FIVE ’S “UNCLE WAL ALTER” TER”

MUSIC & TAB

LEARN ROBERT SLEDGE’S FUZZ-FUELED BASS LINE

m o c . r e y a l p s s a b

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ROCCO PRESTIA 50 YEARS OF

FINGERSTYLE FUNK WITH TOWER OF POWER

WILL TURPIN ORCHESTRATING ORCHESTRA TING ON BASS

SAM KISZKA MELODY FIRST WITH GRETA VAN FLEET

BEHIND THE BASS STEVE SWALLOW & HARVEY CITRON REVIEWED

GILLETT

ANDY WEST BEHIND THE DIXIE DREGS REDUX

ROBERT HURST DRAWING FROM BOP, MOTOWN & CUBA AUGUST 2018 $5.99

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N R A E L Y A L P

C ontents A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

| VOLUME 29, NUMBER 8

|

BASSPLAYER.COM

H C E T

D

B 10

S T N E M T R A P E D

E C A F K N I L

S

T

W

COMMUNITY

Lowdown, Dig My Rig, the Real World, Court of Opinion 24

NEW GEAR

Electro-Harmonix, Grosbeak, Deepspace, Enki, Omec 66

THE INNOVATORS

Mark Dronge of DR Strings

S T N E T N O C

12

ROBERT HURST

First-call magic man

S E T O N S S A B

F O E L B A T

14

SAM KISZKA Hard rock is

alive with Greta Van Fleet 16

WILL TURPIN

From Collective Soul to driving the Serengeti 20

BENEATH THE BASSLINE

A documentary on all things bass

26

ROCCO PRESTIA After 50 years with Tower Of Power , Rocco reflects on his style and influence, his struggles, and his future—he’s still got to funkifize. By Chris Jisi

38

ANDY WEST A look behind the Dixie Dregs’ retrospective Dawn of the Dregs tour, with a longtime superfan of the band. By Steve Bailey

56

BEN FOLDS FIVE’S “UNCLE WALTER” Robert Sledge kicks the distortion on and off while spinning a melodic,

supportive line and an effervescent solo, from the trio’s ’94 debut. Cover photo by Paul Haggard

D R A G G A H L U A A A P

6

BASS PLAYER

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M O O R D N U O S H C N E B H C E T D E H S D O O W

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BP RECOMMENDS

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Contour & Slimline Contour ABGs 46

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THE INQUIRER

Active electronics 50

BEHIND THE BASS

Swallow/Citron somethin g something 52

JAZZ CONCEPTS

Jaco’s “Liberty City” 54

R&B GOLD

The great music of 1968

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Vol. 29 No. 8

August 2018

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E C A F

The Other Monk

K N I L

Y T I N U M M O C

I WAS REMINDED BY READER KIMBERLEY BEISSEL OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, THAT

CHRIS JISI

it’s the 65th Anniversary of Te Art Farmer Septet [1953, Prestige]. Recorded at New Jersey ’s Van Van Gelder Studios, it was trumpeter Farmer’s debut disc, featuring arrangements by Quincy Jones (on piano), with trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, saxophonist Clifford Solomon, and drummer Sonny Johnson among th e septet. It is also considered quite possibly the earliest recording of the ele ctric bass, as the first four tracks feature Monk Montgomery anchoring the unit on his ’51 Fender Precision, which he plucked with his thumb. As someone who has discussed the electric bass in jazz with such key figures as Steve Swallow, Bob Cranshaw, Cranshaw, Anthony Jackson, and John Patitucci—and Patitucci—and who bought one of Montgomery’s early-’70s solo sides as a kid—I had to hit Youube (yup, it’s on there) to have a listen. What a revelation! While he doesn’t solo here, Monk does everything else. “Mau Mau,” Jones’ modal Latin tune, finds Quincy playing a son clave, while Montgomery provides two big-toned tumbaos. “Work of Art” has Monk doubling part of the swung melody with trombone, using expressive scoops and bebop phrasing, before walking behind the soloists. He then starts “Up in Quincy’s Room” with a funk/Latin figure, as the track coyly pivots between straight Bb blues “Te Little Bandmaster” is a walking tour de force, as MM and swung feels. Finally, the uptempo 12-bar Bb captures the punch and depth of a ’50s upright down low, and the clarity of a bass guitar (or a contemporary upright recording) up high—listen as he walks on the G and D strings at the 20th and 21st frets! Tanks, Kim, for the headsup, and thanks to Mr. Montgomery for boldly opening a door that so many greats would eventually go through.

DIG

MY

RIG!

MY DAD, DELL RIVERA, HAS BEEN

playing for over 40 years, and these are his basses (L–R): Sire Marcus Miller V7, Roscoe 6-string, two Sadowsky Vintage 4-string J-basses, and fretless Douglas 6-string. His amp collection includes two SWR Goliath Junior III cabs, two Eden D112XS 1x12 cabs, an Eden D410XL 4x10, three Eden D212XL 2x12 cabs, and four Aguilar GS 112 N 1x12 cabs. He uses two Eden World our 800 heads and an Eden WPRE World our Pro Bass preamp for it all. —LOGAN RIVERA Got a rig you think we ’d dig? Send a photo and description to to [email protected]. [email protected].

10

/ a u g u s t 2 0 1 8 bassplayer.com bassplayer.com / a

THE

REAL

WORLD

Ted Gould III, a.k.a. Blyss

Home bases San Francisco Bay Area and New Orleans Occupation Musician, educator, and licensed drone pilot specializing in aerial video and photography; board member of Bay Area arts and advocacy collective Smalltown Society Gigs Zigaboo Modeliste (the Meters), Jody Watley, CitizenFive, Marina Crouse/Garth Webber Band, plus tons of church, theater, and whoever else calls Basses Marco TFL Relic, Mike Lull M5V, American Fender Precision Rig Aguilar DB 751 and AG 700 heads, two GS 112 1x12 cabs Strings, etc. Dunlop Super Brights, MXR pedals (Compressor, Octave, Envelope Filter, Fuzz, Phase 90) Heroes & inspiration Prince and damn near every bass player from his camp, particularly BrownMark, BrownMark, André Cymone, Rhonda Smith, Levi Seacer Jr., and St. Paul Peterson, as well as Larry Graham and George Porter Jr. Contact flytdiary.com, sonofabass.com, youtube.com/blyss; IG @sonofabass

Join D’Addario’ Addario’s Players’ Circle for exclusive rewards, preview previews of new gear, invite invites s to special special events, vents, and chances to win select select prize prizes. s. Earn Earn bonus points by sharing, sharing, posting, posting, and spreading the word! pla word! player yerscir scircle cle.. daddario.com

How did you come to play bass?

What lessons have you learned along the way?

What are your musical goals?

I grew up in New Orleans, walking distance distance from Congo Square. My cousin’s husband had a Gibson EB-3 that I would borrow and take to school when he was at work. In high school, I played “bass “bass horn” (tuba). I didn’t get serious until I was in my early 30s, when I decided to go back to school and earn a performance degree playing classical double bass.

Listen.

I’m working on my first project in many years, which sounds a lot like a New Orleans native heavily influenced by Minneapolis funk and Southern rock. My goal as a bandleader and sideman is to be a part of telling good stories through music that makes people feel something.

COURT OF OPINION

Do you use effects? Or are pedalboards only for guitarists? I’m in a three-piece band playing original music. Besides its traditional

Every time I try to use some effect (in a band context, obviously), I

role, we use effects on the bass to provide different and interesting

come to the conclusion that a good bass, a good amp, and hands are

textures and color to our songs. There’s no reason to limit the role of

everything I need. —FERNANDO YOKOTA

our instrument in the name of tradition if you’re not playing traditional music. —DWAYNE TAKEDA

The bass is supposed to sound like a bass. I would never use pedals. —PATRICK —PATRICK MERRILL

I find that for 99 percent of what I do, all I need is my bass, a cord, and an amp. If you can’t make a song groove without effects, then become a guitar player! —ANTONIO GANDÍA

I use a volume pedal, a tuner, and a compressor. I’ve spent a ton of

I play bass. I amplify. I have settings on my bass and settings on my

much else but the basics. Although, after seeing Victor Wooten Wooten jam

money buying and selling effects over the years and really don’t need amp. I use my fingers to get different sounds. I don’t buy my sound in

with his looping pedal, here I go again! —JIM CHLUP

a pedal. —JOEL KOBELIN I don’t use that crap on my bass. It’s all between my fingers, my bass, When I hear a sound I want to create, if a pedal is needed to create

and my amp. —ARIEL LEE LEON

that sound, great. But the sound I’m already hearing comes first, not the pedal. Whatever it takes to create that sound, that’s what I’ll use. —PAUL GALDI

It depends. Sometimes you need the whole art set, and sometimes you just need the pencil. —JUSTIN ELLIS

In over 30 years of playing, I’ve never found a need to put anything between the output of my bass and the input of my amp, other than a cord. —MEL DUGAS

I’m too lazy to tinker with pedals. I just wanna have fun playing bass! —BLAKE JAMISON

I use whatever I need. Purists tend to be an annoyance, but they have a right to their opinion. Most nights, it’s just bass and amp, but other bands require more options. —MARK STEARS


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N R A E L Y A L P H C E T E C A F K N I L

S E T O N S S A B

B

S E T O N S S A B

Robert Hurst Pocketful Of Jam

BY KEN MICALLEF

|

MULTI-GENRE AND MULTI-SITUATIONAL BASSIST

Robert Hurst has been part of three innovative jazz groups. From anchoring the mighty ony Williams band, to his all-star showing with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis’ celebrated mid1980s ensemble, to the muscular and joyous music of tenor saxophonist Branford Marsalis’ early quintet, Robert Leslie Hurst III has been a first-call magic man for over 30 years. In that time, Hurst has lent his supple technique and organic tone to the music of Paul McCartney, Diana Krall, Beyoncé, Willie Nelson, Barbra Streisand, Woody Shaw, Geri Allen, Diane Reeves, Lou Rawls, Norah Jones, and many more. Trough the years Hurst has also found time to document his own musical journey, recording the popular and critically hailed Robert Hurst Presents: Robert Hurst [1992, Columbia], One for Namesake Vols. 1 and 2 [2002/2010, Bebob], Bob [1993, Sony], Unrehurst, Vols. [2010, Bebob], and Bob: A Palindrome Ya Head [2010, Palindrome [2013, Bebob]. Currently teaching at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Hurst’s latest endeavor is the Afro Cuban-meetsBrazilian blowout Black Current Jam [2017, Dot ime]. Look for upcoming Hurst music with GBD (Golden Brown Delicious trio) and a Geri Allen trio album with drummer/composer Karriem Riggins.

What basses di d you u se on Black C urrent Jam ? It sounds like you used more more than one bass per song. song. For a lot of the chordal stuff, I played an Abe Rivera 5-str ing.

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I mostly played a fretless 4-string; for some tunes I played melodies and chords. I also play the fretted Abe Rivera bass, the one I used on Te onight Show. But there aren’t any bass overdubs on the record. Tere are some fixes; on one tune, I didn’t like the bass sound, so I recorded it again. When I’m playing melody, there isn’t another bass [under it]. Each track has a single bass. You spent your formative years in Detroit, working with members of the Funk Brothers, who recorded many Motown classics. What was your takeaway from that period? I played with [organist] Earl Van Dyke a lot, and drummers Pistol Allen and Uriel Jones, who are in the Standing in Standing in the Shadows of Motown Motown documentary. Even when playing a j azz standard, they’d always have a hook in what they played. Tey treated it like a rhythm-section part, like a roadmap. Many guys who play straight-ahead [now] are improvising all the time. Tey’re not thinking holistically about the form of the entire piece. With Earl or the other guys, we’d play the vamp for the soloist, and then a walking bass for another part. If I wasn’t doing that, they would call me out—especially Earl Van Dyke: “Hurst, what are you doing? Tat’s Tat’s not how we do it. You hear the voices going up—why don’t you go down?” I was 16. I got used to hearing them go off on me, but it was tough love. Tey didn’t treat me like a kid. A lot of younger musicians are coddled these days, but those Motown guys put me in the fire, and I appreciate that now.

Wha t di d Ea rl Van Dyke mean about going down when the voices go go up? For instance, once, we were playing the second ending of “Green Dolphin Street .” Te melody rises in pitch, and I’d play an ascending bass line. Van Dyke said, “If your walking bass line goes down as the melody goes up, it makes the whole band sound bigger.” It made the music more dramatic. Tey taught me how to “ride the bass drum” or essentially play the same rhythm the bass drum plays within a groove. Many people can do that on one chord, but how do you do it throughout a song? James Jamerson was brilliant at that. He also played more upright on Motown songs than pe ople realize, like “Jimmy Mack” and other early Marth a & the Vandellas tunes. Jamerson played really busy, but he still played the bass line. Church musicians and pop and funk players have that sensibility, but it gets lost in jazz. We’d rather play some hip shit. Te Motown guys made me aware of keeping it in the pocket. Paul McCartney took a lot from Jamerson. I asked him about that when I recorded his album Kisses on the Bottom . He said he never met Jamerson, but he learned his bass lines and was a big fan of how his bass sat in the tracks on Motown stuff. I think that influenced how the Beatles mixed their later records, like Revolver . Paul wanted to get that vibe, even though his tone is a little different. He loved Jamerson. I could see in his face that he was still bugged that he hadn’t been able to see him live. Did McCartney have ideas for the bass on Kisses on the Bottom? He did, actually. Tat was quite helpful. I was playing kind of passively, and Paul was in the booth. I was playing in two for one song, and he wanted me to walk, so he would look at me and start pantomiming upright bass playing. In his process for recording standards, he started channeling Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, singing in their voice. We were paint-by-the-numbers, but he wanted it to be like jazz. He was finding his footing. We were on pins and needles, but he is super easy to work with. Tere’s no walking bass on your latest album. It’s just the way the music came out. A lot of the grooves were derived from playing with our Cuban percussionist, Pepe Espinoza. “Bella Bunda,” “Keepin I t Rio,” and “Coneys and Vernors” are from the first time I went to Brazil with Wynton. I bought all these Carnival records. We do something on the new album I call “Detroit clave,” which is our interpretation of Afro-Caribbe an music from rinidad and obago with a calypso feeling, and also from Cuba, Africa, and Brazil. Anything surprise you when teaching jazz jazz to young young bass players? players? Since hip-hop is a dominant musical force, a lot of

students can’t differentiate how to play fu nk from how to play jazz—making that connection with the ride cymbal in the jazz context, and then making the connection with the bass drum in various forms of soul and pop music. I run the small-group program at U Mich, and I have everyone write a blues that they are required to sing in the traditional blues style. Te students h ave no idea of what that is. hey don’t understand the connection between the blues and everything el se in popular music. We teach a lot of privileged white kids who can afford to come to school here, and that information is not readily available in the culture. Because of racism, people don’t get their just due regarding relevance in all of the music in the world, but certainly in the music of America. Americans don’t talk about jazz. Go to Germany, and people talk about Mozart and Beethoven. In France they talk about Fauré and Ravel. Everywhere else they celebrate their own music, but we don’t celebrate our own music in America. Te students don’t know Howlin’ Wolf or Son House? No. hey think it’s some old black man stuff. hey think it’s not relevant anymore, when the blues is completely relevant. People don’t understand the connection between Kendrick Lamar and the blues. Tey don’t understand that the blues is the basis for everything. What sessions stand out from from your career? career? Barbra Streisand was hilarious. She was really knowledgeable. We were doing a song at 73 ��, and she asked if we could do another take at 72. Tat day, I left home at 5:30 AM and got to L.A. at 11 and recorded with Streisand. I had a few hours to kill, so I went to the Biggie Smalls movie at the Magic Johnson Teater in Crenshaw Mall, the hub of black culture in L.A. and everyone talking to the screen. Ten I came home the same day. I did a Charles Lloyd session with Eric Harland and Geri Allen, and then a Beyoncé session for the Super Bowl, also on the same day. Tat was really cool. What do you practice? practice? I practice intonation, a lot of stuff with the bow. Te bow is the truthteller, the lie detector. On an acoustic bass if you pluck a string, it just dissipates; it dies. When you play with a bow, it’s a long note, and you get a chance to really feel the instrument vibrate. You can feel the intonation and feel where the next note is; you can hold the note and hear and feel the timbre. I’ll practice bebop tunes with the bow, and then on electric I’ll set up a drum-machine groove or play with drummers. At this point in my career, I try to multitask when I practice. I practice my compositional skills to ensure that I’m playing in a compositional manner, as well as groove stuff as well as technical things. It can seem random, and sometimes it is, but it’s working for me. BP

i

INFO Upright bass 1890s Joseph

Bohmann

u acoustic

Pickup David Gage Realist

Copperhead Strings (upright) 5-string

standard Evah Pirazzi, 4-string standard Evah Pirazzi, 4-string Evah Pirazzi C extension strings w/ C extension

P I U Q E

Electric basses 1974 Fend-

er Precision Bass, fretless Ken Bebensee 6-string ABG, ’80s Schechter Pstyle, Abe Rivera 5-string Strings (electric) DR

Strings Handmade Coated Extra Life Black Beauties Amps (upright) Gallien-

Krueger MB112; (electric) Euphonic Audio White Face iAMP (250-watt Model C/L 110)


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N R A E L

B

Y A L P H C E T E C A F

GREA VAN FLEE

Sam Kiszka BY FREDDY FREDDY VILLANO

K N I L

S E T O N S S A B

|

Chivalry Ain’t Dead

PHOOGRAPH BY KEN SELE

WHEN AMERICAN ROCK BAND GRETA VAN FLEET HIT THE

scene a little over a year ago, its ’70s-style rock was a godsend for many. Te eight-song double-EP From the Fires eschews modern production wizardry in favor of an “under-produced,” throwback sound that relies mostly on musicianship and songcraft. Comparisons to Led Zeppelin have been rampant ever since the 2017 debut of “Highway une,” but this band of teenagers promises to be more than a derivation of their most obvious influence. Hailing from Frankenmuth, Michigan, Greta Van Fleet recently wrapped recording its first full-length release. At age 19, Sam K iszka is one of the band’s three brothers, including singer Josh and guitarist Jake (along with drummer Danny Wagner). Tey recently returned home from their first European tour and turned in a blistering set at Coachella in Indio, California.

What’s it been been like to become become so famous in such such a short time? What’s happened to us is not common at all, especially in the music industry. It’s amazing that so many people can jump onboard with what we’re doing. It’s great to be able to make music that’s fueling a new movement, and it’s cool to be the band that’s the catalyst for it. Is it weird to have such big expectations at such a young age? We went from a one-family house in the middle of nowhere, to never being home and living in tour buse s, Airbnbs, hotels, and studios. Tere’s no time to be at home, ever. Tere’s so much to do. Tere just aren’t enough hours in the day. It’s a lot of pressure, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun. You’ve now played mostly original music your entire career. Who are your influences? I listened to all the Motown music, like Marvin Gaye, the Four ops—it’s music that moves you and makes you feel good. When I picked up bass, the first line I wanted to le arn was “I Heard It Trough the Grapevine.” I thought that riff was so cool. I probably actually learned the Creedence Clearwater Revival version first, but I kept learning these Motown bass lines, and I realized it was all James Jamerson. I was blown away. I got into him heavily. Anyone else else leap out at you? you? I listened to Joe Cocker, Sam & Dave, the Beatles, Cream. Tose crazy Jack Bruce leads really taught me how to play bass. John Entwistle, too. Listening to people who turn the bass into more of a lead instrument, and who make bass interesting, is what appealed to me. Just playing the root note and following the chord progression is bor ing, and it’s kind of ineffective for a four-piece. For the sound that we have, [playing melodically] increases the amount of energy, it increases how interesting the music is to listen to, and it ultimately makes the music feel better. Has touring impacted your playing in a positive way?

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I’m a thousand times better than I was last year, because we have been playing live so much. With the new record, I’ve really been focused on melodies—songs like “Ramble On” [Led Zeppelin II ]. ]. People sing that bass line. Tat’s how you know it’s a fantastic bass line. John Paul Jones is kind of like the rock & roll James Jamerson. Yeah, you can totally hear Jamerson-like modes and feels in “Ramble On.” On.” What are you using to track track bass bass on the new album? A g ood numb er of inst ru ment s. My one and only bass is a S eafo am Green Fender Precision Bass with Jazz Bass neck; it’s a ’50s reissue made in the ’80s. Tat bass sounds fantastic, and it’s the most comfortable bass I’ve ever played. I also used a ’72 Fender elecaster Bass for a few songs, and a ’65 Precision owned by our producer, Al Sutton, as well as a ’69 Precision. Tere are flatwounds on all of them except the ’69. Tat’s just in case I need a roundwound sound, but I do prefer flats. Tat’s another area where Jamerson influenced me—I like the mellower tone of the flats. It makes me do things that are counterintuitive to the sound that I want, like cranking my tone all the way up. What about your signal chain? chain? My main sound is the Acme Motown DI tube interface, which Al Sutton makes. It’s fantastic; it puts the sound of the bass right in the spot where you want it. It sits back enough, but you can hear all the intricacies of the tone. We run that into a silver 1964 Fender 50-watt Bassman for a little more growl. You don’t have to crank it at all. Are the Led Zeppelin comparisons comparisons intimidating? Not really. I mean, it’s not like they aren’t the greatest rock & roll band ever [laughs ]. It’s a huge compliment. I think the new record will pick up where we left off and show the many sides that Greta Van Fleet has in terms of soundscapes. And I think it’ll take our concept up a few notches. We’re also trying to keep live takes. We really value the natural feel of how we play live. People seem fixated on your age, but the Beatles, Bl ack Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin were relatively young when they made game-changing records. Te young factor is a novelty. It’s not what we focus on. It’s great that people think we have a mature sound. Tere seems to be something chivalrous about your music. Chivalry. I like that. Tese days, there isn’t a lot of rock that gets stuck in your head. Te expression of rock & roll lately is people being sad or angry. Why can’t we be happy about rock? Tink about the late ’60s—Jimi Hendrix and Crosby, Stills & Nash. We can have a positive outlook on this, can’t we? People need to start looking at the good, because we need that a lot more now than ever. BP

i

INFO

N E T S I L

Greta Van Fleet, From the [2017, Republic] Fires EP [2017,

Basses Early-’80s Fender Precision Bass with Jazz Bass neck, 2017 stock Fender American Standard Jazz Bass P I U Q E

Rig Fender Super Bassman 300 Pro head, Ampeg SVT-810E cabinet

Strings D’Addario flatwound (.050–.105)

Other Acme Motown WB-3 DI

T C E N N O C

Check out the official video for Greta Van Fleet’s “Highway Tune.”

bassplayer.com/lessons


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Y A L P H C E T E C A F K N I L

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Will Tur Turpin pin

INFO

Will Turpin, Serengeti Drivers [2018, Gooey Music], The Lighthouse EP [2011, [2011,

Collective Soul’s Late Bloomer Goes Solo

Gooey Music]

Basses Ernie Ball Music BY JOE BOSSO

|

PHOTOGRAPH BY WASCHUK PHOTO

Man Bongo HH basses (4- and 5-string), Ernie

WILL TURPIN ADMITS ADMI TS THAT HE’S PROBABL PROB ABLY Y

not the best guy to offer advice to young bassists. In fact, he didn’t even pick up the bass until he was 22, when he joined a gang gang of his friends friends in in the band Collective Collective Soul— which, within a year, would sign a major record deal and go multi-platinum with its debut release, Hints Allegations and Tings Left Unsaid . “My story is not typical by any stretch of the imagination,” he laughs. “I don’t think I can draw up any kind of road map for people to follow.” Not to suggest that Turpin was devoid of instrumental

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chops when he joined Collective Soul. He grew up in a musical family: His father, Bill Turpin, played bass in the jazzgrass-fusion band Saturday Session before cofounding Atlanta’s Real 2 Reel Studios in 1976, and Will started on the piano at age eight. Switching to drums in his teens, he went on to study percussion at both Florida and Georgia State Universities. “I had my music theor y thing down when I got in the group,” he explains. “I just had to apply everything I knew to the bass. If I didn’t have a keen sense of rhythm and orchestration behind

Ball Music Man StingRay basses (4- and 5-string), P I U Q E

Fender Precision Basses (1963 and 1965) Amps Ampeg SVT-CL

300-watt head, Ampeg SVT-810E SVT-810E Classic Series cabinet Strings Ernie Ball (.045–

.100, .125)

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S E T O N S S A B

B me, I don’t think I would have gotten that far.” In 2011, urpin released a five-song solo EP called Te LightWay, to back him up for house and formed a side band, Will & the Way, live performances. Now he’s releasing his first full-length disc, Serengeti Drivers , which he recorded at his dad’s studio. While urpin did most of the heavy lifting (he sings lead vocals and plays bass, keys, and guitar), he’s joined by members of the Way, along with Collective Soul drummers past and present. “I never have to look too far to pull in the best players around,” he says. “I’m always surrounded by amazing musicians.” Te record is a first-listen gem, filled with breezy, countrylaced rockers (“Demons”), pop dreamscapes (“All On You”), bighearted ballads (“Make It Home”), and even a splash of gritty funk (“Belong”). Wh ile the album’s spirit is carefree, the recording process was anything but bliss: Just as he was about to start tracking, urpin’s wife, Donna, was diagnosed with breast cancer. “Music was definitely my therapy during her treatments,” he says. “Fortunately, she’s cancer-free cancer-free now and has just one more surgery, so all’s good. Te advances in medicine are amazing. If this happened 20 years ago, things could have turned out very differently.”

We’ve We’ve established that you’re you’re not a typical bass player. Do you have a particular particular approach to to the instrument? My philosophy is, it’s all about the song. Some guys have a set style and approach, but I don’t. I look at a song’s overall vibe, and then I work with the drummer on enhancing that mood. I definitely try to incorporate as much melody into my playing as a song allows, but again, it’s to enhance the song. I’m not trying to be the star of the show. What kind of bass did you start start out on? A Fender Fender Precision. My father played a P-Bass and and a Jazz Bass, so I went for the P-Bass. I didn’t want to star t out with something crazy. I bought another one when we got signed, and then I got a Gibson Les Paul Bass. Whe n you joined the band, did you g ive you rself a crash course on the bass? Kind of. Harmonically speaking, I knew wh at I was doing from my training. echnique-wise, echnique-wise, I would watch videos and learn stuff. I would listen to records and play along, and I’d watch AC/DC videos. Cliff Williams’ sound was something I was looking for, so I watched him and picked things up. You alternate between playing with a pick and using your fingers. I switch back and forth. It depends on how I hear the song and the dynamics I’m looking for. Sometimes you want to be softer and fuller; other times, you want a hard attack. I change it up. Do you have a formal approach to songwr iting? Not really—songs just sort of happen. I play around on the guitar and the piano, and sometimes the bass, and whene ver something that feels like a song comes to me, I go, “Uh-oh … I’d better hit the �� button now.” Sometimes it’s just a little line, but

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there are other times when the whole thing comes to me—the hook, the chord progressions, the verses, and choruses. If I’m not in the studio, I’ll grab my iPhone and record what I’ve got. Do you write mostly on guitar or piano? I’d say it’s 80 percent piano, because that was my first instrument. Going back to my thought process on the bass, I’m big into orchestration. Out of high school and all the way through college, I was writing charts for the piano, and even drum lines. So when I play bass, even when I’m playing bass in my head, I’m seeing a score or a piano keyboard; I’m not see ing a fretboard. Sometimes I’ll come up with a song on the bass. It’s just not the standard way for me. Tere have been times with Collective Soul when I’ll start jamming on a riff and a song will develop. Sometimes Shane [Evans, drummer] and I would be grooving on something, and Ed [Roland, singer/guitarist/keyboardist] would walk in and go, “Keep doing that. Tat sounds killer.” “Heavy” was one, for sure. Tat started with me and Shane, and Ed kind of wrote a song around it. Does your playing change depending on the drummer? I’ve never really analyzed that. Again, I’m just looking at what’s right for the song. I mean, there’s a communication that changes slightly based on who I’m working with, but it’s kind of unspoken. I don’t think about who’s leading; it just happens. Your bass playing on your solo album is fairly straightfor ward, but you called on M ark W ilson to bus t out propuls ive stuff on “Belong.” I don’t mind handing the bass over to somebody w ho’s better than me, and [the Way bassist] Mark is that guy. He played on three tracks. I’ve known him for a long time, and he’s a virtuoso on pretty much all instruments, but he crushes it on the bass. He’s like ony Levin—he’s that good. “Belong” is a lot of people’s favorite. It started out with Mark and the drummer, Scott Davidson, during rehearsals. Tey stumbled upon that groove, and it was a lightning-bolt moment. I sat down with the B3 organ thing and just hel d a chord. I said, “Follow me, guys,” and I felt th e whole verse flowing into the chorus. It was amazing. How do you record the bass in the studio? I like to have multiple signals. I have a clean DI signal that allows for manipulation and different things in the mix , and then usually we do another signal that’s effected. I do a signal with a Geddy Lee SansAmp so I can put a little compression on there, get some low-end or midrange sound going. Ten I do a signal through a couple of pedals and an amp. I mix all of those, and that’s the final product. Is there something you want to learn on the bass that you just can’t play play right now? I’d like to get better at slapping. I’m okay at it becau se I’m funky rhythmically, but I don’t practice a lot. I wish I could. Every now and then, I tell myself, “Dude, over the next three months, focus on some really cool slap technique,” but I never find time to do it. One day I will. BP

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B Beneath The Bassline IMAGINE GETTING TO SIT DOWN WITH OVER 30 OF YOUR

bass heroes, as well as key instrument and amp builders, to chat about the art and craft of the bass. Tat’s the essence of the enlightening 90-minute film Beneath the Bassline Bassline by iBass magazine editor Nick Wells. As he does with iBass [ ibassmag.com], the U.K.-based Wells turns the camera onto his subje cts, revealing much more than their words—a bit like the difference between seeing their bass lines notated versus hearing the inflections in those parts. Te film features a spectrum of greats, from John Patitucci, Marcus Miller, Pino Palladino, Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, Oteil Burbridge, and Rocco Prestia to Robert ruj illo, Duff McKagan, Billy Sheehan, im Commerford, and Gail Anne Dorsey. Also in the mix are young power-pluckers like Tundercat, Michael League, Felix Pastorius, and Adam Getgood, British greats Mark King, Paul urner, and Laurence Cottle, and gear mavens such as Roger Sadowsky, Vinny Fodera, and Aguilar’s Dave Boonshoft. Collectively, they cover such topics as how they got into bass, key influences, bass line creation, tone and the specifics of their individual basses, finding your own sound and voice, career highpoints, and thoughts on


Jaco and his impact (with Cottle breaking down “Continuum”). Among the best-edited moment s are when various players discuss slapping, and we arrive at Larr y Graham talking about how he founded the technique. Or Christian McBride detailing his favorite James Brown period, with a segue to his hero, Bootsy Collins. And it’s great to have Lee Sklar’s “producer switch” story documented. Tere are two through-lines for the film: Te first is rising English bass star Stefan Redtenbacher’s potent score, with his horninfused Funkestra. (Te movie’s soundtrack album also includes an original by Michael Manring, who appears in the film.) Te second is Will Lee. See n throughout, jamming with Richard Bona, Lee offers some of the meatiest insight, including the impact of the upright on the bass guitar, what it was like to play with James Brown on the Letterman show, what makes Ringo Starr a great drummer, Roger Sadowsky ’s gift for adapting customer requests into his basses, turning a playing mistake into something cool, and why we should enjoy every gig. Te sharing of knowledge with a smile is indeed the bottom line in this well-made celebration of the bass. — C H R I S J I S I

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Stanley Clarke

BP RECOMMENDS

STANLEY CLARKE BAND

THE MESSAGE [Mack Avenue]

Largely written in Paris during a tour delay due to terrorism in unisia, The Message finds Stanley Clarke and his quartet (keyboardists Cameron Graves and Beka Gochiashvili, as well as drummer Mike Mitchell) mining all corners of the musical spectrum to deliver positive messages with a powerful jazz-funk underpinning. Clarke remembers George Duke and other late friends on the opener “And Ya Know We’re Missing You,” You,” a slapped bass and beatbox duet with Doug E. Fresh. “After the Cosmic Rain” (adapted from a piece Clarke wrote for Return o Forever) and “Combat Continuum” are full-on fusion epics that also mine Clarke’s soundtrack writing. Bass-wise, Clarke shows his grand mastery of both acoustic and electric with a passionate, bowed version of “Bach Cello Suite No. 1” and the solo bass guitar chordal gem “Te Message.” Best of all are kitchen-sink tracks like “Lost in a World,” a vocal-duet love song wrapped around some serious band reaching; the sonically stretched, Spanish-tinged instrumental “Enzo’s Teme”; the sassy, Cameo-meets-Marcus Miller “o Be Alive,” with Fresh rapping about Stanley; and especially the angular, highly original “Te Rugged ruth.” Some 45 years after his solo debut, is there a bassist with a wider perspective than Clarke? — C H R I S J I S I JEFF BERLIN

JOE FRAZIER�ROUND 3 [JBMG]

Regarded as one of the big three bass anthems alongside Stanley Clarke’s “School Days” and Berlin’s “Joe Jaco’s “een own,” own,” Jeff Berlin’s “Joe Frazier ” first appeared on Bill Bruford’s Bruford’s 1980 album

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Gradually Going Tornado. Berlin did a funkified update, “Joe Frazier (Round 2),” on his 1986 album Pump It! Now, from Nashville, comes a 30th anniversary package centered around a new version that features Steve Vai and om Hemby on guitars, David Sancious on keys, and drummer Keith Carlock. Dialed back to

about 98 �� and riding Carlock’s kinetic sizzle, the track’s angular intro finds Berlin drawing themes from the melody. He then states the melody with fresh, hammered twists and restates it over Sancious’ reharmed piano changes. Following a brooding transition, Vai emerges for a shredding solo. A Zawinul-esque, keyboard-led section leads to Berlin’s probing, overdriven solo, navigating “Giant Steps”-inspired changes. Finally, the Sanciousled coda shifts to classical harmony terrain, with Berlin boo gying to the finish line. Other package options include a remastered “Round 2,” a vinyl “Round 3,” an autographed score, and mixes minus drums, bass, or guitar. In all, Berlin manages to show both his strengths and his growth, as we await his Jack Bruce tribute album. — C H R I S J I S I GHOST-NOTE

SWAGISM [RSVP] Led by drum and percussion masters Nate Nate Werth and Robert “Sput” Searight of Snarky Puppy, Ghost-Note’s sophomore album features the bass prowess of Antho of Anthony ny “AJ” Brown Brown MonoNeon. Te low-end duo dominates the record with heavy and MonoNeon. grooves and insanely funky riffs, stealing the spotlight from the large, talented cast around them. MonoNeon’s virtuosity on “Milkshake” and “Dry Rub” are enough to make you hit �� to catch the fast, intricate licks buried within his pocket. Tese two drummers sure know how to pick bass players. —JON D’AURIA

GONG EXPRESSO

ARCTIC MONKEYS

DECADENCE [gongexpresso.bandcamp.com] Decadence continues the lineage of instrumental jazz-fusion first forged by Pierre Moerlen’s Gong in the 1970s. It featuresHansford featuresHansfordRowe, Rowe, a Gong alum, leading this new ensemble through a masterclass in spontaneity and subtlety, where downtempo explorations of progressive jazz reign supreme. Instigated by Rowe ’s lyrical bass ostinatos, songs like “Zephyr,” the title track, and “Te Importance of Common Tings” are mellow and spacious—but the music’s deceptively simple nature is merely a guise for manipulating and developing deep, heavy musical concepts. —FREDDY VILLANO

TRANQUILITY BASE HOTEL & CASINO [Domino] Te Arctic Monkeys’ sixth studio album abandons the gritty guitar-driven sound that made them famous in favor of spaced-out, mellow lounge vibes. Tis ultimately frees up Nick O’Malley and and frontman Alex urner to put bass at the forefront of the piano-le d songs, which is especially groovy on “One Point Perspective,” Perspective,” “American Sports,” and the album’s title track. O’Malley’s staccato, muted pick playing throughout adds a chic sexiness that completes the band’s new sonic identity. —JON D’AURIA RAINBOW

[Minstrel MEMORIES MEMOR IES IN ROCK R OCK I I [Minstrel

ADI MEYERSON

WHERE WE STAND [adimeyersonmusic.com] Listening to Sonny Rollins records as a teenager growing up in Israel may have inspired upright ace Adi ace Adi Meyerson’s Meyerson’s love affair with jazz, but her debut alb um proves that she ’s come fully into her own. Meyerson’s compositions pay homage to her adopted hometown, New York, as she displays the knowledge she has gained from studying under greats like Reggie Workman and Ron Carter. “N” and “A D rain” especially highlight her equal-parts talent as a writer and a player. —JON D’AURIA

Hall Music] Ritchie Blackmore decided to revisit his rock & roll roots a couple of years ago by way of reinventing Rainbow with a new cast of players. Memories in Rock II is is a live set from Glasgow, Scotland, covering a staggering back-catalog of epic hits, neoclassical metal, and choice Deep Purple cuts. Bob Nouveau is Nouveau is clearly a musician’s musician, ably responding to Blackmore’s every improvisational move with subtle counterpoint, inventive rhythmic patterns, and nuanced note choices. His playing is lively and spontaneous, perhaps the ultimate spirit in which to pay homage to past iterations and performances. —FREDDY VILLANO

KAMELOT

[Napalm] THE SHADOW THEORY [Napalm] On the European/American European/American power-metal Tibbetts once again band’s latest, Sean Tibbetts once delivers the perfect foil to Kamelot’s heavily orchestrated guitars, keys, and vocal melodies. His snarling, growling, pick-wielded pick-wielded tone locks in tightly with double-kick-driven songs and adds most of the grit to an otherwise melodious, symphonic sound. Tere’s even some djent to ibbetts’ rhythmic patterns, giving the tunes a tenacious backbone. Check out tracks like “MindFall Remedy,” Remedy,” “Kevlar Skin,” and “Static” for a good dose of what ibbetts can do with four strings and a pick. —FREDDY VILLANO

SUMO PRINCESS

SINGLES [UMG Recordings] Abby Travis has Travis has built a long and successful career using her precision playing and massive tone to back powerhouses like the GoGo’s, Cher, the Bengals, and Beck. Her new project, a drums–bass duo with Gene rautman, now showcases her talents in the biggest and boldest way possible. On these four tracks, ravis dishes seriously filthy frequencies and interesting lines that use both her vast pedalboard and her eccentric playing, making us want much more from this exciting duo. —JON D’AURIA

BP


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ENKI

AMG-2 Bass Case The ENKI AMG-2 Bass Case—a tough, lightweight, roto-molded polyethylene shell with a luxurious EVA foam insert—makes it possible to imagine trusting your bass to airline baggage handlers. Street $350 Contact Contact enkiusa.com

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INNOVATION

Rock-A-Billy & Ultra Blacks Double Bass Strings Innovation’s strings use a synthetic core and nylon cover to get tone that sounds like a gut string—but without the issues (or cost). Available in medium- and lowtension sets, Innovation strings are made for rockabilly/psychobilly rockabilly/psychobilly slap p layers and bluegrass/Americana bluegrass/Americana players looking for warm thump. Street $190 Contact ghsstrings.com

GROSBEAK

LP-1 & VIP LP-3 4-strings This vintage-inspired, New York-based builder offers two new basses: the LP-1, which sports a flatsawn maple neck and fingerboard and DiMarzio Area P pickup, and the VIP LP-3, with its roasted bird’s-eye maple neck, Macassar ebony fingerboard, 3-way pickup selector, 3-way mini toggle, and Delano Quad Coil (neck) and Delano Dual Coil (bridge) pickups. Street VIP

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OMEC

Teleport Teleport Audio Interface If you’ve ever wished you could use your favorite software plugin in your live rig, check out the Teleport, a universalconnection device housed in a small pedal enclosure. The Teleport allows you to access plugins from your DAW DAW in real time and add them to your signal chain, converting analog audio signals to digital. Works with iOS, Android, Mac, and PC without any specific drivers or software requirements. Street

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CS

Prestia performs at the ower of Power 50th Anniversary concert at Oakland’s Fox Teater June 1, 2018.

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ROCCO! LOOKING BACK ON 50 YEARS WITH TOWER OF POWER LIKE B.B. KING’S STRING BENDS, CHUCK BERRY’S TWO-NOTE CHORDS, AND LARRY

Graham’s thumb slaps, Francis “Rocco” Prestia’s groove-defining use of muted 16th-notes has become an instantly recognizable fingerboard innovation that has remained a soul-soothing constant in a fast-changing world. Forged in the iconic R&B horn band Tower Of Power, the magic and mystery of Prestia’s playing— and how he’s able to fit so many notes seamle ssly into the pocket—remains, 50 years on. Some have tried to explain the propulsive, percussive mastery found in such Tower bass anthems as “What Is Hip?,” “You Got to Funkifize,” “Soul Vaccination,” “Squib Cakes,” and “Credit.” TOP saxophonist/bandleader Emilio Castillo surmised, “Rocco is an original. He doesn’t have the technical knowledge of a lot of other great bass players, but that’s what makes his playing so special. Everything comes from the heart, the gut. A lot of bassists try

BY CHR IS JI SI PHOTOGRAPHS BY LISA JOHNSON

bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 8

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ROCCO PRESTIA

to emulate his style using their heads, and that’s why none of them have come close to his feel.” Will Lee feels that “constant” is a better adjective for Rocco than “busy,” which implies a lot of moving lines across the neck. He points to Prestia often playing in one root-5th-octave position and developing patterns within that shape. Jeff Berlin cites Prestia’s mastery of space within a chain of 16th-notes, mostly created by applying muted or ghosted notes. For Rocco, it’s a simpler answer: “Te key to playing that much without getting in the way is to lay it in the groove.” Alas, Prestia’s milesto ne ye ar ha sn’t b een as in the pocket . After sudden health bouts led h im to be ho spitaliz ed wh ile on the road and at home late last year, ower Of Power has officially decided to move on, replacing him with She ila E bassist and OP sub Marc van Wangeningen. However, Prestia does appear on all but one track of OP’s latest, Soul Side of Town , applying his unique approach to straight and swung R&B romps and chivalrous

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ballads. It’s a tone-and-taste trademark that once led then-OP drummer Herman Matthew s to tell BP, BP, “Without Rocco’s motion on the bass, we would be just another horn band.” Te seeds of that signature style can be traced to Northern California, where Rocco was born in Sonoma, on March 7, 1951. After suffering the loss of his dad just five years later, his mother re-married, moving him, his sister, and his two brothers to Fremont, California, where they were first exposed to rock & roll. For his Christmas present at age ten, Rocco’s mom got him a Sears Silvertone guitar and amp, and lessons. He recalls, “I liked rock, but what I didn’t like was having to practice guitar, because I just wasn’t any good at it—it never clicked for me.” Nonetheless, he stuck with it long enough to successfully audition—“because I had good hair”—for classmate Emilio Castillo’s band at age 14. Castillo’s dad hired local jazz guitarist erry Saunders to teach the band members their instruments, leading Saunders to switch Prestia to

a white P-Bass copy. “All I knew about the bass was that it was bigger than me!” Before long, Emilio got into R&B via an East Bay band called the Spiders. He added four more horns to the group, and they transitioned from covering Stax/Volt and Motown at dances to writing and performing originals at clubs as ower Of Power. After seeing a successful performance at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, legendary music promoter Billy Graham signed OP to his management company and prepared the band for its first recording, 1970’s East Bay Grease. We chose that as a starting point for a funky trip down memory lane with w ith a reflective Rocco.

Let’s talk about the bassists who influenced you leading up to OP’s first album. Once the band got hip to soul music—James Brown, Motown, Stax/Volt, Muscle Shoals—that’s when it all started for us. I didn’t know their names at the time, but I was influenced by players like James Jamerson, Duck Dunn, Chuck Rainey, Jerry Jemmott, David Hood, and Willie Weeks. Locally, I got to meet Larry Graham, whose percussive approach had an impact on me. And I met and became friends with Paul Jackson, whose creativity certainly rubbed off on me. You credit OP drummer Dave Garibaldi with helping to shape your your style. In a major way. When Dave came onboard, three months before we cut the album, he had all kinds of ideas he wanted to try, and we clicked right away. Looking back at it now, we complemented each other because he was a busy player, and I had a simpler, more laid-back approach. We met in the middle, and it was magical. I think I was moving toward busier lines naturally, but he opened me up rhythmically. I started adding notes and accents, and playing with a sense of moving the music along. In addition, I realized that playing more percussively, with staccato notes, seemed to lock better with Dave’s drums, so dead notes and ghosted notes became a big part of my style. Bump City from 1972 had such OP classics as “You Got to Funkifize,” “Down to the Nightclub,” and “You’re Still a Young Man.” Grease was energetic but raw; we were kids amazed to be in a recording studio for the first time. We recorded Bump City in Memphis, with [Booker . & the MG’s guitarist] Steve Cropper producing, and he reeled us in and tightened everything up. I was playing whatever I felt, but I have to credit Mimi

[OP bandleader and saxophonist Emilio Castillo] as another key to developing my style. He had a great ear for bass, and he would constantly say, “ry this,” or, “Do this,” and I would say, “Huh?” And he’d say, “It’s what you do naturally,” and he’d help polish up the part. I remember struggling with “Young Man” because it’s in 6/8 and I wasn’t feeling it. Dave said, “Just play in four and it will w ill come out righ t,” and that song established my approach to ballads. Ten came 1973’s Tower Of Power, which included the bass anthem “What Is Hip?,” the shuffle “Tis ime It’s Real,” and “Soul Vaccination,” with its turned-around feel. “Hip” was Dave’s concept of having one note droning throughout the song, inspired by the Ben E. King tune “Way Down Low.” Everyone was skeptical: “Really?” Little did we know. I also thought the bass was too hot in the mix—wrong again! “Real ” was the first time I had to play a walking bass line, and it scared the crap out of me. I’m not a traditionally trained player; I didn’t know how to walk like the jazz cats, who would hit all the right notes. So that was a good period o f growth. As for “Soul Vac,” Vac,” Dave was doing that from day one, moving everything over by an eighth-note or 16th-note. Sometimes it flows naturally and it’s fun, and other times you’re holding on for dear life. Dave would tell me, “Just count”—he’d even play the passage while counting it—and I’d I’d still struggle. I’ve never be en good at counting; if I don’t feel it, I have to rely on a horn or vocal cue to know when to come in. Te best example of that is “Oakland Stroke,” where I wait for the hi-hat swishes to know when to come in. hat song was from 1974’s Back t o Oakl and , which als o had long jam tracks like the Chester Tompson instrumental “Squib Cakes.” Were those fun or more of a challenge to get through? We loved them because we all had a chance to be free, with few or no boundaries beyond the head. Te solo sections could go anywhere, especially when you have the pleasure of playing behind Chester ’s organ or Lenny Pickett’s sax. Tose guys can carry you along when you’re running out of ideas and inspire you to play new things that take the energy way up. After four more albums, and with addictions raging in the band, in 1977 you were made an example of and fired. What Wh at do you remember about the seven-year period until your return in 1984? First I did blues gigs in the Bay Area with Frankie Lee and Bobby Murray, and I got to jam with Albert King and Albert Collins. It was great because it opened

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me up to a whole other area of music, and it was the first time I grasped that I had a style and didn’t have to play blues in the traditional way—I could play me inside the blues. From there, through a drummer friend, Kevin Cloud, I moved to Las Vegas to play with Lola Falana. Te conductor, Frank Fiore, was a OP fan, he knew I didn’t read music, and he was nice enough to teach me the parts. Ten in 1984 Mimi called out of the blue asking me to rejoin the band. I told him I’d think about it, and when I hung up, Kevin and my girlfriend, who were in the room, said, “Are you nuts? Call him back!” I was used to having my own room by then, so when I called back to accept, that was my one stipulation [ laughs ]. I moved to L.A. on Mimi’s advice, but then the horn section left to go on the road with Huey Lewis for a few years, leaving the rhythm section to all but starve between occasional OP gigs. So we formed our own band called Flex, and we started a regular Monday-night jam at a string of clubs. W hen the horns finally returned and focused on the band, they fired the rhythm section except for me! Power , with the monster shufTat led to the 1987 album Power fle “Credit,” which also became OP’s OP’s first music video. What’s the story behind your bass line, with its cool double-time feel? Te band had recorded that tune, and when I rejoined, Mimi wanted me to play on it. He told me to make it a funk shuffle, and that’s what I came up with. I’ve had bassists play it to me their way, and I say, “Man, you’re making it way too complicated.” Ten I show them, and they go, Ahhh. Te way I play, a lot of things are implied because there are so many ghosted and muted notes—so your hear stuff that isn’t really there. on a Te Epic Records era, which began with 1990’s Monster on productive period. Leash and yielded four albums, seemed like a productive We got a new manager named Michelle Zarin, and she was instrumental in making a lot happen for us; you need that in the music business. Tere was some new blood in the band, and many

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INFO Rocco Prestia, Everybody on the Bus [1999, Bus [1999, Lightyear]; Tower Of Power, Soul Side of Town Town [2018, [2018, Mack Ave.], Great American Soulbook [2009, [2009, TOP], Oakland Zone

N E T S I L

[2003, TOP], Rhythm & Business [1997, Business [1997, Epic], Souled Out [1995, [1995, Epic], Monster on a Leash [1990, Leash [1990, Epic], Power [1987, [1987, Cypress], Urban Renewal [1975, [1975, Warner Bros.], Back to Oakland [1974, [1974, Warner Bros.], Tower Of Power [1973, [1973, Warner Bros.], Bump City [1972, [1972, Warner Bros.], East Bay Grease [1970, Grease [1970, Warner Bros.]

Basses ESP Basses ESP LTD RB-1004 P I U Q E

Strings MJC Strings MJC Ironworks NPS Nickel-Plated Steel Medium Light (.045–.105) head with one Rig TC Electronic Staccato’51 head with RS410 cabinet and two RS212 cabinets Other GoGo Other GoGo Tuner

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of the songs on those albums stayed in the book and are fun to play. I got my first co-writing credit on “Believe It.” During that high-profile period—we played the talk show circuit—I remember thinking, When is it gonna be enough? Wh en are we going to finally cash in? We had fame, but where the heck is our fortune? Tat has always baffled us. Early on, we saw horn bands like Chicago and Blood, Sweat & ears have radio hits—and, granted, they wrote more commercial songs. But record companies always had problems marketing us, largely because we didn’t look like we sounded. You also put out your solo album and instructional videos in the ’90s. I pursued a solo deal and I met someone from a Japanese label who made it happen. Tey didn’t have the budget to properly support it, but Everybody on the Bus was a blast to do, and it came out great. Te two instructional videos [Fingerstyle Funk, 1993, Video Progressions, and Live at Bass Day , 1998, Hudson Music] were eye-opening for me. Tey made me zone in on what I do and how I do it, and they came at a time when I was becoming aware of the bass community, meeting other top players, and figuring out where and how I fit into it all. Te 2000s included OP’s Oakland Zone and the band’s ban d’s cover record Great American Soulbook , plus your health issues. Zone was one of the most creative albums we’ve done, even though I was ill when we made it. I was less excited about Soulbook. We tried to make a more commercial album, and it took us out of our comfort zone, and I think fans can feel that. We saw everyone else having success doing covers, but ultimately we weren’t true to ourselves; I felt doing a few covers was okay, but not the whole album. As for my health problems, I had my first surgery in 2002, to replace my liver. Ten in 2006, I had open heart surgery. In 2007, I moved to Las Vegas and I fell ill again in 2012, leading to my kidney transplant in 2014. Trough all of that, from the first surgery forward, the outpouring of love and suppor t from friends and fans has been beyond belief. I’m very blessed. Let’s talk about your basses through the years. After starting on a P-Bass copy, I had had a Vox Cougar and a Gibson Gibson EB-O before returning to play Fender Precisions through the ’70s and ’80s—one of them given to me by Paul Jackson, which I still have. Around 1990 I got an endorsement from Fernandes. Tey were very nice instruments, but they promised me a signature model and after six years it hadn’t happened, so I moved on to Conklin. Tose were great, but Bill Conklin had tried the signature-instrument route and didn’t want to go back there, so I began looking again. Around 2013, [War and Rex Brown bassist] Pancho omaselli told me about ESP. I spoke to [Senior Vice President] Jeff Moore, and he had me che ck out the LD Series, to which he let me add my tweaks. Tat included having a P/J pickup configuration with the [P] pickup in the reverse position, rounding the body edges, and having a C-shaped neck profile. Te instrument sounds and feels terrific, it has Seymour Duncan pickups, and I play with both pickups all the way up. I also remained close with Mike Conley from using Dean Markley strings, and I’ve followed

LegendarY BASS for a Bass Legend A

LT D R B S E R I E S B A S S E S Rocco Prestia of Tower of Power needs no introduction. Influencing an entire generation of bass players on the technique and vibe of fingerstyle funk, Rocco is one of the few musicians who literally changed the way people approach an instrument. When it was time for Rocco to step up to a bass with the sound and feel that had no compromises to his limitless talent, he didn’t just make a signature bass for himself; he made a series of basses for everyone. The LTD RB Series stands for “Rocco’s Bass”, and it has everything needed for bass lines that make people sit up and take notice. Available now at your authorized ESP dealer. dealer.

S P E C I F I C A T I O N S

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Bolt-on construction at 34” scale Swamp ash body with spalted maple top 5-pc maple/walnut C-shape neck Ebony fingerboard with curved end

Abalone and Pearloid oval inlays Grover tuners Gotoh bridge w/string-thru-body design Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound P4/J4 pickups

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D R A G G A H L U A P

him to his new company, MJC Ironworks. We’re about to launch my signature string set. Can you walk us through your technique? I generally play by jumping to different positions with my left hand, instead of spreading my fingers to play across a wide span. My hand lies flat over the fingerboard, in a three-fret space, and I mainly use my index and middle fingers to fret the notes, and my 3rd finger and pinkie to dampen the strings—although I occasionally fret with those fingers, as well. With my right hand, I use alternating index and middle fingers to pluck the strings, about midway between the neck and the bridge, anchoring my thumb on the pickup or the E string. I combine dead notes and ghosted notes, but not in a planned way; they come out naturally. Dead notes involve fretting the note and then muting it with my third finger and pinkie, as well as h ow I attack and stop the note in my

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plucking hand. For ghosted notes, I place my finger over t he note but I don’t press down on the fret, so that finger is muting the string. You’ve played a lot of the songs in the TOP catalog for over 40 years. Yup, and there are t unes I love and ones I’m less wild about. Te key for me is to take a fresh approach to each bass line every night. I challenge myself to stay in the moment and get the part right, section by se ction, as opposed to going on automatic pilot and having my mind wander. I think about the audience, who may be seeing us for the first time, as an incentive to stay sharp. If I can maintain that focus, then inevitably as I’m going through the tune, I’ll find something new to play every time. Which answers the question of how your style has changed. changed. I would say it has evolved more than changed. Te constants are the 16th-note-based feel and the muted and ghosted notes; that will remain until I put the bass down. But I listen to the early stuff and sometimes I’m amazed; how the heck did I do that? Because today I’m playing those tunes differently. My hands won’t let me execute like that anymore, yet at the same time, I often don’t want to play like that. Do you think that the band gradually developed a sense of, Let’s leave this space for the bass? Probably so, in parts of the tunes—or subconsciously they knew I would fill those spaces.Te main songwriters have always written with the personnel in mind. Tey know our creativity and our limitations. When you you hear hear local bands as you travel travel through through towns, towns, what are your bass pet peeves? Crappy tone, for one; that drives me up the wall. What the heck are you listening to that you think a bass should sound that thin? I want my bass to sound as fat and punchy as possible. Overplaying is another. If you’re overplaying, you’re under-listening. Being too loud is the other. Bass can be very overbearing. People are always asking me to turn up. I try to play to fit within the volume of the band, not stand above it. Let’s talk about the new album, Soul Side of Town . When and how did you track track your parts? parts? Te rhythm section went in for a few weeks, in early 2014. We actually have another album in the can, as well, which includes two of my tunes. We mostly cut to scratch vocals, and there were some tracks where Dave’s drums were already down. I played my ESP bass, recorded direct and through my miked C Electronic rig. Some of the songs feature very specific arrangements for the rhythm section, which somewhat takes away from the classic TOP feel. Tat was my challenge on about half the songs. Tere were a lot of little stops and rhythmic breaks, lines to play, and changes to make, so it wasn’t the usual, free-flowing grooving. As a result, I probably played less on songs like “Hangin’ With My Baby,” Baby,” “W hen Love akes Control,” and “Selah,” and I just focused on making Continued the parts.

U � B A S S

A R T I S T

Lilo De Lima is Lima is the bassist for award-winning award-winning band, Kapena, taking home four Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards this year—including Album of the Year and Group of the Year!

ONE OF HAWAII’S PREMIER FEMALE BASS PLAYERS, Lilo is also an accomplished songwriter songwriter.. You can likely catch her playing her California Series Koa 5-String Freed U•Bass at one of her regular gigs on Oahu. UBASS�5KOA�FS�M

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On the other hand, you stretch in the rideout of “On Soul Side of own,” own,” you drive the B section of “Do You Like Tat” with motion, and on “Stop” you prove what you don’t play is as important as what you do play. Rideouts are always the time to have fun, and I’m also conscious of developing my part where possible, inspired by Jamerson. On “Do You Like Tat,” it was a matter of contrasting the two sections, which has always been a part of my concept. And “Stop” is proof once again that space is as important as the notes. I always try to find my spots to put my stamp on a part , whether it’s from a demo bass line or my original line. Tat’s the fun and the challenge of playing bass within a rhythm section: You have to find where you can be creative within your part. When everyone feeds off each other and finds their sweet spots, that’s when the magic happens. Looking back over your 50-year career, do you have regrets? Sure—I should have involved myself more in the business and leadership side of OP, OP, instead of just going along for t he ride. I might have gotten into writing sooner and helped with decisions on some of the directions we went in. I also should have learned to read music. Not be ing able to read handcuffed me drastically, because there’s so much work that can be had with th at one skill. I gave up on it early; I just didn’t have the patience required, and then my career got underway. I’ll follow chord and even notated charts as b est I can, but best for me is when someone calls out the changes. And of course I wish I had curbed my partying habits and substance consumption, for which I paid the price health-wise. You’ve always had a hard time accepting your legacy as a bass innovator.

I’m still taken aback by my notoriety in an era when you can go into a corner bar and find a great bassist. I don’t read, I don’t count, my ear is limited to hearing things in 3rds and 5ths and not much more, and I’m not a soloist—not that I aspire to be. I just play the way I play, by instinct. But people seem to like it. Tat’s remarkable to me. Has anything caught your ears in recent years? Bruno Mars—I dig him and his band. You can hear that he has borrowed from many of the oldschool greats: James Brown, OP, Earth, Wind & Fire. He’s been able to corral that with his own thing and make it work on a massive level. I’ve seen some interesting bassists on Youube. My brother sent me a clip of a young lady playing “What Is Hip?,” and she nails it. In another clip, a bassist breaks down “Hip,” and I was like, Holy cow—I’d never explain it that way, but it was very thorough and pretty cool. What are your feelings feelings about OP deciding to move forward without you? It’s sad and disappointing. I feel like I’m being put out to pasture. My health was an issue, but after my

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last hospital stay in November for a recurring urinary-tract infection, I decided to see a homeopathic doctor. Te first thing she prescribed worked, and I’ve had no problems since. I’m feeling great. But they made their decision, and it is what it is. It’s time for me to move on.

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Tower Of Power’s Statement On Rocco Asked for an update on Rocco Prestia’s status in ower ower Of Power, Power, bandleader Emilio Castillo sent BP the following statement: “While touring in Europe in October of 2017, Rocco was hospitalized in Hengelo, Netherlands. We were forced to play a few gigs with no bass at all before finally getting Dewayne Pate flown out from the States to fill in. Tis had happened several times over the last few years, and we were forced to make a difficult decision. Our plan at that time was to use Rocco only when the air travel was an hour or less, and we also decided that if he was hospitalized again, we would pull him off the road permanently. Soon after, he was hospitalized in L as Vegas, and so we made the decision to use Marc van Wangeningen from that point on. Marc had filled in countless times for Rocco and, as is prone to happen, we all got very comfortable with him playing with us. Rocco played some songs with us at our 50th Anniversary Celebration in June, but we now think of Marc as our bass player.” Rocco will remain on the band payroll permanently.

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What projects do you you have coming coming up? With the help of my friends at matchingdonors .com, we’re going to be doing some fundraising to finance a solo album. I pretty much have all of the material, which I co-wrote with [former OP guitarist] Jeff amalier. In addition, I’m putting together a band here in Las Vegas. I’m an original member of OP, OP, so we’ ll start playing that music and integrate originals as we go. We’ll be more rhythm-sectionfocused, and we’ll have a percussionist. I’m also going to accept private students here in Vegas and maybe get set up to do it online. Fans can follow my activities via my website [roccoprestia.com ]. How do you reflect on your half-century of playing? pl aying? I’m proud of the body of work with OP; I think there’s a lot of great music. Audiences seem to enjoy it and how it makes them feel, which is all t he more reaffirming. I’ve been blessed to have spent my career in a band that plays original music, giving me the opportunity to create my own parts. Out of that came a style that has apparently influenced other bass players. You can’t ask for more than that, and I’m not done yet. BP

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COOKIN’ ANDY WES WE S REURNS RE URNS WIH HE DIXIE DREGS

Earlier this year, the Dixie Dregs completed their highly successful Dawn of the Dregs tour, a return of the original lineup from their 1977 recording debut, Free Fall. Te quintet, which covered a wide range of Dregs music during their two-month run, features guitarist Steve Morse, drummer Rod Morgenstern, violinist Allen Sloan, keyboardist Steve Davidowski, and the inimitable, incandescent Andy West. Knowing that fretless 6-string maven and Berklee Bass Department Chair Steve Bailey is a huge fan of West and the band, we asked him to check in with Andy for an inside look at the tour and the pioneering Southern fusion band’s initial launch. ake it away, Steve! I REMEMBER EXACTLY THREE “FIRST LISTENS” IN

my early days—and early days—and when I say remember, I mean that I can still recall the exact location, situation, and even the smell of that moment. One of those three, which included Led Zeppelin and Chick Corea, was during the early summer of 1977, just before I graduated from high school; I was preparing to go on the road with a show band, to see if the music business was right for me. A dear friend, mentor, and drummer, Curtis Richardson, said, “Check this out,” and he gave me a cassette. I put it on in my car as I was leaving his house, and this driving bass bass line jumped out and crushed me. Te tape was not labeled, as he had copied it from vinyl. I listened to it repeatedly on my drive home and immediately called him and said, “Who is that?” What was that?” His calm and cool response, as was usual for him, was, “Tat is the Dixie Dregs, and the song is ‘Cruise Control.’” Instant Dregs fan! So, exactly to the day 41 years after the release of Free Fall, I am particularly honored to be speaking with that bassist, from that day, who has been an inspiration for decades.

How did the Dregs get back together for this run? It was basically a convergence of factors, such as professional timing, sentiment, and the inevitable march of time and its consequences. All of that coordinated in a “maybe it would be a good time to do this now” moment. We knew the opportunity to have the original lineup back together was something that shouldn’t be passed by. Tere was certainly a lot of detail, conversation, planning, and detective work that went into it, but that is the essence.

Wh at mater ial are you play ing, and what are your personal faves? We started with the idea of looking at what we could play, play, favoring songs from the early years, since that was the band that would be touring. But we all had our favorites, and listening to the first six albums, we ended up choosing songs from each one. I think we all fell in love again with the songs. I really enjoy “Te Odyssey,” for its raw power and emotional content, “Divided We Stand,” for its super-cool melodic interplay—which includes hidden bass melodies and chords—and “wiggs Approved,” for the groove and the guitar solos I got to listen to while I thumped along underneath. How did you re-learn your parts? I remembered a significant number of th em, but many of the songs were a complete redo in terms of learning. Back when we first learned the songs, we didn’t use written music or recordings; instead we would all get in a room together, and Steve would show us the song section by section, part by part. It was a completely old-school rock approach, and it took days and sometimes weeks to get a song down. But by the time we could play it, we could really play it. So this time around, I decided to do the same t hing, but on my own, of course. I went section by section and I picked out each note, and I played each part until I memorized that se ction, and then I went on to the next one. Being able to play music slowly without changing pitch has changed everything. I used Logic, Reaper, and a program Steve told me about called ranscribe!, which I think has the best slowing algorithm of all of the programs I heard. Sometimes I needed

BY STEVE BAILEY PHOOGRAPH BY FRED KUHLMAN

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INFO Andy West, Rama 1 [2002, Magna Carta]; Dixie Dregs, California

N E T S I L

Screamin’ [2000, [2000, Zebra], Industry Standard [1981, [1981, Wounded

Bird], Night of the Living Dregs [1979, Capricorn], What If [Capricorn, 1978], Free Fall [1977, [1977, Capricorn]

Basses 2017 Basses 2017 Geoff Gould GGi6 6-string, fretless Gould 5-string, early-2000s Gould 6-string, custom headless Gould 5-string Strings La Strings La Bella Sup er Polished Pure Nickel (.029, .043, .063, .083, .103, .125) P I U Q E

Picks Dunlop Picks Dunlop Gator-Grip .71mm, Dunlop Big Stubby Nylon 2.0mm Strap KLIQ Strap KLIQ AirCell AGS3 Live signal chain Line chain Line 6 Helix guitar processor, Eventide H9 Harmonizer, Tech Tech 21 Q\Strip EQ/preamp, custom Electro-Voice-power Electro-Voice-powered ed cabinets: two ETX15-SP powered subwoofers and two ETX12-P powered loudspeakers

T C E N N O C

Check in with West’s and the Dixie Dregs’ websites, watch a show from the new tour, and listen to West’s tune “Qubit.” bassplayer.com/lessons

to listen super slowly to hear what was happening. You can set up all of these programs to loop and replay, or control them with footswitches, which greatly speeds up the process. Have you changed any of the bass lines? Very little. little. A lot of the lines in Steve’s Steve’s music are either counterpoint or necessary supporting figures, so they’re pretty set. Plus, I really like them! I did make some changes to the fingerings and picking, though. I started playing a 6-string bass in the mid ’80s, after the Dregs, and it is my preferred instrument. Tat enabled me to modify some stuff for ease of playing. I’ve also changed some of my picking techniques, which I was able to apply. Have any of the songs evolved live? Most of the songs are like the recorded versions, as that seemed more the point of bringing all of these songs back to the fore. If we had been playing consistently for the past 40 years, naturally there would have been a lot of evolution. But as I said, we all love these songs, and in addition it was a practical matter, having to relearn two hours of music. Why do you you set up on stage-right? stage-right? Is it because because of Rod’s Rod’s left– left– handed hi-hat on that side? side? In this case, it was the same way we set up back in the day. I think it evolved because the violin and guitar were the focal centers of the band, and having the drums in the middle made sense, and it was the rock thing to do. And standing next to Steve helped make sure I was actually playing with him. What are the stylistic ingredients and the work ethic that made up the original Dregs sound?

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Steve’s compositions are consistently and almost classically tonal, and he doesn’t use a lot of super-thick jazz or dissonant voicings or melodies. Tat’s not to say it is limiting; he manages to explore that realm and always comes out with some combination of power, beauty, and I think even happiness, or some other poignant emotional content. Rhythmically, we learned a lot from the fusion bands of the era, but we were really coming from a rock orientation, so that was always present. As for the ethic, it was built upon hard work and practice, as well as listening to the audience. We experimented a lot, but we never forced people to listen to weird or outside stuff, just because we might have liked it. It was always about del ivering something we liked and that most of the people who showed up wanted. How does the University of Miami play into Dregs history? Tat’s where Rod and Allen met Steve, and then the four of us played together from that point. S o it was huge. You’re aware that Jaco was around there then, and we knew him, Pat Metheny, Hiram Bullock, and many other great players. It was eye-opening. What was your concept for the role role of of the bass in the Dregs, Dregs, and how did you come up with your bass lines? I always thought my role was simply to perform the songs. Tis involved a very rhythmic and busy picking style, and using melody from the compositions. It wasn’t really a “normal” role in the sense of exactly applying t hings you could get from listening to the bass greats of the day. Tese were architected songs to a large degree, and whenever I created a line, it fit in that architecture. Steve and I met in high school and started playing in bands together when we were teenagers. I kept up as best I could, but we both liked a lot of doubling for the power. When he started writing and showing me songs, I think I naturally played much more with a pick just trying to mimic him, and as he evolved his own picking style, I absorbed a lot of it. I think my ability to play in that way subtly influenced the composition, because he knew I could play a certain kind of thing in a certain way. Who got better grades grades in high school, you or or Steve? Steve, definitely. Both of his parents were teachers, I believe, or at least had advanced degrees, and he is one of the most brilliant men I have ever met. How have you grown as a player since the Dregs’ glory days? I’ve written a lot of music since then. I enjoy composing and collaborating with other musicians in writing. I’m also always working on technique and expanding my harmonic knowledge, which is still pretty basic. I have a lot of fun randomly exploring music and continuing to learn and find people to play with. Tis tour had really amped up my practice schedule, and consequently, my technique. We’ll have to see if that sticks around! Do you ever play with your fingers, and do you ever play fretless? Yes to both. both. I love the feel of fingers—and fingers—and for fretless it is fairly essential. But clearly, I love the pick, and live, it enables the listeners to actually hear an articulated note coming from the bass easier than with fingers. Tat isn’t always true, of course, but for

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a thickly orchestrated-sounding band like ours, it de finitely works. With regard to fretless, yes, I love playing it; I have a 6- and a 5-string. Several Dregs songs feature fretless, although I didn’t use one on the tour. What was your main bass on the the tour? My Geoff Gould GGi6; I had it made for the tour because I wanted the narrower spacing and 34" scale. It has two EMG soapbar pickups. Te bridge pickup is larger, Music Man-style, but with a split-coil option. Te controls are separate volume; one includes the split switch, stacked treble and bass boost/cut, and a stacked midrange control for frequency and boost/cut. I’ve played Geoff ’s basses since the mid ’80s. How has your gear and tone concept changed over the years? I think it’s basically the same, but better! I started years ago with a simple bass preamp, a crossover, power amp, and bass bins. I also used some midrange cabinets with 2x12 speakers. I’ve always loved a full-range sound, and I never got into the sound of a particular amp, preferring instead to pull sound out of the bass itself and/or effects. I still approach it the same way, but the current technology makes it a lot easier. You You and Victor Wooten both owned and played a Univox ’Lectra “Beatle bass”—coincidence? bass”—coincidence? Definitely a coincidence! Ha! I wouldn’t have thought he was even old enough to have gotten into one of those. I loved that bass, though. What is your practice practice routine, routine, and how how does does it differ from your early days? Still very basic stuff, but my routine used to be mainly doing scales and

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patterns. I was concerned with pure technique, speed, and being able to play the Dregs songs with fluency and articulation. Tose still matter to me, but I’m attempting to fill in lots of gaps. I’m trying to learn more about chords and harmony and be fluent and confident across the fingerboard. Obviously, Youube Youube and the bass and music-theor y content online is super helpful in finding useful areas to explore and work on. Are there any any plans for a new Dregs record record or more touring? “Never say never” is the trope, but there are no plans. Tis was a special and unique circumstance. What about your current current and future future plans plans and goals outside of of the Dregs? I have several projects lined up, and I’ ll always be doing eclectic bits of recording, and hopefully playing live. I have a ton of unfinished music I’m trying to get classified and into a master plan to see if any of it should emerge as a real effort. I feel incredibly lucky to have so many friends who are fabulous musicians that I can associate and work with. And, playing again at this level has really inspired me. BP

OFI T R O Y F E E S H E L P S U P P O R T T H E N O N - P R E N T R J O H N L E N N O N E D U C A T I O N A A L L T O U R B U S

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Gillett Slimline Contour Acoustic Ac oustic Bass Guitar B Y R O D C . T AY AY L O R

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I BOUGHT MY FIRST ACOUSTIC BASS GUI TAR

in the early ’90s, primarily so I could jam unplugged with my guitar-playing buddies in college. It was one of those inexpensive Applause basses, and at the time, I hardly gave much thought to using it in an amplified setting, even though it had a pickup. Basically, I tried it through my amp once and thought it didn’t sound nearly as good as my Fender. Over the last few decades, however, ABGs have improved greatly in their design and electronics, and I’ve long since adjusted my thoughts on plugging them in. Like regular acoustic/electric guitars, the tone of modern ABGs varies with the combination of shape, wood, and electronics. As such, ABGs offer players a variety of “plugged in” tonal options that substantially differ from their solidbody siblings, but they still provide every bit of bottom end a player wants on the bandstand. British luthier Michael Gillett beautifully taps into that sonic space with his Contour acoustic bass guitar series. While this review focuses on the fretless Gillett Slimline Contour 4-string, I spent over a month playing the full-body fretted and fretless 5-strings as well, and much of what I have to say applies to all three models, although the larger instruments have two pickups instead of one, and a blend control. Ultimately, I preferred the Sl imline 4 (for reasons I will get to), but each of these instruments was a pleasure to play. The first thing you’ll notice about this bass is the craftsmanship. I had barely pulled the bass out of the carton before snapping a picture and sending it to my father-in-law, who’s a master woodworker, with the caption, “Check this out!” Every aspect of this instr ument suggests that it’s built by a thoughtful craftsman


who considers himself both an engineer and an artist. While I reviewed the basses, I always kept one on prominent display in my living room, and everyone who visited commented on its beauty and admired its shape and unique design features. I also really dig the “sandwiched” constr uction and the contrasting wood choices that mark the instrument’s contoured sections. Speaking of the contoured sections, they speak to Michael Gillett’s thoughtfulness; you can definitely tell he is a bass player. My right arm per fectly fit in the front contour, which allowed easy access to all 19 frets on all strings. Te back contour tilts the bass up a bit, which is especially welcomed in the full-body models so that you aren’t reaching out too far to get around the instru ment. For the Slimline, I found that it tilted just a bit more than I would like, but that’s a subjective call. Because of the contoured sections, this ABG is one of the most comfortable I’ve played. After playing playing all three models for a week, I found found myself gravitating toward the Slimline 4, primarily because it’s lighter, its body is 3" narrower, and it just felt more like “home” to me. Acoustically, the bass sounds softer than some I’ve played, but I didn’t mind that at all. You can still hear it well enough when playing alongside an acoustic guitar. Our review basses came with Rotosound ru Bass black nylon-coated flats, which seem to help with creating a tone that gestures toward the upright. Te strings go through the bridge and anchor at

the very back of the bass, which can be conveniently accessed via a recessed cavity at the rear via a magnetic cover. Te controls on the Slimline are simple: tone and volume. Playing through my standard gigging rig, I had to do very litt le tweaking to get a beautiful tone that sat somewhere between a solid and hollowbody instrument. o be clear, it does not sound like an upright, but that th at is not what I’m after with an ABG. It might seem obvious, but when I pick up a handmade acoustic bass guitar, I want to hear a tone that makes it clear that you are playing just that—an acoustic instrument. Te Contour bass knocks it out of the park here. Whether played acoustically or plugged in, the tone is always earthy and well rounded, the treble clear, but not bright. Te Bareknuckle J-style neck-pickup placement surely plays a big role in that. Handmade instruments are usually expensive, and that’s no exception here, although the prices listed at right include a conversion from British pounds to dollars, as well as shipping and customs-clearance costs. On the U.S. side of the pond, you can try out a Gillett bass via Chicago’s luthiersaccessg cessgroup roup.com .com), Luthiers Access Group ( luthiersac where you can also see more pics and details of each model. If you’re in the U.K., you can demo one in Michael Gillett’s shop. If you do check them out, I’m positive that you will appreciate the comfort and playability of these beautifully designed instruments. BP

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SPECIFICATIONS Contour Acoustic Bass Guitars Street Slimline Contour 4-string, $3,900

(Contour 4-string, $4,200; Contour T T E L L I G

5-string, $4,600) Pros Superior comfort, no-nonsense

controls, beautiful aesthetics Cons None Bottom Line A handbuilt, custom ABG

that’s expertly designed and a pleasure to play. Top Sitka spruce Body Canadian maple “sandwich,” with

options of American cherry and walnut, zebrano, or mahogany Neck Canadian maple Scale length 31.5" Fingerboard Indian rosewood S C E P S

Nut width 41mm (1.6") Pickups Bareknuckle J-Bass, Schatten

Transducer Controls Blending system by Custom

Circuits with side-mounted controls Bridge Tufnol, 19mm spacing Tuners Hipshot Ultralite Finish Oil and wax Made in England Contact gillettguitars.co.uk


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Bassics BPA-1 BY JONATHAN HERRERA

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ONE OF THE COOL BYPRODUCTS OF

the industry-wide move toward lightweight Class D power amps with switchmode power supplies (SMPS) is the emergence of powered cabinets as a viable alternative to the traditional head-plus-cabinet rig. As high-output amps get smaller and lighter while running cooler, integrating them into a cabinet is easier than ever before, opening up a new product category that allows for intriguing new signal chains. Personally, I’ve been using a powered Wayne Jones 2x10 on a lot o f recent gigs, and among its many charms is the way it opens up my options for preamps. As a studio owner, I’m blessed to have a few ultra-high-end preamps and channel strips from manufacturers like Neve, Millenia, and ube ech. Perhaps it’s the more critical need for fidelity, or recording engineers’ deeper (and geekier) knowledge of circuit design, but top-shelf recording equipment is often made with a cost-no-object attention to detail and quality. Being able to pair all this rarefied gear with a hi-fi powered cab is the ultimate in bass luxury. Tat said, my studio preamps are expensive. For example, I love my ube ech MEC-1A, but at about $5,000 retail, it’s the last thing I can justify taking to a uesday-night jam session. Still, my special respect for studio-quality gear

keeps me hungry for less terrifying options to take out on gigs. Tat’s why I was excited to receive the Bassics BPA-1. Its designer, Malcolm oft, is one of a handful of true icons in recording engineering. His engineering credits are no joke (you may be familiar with one in particular, a little number called “Hey Jude” from some English band)—but he’s better known for his contributions to recording technology. As an engineer at London’s rident Studios, oft decided to tackle the design and construction of his own recording console that met all the studio’s requirements when it moved from 16to 24-track in the early ’70s. Te resulting console, the rident A Range, is among the most coveted in recording, right up there with legendary designs from Neve, API, and SSL. Since those days, oft has founded a few other companies dedicated to his seminal designs, including oft Audio and Ocean Audio. Given his u nimpeachable resumé, I was thrilled to see that his new venture, Bassics, is entirely dedicated to our instrument. We’re lucky!

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BPA-1 Street $500 Pros Versatile, particularly the EQ; musical S C I S S A B

and organic tone Cons Pots feel a bit too wiggly; would

prefer footswitchable input selectivity Bottom line A top-flight floor-mounted

preamp from one of the true icons of audio gear.

KEEP IT BASIC

Preamp topology Solid-state

Te company’s first product, the BPA-1 reviewed here, is a floor preamp that is usable as the fron t end to a power amp in a live rig or as a studio Continued on page 65

SPECIFICATIONS

Input impedance Switchable, 500k Ω–2MΩ Inputs Two q" (instrument) Outputs Pre/post q" and XLR, q" S C E P S

TUNER, q"

Tone controls

LOW BASS ±15dB

HIGH BASS ±15dB

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250Hz; MID BASS ±15dB @ 150Hz–800Hz; Weight 6.5 lbs

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THE INQUIRER

Active Electronics BY JONATHAN HERRERA

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IN MY PREVIOUS COLUMN, I TOOK A DEEP DIVE

are, why bother with an active system? Active basses have a into the elegant utility of passive electronics, describing the few key advantages over their passive brethren. First, almost circuit in detail and denoting that despite their simplicity, pasall active basses offer preamplification, conditioning an instrusive electronics are capable of a surprisingly broad array of ment’s sound in various ways to make it suitable for the much great tones. Tis time, we’re going to stick the battery in and larger amplification occurring in a rig. As a consequence of the talk about active electronics. typical preamp’s components, active preamps buffer the signal, As I described last month, “active” and “passive” as applied resulting in a low output impedance. Te advantage is two-fold: to bass electronics refer to the presence (or lack) of an First, a low-impedance signal is much less vulnerable to external power source. Unlike passive systems, an frequency loss over long cable runs, and second, it onboard active scheme requires the addition of doesn’t require a high input impedance at the amp electricity, typically from one or two 9-volt bator recording-console input to preserve fidelity. teries. Tis means that amplifying devices like Since active preamps have a suite of amplitransistors can be incorporated, allowing playfiers within them, most circuits allow for subers to boost their instrument’s output beyond stantial gain boosts and flexible EQ. In fact, it what’s generated by the passive induction of curcould be argued that the preamp of the averrent in the pickups. Power also makes it possiage bass head is somewhat redundant with ble to have frequency-selective volume control, the most flexible of the available active sys B�� P�� Senior Contribsomething we often call equalization or EQ. tems. Modern onboard systems can include up Te first mass-produced onboard active elecuting Editor Jonathan to four bands of EQ, sweepable frequency cenHerrera is the magazine’s tronics were found in the Music Man StingRay. ters, and an accompanying passive-style tone Other systems pre-date the StingRay (notably former Editor-in-Chief. An control, giving players the best of all worlds. accomplished player, Alembic basses), but Music Man was the fi rst Te handful of disadvantages of an active manufacturer to offer a bass with stock active Jonathan is now a full-time preamp include potential for increased noise, musician and producer. His electronics in large-scale production. Since then, susceptibility to dead batteries, and the potenactive systems can be found on basses from the latest endeavor is Bay Area tial to introduce distortion as the circuit runs recording studio Airship Labocheapest on that rack at your local Guitar Center out of headroom. Tat said, most contempoto bespoke custom basses costing over $10K. ratories. Catch up with him at rary circuits are relatively immune to these jonherrera.com and at A reasonable question many players have: shortcomings, with even battery life being on Given how versatile and reliable passive circuits airshiplaboratories.com. the order of months. BP

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BEHIND

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BASS

Harvey Citron & Steve Swallow BY JONATHAN HERRERA

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PHOOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL BLOOM

STEVE SWALLOW, SWALLOW, HUMBLE GENIUS AND TRUE BASS

iconoclast, is one of the coolest guys I know. And high-end luthier Harvey Citron of Citron Guitars in Woodstock, New York, feels exactly the same way. Since 1999, Citron has built Swallow’s instruments. All told, there are eight in existence and the ninth is on order. What’s unique about their relationship is its symbiotic collaboration. Teirs is truly a partnership, with each new bass representing further innovation, manifesting the insight that comes from two masters considering age old questio ns of timbre, playability, and tone. I spoke with Citron and Swallow about their almost 20-year relationship. Unfortunately, there isn’t nearly enough room here for the whole conversation, but look out online for an unedited transcript—trust me, you’ll want to. Citron We Citron We first met when I repaired your Parker, Steve. Swallow It Swallow It was destiny. Did you two already know each other?

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Swallow I Swallow I was only aware of Harvey as part of the VeilletteCitron brand in the ‘70s. So, when I reconnected with Harvey I had a foreknowledge of his work. Citron I Citron I delivered the first bass to Steve in February of ’99. Tat model, the AE-series, came from dissatisfaction with acoustic bass guitars. I tried new things, like using a magnetic pickup and a piezo transducer. Plus, I really wante d an intonation adjustable bridge, but that took awhile. Swallow Tat was something I also pushed hard for. Citron Tankfully! Just before I hooked up with Steve, I called [renowned luthier] Rick urner and said, Rick, I really want to have an intonation adjustable bridge. He said, It can’t be done and no one cares! At first I listened to him, but not completely. I also talked to Rob urner at EMG and he said, I can give you what you need for separate EQ on the magnetic and piezo. Steve heard that and oved it, but he really neede d an intonation adjustable bridge. Swallow Te Swallow Te first bass you made for me did have a magnetic

pickup, but every instrument since have only had piezo pickups. Everything that was necessary to put the magnetic in the bass had the effect of constricting the vibration of the body. Were you looking for an alternative to the Parker? What sound were you in search of? I was always looking. From the time I began to play electric there were aspects I wasn’t happy w ith, having had a life as an acoustic player. Tere were elements in the timbre of acoustic that I was yearning for, even though the electric had captured my heart. I liked the Parker, but felt I wasn’t pushing forward. Harvey seemed to be pointing in the direction I wanted to go. How would you characterize that direction? Swallow Te Swallow Te sound I want now is one I haven’t yet heard. I feel like a train that lays its own tracks. It ’s an image I got from an Austrian writer named Robert Musil who wrote a book called Te Man Without Qualities. Te instruments that we’ve come up with are showing us what’s possible and what’s next. I’m hoping for the kind of complexity and roundness and warmth that an acoustic instrument provides, but I’m also looking for the singing sustain that a solid body instrument provides. Luckily Harvey is a bit of dreamer, too, and he’s unafraid of expe rimentation and the unknown. He seems willing to try anything , and that encourages me to flights of fantasy that I’d always been discouraged to exercise before. When I was 20-years-old and trying desperately to learn acoustic I was under the wing of a wonderful piano player, Paul Bley. He said, You get the sound you hear. Tat’s something that’s stuck in my head to this very day. Tere is a sound that I hear that we’re getting closer and closer to, but it defies description. It falls into the category of those things you know when you see. How did that first bass differ from the production AE5 it was based on? Citron It Citron It had a much narrower neck and 24 frets instead of 22. Also, Steve travels all the time and until recently spent the winter in ortola, so that first neck went beserk. From that point forward I’ve used graphite strips in the neck and we haven’t had any issues. With subsequent basses we started to screw around with the piezos. At first Steve wanted more E string. Swallow And Swallow And more C . [Swallow plays a 5-string tuned E–C. ] Citron Tat Citron Tat was later. First, we went from a single piezo to two piezos, one for the low E and one for the rest. Each was buffered

separately with their own volume. Ten I added one to the C string string and it had its own volume. At some point I redesigned the bridge and we ended up with six piezos and three buffers. Swallow Tat Swallow Tat was a golden moment. How are the piezos arranged in the bass? Citron Tere’s Citron Tere’s a “sub saddle” under the intonation adjustable saddles. At the leading and trailing edges of the sub saddle there are little troughs front and back; the piezos lay in the troughs like train track. Tere’s a pair for the E. A pair for A–G and a pair for the C string. string. Swallow Each Swallow Each pair is ganged into a buffer circuit, and I have three trim pots that I can adjust to make each string equal in volume. It was an important moment, but you can imagine that it’s difficult to know which of the several changes on each instrument had a decisive effect, because everything is interacting. It’s half science and half serendipity. Swallow And Swallow And feel. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is to back off at various points in the process. I just tell Harvey that he knows what to do as he touches the wood. It’s been valuable to this process for me to learn to shut my mouth and go home. Te wood will speak to you. Te wood is telling you to make it a little thinner or thicker. I have to be absent from the process when Harvey is doing that stuff. It has to be between him and the materials. Tat’s a vital part of how these instruments sound. Tat real-time interaction. And any player that ge ts intim ate wit h his instrum ent al so become sensitive. In all the acoustic basses I had, the process of learning that instrument was about learning what the bass demanded. You accept that as part of the joy of living with the instrument. Just as you learn not to speak for the first five minutes your best friend wakes up next to you in the morning [Laughs.]. You have to be very sensitive to what the instrument wants and insists on. I love making that trade off. rying to see how far I can get from the Fender Precision. Which is a magnificent kind of Platonic Ideal of an electric bass. It’s remarkable how much Leo Fender got right. In effect what Harvey and I are looking for is the other end of the spectrum. If the P is one end, where’s the other end? Part of the glory of what Harvey has done is that he’s extended the other end of the spectrum by a significant amount, and it ain’t over yet. Wait until you hear bass nine! BP


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J A Z Z C O N C E P T S

“Liberty City” Through The Cycle, Jaco-Style BY JOHN GOLDSBY

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WHETHER SOLOING , PLAYING PLAYING IN A RHYTHM SECmoves down and the melody moves up. Jaco chooses the #11 tion, or composing a standard-in-the-making, Jaco Pastorius 11 chord and the b13 on E7# 9( 9( b13). Te Ab7 in bar on the F7# 11 always found the best notes—great bass lines, with cool mel2 is a passing chord leading to the A9 in bar 3. Te melody note odies, slathered in hip harmonies. Last month, we looked at on the A9 is the 9th, the note B. In bar 4, the note F is the #9 of songs that have two chords in the harmony. Tis time, let’s the D7# 9 chord. Te melody in bar 5 lands on the 13th of the B13 explore a chord progression that winds through a few more chord, the note G# . In bar 6, Jaco continues in the funky vein, using 9( # 1 harmonic back-alleys: Jaco’s brilliantly conthe note D, the b7 of E7# 9( #11) 1). Te recurring structed “Liberty City.” rhythmic hook in bar 7 hammers away on the Te defining bass lick in “Liberty City,” as note G, which is the b7 of A7. Te repeated G then INFO shown in Ex. 1, bounces up and down on a G7 becomes the sus4 of the D7sus chord. chord. Tis is the tune ’s get-groovy gravy. Te In early recorded versions of “Liberty Cit y,” y,” John was never meat-and-potatoes melody comes after the various instruments play the melody: steel good at the Liberty bass vamp. Example 2 shows how the melody, drums, harmonica, and horns. You can play City video game, chord changes, and bass line flow in a bluesy, Ex. 2 as a duet with yourself yourse lf or a friend. Record but he likes to play Y funky, and sometimes dissonant counterpoint the bass line in a loop, and then record the B on the changes of S through the eight-bar form. melody track on top. Be sure to leave open a D the Jaco tune by L he beauty of the composition lies in its few extra choruses for your solo! O the same name. G Check out his video simple chord progression, juxtaposed with altered Examples 3 and 4 show solo choruses N lesson series chord-tones in the melody. Play the bass line in based on the harmony of “Libe rty City.” If we H O The Upright Bass Ex. 2 (bottom staff). You serve the tune by hitonly look at the root movement, we see that J Handbook , at ting the root of every chord in half-notes. half-notes. Te the chords move in a cycle: G, (F), E, ( Ab), A, truefire.com and D, B, E, A, D. Te solo line in Ex. 3 hits many “R” under a note indicates that it’s the root of the johngoldsby.com johngoldsby.com. chord. Te b7 and the 3rd appear in a couple of of the choice melody notes, like the #11 (the 11) chord, the b 13 (the # 11) spots as passing tones to the next root. Listen to note B) on the F7( # • Listen to to Jaco any version of Jaco playing this line, and marvel 9( b13), and the 9 (the note B) note C ) on E7# 9( romp through his A9 at how simple he keeps things. Half-notes and on . Arpeggios flesh out the harmony in brilliant composiroots, half-notes and roots. a few spots, like on the A9 and B13 chords. tion “Liberty City” Check out the melody against the bass line, Example 4 brings the solo line into the with the Word Of and you’ll hear the magic of harmony as it unfolds Mouth Big Band. upper register of the bass. Here the line is also • Don’t give give the (Ex. 2, top staff). Basement dwellers: Note the targeting juicy altered notes from the melody: piano player an treble clef in the melody staff. For aspiring com B on the F7( # 11) chord, C on 9( b13), # 11) on the E7# 9( T excuse to fire posers, this is a great method for sketching out and B on the A9. Note the double-stops in C E you! Learn about a composition: Compose a melody, and then bar 7, which mirror the rhythmic hook that N N altered-dominant find complementary bass notes. Once you have occurs every chorus. O chords. C a strong melody and bass line, the harmony— Listen to some of Jaco’s versions of Mark at talkingbass the notes in between—will become apparent. Te “Liberty City” to absorb the composition’s .net will blow your chord tones of the melody are indicated above the sound and vibe. Next month, we’ll explore mind explaining notes: R, #11, b13, 9, #9, 13, b7, and 11. Tese key parts of the song that we didn’t cover in altered chords! colorful upper extensions give the melody a vocal, this Woodshed. In the meantime, pick up your bassplayer.com/ poignant character. lessons bass—the “Liberty City ” chord progression is In the first two bars of Ex. 2, the bass line a playground for jamming! BP


i

N R A E L

W


D E H S D O O W

R&B GOLD

Looking At 1968 BY ED FRIEDLAND

|

AFTER LAST MONTH’S LOOK AT 1967, LET’S JUMP

playing of Lenny Brown. Not much information is available on ahead and examine 1968, the year the assassinations of Martin Brown, who is said to have worked with Mayfield and the ImpresLuther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy shocked the world, leaving sions between 1966–68. Sadly, just a few months after “We’re a an indelible mark on America’s America’s collective consciousness. Tese Winner” hit #1, Brown and fellow Impressions Billy Griffin (drums) events gave momentum to the already-expanding civil rights strugand Joseph Tomas (guitar) were killed in a Georgia car wreck. Lisgle, and they inspired James Brown to use his music to address tening to Brown’s adventurous playing, one can only imagine the current social concerns. “Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud” grooves this 26-year-old firecracker may have gone on to create. was Brown’s shout-out to the African- American community, and Example 1 emulates the pickup and basic groove of the verse. its infectious groove put it at the top of the Billboard R&B char ts It’s a unique take on what I call the “bom-bom” groove—named for six weeks. Te significance of this song at that point in time because the two eighth-notes on beat one can be sung as “bomcannot be overstated: Not only was it a rallying cry for communal bom.” Te structure of the two-bar phrase sets up a fairly typical pride, as a hit record it reached ears of all colors, building a bridge first measure, starting with “bom-bom” on the root (Eb) and anticof funk that crosses social boundaries to this day. Perusing the list ipating the 6th on the “and” of beat two, a pattern that echoes of #1 R&B hits from that year, we see the usual suspects making the Impressions’ 1965 hit “People Get Ready.” Ready.” Beats three and four the groove happen—James Jamerson dominated the field, play Bb sus) in bar 2. But are a walkup to the next chord—the Vsus ( Bb ing on eight #1 hits that year! Other bassists represented include Brown delays the beginning of the lick to the “e” (the 2nd 16thommy Cogbill and Jerry Jemmott (both with Aretha Franklin), note) of beat three, giving it a jerky but-funky start as he moves David Hood, Ronnie Baker, and Duck Dunn (who are all featured up chromatically to the Bb Bb . Bar 2 is unusual in that you might in my book Te R&B Masters: Te Way Tey Play , 2005, Backbeat). expect him to leave some space after hitting the peak of the preIn the R&B Gold extraction process, I often find a stor y other vious walkup. He “bom-boms” the root on beat one and immedithan the one I planned for. In this case, it was discovering the song ately starts another off-beat walkup back to the I chord starting “We’re a Winner” by the Impressions, with Curtis on the “e” of beat two. Beat three continues the synMayfield on lead vocals. Recorded in Chicago and copated rhythm, but the line finally hits the downreleased in 1967, the track hit the #1 slot the week beat on beat four for for two solid eighths that set up INFO of March 1, 1968. While James Brown’s “Say It the repeat of the phrase. While it sounds typical Loud …” is widely hailed for its theme of empowof the time period, it is deceptively tricky to nail D Ed Friedland of erment, “We’re a Winner” arrived earlier, serving this line. Example 2 is similar to what Brown plays N Tucson, Arizona, is A as an unofficial anthem for the civil rights moveat the end of the verse when the progression goes L currently touring D ment. Te inspired chorus refrain of “moving on to the IV chord. Later in the track, there is a four E I with Grammy R Award winners the up” predates a certain ’70s sitcom by several years, bar instrumental break to the IV chord that is set F and it’s underpinned by the seriously funky bass up with a one-measure rhythmic figure, and while D Mavericks.

i

E

54


Brown plays some cool stuff (approximated in Ex. 3), to my ear it sounds like he got off track in the last bar. Instead of returning to the root of the IV chord, he walks up to Eb, which is the root of the I chord. Luckily, this works anyway, as the note is also the 5th of the IV chord. He saves it with a chromatic walkup to the V, V, squarely landing on the nex t verse ’s downbeat with a hearty “bom-bom” on the root. After Le nny Brown’s untimel y death, he was replaced i n the Impressions by Joseph “Lucky” Scott, who later followed Curtis Mayfield into his solo career. I briefly mentioned Scott in the September ’16 installment of R&B Gold when I highlighted his iconic groove on the title track of Superfly. But back to 1968: Te year started out with Gladys Knight & the Pips’ famous recording of “I Heard It Trough the Grapevine” in the # 1 slot, held

Eb

= 99

1 . X E

Bbsus

Cm7

8 5 8 8 10

5 6

Eb7

6

6 6

8

Ab7

2 . X E

7 6

8 6

Eb7

6

1 3

4

4

0

1

Ab7

6 6

6

1

Eb

3 . X E

over into the new year for one week after five weeks on top at the end of ’67. Tis track is one of James Jamerson’s finest examples of theme and variation, and the syncopated 16th-note 16th-note style he developed was firmly locked in at this point. Te year ended with Marvin Gaye’s version of “Grapevine” featuring Jamerson again, but with a slower eighth-no te groove that has become legendary. Gaye’s Gaye’s version hit #1 for the last three weeks of the year and carried over into 1969 for another four weeks on top. Te year began and ended with the same song in the #1 chart position, performed by two different artists for the same record label, and using mostly the same players. When you consider the virtual ownership Motown had on the 1960s R&B and pop charts, a coincidence like this is not so far-fetched—but it does qualify as a nugget of R&B Gold! BP

3

4

5

6

Db

6

6

4

6

4

Ab7

5 6

6

6

6

6

4

6

4

8

4

4

5

6

6

6 4

4

3 6

6

4

5 3 4

4

3 4

4

4

5

5

6

5

6

8

6 8


55


N O I T P I R C S N A R T

�

Robert Sledge playing


a Gibson Les Paul Bass with Ben Folds Five

Ben Folds Five’ Five’s s “Uncle “Uncl e Walte Walter” r” Robert Sledge’s Complete Bass Line BY STEVIE GLASGOW

|

WITH THEIR WRY WORDSMITHERY, KILLER HOOKS, HIP VOCAL

harmonies, and genre-hopping prowess, piano-based threesome Ben Folds Five provided a fresh sound during the grunge-dominated mid ’90s. Over the course of a stop–start 17-year-long association, the group from Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Folds on piano and vocals, drummer Darren Jessee, and bassist Robert Sledge) produced four studio albums that bristle with power pop/alt-rock gems. Sledge came to the bass at 11, via viola and guitar. A self-proclaimed “prog-rock and fusion kid,” he ’shedded songs by Yes, Rush, Genesis, Allan Holdsworth, and the Dixie Dregs, and he cites Paul McCartney, Jack Bruce, Noel Redding, John Entwistle, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Carol Kaye, James Jamerson, and Joe Osborn among his low-end influences. After playing in a succession of cover bands and metal groups, Sledge fronted local thrash-funk unit oxic oxic Popsickle. “I was pushing myself to play like Les Claypool,” he recalls. “I was ver y inspired by [Primus’] ‘ommy the Cat’ and the way Les could sing and play that. oxic Popsickle was great preparation for playing with Ben, because I was able to sing and play anything he threw at me.” “Uncle Walter” is one of the standouts from Ben Folds Five’s self-titled debut album [1994, Passenger]. Robert dishes up a neck-spanning study in melodically supportive bass playing, a bonus tutorial on the tasteful use of fuzz, and an effervescent solo. Sledge reports that he used a Dunlop ortex pick (.73) on a Gibson Explorer-shaped Hamer B litz bass strung with D’Addario roundwounds (.045–.100), (.045–.100), running his signal through an Electro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix Big Muff into a solid-state Fender BXR 300 head with a 4x12 Fender guitar cabinet miked with a Shure SM57. “We did the record as a series of sets, playing everything live,” he notes. Following a short drum pickup, Robert announces the song’s main theme: a fuzz-heavy, four-bar-long, four-bar-long, chord-tone-based line played high up the neck. (Dig

56


how he uses the major 6th as a color tone on beat two of the first two bars of the theme, before stepping down to the 5th of the A and G chords.) “Ben actually wrote that main bass line,” elucidates Sledge. “Compositionally it was just right. I wasn’t going to mess with it.” Te texture changes for the first verse at letter A, with the piano dropping dropping out and Sledge kicking off his Big Muff to rock a clean octave-based line, laced with funky 16th ghost-notes. On his use of distortion, he offers: “I’d been experimenting with fuzz since I was a kid. If I wanted a scene change and a lot of intensity, I’d turn it on. Te Big Muff is like an extension of my hands at this th is point. You can get a lot of sounds out of it, and it’s got a lot of dynamics.” dyna mics.” Te heavily syncopated bridge section (B) leads to a seven-bar-long chorus (C). where the piano and bass bang out strong V7–I ( A7–D) chords and redeploy the rising chromatic idea from the intro and verse, further consolidating the song’s structure. Note the tight lock between Sledge ’s bass and Jessee’s kick drum in this section, as well as the knowing use of space in bars 25 and 27. Bars 32–35 (D) reiterate the main theme, followed by a second verse, and a bridge and chorus (bars 36–58) that echo previous material, leading to a nine-bar middle section at letter E. Here Robert feeds off Folds’ laidback vibe, playing bossa-flavored root-5th lines in

bars 59–64 and a sweet fill in bar 62. A piano solo (F) precedes a third bridge section and chorus (G–H), followed by a second piano break ( I), which morphs into the bass solo at J. “Tat was punched—the rest of the song was done in one take,” Sledge explains. “We were actually just trying to get the feedback to happen at the right time [bars 103–106]. Te guys were like, ‘Just go for something crazy, and make it crazier,’ so that’s what I did. Tey just couldn’t stop me, man. I was too excited,” he laughs. Observe how Robert twice uses the song’s main hook as a springboard (bars 108–109 and 112– 113) to launch into his niftily picked lines, fashioned primarily from the D major scale. Regarding the sassy bends that occur between bars 116 and 121, Robert says, “Tey’re a very Souther n kind of bend, very country. I was copying an Andy West solo from a Dixie Dregs song.” Following the solo, a final piano break ( K ) drives the song to a jazz-inflected close.

“Uncle Walter” = 144

Transcription by Stevie Glasgow

A7

Intro

After releasing two more more albums, Ben Folds Five split in 2000, reconvening in 2012 to record Te Sound of the Life of the Mind , before entering hiatus again. Sledge remains musically active, playing a wide variety of gigs ranging from jazz to disco, as well as doing local sessions, commercial work, and teaching. He has an ongoing jazz residency at the 2nd Wind in Carrboro, North Carolina, and he’s in the middle of making a record with his latest band, Surrender Human. “I hadn’t listened to ‘Uncle Walter’ in a couple of years, and I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “Te solo sounded like this explosion of music. I thought it was messier than it was. I didn’t play it that way most of the time; I played it a lot more cleanly live. It was nice to hear that it sounded chaotic and insane, but like it had a point, too.” On copping the feel of the song, h e laughs, “Just jump up and down for a while to get your hear t going and your limbs circulated.” BP

D/F#

G6

Em7

D

12 1 2

10

w/dist. S

S

14 16 14 12

5

16 14 12 10

A7

S

9

A

12 9

9

D/F #

G6

10 11

Em7

D

12

10

12 13 1 4

12 14 14

S

14 16 14 12

12 14 12 10 14 12 10

12

16

14

12

12 14 10

10

A7

12

12 14

12 1 0

9

9

10 12

12

D/F#

G6

13

11

12

14

Em7

D (

(dist. off)

(2nd time)

(2nd time)

7 5

5

5 (5) (5) 5

5

4

3

3

(3) (3)

3

3

3

A7

12

2

2

9

5

6 7

7 8

0

5

0

D/F# D/F#

G6

Em7

D

(1st time only)

(2nd time)

7 7 8

)

9

7 2 3

4

5 5

5 (5)(5) 5 5

4

3 3

(3)(3) 3 3

3

2

2

0 0

5

“Uncle Walter”

Words and Music by Ben Folds Copyright © 1995 Sony/ATV Sony/ATV Music Publishing L LC and Fresh Avery Music. All Rights Administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Suite 1200, Nashville, TN 37219. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard LLC.


57

N R A E L

�

Y A L P

D/F#

Em7

D

A7

G6

110

H C E T E C A F

19 19 16 16 19 19 16 19 21 19

21

19 19

21 21

19 19

21

S

19

14 14 14 1 6 1 4

21

12

12 12

S

13 12

16 14 1 2

K N I L

D/F#

Em7

D

A7

14 12 12

G6

114


B

14 16

14 16 14

16 14 16

14

D/F#

16

B

Em7

Rw

B

16 (18) (18)(18)(18)(18) 16 (18) 16 14

14 14

16

D

14 (16)(16)(16)(16)(16)(16)(1 (15) 5) 14 12

14

A7

118

S

11 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 14 14

15 15 15 15 15 16 16 16 16 16 17 17 17 17

19

16 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 16 14 16

D/F#

G6

Em7

D

B

(dist. off)

B

(16)(16)(16) (16)(16) 14 (16) (16)14 14(16)(16)(16) 14 12

11111111121 11111111212 2 12 12 13 12 11 11 9

14

D/F#

G6

125

Em7

H

12 11 11 9 11 11 11 11 11 9

D

9

9

9

Em7

D

7

5

7

9

9

7

7

5

7

A7

8

9

9 1 0 11

G6

H


3

4

2

3

4

5

H

111212 111212 111212 111212

H

H

12 12 111212 12 12 1 11 11 2 12 12

D/F #

Em7

2

0

H

1 0 1 0 9 1010 10 10 10 9 101 1010 0

D7

5 2

60

9

H

G6

H

10 10 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

D/F#

12 12

A7

H

130

A7

J

121

2

0

5 5

7

B A S S S H O W C A S E


61

E S A C W O H S S S A B 62


B A S S S H O W C A S E


63

T H G I L T O P S S S A B 64


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Bassics BPA-1 BPA-1 continued from page 46

unit with a balanced direct output. It offers a good deal of flexibility, with two switchable inputs for dual-instrument use, three bands of EQ, both preand post-EQ XLR outputs, a compressor, and a �� switch. For the most part, the BPA-1 is ruggedly built. Given it’s designed for the sticky hellscape that is the stage floor, it ought to be. Te robust wedge-shape d case felt substantial, as did the jacks and switches. Te pots, however, wiggled a bit more than I would like; it’s hard to say whether this would prove problematic during long-term use. Peeking inside revealed a neatly laid-out printed circuit board utilizing throughhole parts. Most of the unit’s functionality comes courtesy of circuits utilizing the LO74 JFE-input op-amp, an extremely common IC used in audio for its low noise, good bandwidth, and fast slew rate. Te look inside also revealed that the BPA-1’s balanced outputs are op-amp driven, not transformerbalanced. Some audio nuts prefer transformers for their slight coloration, while others think op-ampbalancing provides the most hi-fi signal. Indeed, the BPA-1’s balanced outputs sounded crystal-clear and transparent throughout testing. he BPA-1 is quite flexible, considering its

relatively small size. I really dug the two 1/4" inputs, since I often double on bass and synth on gigs. Tat I could se parately adjust the le vel of �� added even more flexibility, although I was disappointed that switching between the inputs is done via a small pushb utton on the front panel . Given all the BPA-1’s footswitchable footswitchable functions, neglecting to make the inputs footswitchable feels like an oversight. If it ’s a matter of space, I’d happily replace the �� function, for example. Perhaps you’ll see things differently. Each of the BPA-1’s three EQ bands can be activated via footswitch, and each band is colorfully backlit when on for quick ID of active bands. As mentioned above, the entire EQ circuit can also be bypassed by footswitch. Te EQ is precise and musical, with even substantial cu ts and boosts yielding good tone. Te frequency ranges are well chosen, although I’d personally like to see the �� range (confusingly called �� on the switch label) extend further than 3kHz, to add more sheen and sizzle. Te single-k nob VCA compressor works great. Te ratio and attack/release times are preset for bass, while the knob controls threshold and any necessary makeup gain. Associated with the compressor—and the �� and �� controls—is an LED-based multi-segment meter to indicate gain and ensure you have good gain staging through the preamp. I tried the Bassics with a few PA-style power amps, as well as powered cabs from Wayne Jones and Bergantino. I also used it to record direct to hard drive in my studio. Te results were stellar. It had a natural and thick sound, with good low-end response and well-textured, appealing mids. Te compressor was good at taming transient peaks at subtle settings, which is how I tend to use compressors. Te flexibility to bring individual EQ bands (or the entire circuit) in and out meant I could substantially alter my tone with e ase. Overall, the relatively inexpensive BPA-1 has some of the classy vibe of my h igh-end gear, and its excellent form factor and versatility make it a truly useful front end for a variety of environments. Definitely worth a closer look. BP


65

D

By Jim Roberts

Mark Dronge Of DR Strings

MARK DRONGE, THE PRESIDENT

Jim Roberts was the founding editor of

BASS PLAYER and

also served as the magazine’s publisher and group publisher. He is the author of How the Fender Bass Changed the World

and American Basses: An Illustrated History History & Player’s Guide (both

published by Backbeat Books/Hal Leonard).

66

of DR Strings, grew up in the music industry. His father, Alfred, founded Guild Guitars in 1952 and was a prominent figure in the musical-instrument business until his untimely death in a 1972 plane crash. Mark’s wife, Elisabet, is from the family that made Levin guitars in Sweden, sold in the U.S. under the Goya name. Django Reinhardt used a Levin on his 1946 Amer ican tour, and Julie Andrews played a Goya on a mountaintop in Te Sound of Music . Making strings, Mark says, was something his father considered, but Guild never entered the market. “For various reasons, one being a lack of space, it didn’t happen,” he says, “but I got a chance in 1989 and started DR Str ings.” Te company purchased its first string-making


machines from Daniel Mari, who had worked at E. & O. Mari/La Bella before starting his own string business. “Danny sold us two machines and taught us how to make strings. We started out in Bergen County, New Jersey, and we’ve stayed there.” Early on, Mark had a partner named Ben Rapoport—thus DR— but he bought him out about 20 years ago, and DR Strings has remained a privately held family business ever since. DR Hi-Beams—the company’s first bass set—made a strong impression when they were introduced. Roundwound stainless-steel strings, they were similar to other high-grade bass strings on the market in the late ’80s, with two key differences: Tey have a round core and are handmade. Te round core makes them more flexible than hexagonal-core strings and gives them a unique sound, a bit less bright than other stainlesssteel strings but still clear and punchy, with a nice growl. One early endorser wa s Marcus Miller, who appeared in the company’s ads in the ’90s and used DR strings for 25 years; the current artist roster includes Victor Wooten, Verdine White, Jeff Berlin, Sting, and other top players. Making round-core strings using DR’s hand-winding process is tricky, says Mark. “It takes more time and requires a couple of extra steps. You have to slow the machine down, because the wrap wire won’t grip the round core like it will a he x core. And we put a couple of flat spots at the top of the string, so the wrap wire can grip something.” DR’s line now has ten types of bass strings, including both round-core and hex-core sets, as well as ones for acoustic bass guitar and drop tuning. Te latest addition is Pure Blues, round-core strings

with a “Quantum Nickel” wrap. Ed Friedland tested them for a Soundroom review in BP’s May ’15 issue, praising their performance for both slapping and fingerstyle playing. Regarding the Quantum Nickel, Ed quoted Mark as saying it is “a unique alloy that has never been used for bass strings, from a supplier that does not typically deal with the musical instrument market.” Moving forward, Mark reports that DR Strings is at work on another new formulation, “a completely new bass string we hope to bring out at Winter NAMM [in January 2019], and we’re thinking about a second type, which will take longer to perfect.” Even with all the changes in the music business over the past 30 years, Mark affirms that he remains devoted to the company’s founding principles. Te DR Strings factory is still in Bergen County, New Jersey, with many employees who have more than 20 years of service. All of its wire comes from U.S. manufacturers. (“Tere are fewer suppliers than there used to be, but it’s out there.”) Many of the strings are still made using the hand-winding process, which requires months of employee training. Production improvements remain a continuing focus. And—most important—quality control is Mark’s supreme concern. “One time, when we were working together at Guild, I said to my father, ‘I don’t understand why we’re always trying to make such good products. Why can’t we make them a little faster and make more of them?’ And he said to me, ‘Tere will always be a demand for qualit y. You always have to do the very best you can. Period.’” For more about DR Strings, go to drstrings.com. BP

BP Magazine 08/18

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