Bass Player - August 2014

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(2) ghsstrings.com. 800.388.4447.

(3) 150 watts - 15” HyDrive Speaker. 25 watts - 8” HyDrive Speaker. 75 watts - 12” HyDrive Speaker. 50 watts - 10” HyDrive Speaker. COMBINING FORCES.. INTRODUCING HARTKE HD SERIES BASS COMBOS Whether you’re performing on late night TV, in a jazz club, on a rock stage or simply practicing in a rehearsal space or bedroom, Hartke’s patented HyDrive speakers are now affordable to everyone. Available in four distinctive models, the HD Series Combos offer power, precision and punch, no matter what style of music you play. © 2014 Hartke | Photo: Neil Zlozower | hartke.com.

(4) ANDY CICHON. Billy Joel / Shania Twain / Shotgun Wedding. NEW! V-4B. NEW! SVT-212AV. IT’S STILL ROCK AND ROLL TO ME Behind virtually every great artist and history’s most enduring songs is a bass player who counts on Ampeg to deliver the very best tone possible. Whether it’s pop, rock or country, Andy conquers any genre and delivers flawless tone no matter with whom he shares the stage. And the Ampeg V-4B is the only amp he turns to for perfection every time. From amazingly portable and value-loaded combos to arena-rattling SVT rigs, Ampeg will have your fans saying, “You’ve got us feeling alright.”. THE ROUND SOUND ampeg.com. Photo by Sandrine Lee. Copyright © 2013 LOUD Technologies Inc. All Rights Reserved..

(5) “Best service I’ve received from ANY store!” Wyndell from Mckinney, TX. Knowledgeable Staff, Top Brands, and Competitive Prices – That’s the Sweetwater Difference! 55-POINT EVALUATION PROVIDES MAXIMUM PLAYABILITY Nearly every bass and guitar that we stock receives a detailed 55-point Evaluation by our experts before it’s shipped. We make sure it looks and sounds great — and plays as well as it possibly can — right out of the box! Visit Sweetwater.com/55-point for more details.. GUITAR GALLERY SHOWS YOUR ACTUAL BASS OR GUITAR Sweetwater’s online Guitar Gallery lets you check out our world-class inventory of basses and guitars in beautiful multiple-photo detail. Then, you can pick the exact bass or guitar you want by serial number! Visit Sweetwater.com/guitargallery.. Vintage Hot Rod '70s Jazz Bass JBassVHR70CAR. RB-1004 LRB1004BMHN. (800) 222-4700 Sweetwater.com 2-YEAR WARRANTY**. Total Confidence Coverage™ Warranty. FREE PRO ADVICE We’re here to help! Call today!. FAST, FREE SHIPPING. On most orders, with no minimum purchase!. 24 MONTHS SPECIAL FINANCING AVAILABLE. ON SELECT BRANDS, USING YOUR SWEETWATER MUSICIAN’S ALL ACCESS PLATINUM CARD, THROUGH AUGUST 31, 2014* *Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. Call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer for details or visit Sweetwater.com/financing. **Please note: Apple products are excluded from this warranty, and other restrictions may apply. Please visit Sweetwater.com/warranty for complete details..

(6) PLAY. LEARN. C ontents |. VOLUME 25, NUMBER 8. |. B A S S P L AY E R . C O M. D B. TECH. AUGUST 2014. TABLE OF CONTENTS. LINK. FACE. D E PA RT M E N T S. 10. BASS NOTES. 22 26. 28. MIKE GORDON. SOUNDROOM. 40. 54. 68. DAFT PUNK’S “GIORGIO BY MORODER”. Session vet James Genus stretches out on the jazzy techno jam from Random Access Memories.. Cover Photo: Joke Schott BASS PLAYER (ISSN 1050-785X) is published 13 times a year, monthly plus a Holiday issue to follow the December issue, by NewBay Media LLC, 1111 Bayhill Drive, Suite 125, San Bruno, CA 94066. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Bruno, CA and at additional mailing offices. Canadian GST No. R13288078, Customer No. 2116057, Agreement No. 40011901. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Bass Player, Box 469069, Escondido, CA 92046.. 6. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. WOODSHED. After three decades of reeling it in, Gordon suddenly re-invents himself with a wild live show, a new solo album, and new Phish tracks. By Jon D’Auria. JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL Scenes from New Orleans’ 45th annual bash JOSH SMITH More than metal with Halestorm IAN HILL Breaking the mold with Judas Priest CHRIS MORRISSEY Northern hero with Sara Bareilles BP RECOMMENDS. WARWICK Streamer CV 4-string 48 G&L LB-100 4-string 50 GREENBOY AUDIO Fearless 112 cabinet 53 DUNLOP Super Bright strings 46. TECH BENCH. The mastermind behind the category-busting Snarky Puppy talks arranging, composing, and being the “fun police” of ace musicians. By Chris Jisi. COMMUNITY The Real World, Dig My Rig, Court of Opinion. EXPO Randy Coven Remembered 30 NEW GEAR Spector, Breedlove, La Bella & more 82 BOBBY'S BASSMENT The power of Tower. 18. MICHAEL LEAGUE. T W. 14. 16. 32. S. 58. VOICES Paul Gagon: BBE boomer GEEK SPEAK Putting the squeeze on. 60 JAZZ CONCEPTS Killer walking. 64 BLUES YOU CAN USE Droppin’ the bom-bom.

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(8) More Power. More Tone. www.bassplayer.com Vol. 25, No. 8, August 2014 Editorial Director Michael Molenda, [email protected] Editor Chris Jisi, [email protected] Consulting Editor Karl Coryat Senior Contributing Editor E. E. Bradman Contributing Editors Ed Friedland, Jonathan Herrera Staff Writer Jimmy Leslie Art Director Paul Haggard Production Manager Amy Santana. NEW. Publisher Joe Perry [email protected], (212) 378-0464 Advertising Director, Eastern Region, Midwest & Europe Jeff Donnenwerth,[email protected], (770) 643-1425 Advertising Director, Western Region & Asia Mari Deetz [email protected], (650) 238-0344 Advertising Sales, Eastern Accounts Anna Blumenthal [email protected], (646) 723-5404 Specialty Sales Advertising, West Michelle Eigen [email protected], (650) 238-0325 Specialty Sales Advertising, East Jon Brudner [email protected], (917) 281-4721. Class A Preamps with tube - Powerful EQ High Power in Lightweight Chassis Factory Direct MADE IN. 6 months No interest. V>ÀÛ°VÉL>ÃÃ i>`ÃÊUÊnää°nx{°ÓÓÎx. USA. THE NEWBAY MUSIC GROUP VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: Bill Amstutz GROUP PUBLISHER: Bob Ziltz EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Brad Tolinski SENIOR FINANCIAL ANALYST: Bob Jenkins PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT MANAGER: Beatrice Kim GROUP MARKETING DIRECTOR: Christopher Campana CONSUMER MARKETING DIRECTOR: Crystal Hudson CONSUMER MARKETING COORDINATOR: Dominique Rennell FULFILLMENT COORDINATOR: Ulises Cabrera OFFICES SERVICES COORDINATOR: Mara Hampson ADVISORY BOARD Kenny Aaronson, Jeff Andrews, Steve Bailey, Victor Bailey, Jeff Berlin, Brian Bromberg, Jack Bruce, Ron Carter, Phil Chen, Stanley Clarke, Art Davis, Nathan East, Mark Egan, Andy Gonzalez, Barry Green, Charlie Haden, Stuart Hamm, David Hungate, Anthony Jackson, Darryl Jones, Dave LaRue, Will Lee, Michael Manring, Christian McBride, Marcus Miller, Pino Palladino, John Patitucci, Josh Paul, Dave Pomeroy, Chuck Rainey, Rufus Reid, Steve Rodby, Billy Sheehan, Lee Sklar, Steve Swallow, Gerald Veasley, Rob Wasserman, Verdine White, Gary Willis, Doug Wimbish, Victor Wooten. Please direct all advertising and editorial inquiries to: BASS PLAYER, 1111 Bayhill Drive, Suite 125, San Bruno, CA 94066 (650) 238-0260; FAX (650) 238-0261; [email protected] Subscription orders, inquiries, address changes, and Back Issues: BASS PLAYER, P.O. Box 469069, Escondido, CA 92046-9069. For quickest service, telephone: 800-234-1831 or (760) 291-1537. bassplayer@ pcspublink.com List rental: (914) 925-2449, [email protected] For custom reprints & e-prints please contact our reprint coordinator at Wright’s Media: (877) 652-5295 or [email protected] NEWBAY MEDIA CORPORATE President & CEO Steve Palm Chief Financial Officer Paul Mastronardi Controller Jack Liedke Vice President, Digital Strategy & Operations Robert Ames Vice President, Audience Development Denise Robbins Vice President, Content & Marketing Anthony Savona IT Director Anthony Verbanic Vice President Human Resources Ray Vollmer BASS PLAYER is a registered trademark of NewBay Media LLC. All material published in BASS PLAYER is copyrighted © 2014 by NewBay Media LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing in BASS PLAYER is prohibited without written permission. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photos, or artwork. All product information is subject to change; publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes. All listed model numbers and product names are manufacturers’ registered trademarks. Published in the U.S.A. Follow BASS PLAYER online at:. 8. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4.

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(10) TECH. PLAY. LEARN. C ommunity Practice While You’re Young— Or Older. COMMUNITY. LINK. FACE. LOWDOWN. CHRIS JISI. TOO MANY YEARS AGO, WHEN I WAS 18 AND STUDYING PRIVATELY WITH THE GREAT New York City bassist Lincoln Goines, I remember him telling me, “Practice as much as possible now, while you’re young and still in school, because when you get older and have more responsibilities, you’re not going to have as much time.” I thought of Lincoln’s sage advice (which I should have done a better job heeding) while interviewing this month’s cover artist, Michael League of Snarky Puppy. Michael related his story of getting a last-minute bass scholarship to the University of North Texas, only to find out it was strictly an upright bass program, and that, by his professor (ex-Count Basie thumper) Lynn Seaton’s estimation, he was ten years behind all the other students! The textbook definition of a tireless overachiever, Michael “hit the woodshed” six-to-eight hours a day, formed blisters, fought off tendonitis, and made up the time within his four years. To which he reflected, “My advice to all young musicians is to practice now, before life kicks in.” With my increased duties at BP resulting in interaction with artists, gear manfacturers, and publicists on a much greater scale, Lincoln and Michael’s words once again ring true. Yet, I’ve come to realize there’s a lot to be said about post-adolescent practice. With limited, but better-budgeted practice time, I feel more focused than when I was a teen, and better able to absorb the content and context of what I’m working on. So, even if you never got to pick splinters out of your fingers from a youth spent woodshedding, relax and enjoy your practice sessions now. I can almost guarantee you’re reaping the full benefits. And if a young musician asks you for some advice, you know what to say. It’s official, Bass Player LIVE! will return to Los Angeles on November 8th and 9th, 2014. Keep checking back with BP for ticket info and announcements about this year’s gear exhibitors, clinicians, concert artists, and Lifetime Achievement award recipients. I’ll see you there.. DIG MY RIG!. BASS PLAYER HAS GOTTEN ME INTO TROUBLE WITH MY WIFE over the years by presenting me with gear that causes the “I wants.” From left to right: new MIM Fender Classic ’70s Jazz, 2002 Pedulla PentaBuzz (love the mwah and growl!), 2013 Sterling SUB Ray4 (crazy bang for the buck), Kramer-era Spector NS-2 ( my m a i n g o - to b a s s ) , B a r re t t- B e n av e n te L o w E n d Ja z z 5 w i t h c h a m b e re d walnut body and f lamed koa top (it’s a shame more players don’t know these guys!). I use a Boss GT-10B and combinations of Gallien-Krueger 700RB head, Hartke HyDrive 1x12 and 4x10 cabs, and a Hartke XL 1x15… until another hard case of the “I wants.” —C H ARLES DRIVER Got a rig you think we’d dig? Send a photo and description to [email protected].. 10. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4.

(11) WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. TIMELINE. COURT OF OPINION. To whom should we give a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Bass Player Live! in Los Angeles? Join the conversation at facebook.com/bassplayermag. John Entwistle. —Zoe Lind. John Paul Jones would be deserving. —Un Even Stephen. Steve Harris. —Michael Risucci. Charles Mingus, Jimmy Blanton, Marcus Miller, Paul Chambers.. This Month This Month In In Bass: Bass:. August 2ND. Bass legend James Jamerson dies,. 3RD. Bad Company, with former King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell, hits No. 1 with its self-titled debut album, 1973.. —Joey Everett. Cliff Burton. —Rick Kranz. 1983.. 6TH. Upright icon, composer, and bandleader Charlie Haden born,. 9TH. Cliff Williams and AC/DC rule the airwaves with Back in Black, 1980.. 10TH. 1937.. Upright slap bass pioneer Bill Johnson born, 1872. Composer, arranger, and bassist Chuck Israels born,. 1936. Roberta Flack’s “Feel Like Makin’. Love,” armed with an Anthony Jackson bass line, is No. 1, 1974. Duck Dunn or John Deacon.. 11TH. Jermaine Jackson, 14, and the rest of the Jackson 5 are formally introduced to the public by Diana Ross, 1969.. —Rodney Spiers. 12TH. A month before they began calling themselves Led Zeppelin, the New Yardbirds—Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John. Carol Kaye. —Peter K Bawa. Bonham—play together for the first time, 1968.. 14TH. Slap pioneer, singer, bandleader, and songwriter Larry Graham born, 1946.. 17TH. Carl Radle’s bass parts help take Eric Clapton’s 461 Ocean Boulevard to the top of the charts, 1974.. Stanley Clarke or Larry Graham. —Federico Vellere. 18TH. Upright slap veteran Mark Rubin born,. 1966. Chic, bolstered by. Bernard Edwards, rules the airwaves with “Good Times,” 1979. Glenn Matlock and Krist Novoselic.. 20TH. —Jan Boone. 22ND. Art Ensemble Of Chicago bassist Malachi Favors born, 1927.. 23RD. Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong sideman John Lindsay born,. 1894. David Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes,” with its prominent George Murray bass line, hits No. 1 in the U.K., 1980.. Chuck Rainey. —Matt Koon. 24TH Bootsy, Bootsy, and Bootsy. —Emanuele Loffredi. Victor Wooten!. Verdine White’s bass groove is a highlight of the Emotions’ No. 1 hit “Best of My Love,” 1977.. Huey Lewis & the News, including bass man Mario Cipollina, rock the charts with “The Power of Love,” 1985.. 25TH. Kiss bassist, co-founder, and co-vocalist Gene Simmons born, 1949.. 26TH. Allman Brothers and Gov’t Mule bassist Allen Woody dies, 2000.. 27TH. Vanilla Fudge and Cactus co-founder Tim Bogert born, 1944. The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows,” with Carol Kaye on electric bass and Lyle. —Caleb Pruiett. Ritz on upright, rises to No. 2 on the U.K. Singles chart,. 28TH. 1966.. L.A. and Nashville session legend Joe Osborn born, 1937.. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. 11.

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(14) COURTESY DON CHAFFIN. E. 14. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4.

(15) Randy Coven 1960-2014 Randy Coven, who passed away May 20, studied with fellow Long Island-born bass giant Jeff Berlin before attending Berklee, and his flashy style and personality often got him compared to Billy Sheehan (they both worked with Steve Vai). But Coven was much more into slap and funk, and the only real similarity between these two virtuosos was that each was pushing the boundaries of the instrument around the same time. Coven would go on to play with Yngwie Malmsteen, Mountain, and Ark, but his hallmark was his individuality and highly identifiable sound. People hired Randy to be Randy, and there’s no greater compliment. —FR E D DY V I LLA N O. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. 15.

(16) BASSNOTES. BASS NOTES. LINK. FACE. TECH. PLAY. LEARN. B. “Dig my rhythm,” implores Santana’s Benny Rietveld. NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL. Goin’ Down South. Resonations From The 45th New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival BY JIMMY LESLIE. |. PHOTOGR APHS BY KERRI LESLIE & JIMMY LESLIE. THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL U-Bass for a few tunes, including “Josephine.” “I love to mix celebrated the first weekend of its 45th anniversary event with in the Uke-Bass once in a while because it freaks folks out to guitar-heavy marquee acts including Santana, Phish, Robert Plant hear such a big, round sound coming from such a little instru& the Sensational Space Shifters, and Eric Clapton. Bassists Benny ment,” Price said after the performance. Rietveld, Mike Gordon, Billy Fuller, and Dave Bronze provided “Serve the song” is a major bass player cliché, but Jimbo Hart solid platforms for the guitar stars, but there was a deeper bass epitomized the ethos backing former Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell story bubbling just below the surface, with local players including on a Fender Precision. Hart demonstrated a Rick Danko-like underMyles Weeks, Sam Price, and Charlie Wooten powering Eric Lindell standing of how to support and enhance Isbell’s colorful tunes. & Co., the Honey Island Swamp Band, and the Royal Southern Musical director Benny Rietveld provided much more than Brotherhood—acts that appear to be on supportive bass on his Music Man for their way to headliner status by the time Carlos Santana. He led the guitar icon’s Jazz Fest’s 50th anniversary rolls around. ensemble headlong into a fiery set that Weeks infused Eric Lindell’s groovy kicked off with a slew of crowd pleasers rhythm blues with jazzy adventure, including “Jingo,” “Oye Como Va,” and playing an upright through an Ampeg a version of “Black Magic Woman” that SVT. He stuffed his ƒ-holes with cloth morphed into a Latin-jazz take on Hento deaden the sound, but Weeks’ playdrix’s “Third Stone from the Sun.” Rieting was absolutely alive in the moment. veld and Santana often shared smiles He whooped out some sweet flamencoas they stood toe-to-toe trading ideas. style flourishes with his plucking hand. Clapton’s set was as laid back as Sam Price sweetened up Honey Santana’s was energetic. With longIsland’s set when he utilized a Kala Mike Gordon and his big Phish-ing rig time bassist Nathan East focused on. 16. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4.

(17) Scorching hot with a few flurries: Myles Weeks jazzing up the Blues Tent with Eric Lindell & Co. Sam Price plucks a Kala U-Bass with the Honey Island Swamp Band.. Colorful character: Jimbo Hart with Jason Isbell. his solo record this year, Slowhand recalled Dave Bronze. He demonstrated a wide range of touch tones as Clapton alternately played straight blues, a mini acoustic set, and a select few arena rockers such as “Cocaine” that left Festgoers wanting more. Phish played it fairly safe as well, but one could hardly blame the band considering it was blamed for fans’ unruly behavior at Jazz Fest in 1996. This year the tone from Gordon’s Modulus 5-string was as clear as an unmuddied lake—especially when he took a jazzy solo on “Lawn Boy”—and even as his sound faded into the background as we moved on to see Robert Plant. Plant did not play it safe. In fact, his band’s sense of sonic adventure made it the most impressive headliner. Bassist Billy Fuller and the rest of the truly sensational Space Shifters were spot-on when Plant played it straightahead on gems such as “What Is and What Should Never Be,” and when the Space Shifters played mightily rearranged traditional blues Billy Fuller Space Shifting with Robert Plant. Royal Southern Brotherhood’s Charlie Wooten cops regal groves (with drummer Yonrico Scott).. tunes such as “Spoonful” and “Fixin’ to Die,” past and future collided. Charlie Wooten left a lasting impression. His pocket playing with drummer Yonrico Scott (Derek Trucks Band) was as precise as it was profound, and his 5-string solo was mind-melting. He may not be related to that other Wooten, but he showcased comparable chops, including copious double thumbing. The entire Royal Southern Brotherhood ensemble—which also features Cyril Neville, Devon Allman, and Mike Zito—was as hot as the sultry Jazz Fest afternoon. This Southern brotherhood is heir apparent to the disintegrating Allman Brothers Band. BP. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. 17.

(18) LEARN PLAY TECH FACE LINK. BASS NOTES. LISTEN. i. HALESTORM. INFO. Halestorm, The Strange Case. Josh Smith Hale Hale Rock & Roll. of … [Atlantic, 2012]. Basses Fender BY DAVE ROE. |. Reissue ’63 Precision. P H O T O G R A P H B Y C H R I S S C H W E G L E R / AT L A S I C O N S. Bass, Rickenbacker 4003, Gibson Thunderbird Rig Fender Super Bassman, Fender EQUIP. ONCE KNOWN AS THE CIGAR-MAKING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, THE SMALL YORK County hamlet of Red Lion, Pennsylvania, can now lay claim to being the birthplace of the hit rock/metal band Halestorm. Formed in the late ’90s by siblings Lzzy and Arejay Hale, the band has dropped two studio CDs, two live discs, and no fewer than six EPs, all in less than ten years. Signed to Atlantic Records in 2005, relentless touring and recording lead to the big win: the 2012 Grammy for Best Rock/Metal Performance, for the song “Love Bites … (And So Do I).” Following the addition of guitarist Joe Hottinger, 2004 found Philly bassist Josh Smith completing the award-winning lineup. An intense and funky fingerstyle player, Josh’s lines are reminiscent of two of his heroes: Paul McCartney and Tower Of Power’s Rocco Prestia, helping to make Halestorm so much more than just a metal band.. 8x10 cabinets Effects Dunlop Volume Pedal, Dunlop Bass Wah, Dunlop Bass Fuzz Keys Moog Taurus Bass Pedals, Nord. Rocco Prestia? Interesting influence for a hard rock guy. My dad introduced me to Tower Of Power at a very early age. Every time they would appear close by, my dad, my brothers, and I would go. As I got deeper into bass through lessons and school, my appreciation for him just kept. 18. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. Stage 88 EX Strings Extra-Heavy Dunlop Nickel.

(19) THE. MUSIC MAN StingRay HH in Silver Sparkle (110282910). MARKBASS Randy Jackson Signature TTE800 800-Watt Head (107770984). Black Line Standard 104HR 600-Watt 4x10 Cabinet (108748153). S E E T H E S E I N S T R U M E N T S A N D M O R E AT G C P L AT I N U M . C O M.

(20) PLAY. LEARN. B. BASS NOTES. LINK. FACE. TECH. growing. He can hold those 16th-note patterns in his sleep! And, like a lot of people, I grew up listening to and loving the Beatles. Paul McCartney’s beautiful bass melodies propel some of the most influential songs of all time. John Paul Jones is a huge influence as well; he’s the reason I’ve been adding keyboards into what I do. Stylistically, the band covers a lot of ground: power pop, arena-style ballads, all the way to the punk 2/4 feel of “Love Bites.” We’re a rock & roll band that’s still finding itself. We all enjoy a lot of different kinds of music. The stuff we’re writing for our next record is straightup rock. It’s all about the journey. You and [drummer] Arejay have a loose, funky feel, different from the attack more typical in that kind of musical setting. Every night is a surprise where that’s concerned. Our feel has always been a little loosy-goosey; we certainly have our own pocket. Arejay is a great showman, so that’s a factor as well. You seem to be a solid Fender guy. I am. Love my Fenders! Early last year, my guy at the company, Chris Boone, and I hooked up, and they made me my dream bass: a ’63 Reissue Precision. I wanted a P-Bass with gold tuners and hardware, and he ended up tarnishing them and it turned out just right. I’m quite sure this will be my primary live bass for some time. But in the studio, on our last two records, I used my Rickenbacker 4003 on most of the tracks. I love the way its midrangy sound cuts through. I also use a Gibson Thunderbird; that’s a real beauty.. When I saw you play live, I was intrigued by your use of the Dunlop Bass Wah. I’ll crack it open and leave it in one spot. I use it on the verses and bridges of songs, not only to change my tone, but also to affect the dynamics, as it cuts the low-end frequencies. I don’t have much else on my pedalboard. I use a Dunlop volume pedal for tuning between songs, and I’ll use it to mute the bass when I transition to keyboards on tunes like “Rock Show”—I really love doing that. Your use of Moog Taurus bass pedals is tasty and understated. I like using them on the chorus sections of some songs, or sometimes I’ll wait to use them until the last chorus or on outros. They really beef things up and take the songs to the next level dynamically. Lzzy and Joe now live in Nashville, while Arejay relocated to Los Angeles. What keeps you in your Pennsylvania hometown? I love staying connected with my friends and family. We all go where we need to be—Nashville, L.A., or wherever. A lot of bands operate that way these days. BP. I’m totally digging the sound on stage; so much presence and no feedback problems at very loud volumes. I’m spreading the word on this great pickup. —Tony Garnier, Bassist and Musical Director for Bob Dylan. RealistAcoustic.com. 20. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4.

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(22) BASS NOTES. LINK. FACE. TECH. PLAY. LEARN. B. LISTEN. i. JUDAS PRIEST. INFO. Judas Priest, Redeemer of Souls [Epic, 2014]. Ian Hill. Bass Spector Ian Hill. Metal God. Euro4LX Rig SWR SM-1500 P H O T O G R A P H B Y C H R I S S C H W E G L E R / AT L A S I C O N S. IAN HILL PROBABLY GETS THE LEAST AMOUNT of credit for one of the most important gigs in all of heavy metal— providing the formidable backbone to the mighty, 2010 Grammywinning Judas Priest. His understated and thoroughly conservative yet über-heavy bass lines take a back seat to Priest’s signature twinguitar attack and Rob Halford’s operatic vocal style. But that’s cool with Hill; he’s the epitome of the laid-back bass player. “We have three great frontmen,” he says. “I just love being a part of the band. I love my job and love playing bass and being part of the whole. I’m perfectly happy to stand back and let them take the spotlight.” Yet, Hill is arguably the foundation upon which all of the band’s success has been built. For more than four decades, his pick-driven eighthnote grooves have been propelling hits like “Breaking the Law,” “Living After Midnight,” and the MTV-staple “You’ve Got Another Thing. 22. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. 3-way cabs Picks Clayton, D’Andrea. Comin’.” Today, Hill holds the distinction of being the only remaining original member of Judas Priest—an achievement made official with Redeemer of Souls, the band’s first release without Hill’s co-founding partner, guitarist K.K. Downing, who retired in 2011.. Strings DR Strings Black Beauties & Red Devils (.040–.105). For more on Judas Priest visit judaspriest. com. bassplayer.com/. So, I guess you have seniority now that K.K. retired? Yeah, try telling the others that [laughs]. What was your approach to recording Redeemer of Souls? I used my Spector, and some of the old Fender Jazz Basses that I’ve still got, through. CONNECT. |. EQUIP. heads, SWR Triad BY FREDDY VILLANO. august2014.

(23) THIS IS 7+(6281'. Photo: Ash Newell © 2014 Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Fender®, Bassman®, Dimension™ and the distinctive headstock designs commonly found on Fender guitars are trademarks of FMIC. All rights reserved.. fender.com. WOLFGANG VAN HALEN. ALL NEW FENDER DIMENSION ™ BASS AND THE SUPER BASSMAN ® 300 WAT T HEAD WITH THE BA SSMAN 810 NEO CABINET.

(24) LEARN. BASS NOTES. LINK. FACE. TECH. PLAY. B an Engl [guitar] rig and a direct from the back of the amp. It worked a treat. Most of my sound comes from the direct feed and a bit of the amplifier to dirty it up a bit from time to time. How did you first learn to play bass? My father was a double-bass player. He played with dance bands and jazz combos in the ’50s and early ’60s. He taught me the rudiments, like a few basic scales and whatnot. He taught you on upright? Yeah, fiddle-bass. I carried on a bit with that, and then I got myself a bass guitar and went from there. I taught myself after that just by listening to my favorite bands and picking up the bass lines. I was about 15 at the time. Who were your favorite bass players growing up? In the early days my idol was Jack Bruce from Cream; he was a phenomenal player. He really inspired me. I admired other players too, like Ric Grech, who played with Blind Faith and Family and, of course, John Entwistle. But Jack Bruce was always my favorite. That’s very different from the way you play with Judas Priest, which is very refined by comparison. Ken [K.K. Downing] was a big Jimi Hendrix fan, and that’s how we first started out all those years ago—long, rambling solos and improvisations. But you can’t really do that; you’ve got to get some direction together. Everybody. was doing 12-bar blues-rock, so we decided to leave that alone completely and get on with more formatted songs, which evolved into what it is now. Were you playing with your fingers early on, before switching to a pick? Yes, that was after Glenn [Tipton, guitar] joined. When you’ve got two raunchy guitars, the raunchy bass just got lost and muffled. So, I decided to play with a pick, which cleans up the sound terrifically. It makes each note more distinct. Scott Travis [JP drummer] said you’re the only musician he’s ever played with who doesn’t make mistakes. He did? That’s my boy. Listen, everybody does it, but they’re instant, and the thing to remember is they’re not really noticed by anybody. It happens every night. It’s not like a classical situation where we’re sitting down with sheet music in front of us, and we’re not just standing there playing; we’re jumping about. You’re bound to drop the odd note while you’re swinging your bass around your neck. BP.

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(26) BASS NOTES. LINK. FACE. TECH. PLAY. LEARN. B. SARA BAREILLES, ANDREW BIRD, BEN KWELLER, MASON JENNINGS. Chris Morrissey. i. Striving For More PHOTOGR APH BY JIMMY LESLIE. AS A BASSIST, BANDLEADER, COMPOSER, AND MUSICAL director, Chris Morrissey grew up and thrived in the flourishing music scene of Minnesota. His innovative electric and upright playing landed him big gigs, where he excelled and explored the boundaries of modern jazz. But at a certain point Morrissey decided to take his playing to a larger platform, so in 2009 he relocated to the cutthroat music scene of New York City. Morrissey adapted quickly and soon found himself playing with the likes of Andrew Bird, Ben Kweller, and Mason Jennings. But it wasn’t until 2013 that Morrissey landed his biggest gig yet as the musical director and bass player for singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles. With his new job in pop, the 33-year-old soon found himself touring the world and recording tracks at the request of Oprah Winfrey. But determined not to leave his jazz roots behind, Morrissey recently completed a solo album that honors his days of playing in his home state. Produced by his musical mentor and fellow Minnesota-native, drummer Dave King of the Bad Plus, North Hero showcases the dynamic range of Morrissey’s playing. His high-powered electric riffs and deft upright work blazes through inventive and difficult numbers that flaunt his ability to raise the bar for jazz bass.. 26. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. LISTEN. |. EQUIP. BY JON D’AURIA. What was your mentality going into the North Hero sessions? When tape is rolling and it’s go time in the studio, my hope is that all of the technical elements disappear, and that the better I know the tune and my instrument, the easier it is to play the song. To have a technical objective or to try something new is more for the practice ring. On anybody’s record, my goal is to get a very unself-conscious performance on tape. That was something I was able to do on this album, although my hands and arms felt like they went through a garbage disposal at the end of those long sessions. How has working with Sara Bareilles challenged you musically? For the bass role it was a lot of new things for me, because live we’re playing to a click track, and I don’t have an amp with me on tour. Even in big shows with Andrew Bird or Mason Jennings or Ben Kweller, I always had an amp right behind me. It was interesting preparing for the gig and knowing that I wouldn’t be able to just turn around and adjust my EQ. That’s a tough thing to do, and it’s different from any other gig I’ve played. What is your preparation process like when you’re called for a new gig? If it’s for a recording session, I learn the music as well as I possibly can. It has to be something you know well enough to where you don’t need to have your head buried in charts. I try to avoid using charts in sessions and gigs, because you play differently when you’re reading. I find I listen a lot less and tend to play busier. When the music is memorized, it’s easier to bring your A-game. You have to make sure when you show up to a gig that you’re firing on all cylinders and INFO you’re bringing everything you can be to that music. How does playing both electric and upright bass make you a better player? Anybody who plays only upright or electric should absolutely get the Chris Morrissey, other and learn how to play both. And North Hero if you’re already an upright player, [Sunnyside, 2013] you should get a bow and learn how to play with it. For upright you need Bass 1971 Fender a strong left hand that you develop Mustang, Fender Jazz through practicing long bows and just Bass, ’90s Chinese playing your ass off. Do that and then upright bass go pick up a Fender Mustang—it feels Rig Aguilar DB 751, like a ukulele and you sound like Jaco. Aguilar GS 412 If I’m in shape on my upright, then Pedals Boss OC-2, everything else is cool in my playing Fulltone Bass Drive world. You need to stay consistent with MOSFET it, though. When I get back from a tour Strings La Bella of not playing upright, I feel like I’ve Flatwounds, Fender never even seen the thing before. BP Nickel Roundwounds.

(27) the. PRS. Grainger Bass. Alex Al. Wyzard. Rhonda Smith. Kevin Walker. Gary Grainger. In 2003 Gary Grainger sat down with our engineers and helped us create the genesis of the Grainger Bass. Originally available only through Private Stock, the Grainger 4 and Grainger 5 are now available from our core line in an elegant and simplified configuration. This instrument has become the go-to bass for many of today's top musicians. Because of the extraordinary woodwork, hardware and proprietary pre-amp, these basses have all the tone, clarity, power and feel a player needs.. © 2013 PRS Guitars / Photo by Marc Quigley.

(28) TECH. PLAY. LEARN. B. FACE. BP RECOMMENDS. PETER ERSKINE. BASS NOTES. LINK. NO BEETHOVEN: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY & CHRONICLE OF WEATHER REPORT [Alfred] Peter Erskine was already a 24-year-old big-band badass when he joined Weather Report in 1978, and his powerful, full-bodied sound helped the band reach the peak of its commercial success during his four-year tenure. Erskine’s celebrated career after WR—as a session drummer/percussionist, artist/composer, and educator—has been filled with a long list of great bass players, including his nephew Damian Erskine, Gordon Johnson (brother of Jimmy), all-around L.A. monster Dave Carpenter, session god Will Lee, upright icons Marc Johnson and Eddie Gomez, L.A. bass legend Chuck Berghofer, Swedish first-call bassist Palle Danielsson, and fellow Weather Report alum Victor Bailey. Fortunately for us, Erskine’s memory is sharp, and his breezy, brazenly honest 320-page memoir is filled with juicy stories, humor, gratitude, and wisdom that will appeal to aspiring professionals and veterans alike. The bassist most associated with Erskine, of course, is Jaco Pastorius, his rhythm-section partner in Weather Report, in Joni Mitchell’s Mingus band, on Jaco’s late-career classics Word of Mouth and Invitation, as well as on the posthumous Birthday Concert. “Jaco stories” are as numerous and diverse as the crowds who flocked to see him, but few knew “The World’s Greatest Bass Player” as well as Erskine, and even fewer are capable of creating a truly balanced portrait of Jaco, one that sheds great insight into the reasons why he remains such a polarizing figure. As a bonus, the digital edition of No Beethoven overflows with sumptuous and rare Weather Report images, a visual feast that perfectly complements the inspiring story of one of the most accomplished and popular drummers of the late 20th century. —E.E. BRADMAN JAMIE SAFT, STEVE SWALLOW & BOBBY PREVITE THE NEW STANDARD [Rare Noise] Is there a more immediately recognizable voice in jazz bass than Steve Swallow? His tone is rich and deep, with a bouncy rubber-band attack and earthy warmth— the ideal vehicle for his unerringly melodic, swinging ideas. This setting—with the genre-hopping New York Downtowner Jamie Saft on keyboards and Bobby Previte, a drummer of uncommon musical breadth—is a pitch-perfect display of Swallow’s special gift for providing a tune with exactly what it needs, when it needs it. Ranging from mildly tweaked straight-ahead to churchy shuffles, The New Standard is one of the more beguiling trio records in recent memory. It’s steeped in the familiar, but the record’s heavily improvised soul (apparently the band tracked the record in three hours) creates abundant opportunity for genuine surprise. —JONATHAN HERRERA. 28. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. MIKE POPE. COLD TRUTH, WARM HEART [Nineteen-Eight] Underrated and under-recorded, Mike Pope is a true underground bass force, with his considerable musical abilities matched by his gift for designing highend bass preamps and related electronics. Pope’s first solo effort in a decade marks a triumphant return that finds his composing, arranging, upright, and 6-string skills in peak form. Accompanied by Gotham A-list jazzers Joe Locke on vibes, saxophonist Seamus Blake, and keyboardist Geoffrey Keezer, Pope drives the opening, title track samba, capping matters with a probing solo. Other standout moments on upright include the swung funk groove of the Steps Ahead-ish “Shadow of Doubt,” a reflective solo on the pensive ballad “What I Meant to Say,” and a nimble melody reading of 19th-century Russian composer Reinhold Gliére’s “Romance.” Pope’s 6-string first rumbles in on the free-form jam “Out of the Ether” before taking the lead on a bossa-fied rendering of Chopin’s “Prelude In E Min Op. 28 No. 4” and issuing a searing solo on the funky, Rhodes-infused “Ral and Tonto.” Locke’s memorable acoustic waltz, “Dear Life,” caps this satisfying set. — C H R I S J I S I TUNE-YARDS. NIKKI NACK [4AD] It’s no surprise that bassist Nate Brenner holds a lot of real estate on Tune-Yards’ third album—he’s half of the experimental-pop duo. Not taking that space for granted, Brenner fills it with whimsical and rhythmically bending riffs that often steer clear of linear. Songs like “Find a New Way” and “Sink-O” feature Brenner’s playful electric and synth lines that merge beautifully with the wild drum samples created by singer and multiinstrumentalist Merrill Garbus. —JON D’AURIA SWANS. TO BE KIND [Young God] After taking a 13-year hiatus and reassembling in 2010, the post-punk, experimental rockers of Swans brought in Chris Pravdica to provide the low end to their darkly orchestrated music, which he does fervently on the band’s 13th album. With huge distorted tones and complex riffs, songs like “She Loves Us” and “Screen Shot” stand out thanks to Pravdica’s intricate playing. The barnburner “Oxygen” is the best example of Pravdica’s ability to use forceful grit to drive a song. — J ON D ’AU R I A.

(29) make the Black Line Little Mark 250 one of the most advanced and tweak-able mid-wattage bass rigs you’ll ever play. And now is the perfect opportunity to own one of the most sought-after bass amps for an unheard-of price.. Black Line Little Mark. Black Line 104HR Cabinet. MBH110040. MBL100043. $. 329. 99. $. 54999. Now is the time to make your mark, exclusively at Guitar Center and Musician’s Friend. ©2014 Mark Bass. shown with. Now everyone can experience the cutting-edge technology and advanced components that are the hallmarks of every Markbass amp. Pro features such as a variable pre-shape filter and vintage loudspeaker emulators.

(30) NEWGEAR. NEW GEAR. LINK LI NK. FACE FAC F ACE E. TECH. PLAY PLA P LAY Y. LEARN LEAR LE A N. N HAL LEONARD Bass Books Hal Leonard aims to help you get ready for fall woodshedding sessions with four new book–CD packages. Dream Theater: Bass Anthology features 14 John Myung bass line transcriptions with tab, while Chris Kringel’s Essential Bass Guitar Techniques: 21 Skills Every Serious Player Should Master takes you through exercises and musical examples to get you the chops you need. Two new entries in the company’s Bass Play-Along series are Volume 43: Paul McCartney, which takes you through Beatles and solo Paul classics, and Volume 46: Best Bass Lines Ever, which includes staples like “Billie Jean,” “Longview,” “Under Pressure,” and “YYZ.” List Dream Theater: Bass Anthology, $25; Essential Bass Guitar Techniques: 21 Skills Every Serious Player Should Master, $20; Paul McCartney Bass Play-Along Volume 43, $18; Best Bass Lines Ever Bass Play-Along Volume 46, $18 Contact halleonard.com. BIG TONE Music Brewery Quad Boost Pedal Want four flavors of boost and overdrive in one pedal? Check out Big Tone’s Quad Boost, which delivers European-made germanium transistor grit, bass-friendly silicon transistor boost, that natural overloaded MOSFET tone, and “ultraclean” JFET boosts along with a 2-band EQ. List $180 Contact bigtonemusic.com. SPECTOR Euro5LX LE “Zombie Drip” Bass Death-metal icon Alex Webster gets the special treatment with a limited-edition run of 12 Spector Euro5LX LE “Zombie Drip” 5-strings. Sporting 24 frets, a walnut center, alder back, three-piece carbon-reinforced maple neck, ebony fingerboard, as well as EMG 40DC active humbuckers and an EMG BQC 3-band preamp, this hot-rodded Euro5LX sets itself apart with a reverse “Zombie Drip” design over a red finish, red-outlines Spector fret inlays, and a red Spector logo. List $2,950 Contact spectorbass.com. 30. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4.

(31) LA BELLA Low Tension Flexible Flats Fans of La Bella’s classic Deep Talkin’ flatwounds are the prime target for the company’s new Low Tension Flexible Flats, which boast a lighter and more flexible feel; the hand-wound, hand-polished strings feature round cores with narrower ribbon wire for a smoother feel. Street 4-string, $50; 5-string, $60. Studio. Contact labella.com. Solo. BREEDLOVE Pursuit, Solo, and Studio Acoustic Bass Guitars Acoustic instrument builder Breedlove’s three new acoustic bass guitars all have jumbo bodies, nato necks, and pinless bridges, but the devil is in the details. The Pursuit is a 32"-scale ABG back and sides, Fishman ISYS+ electronics, and a USB port. The 34"-scale Solo has a solid cedar top a side-mounted soundhole, as well as an LR. Pursuit. with a solid sitka spruce top, sapele laminate. Baggs TCV pickup and preamp. The 34"-scale Studio, meanwhile, sports a solid sitka spruce top, sapele laminate back and sides, and a rosewood fretboard. List Pursuit, $600; Solo, $800; Studio, $900 Contact breedlovemusic.com. SANDBERG Electra M-4 Bass Dutch bass builder Sandberg’s latest vintageinspired axe is an active/passive 34"-scale 4-string with a single humbucker and a 2-band EQ. The tried-and-true basics—maple neck, 22-fret rosewood board, basswood body—are rounded out by a redburst high-gloss finish and black hardware. List $1,000 Contact sandberg-guitars.de. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. 31.

(32) D TOP G MICH. AE L. LE. PY. DE. EP F. R OM T H. EH EA. R. WHETHER YOUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH SNARKY Puppy is via the web, disc, or live, it’s difficult not to be impressed: a dozen musicians delivering mind-opening, groove-rooted instrumental music, tastefully arranged and played, and enthusiastically communicated. Even more impressive is the ensemble’s growth over nine albums. First establishing a fresh take on fuzey jazz, the unit has sharpened its sonic and song sensibilities along the way, flooring. UP. T. AKES SNARKY ET P. AS TO GOT HA TEX F M O. U AG. &. A. MY AM R G. everyone with their roles as seasoned accompanists behind a crosssection of vocalists and styles on Family Dinner, Vol. 1 (winning a 2013 Grammy as Best R&B Performance for their rendition of Brenda Russell’s “Something,” sung by Lalah Hathaway). The tail that wags this big dog is founder, bassist, guitarist, composer, arranger, producer, label-owner, and bandleader Michael League. And while his sage phrasing and tonal palette on his ’76 P-Bass have opened the. BY CHRIS JISI 32. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4.

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(34) CS. MICHAEL LEAGUE. eyes of bassists young and old, it’s his mastery of all the other skills necessary to thrive as a contemporary musician that makes him a true bass hero for the New Millennium. A military brat, League was born at Long Beach, California’s Naval Hospital on April 24, 1984, to a classical flautist mom and a classic rock- and soulloving dad. Seven years later the family moved to Montgomery, Alabama for three years, and then to northern Virginia for eight. Along the way, Michael took brief drum lessons and played violin in school before settling on guitar, at age 13. Turned on to jazz by his older brother, a drummer, League started his own jazz-funk group in high school. At 17, he was asked to step into a void and play bass in the school’s senior jazz band. He recalls, “I really didn’t want to do it; they had a Fender Squier with old strings. I took it home, and the first night I fell totally in love with it.” He also began messing around on the school’s upright, while soaking up the influences of James Jamerson,. Jaco, John Paul Jones, Bootsy Collins, Ray Brown, and Dave Holland. With post-9/11 budget cuts costing him a guitar scholarship, he applied to the University of North Texas on bass and was accepted, leading to vigorous woodshedding to catch up on the upright side. A composer at heart, League formed Snarky Puppy in his freshman year, calling upon nine of his schoolmates. The name—thought up by Bruce Hornsby saxophonist Bobby Read for League’s brother’s Irish band—became available when that unit decided to go with another moniker. Explains Michael, “I was writing instrumental music that was an amalgamation of what I was listening to at the time: Pat Metheny, Avishai Cohen, Modereko, Astor Piazzolla, Brazilian music, Afro-beat, classic R&B and funk, Bjork, and Radiohead. I booked a gig in the basement of a pizza place in Denton, Texas, 30 people showed up, and it started to snowball from there.” We talked with League while he was on tour in the U.K.—a true road dog, he spent a total. BIG LEAGUE BASS MICHAEL LEAGUE BRINGS A COMPOSer’s mentality, deft phrasing, deep pockets, tonal colors, and an adventurous spirit to his Snarky Puppy. bass lines—call it paws for the cause. Example 1a contains the guitar-doubled B-section melody of “What About Me,” from Puppy’s latest, We Like It. Here. Think power trio and dig in. In Ex. 1b, League lends arpeggio support in the sax-led breakdown at 1:37. Example 2 is from We Like It Here’s “Lingus,”. Brig right jazz. EX. 1A. 1.. N.C.. = 130. 5 7. 0. 5 7. 3. 5 7. 5. 5. 7 5. 7. 5 7. 5. 7 5 0. 2. 8. 5. Bright jazz. 7. 4. 7 5. Eb bmaj7. 5. 7. 7 5. 5. Cmaj7. 7 5 3 5. 2. Amaj7. Gmaj7. EX. 1B. = 130. 18. 34. 17. 19 15. 14. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. 16 12. 11. 13 10 10. 9. 11. 5 7. 3. 5 7. 5. 5 7. 5 7. 5. 7 5. 5 7. 7 5. 5 7. 7 5. 7 0. which boasts three cool bass grooves in 5/4. For the pre-solo melody and the solos (2:47), Michael spins the offbeat part shown. Sing the missing downbeat in your head to make the line smoother. Example 3 shows the opening groove of “Free Your Dreams,” from Family Dinner, Vol. 1. Lean back and groove. Example 4 has the two-bar phrase behind the piano solo (at 2:27) of “Deep,” from the same album. Dig Michael’s use of color tones (the flat and sharp 9 of the D chord and the 6th of the Gm chord) in his part, which he mutes thumband-palm-style while being doubled by bass clarinet. Finally, Ex. 5 contains the opening groove of “Quarter Master,” from 2012’s GroundUP. Sit in the pocket and swing those 16ths..

(35) of three weeks at his Brooklyn digs in 2013—and began by tracing how this Puppy got unleashed.. Badu and Kirk Franklin’s crew of musicians. Bernard in particular took me under his wing, became my mentor for two years, and pretty much formed the concept of music I have today. These Dallas heavyweights began playing with Puppy, and because they were so busy, they’d recommend other players to sub; that’s how the collective formed and grew. New York came about two years later, when I was 25, out of frustration with our slow growth in Texas. We had toured, made a CD and DVD, and were accumulating YouTube hits, but I felt like we were just treading water. A few of the guys moved to New York for their solo careers, so I followed—and as soon as I did, good things started happening. The key was having a band and a buzz when I arrived. So when I first played with people like Wayne Krantz, Chris Potter, or Ari Hoenig, and was introduced as the founder of Snarky Puppy, they were fans, which gave me a little cred and helped me navigate the competitive New York market.. How did Snarky Puppy grow from its Texas origins to the collective know as “the Fam” and a New York home base? The critical moment for the band came during our third year, when I reluctantly took a gig in Fort Worth subbing for a bassist at a jazz jam session. There, I met trumpeter Philip Lassiter, who currently leads Prince’s 11-piece horn section. He called me to play at the church where he was the musical director, and I quickly realized the band was Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor, minus Roy! I freaked out because I’d been listening to their CD [Hard Groove, Verve, 2003] all through college, and had no idea the band lived 30 miles from me. Through this network of musicians I met drummer “Sput” Searight, and keyboardists Bobby Sparks, Shaun Martin, and Bernard Wright, as well as Erykah. Medium m ja jazz. Esus Es. D us/C Ds. D. Am7. Fmaj7. EX. 2. = 131. 7 Medium R& &B. 5 7. 5. 5. 2 5. 5. 0. Em9. C#su sus9. 7. 3. 4 7. 7. 5. 7. 5 7. 7. 5. Dsu us9. EX. 3. = 85. H. 7. 2. 0. H. 6 4. 4. H. 7. 5. 5 5. 5. 5 7. H. 5. 5. Medium soul. D7#9. Gm 3. 3. 3. 3. EX. 4. = 66. 1. 4. 2. 3. 3. Bright funk, swung 16tths. 5. 6. 5. 1.. 2.. EX. 5. = 12 122. H. 12 12. 10. 12. 12 10. 12. 10. 8 10 10. S. 8. 10 10. (10). 11 12. S. S. 8. 10 10. 11 11. 13 14 10 12. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. 35.

(36) CS. i. MICHAEL LEAGUE. INFO With Snarky Puppy: We Like It Here [Ropeadope, 2014] Family Dinner, Vol. 1 [Ropeadope, 2013]. L IST E N. Amkeni (with Bukuru Celestin) [Ropeadope, 2013] GroundUP [Ropeadope, 2012] Tell Your Friends [Ropeadope, 2010] Bring Us the Bright [Sitmom, 2008] The World Is Getting Smaller [Sitmom, 2007] The Only Constant [Sitmom, 2006] Live at Uncommon Ground [Sitmom, 2005]. Basses ’76 Fender Precision; ’65 Fender Precision; Alleva-Coppolo 5-string;. E QU IP. ’52 Fender Precision; German w-size upright; Moog Sub Phatty; Moog Little Phatty Strings D’Addario ECB81M Chromes (.045–.100); EXL 165-5 Nickel Wound (.045–.135) Rig Markbass TTE-500 head, Standard 104HF cabinet, New York 804 cabinet, Minimark 802 combo Effects MXR Carbon Copy Delay, Bass Octave Deluxe, Phase 90, Bass Envelope; Pigtronix Bass Fat Drive, Bass Philosopher Compressor, Bass Envelope Filter; Markbass MB Octaver Recording “An A-Designs REDDI or Avalon DI and a miked Ampeg B-15 or Markbass Minimark 802”. CONNE CT. Other Planet Wave accessories. 36. Check out Snarky Puppy’s website, Facebook, and Twitter plus Michael League’s Facebook.. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. The word often used to describe the band is “musical,” with little sense of overplaying or throwaway notes. That can be attributed to a few factors. First, composing has always been more in my nature than being an instrumentalist. I’m not a great technician on bass, so I try to focus on tone and feel to communicate the message of the music. When you have that mindset, you tend not to play anything extraneous. That’s why I wince at the word fusion, at times, because I associate it with athletic music where chops are more important than melody, vibe, and emotion. I was always more fascinated with James Brown’s grooves; nobody is playing anything difficult or complicated individually, but the parts together sound so full and rich, and they fit like a puzzle. I try to take that approach by writing parts that complement each other and serve the song, but are also interesting in and of themselves, so the musicians enjoy playing them. That’s the other key: Everyone in the band has that same spirit. They all think like producers and play musically together, with the overall sound in mind—as opposed to, Here’s my chance to show my shit. Let’s talk about your composing process. Most of the time, I start with either a chord progression on keyboard or a figure on guitar. Then I’ll sing a melody—I don’t write melodies on instruments anymore; they tend to be simpler, more melodic, and catchier if I sing them. From there, I think of a groove, and then generally I come up with the bass line last because that comes to me the easiest. The essential element for me is that I never sit down to write without first thinking of a concept—either a visual image, a mood or atmosphere, or a feel. I like to have something firm in my head that serves as a “north star” while I’m writing, because I tend to have an overly tangential thought process. I try to make sure there’s an overarching concept or theme that I can weave through the entire piece. That way it’s not just random, interesting sections put together, but one full story that develops throughout. The band has developed a signature sound. Is that what has enabled other bandmembers to contribute compositions? Absolutely! Early on, guys would bring in material that I didn’t feel fit our direction, but as our sound has developed, they’re really nailing the style. Generally, someone will bring in a complete composition, and in the rehearsal process we shape it even more. That’s why I love the Family Dinner album, which grew out of a series we did at Rockwood Music Hall, where we would learn singers’ songs and back them. up. Through all of the different genres we play with the guest artists on the album, we still sound like Snarky Puppy. I would say there are two factors to our sound: The way we groove is very specific from having done it together for so long—it’s strong enough that even sub drummers can fit right in, at this point. The other is how texturally rich the band is; each player has a vast spectrum of sounds they’re capable of creating that go beyond the normal confines of their respective instruments. How would you describe the role of the bass in Snarky Puppy? My role is to play bass. It’s not the kind of band where bass is featured; it’s a compositional ensemble with melodic instruments taking the lead voice. Every few shows I’ll take a solo, and over nine albums I’ve recorded maybe three solos. The majority of the time I just try to keep it low and fundamental. But within that, there’s so much room to create interest through different tones, use of pedals, doubling the left hand of the piano, engaging in call and response with the melody, swinging while the drums are playing straight, leaving space; I try to explore as much as possible, and if it feels good I go for it. And then there’s comping behind the soloists, which is one of my favorite things to do. I try to think like the soloist and I are composing together, so my accompaniment is also an extension of the song in reaction to the soloist. When you do solo, you often use an octave pedal to play an octave higher. For a few reasons: There are a handful of people onstage capable of filling the bass role on keyboard or guitar, all with their own voices and sensibilities, so I like to have one of them assume that role while I play on top of it. Also, it’s a range issue; if I want to imply the #11 of a Cmaj7 chord by playing an F# up high, it works—but if I play it on the 2nd fret of the E string, it’s going to sound like a mistake or bold chord substitution. Plus, because I played guitar before bass, I tend to hear in that range. Have you developed any interesting techniques through your various shadings and approaches? Nothing radical. I pluck with alternating fingers; for muting I use the thumb-and-palm method, or I’ll put foam under the strings, by the bridge; I tend to play more fingerstyle if I’m grabbing chords. One cool discovery I made by accident on a gig in Dallas some years back is getting an octaver sound without an effect pedal. I was plucking up over the fingerboard and I realized that if you turn your tone all the way off and you pluck the note you’re fingering at.

(37) Snarky Puppy. exactly an octave up, you get this subtle, sub frequency an octave below the fingered pitch; I use that a lot. Ultimately, I think what most gives me my sound—or anyone their sound—is phrasing. What led you to add keyboard bass to your rig, and how do you decide when to play it? The idea came from being heavily influenced by Stevie Wonder, and also from hearing Bernard, Bobby, or Shaun on gigs back in Texas and realizing I was the third-best bassist onstage! I like having it as a different creative outlet; I can’t play all the stuff I play on bass on it, but that’s good, as it limits me to play more simply and focus on the sound. I use it when I want a certain color or texture, for an entire song, or even halfway through a piece. I still use pedals to get that sound with my bass, but there’s an attack and sustain I can’t get, which will lead me to keyboard bass—for example, a C on my Moog will ring forever, but on my P-Bass it only lasts a few measures. What can you offer about your most recent album, We Like It Here, and your upcoming disc with the Metropole Orchestra? A lot of people first discovered us through Family Dinner; We Like It Here is about returning to our core and reminding everyone who we really are, an instrumental band. We’d been playing. three of the songs live before recording, but I wrote three others in the studio at the last minute, and the other guys finished their three tunes during rehearsal. Still, I think this is our strongest CD, compositionally and improvisationally. As we play, we discover more and more what works onstage, and we try to include that in our new material. The Metropole project was cray, the coolest thing we’ve ever done. We filmed a live DVD/album with their 52-piece orchestra, decorated the room like a forest, and generally got lost in the sound of the ensemble. After I wrote and arranged all the music, I had three days to orchestrate it, with conductor Jules Buckley. I customized the orchestra, cutting what I didn’t need and adding almost twice as many strings and low brass and reeds. The instrumentation was very inspiring, which led me to write very differently, and the band played in a way I’ve never heard before—more sensitively and dynamically. It proved to me I need to put them in as many different situations as possible, to see what we’re capable of. What are the challenges of being a bassist/bandleader? The biggest challenge onstage is being the frontman, but playing like a bassist. I have to be aware of everything everyone is playing, give cues and move the music forward as a sort of conductor, and be the “fun police” to rein in the band when we’re. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. 37.

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(41) WITH A NEW SOLO ALBUM AND. BOUNDARIES PHISH ALBUM FRESHLY MINTED, MIKE GORDON HAS REDEFINED HIMSELF WITH A NEW MENTALITY TOWARD BASS—AND FEW SPECIAL EFFECTS UP HIS SLEEVE B Y. J O N. D ’A U R I A. ANDREW BLACKSTEIN. FOR 31 YEARS, MIKE GORDON HAS BEEN THE HEART AND SOUL OF A BAND legendary for performing marathon concerts with unpredictable set lists for some of the most loyal fans in the world. Phish has transcended the jam-band genre while breaking into the mainstream by bridging musical gaps of reggae, funk, and blues, and all while making the technically daunting elements of composition look easy. Known for playing multiple sets a night that range around the six-hour mark, Gordon juggles complex riffs, sings counter-harmonies, and navigates a serious pedalboard, all while remaining in what seems to be an unbending trance as he stands fixed next to drummer John Fishman. Gordon has never been known for being outspoken or overly emotive, or to break his modest demeanor. But something has shifted in the 48-year-old in the last couple of years. Having cut off his long, curly locks and traded his usual stage attire of a plain T-shirt for stylish scarves and jackets, Gordon seems to have reinvented himself in every way possible. Take for example his live performances for his solo tour. Quite unexpectedly on this last run of shows, Gordon breaks out of his shell and steps into the spotlight while belting lead vocals and dancing all over the stage. He’s even swapped his usual Modulus bass in favor of a colorful LED-lit custom axe that is connected to a large keyboard at the front of the stage, where fans are able to play samples of his bass lines along with him. His transformation becomes increasingly obvious on his fourth solo album, Overstep. Gordon takes on more of a singer/songwriter approach, mixing reggae and folk with elements of pop. Songs like “Ether” and “Yarmouth Road” center around his deep grooves, while the track “Jumping” exhibits his skill of navigating through odd time signatures while holding a constant melody. Joined by guitarist Scott Murawski and ace session drummer Matt Chamberlain, Overstep is Gordon’s most emotive and personal album yet. And to top off an already banner year, Gordon and his Phish bandmates have completed their. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. 41.

(42) FROM. NOW. ON... This is how You Improve Your Bass Playing. The Fretlight Bass makes learning new scales and riffs so easy! Go from lighting a simple bass line to a full scale across the entire fretboard. Check it out today at fretlight.com/bass.. The A Minor Blues Scale. fretlight.com | 800-575-6511 [email protected]. 42. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. F. MIKE GORDON. highly anticipated 12th studio album, Fuego, with producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Lou Reed) in Nashville. Mixing bluegrass, funk, and rock, Gordon weaves intricate bass lines with soulful licks to drive songs like “Fuego” and “555.” After more than three decades of high and lows, Phish sounds more connected and grounded than ever. Even if he has come out of his shell on the cusp of releasing two albums of his best work, Gordon still remains too humble to ever admit it. What was the motivation behind Overstep? A lot of times my writing stems from figuring out what I want to do differently from my previous record. My last album, Moss, featured a lot of songs that were based on intricate bass lines. Lately I’ve been singing more and enjoying listening to simpler bass lines, so I wanted to come from more of a songwriting standpoint. In the past I had been doing a lot of jam sessions with bass and drums and taking my favorite parts and turning them into songs, and I wanted to do a little less of that. Inevitably, I wanted the song to come first, and I wanted the bass line and everything else to fit into what the song beckoned. What was the writing process like? I was hearing a lot of songs on the radio that I didn’t necessarily like, but I liked the bass grooves and I wanted to draw inspiration from those. We had a room full of drum machines and we’d take some grooves—even some house music or older funk—and we’d be inspired by the rhythms, but we’d change them around. My bass lines came together that way. We would use a lot of methods to write, like closing our eyes and envisioning ourselves onstage and trying to imagine what we’d want to be playing. One cool thing we did was wrote a lot of music to artwork. We had a session at my mom’s art studio where we would check out paintings and sculpture and would write to them. How did you go about selecting your gear for the studio? I recorded everything in the studio on tiny Eden amps. It’s pretty weird because I use small amps in the studio and big amps live, but I never seem to use medium-size amps. For most of the album I used a Gibson Thunderbird reissue and a Washburn acoustic 5-string. Before I decided what to use, my bass tech and I got out all of the basses that I own and I recorded a bar or two with every single one of them. We compared at least 35 basses. Then we narrowed it down, but in the end, the Gibson Thunderbird just won everything.. There are a lot of odd time signatures going on in “Jumping.” Was that technically difficult to write? We actually wrote that on the tour bus when we started playing with strumming patterns that we were putting into odd time signatures. By the time the demo was done, we decided to create an outro that goes from a bar of 9 to a bar of 8.5 to a bar of 8 to a bar of 7.5 all the way down to half a beat. It turned out really wild and it became a gymnastics challenge. That was such an intimidating thing for us all to play live. The moral of the story, at least for our drummer Matt [Chamberlain], is to never take a gig from a guy who plays in the band Phish, because we come from a place of such weird musical experimentation. What’s the story behind the futuristic custom bass that you toured with? The main visual theme of these last tours was moiré patterns, which are linear designs that create an optical illusion of a 3-D effect. I found a luthier named Ben Lewry who builds for Visionary Instruments in Oakland, and he jumped on the idea. It has a few layers of almost screen-door material, and then a diffusing layer, and then backlighting that extends up the neck. It has a few modes including one that changes colors depending on which notes I’m playing on the fretboard. It’s wireless, too, and it was a challenge to not have the pulsating LED lights cause a hum in the pickups. But in the end we did it, and the bass sounds amazing. Having a moiré LED bass won’t make your groove any better, but the visual element was really important to me. What can we expect from your playing on the new Phish album? There are some bass lines that are a bit more intricate than I’ve been playing nowadays, but they all flow really well and work within the songs. I use some arpeggiation where I use chords like babbling brooks. I didn’t really bring in just a bass line or any specific part. We made sure that everything served the song on this album. Phish is one of the most followed live bands in music. Do you feel pressure in the studio to capture that magic? It’s a fun challenge to find the essence of this band and try to condense it down into a song. We love albums where the songs are concise, though some of our best songs have extended for a full set. When you get into a musical motif and you follow it, it feels really impassioned, but that’s not necessarily the type of album I want to listen to. It’s a matter of accepting that they’re different mediums..

(43) JAMES JOINER. What’s going through your head during a Phish show? If there were one piece of advice that I’d give to anyone in a band, or even myself for that matter, it’s that when you’re playing live, do not listen to yourself—only listen to everyone else. In fact, it’s best if you can just turn your brain off. If you turn off your brain when you’re playing, then you’re accepting that there’s a higher power, a muse, that will play the music, and there is nothing deeper than that. Music becomes a deep meditation when you’re 100 percent in the moment and your consciousness can go on multiple levels at the same time. You use a lot of different techniques. Why is the pick your preferred method?. Playing with a pick always goes back to [the Grateful Dead’s] Phil Lesh, who is such an inspiration for me. His tone isn’t full of treble, but it does have the full body to it. It’s a matter of tone, but the muting element is important for me. Also, there’s the hand motion of going up and down, whereas your fingers go back and forth; I feel like I can lock in and dictate the groove more with a pick. As soon as any kind of rock band plays in a larger venue, it’s so easy for the bass to get lost, and that really annoys me. If the player uses a pick, there’s a much better chance they’ll be heard. It really helps to cut my tone. What attracts you to 5-string basses? Originally I thought I would like the notes lower than E on the B string, but what I really enjoy is. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. 43.

(44) LEGENDARY MUSIC STRINGS SINCE 1958. CS F. MIKE GORDON. KERRI LESLIE & JIMMY LESLIE. WORLD FAMOUS MUSIC STRINGS WWW.ROTOSOUND.COM FACEBOOK.COM/ROTOSOUND TWITTER.COM/ROTOSOUND_UK PROUDLY MADE IN ENGLAND. 44. bassplayer.com / a u g u s t 2 0 1 4. up and I can be the opposite. And the fact that you can feel something and not just hear it makes the bass so amazing. I’ve always had a passion for being in the engine room of the groove and using my instrument to move bodies. It’s such a holistic experience to play the bass. BP. i. INFO Mike Gordon,. LISTE N. playing E-string notes on the B string. There is a range of tone around the center of the neck that gets so round and maintains a big frequency. There are more notes under my hand that way and the tone stays consistent. I’ve always liked the lower tones rather than high ones. And I like having an odd number of strings. There’s something that I like about odd numbers; odd-numbered structures in nature seem to be sturdier, and the number 5 appeals to me. How has your playing evolved over the year to this point? People carve their artistry like a sculpture, so when I first started playing bass I would use everything that I knew and use every part of the scale at once and play as many licks as possible. Even going back and playing older Phish songs like “It’s Ice,” there’s tapping and harmonics and slapping and now it doesn’t seem like a very cohesive bass line. Some of the most incredible experiences I’ve had over the years come from just a few select notes in the right spots. How does the bass guitar resonate with your personality? The bass itself resonates with me because I’m a juxtaposition of traits. I’m also always at my best when I’m multitasking, and there’s a peak experience that comes from a single-mindedness. The idea of playing one note at a time focuses my personality in a way that it is hard to do otherwise. I’m a little subdued, but on my own tour I open. Overstep [ATO Records, 2014]. Bass Modulus TBX 5-string, California Visionary Custom Moiré 5-string, Gibson Thunderbird Reissue, Washburn 5-string acoustic bass guitar Amps Eden WT 800 head, Meyers powered 2x18 & 2x15 cabinet. E QUI P. BOB HARDY. FRANZ FERDINAND - ROTOSOUND PLAYER. Pedals Source Audio Bass Envelope Filter Pro, Source Audio Bass Distortion Pro, Eventide Eclipse, Eventide Space, MXR graphic EQ, Boss graphic EQ, Electro-Harmonix Super Ego, Akai Deep Impact Strings Ken Smith Slickround Picks Dunlop 1.5mm.

(45) VANQUISH V49K V59K V69K. The New Vanquish series are the Ultimate in Bolt-neck basses, with a new Body design that incorporates a Beveled-top. These basses not only have a totally new look, they also have a totally new sound thanks to the development of the new radiused V series pickups. With the almost endless Custom Shop options you can create a dream bass for any style of preference.. smooth neck heel & 5-bolt neck plate. 6 months No interest. www.carvin.com. 800.854.2235.

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