A brief Interview

Q: What do you believe the role of a bass player to be?

A: When looking at modern popular music, I feel that the bass should lock with drums for certain. I've always approached the bass with more attention paid to the rhythmic aspect of the instrument. That is to say, that the rhythm, in my opinion, takes priority over melody when discussing the bass guitar's role within modern popular music. Note choice and melody are of ultra-importance, no doubt, but I always consider/think rhythm first. The role of a bassist also has a lot to do with the particulars of a group, including genre, style, what instrumentation the band is using, the personalities of each musician within the band, the venue, recording versus a live performance etc. When performing for a singer/songwriter, for example, the number one priority to consider, in my opinion, is to simply play what is appropriate for the song. You can still add elements of your personality into your bass playing when playing what is appropriate for a song, but you have to be tasteful in doing so. There are a lot of bassists out there with serious technical skills, etc., but they might not be able to hear, or determine, what's best for a tune. I also think about what bass would be right for each song: does it require a fretless, a five string, a five string fretless? Further, if you are working with a drummer who might be more "melodic" in nature, rather then "groove" oriented, be sure to lay it down and keep things solid. If the drummer is tight and grooving, this opens up some room for the bassist to experiment with playing more melodically within the bass. I still enjoy most when both the drummer and the bassist are both hard-core groovers!!!

Q: What styles of music do you enjoy playing?

A: I enjoy playing rock, folk, funk, R&B and Soul music, and just about anything that's done well and includes good musicians. Most of my work consists of rock, acoustic rock, pop rock, and whatever new labels are given to these genres. I've learned not to limit myself to playing just one style of music. After a while, music, to me, honestly seems to have just one sound (i.e. music). Genres are what record labels create to classify and categorize, in order to target an audience they've already molded (by way of advertising) into good consumers. The record stores, music magazines/television and music critics also promote the idea of distinct categories and genres of music for their own (economic) endeavors. I've found that all the good musicians I've come across are capable of playing many genres of music, if such a thing exists! From their perspective, it's just a matter of being able to play music. Otherwise they wouldn't be musicians, but rather funk-icians or newage-pop-icians. Look at Jaco Pastorious; he incorporated classical into jazz, jazz into funk, rock into jazz, etc.

Q: What are you available for?

A: I am available for gigs, tours, all recording purposes, showcasing, rehearsals, lessons, etc. All of my equipment is top notch, and I like to keep a varied "arsenal" of instruments, so producers have options as far as what they'd like to choose for a recording situation, etc.

Q: Do you enjoy going on the road with an act?

A: Yes, I enjoy traveling and touring very much as well. It actually refreshes me! It gives me time to study more and do the more "brainy" aspects of practicing since you can't always have the hands-on practice.

Q: Do you also play upright bass?

A: I actually recently picked up an upright. Unfortunately, I did not play upright throughout high school, like many bassists do growing up. I am a late bloomer when it comes to the upright. I use it for a lot of singer/songwriter oriented material . . .

Q: What is your teaching philosophy with regard to bass?

A: I always ask a student what they are interested in learning. Although there are certain aspects of the bass any player must know, I try and target their interests in a pragmatic fashion. For example, if they are interested in learning funk grooves, that's fine. We can deconstruct a groove, listen to how it locks with the drummer, examine the choice of notes in relation to the given chord(s), study technique (left hand and right hand), what scale the groove is based out of, what arpeggios work over the groove, analyze the interval quality of each note in relation to the chord, write out the rhythm and/or the notation for the groove. You can the have the student internalize the groove and then create his/her own ideas. Or, you can have them use a particular idea from a groove and apply it to a completely different song. I call this referencing. All of the great musicians do this; they just might not admit it! Also, play the groove in different keys, etc. You can do all of this for any funk groove. This way, the student is happy and feels a sense of accomplishment when (s)he can walk away able to play something cool, and yet they also get an understanding of how this line was constructed, why it works, the mathematical analysis/theory, etc. This is just one example of how I target the students' interests.

Q: How much does "image" come into play as a musician and as a bassist?

A: The great Lynn Keller is endorsed by the same amplification company that I am (Euphonic Audio). We were writing back and forth via email, and I had asked her for any advice she could lend. One thing she commented on was always being prepared for any gig. If you get called for a rock gig, have the proper attire/look. Although you might normally wear khakis at home while practicing, be sure to fit the bill. This is, most certainly, a part of the business end of things. This even may go as far as placement of the bass. I usually wear my bass up high. On rock gigs, some guys never have seen a bassist wear a bass that high; they want it low, I mean LOW. If they mention it, I usually will lower it, and then play with a pick (laughs)!

Q: What can you recommend to aspiring bass players?

A: When practicing, always play with a metronome. Always try and work with better players than yourself. If you are just starting out, ask questions. Go out, check out as much music as possible, and don't be afraid to approach other bassists. If you're paying $10 bucks to get into a club to check out a good band, the musicians should be grateful that you're supporting them. If a bassist doesn't want to lend advice or comes off as snobbish, don't be discouraged. Continue to look for musicians that are open to lending suggestions, etc. I never understood the musicians that are unwilling to lend advice, or go so far as to discourage curious new musicians.

Q: Why do you continue to use a four string bass since you often use five string basses? Also, how do you determine which bass to use for an artist?

A: Some artists prefer a four to a five or a five to a four. When I begin to work with an act, I usually ask which they prefer. If they don't have a preference, then I usually listen to the material to determine what I think works best for the music. Often, playing a five string is easier, in a way. You don't necessarily have to move around as much and shift with the left hand. As a result, the player might not have to "think" as much. I think that if most bassists waited to "master" the four string bass before moving to the five, most would still be playing the four, myself included! I know the great Leland Sklar is a hard-core loyalist to the four string bass. He might use a Hipshot bass extender tuner and drop the E to a D, but that's about it. . .

Q: Who is your favorite artist?

A: Hey, tough question! Not sure I can answer that honestly. These days I find myself listening to Norah Jones a lot, Bill Withers, Prince, Me'Shell, Stevie [Wonder], Beatles, Sting. Anything that grooves; there's so much. It's all good!

Q: Whom might you listen to for inspiration?

A: As far as bass goes, there's a lot. For straight-up rock, I honestly think I could limit my listening to the Beatles. I often refer to them as the Shakespeare of rock-n-roll. Shakespeare was essentially responsible for creating much of the vocabulary included in the English Language, just as the Beatles produced much of the musical language of what is still being played today in rock, forty years later (and many more to come)! They were also just as prolific as Shakespeare, writing constantly. Further, just as Shakespeare outlined, established and designed certain archetypes of the human psyche, the Beatles' motifs reappear in today's music constantly. And Paul rocks, by the way!

Q: How long have you been playing bass?

A: I first picked up the bass when I was 14 or so. I started playing professionally when I was 18 maybe? I guess it all depends how one defines, "professionally". I am using the term in the sense of being out there, playing decent clubs, and making some money. So according to this definition, in response to your original question, I have been playing professionally for about ten years.

Q: Which do you like better, live performances or recording in the studio?

A: I just go in to each situation with a different "head". I enjoy both very much actually. I usually take more artistic liberties on stage than I might in the studio. In both situations, I always play what's appropriate for each song, and attempt to add my personality into note and rhythm choice at the same time. If I can possibly be in a situation where I record with an artist and also play live with them, I find this to be ideal. In the studio, all parts are thought out, analyzed, etc., and when it comes time to perform live, you have that sense of ownership; that is, you created the particular bassline that you can now examine further, and embellish, perhaps. Live performances may give you a good opportunity to do this. You can look at studio work as a blueprint, in a sense. Just because there might be a certain bassline on an album, doesn't mean it has to be exactly replicated. I've been in situations where the artist wants it to be exact, and that's cool. It's a challenge to do so, and can be fun. There are times, however, when there may be room for adding or taking out, etc. In both situations, you are an artist at work, and working as a bassist and creating is what I feel I do best, so either or is just fine by me!