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FOUR DECADES OF DANCE BASS DOMINANCE HAGAR BEN ARI LATE NIGHT TV’S HIPPEST GROOVE?
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THE MOST BASS-FRIENDLY DI EVER CREATED Portable and potent, the Ampeg SCR-DI is not your average DI box. It’s a true Ampeg preamp, with a huge range of classic Ampeg tones that includes the tone-shaping power of Ampeg’s famed Ultra-Hi and Ultra-Lo circuits. It’s a powerful overdrive stomp box, with the grit and grind you crave. It’s the ultimate practice tool, with phones out and aux in for solo, silent practice anywhere. And, yes…it’s a killer DI that ensures both you and front-ofhouse get every drop of your tone. Good bassists play in the pocket. The very best have Ampeg in their pocket wherever they go.
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Volume 26, Number 10
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b a s s p l ay e r . c o m
TECH
OCTOBER 2015
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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COMMUNITY Lowdown, the Real World, Dig My Rig, Court of Opinion NEW GEAR G&L, Eden, Orange & more BOBBY'S BASSMENT The many faces of amps & cabinets MIChAEl PIPOqUINhA From YouTube to the world stage BRYAN BEllER Juggling hats with Joe Satriani and the Aristocrats
JIMMY LESLIE
24
JohN Taylor
16
BP RECOMMENDS
42
ESP Bunny Brunel basses
30
DaViD huNgaTe
Hungate is back with his life-long friends and colleagues in the world-class pop outfit Toto. By Rick Suchow
36
hagar beN ari
Anchoring the quirky, sizzling house quintet for The Late Late Show With James Corden. By Chris Jisi
52
souNDRooM
JT inspired a generation of bassists with his audacious lines and tones for Duran Duran—and these days, he’s also rocking a Minimoog synth. By Jon D’Auria
44 RUPERT NEvE DESIGNS
DoN grolNick’s “pools”
RNDI direct box
46 ElIxIR Nanoweb steel
Will lee’s phrasing and expressive vibrato turn this 1985 fusion classic into a legitimate bass anthem. By Chris Jisi & Jason Long
KRISTIN BuRNS
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 440, 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.
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WooDshED
Cover photo by Kristin Burns
strings
48 JAzz CONCEPTS Inspiration from beyond the bass 50 BlUES YOU CAN USE The juicy “boogaloo zone”
www.bassplayer.com Vol. 26, No. 10, October 2015 Editorial Director Michael Molenda,
[email protected] Editor Chris Jisi,
[email protected] Consulting Editor Karl Coryat Senior Contributing Editors E. E. Bradman, Jonathan Herrera Contributing Editor Ed Friedland Web and Contributing Editor Jon D'Auria Staff Writer Jimmy Leslie Art Director Paul Haggard Assistant Art Director Laura Nardozza Production Manager Amy Santana Advertising Director, Eastern Region, Midwest & Europe Jeff Donnenwerth,
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TECH
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FACE
LOWDOWN
COMMUNITY
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Live From L.A., It’s . . .
chris jisi
. . . Bass Player LIVE! For those who have been waiting and wondering, we are indeed well along the way in planning the year’s biggest bass event, to take place on November 7 & 8 at SIR in Los Angeles, with the annual BPL concert’s location to be announced soon. Ticket sales will be underway by the time you read this, and I can report that many of your favorite gear companies will be back exhibiting, along with some new participants. On the artist side, Nathan East will be accepting our Lifetime Achievement award, following in the footsteps of his friend and fellow session savant Abraham Laboriel, last year. Having spent four decades tracking for and touring with a who’s who of music, including Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Fourplay, and Daft Punk, East launched a successful solo career with his 2014 self-titled solo debut and a follow-up project with Bob James, reviewed on page 16. Nathan will receive his award and perform at the BPL concert, and then present a clinic at SIR on the 8th. Two other award recipients are forthcoming. Among the artists scheduled to appear at press time include John Taylor (whose revealing cover story by Jon D’Auria begins on page 24), Ben Kenney, Rickey Minor, Juan Alderete, Steve Bailey, Alex Al, and Janek Gwizdala. To get the latest on all BPL activity, visit bassplayer.com/live, and drop me a note at
[email protected] to let me know that you’re attending. See you there!
DIG MY RIG!
This PhoTo rePresenTs 35-Plus years of playing and collecting—some of these are collectors, but most are players. From left to right: 1982 Veillette Citron, Togar Stratus, 1979 Veillette Citron, Schecter Model T, 1994 Alembic Epic, Fender Precision Bass Special, gold Schecter Model T, 2013 Jetglo Rickenbacker 4003, Schecter Model T, 1976 Rickenbacker 4000, Schecter Diamond J, 2015 Rickenbacker 4003s, Schecter Diamond P custom, 2012 Fireglo Rickenbacker 4003, Schecter CV4, 1977 Mapleglo Rickenbacker 4001, Schecter Model T prototype, fretless 1980 Vantage 330b, Fender Dimension IV HH, 1990 Guild Pilot, and lying on the floor, a Yamaha BB614. —john Beery Got a rig you think we’d dig? Send a photo and description to
[email protected].
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The Real WoRld
Doug Mug Swanson
Home base Nashville Occupation Bass player Gigs Scott Holt Band Basses 1994 Fender Jazz Bass Deluxe, 2009 Fender Precision Deluxe Rig Ampeg B-2RE head, Ampeg Anniversary 6x10 cab Effects Pedaltrain Mini pedalboard, Voodoo Lab Pedal Power ISO 5, Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI, DOD FX62 Bass Stereo Chorus
Strings, etc. La Bella Low Tension Flexible Flats (Jazz Bass), D’Addario EXL170 nickelwounds (P-Bass), Steve Clayton Custom .73mm picks
Heroes & inspiration Los Angeles bassists John Bazz, Hank Van Sickle, Bobby Tsukamoto, Robert Trujillo, Louiche Mayorga, Bob Glaub, Jeff Turmes, and
BRITA BROOkES
Denny Croy; Nashville bassists Brian Allen, David Roe, Michael Joyce, and Michael Rhodes
Contact facebook.com/duglasmuglas
How did you come to play bass? I picked up a bass when I was
What’s a lesson you’ve learned along the way?
What are your musical goals?
If a pro athlete has a bad game,
Working full time. You’re never
19 years old in Sedona, Arizona because the
he gets another chance the next night.
local bar band needed a bass player. Took
Musicians don’t have such luxuries.
lessons at McCabe’s in Santa Monica, California.
Every night onstage is the Super Bowl!
too old to learn.
Been keeping the lowdown ever since. Introducing Players Circle - Buy Strings, Get Points, Claim Rewards Enter to win 2,500 Players Points by visiting bassplayer.com/realworld And go to Playerscircle.daddario.com to join today!
Court of opinion
The late Allen Woody owned around 450 instruments. How many basses do you have? Are there ever too many basses?
Eight. Yes, it’s enough.
—Mark Arellano
—Doyle J. Russell
Holy crap! I’ve only got 67 basses.
Eighteen at the moment. Down from 20.
—Blair Barbero
—Kevin Conaway
I only need two basses: my upright and my Fender American
Just one, a 2004 Sadowsky Metro RV4.
Standard. Still make just as much music as∑ the next guy.
—Alice van den Boogaard
—John F. Hebert He could have all the basses he wanted. As long as you don’t steal
Two. That’s all—for now, anyway.
them, who cares? Some people drink, smoke, do both, gamble
—Al Duque
their money away, or throw it away at strip joints, do drugs, or beat their wives on a regular basis. My wife realizes this and is cool with my collection because there are worse things. —Ralph Benitez
Four: a main 5-string, a backup 5-string, a 4-string, and an upright. —Michael David Czapla
Not enough! —Vincent Goff The ideal collection size is whatever you have +1. Thirty-five and counting.
—Jonathan Bishop
—Marius Goldhammer
bassplayer.com / o c t o b e r 2 0 1 5
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BASSNOTES
BASS NOTES
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Pipoquinha (left) with John Goldsby
Funk samba
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The slapped bass line and lyrical melody of Pipoquinha’s composition “Cearensinho”
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Michael Pipoquinha Making His Mark by John goldsby
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PHO TO G R A PH B Y M AT T I S C E DE R BE RG
Michael PiPoquinha first electrified the interwebs with his hoMeMade bass videos six years ago, when he was 13. The prowess and precociousness he displayed in his early YouTube efforts was duly noted on bass forums, as players two and three times his age tried to parse his musical magic. Where did he come from? He sounds like Janek mixed with Jaco. Is he even better than those guys? He’s Brazilian, of course—doesn’t that explain everything? Pipoquinha, now 19, learned to play bass the organic way, from his father and grandfather. He’s grown up in the YouTube age, copping licks from bassists and guitarists alike. His style, informed by his Brazilian heritage, combines mad slapping skills in the Wooten vein, along with ferocious grooves, plus serious melodic and harmonic knowledge. “I started with the acoustic guitar,” says Pipoquinha. “I always liked harmony and Brazilian grooves both on acoustic and electric guitars. I developed my techniques by listening to lots of Baden Powell and other guitar players like Joe Pass and Pat Metheny. That’s helped me on the bass to play both harmony and rhythm at the same time.” Pipoquinha’s bass technique reflects his understanding of the guitar, using chordal concepts and thumb-plus-three-finger techniques as a part of his arsenal. Like all modern bassists, Pipoquinha has dealt with the legacy of Jaco Pastorius. “One recording that really stays with me is Jaco playing ‘Havona’ with Weather Report. That groove inspired generations of bass players, and he plays a melodic solo worthy of a low-note wizard. I have many heroes, both bass-playing and otherwise, but if we’re talking bass players they’d be Jaco, Arthur Maia, Sergio Groove, Thiago do Esparto Santo, Victor Wooten, Nico Assumpção, John Patitucci, and the great Luizão Maia. “One of my favorite recordings,” Pipoquinha continues, “is Luizão Maia on ‘Eu Hein, Rosa’ with Elis Regina. Another would be a recording by Domingunhos—one of my heroes—on a song called ‘Contrato de Separação,’ which features beautiful lyrics and amazing accordion playing.” Pipoquinha is poised to make his mark on the world music scene. He has already wowed audiences at live performances in Europe and INFO South America, in addition to scaring countless show-me-what-youcan-do internet bass-video junkies. “I want people to know that I’m Watch Pipoquinha ready and willing to play all over the world, and that my greatest joy in concert with the is to play for people and move them with music. My idea of a great WDR Big Band. show is to touch people with my music so they can leave overflowing bassplayer.com/ with joy and a feeling that music heals the soul. I’m working on a new october2015 album featuring eight of my songs, which is being produced by my great friend and idol Arthur Maia. I’m also getting more invitations to work abroad, and that’s my biggest dream: playing my music all over the world. I’d love to play with Chick Corea, Mike Stern, Pat Metheny, Birele Lagrene, Hamilton de Holanda, and João Bosco.” Pipoquinha uses Brazilian-made D’Mark basses, Aguilar amplifiers, DR Strings, and Brazilian-made Santo Angelo cables—but as all Bass Player readers know, his signature sound ultimately lives in his hands. BP CONNECT
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The Aristocrats, Tres Caballeros [2015, Boing!]; Joe Satriani, Shockwave Supernova [2015, Sony]
Basses Mike Lull M5 (active), Mike Lull PJ5
LINK
(passive) Strings D’Addario ProSteels (.045–.130)
BASS NOTES
Rig Gallien-Krueger Fusion 550 head, GallienKrueger 2001RB head, 4 Gallien-Krueger 410RBH 4x10 cabinets Effects Boss OC-2
Bryan Beller On Taking Different Approaches By Jimmy LesLie
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EQUIP
JOe SATRIANI, THe ARISTOCRATS, DeTHKLOK
Octave, ElectroHarmonix MicroSynth, Xotic Effects Bass BB Preamp, DigiTech Bass Driver, Aphex Bass
PHO TO G R A PH BY JI M M Y L e SL Ie
Xciter, Providence ABC-
What kind of direction did Satriani provide when you accepted his gig? Not much! Joe’s not trying to fool anybody with his music. It’s melodic instrumental rock, and the songs have very straightforward forms. After nearly two years on the road, I was honored that he trusted me to know the difference between playing live and recording, and also not to overplay on the very solid songs he wrote. What’s your overall M.O. playing with Satch? I generally go for an aggressive rock sound or something a little smoother, and I change my finger attack accordingly.
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For something like “A Phase I’m Going Through” or “Cataclysmic,” I’ll let my fingers fly through the strings for rock chime and aggression. For a darker, tighter sound on songs such as “Stars Race Across the Sky” or “San Francisco Blue,” I’ll shorten my finger stroke so there’s no real top end to interfere with other, more important frequencies. Can you compare your playing with Satriani to the Aristocrats? Talk about opposite worlds! There’s so much going on bass-wise in the Aristocrats—partly because we’re a power trio, partly because Guthrie writes intricate bass parts, and partly because we’re generally pushing the envelope. “Jack’s Back” has a ton of high-register double-stops and fingerboard-spanning parts. “Pig’s Day Off” is intricate and difficult, even though it’s a ballad of sorts. My composition “Texas Crazypants” has a pretty serious high-octane Dixie Dregs-ish riff in the chorus. The Aristocrats’ music is far denser than Joe’s stuff, and the contrast of density vs. economy is a great musical balance for me. What’s your tonal palette for the Aristocrats? I’ve got a very aggressive, overdriven sound for “Stupid 7,” “ZZ Top,” and “Texas Crazypants.” I use a darker, fuzzier overdriven tone on the spaghetti western “Smuggler’s Corridor.” I use clean, bright tones on “Jack’s Back” and “Pig’s Day Off,” and clean, dark tones on “Pressure Relief,” “The Kentucky Meat Shower,” and “Through the Flower.” It’s the full palette, and that’s what’s great about the Aristocrats. You need to bring everything. BP
1 Anadime Bass Chorus, Boss DD-3 Digital Delay, TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb, TC Electronic Flashback Delay, Demeter Opto Compulator, Dunlop Cry Baby 105Q Bass Wah Hear Bryan in a special bass-forward mix playing along with the Aristocrats’ “Living the Dream.” Watch video of Bryan Beller talking about life CONNECT
Former BP cover artist and contriButing columnist Bryan Beller is such an overall bass beast that other musical monsters such as Steve Vai, Mike Keneally, and Metalocalypse/Dethklok’s Brendon Small have been seeking him out for over 20 years. Since 2013 Beller has anchored Joe Satriani’s band, which also features Keneally and drum demon Marco Minnemann. Beller is also a player/manager in the fusion trio the Aristocrats, featuring Minnemann on drums along with freak fretmaster Guthrie Govan—whose fretboard chops rival Satriani’s, but in a completely different, often whimsical, and even hilarious context. On both bands’ new CDs, Beller shows that he knows what to do and what not to do for a given situation. With the Aristocrats, Beller routinely plays things only a mutant with an extra bass chromosome could fathom. He keeps it human for Satch’s alien surfing.
on the road, and performing excerpts of an unreleased solo piece. bassplayer.com/ october2015
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BASS NOTES
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KharEn hill
LoreNzo FeLiciati Koi [RareNoise] Fluid, complex, and modern yet soulful, composer/bass man Feliciati’s latest disc, a concept album based on the life of koi fish, exists in a space somewhere between prog-rock and ambient. If the presence of former Japan drummer Steve Jansen and King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto makes you think there might be electronics, odd-time grooves, tasteful dissonance, ethereal soundscapes, and sumptuously recorded fretless lines, you’d be right on the money. But when was the last time you heard a cool unison line between trombones and fuzzed-out fretless like the one on “Fish Bowl”? BP RECOMMENDS
— E .E . B radman
Gary WiLLis BoB James/NathaN east
The New Cool [Yamaha Entertainment Group] The second movement of Nathan East’s longawaited career as a solo artist is this potent package, which looks and reads like a duo disc in the tradition of Bill Evans/Eddie Gomez or Keith Jarrett/ Charlie Haden, but is quite a bit more. The opening title track and “Oliver’s Bag” indeed find James on piano and East on his penetrating Yamaha Silent Bass making a swinging connection (as they did on “Moodswing,” from Nate’s 2014 solo debut). “All Will Be Revealed” is the first dizzying departure, with the Nashville Recording Orchestra supporting East’s Metheny-esque wordless vocal melody and sing-and-play electric bass solo. The orchestra remains for a Vince Gill-led reimagination of Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” the sweeping ballad “Waltz for Judy,” the percussion-propelled “Canto y la Danza,” and the all-electric bass “Turbulence”—the last three summoning James’ ’70s CTI landscapes. Gravitating back to tasteful two-play, “Midnight Magic,” “Seattle Sunrise,” and “Ghost of a Chance” best showcase the interactive, intuitive sides of the pair, free to start conversations and finish each other’s sentences. —Chris Jisi
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larger ThaN life [AbstractLogix] Gary Willis’ expressive new album skips the formalities and gets right down to business with his opening track, “The Professionals,” which displays his powerful fretless tone and his skill to emote through it. While the casual listener will enjoy his beautifully funky, jazzy, and fusion-flavored compositions, bassists will marvel at Willis’ effortless virtuosity. In dishing layers of intricate phrasings, avant-garde arrangements, and playful harmonics layered over odd time signatures, Willis reminds us why he is always on the forefront of elevating the range of the fretless bass. — J on d’au ri a BraNdiNo
The MaNy faCes of BraNdiNo [N’House] The versatile L.A. mainstay bassist/producer, whose recent credits range from will.i.am to Nancy Wilson, delivers a sturdy sophomore studio disc spotlighting his skills on upright and electric bass, and as a composer/arranger. Among the step-out tracks
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BASS NOTES
B are the acoustic bass-driven Latin jazzer “Beginning of the End,” the edgy funk-rocker “Rock It” (layering 5-, 6-, and 7-string bass), and an energetic reading of Herbie Hancock’s “Tell Me a Bedtime Story.” Kamasi Washington adds supple sax on “Free Jazz.” — C h ri s J i s i Galactic
Into the Deep [Mascot Music] Galactic’s sound has always been heavily driven by bass, but on the band’s aptly titled 11th album, Robert Mercurio goes from driving to dominating. The result is one the band’s best albums to date. Mercurio’s blend of gospel, Motown, and vintage funk lines are mixed to perfection and are unavoidably danceable. From start to finish, Mercurio’s energy never lets up, and his lively grooves show all of the focus of a hardworking veteran who uncompromisingly plays from the heart. — J on d ’au ri a tortured Soul
hot for Your Love tonIght [Dome] This luscious soundtrack for a sweet, swanky night on the town features scrumptious low-end magic by Jordan Scannella and super-hip synth bass by Tortured Soul drummer JohnChristian Urich. Conjuring the ghosts of ’70s dancefloor
deities with a ’90s twist and 21st-century production, Urich keeps the synth bass thick and juicy on tunes like “Last Time We Made Love” and “Don’t Lead Me On,” while Scanella’s nimble approaches on “All You Have to Do” and “Can’t Keep Rhythm From a Dancer” bring to mind New York bass gods Gene Perez and Bernard Edwards. — E. E. Bra dm an Wilco
Star WarS
[dBPM] In surprising fans by releasing an unannounced, free album, Wilco dropped Star Wars, a 33-minute departure from the band’s usually laid-back indie sound in search of straightforward songwriting and subtle distortion. John Stirratt uses a heavy hand on his gain knob and relies on fuzz-driving pedals. Even mellow ballads like “Magnetized” and “You Satellite” achieve crunchy textures and a pleasant hint of string noise that keeps the album continually interesting. — J on d ’au ri a
BP
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Announcing Bass Aficionado
BASS NOTES
LINK
A R E YO U C O N T E M P L AT I N G A N upgrade to a bass from a custom builder—be it a standard or customized model? The editors of Bass Player and the builders at Fodera have collaborated on a special digital issue addressing the topic in detail. The debut of Bass Aficionado will feature articles and bonus video footage on such topics as considering a custom bass, choosing a builder, tone woods, scale length, passive vs. active pickups, onboard preamps, proper setup—from bridge to trussrod to nut—plus string installation and adjustment, care and maintenance, and more. In addition, the issue will be capped by music lessons from top Fodera artists. Bass Aficionado will be available for download in mid September. —CHRIS JISI
The Harrison of Digital Audio Workstations. Version 3
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