I started playing upright a while back, and I learned how to slap by listening to Johnny Cash and watching videos of Marshall Grant playing bass. I found this very helpful, with very few Rockabilly bassists in my area (West Virginia). I haven't seen any threads out there about Bill Black either. Him and Grant are my two most favorite bassits. Anyone like to speculate?

I'm a fan of them too,but I don't know why there aren't more threads about them.Marshall Grant has a book out about his time with Johnny Cash and the Statler Brothers.He came into a store in Nashville where I was playing for his book promotion.I was playing with a guitarist real quietly without an amp on gut strings.I was playing fast walking lines,all slapped,some triple slap stuff,etc,working my ass off for no money.Then Marshall comes over,takes my bass,plays one measure of root five double slap,then tells me I'm doing it all wrong and that he better not catch me playing like that again.

Have you heard some of Bill Blacks stuff after Elvis? I think it was his own band called the "Bill Black Combo".Great stuff,I think it might have been played with a bass guitar,but god it really swings.As Washington DC's own Bill Kirchern likes to say " Swings like Satan's own dick"!!!!

www.rockabillyhall.com

Look for Bill Black, nice article.

Bob

Lots of other Rockabilly artists are listed there also.

Yeah, I've read Marshall's book. It was a good one. I know that Bill Black was one of the first rock n' rollers to play with an electric, but I don't know much about him after Elvis. I would love to meet Grant......

Last month I finished Marshall Grant's book "I Was There When it Happened".

This books reads easy, with some interesting stories. Interesting for me, since I didn't really know the full story of Johnny Cash.