As editor for the new online mag. Bass Musician Magazine, I've been given full artistic reign to structure content, and the direction of the mag. I've definitly set an agenda, and hope you've enjoyed it. I'm curious what you as a fellow bassist might present as far as direction and content goes, given the same opportunity I've enjoyed. Give me your thoughts.

Jake Kot
Editor--BMM

More interviews with less of a technical focus. What I mean is more of a human approach to the bassists and not so much "what gauge strings did you use on song X?" There's a wealth of information available about musician's chops and gear online, but what about their lives? Jobs they had before becoming famous, places they've played that were out of the ordinary, stuff like that. Hell, ask them their favorite color!

I hope you'll trust my honesty in this statement. When I interviewed Mike Pope, a great player with amazing depth, first thing I asked was what kind of strings did he use---followed by silence on his end, and I finally gave him--just kidding my man. Couldn't agree with you more.

Jake,
First off,thanks for asking this question.

Some topics that I,would like to see covered is...

Going forward,what direction do others see the music industry moving?
Royalties capture,artist major label relationships,the internet is here to stay...how best to use-rather then be abused by it?
Current trends as others see them,etc...

Really looking for a broad bass(ed) consensus...

Something in the vein of Nathan East's "The Business of Bass" from the perspective of other artists,perhaps?

The times they are a changin'....

~

If you haven't already been to the mag., check out any of the interviews I've done so far (Gary Willis, Alain Caron, Mike Pope,Christian McBride, etc.) as they have all more or less addressed some of the points you've mentioned. Your right in line with what I'm trying to accomplish. As far as the "bizz" goes, Nathan is one of our writers, and we'll be reviewing his book, as well as him, very soon. Knowledge of the buisness these days in my opinion is critical, and it absolutely needs to be addressed. Sounds like I'm pitching, but once again, we're on the same page my man, and thanks for your feedback.

I think there is a little "something" in this magazine for everyone. One thing I find myself wanting when reading an article where the players talk about their feel, or what gear they used for a particular sound, is a link to a soundfile (mp3, wav, or video) that allows the reader to hear it right then so they can relate the information to the song. This is being very picky and would IMO simply offer a better overall experience to the reader...while also keeping them on your website without having to go out to google and search for that particular players mp3's. To clarify, I'm not asking for whole songs as that wouldn't be fair to the artists, but samples of songs could be very beneficial to the readers as well as the artists by generating potential sales. Just a thought!
I think this online magazine is a one-stop-shop for all bass players and truly appreciate the effort that goes into providing a resource like this. Thanks!:bassist:

Thanks for your comments. This is an area I've thought about more than once. My initial thought was to have an mp3 for each of the staff members, as I'm sure there will be readers who might not recognize some of them, and with the caliber of players we have on board, a short clip from them would pretty much tell all. Audio is definitely one of the perks of being online, and your point is very well taken. Thanks again for taking the time to keep me thinking.

What about interviews with bass players that have their own voice and vision(s)? who are really being themselves.

There's a nice crop of new faces and voices that get no interest(for what ever reason)from any of the other bass mags.

Audio is definitely one of the perks of being online, and your point is very well taken.
It doesn't even have to be an MP3 since there may be licensing/royalty issues associated with that. You could just embed a Flash audio player into the page, similar to here:
http://www.avclub.com/content/music/neil_young

Following on that same point, it's usually cool to hear the interview subject's actual voice, so you could provide some audio excepts of your interview, similar to here:
http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/patton_oswalt

Jauqo my man--nice to hear from you. Couldn't agree with you more--there's some amazing talent out there. I created the ongoing article in the mag. called "Keep An Eye On" dedicated to that point exactly, to provde a space for players that aren't that well known but are kick'n hard and deserve the exposure. I'll try to get up anything I recieve that's walking the walk.

Thanks for your ideas and taking the time to provide the links. Coordinating this mag. has been a massive undertaking, but I'll do my best to make good suggestions a reality.

Things are fine Jake and it sounds like you guys are working towards making a fine magazine for the bass community.

As far as the "bizz" goes, Nathan is one of our writers, and we'll be reviewing his book, as well as him, very soon. Knowledge of the buisness these days in my opinion is critical, and it absolutely needs to be addressed.

If you have already reviewed Mr. East's video, can you please provide a link to your review?

We haven't reviewed anything by Nathan yet--should happen in early 2008.

There are things I like about it. The writing is great. The site layout is easy to understand. But other than Nathan East being a writer, I think there's too much emphasis on "bass visionaries." Don't get me wrong...I like bass visionaries as much as the next guy, but it represents such a small niche of the overall pool of bassists that I think some might find it boring after a while. I'm not saying load it up with articles on Fallout Boy and Gene Simmons, either, but I'd like to see a happy medium.

Also, another thing I'd like to see is more articles about how to turn your musical talent into a job that can make a living. It took me over 20 years to figure that one out, and I could have used some advice on it. All I ever read about growing up was "work on your playing and do it for the love of music and the money will come." I've found this to be a crock. Not only do you have to work on your talent but you have to go looking for the money. Maybe talk to some working pros who may not have a name but have figured out a way to make money, and let them tell their story. Some of us are a little too old and have too big a family and bills to become world famous recording stars, but we still want to play music for a living.

Overall, I think it's a good site that looks like it's going to be even better in the months to come once you settle into a groove and get more content up. You certainly have no problem lining up name players and what content you have is very good, so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.

Also, am I the only guy who loves the "strings and cords" questions? I don't make buying decisions based on what equipment someone else uses, but it's nice to know what they're using just in case they're using something revolutionary that you absolutely have to use ;)

I have learned quite a bit about gear, especially specialty and esoteric gear, here on TalkBass, and have found posts by pros invaluable in terms of the kinds of equipment choices they make for live performance and recording WHEN they reveal the thinking behind their choices.

What kinds of negotiations do pros make with businesses, whether for discounted and complimentary gear, co-op advertising and promotion, or underwriting a band's tour? When do they use written contracts, with whom, and what do they make sure is included?

I am very interested in reading about the "decision trees" used by pros, the kinds of experiences that help them formulate their decisions, and the business aspects of being a professional musician, especially as they transition from local bands, to tours, recording, etc. What kinds of professionals do pro musicians hire? Managers? Accountants? Attorneys? Booking agencies? What are the lessons they can teach the rest of us about recording demos and CDs? What kinds of recordkeeping and tax tips might we learn from the pros? When is it wise, prudent, or necessary to join a musician's union?

How do professional groups conduct rehearsals, writing, and recording sessions? What is the balance among band leaders, co-leaders, and sidemen when decisions are made? How are financial arrangements negotiated? What kinds of structures are typically used by pro bands - partnerships, LLCs, corporations, sole proprietorships? What kinds of mistakes are pros likely to predict a growing musician will make in his or her career (If I'd only know then what I've learned - the hard way - over the years...)?

What can the pros teach those of us who are about to go into the recording studio, gig overseas, or go on a bus tour for the first time? How do pros handle insurance for their gear and themselves?

What about copyrighting and intellectual property, songwriting and royalties, self-publishing, obtaining permission to record covers, the best way to document original songs, ASCAP, BMI, etc.?

I couldn't care less about personality journalism, puff pieces, groupies, and so forth, although I love to read about the experiences shared by professional musicians and the lessons learned from them. I'm also interested in how pros manage to succeed despite the temptations of boredom on the road, groupies, alcohol, and drugs, and what kinds of pitfalls pros would advise the rest of us to avoid. How do they manage their private practice time?

Thanks for asking!

I have learned quite a bit about gear, especially specialty and esoteric gear, here on TalkBass, and have found posts by pros invaluable in terms of the kinds of equipment choices they make for live performance and recording WHEN they reveal the thinking behind their choices.

What kinds of negotiations do pros make with businesses, whether for discounted and complimentary gear, co-op advertising and promotion, or underwriting a band's tour? When do they use written contracts, with whom, and what do they make sure is included?

I am very interested in reading about the "decision trees" used by pros, the kinds of experiences that help them formulate their decisions, and the business aspects of being a professional musician, especially as they transition from local bands, to tours, recording, etc. What kinds of professionals do pro musicians hire? Managers? Accountants? Attorneys? Booking agencies? What are the lessons they can teach the rest of us about recording demos and CDs? What kinds of recordkeeping and tax tips might we learn from the pros? When is it wise, prudent, or necessary to join a musician's union?

How do professional groups conduct rehearsals, writing, and recording sessions? What is the balance among band leaders, co-leaders, and sidemen when decisions are made? How are financial arrangements negotiated? What kinds of structures are typically used by pro bands - partnerships, LLCs, corporations, sole proprietorships? What kinds of mistakes are pros likely to predict a growing musician will make in his or her career (If I'd only know then what I've learned - the hard way - over the years...)?

What can the pros teach those of us who are about to go into the recording studio, gig overseas, or go on a bus tour for the first time? How do pros handle insurance for their gear and themselves?

What about copyrighting and intellectual property, songwriting and royalties, self-publishing, obtaining permission to record covers, the best way to document original songs, ASCAP, BMI, etc.?

I couldn't care less about personality journalism, puff pieces, groupies, and so forth, although I love to read about the experiences shared by professional musicians and the lessons learned from them. I'm also interested in how pros manage to succeed despite the temptations of boredom on the road, groupies, alcohol, and drugs, and what kinds of pitfalls pros would advise the rest of us to avoid. How do they manage their private practice time?

Thanks for asking!
Boy, you sure ask a lot of questions! I can answer a couple...

The balance of power monetarily is always in favor of whoever is in charge of the act. You may get into a band where money is split evenly, but that happens at the sole discretion of the bandleader. Most sidemen are given a "take it or leave it" proposition by the leader. Sometimes you can negotiate if he or she really wants you, but generally you're given an offer and your two choices are take it or don't. Most of the time, I have no idea what the band gets as a whole when I do a sideman gig, or whether or not I'm making as much as the bandleader, and I don't ask because it's really none of my business. I've been offered a gig and I can either take it or not. You can't base what you make by counting the leader's money.

Rehearsals and performances at the pro level operate at much the same way as your local bar band down the road, except that they're usually more organized with set agendas and sheet music if needed. They're also quieter, as amateur musicians tend to noodle a lot while someone's trying to talk, and you try to avoid that like the plague on a pro level. And people tend to do their homework at that level. They learn the songs they're supposed to for that day. Of course, there are always exceptions, but generally that's how the pro situations I've been in have worked.

How to avoid the pitfalls...some don't, and some of these people are still very talented and professional. But it gets harder to do the worse you take care of yourself, just like any other job, so the smart ones pace themselves. They might only have one or two beers after a show, or snort coke only on days off, or skip an occasional chick who hits on them. Word usually travels fast about someone who gets too messed up to handle gigs, so the ones who keep getting jobs usually exercise some discipline. I once knew of this band around here who were on the verge of getting a huge push by a giant record company until they did a showcase for people at their label and got totally drunk before the show. The show was a disaster and the label dropped them the next day. So if you're smart, you know your limits and you live within them.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Actually, the questions I posed were largely rhetorical; more like a laundry list of possible topics for future articles.

One thing that I believe is special about this mag (among many other things ;) is that we are given the opportunity to ask some amazing players questions directly. Thereby tailoring the magazine to our own needs. If we want to ask a question about gear, we can... gig etiquette, how to play over changes, what scale is that, how to record bass, how can I get the live sound I want, how much money should I ask for...... it's all available to us through the "ask the bass experts" section.
Very useful if you're looking for something specific and tailored to your needs...

I'm sure you'll be getting your lion's share of questions, Damian. Bass players who are coming up these days sure are lucky. They get immediate access to a wealth of world class players anywhere in the world over the net. Want to ask Marcus Miller a question? Or Dave LaRue? Or you? Look 'em up and you usually get a reply within a couple days! Back in my day, we never dreamed of such things. All we could do is hope and pray that when they came through to town we could ask one really quick question as they walked to the bus before a security guy beats us up. And many towns never even got famous players to come through, so they had to write letters which never got answered.

And we had to walk 8 miles each way to school every day in the snow.

And we had to walk 8 miles each way to school every day in the snow.

And it was uphill in both directions!

Hi Jake,

I've enjoyed your magazine immensely-- thank you for the effort of putting it together! I have a suggestion for a department/column I'd like to see: the bass guitar in classical/new music (i.e. from the modern classical tradition). I feel like this is an area of exploration which is desperately needed for our instrument, and would love to see a resource digging into, for example, all of the modern through-composed pieces for electric bass and piano (not transcriptions), if they even exist! I recently saw Michael Manring with the Feinsmith Quartet, and it was so great to see him and the bg in this context. The bass guitar needs a serious written repertoire (not that its heritage isn't serious -- just not as codified as, say, the violin), and anything we can do to encourage composition for the instrument will go a long way in building this repertoire.

Mark

I like your magazine. If you ever want to do a feature on left handed playing and instruments......let me know.

It's great to see the NorthWest bass community doing such great things. You should venture over to the TalkBass GTG we're having on Dec. 2nd.

I want to get better on how to play out and weave it in with playing in. And why do they stop dancing right before I play my bass solo? HA!
MP3s would help amazingly with theory lessons. I've always dug the theory. I read that stuff more than I do the gear.

Hey Guys,
Thanks for your kind words about our humble Magazine! We appreciate your interest and don't forget to send your friends our way!
Normally Jake would be writing this but he is buried somewhere under the December- January issue! :)
Don't miss it December 1st!

How about going a different rout than bassplayer mag. And cover new players that have a voice and some thing to say. I love BP but I am tired of the same 10 people being the focus of every month, how about some new blood there are some great players that do not get the spot light at all. Like Dominique DiPiazza not a new player but still, I have not seen him as the prime focus of any article. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for your feedback. It's definitely my intension to present new talent. This is why I created the "Keep an Eye On" column as a regular feature in the mag. It showcases new and relatively unknown players and gives them some of the spotlight. Each issue will present another player. As far as Dominique goes, he's been on my list to interview from the get-go, and you'll see him very soon, as well as another new face from France, Hadrien Feraud, who is tearing it up out there. If someone walks the walk, I'll do my best to give them the exposure they deserve.

Hey everybody,

If you are going to Namm this week, stop by and give Jake (our ilustrious editor) some feed back as to what you would like to see in your future editions of Bass Musician Magazine in person!:hyper:

How about an article discussing the virtuosity and technique/style of Domenico Dragonetti ?
I would like some good resources to study and apply to my (5 string) bass playing.
I really like the beginnings of this online mag. Keep it up. There aren't to many bass related magazines out there, let alone the few that have any value.

Rock Hard, Dark, n Heavy !!!

Trance 9

I will look into him and what he does--I try to be up on everyone, but appreciate help from our readers. Thanks for the compliments.
Jake

Something very cool is coming!!!! Keep your eyes on Bass Musician Magaqzine!

I just subscribed, thanks. I can't wait to start reading.My interest, is mostly in simple players. The guys who say so much, with so little, and really understand how to develop a song from the perspective of a bass player.
Don't get me wrong, I love the "chops" guys, but that's not what's important to me after 27 years of playing. Sorry for the non bass analogy, but I'd rather be Miles Davis than Charlie Parker.

Hopefully all of you are enjoying our first anniversary issue!!!

More great things are coming!!!

Don't even blink.... you might miss it!