John Kahn's Gear

bassman10096 · #1 05-11-2007, 09:03 PM

I first remember John Kahn from the Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper album (1969 or so - that's old). Something about Kahn's sort of convoluted bass harmonies stuck in my ears. When he picked up for a 25 year run with the Jerry Garcia Band I heard the same guy, more mature, etc. Interesting stuff to me.
But one of the things that really made Kahn's sound was the tone he got out of his basses. For a time he played a Steinie. I assume with EMGs. But he returned to a P bass later and kept a lot of the same sound. Does anybody know anything about the pickups etc in that P bass? They were white. It's the bass he played on the Live at Kean College collection with the JG Band.

bassman10096 · #2 05-13-2007, 02:58 PM

Bump - Any insights out there?

Mojo-Man · #3 05-14-2007, 09:34 AM

I remember John.
Very good player.
I seen him with Bloomfield
Used a late 50's P-bass, looked stock.

I think he played upright with Jerry.

bassman10096 · #4 05-14-2007, 11:51 AM

He did play an URB with Jerry in the first band Jerry put together (a blue grass influenced outfit) but after that, he went back to the P you mentioned, then used a composite Steinberger, then a white P with cream colored pickups that sounded like EMG's. I'm just wondering if anybody knows for sure that they really were EMGs.
John was a very good player. Some folks looked poorly on him as a "bad influence" on Garcia, but whether or not that was true, Kahn was a talent in his own rite.

jerry · #5 05-14-2007, 04:06 PM

Not much insight here, but I have a live CD recorded a few years before Jerry's death, and on the insert he is shown playing the Steiny in front of a 2/15 cab of some kind. It's the band with Melvin Seals. I dug his playing through the years too.

deepestend · #6 05-14-2007, 09:18 PM

I know nothing about the basses he played, but I've always loved his playing. I love Phil's playing but it's nice to hear Kahn's more traditional rooted playing that worked so well with Jerry. And yes, it sounds like he was not a good influence on Jerry, but I'm sure that Jerry would have found his demons anyway.

bassman10096 · #7 05-15-2007, 04:39 AM

Quote:

I'm sure that Jerry would have found his demons anyway.

I'm sure those who saw Kahn as an enabler blamed him directly, but, if not Kahn, the honors would have gone to somebody else. Really a shame, too, as his playing gets lost in the shuffle. It was an eyeopener for me to realize what a big impression Kahn made on me as a 14 year old bass-newbie when Live Adventures of MB and AK was released. Not too many people played the blues the way he did on that collection. I incorporated (or better: "tried to mimic") a lot more of his phrasing in my playing than I realized. His technique is percussive (in an entirely non-slapping way - if that makes any sense) in a really articulate and powerful way. I've always been interested in the gear he used to bring that technique to life.

deepestend · #8 05-15-2007, 07:23 AM

What other albums would you recommend that he plays on? I think I need to go back and listen to his playing some more.

bassman10096 · #9 05-15-2007, 12:01 PM

I like the Jerry Garcia Band Live album recorded 8/27/91.

jerry · #10 05-15-2007, 04:21 PM

Some of my John Kahn favorites are: the Live Adventures albums with Al Kooper/ Live Fillmore album with Mike Bloomfield/ the live Keystone Recordings with Garcia and Merl Saunders and the Garcia band recordings.

/the 'it's a small world' note* the drummer and vocalist from a lot of Kahn's work with Bloomfield is a friend of mine, Bob Jones. I play with Bob quite a bit out here, he is also a excellent guitarist. Boy does he have stories!