Lost a great bassist today

voodoobassist · #1 05-04-2009, 04:08 PM

Jim Strader, of Tulsa Oklahoma, passed away this morning after a long illness. No one here probably ever heard of him, as I believed he stayed local to Tulsa for most of his life, but he was a monster player and singer. A truly talented individual.

I was very saddened when I got the call telling me of his passing, even though we weren't close friends. It started me thinking about how truly talented he was and how the world would never know or get to hear him. That I think, is the saddest thing to me. Then I started thinking about all the other incredible and gifted players scattered across the globe that, like Jim, will never become "known" or recieve the acclaim they truly deserve.

So here's my toast to Jim, and all the great unknowns everywhere. Hat's off to a great bassist/musician. The lucky folks that got to hear your talent appreciate it, applaud you, and are richer in spirit for having witnessed it. You might never have "made it big", but you were a star to all who heard you.

RIP my friend.

here's a youtube link of Jim on bass, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJFlQ...eature=related

fishtx · #2 05-04-2009, 04:27 PM

I have heard of Jim...I met him the first time in 1977 at the old "Music Sound World" store over off Memorial I believe it was....I knew he was battling illness as I email with a singer from Tulsa who keeps me up to speed on some of the happenings (Wanda Watson). The last I heard he was still playing with Jim Sweeney...but it's been a while. He was indeed one hellava bass player.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family...

voodoobassist · #3 05-04-2009, 05:03 PM

Hey Gerry, nice to see someone remembering Jim. Sounds like you may be a transplanted Tulsan,

and yes,... he was a helluva bass player. Hope he knows how appreciated he was.

lawsonman · #4 05-04-2009, 05:59 PM

Very tasteful! Good Band.

fishtx · #5 05-04-2009, 08:50 PM

I grew up in NE Oklahoma...in a small town on Grand Lake called "Grove"...but spent a lot of time in Tulsa. I moved to Tulsa and played in a disco/dance band there in the late 70's...Strader was already "The man" in town when it came to Bass...I remember him always sitting on a stool and just playing circles around everyone else in town...I was just a kid back then...I'm not sure how much older is was than me...but I was intimidated by him everytime I was around him...not only because he was a fantastic Bass player...but he was a BIG DUDE...and I probably weighed all of a buck twenty "soaking wet" at that time...

I have no details on his illness...If you would please PM me and let me know what he fought with I would greatly appreciate it. Also let me know who you are...hell I may know you...LOL

voodoobassist · #6 05-04-2009, 09:28 PM

PM'd ya Gerry.

Lemoore-on · #7 05-04-2009, 09:39 PM

RIP Jim

Dr. Cheese · #8 05-04-2009, 09:51 PM

Wow, that whole band is sick! The vocalists are killer. They had some balls taking on Al Green, and they totally nailed it!

The departed Mr. Strader was a definite monster, and it is said he did not have national profile, but national fame is not everything. I trust hhe had alot of joy in his life, playing for the people in and aropund Tulsa. Great local music is one of the things that make life special.

Dr. Cheese · #9 05-04-2009, 10:06 PM

This is way off topic, but it seems relevant. As an African American, America can seem to be a really weird place, NE Oklahoma, has some of the highest concentrations of White Supremacist activity in the country while at the same time it turned out such soulful white musicians, and I know that beyond Tulsa itself, the percentage of African Americans in that region is quite small. I guess what I'm saying is seeing white guys playing like that in Memphis is one thing, but in Tulsa, it is eye opening. I guess it just shows the power of music.

BTW, Given Mr. Strader's apparent age, he would have been a contemporary of the GAP Band, did he the know the Wilson Brothers and CO?

fishtx · #10 05-04-2009, 10:10 PM

The singer with the Pony tail in those vids is "Jim Sweeney"...he's been playing around Tulsa for a loooooong time...I remember seeing him in the 70's....

The other singer is Chris Campbell...I believe him and Sweeney have been singing together for a while now...and Strader had been playing with them a while also...

fishtx · #11 05-04-2009, 10:22 PM

Hey Doc...my guess is that yes he probably did know the guys in the GAP band...Tulsa is a pretty tight place when it comes to musicians...and most all of them know each other...

IIRC, the story goes that the GAP band got their name from the cross streets by where they grew up and hung out..those streets were "Greenwood, Archer, and Pine"...aka "GAP"...

And as far as white supremists in that part of the country...I never new any of them or even heard of any when I was growing up back there...There was indeed a very small african american population, but most of the white idiots I knew were too busy cooking meth in their bathtubs to worry about anything else...

Also, It shouldn't be a surprise to you that Tulsa has such a soulful music scene...Remember that Leon Russell was from there, and started Shelter Records in Tulsa...Other great players from the Tulsa area were Carl Radle, Marcy Levy, David Teagarden, Jamie Oldaker, Steve Gaines (Miami, OK), Jimmy Markum, Jesse Ed Davis, Steve Ripley, David Gates (of Bread), Chuck Blackwell, GAP Band, etc...

Dr. Cheese · #12 05-04-2009, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishtx

Hey Doc...my guess is that yes he probably did know the guys in the GAP band...Tulsa is a pretty tight place when it comes to musicians...and most all of them know each other...

IIRC, the story goes that the GAP band got their name from the cross streets by where they grew up and hung out..those streets were "Greenwood, Archer, and Pine"...aka "GAP"...

And as far as white supremists in that part of the country...I never new any of them or even heard of any when I was growing up back there...There was indeed a very small african american population, but most of the white idiots I knew were too busy cooking meth in their bathtubs to worry about anything else...

Also, It shouldn't be a surprise to you that Tulsa has such a soulful music scene...Remember that Leon Russell was from there, and started Shelter Records in Tulsa...Other great players from the Tulsa area were Carl Radle, Marcy Levy, David Teagarden, Jamie Oldaker, Steve Gaines (Miami, OK), Jimmy Markum, Jesse Ed Davis, Steve Ripley, David Gates (of Bread), Chuck Blackwell, GAP Band, etc...

Oh I know full well how many great musiciams come from the Tulsa area. I just think that the juxtaposition of many hateful losers among such great talent says something about the human condition.

I guess there is always something good if you care to look.