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11-22-2011, 11:29 AM
|  | Registered User | | | | | Paul Bryan (fan page)
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EDIT: I'm going to go ahead and call this what it is...my own little Paul Bryan fan page. I'm just going to keep updating this thread with all things PB related. Who knows, maybe it'll help introduce his playing to people who otherwise wouldn't take notice.
ORIGINAL POST: Anybody have the scoop on Paul Bryan (Aimee Mann, et al) with regard to his musical pedigree? I think he's originally from Pedro (Wattcountry), but was wondering if there was anything in between that and NYC. I've heard that he was perhaps a Boston guy for awhile. I've also heard that he's back on the west coast now. Any of you west-coasters caught sight of him out there?
Last edited by meursault42 : 11-30-2011 at 06:14 AM.
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11-22-2011, 12:08 PM
|  | Registered User | | | | I saw Paul live several times in the Boston area with Duke Levine's band during the 90's. Those were inspiring shows; his playing was tight, creative, and propulsive. Great tone too. I'd go so far as to say that listening to Paul had a profound effect on how I think about and approach the bass.
Paul plays on pretty much all of Duke's solo records. I particularly recommend his work on "Country Soul Guitar", also my favorite overall disc of the bunch. 
/rick
Last edited by RickC : 11-22-2011 at 12:15 PM.
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11-22-2011, 12:12 PM
| | Registered User | | | | | Cool. So he was indeed a Boston guy. It's interesting b/c it seems like most guys try to advertise that fact in their bios/websites etc. But I've never read a single line on the web or elsewhere that has much to say about his musical upbringing. Was he involved with Berklee at all? |
11-22-2011, 12:28 PM
| | Registered User | | | | | I honestly don't know re Berklee. But among the people I associate him with there doesn't seem to be a strong Berklee connection. Those guys all have roots in the local rock scene and eventually became the best of the Boston area's deep pool of talented pros.
/rick
Last edited by RickC : 11-22-2011 at 12:39 PM.
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11-22-2011, 02:02 PM
| | Registered User | | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by RickC  I saw Paul live several times in the Boston area with Duke Levine's band during the 90's. Those were inspiring shows; his playing was tight, creative, and propulsive. Great tone too. I'd go so far as to say that listening to Paul had a profound effect on how I think about and approach the bass. | Yeah, I dare say he's one of the most underrated bass players that I know of. I know that's often said about a lot of great artists. But I feel like he was largely responsible for overhauling Aimee Mann's sound and making it much more organic...a beautiful compliment to her already outstanding songwriting, and no insignificant task in my opinion. He also had a hand in the renewal of Bettye Lavette's career w/ the Joe-Henry-produced "I've Got My Own Hell to Raise". |
11-22-2011, 05:59 PM
| | Registered User | | | | His work with Grant Lee Phillips on his newest album "Little Moon" is fantastic, both in terms of playing and production. Very natural, open sound, and everything is played with a lot of feeling. Definitely worth checking out. :: GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS :: |
11-22-2011, 07:20 PM
| | Registered User | | | | | Thanks for the tip. I will
/rick |
11-22-2011, 07:38 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Boston, MA | | | Paul was at Berklee around the same time as me, I think- late 80s. He and John Sands are a phenomenal rhythm section with Aimee. From Aimee's tweets, it seems like Paul is really involved in the arrangements and recording of her albums. I always thought Aimee was a cool bass player in 'til Tuesday, too.
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11-22-2011, 07:53 PM
| | Registered User | | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by corinpills Paul was at Berklee around the same time as me, I think- late 80s. He and John Sands are a phenomenal rhythm section with Aimee. From Aimee's tweets, it seems like Paul is really involved in the arrangements and recording of her albums. I always thought Aimee was a cool bass player in 'til Tuesday, too. | Cool, thanks for the info. Yeah, he and Sands have a great hookup on the "Live at St. Ann's Warehouse" DVD/CD. And he actually produced her two most recent studio albums "One More Drifter in the Snow" and "@#%&! Smilers", so I think he was probably very involved in the arrangements, indeed. I know that he wrote string and horn arrangements for several of the songs, as he also did on the Grant Lee Phillips stuff. His most ambitious arranging that I've heard is on the Nina Nastasia album "Outlaster". One of the songs breaks into a full-on Piazzola-esque tango with strings. Pretty impressive. |
11-23-2011, 05:41 PM
| | Registered User | | | | | I've been transcribing his line from "King of the Jailhouse" off of The Forgotten Arm. Anyone interested in hearing his playing up close and personal should check it out because the bass and drums are hard-panned: Bass left, Drums right. One of the great things about his playing is his pervasive use of glissando. It's really one of the most potent expressive tools at the (fretted) electric bass player's disposal. And he uses it so beautifully. |
11-29-2011, 08:32 AM
| | Registered User | | | | Guess what? That's the same bass I used to see Paul playing around Boston with Duke back in the 90's. Great sounding instrument. I guess that one's a keeper 
/rick |
11-29-2011, 08:37 AM
| | Registered User | | | | | yeah, the modded early 50s Pbass with J pickups. Very cool. That and the Vox Apollo IV are his two main instruments. |
02-20-2012, 07:49 AM
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