Remember Doug Rauch ?

[Natrix]

Anyone remember Doug Rauch ,

He was playing fusion in the early-mid 70's & died young I beleive.
He played on Billy Cobham's -Life & Times.
Lenny White's - Venusian Summer &
MClaughlin / Santana's - love Devotion & surrender.

He was doing it when Stanley, Alphonso & Jaco were at the top of their
games & had an approach like none of them . He was a really strong player with a great groove & some pretty serious soloistic chops too.

[ad9000]

I was a big fan - I saw him play with the Billy Cobham-George Duke Band (he did one tour before Alphonso Johnson took over) and he was unbelievably good. A master of the up-and-down thumb plucking approach (later adopted by Marcus Miller, who acknowledges Rauch as an influence), also great time, super fluid, funky as hell. I now see him as sort of a cross between Rocco and Larry Graham, but he definitely had his own thing too. In addition to the albums you mention, he can be heard on Santana's Boroboletta, Lotus and Welcome. Welcome is the one with the coolest bass stuff. One other thing - when I saw him play with Cobham-Duke, his old Jazz Bass (with humbucker added in the neck position) had been greatly modified and was covered with a million switches and LED's. Not sure if they actually did anything - his sound didn't seem to change.. I don't know how or when he died - maybe someone else does.

[nysbob]

Big fan here. I saw him on the Santana Caravanserai tour. His playing on that record is stellar.

[Natrix]

I'll have to find those other albums , thanks.
Yea I can see what you mean re a sort of Rocco/Graham thing.

[nysbob]

Originally Posted by ad9000

.. I don't know how or when he died - maybe someone else does.

I'm afraid it was an OD or something drug related. What a shame.

[ad9000]

I meant Santana's Caravanserai album, not Boroboletta - that will teach me to try to use my brain so early in the day.. "Waves Within" on Caravanserai has a super cool arpeggiated bass line - check it out! (Rauch is also playing a unison guitar line on that track)

[jerry]

Big fan, there are a few Rauch threads around here. I think Lenny White's 'Venusian Summer' album was a well that Marcus and and a lot of slappers of the 70's drew some inspiration from.

[JAUQO III-X]

Some info on Doug can be found here.

http://www.embamba.com/board/message.php?id=1248

[Natrix]

Thanks man , that's a great link , packed with Doug Rauch info.

[JAUQO III-X]

You're welcome.

[Natrix]

I played an Australian tour with Billy Cobham back in '91 & did a tune from 'life & times' & it was really challenging. I must dig through my L.P's again.