Why no Hype for the young Brothers?

Billy Low · #1 04-02-2009, 04:33 AM

I've noticed that there are several young brothers that are making a stink on the scene but getting no press...what gives??? Why has BP or any other publication never given any good coverage to these cats, I mean you may get a blurb here or there, but thats it! What the heezy? Why don't you hear Robert "Bubby" Lewis' name mentioned? Dywane Thomas Jr., Dante Nolan, Adam Blackstone, Nathaniel Kearny or Justin Raines?! What about 11 year old Brandon Rose, he can get the attention of Stanley Clarke, and Marcus Miller, but couldn't get the attention of Bill Leigh?!?!? WOW?!?!

Anybody wanna touch this?

Buogon · #2 04-02-2009, 09:28 PM

I just talk to Brandon Rose, and Bass Player did interview him and will be in the June issue, also he has been photographed at Bass Player Live . He can also be found on Fender's web site they endorse him. Bill Leigh is no longer with Bass Player.

narud · #3 04-02-2009, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy Low

I've noticed that there are several young brothers that are making a stink on the scene but getting no press...what gives??? Why has BP or any other publication never given any good coverage to these cats, I mean you may get a blurb here or there, but thats it! What the heezy? Why don't you hear Robert "Bubby" Lewis' name mentioned? Dywane Thomas Jr., Dante Nolan, Adam Blackstone, Nathaniel Kearny or Justin Raines?! What about 11 year old Brandon Rose, he can get the attention of Stanley Clarke, and Marcus Miller, but couldn't get the attention of Bill Leigh?!?!? WOW?!?!

Anybody wanna touch this?

maybe because theyre not playing regularly in avenues that show off the solo chops that they have like the white dudes are. youre going to hear hadrien,janek et al take a solo on nearly every song. that stuff grabs people. bubby can kill you with chops, but you dont get to really see it with snoop.

or maybe the magazines are just racist.

i dont know

Phil Smith · #4 04-02-2009, 10:06 PM

What are they doing to promote themselves? The squeaky wheel gets the grease you know?

If they run in the same circles as the "known" cats and have the "goods" they get noticed and the buzz will ensue.

west*coast*bass · #5 04-02-2009, 10:12 PM

Well, Bill Leigh does not run the mag anymore...check the last issue.

Billy Low · #6 04-03-2009, 04:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by west*coast*bass

Well, Bill Leigh does not run the mag anymore...check the last issue.

I am well aware of Bill's departure. My point is he did nothing while he was there! How many times did I have to hear about Chris Wood while he was there?!?!?!

Billy Low · #7 04-03-2009, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Smith

What are they doing to promote themselves? The squeaky wheel gets the grease you know?

If they run in the same circles as the "known" cats and have the "goods" they get noticed and the buzz will ensue.

I agree yet disagree. I agree that many of them need to understand how to market themselves a tad better, however imagine the backlash if they were to become as self promoting as Janek Gwizdala? I mean this guy has noooo shame in the way he plasters himself all over the place! I don't fault him but I don't believe it would be looked upon as favoriably.

Secondly, you understand that those "known" circles are closed and that people are placed into those circles don't you...that doesn't happen by chance! Most of the cats in the "known" circle so to speak really don't have the goods anyway! Nor do many of them wield any power or desire to see others get the pub.

kcolyar · #8 04-03-2009, 09:13 AM

Amen to these posts. I subscribed to BP and am disappointed every issue. The guys that rock on bass get half a page article, and then some dude in a top 40 band gets 4 pages. I want to see the guys taking us into the future featured. I can peddle on an E all day long. Show me the new guys and tells us where we can hear them!!! That article about Judas Priest bass player, WOW, Even he says he has to dumb down his style to work with that band. I didn,t need an article to figure that out. Then Doug Johns get his partial page. WT heck is that about. I guess its typical for a publication, first priority is to sale mags, not educate or entertain.

bass player 48 · #9 04-03-2009, 09:18 AM

Yay. Another thinly veiled race thread. You "brothers" rock on with it.

-another "white dude" who is not racist, but is sick to death of people making race issues where they don't belong.

Can't we all just play bass?

Phil Smith · #10 04-03-2009, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass player 48

Yay. Another thinly veiled race thread. You "brothers" rock on with it.

-another "white dude" who is not racist, but is sick to death of people making race issues where they don't belong.

Can't we all just play bass?

I don't know if race is at play in this particular instance, but I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand as a possibility.

bass player 48, if the issue of race makes you uncomfortably why drop in here with a racial inflamatory attitude?

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #11 04-03-2009, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy Low

I've noticed that there are several young brothers that are making a stink on the scene but getting no press...what gives???

They're probably in the same boat as all of the uber-talented young white, hispanic, and asian kids making a hit on the scene but aren't getting any media attention.

Just because some white people get attention doesn't mean that there isn't a whole slew of talented white people that don't. Self-promotion and "being seen" is what it's about. I doubt it goes much deeper than that.

Toshiro · #12 04-03-2009, 11:33 AM

What gives, OP, is that Bass Player magazine needs to make money so it most often features more prominent and well known players. This is not news.

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #13 04-03-2009, 11:34 AM

Maybe they need to sexify themselves, Stanley-style

The Golden Boy · #14 04-03-2009, 11:42 AM

Crap. I thought this was going to be a Jonas Brothers thread...

T-MOST · #15 04-03-2009, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass player 48

Yay. Another thinly veiled race thread. You "brothers" rock on with it.

-another "white dude" who is not racist, but is sick to death of people making race issues where they don't belong.

Can't we all just play bass?

When someone points out that they are not racist... look out!

beggar98 · #16 04-03-2009, 12:21 PM

I generally think BP is a bad place to look for early recognition. Its pretty rare that someone gets featured in there before they are at least somewhat well known to us as players. Though, when googling Bubby Lewis, a BP piece was the first link.

Now, as to why some players get recognized when others don't, who knows? I think genre probably has a lot to do with it. Just like in the heyday of Motown most fans didn't know who Jamerson was, the same thing applies to hip-hop and r&b today. Its sad, because its where some of the most interesting playing is happening, and I think the best hip-hop features live musicians. But when the music is background to the vocals, this will always happen. And when most of the fan base doesn't care about the musicians behind the name on the record cover, then those musicians won't get the recognition they deserve. It probably applies to a lot of genres: hip-hop, r&b, new country, pop. I'd be willing to bet that whoever played bass for Garth Brooks when he was selling millions of records was a hell of a player, but the nature of the music and the audience it draws kept that player from being well known.

nortonrider · #17 04-03-2009, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass player 48

Yay. Another thinly veiled race thread. You "brothers" rock on with it.

-another "white dude" who is not racist, but is sick to death of people making race issues where they don't belong.

Can't we all just play bass?

You ain't alone - that was my first impression too.

StanFan · #18 04-03-2009, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Golden Boy

Crap. I thought this was going to be a Jonas Brothers thread...

I thought it was about ACDC.

Phil Smith · #19 04-03-2009, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-MOST

When someone points out that they are not racist... look out!

Ding, ding, ding!

Billy Low · #20 04-03-2009, 01:51 PM

Understand that I truley am not trying to start a race riot here on TB. If I offend believe me that is not my intention. But I have seen about enough BS out of BP! I'm not just talkin about local cats that haven't broken in the industry, I'm talkin about cats that have played on gold/platinum hits and on major/minor tours. BP has only four areas of concentration: Rock, Old Rock, Fusion/Jazz, Old Funk. Even on the old funk tip they barely scrape the surface. Even the Asian and Latino Brothers should be shown love! "It aint hatnin" as the older folks round my way would say.