80's old school - Wayne Braithwaite

[20db pad]

Anybody remember Wayne Braithwaite, the great bassist who worked most notably with Billy Ocean, Kenny G, and IIRC Melba Moore? He had a sound very similar to Marcus Miller's but managed to remain his own man musically.

I recall that he passed away a few years ago and faintly remember that he may have been based in NYC. Truly an underrated and largely forgotten player.

 

[MisterV619]

Worked with Kashif too.

 

[hands5]

I got to see him perform with Jonathan Butler a couple of years before his passing,and he was playing a 72 Jazz bass with rosewood board with no preamp ! and going thru a Galien Kruger 800rb and a Hartke 4x10 ( without the horn) and personally I thought his tone was a bit richer anf fatter than Marcus's tone. He was a top flight musician.

 

[Pj,Rj,Hj]

Love his lines on David Sylvian's "Pulling Punches" from the "Brilliant Trees" album.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I was a fan too. His tone is good example of what Brad Johnson talks about when he says the old Seventies Jazzes sounded almost active stock.

It seems I remember Braithwaite most with Jonathan Butler and Mtume.

 

[hands5]

I was a fan too. His tone is good example of what Brad Johnson talks about when he says the old Seventies Jszzes sounded almost active stock.

It seems I remember Braithwaite most with Jonathan Butler and Mtume.

The tone of his axe on Billy Oceans " Love Zone track is the example of a great fat "n your face 70's passive tone

 

[gimmeagig]

The only recordings I have with him on it is the first Johnathan Butler CD and I think he is also on Thomas Dolby's Aliens Ate My Buick CD, but I'm not 100% sure about that.
He was a great bassplayer. Can you guys list a few other CDs that he played on?
Thanks

 

[steviedan]

Wayne also played on Hue and Cry's 'Three Foot Blasts of Fire' from the 'Remote' album, a really killer groove with none other than Dennis Chambers on drums. Well worth checking.

 

[gimmeagig]

here's a youtube clip I found with him.

Did he also play on Thomas Dolby's Aliens ate my Buick? There are a couple of songs on there that sure sound like him.
Hot sauce and Pulp Culture.

 

[steviedan]

Know what you mean, it sounds like him but according to the album sleeve it's Terry Jackson who also sadly passed away at a very young age.

 

[gimmeagig]

Terry Jackson, I've never heard of him. I'll have to see if there are any clips on youtube.

 

[steviedan]

Terry played some really cool stuff on 'Aliens Ate My Buick' and also a few tracks on Dolby's follow-up album 'Astronauts and Heretics'. I believe Dolby also dedicated the song 'The Neon Sisters' to Terry. I've just read a post on this forum that says Terry Jackson died in the same plane crash that killed Stevie Ray Vaughan... I think that needs some verification...

 

[Mikhail1]

No, Terry Jackson was playing with Reba McEntire's band and was killed in a plane crash, along with the rest of her band, in 1991. He was a phenomenal bassist, very funky and Dolby still talks about him to this day.

 

[nycnj212]

I read some of the threads on Wayne Braithwaite and I felt I needed to give my insight on Wayne. Wayne was a good friend. I first met him through a recording seession set up by Richard Turner the great keyboardist from NYC. After that session we did many sessions together. Wayne was at that time considered the bass player to hire, before Marcus Miller. Wayne played with any top artist. Wayne passed away at the age of 35 from an illness. Wayne is not gone and forgotten. For those who did not have the fortune to ever encounter him, all I can say is you missed greatness. He was a young cat playing it all, from Old School to the latest of the times. He not only played with Billy Ocean, he wrote Billy's Million seller "Color Me Love". Wayne was just getting started at the time passing. He is MISSED AND NOT FORGOTTEN.

Drummer, EJ

 

[winterburn69]

Awesome player. Just YouTube'd a few of the songs mentioned, this guy had a killer tone and groove!

 

[Fretless maniac]

He plays that funky bassline on the first track "Pulling Punches" on David Sylvian' Brilliant Trees.

 

[Makatak]

here's a youtube clip I found with him.

Did he also play on Thomas Dolby's Aliens ate my Buick? There are a couple of songs on there that sure sound like him.
Hot sauce and Pulp Culture.

Yes he did, and dont forget " Budapest By Blimp " off the same album, absolute masterpiece.

 

[Deleted member 96522]

I too, feel that Wayne Braitwaite's playing is right on par with Marcus Miller. I love that he used a 70s era Jazz Bass; love the sound of those instruments. Had no idea Wayne had passed so long ago. Thankfully he has left a strong musical legacy for all of us to enjoy. Respect and RIP.

 

[gimmeagig]

Yeah, Wayne totally had the Marcus vibe.70s J basses have the best sound. Guys who sound like that are the ones I pay the most attention to. John Pena and Alex Al are in that group as well for me. Alex is alive and well (at least I hope so) but there is so little on youtube it amazes me how that is possible considering how good he is.

 

[inanimate_carb]

Alex Al is going strong and still out there as he's always been. He was the house bassist for the short lived return of the Arsenio Hall show and he's all over Youtube in those videos. He also was working with Michael Jackson on the "This is It" tour as well as the tour Michael was gearing up for before his untimely death.