Chicago on Today Show

It's interesting to me that they're still going, and their fan base is as strong as it is, given that they've had little mainstream exposure for a long time. In fact, IIRC, their current guitarist is younger than the band!

I've always admired Peter Cetera's cool, smooth bass lines, as one of the more talented bass players. He managed to play with a certain simplicity yet complexity, the way he balanced space and melody, that it's hard to think of more than just a FEW bass players in the history of the instrument that had such an impact.

I've seen Chicago several times with Jason Scheff and have deep admiration for his style as well. He's a pocket player, but definitely likes to rock it up a notch. He's got a great command of the fretboard and feel.

I just think Chicago, as a whole, suffered when they parted ways with Peter. The band's as good as ever, tight as can be, but their more recent compositions, IMO, don't relay anything nearly as interesting as their old stuff.

 

i love old chicago a lot. personally i think they started fading when cetera started getting too sappy in the 80s and then left for his solo career. i haven't heard anything they've done in the last 20 years. their show last year at the mountain winery in saratoga,ca was awesome. seeing them again this year in september at the same venue. i know this is a bass players forum but as long as robert lamm is in the band i'm digging them. it's too bad terry kath died. he was a smoking hot guitar player with absolutely amazing tone.

 

Here's a video link from the Today show performance, it's "Saturday In the Park":
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/3041478/

I think Jason Scheff's become a pretty fine bassist. My band recently started covering two Chicago songs ("Beginnings" and "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"). To prepare, I listened to versions featuring both Cetera and Scheff. I actually PREFER Scheff's playing on "Beginnings", it's a lot more energetic, check out this video (but try to ignore the mullets!)
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/chicago+beginnings/video/xtfhe_chicago-beginnings

 

I really enjoyed their 1st album! Living in So. Chicago made it even more interesting, Cetera DID get sappy. ....and if you think he was sappy then you should catch him now! I saw his schtik last Feb. (free tickets in Reno) MAJOR BOMB, so bad it hurt. We evacuated after the 3rd tune.

 

Weird. Jason's all the way over on stage left, and yet the bass cabinet is way over on stage right immediately behind Keith Howland. I'd heard last year that Jason was just going direct with no amplication on stage, so maybe it's just a prop...

 

Zombie thread but yes, Jason does go direct.

 

I saw them live last year. Enjoyed it very much! I was fairly close to the stage (but not close enough to read his headstock. Didn't see any bass amplification. One cool thing from the show, they had a contest winner get up and sing "If you leave me now." This guy was definatley not a singer but they didn't laugh at him or make fun. They played it straight. The guy got a standing "O."

 

The band isn't the same without Peter and Terry. I know that's 35 years ago, but the current line is just a shadow of what the band once was. They are still a decent band, but not like the original group. That's just my opinion

 

Chicago has been doing something right since 1967. Just look at their record sales statistics.

 

Mine, too.

 

And yet they cannot seem to make it into the Crock and Roll HOF.