Describe Your Playing

Erykah Badu called and said she wants me to play in her live band. I would say that sums up my playing style.

 

Im a pretty experimental musician. "Roccojacojamersonpercyjonesesque"! Or "Next inline for the Trey Gunn chair". Im a busy player when I can get away with it but that's from playing in trios and having to cover alot of ground. With my current progressive jazz group, I play alot of chords and harmonics if there's a place for it or im playing more freestyle musics. Plus, I use alot of strange tunings and effects to get harmonic chords and ambient textures on quieter tunes. My drummer calls me the "Andy Summers of the bass" haha. Some guitarists Ive played with hate me. haha! But I only try to enhance the music, not show off. Im not big on bass solos. I don't think they're necessary but if it means the guitarist can change his broken strings, Im always game for my spotlight dance haha.

But on more commercial or traditional material, Im pretty much in the pocket or on the one, bubbling along with the drummer like Rocco Prestia or Victor Wooten.

 

I'm a ska kinda guy. Think of me as sublime meets james brown....

 

Crap.

 

I like dead notes and blue notes and try to use them whenever I feel they make sense musically.
I like to describe the stuff I play as groove orientated rather than melodic as the fact that most bass lines aren't really melodies and sometimes sound pretty "abstract" when played alone was one of the things that made me pick up bass in the first place.

 

I just get by.

 

WWWLD
What Would Will Lee Do!!!!!
Or
WWCRD
What Would Chuck Rainey Do!!

 

Very Cool

 

Pocket.

That's all any bass player ought EVER need to describe his/her playing.

 

I saw her play live on Dave Chappelle's show....some guy laying it down with a flame natural Modulus Genesis 5 and an Aguilar DB750. Was that you?

 

Bass Awkwards

 

Pocket - what's that?

 

I'll just describe mine with a picture:

 

Very Ed-like.

 

Snarling?

 

Hard attack, high fills. Like the bottom string.

 

Definitely, snarling, roaring and grooving. Fingerstyle Snarling if you will.

 

Depends on the song

* Rhythmic/melodic - connecting the guitar and drums - best of both worlds.
* Pocket - get in there with the kick and make it tight
* Engine room - drive this thing
* Some combination of the above