Favorite Players, transcribing, etc

[GregNY]

Hi Justin,

First off, thank you for taking the time to make yourself available to this forum. I recently watched the promo video you did for D'addario Chrome strings and was very taken with the vibe of the short bits you played on said video (and other videos as well). I'm wondering if you could name perhaps a couple of players that you were a fan of that may have helped shape your sound. Did you ever spend time transcribing or learning bass lines from players you admired to help achieve your vibe?

Thanks!

-Greg

 

[jmjbassplayer]

Greg,

Thanks for writing, and thanks for your kindness. I'm a bit of a hack when it comes to that sort of thing. I've never transcribed parts from other players. However, there are many influences that really are important to me, and whose lines I have definitely spent time absorbing and sometimes practicing, and they stretch across genres:

Family Man Barrett, Tina Weymouth, Robbie Shakespeare, Chuck Rainey, Anthony Jackson, Jamerson, McCartney, Matthew Seligman, Peter Hook, Jean-Jacques Burnel, Simonon, Graham Lewis, Holger Czukay, Simon Gallup, Jerry Casale, John Taylor, Mick Karn, David J, and Peter Hook. Those all come to mind out of the gate.

Fact is, I'm a bit of a chameleon...but split-personality disorder might be a more apt description. It would probably have suited me better (and possibly garnered me more success as a bassist) if I had really drove my way into a niche and found "my voice" as a player, but I'm afraid that just isn't me.

Regards,
Justin

 

[Bigmuffdiver]

How would you define success, if this isn't?