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Jack Casady can get you fired

Matt_T

Matt_T

Dec 18, 2013
64
9
Springdale, AR
#1
I love Jack's playing from Bless Its Pointed Little Head. 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds blew me away with its tone, active line, and descending distorted chords. At that time (mid-90s or so) I was going out for the bass position in a commercial-sounding Christian rock band. I get the gig and after a few weeks the guitarist says, "Okay, you've impressed us. Now you need to calm down and play bass." I've gotten a little better at knowing where to put my fills but Jack's playing still kills. Invalid Link Removed
 
#4
Hi,

Matt_T said:
...I was going out for the bass position in a commercial-sounding Christian rock band. I get the gig and after a few weeks the guitarist says, "Okay, you've impressed us. Now you need to calm down and play bass." I've gotten a little better at knowing where to put my fills but Jack's playing still kills. Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...

Great track! And, yes, we must always realize we are playing to support the ensemble. We must also remember why we are playing and Who we are playing for. Thanks for sharing.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
#5
I've always been a fan of Duck Dunn and Jamerson - so there's little danger of being accused of over-playing.

I really don't have any desire to sound like Jack or Jaco's playing - although I admire their technical skills.

The important thing is to complement the music. One can can play more or less depending on that factor.
 
#6
Matt_T said:
I love Jack's playing from Bless Its Pointed Little Head. 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds blew me away with its tone, active line, and descending distorted chords. At that time (mid-90s or so) I was going out for the bass position in a commercial-sounding Christian rock band. I get the gig and after a few weeks the guitarist says, "Okay, you've impressed us. Now you need to calm down and play bass." I've gotten a little better at knowing where to put my fills but Jack's playing still kills. Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...
I have always been a fan of JA but if I played that busy my guitar players would take me out back and beat me with my bass.
 
#7
All one needs is a drummer that kicks a** in the same way Spencer Dryden does on this album!

While initially immersed in Jack's style back in the early '70s, the band I was in played a show with some Big Deal (at the time), New York band that played Chicago-style blues. Their bass player had taken ill on the trip down to Baltimore and I was hastily recruited to play a set of their most elemental songs. Being young and full of myself, I played the blues ala JC. After the set, the drummer asked me, "You don't play this kind of music much, do you?"
 
#8
Jack doesn't just play a lot of notes. Jack makes deep and meaningful musical statements in a very "conversational" jazz influenced style. Cop THAT part of what he's doing and you'll probably get a whole lot less grief for playing busier parts. What Jack plays always serves the music.
 
#9
Jack Casady playes what is appropriate. Don't forget that he recorded "Voodoo Chile" on Hendrix's Electric Ladyland album. Also listen to his track "Slow, Happy Boys" on Govt Mule's The Deep End vol. 2. Those are just two examples of JC totally in the pocket, there are plenty of others.

Jack knows when to lay back and when to step out.
 
#11
When I started playing bass in the 60s I found that I just naturally loved Jack Cassady's unique approach and without realizing it, infused a small part of his style so I can relate to the creator of this thread.

Beyond Jack's playing however is the question of how far should a bass player push his creativity. I know that our mission is to be the bottom and beat of the group. It is however possible to insert a lot of creativity using many different parts of the fret board within those parameters . Just listen to some of the classic soul bass players and how they were very percussive and held the grove but still inserted some tremendous fills. They did not just sit there keeping beat on the bass.

I think its just a question of balance and also who you play with. Some guitarists can not stand a bass player that does anything melodic or puts in any fills. They feel that it takes away from their guitar playing. Of course the extreme case of a bass player fully inserting his creativity and influence is Jack Bruce when he was in Cream. I have a feeling that Eric Clapton had some problems competing with Bruce. I am not talking about this type of extreme. Just being able to do something creative that adds to the melody and fullness of the song.
 
#16
I proudly channel the likes of Geddy, Steve Harris, Chuck Panozzo, Dave Hope, Geezer, Joey Vera, and Joe DiBiase...and have never had any complaints about my "taste" when I play.

It is a matter of knowing the style you are in, listening to what is going on around you, and interacting. I would never deny my influences, but instead, I use them to my advantage
 
#17
Bard2dbone said:
I was also told to dumb it down for a substitute gig a couple of decades ago. They said " Less Chris Squire. More Michael Anthony."
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At least they knew who Chris Squire and Michael Anthony were!

I'm grateful that my band lets me play the song the way I think it ought to be played. Not that I'm above criticism, and they'll point out an error or something that clashes with the guitar. But by and large, they've been great about trusting me. But in exchange, I try to be careful to make my line fit the song. There are some I can stretch out on, like Aeroplane and You Oughta Know, and others I lay back on, like Hold On or Who Knew. It's just knowing when to do which.
 
#18
This all reminds of recording an album with one of my old bands.We were recording one particular song and the engineer kept wanting me to play a bass line that was lockstep with the kick drum. To me the song harkened back to a more 60's or 70's vibe and was screaming for that kind of musical non conformity bass line that was more about expressing ones self than adhesion to a formulated perfected soulless outlook. The part I played wasn't all over the place just more of that type of vibe. Also I was using a Gibson RD Artist bass it he could not stand that it was not a "Fender". They also used to have this rule if something sounded like something that had been done before you could not do it even if it would have been cool. Assanign group of boys, I finally had to tell them to get lost.
 
#20
Bard2dbone said:
I was also told to dumb it down for a substitute gig a couple of decades ago. They said " Less Chris Squire. More Michael Anthony."
Click to expand...

hrodbert696 said:
At least they knew who Chris Squire and Michael Anthony were!
Click to expand...

The guy who said that was normally the bass player/lead singer of that band. At the time he had several extra pounds of fiberglass around his left arm, from about mid-biceps to just past the middle of his hand. He was still singing. But he couldn't play for several weeks.
 

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