Lee Sklar sets the record clear: 4 string? 5 string? pick? fingers? fretless?

[Kelly robinson]

Is " inactive " the new "banned " ! ?? I will say that S Lee has a point in his incredibly ignorant and extremely limited way - after all Lee did play on Paul Williams " Just an Old Fashioned Love Song " - one of the all time worst songs I ever had the misfortune of hearing ! .... In fact to this day it's buried way too deep into my head for me to not hear it again merely due to it's being mentioned in passing - Please God - help me forgive him for his role [ whatever it may have been ] in bringing that particular song to life ! .... Obviously , we all have our crosses to bear ! LOL ..... Kelly

 

[Killing Floor]

Whew...no room for nastiness. For what it's worth, one of my favorite lockdown things is watching his videos. They make me smile. Stuck in the house wondering about the future and work(?) and will the Texans ever be any good...
Much Gratitude for those very light and very honest videos. Thank you for sharing, Leland Sklar.

 

[IamGroot]

There are some real dog tracks that even James Jamerson couldn't save.

Remember, a session musician doesn't win friends by turning down requests to play.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Who's Lee Sklar?

Really? He's a very prolific session player. You'll often see him in groups backing up various artists in things like the inductions to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You can't miss him because he has long white hair and a long white beard. He is the epitome of "play what the song needs when it needs it". His fills are always great and only plays them at the right time. I've never seen him overplay or for that matter underplay either. He is a consummate electric bassist and TB even has an "Ask Sklar" section.

Here's a nice quote from the Rock Godz Hall of Fame about him:

"Lee Sklar has recorded over 2,600 albums during his ongoing career as one of the preeminent bassists in the studio scene. He first found fame playing with a then-unknown James Taylor and would subsequently lay down the groove for Jackson Browne, Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Phil Collins, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Don Henley, Billy Cobham’s Spectrum and hundreds of others.'​

He's easy to spot on stage, and here's a picture of him:

And YES, he's even older than me...

 

[Fender_Bender]

It is amazing that people are asking Lee Sklar is being asked play Rush or Red Hot Chili Peppers songs! Great as Flea and Geddy are, Sklar had many, many more sessions with a much wider variety of people. Every time I see Sklar play, it is a clinic. His advice about playing on this video is priceless.
Especially his advice about not getting hung on the B string with a five or the open low D drone with a detuner ona four. Finally, more often than not, great players are not hung up on gear. As he said, the player makes the music.

His recent take on Billy Cobham’s Spectrum, using the same bass he originally used, is pretty cool. He starts out great but has a few bobbles along the way, but immediately mentions what a challenge it is to play. He’s pretty long in the tooth for a track like that though . I imagine my own concentration would be tested under similar circumstances.

 

[logdrum]

My only criticism is that he is probably more of a “gear whore” than he admits, but I suspect a lot of his basses were either free or bought at deep discounts, and I am pretty sure he afford them so cool!

C'mon. Compared to others, he is not really a gear whore. 3 amps and a few basses. Your average TB'er who rarely gigs has more than what he has. Considering how many sessions he has been in and how long he has been playing even if his collection went up 10 fold, I would not for a moment think he is a gear whore. ZZ top, they need a warehouse for their guitars and basses. Joe Bonamassa -- Those guys are. Whore is such a wrong word as well.

That is a modest house in a modest neighborhood in LA. Aside from the beard and that is pushing it, he is for all purposes normal guy that is liberal minded and most people in LA are. His down to earthness makes me respect him more everyday.

 

[IamGroot]

Back in Kazakhstan, I would practice bass after hours in my office with youtube. A coworker, Nurlan, came in while I was doing Stratus and I told him the story how Lee created that line on the spot and showed him thw Wiki page.

He took one look at the picture and asks "Priest?".

 

[OptimalOptimus]

But TB says that I have to have a J and P to go into the studio ... or to play in a blues or country band ...

I agree with Sklar ... all of this is stupid and only serve to gratify a vision not the actual music

 

[Dr. Cheese]

C'mon. Compared to others, he is not really a gear whore. 3 amps and a few basses. Your average TB'er who rarely gigs has more than what he has. Considering how many sessions he has been in and how long he has been playing even if his collection went up 10 fold, I would not for a moment think he is a gear whore. ZZ top, they need a warehouse for their guitars and basses. Joe Bonamassa -- Those guys are. Whore is such a wrong word as well.

That is a modest house in a modest neighborhood in LA. Aside from the beard and that is pushing it, he is for all purposes normal guy that is liberal minded and most people in LA are. His down to earthness makes me respect him more everyday.

I wasn’t really ripping him. I am a fan, if you can’t tell. I just think Lee enjoys a shiny new bass. That is probably the only thing I have in common with a great musician like him.

 

[40Hz]

You probably saw this bass:

View attachment 3826749


I think he donated to a Hard Rock somewhere in the US.

Wow! Blast from the past if there ever was one. That was the bass that was pictured on the album of Billy Thorpe’s sci-fi themed LP Children of the Sun. Haven’t thought about that bass in decades.

Thanks for the memory jog!

 

[Jon McBass]

There are some real dog tracks that even James Jamerson couldn't save.
Remember, a session musician doesn't win friends by turning down requests to play.

A session player also usually needs to play what they’re asked to play. I’ve had sessions where I thought I’d nailed a great part only to hear during playback, “no, actually we want less of this and more of that.” Most of the time you’re role is to help the artist actualize their vision, not your own.

 

[Copperhead]

OK, I know when further discussion is pointless.

I once heard it called invincible ignorance. Indeed.

 

[Jon McBass]

A session player also usually needs to play what they’re asked to play. I’ve had sessions where I thought I’d nailed a great part only to hear during playback, “no, actually we want less of this and more of that.” Most of the time you’re role is to help the artist actualize their vision, not your own.

<“your,” not “you’re...”>

 

[red_rhino]

We debate 4-string vs 5-string because, generally speaking, we have too much time on our hands here (currently lockdown situation notwithstanding).

If I had an actual career in music, a la Lee Sklar, I wouldn't give a rat's tight little patootie about that and many other topics around here.

 

[Feral Feline]

As for the duds...
I think it was James Mason who when queried as to why he'd made so many bad films stated that he didn't like to turn down work, 'cause you never know when the phone will stop ringing.

Sklar likes all kinds of music, and working, so he's done a lot in many different genres and his phone hasn't ever stopped ringing, and he continues to answer those calls, be the call from a known superstar to a would-be star-in-the-making. So, yeah, there's gonna be some duds in his catalogue — let the person who hasn't ever had a dud in any endeavour cast the first brown note...



As Frankie5string posted:

... That says something about the kind of respect and demand he had at the time.

... respect and demand that Sklar still has and will continue to have beyond the mortal coil.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Even so, ten basses is a lot, even for a working musician. That said, can afford them, and he certainly puts his basses to good use.

Lee mentions he has a lot of gear in storage and much of it is for sale online....he donates to an elephant refuge in Nashville with some of the proceeds.

 

[40Hz]

Is " inactive " the new "banned " ! ??

I think it means: “elected to leave in a huff after getting severe pushback following a series of ill considered comments.”

 

[DavidEdenAria]

I find intensity is what he is lacking the most.

He comes across as if bass playing is merely a job...not a passion...25000 songs that he recorded and the majority he likely never played again nor would probably even recognize. Assembly-line songmaking.

He spits out basslines like an accountant spits out numbers.

Wrong...he tours & toured extensively.....played on a lot of gospel albums in Nashville as well

 

[PaulS]

Here's some totally bland Lee Sklar, for sure.

No soul, no tone, no imagination. Just a "studio guy" with nothing to say.

nice tune thanks for posting!

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I once heard it called invincible ignorance. Indeed.

I will not say he is ignorant, but some people see what they want to see, and there is no point in debating.