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Mark Adams ( Stone Jam aka Grung Funk !!

H

hands5

Jan 15, 2003
2,644
308
63
good 'ol USA/Tampa fla.
Disclosures
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#1
I hear alot about the Funky bass players i.e Marcus Miller, Larry Graham,Flea ( I guest) Victor Wooten ( not really,but awful damn good) Louis Johnson-as he should be and Prince-fa sho,and I'm sure there a few others that I might agree or disagree,but I've yet to hear anybody ( but a few you cats around TB that are in the know) mention anything about Mr. Mark Adams of the group Slave/ Aura ( although Steve Washington who was Slaves' leader and trumpet player became a sho nuff good bassist for Aura after Mark Adams left also did a short stint with Parliment). I know Marcus has a signature sound and tone with the tried and true 70's Jazz bass,but I have to say with the exception of Larry Graham,Mark Adams truly had a in your face style as much as any basses during this period of some serious funky players,and really did bring the 70's Jazz bass to the light (even before Marcus),and mind you this was when he was still in high school.
Listen all players that have been mention obviously deserve thier props ok..cool.But this cat truly deserves some.
Peace
 
#2
Mark Adams gets mentioned from time to time. I have mentioned him myself because I saw him live in 1980 at show that was opened by Pleasure with Nathaniel Phillips taking an extended solo on "Glide." Mark Adams, I think, gets less run than others you mentioned because his music crossed over very little with the exception of "Slide."
 
#3
I too have mentioned him as have quite a few others here (mostly the old school funk cats)! I consider him one of my teachers (indirectly of course)! The cat is a monster and I also consider him an innovator on the instrument! His use of double stops and chorus/flanger effects are unique and I've not heard another player who played like him!
 
#4
hands5 said:
I hear alot about the Funky bass players i.e Marcus Miller, Larry Graham,Flea ( I guest) Victor Wooten ( not really,but awful damn good) Louis Johnson-as he should be and Prince-fa sho,and I'm sure there a few others that I might agree or disagree,but I've yet to hear anybody ( but a few you cats around TB that are in the know) mention anything about Mr. Mark Adams of the group Slave/ Aura ( although Steve Washington who was Slaves' leader and trumpet player became a sho nuff good bassist for Aura after Mark Adams left also did a short stint with Parliment). I know Marcus has a signature sound and tone with the tried and true 70's Jazz bass,but I have to say with the exception of Larry Graham,Mark Adams truly had a in your face style as much as any basses during this period of some serious funky players,and really did bring the 70's Jazz bass to the light (even before Marcus),and mind you this was when he was still in high school.
Listen all players that have been mention obviously deserve thier props ok..cool.But this cat truly deserves some.
Peace
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I totally agree with you. Mark adams is clearly without a doubt one of the biggest influences on me. He in my opinion on par with any bass player in the that era or beyond. One of the reason's he's not mentioned on here more is because a lot of these cat's really don't seem to know music as a whole. You have to be turned on to certain guys, and a lot of guys just aren't that well rounded. What typed of bass did he play? I also noticed that he was like 18 or so when he first started with Slave.
 
#5
terrelli721 said:
I totally agree with you. Mark adams is clearly without a doubt one of the biggest influences on me. He in my opinion on par with any bass player in the that era or beyond. One of the reason's he's not mentioned on here more is because a lot of these cat's really don't seem to know music as a whole. You have to be turned on to certain guys, and a lot of guys just aren't that well rounded. What typed of bass did he play? I also noticed that he was like 18 or so when he first started with Slave.
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Yes, he was the youngest member and his age actually delayed them from gigging at certain venues so they had to wait until he turned 18 and then it was on!! Cats in the know here have said most of the recordings were done using a Fender Jazz. Most pictures show him playing an Alembic!
 
#9
Mark was truly an innovator and his basslines are killer. He gets mentioned here a lot more than you think here, I have mentioned him in several threads and responded to many others. I remember him with an Alembic series 1 and a custom built Jazz type bass with three pickups and a mirror pickguard that covered the complete front of the bass. Got a chance to see him live a couple of times and he was just a great player, amazing pocket and slap grooves. His solo's were the real treat though. The touring bassist for Slave actually posts here on Talkbass, maybe he'll chime in.
 
#10
It was a chorus pedal on "Snapshot". My favorite line BY FAR is "Stone Jam". He killed that song. Btw, he was 17 when he wrote the bassline to "Slide". Mark has gotten alot of mentions here, mostly from us older funkheads, but it's all part of the education process for us all. Younger cats here have turned me on to some killer bassists as well. TB member Slavebass now plays for Slave.
 
#11
Bassist and trumpeter and guitarist and leader of Slave, Steve Washington had a group out with Slave guitarist Mark "Drac" Hicks and Shiela Horn from the group Brides Of Funkenstien. The band was called Civil Attack. Washington did some wicked basswork on that record, he and Adams had very similar styles. Yeah Adams and Hicks were 17 when "Slide" became a hit and both were still in high school! I remember Hick's dad not being too happy about signing that contract because he wanted Hicks to go to college.:smug:
 
#14
Woodchuck, I have to admit thinking about it, that stonejam was an incrdible song. I love the extended version where the guitar and bass form that incredible, pulsating solo part where Mark is holding it down and the guitar player is ripping over the top. Did mark get the bass chores on Steve Arrington's hall or fame as well?????
 
#15
terrelli721 said:
Woodchuck, I have to admit thinking about it, that stonejam was an incrdible song. I love the extended version where the guitar and bass form that incredible, pulsating solo part where Mark is holding it down and the guitar player is ripping over the top. Did mark get the bass chores on Steve Arrington's hall or fame as well?????
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Buddy Hankerson, Steve, and Kevin Eubanks :confused: played on the first record. I believe Steve played "Weak at the Knees".
 
#18
terrelli721 said:
Thanks the weak at the knee's is one of the all time jams in my opinion!!!!
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One of the nastiest and easiest to learn. Speaking of Mark, you know his main influence was Verdine White (E,W,&F). During their first tour with EWF, Mark would stand in the shadows and watch Verdine do his signature "sting". Mark copped it, and made it funky! :bassist: It's especially funky in "Watching You".
 
#19
terrelli721 said:
Woodchuck, I have to admit thinking about it, that stonejam was an incrdible song. I love the extended version where the guitar and bass form that incredible, pulsating solo part where Mark is holding it down and the guitar player is ripping over the top. Did mark get the bass chores on Steve Arrington's hall or fame as well?????
Click to expand...

Listen to the Arrington record again. The vibe is similar to Slave, but the bass tone is very different. The Arrington Hall of Fame was Stingray heaven! That whole album is full of two band Stingrays with the treble knob maxed out! As the owner of a SR5 HH, the sound of that album really warms my heart!:bassist: :D
 
#20
Mark Adams is a true pioneer of individuality as a Bass player and overall talent,never overplayed always gave the song just what was needed,even to this Day there is no Bass player that has that sound at all and if it is point me and those who may be interested to that Bass player.Mark was around 16 or 17 when they came out with slide.the main three basses that he played were his Jazzes,Alembics and the three pickup J Bass was made by Stars guitars(equipped with the original stars guitars preamp,that M.Miller is now so famous for).

and on another note Kenny Pettus co-founder and keyboardist for the R&B Funk group The Dazz Band(that's one of the regular gigs you will find Nate Philips on) is Mark Adams cousin.
 

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