Peter Cetera in Bass Player

[JimK]

To answer your question, Jack Bruce had just spent some time in the Tony Williams Lifetime. And, in 1968, he recorded an album called "Things We Like" with John McLaughlin, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Jon Hiseman. On this album, he plays only upright bass, and the music is straight ahead, uncompromising jazz.

As for Chicago... even on the very first album, they were too cheesy for me. For the rock band with horns thing, I preferred Blood Sweat and Tears. Chicago just were too midwestern for me, or something... like "lite" blues-rock and psychedelia.
But, to each his own.

I guess if you think Things We Like is "straight ahead"...then you would find Chicago's debut as "cheesy".


(FWIW, I love that Bruce album...no compromising & almost a '60s New Thing/out vibe...in other words, not straight ahead, IMO.
Love Chicago's debut...one of the best debuts, any genre, IMO).

 

[dougjwray]

I guess if you think Things We Like is "straight ahead"...then you would find Chicago's debut as "cheesy".


(FWIW, I love that Bruce album...no compromising & almost a '60s New Thing/out vibe...in other words, not straight ahead, IMO.
Love Chicago's debut...one of the best debuts, any genre, IMO).

Jim, you're absolutely right-- going by the customary categorizations, it's not straight ahead, or even post-bop, but closer to "free jazz" or "new thing." Jack's talked about his Ornette Coleman influence.

 

[Timothy Pascale]

If you want to hear some MONSTER pick playing, listen to "Free", off Chicago III. That song is a workshop.

the version on Live at Carnegie Hall is that time 2.Absolutely smokin.

 

[Timothy Pascale]

Here is some cool linkage-

Cetera said "McCartney was so in my head..."

Jaco said "I'd kill to play with you guys (Chicago); If you ever need a sub please call me!"

I wonder if they considered Jaco after Cetera left? I know they wanted a singer/bassist, but what if...????

Anyone who judges CHicago only by their later stuff is really missing one of the truly great bands of early rock.

 

[Timothy Pascale]

Wow , I'm getting wet just thinking of Jaco in Chicago...

 

[Timothy Pascale]

I now see where you're coming from, and I do agree. If you get a chance dig around on YouTube. There are some absolutely amazing old videos of the very early days. This one is where they are in the studio and Al Green comes in and sings a tune with them. Freakin priceless!!

The bass on this tune rocks so hard that no words will do it justice. The interlude starting at 1:20 has always been tasty. Peter Cetera always approached the tune as a blank canvas and never just repeated a line unless it was so good that he needed to. He always brought a new creative twist and played in the moment ready to react musically to what was happening around him. This is what I learned from him and it is essential to my musicality. The other unique talent that he and Danny S pulled off is the ability to groove together with completely different rhythmic patterns yet have it come together somehow in a more complex groove tapestry greater than the sum of their parts. The best example of this is Saturday in the Park. He always had the super tasty licks that feel so good that were an essential hook of the song, not just a BASS LINE. He would lay it down and then between a verse, or going into a bridge he would slay it. Listen once again to Saturday, to the line takin it to the bridge. That to me is killer.

 

[Timothy Pascale]

Back in the 70's I played in a Chicago/BST cover band. It's good to see Peter get some respect for his playing. When I think about it, my style is a combination of Chicago/BST/and Grand Funk. (What a conbination)

Yes Mel rocks , I am a combination of Cetera, Mel, Geezer, John Entwhistle,(love his name) Chris Squire, and Ed King, (1st Skynard bassman).

 

[dreamadream99]

Wow , I'm getting wet just thinking of Jaco in Chicago...

What a bizarre response to a 10 year old thread.

 

[jerry]

Wow , I'm getting wet just thinking of Jaco in Chicago...

He was in BS&Ts for a bit though.

 

[IMMusicRulz]

Peter Cetera actually played many basses. He began with a 1964 Fender Precision Bass, which was originally a paisley Precision bass that eventually painted white. Cetera also borrowed producer James William Guercio's 1964 Precision Bass for some of the album.

Peter continued to use the Precision as well as a Lake Placid Blue 1965 Fender Jazz Bass up until 1970.

By the time Chicago put out Chicago V and their exhaustive Live At Carnegie Hall boxset Peter switched to a red, slotted headstock Gibson EB3. This is the bass he used on Saturday In The Park and Dialogue Part I and II.





Cetera also used a Gibson Ripper bass, and it is rumored that this bass was used on some of the sessions for Chicago VI, Chicago VII, Chicago VIII, Chicago X and Chicago XI.

However, sometime around 1977, Cetera also used two Music Man Stingray basses: one was red with a maple board, and the other was a black Stingray with a maple board.

 

[guitarsfrommars]

As good as Terry Kath was (believe it, very good to amazing), Cetera was the reason the horns in CTA/Chicago sounded as good as they did. Cetera has the nutzo swing, like nobody's business. There are so many areas in the music where he is not only singing his A$$ off, but making the groove of the songs, swing like a chimpanzee..as rhythmically solid as it comes. Player/Singer/Writer. Legitimate pro triple-threat.