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Question about Will Lee

#41
Zakmusic said:
Thanks guys for all the info.

Does Will get called for Rock gigs? Those that demand steady eighth note stuff. I wonder wht he will add to the song. I hv an impression he get called mostly on song that need some kind of groove than straight ahead eighth note.
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He actually toured with Tommy James (as in "Mony, Mony") so he's played his share of 8th notes.
Here's his Allmusic.com list of album credits. As you can see, like the Energizer Bunny it keeps going, and going, and going....
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/will-lee-mn0000962345/credits
 
#42
Take a listen to the first call session players and you will hear a common performance... thats to play the best notes in the best context that you can. Most producers are not looking to hear you show case your riffs. TouTube Nathan East's "The Buisiness of bass" . He talks at length about this very topic.
 
#43
Marty Forrer said:
Here's to Will lee, Lee Sklar, Neil Stubenhaus, Anthony Jackson, Michael Rhodes, Nathan East and all the other GREAT players who know what to do and when to do it.
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"When I became a man, I gave up childish ways..."

Ugh, I'll never forgive myself for quoting scripture, LOL! But whenever the topic of these consumate pros, the journeymen of session bass players, comes up, I'm reminded of...well, something like that passage from the Bible.

...because as I've gotten older, I find I'm less and less interested or even impressed by the flashy hotshots on the instrument, those guys that get all the NAMM Show attention, and I'm more and more impressed by the guys that treat the gig like a job

-- a job where you only have one chance to be absolutely perfect --

and they do it day in and day out without ever sounding like they're phoning it in. They make compelling and exciting music at the drop of the hat in as appropriately self-effacing a way as possible. Or as necessary.

When I hear Will Lee (or Leland Sklar, or Nathan East, or Tony Levin, or Jimmy Johnson, etc.) I am far more blown away by their work ethic than I am by hearing, say, Victor Wooten's chops.

Because ime what Will Lee et al are doing is much more difficult; they're making everyone around them sound better without calling attention to themselves, yet also without completely subsuming their identity as a musician.

That is a rare skill.
 
#45
The Fab Faux are incredible and Will Lee is part of the reason.
Will Lee is an all around great bass player and super nice guy.

I ran into him in NYC and he autographed the pick guard for
my bass.

IMG_8258ss.jpg
 
#48
He's a very solid player, has great tone (largely due to his technique), has good theory knowledge which combined with a very strong reading ability makes him a very flexible player, and EXACTLY the kind of guy you want playing in a large group. That, and as others have stated, I've heard that he's a really amiable guy and a pleasure to work with personally.
 
#49
Aussie Player said:
I know who will Lee is cause you guys explained him here but who is anthony Jackson?
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Here is a great interview with Anthony.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
He is a great, great New York based studio bassist who has worked with everyone from Buddy Rich to Paul Simon to Al Dimeola to Michel Camillo. Many consider him a genius on bass. I certainly do. Here are some of my favorite things he's done:
 
#50



Further ( well I think these have not been mentioned before ...sorry if I'm re posting !) to those already mentioned I'd check out dennis chambers' 'getting even', michel pettruciani-'Both worlds'
Simon and Garfunkel-'The concert in central park'
Wayne Krantz-'Signals'
Steely Dan-'Gaucho'
Donald Fagen-'The Nightfly'
'Flashpoint', a cd with Dave Liebman , Steve Smith and Aydin Asen,as well as Anthony Jackson. The mix is a catastrophe( I do mean...it is really really bad, which is very, very unfortunate) but the music is interesting and the playing is very,very good.
Lionel Hampton-'Hamp's Blues'
There's a metro disc too which is alright.:)
 
#51
cnltb said:



Further ( well I think these have not been mentioned before ...sorry if I'm re posting !) to those already mentioned I'd check out dennis chambers' 'getting even', michel pettruciani-'Both worlds'
Simon and Garfunkel-'The concert in central park'
'Flashpoint', a cd with Dave Liebman , Steve Smith and Aydin Asen,as well as Anthony Jackson. The mix is a catastrophe( I do mean...it is really really bad, which is very, very unfortunate) but the music is interesting and the playing is very,very good.
Lionel Hampton-'Hamp's Blues'
There's a metro disc too which is alright.:)
Click to expand...


Thanks! Maybe someone needs to start an "Anthony Jackson is a Bad**s Bassist!" thread. I'm kind of busy the next week so someone feel free to do so. :)
 
#53
Vinnyboonbots said:
Will is a solid player who was in the right place at the right time and had the right connections early on.

He's the consummate pro -- good time, good sound, sings, reads, etc etc, but honestly, I don't think there's anything especially unique or creative or extraordinary about his playing.

But he's there -- and when you're the guy who's known for getting the job done, people tend to call you. And when the big boys call you, you get regarded as one of the greats.

Bottom line : there are thousands of guys who could do what Will Lee does and almost no one who could do what Jeff Berlin does. But Will Lee makes about eighty times more money playing the bass than Jeff Berlin. What does that tell you?
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It tells me that music industry ( or is it the music taste in America ? ) want uniformity instead of creativity or uniqueness. They encourage the music to be all the same to be easier to market and make big money.
 
#57
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