RIP Rick Laird

[Ronzo]

A good, good friend (and a terrific bassist) took lessons from Rick Laird in NYC during the early ‘70s. I had the opportunity to hear him with MO live a couple of times, and heard him with his combo at Sweet Basil’s in Greenwich Village at that time, too. Genuinely nice gentleman and a fabulous player.

RIP, Rick. Thanks for all the incredible music. You’re missed.

 

[SteveCS]

It feels just a little sad that this thread isn't gaining much traction. Maybe Rick was one of the last of a breed of bass players that truly understood the role of bass (not just the bass guitar) in music. The sadness perhaps stems from the lack of appreciation of that role when the 'influencers' tag the latest and greatest in the 21st century.

 

[Ronzo]

It feels just a little sad that this thread isn't gaining much traction. Maybe Rick was one of the last of a breed of bass players that truly understood the role of bass (not just the bass guitar) in music. The sadness perhaps stems from the lack of appreciation of that role when the 'influencers' tag the latest and greatest in the 21st century.

Sad, yes. But music moves forward. All music stands on the shoulders of the greats who advanced it. I just wish that people like Rick Laird were appreciated as much as, say, Jaco Pastorius. He and Rick Laird were roughly contemporary to each other, but one is better known in current musical circles than the other. Both giants of their day, but very different from each other.

 

[J R Knots]

It feels just a little sad that this thread isn't gaining much traction. Maybe Rick was one of the last of a breed of bass players that truly understood the role of bass (not just the bass guitar) in music. The sadness perhaps stems from the lack of appreciation of that role when the 'influencers' tag the latest and greatest in the 21st century.

Very true statement

Some, who lay the foundation for the music, will always get overlooked and forgotten.

Many of us can attribute our knowledge, taste, and styles to those who came before.

Some of us even recognize the brilliance of those who pioneered our roles.

Rick Laird was definitely a champion.

 

[Bob_Ross]

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Maybe Rick was one of the last of a breed of bass players that truly understood the role of bass (not just the bass guitar) in music. The sadness perhaps stems from the lack of appreciation of that role when the 'influencers' tag the latest and greatest in the 21st century.

Billy Cobham's comments in that New York Times obit that @vilshofen cited are so on-target:

>>On the day of Mr. Laird’s death, Mr. Cobham posted a tribute on Facebook calling him “the most dependable person in that band.” Mr. Laird, he said, “played what was necessary to keep the rest of us from going off our musical rails.”

“He was my rock,” Mr. Cobham added, “and allowed me to play and explore musical regions that I would not have been able to navigate without him having my back!”<<


I gotta confess, this sentence from that same article strikes me as the ultimate elevator pitch for a Will Ferrell movie:

>>At 16, Rick was sent to live on a sheep farm in New Zealand.<<

 

[B-Mac]

2/5/40 to 7/4/21
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Wow. Just found out about this. Sad to hear.
John, Billy, Jan and Jerry are still with us. Saw Billy in September 2019.
RIP Rick Laird

 

[P. Aaron]

Rick on the upright 6 years before the formation of MO... RIP, Rick!

A beautiful recording. Every instrument comes through so nicely. Never heard of Rick Laird but, a lot of nice lessons in this one clip.
Thanks for posting.