Bass Musician Magazine - SPECIAL February 2015 NAMM Issue | Page 18

together, what came out was what you hear now.

else is just what you might be able to get away
with and not get in the way.

When you’re handed a new tune, how do
you approach developing the bassline?

In watching you play, in my opinion, you

The writer usually has an idea, what kind of

are the ultimate ensemble player. Is this

ballpark they want it in. So that helps, and once

the philosophy that you apply to achieve

that’s established we just start playing around

this.

with it. Dave will start playing something or the

Well.... (Laughs)...it’s not like a power trio.

guitar player or the keyboards. Everybody just

You’ve got so much stuff going on and you

starts tinkering with it until something comes

really have got to be aware of it. But, you want

up that feels good.

to do your job, and I emphasize that because a
lot of bass players have a tendency to get happy

Along those same lines, how is it that

and they overplay. It detracts from the tune, it

you play so much crazy shit that totally

distracts. It’s unfortunate, because they’re great

works in the context of the tune - and it

players, you can see it, but they just haven’t got

doesn’t detract or conflict with the other

the maturity yet to settle down and pick their

parts?

moments.

(Laughs) My philosophy has always been that
I’m curious about how you hear bass

step on anybody’s toes and stay out of the
bassmusicianmagazine.com | 02.15

you get away with whatever you can. Just don’t

inside y our head. Let’s say you hear

way. And that’s just always been my approach,

some other tune on the radio, do you

because we have so much going on: the horns,

ever imagine how you would play a

the vocals, the solos - this, that, and the other.

bassline to that same song?

You really have to be careful. You want to do

Sometimes. it’s like... why did he go there? Or

your job, that’s the bottom line. You’re the bass

...I would have went there. So yeah, sometimes,

player; make sure you cover that part. Anything

but not in a critical assessment. Everybody’s