Because of that success I decided I wanted to become a professional double bassist and hopefully land an orchestral job one day . I was accepted into the University of North Texas music school and had planned on majoring in classical double bass studies . However , as I started getting jazz bass gigs around Houston and was really enjoying jazz , I made the decision to switch majors and study jazz bass styles and technique with Lynn Seaton ( who played in the Count Basie Orchestra and was a student and close friend of legendary bassist , Ray Brown ). Deep down I knew the right move was to study with him and absorb everything I could while I had the chance … a decision I ’ ve never regretted .
I was in my third year of college and loving it when my whole world changed . Another legendary “ Ray ,” country music icon Ray Price had a history of hiring musicians from the University of North Texas for decades . He knew the musicians were great readers and hungry for a job . Ray got his manager to call the school and ask for recommendations for a bass player and I was the one that they suggested . My “ audition ” with Ray Price was actually a two-week tour . After getting permission from my professors and taking some of my school work with me , I got to the tour bus and loaded my bass , amp , and suitcase . Having one last item to load , when I walked on the bus with a banjo case Ray looked at me and said , “ that ' s a tenor banjo ain ' t it ?” I said , “ Yes sir .” He said “ Good ... best kind ! I can stand that five-string S %$&!”
The hard part of that experience was that I had to learn Ray ’ s musical arrangements on the bus because there wouldn ’ t be enough time to rehearse at the venue . I ended up nailing the first show and , after that baptism by fire , Ray came up to me and said ,“ Son , you ' re a mighty fine bass player . You can work with me as long as you want .” So I decided to take a semester off from school to see how things went …
About two months into my tenure with Ray his cell phone rang while we were riding on the bus … it was Willie Nelson . “ Ray ,” he said , “ They want us to do a big thing called the Last Of The Breed tour . It ' ll be you , me and Merle . Are you in ?” Ray agreed and just like that I was touring with Ray Price , Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard . We did a number of those shows over the years and they were always a blast … I ended up getting to perform in all 48 continental states as well as seven provinces of Canada … we did the Grand Ole Opry , Austin City Limits and other television shows and I , needless to say , was having the time of my life .
One of the greatest things about being with Ray was that I got to jam on the bus with some of the great musicians in his band ( particularly my good friend Dale Morris Jr ., who in my opinion is the greatest fiddle player of all time ). The best part for me was that I got to play my tenor banjo for hours and hours in the back of the bus . One time Ray heard Dale and I jamming and called up Merle Haggard to brag about how good we were . Merle asked Ray to prove it . So the three of us went
26 ALL FRETS SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020