STAFF PICKS
Question & Obsession
We’ve discussed underrated guitarists, but what about those bassists holding the groove down?
Jazz virtuoso Rez Abbasi joins editors and our reader of the month to name the monsters of low.
Rez Abbasi
Stephen Larocque
Guest Picker
Reader of the Month
A: Canadian electric bassist
Rich Brown is one of the
players that comes to mind.
He’s celebrated among his
peers, for sure, but should be
better known in wider circles.
He’s a cutting-edge soloist
and accompanist along with
being super versatile—at
ease in odd-metered jazz
and in simpler world-music
and funk projects. He’s also
a gifted composer as his new
album, Abeng, solidly shows.
I’ve toured with Rich so I
know his playing intimately
and it’s always surprising
and musical!
A: I love all kinds of bass
players, from the super
technical, like Victor Wooten
and Billy Sheehan, to those
who service the songs,
like Cliff Williams. But I
would have to say the most
underrated bass player is
Water Ghoul from the band
Ghost. Listen to songs like
“Con Clavi Con Dio” or
“Pinnacle to the Pit.” For sure
there are more technically
gifted bass players, but
this guy services the songs
so well, he keeps the bass
lines moving, his lines
are interesting and full of
emotion, and he has a killer
tone. Just a great, wellrounded bass player.
Current obsession:
I’m close to completing my
(jazz) guitar method book
for Hal Leonard and because
it’ll probably be the only
one I ever write, it’s indeed
become an obsession. I've
placed my own playing
under a microscope and
discovered a lot of new ideas
pertaining to the nuances of
guitar playing.
164 PREMIER GUITAR SEPTEMBER 2016
Current obsession:
The never-ending quest for
the perfect bass tone and
coming up with original
songs with my bandmates.
Far left: Photo by John Rogers Left: Photo by Perry Bean
Who do you think is the most
underrated bassist?