Pino Palladino Marcus Miller Nathan East
Stay,” I noticed that the bass player (Pino) The first time I heard “Panther” off The Sun Mr. John “JR” Robinson (drums) on a song
was slapping a fretless! Needless to say, I was Don’t Lie CD I knew that popping and slapping called “Full Moon.” He has a wonderful feel,
quite intrigued. I had never seen that before! the bass had been reborn. Then when I heard makes great melodic choices, and plays with
I immediately went out and bought Paul’s No him slap all of “Teen Town” (by Weather Report) intense authority. He’s has played for just about
Parlez CD and was absolutely stunned by I knew the funk bass world was officially on everybody! Go to allmusic.com, put his name in
Pino’s playing. “The Secret of the Association” its ear. He has continued on with many great and read all about it. He’s made several records
album by Paul Young brought about Pino’s solo releases and he travels all over the world with his group, Fourplay and has inspired many
iconic bass lines in “Every Time You Go Away” teaching seminars and playing on projects. bassists worldwide.
as well as nearly-impossible-to-play bass lines
in “Hot Fun.” I followed Pino’s fretless playing MARK KING HENRIK LINDER
as he continued to play for Paul Young, Go Otherwise known around Great Britain as “the This guy is from another planet (planet
West, Don Henley, Chris DeBurgh (“Woman In funk master,” he’s one of those guys that can “Sweden” I think) and plays bass for the fusion/
from the eighties through the early nineties
Red”), and many others. Pino’s pop approach pop group Dirty Loops. If you haven’t heard
to fretless bass lines was something I could these guys, check them out and prepare to be
wrap my brain around more easily than Jaco inspired. Henrik has taken slap bass up several
Pastorious’s more legit-jazz/fusion style (which notches combining multiple-finger plucking,
I loved but could hardly play). His use of the thumb sweeping madness with good, old-
octave pedal is something he’s famous for and fashioned, left handed pull-offs (not to mention
definitely helped put that pedal on the map! He left hand slapping) to uncover pathways to
also played for The Who for a while after John bass-melodic superstardom. His groove with
Entwistle passed away. He has continued to amazing drummer Aron Mellergardh is just
rock the bass world with his flatwound-string that… amazing! Check out their solo project
wizardry playing for John Mayer, Nine Inch Mark King Loopified and listen to ‘Sayonara Love” just as
Nails, and D’angelo. Pino Palladino is the back- play everything amazingly well. But he happens a warm up. It has so many wonderful, musical
side-groove king of planet Earth. Listen closely to be one of the great pioneers of lightning- bass ingredients… I can’t even begin to explain.
to his gifting! fast bass slapping techniques. On his first solo album, “Influences,” he sang, played drums, Please take the time to listen to these wonderful
guitar, and keyboards! During the heyday of bass “contributors”. Let them inspire you to
his career he made milestones like “Something take your bass playing to new levels. Pay
Still one of the top guys in pop/jazz, Marcus About You” and “Lessons in Love” with Level close attention to their melodic sense and let
is a phenomenon. I first heard him with David 42. Check out their live CD from the ‘80s if you it become a part of your fabric! Blessings on
Sanborn on the Voyeur record, and then on get a chance. His solo before “Love Games” is you all!
“Just the Two Of Us” by Grover Washington amazing. Jr. His tone is so distinctly recognizable that it made me run out and buy a seventies Jazz NATHAN EAST
MARCUS MILLER
Bass and a pre-amp! His approach to slapping
transformed it from a disco-octave-type, I first heard Nate on Jeff Lorber’s It’s a Fact
percussive effect into a melodic instrument. record, grooving to the moon with the legendary
April 2019
Gary Lunn
Gary is a session player/producer/writer in Nashville,
TN. Contact him at [email protected] for scheduling
or any questions.
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