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Osama Afifi by Brent-Anthony Johnson : Keep an Eye On
It takes a lot of skill, chops, and a titanium spine to succeed in both the LA and Seattle music scenes! For the past nearly 20 years a player has brought his formidable bass playing and arranging to artists seeking “that certain something” to their music. That player is Osama Afifi! Like many well-paid, and oft-played musicians toiling (and thriving) in studios up-and-down the West Coast, Osama is not a household name. However, his tasteful and balanced ability as a doubler guarantees his telephone isn’t idle for very long.
Osama decided to leave the gritty LA scene and settle in Seattle, WA in order to spend more time with his growing family, and has since then become an invaluable entity to the likes of Jeff Kashiwa, Nick Deonigi, David Keys, Tribal Jazz, Hook Me Up, Kareem Kandi, Darren Motamedy, Gail Pettis. The 5th avenue Theater and Jazz Impressions– all the while maintaining a full student roster. Yeah, he’s slowing down a little… See for yourself at: www.myspace.com/osamaafifi
BAJ: Osama! Thanks so much for taking time to speak with Bass Musician Magazine, man! Thanks also for the cool compilation disc you sent to me! Man, you cover a lot of ground… Give our readers a thumbnail sketch of how you approach standard material such as “Confirmation” and “Some Day My Prince Will Come”, and how you work toward keeping that material fresh?
Osama: The first thing I can say is play, play, play…! The more we play the more ideas start to flow. I also like taking tunes and helping to arrange them in different ways. With the B Sharp Jazz Quartet we took the tune “Confirmation” and put a D pedal half time Hip Hop groove to it. With Jazz Impressions we took “Some Day My Prince (Will Come)” and put a 6/8 Afro Cuban groove at the A section and walked 4/4 at the B section. For solos I walked double time 3/4. I think little things like that bring different flavors to old standards.
BAJ: Let’s talk about “TONE”! How would you describe your tone, and how close are your recorded examples to the sound in your head? Also, tell us about your acoustic contrabass, and how your mic’ing it these days? Oh yeah… and your electric bass guitar tone, too – along with your gear choices and “why”!
Osama: I would describe my tone as “round and fat”. I sometimes try to go for a midrange “in your face” tone… But I always go back to a James Jamerson inspired tone. Weather on the upright or electric it’s all the same to me. I started on upright, so I think the acoustic vibe seeps into my electric playing. The electric bass players who most inspired me started on upright bass: James Jamerson, Verdeen White, Nathan East and Stanley Clarke. My upright bass is a 5-string with a low B-string with Wilson pickups installed. I’ve never had much luck mic’ing the upright live. My main electric bass is a Fodera Imperial 5. It’s the best all-round bass I have ever owned. I also think the amp is important for the proper live tone. I am currently using Mark Bass amplification. I prefer fresh D’Addario nickel round-wound strings for the electric, and D’Addario hybrid strings for the upright.
BAJ: You spend a lot of time either teaching, or on the bandstand. What are those technical and musical practices that keep the blades sharp? Also, what are a few tips you can share on the subject of “focus”?
Osama: I constantly work on scales and sight-reading. I also practice a lot to play-along material. Hal Leonard has an excellent collection of jazz play-alongs. I also spend time transcribing basslines and solos. That is a great form of ear training. I also work on learning new tunes and melodies. A good idea is to learn tunes in different keys. I really get annoyed with myself if a bandleader calls a tune I think I know in an unfamiliar key and I hack through it. Moments like that push me back to the drawing board.
As a bass player, knowing a lot of tunes leads to more gigs. I pride myself in knowing quite a few tunes! But I know some cats who know virtually thousands of tunes. Focus is an interesting term… When I shed I sometimes have it, and sometimes I don’t!! When I practice I try focusing on one task at a time. Being consistent is a very important part of being a good bass player. When I am performing, my focus is on the bandstand. There is nothing worse than grooving along and hitting a huge sour note! (Laughter)
BAJ: In an attempt to site a couple of your many A-List performance engagements… tell us about playing with Hamish Stuart (AWB, Paul McCartney), and also with the Doors – on VH-1’s “Storytellers” series?
Osama: I actually played with Hamish at a club in Los Angeles called R&B LIVE. I was the house bassist there from time-to-time. Billy Preston, Stacy Lattisaw, Mickey Howard and Hamish Stuart were among those who I backed up and performed with. Hamish Stuart was one of the funkiest guitar players I’ve ever grooved with. We actually played “Pick up the Pieces”. The other guitarist I played with that same evening was David Williams. He played guitar for Michael Jackson and Madonna. I had been performing for a while with John Densmore’s Tribal Jazz. John called to ask me to perform a song “The End” with the Doors on VH-1’s Storytellers. Of course I said yes!! Being on stage with Rock legends is something I’ll always remember.
BAJ: Along that line… What are a few of the highlights from your recorded discography? Also, what are a few tools you find invaluable to your session kit?
Osama: Recording two CD’s with The B Sharp Jazz Quartet was really special. It was one of those situations where we actually rehearsed and grew together. With that band I toured all over the USA and Europe. Another highlight was doing a couple of sessions with the incredible drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. All the stories you have heard about him are true. We were all in the studio rehearsing and looking over our parts but Vinnie wasn’t around. The producer was saying, “where’s Vinnie”? He was outside making a call. He finally came in and took a peek at the music. We asked if he wanted to rehearse the tune and he said roll tape (we still had tape back then). He, then, nailed it! Cats like that make everyone on the session feel like a million bucks! Their time, feel, and groove are so strong you can’t help but pick up your game and play to your fullest potential! Other basses I bring to various sessions are my 6-string Tune fretless and my Warwick Streamer II 5 with a Roland V bass pickup. Another bass I have recently added to my collection is the Azola Lightning Bug electric upright bass. This is the best electric upright I have ever played. It is also great for the road.
BAJ: What would you say to a bassist who has the dream of becoming a session bassist and sideman?
Osama: The first thing I would say is learning to sight-read music. That means both single note reading and chord chart reading. When I was much younger I started getting gigs over players much better, and experienced than myself, because I could sight-read.
One of my early professional musical experiences was with a group called the David Ii Orchestra. Ricky Miner was the previous bassist. My reading skill got me in and kept me in that band. Don’t put it off! Whatever style of music you are into it is a good idea to learn the history of that music. That means learning a lot of songs. Always remember the role of a bass player… And understand that role has expanded over the years! It can be easy to get sidetracked with all sorts of different hot lick techniques. Just watch YouTube for five minutes!! Well, hot licks can also be real fun.
We also need to learn how to network!! On a 1990’s tour with Vanessa Paradis (Johnny Dep’s wife), I performed with an old drummer friend of mine named Zoro. He gave me a lot of extra tips about networking. As far as business cards… don’t be stingy, pass them out! I was networking, e-mailing cats and introducing myself… letting them know I was making a move from L.A. to Seattle 6 months before the move. When I made the move 3 1/2 years ago I was determined not to sit idle. The first night I arrived after the 21-hour drive I went directly to a jam session at a club called Jazz Bones. I sat in and met some local players. That night I met a guitar player named Mason Hargrove whom I play with today. Get out and play as much as possible. Don’t wait for the phone to ring. Call players and set up playing situations! Use MySpace to meet other players and producers. I just landed a musical theater gig in Seattle’s 5th Ave theater called The Memphis. I got the gig indirectly through MySpace. I also recorded a song and video for the Obama campaign called, “FIRED UP, READY TO GO” featuring Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron. That video also happened from MySpace.
In the early 1990’s I toured with Yanni. I got that gig indirectly from an L.A. paper called The Recycler. I saw an add looking for a bass player. The gig was paying $35.00. The connections through that gig later landed me the audition with Yanni. I ended up doing a 58 city U.S. and Canadian tour with Yanni and it paid a whole lot more than $35.00!!!
BAJ: What would you like to accomplish in the New Year?
Osama: I would like to meet more and more musicians to perform with. I am drawn to many styles of music and would like to dive into some unfamiliar territory. I also like to keep progressing as an upright and electric bassist and would like take some private instruction from one of the Seattle Symphony bassists. A few years ago I took lessons with Gary Willis and Jeff Berlin. I learned so much from those cats. I will also make it a point to start recording a solo CD. I am not sure what direction I will take… but I look forward to the project.
BAJ: Do you often get the opportunity to perform live with singer-songwriter Nick Deonigi? Your work with him is a cool departure from the “jazz guy” thing with the B#’s and Tribal Jazz! Please give our readers your thoughts on switching gears from straight-ahead to pop folk, and how you view your role in the different contexts.
Osama: My earliest musical memories is strumming the broom and singing along with the Beatles “I Saw Her Standing There”. “Meet The Beatles” was my first album! I grew up listening to everything from the Carpenters and the Monkees to Sly and the Family Stone and the Jackson Five. My grandfather had all the 78’s of big band music, and I loved that stuff! That was before I really knew what jazz was. As a child I used to watch Lawrence Welk on TV. In my early teens I was into The Who and then got deep into Motown and everything R&B. I really got into jazz when I was about 14 years old. So when I work with an artist like Nick I just do what I do. All my listening and playing experience is put into whatever I am doing at that moment in time. I have done a couple of live shows with Nick and look forward to many more.
BAJ: Okay. Curveball, man… what is “funk”? How do you get it? Is it get-able? (Laughter)
Osama: Funk is James Jamerson, Larry Graham, James Brown, Bootsy Collins, Verdine White, Rocco Prestia, Herbie Hancock, Cameo, George Clinton, Sly and the Family Stone, The Isley Brothers, The Ohio Player, The Average White Band, Stevie Wonder, The Meters, Marcus Miller, Funkadelic, J Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, Flea, Tom Browne, Rick James, The Temptations, Prince, Rufus and Chaka Khan, Louis Johnson, Benard Edwards, The Commodores, and Kool & the Gang… plus many more. I can’t really explain it but I know it when I hear it!! It’s like any other style. You have to listen to these cats and catch the groove. Find a funky drummer, then practice, practice, practice…
BAJ: Please give our readers the required reading list for learning how to play jazz. Thanks!
Osama: I don’t believe you can learn jazz from books alone. But books can help with the process. First of all I would say listen and transcribe bass lines and solos and make your own book of jazz. The Charlie Parker Omni book is real fun to work out of. The Jazz Bass Book by John Goldsby is a beautiful book. It is part history and part hands on. Rufus Reed The Evolving Bassist is a great book. Bassist Michael Moore also has a book called Melodic Playing in the Thumb Position. Past generations of players did not have all this info that we have today.
BAJ: Describe your “average” day, man. Also, describe how you balance our active schedule.
Osama: For working full time musicians there is no “average day”. By the end of this year I will have done about 210 gigs. That includes Jazz club, wedding, corporate, concert, recording and a one-month tour with Tribal Jazz earlier this year. I also have 22 private students. My average day is waking up at 7:00 AM and getting my 6-year-old son Jordan to school. After that it depends on what is going on that week. I keep my palm pilot with me at all times and update it regularly. I am a late night guy. After gigs I usually go to my studio and practice a bit. That is my way of winding down.
BAJ: Man, thanks again for hanging with us for second! I’m glad we could have a little time together! Any closing thoughts for our wonderful readers?
Osama: I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to play music all these years. Do it for yourself, and never let anyone tell you not to play! I hope in the near future many more kids in our country and the world can experience the joy of making music through school programs.
And again, catch him online at www.myspace.com/osamaafifi
Gear News
New Gear: Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass
Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass…
Esopus Guitars is proud to announce the new “Tailwater” bass guitar, from legendary bass luthier Stuart Spector. This 32” scale bass is handcrafted by Stuart using the only finest woods and components at the Esopus Guitar workshop located near Woodstock NY in the Catskill Mountains.
From its fully carved spruce top (the top is carved on both its exterior and interior surfaces) with a thumb rest that is elegantly carved into the top, to its custom-made Fishman piezo pickup and super hard Carnauba wax finish, every detail of the Tailwater is part of creating the ultimate playing experience.
The Tailwater bass features a fully chambered spruce over alder body (15.5″ lower body bout width, 2.25″ body thickness measuring from the peak of the carved top) that delivers a super comfortable tonal tool for all your low-end needs.
Each Tailwater bass is hand-signed and numbered on the back of the peghead by Stuart Spector. A very limited number of Tailwater basses are handcrafted each year at the Esopus workshop.
“I am proud to present the Tailwater bass, a bass that I have spent the last three years perfecting. The Tailwater is a culmination of all of my 45 years of experience, knowledge, and passion for bass guitar crafting. I am so eager to hear what fellow musicians create with this exciting new instrument.” -Stuart Spector
Direct Pricing : $4995.00 plus options.
For more information about Esopus Guitars and Stuart Spector’s handcrafted instruments, visit www.EsopusGuitars.com.
Bass Videos
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
Ian Allison Bassist extreme…
Most recently Ian has spent the last seven years touring nationally as part of Eric Hutchinson and The Believers, sharing stages with acts like Kelly Clarkson, Pentatonix, Rachel Platten, Matt Nathanson, Phillip Phillips, and Cory Wong playing venues such as Radio City Music Hall, The Staples Center and The Xcel Center in St. Paul, MN.
I had a chance to meet up with him at the Sellersville Theater in Eastern Pennsylvania to catch up on everything bass. Visit online at ianmartinallison.com/
Latest
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…
Click to follow Bass Musician on Instagram @bassmusicianmag
FEATURED @officialspector @bqwbassguitar @brute_bass_guitars @phdbassguitars @ramabass.ok @tribe_guitars @woodguerilla_instruments @mikelullcustomguitars @jcrluthier @elegeecustom
Features
Interview With Audic Empire Bassist James Tobias
Checking in with Bergantino Artist James Tobias
James Tobias, Bassist for psychedelic, Reggae-Rock titans Audic Empire shares his history as a musician and how he came to find Bergantino…
Interview by Holly Bergantino
James Tobias, a multi-talented musician and jack-of-all-trades shares his story of coming up as a musician in Texas, his journey with his band Audic Empire, and his approach to life and music. With a busy tour schedule each year, we were fortunate to catch up with him while he was out and about touring the US.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Dallas, Texas and lived in the Dallas area most of my life with the exception of 1 year in Colorado. I moved to the Austin area at age 18.
What makes the bass so special to you particularly, and how did you gravitate to it?
I honestly started playing bass because we needed a bass player and I was the one with access to a bass amp and bass. I played rhythm guitar and sang up until I met Ronnie, who I would later start “Audic Empire” with. He also played rhythm guitar and sang and we didn’t know any bass players, so we had to figure something out. I still write most of my songs on guitar, but I’ve grown to love playing the bass.
How did you learn to play, James?
I took guitar lessons growing up and spent a lot of time just learning tabs or playing by ear and kicked around as a frontman in a handful of bands playing at the local coffee shops or rec centers. Once I transitioned to bass, I really just tried to apply what I knew about guitar and stumbled through it till it sounded right. I’m still learning every time I pick it up, honestly.
You are also a songwriter, recording engineer, and a fantastic singer, did you get formal training for this?
Thank you, that means a lot! I had a couple of voice lessons when I was in my early teens, but didn’t really like the instructor. I did however take a few lessons recently through ACC that I enjoyed and think really helped my technique (Shout out to Adam Roberts!) I was not a naturally gifted singer, which is a nice way of saying I was pretty awful, but I just kept at it.
As far as recording and producing, I just watched a lot of YouTube videos and asked people who know more than me when I had a question. Whenever I feel like I’m not progressing, I just pull up tracks from a couple of years ago, cringe, and feel better about where I’m at but I’ve got a long way to go. Fortunately, we’ve got some amazing producers I can pass everything over to once I get the songs as close to finalized as I can.
Describe your playing style(s), tone, strengths and/or areas that can be improved on the bass.
I honestly don’t know what my style would be considered. We’ve got so many styles that we play and fuse together that I just try to do what works song by song. I don’t have too many tricks in the bag and just keep it simple and focus on what’s going to sound good in the overall mix. I think my strength lies in thinking about the song as a whole and what each instrument is doing, so I can compliment everything else that’s going on. What could be improved is absolutely everything, but that’s the great thing about music (and kind of anything really).
Who were your influencers in terms of other musicians earlier on or now that have made a difference and inspired you?
My dad exposed me to a lot of music early. I was playing a toy guitar while watching a VHS of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble live at SXSW on repeat at 4 years old saying I wanted to “do that” when I grew up. I was the only kid in daycare that had his own CDs that weren’t kid’s songs. I was listening to Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, and The Doors when I could barely talk. I would make up songs and sing them into my Panasonic slimline tape recorder and take it to my preschool to show my friends. As I got older went through a bunch of music phases. Metal, grunge, rock, punk, hip hop, reggae, ska, etc. Whatever I heard that I connected to I’d dive in and learn as much as I could about it. I was always in bands and I think I kept picking up different styles along the way and kept combining my different elements and I think that’s evident in Audic’s diverse sound.
Tell me about Audic Empire and your new release Take Over! Can you share some of the highlights you and the band are most proud of?
Takeover was an interesting one. I basically built that song on keyboard and drum loops and wrote and tracked all my vocals in one long session in my bedroom studio kind of in a stream-of-consciousness type of approach. I kind of thought nothing would come of it and I’d toss it out, but we slowly went back and tracked over everything with instruments and made it our own sound. I got it as far as I could with production and handed it off to Chad Wrong to work his magic and really bring it to life. Once I got Snow Owl Media involved and we started brainstorming about a music video, it quickly turned into a considerably larger production than anything we’ve done before and it was such a cool experience. I’m really excited about the final product, especially considering I initially thought it was a throwaway track.
Describe the music style of Audic Empire for us.
It’s all over the place… we advertise it as “blues, rock, reggae.” Blues because of our lead guitarist, Travis Brown’s playing style, rock because I think at the heart we’re a rock band, and reggae because we flavor everything with a little (or a lot) of reggae or ska.
How did you find Bergantino Audio Systems?
Well, my Ampeg SVT7 caught fire at a show… We were playing Stubbs in Austin and everyone kept saying they smelled something burning, and I looked back in time to see my head, perched on top of its 8×10 cab, begin billowing smoke. We had a tour coming up, so I started researching and pricing everything to try and find a new amp. I was also fronting a metal band at the time, and my bass player’s dad was a big-time country bass player and said he had this really high-end bass amp just sitting in a closet he’d sell me. I was apprehensive since I really didn’t know much about it and “just a little 4×10” probably wasn’t going to cut it compared to my previous setup. He said I could come over and give it a test drive, but he said he knew I was going to buy it. He was right. I immediately fell in love. I couldn’t believe the power it put out compared to this heavy head and cumbersome cab I had been breaking my back hauling all over the country and up countless staircases.
Tell us about your experience with the forte D amp and the AE 410 Speaker cabinet.
It’s been a game-changer in every sense. It’s lightweight and compact. Amazing tone. And LOUD. It’s just a fantastic amp. Not to mention the customer service being top-notch! You’ll be hard-pressed to find another product that, if you have an issue, you can get in touch with the owner, himself. How cool is that?
Tell us about some of your favorite basses.
I was always broke and usually working part-time delivering pizzas, so I just played what I could get my hands on. I went through a few pawn shop basses, swapped in new pickups, and fought with the action on them constantly. I played them through an Ampeg be115 combo amp. All the electronics in it had fried at some point, so I gutted it out and turned it into a cab that I powered with a rusted-up little head I bought off someone for a hundred bucks. My gear was often DIY’d and held together by electrical tape and usually had a few coats of spray paint to attempt to hide the wear and tear. I never really fell in love with any piece of gear I had till I had a supporter of our band give me an Ibanez Premium Series SDGR. I absolutely love that bass and still travel with it. I’ve since gotten another Ibanez Premium Series, but went with the 5-string BTB. It’s a fantastic-sounding bass, my only complaint is it’s pretty heavy.
Love your new video Take Over! Let us know what you’re currently working on (studio, tour, side projects, etc.)
Thank you!! We’ve got a LOT of stuff we’re working on right now actually. Having 2 writers in the band means we never have a shortage of material. It’s more about getting everything tracked and ready for release and all that goes into that. We just got through filming videos for 2 new unreleased tracks with Snow Owl Media, who did the videos for both Love Hate and Pain and Takeover. Both of these songs have surprise features which I’m really excited about since these will be the first singles since our last album we have other artists on. We’ve also got a lot of shows coming up and I’ve also just launched my solo project as well. The debut single, “Raisin’ Hell” is available now everywhere. You can go here to find all the links distrokid.com/hyperfollow/jamestobias/raisin-hell
What else do you do besides music?
For work, I own a handyman service here in Austin doing a lot of drywall, painting, etc. I have a lot of hobbies and side hustles as well. I make custom guitar straps and other leather work. I do a lot of artwork and have done most of our merch designs and a lot of our cover art. I’m really into (and borderline obsessed) with health, fitness, and sober living. I have a hard time sitting still, but fortunately, there’s always a lot to do when you’re self-employed and running a band!
Follow James Tobias:
jamestobiasmusic.com
Facebook.com/james.tobias1
Instagram.com/ru4badfish2
TikTok.com/@jamestobiasmusic
audicempire.com
Bass CDs
New Album: Avery Sharpe, I Am My Neighbors Keeper
Avery Sharpe and his Double Quartet to release, I Am My Neighbors Keeper
A new recording will be released on JKNM Records by internationally renowned bassist/composer Avery Sharpe, “I Am My Neighbors Keeper” is scheduled for release in June 2024.
Sharpe has composed a new work that highlights our commitment to one another. Avery initiated the project as a response to the political and racial division that has grown over the past seven years in the country. “The U.S political climate has drastically changed in the past 40-plus years, especially during the last seven of those years. In this age of greed, which Sharpe refers to as “IGM,” I Got Mine, basic human compassion has been eroded. Racial, economic and social strides are being turned back.
“We have food insecurity, the unhoused, pandemics, school shootings, domestic violence, and an opioid problem, just to name some. There is a need to remind people that each of us is here on this planet for a very short period of time. It doesn’t matter if one has a religious approach or a secular approach, it all comes down to concern and compassion for each other. Through these compositions and recordings, Avery’s mission as an artist is to remind us that we all are interconnected and that ‘We Are Our Neighbor’s Keeper.’ When we help to uplift one, we uplift everyone,” Sharpe said.
Each movement in the piece describes the values we should strive for to help one another for this multi-media (video slide show during performance) and multi-discipline performance.
Many of Sharpe’s projects and recordings have been about “standing on the shoulders of ancestors, heroes and sheroes.” Among his recordings and projects, include “Running Man” (celebrating the athlete Jesse Owens), “Ain’t I A Woman” (about Sojourner Truth), and his most recent project “400: An African American Musical Portrait” (marking the 400 years from 1619 to 2019).
Avery Sharpe has recorded and performed with many jazz greats from Dizzy Gillespie to Yusef Lateef. He had an illustrious run of 20 plus years with the legendary Jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, of which he recorded more than 25 records with Mr. Tyner and performed countless worldwide concerts.
Visit online at averysharpe.com/
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
Interview With Bassist Edmond Gilmore
Have Fret Sprout? Sharp Fret Management… a How-To Video
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
Interview With Audic Empire Bassist James Tobias
New Album: Avery Sharpe, I Am My Neighbors Keeper
