Features
SA With Martin Simpson: An Interview with Andrew Warneke
Andrew, who comes from South Africa’s ‘Windy City’ on the south coast called Port Elizabeth, recently sent me a copy of his first (and hopefully, not his last) solo album, titled, Just The Bassics. This title is a little mis-leading as there’s really nothing basic about the album. It shows off Andrew’s great talent on the six string bass guitar where the only other musician involved is Robert Williams who takes care of drum programming. I spoke to Andrew about his career and album in July 2009 and this is what he told me. [Martin] How long have you been playing Andrew? [Andrew] I have been playing for about 10 years now. [Martin] How did you get started?
Favourite solo artists include: Victor Wooten; Stanley Clarke; Faith Hill; Jewel; Michael Jackson (purely for the grooves in his songs – so I’m really saying I dig Quincy Jones I guess!); Michael Manson; Pat Metheny; Stevie Wonder; Todd Johnson; Gary Willis [Martin] What are the amps and instruments you currently use? [Andrew] I am privileged enough to hold a bass endorsement with Cort. My main bass is the Cort A6. It’s got a beautiful sound for what I do, as the preamp is very flexible, so I can get everything from a thick bottom-end tone, right up to a clear, bell-like sound for chordal and tapping passages. This is also one of the most beautiful pieces of wood I’ve ever seen! The figuring on the maple top is amazing!!!
I also have the Cort B4FL for those times when you just really need the fretless sound. It’s also a great bass. I don’t use it often though, as much of what I do calls for chordal playing.
In terms of amps, I endorse Laney Amplifiers. I have a Laney RB7 combo, and a RB115 extension cab. These amps really give me the clean, articulate sound I’m going for. I love the RB7, as it’s a 300w, 2×10 combo that’s easy to carry to small to medium sized gigs, and the same amp powers the extension cab when I need more grunt on bigger stages.
Another piece of gear I use a lot is my Boss RC-50 Loop Station. A great tool for creating a “solo bass orchestra”. I like to try to arrange songs in loops so I can do an all bass version of the song, like some of the tracks on my album. I also do solo jazz gigs, so the looper comes in handy there too.
I play on medium gauge Elixir strings.
[Martin] What instruments would you like to have if money were no object?
[Andrew] I think bass-wise, I’d opt for a Zon (though I’ve never played one). They appeal to me for a variety of reasons, one of which is their super-deep cutaway, which would allow for access to play chords right up to the 24th fret. They also sound really clear, and seem to sustain well too. I would also love to play on a Fodera one day! Those guys make some gorgeous instruments!
In terms of amps, I’d like to play through a David Eden amp, as the guys I hear playing through them sound great. I’d also be interested in trying out the stuff from Aguilar, and some of Ampeg’s amps and cabs. I played on a Hartke Hydrive rig at Bass Day South Africa this year which was also pretty great!
[Martin] What have you been doing for the last five years or so? [Andrew] The last five years have been spent finishing my B.Mus degree (completed in 2006); gigging with various bands; teaching and lecturing; and practicing (generally trying to figure out how this whole music thing works!!!). On a more personal note, I got married about 2 years back, so the last five years have also been building toward that goal with my (now) wife, Claire. [Martin] What does it mean to be a bass player? Are there certain stereotypes you want to avoid? [Andrew] Being a bass player (to me) means that I’m using the bass to express the music that is inside me, whether that be playing a one-note groove to support a band, or playing chords, melody and bassline all at once by myself, or playing chords, melody and solos in a jazz band – I just want to get the music out there, and the bass happens to be how I do that because the bass feels and sounds right to me. I have always felt that we put bass players in a box, and I’m grateful that I never had a teacher when I came up because I see the way people teach the bass and it’s a “The bass plays basslines… and only basslines!” kind of approach. There’s nothing wrong with teaching the traditional role of the bass playing the bass part in a song and teaching guys to groove before trying to be flashy, but I don’t think we should stop there or we’re in danger of teaching BASS not MUSIC. When I was learning, I was fortunate to come across a few CD’s or videos where guys were doing something different, and I thought: “That’s right. The notes on my bass are the same kind that pianos and guitars have, so why can’t I play chords and melodies like them?” and I started trying to get those other parts of music out through my instrument. So I guess I avoided the stereotypical bass role quite naturally… I still enjoy playing a great groove though!!! [Martin] What recordings that you’ve played on would you recommend for listening? [Andrew] Last year I played on Mark Scholtz’s album “Great God”, which I’m really proud of. You can check it out at www.markjscoltz.com.
Obviously though, my new solo album “Just the Bassics” is definitely the place to hear ME! I really feel like I poured myself into the album after years of intense longing to do a project like that. It’s an album of music that inspires me, rather than an album of flashy bass playing. That’s always been my goal… to be a musician who uses the bass as a tool rather than some guy playing bass because that’s all he knows. You can hear some of it on my Myspace page, or look me up on Reverbnation. [Martin] What’s been the low point in your career so far? [Andrew] The low point is the recurring feeling that I’m going to be stuck playing in PE forever. I love the place, but the scene here is pretty cover band dominated, and I’d love to play original music, and solo bass, in a more accepting environment… Right now I’m trying to create that environment here for myself. I guess it’s good practice! [Martin] And what has been the high point of your career? [Andrew] Playing at Bass Day South Africa this year was also amazing for me, as I got to show my stuff to the muso’s from the ‘big city’. It was great to hear how what I’m doing is fresh, relevant, and unique. I guess all the high points in my career would have to have been the times when muso’s I admire tell me my playing is meaningful, and cool; and the feeling I get every time I play something that touches me, or someone else. There are no feelings quite like those. The feedback I have received on my solo album has really encouraged me to keep doing what I’m doing too. Just knowing that the music is having an effect rather than just being heard makes all the difference. [Martin] Let’s talk about the CD you sent me recently called Just The Bassics. How long did the album take to record, mix and master? [Andrew] I recorded all the tracks in 3 days, mix-down and master took about two more. The process went really smoothly, and what I liked about it most was that I had the freedom to work on the songs in the studio while I recorded. I went into the studio with a basic idea for each song, and came up with a lot of the parts on the fly. All the ‘solo’ sections are real improvisations rather than pre-rehearsed parts. I wanted the album to maintain an organic feel, as I like the listener to be able to hear me playing the music as if it were live, so there are some fret-buzzes and things which I feel had to be left there, because they came from me when I played the track. [Martin] Could you take us through the album, track by track, starting with: Endless Union
[Andrew] This song was written a few weeks before I got married, whist pondering the whole concept of marriage. The chorus part was actually used at our wedding as a prelude to Claire walking down the aisle to a funky arrangement of the wedding march that I wrote.
I played the intro in tapped harmonics (if that’s the correct term for them!). I love that sound! The time signature change from 4 to 5 is kind of cool (if you ask me), because I set it up so you don’t really feel it coming until it hits. The chorus brings a fairly dramatic change of emotion from the verse – I suppose this has some deeper meaning in relation to the marriage theme, but I tend not to over-analyze what I compose too much! [Martin] Joshua 1:9
This particular piece just arrived in my head one day. It’s great when that happens… it really streamlines the composing process for me. [Martin] I’m So Grateful [Andrew] This was actually written for a band that I was playing in (2che) a year or two back. It was just me (on bass) and Claire Harmse (singer/songwriter) on acoustic guitar and vocals. The band never performed the song as we never managed to write words for it, so I decided to do it on the bass as an instrumental. The part of this song that I love is the chorus melody-line. It’s so catchy! [Martin] Opened Eyes [Andrew] This one was also composed for a band (the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Jazz Band). It’s the first thing I ever composed, so I thought it deserved a place on the album. The drum groove in the chorus with the displaced snare hit was always a feature of the song, so I kept it in the programmed drum track. [Martin] Jesus Loves Me [Andrew] This one was sort-of an afterthought. I had already ‘finished’ the album, and was suddenly inspired to record this song. I arranged it to display my chord-melody approach in the first 2 choruses, and then played the melody in harmonics and bass notes underneath to end. [Martin] Psalm 1 [Andrew] This one’s another solo piece demonstrating my chordal approach to the bass. The melody has some artificial harmonics in it, and there are some cool key changes in the bridge section. [Martin] Victory [Andrew] After tracking what I thought was the complete album, I realised I hadn’t recorded anything that utilised my thumb techniques. My favourite thumb player is Victor Wooten, hence the name ‘Victory’. The verse rhythm sections are played using a muted thumbing and finger technique. The ‘kick drum’ part is me thumbing the muted B string, and the ‘snare drum’ is a hand-tap on the higher strings. The chorus reverts back to chords, and an interesting 4th interval harmony. The solo section is also played with various thumbing and plucking techniques. [Martin] Blessing [Andrew] This track is more of an improvised thing. I came up with the chord part using the open D string and moving the other voices around on top and developed that idea as it came along, and then just improvised a melodic part to make it a bit more interesting to listen to. [Martin] Be Thou my Vision [Andrew] In University we used to play around with re-harmonizing well-known melodies in a more ‘jazzy’ way. I wanted to do that with a song on the album, as it’s not something people expect from the bass. I came up with this arrangement in the studio while the Rob Williams, the engineer, was on lunch. The first chorus is a fairly traditional way of seeing the harmony, and the second one is a bit more ‘complex’ (for lack of a better word).
[Martin] Real Life [Andrew] This one’s a got a more R’nB-ish sort of vibe. I went for a very mellow sound for the chords, and a fat, thumpy bassline sound. Sonically it’s one of my favourites on the album. [Martin] Desire
My favourite part of the song is the chorus melody, which is essentially 2 notes. I love how one can touch someone else with absolute simplicity. I laid some cool harmonies over the melody in later choruses too. The harmonic countermelodies in the intro are cool to listen to in headphones (because of the panning). [Martin] So where do you go from here? [Andrew] Back to the woodshed I guess… LOL!
Well, my goal for the immediate future is to have as many people hear the album as possible. I don’t have a distribution deal on it so that’s a pretty hard thing to achieve. Other than that, I’m looking to play solo as much as possible. I’ve worked up a repertoire of jazz standards as background music so can do those types of gigs by myself.
In the long term I’m going to have to get out of PE to a major music centre though, so it’ll be Cape Town or Johannesburg, or somewhere overseas… I’m excited to see what the future holds! [Martin] Here’s a review of Andrew’s album by Kai Horsthemke [Andrew] Port Elizabeth-based Andrew Warneke’s offering is an album where one really needs to get beyond one’s irritation with the titles of the tunes – which all have a strong and clichéd ‘saved’/ ‘born-again’ connotation. But inside, that is on the actual CD, there is a treasure trove of bass ambience, shimmering atmospherics, chordal delights and tastefully performed and conceptualised melodies. Andrew’s main weapon-of-choice is a 6-string fretted bass, and his approach is predominantly harmonic, i.e. chordal – less from a jazz standard point of view than from a folk guitarist’s perspective. The only criticism I have, regarding the actual recording, concerns the drum programming on track 4 – it is rather leaden and, frankly, seems unnecessary. However, there is not a single weak track on this CD: the tunes, without exception, have a pristine, direct and uncluttered beauty.
For anyone interested in contacting Andrew. He’s a member of the BMM community site and is a member of three of my groups – The South African Bass Players Collective group, The Cort Owners group and The Solo Bassists group.
Martin
Bass Videos
Interview With K3 Sisters Band
K3 Sisters Band Interview…
It is very rare when I talk to a band where all the members play bass. The K3 Sisters Band is a perfect example of a group where Kaylen, Kelsey and Kristen Kassab are all multi-instrumentalists and take turns playing bass.
Hailing from Texas, these three sisters have been playing music since they were very young and have amassed an amazing amount of original music, music videos, streaming concerts, podcasts, and content that has taken numerous social media platforms by storm. On TikTok alone, they have over 2.5 million followers and more than a billion views.
Join me as we hear the story of their musical journey, how they get their sound, and the fundamental principles behind these prolific musicians.
Here is the K3 Sisters Band!
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Interview With Bassist Danielle Nicole
Bassist Danielle Nicole…
Blues music has universal appeal. We all have our ups and downs and this particular musical genre often fits our reality. Just hearing that we are not alone makes us feel a bit better.
Danielle Nicole writes and sings the Blues. She does an amazing job at delivering both exquisite smoky vocals but plays just the right bass line to drive the tune home. Danielle recently released “The Love You Bleed” last January and will be touring the album this upcoming year.
Join me as we learn about Danielle’s musical journey, how she gets her sound, her plans for the future and more.
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Features
Bergantino Welcomes Karina Rykman to Their Family of Artists
Interview with Karina Rykman…
Karina Rykman…The high-energy bassist discusses her path on bass, her upcoming tour, how she came to find Bergantino through another Bergantino artist, and more!
A lifelong Manhattanite diehard New Yorker, Bergantino welcomes new Artist Karina Rykman. Jim and Holly had the privilege of meeting Karina and her band in Boston to see her perform. She lights up a stage with her charismatic passion as a bass player and singer – a true powerhouse of joy and energy. On stage, she smiles from ear to ear, hopping, jumping, and dancing; the entire room overflowing with positivity! If you don’t know this titan of bass yet, you will soon enough. Karina’s JOYRIDE 2024 tour picks up this month with the debut of her new album. We had the opportunity to ask Karina some questions about her career so far.
You have quite the career that began at a very young age. You have so much going on!! Can you share some of your musical path highlights you are most proud of?
Oh man, thank you! What a long, strange trip it’s been. I’m proud of still being so absolutely enthralled by music after playing in a million bands and finally ending up at this current juncture: being able to make my own music and tour under my own name. It just seems completely surreal – every gig, every recording…I’m on cloud 9 being able to continue to do this, and we’re just getting started. I’m extremely proud of being so young and being able to learn so much from Marco Benevento, without whom I’d be absolutely nowhere. Being put up to a large task with enormous shoes to fill, and stepping in even though I barely knew what I was doing at the time. Every gig with Marco is extremely special to me.
Tell us about your new album release Joyride and your 2024 tour.
Joyride is my debut record! It came out in August 2023, and we’ve been touring behind it nonstop ever since. You only make your first record once, and I’m so proud of this one – it’s fun, searing, lush, with chantable choruses and, of course, incredibly thick bass and infectious grooves. It was produced by Phish’s Trey Anastasio, who also contributes guitar parts to 5 of the 9 tunes.
What makes the bass so special to you particularly, and how did you gravitate towards it?
There’s nothing quite like feeling the subs rumbling under your feet in a venue and being responsible for those sounds is thrilling. I played guitar first, at age 12, but essentially completely switched over to bass when I was 22 and got the gig playing bass with Marco Benevento. I haven’t looked back since, except for a few gigs on guitar here and there (notably in the house band on Late Night with Seth Meyers and on The Today Show backing up Julia Michaels).
People hate this question, but: If you were constructing your personal Bass Mt. Rushmore, who are the four players that would make the cut and why?
Geddy Lee, Cliff Burton, Bootsy Collins, Les Claypool. The list goes on and on, of course, but those four have imprinted their unique styles upon my brain since I was so young, and I’m perpetually learning from them – even in the case of the deceased Cliff (RIP), going back and watching Cliff ‘Em All videos is something I do all the time. Endlessly compelled by these four players and their original takes on the instrument.
How did you learn to play?
I never took lessons, but in middle school and high school, I just surrounded myself with equally music-obsessed people. All we did was play music and go and see live music, which is wildly accessible when you grow up in New York City. I had a really tight-knit crew of amazing players as my friends, and everyone would teach each other riffs and licks. I was fearless – playing with people much better than me and saying “yes” to every cool opportunity that came my way. I essentially learned from playing in a million bands and playing along to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin records.
Are there any other instruments you play?
I started on guitar, and still love to write on guitar. I can get around on keyboards a bit, but you’d never hire me as a keyboardist. The same goes for drums – I LOVE playing drums but you’d never hire me as a drummer.
Describe your playing style(s), tone, strengths and/or areas that can be improved on the bass.
I play both with a pick and my fingers, depending on the specific needs of / vibe of the tune. I love playing fuzz bass and writing bombastic “lead bass” moments, which are a staple of my live show. I’d say I’m about the least “traditional” bassist in just about every way – which is both a strength and a weakness depending on how you frame it. I play what I hear, what I like, and I adhere to very few rules. I’ve always hated rules, and I didn’t start playing rock n roll to follow them.
How did you find Bergantino Audio Systems?
I’m pals with Mike Gordon, bassist of Phish, and his tech is named Ed Grasmeyer. Ed suggested he bring Mike’s Bergantino for me to try out at a show I was playing in Vermont, and I fell instantly in love.
You have been using the Bergantino Forté HP2 head. How have you been setting the controls on this and what changes to those settings might you make as you plug into your other individual instruments?
I love my Forté HP2! The versatility and headroom are incredible, and I’ve been having a lot of fun dialing it in at home. The real fun will begin this weekend when I take it out for 2.5 weeks of tour – dialing something in an apartment just isn’t the same as on a big stage with a PA and subs and all that good stuff. I like to roll my highs a bit and I keep “punch” on all the time. So far, it’s been a dream.
You are the inspiration behind Bergantino cab the new NXT410-C. Can you tell us more about this cab and your experience so far?
Firstly, I’m beyond touched to be the inspiration behind, well…anything! But this is truly insane, and such an honor. I love this cab. Not only is it light and extremely good-looking, it can handle all my loudest, most abrasive and obnoxious effects. My old amp didn’t come close, and could just fart out or I’d have to turn down to appease it. I’m a big fan of playing at earth-shattering volumes, so this is going to be a match made in heaven.
We all love your custom-made Goldie Hawn bass guitar! Can you share more with us about this bass design and why it is so special to you?
Thanks! That’s made by “Zeke Guitars” – it’s the second custom bass he’s made for me! He reached out in the summer of 2019 and asked what my dream bass would be, and I said it was basically my 1978 Fender P-Bass, but lighter, whiter, with Lindy Fralins, gold hardware, and shorter scale. And, well..he did exactly that! I love that bass so much. And the gold, which is referred to as Goldie Hawn, was born in December of 2022, and has the same specs. I just love it, it sounds amazing and looks, arguably, even better.
Jim and I were lucky to get to meet you in person when you came to Boston with the band. The members of the band are such a great group of people! Can you share more with all about the band and crew.
I’m so lucky to keep such incredible company. My bandmates, Adam November and Chris Corsico, are not only unbelievable musicians but also incredible humans. We just laugh and laugh, and we’re there for each other when the road gets tough or we’re exhausted or whatever life throws at us. It’s the joy of my life to get to tour the world with these guys. And the crew! That night was Connor Milton on sound and Nick Koski on lights – we have a rotating cast of people who play those roles based on availability, and everyone who works for us are absolute consummate professionals and the sweetest humans. They are my team of experts and I just adore them so much. Shout out to Zach Rosenberg, Jeff Volckhausen, Dylan Hinds, Dom Chang, for being the best rotating crew a gal could ask for!
What else do you do besides music?
Not much! I love going to the beach! I love eating dinner!
Because I am a foodie, I always ask people what their favorite food is!
Oysters, caviar, sushi. I’m a raw bar fanatic.
At a very young age, Karina is a diligent hard worker. She juggles many balls managing her business and is savvy beyond her years. We are very happy to be working with Karina and are excited for her continued success!
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Bass Videos
Interview With Bassist Ciara Moser
Bassist Ciara Moser…
Ciara and I sat down for this interview a few months after the launch of her debut album, “Blind. So what?”
Blind since birth, she is a powerhouse of talent; she is not only a professional bassist, but also composes music, and is a producer and educator. I am just blown away by her talent and perseverance.
Join me as we hear about Ciara’s musical journey, the details of her album, how she gets her sound, and her plans for the future.
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Photos by Manuela Haeussler
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Interview With Bassist Travis Book
Interview With Bassist Travis Book…
Bluegrass music has had a very solid following over many years and I am always happy to hear from one of the pioneers in that genre.
Travis Book plays bass for the Grammy award-winning band “The Infamous Stringdusters” and has recently released his first solo album “Love and Other Strange Emotions”. As if he wasn’t busy enough, Travis also hosts a podcast, Plays a Jerry Garcia music show with Guitarist Andy Falco, and is constantly gigging locally in his neck of the woods.
Photo, Seyl Park
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