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Biscuit’s Bassment, a Bass Musician’s Review: Spotlight on Bruno Migliari
You may play Bass, but can you really “feel it in your soul”? If you have the talent, passion, commitment, and a story to tell about yourself and your music, you could have your very own review with me, right here at Bass Musician Magazine. I am looking to find the vast array of talented Bass players out there, from all genres of music, which so often go largely unnoticed. Both Bass Musician Magazine and myself feel that you should be heard about…world wide. So if you are interested in joining me in the “Bassment”, then please send me your full bio, pictures and tracks, and any questions that you may have, etc, to…..
biscuitandbass3@yahoo.com
I look forward to hearing from you all.
Hello, and Welcome to “BISCUIT’S BASSMENT”, A Bass Musician’s Review”. In this December 2010 issue of Bass Musician Magazine, I would like to introduce to you a multi-talented player who is a complete gentleman and a real virtuoso on the Bass… Mr Bruno Migliari
Bruno Migliari may not be the kind of Bass player that you would normally expect to find in my “Bassment”, as many of you are probably aware of. I usually tend to lean towards the Rock side of the Bass playing “map”. But of course great bass players come from all walks of life and encompass every musical genre there is. 
It has become apparent that I am being approached more and more these days by bass players from the other side of the “Rock fence” as it were, and so it would be unfair of me not to take notice of these fabulously talented guys, and give them a chance to expose their fine talents by featuring them here in the “Bassment”. So from now on you will be hearing a lot about those bassist’s that reside in the area’s of Jazz, Blues, Soul, Funk, and any other genre you care to think of. Rest assured, there will always be a place for the Rock players as well.
I feel that every type of “Low end” player should now be featured in this column. By including different styles and approaches to bass playing, it will hopefully help to keep this column fresh, interesting, and relevant for all of you.
Bruno Migliari was born in 1971 and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Italian and Brazilian Parents, and spent many of his younger years growing up listening primarily to Brazilian music, and records by the Beatles as well. Such talents as Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso and Gal Costa were the favoured artists on his parents’ stereo system in those earlier years, together with Dave Brubeck, Lalo Schifrin, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Meirelle Mathieux, and Yves Montand. There was quite a variety of music going on in the Migliari household for the young Bruno to absorb.
At a very young age, Bruno began buying records with his weekly allowance money. His first four records he bought were…The 1982 release by Queen, “Hot Space”, the 1980 album Double Fantasy by John Lennon, together with “Revolver” and “Let it Be” by the Beatles. Bruno was always fascinated by music as a child and indeed various musical instruments as well. He would fool around with any instrument that he could lay his hands on at the time, which included his aunt’s acoustic guitar and a friend’s piano.
He was particularly attracted to the low end of the spectrum though, and specifically remembers identifying the sound of the bass very early in life, and feeling very moved by the subdued way in which it seemed to “control” the songs he listened to. Bruno says that it felt to him that the song was a ship, and whoever was playing those low notes seemed to him to be at the helm of that ship, almost guiding any given song to its musical conclusion.
By the time he was fourteen years old, Bruno had realised that music was far more than just a passing phase, or indeed a hobby to him. He decided that he wanted to play music professionally when he was old enough and try and make a career of it as a bassist…that was his ultimate goal. Private lessons began in ernest, to be followed up very quickly with an enrolment in a music conservatory, and within six months Bruno found himself performing in school competitions and other similar music contests. Within just a few years he was already playing in three different bands at the same time, and one of those bands actually gained recognition after winning a continuous series of music competitions.
By this time, Bruno definitely knew for sure that he wanted to be a professional musician, and began that “wood shedding” phase that we all know so well, which he would carry out relentlessly everyday from the moment he got home from school. The years of hard work eventually paid off for the young man, and Bruno did indeed officially realize his dream to became a professional musician after his last year at school when he was seventeen years old.
Now he had made this decision to make music and the Bass his life. Bruno began to embark on a very busy gigging schedule which included his own jazz trio gigs and also accompanying various other singers and musicians alike simultaneously. Bruno undertook this heavy workload while also attending Music College, at the same time pursuing a classical music curriculum on double bass. He worked very hard from a young age to become a very respected and versatile all round bassist who has excelled not only on the electric bass guitar, of which Fender is his preference, but has also become very accomplished in the music world on the double bass as well.
Ever since graduating in 1994 at Uni – Rio Music College, Bruno has continued to maintain a very well balanced diet of Pop, native Brazilian, and Jazz music, and confidently handles the “Low end” of things in any number of musical situations.
Since 2001 he has been playing bass for Brazilian singer/songwriter Frejat, and has also acted as music director for the TV series “Claro Que É Rock” aired on the Brazilian cable TV channel “Multishow”. He continues to remain involved in jazz-related projects, leading his own band called the “Bruno Migliari Trio”. He also leads the compositional project “8VB”, and co-leads the small orchestra “11 Cabeças” with saxophonist and arranger Henrique Band. Add to that being the rhythm section leader for the big band “Orquestra Popular”. Being a fan of the Jaco style of playing bass, he also leads the Weather report tribute group “Weather Forecast”.
Bruno’s credits for both recording sessions and tours, which were either national tours of Brazil and/or international tours of Europe and the USA, are as follows:
Ana Carolina… Milton Nascimento…Marcos Valle…Maria Gadú…Lulu Santos…Barão Vermelh…Lobão…Leoni…Paulinho Moska…Monique Kessous…Orlando Morais…Lokua Kanza…Martinho da Vila…Fernanda Abreu…Isabella Taviani…Denise Reis…LiberTango…Quito Pedrosa Quarteto…Marco Lobo Quinteto…Ricardo Leão, Barrosinho, and Maracatamba.
Bruno works professionally as a full time bass player, which includes playing electric, acoustic, and upright basses. He is an arranger and composer, and can also be called upon to sing background vocals if required on other artist’s material. He has even been known to challenge himself as lead singer on occasion, sometimes with his own projects.
I think we can all agree that Mr Bruno Migliari has deservedly earned his place in the “Biscuit’s Bassment” column here at BMM, and I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of you, the readers, to wish him the very best in his future musical endeavours, of which I am more than sure he will make a success of.
I would also personally like to thank Bruno for contacting me and becoming a member of the “Bassment family”, and Bass Musician Magazine as a whole. It was my pleasure to find out about this excellent bassist and his music. Without the contributions from bassist’s such as Bruno, and previous, as well as future interviewee’s, my column would indeed fall short of what I hope to accomplish here at Bass Musician Magazine. I thank you all so much.
From myself, and on behalf of all the staff at Bass Musician Magazine, we wish Bruno Migliari and all of our readers a VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS in 2010.
Peace and Respect Always………….. BISCUIT
Please check out all of Bruno’s links below and listen to his spirited music and wonderful bass playing style. And don’t forget to join him on MySpace, Facebook, and Reverbnation as well, and please give him your full support, and tell him BISCUIT sent you!
Email: migliaribasso@me.com
Visit: web.me.com/migliaribruno
Listen: www.reverbnation.com/brunomigliari
www.ilike.com/artist/Bruno+Migliari
Watch: www.youtube.com/migliaribass
Follow: www.facebook.com/pages/Bruno-Migliari/9957916626
Hire: www.promusiciansonline.com/perfil.php?mid=MTYy
And a final quote from BRUNO MIGLIARI
Bass, the final frontier… these are the voyages of a professional musician in search of new – and old –music; to boldly play what he hasn’t played before.
Bass CDs
New Album: Jake Leckie, Planter of Seeds
Bassist Jake Leckie and The Guide Trio Unveil New Album Planter of Seeds,
to be released on June 7, 2024
Planter of Seeds is bassist/composer Jake Leckie’s third release as a bandleader and explores what beauty can come tomorrow from the seeds we plant today.
What are we putting in the ground? What are we building? What is the village we want to bring our children up in? At the core of the ensemble is The Guide Trio, his working band with guitarist Nadav Peled and drummer Beth Goodfellow, who played on Leckie’s second album, The Guide, a rootsy funky acoustic analog folk-jazz recording released on Ropeadope records in 2022. For Planter of Seeds, the ensemble is augmented by Cathlene Pineda (piano), Randal Fisher (tenor saxophone), and Darius Christian (trombone), who infuse freedom and soul into the already tightly established ensemble.
Eight original compositions were pristinely recorded live off the floor of Studio 3 at East West Studios in Hollywood CA, and mastered by A.T. Michael MacDonald. The cover art is by internationally acclaimed visual artist Wayne White. Whereas his previous work has been compared to Charles Mingus, and Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet with Charlie Haden, Leckie’s new collection sits comfortably between the funky odd time signatures of the Dave Holland Quintet and the modern folk-jazz of the Brian Blade Fellowship Band with a respectful nod towards the late 1950s classic recordings of Ahmad Jamal and Miles Davis.
The title track, “Planter of Seeds,” is dedicated to a close family friend, who was originally from Trinidad, and whenever she visited family or friends at their homes, without anyone knowing, she would plant seeds she kept in her pocket in their gardens, so the next season beautiful flowers would pop up. It was a small altruistic anonymous act of kindness that brought just a little more beauty into the world. The rhythm is a tribute to Ahmad Jamal, who we also lost around the same time, and whose theme song Poinciana is about a tree from the Caribbean.
“Big Sur Jade” was written on a trip Leckie took with his wife to Big Sur, CA, and is a celebration of his family and community. This swinging 5/4 blues opens with an unaccompanied bass solo, and gives an opportunity for each of the musicians to share their improvisational voices. “Clear Skies” is a cathartic up-tempo release of collective creative energies in fiery improvisational freedom. “The Aquatic Uncle” features Randal Fisher’s saxophone and is named after an Italo Calvino short story which contemplates if one can embrace the new ways while being in tune with tradition. In ancient times, before a rudder, the Starboard side of the ship was where it was steered from with a steering oar. In this meditative quartet performance, the bass is like the steering oar of the ensemble: it can control the direction of the music, and when things begin to unravel or become unhinged, a simple pedal note keeps everything grounded.
The two trio tunes on the album are proof that the establishment of his consistent working band The Guide Trio has been a fruitful collaboration. “Santa Teresa”, a bouncy samba-blues in ? time, embodies the winding streets and stairways of the bohemian neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro it is named for. The swampy drum feel on “String Song” pays homage to Levon Helm of The Band, a group where you can’t always tell who wrote the song or who the bandleader is, proving that the sum is greater than the individual parts. Early jazz reflected egalitarianism in collective improvisation, and this group dynamic is an expression of that kind of inclusivity and democracy.
“The Daughters of the Moon” rounds out the album, putting book ends on the naturalist themes. This composition is named after magical surrealist Italo Calvino’s short story about consumerism, in which a mythical modern society that values only buying shiny new things throws away the moon like it is a piece of garbage and the daughters of the moon save it and resurrect it. It’s an eco-feminist take on how women are going to save the world. Pineda’s piano outro is a hauntingly beautiful lunar voyage, blinding us with love. Leckie dedicates this song to his daughter: “My hope is that my daughter becomes a daughter of the moon, helping to make the world a more beautiful and verdant place to live.”
Bass CDs
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler
In a thrilling solo debut, bassist Nate Sabat combines instrumental virtuosity with a songwriter’s heart on Bass Fiddler…
The upright bass and the human voice. Two essential musical instruments, one with roots in 15th century Europe, the other as old as humanity itself.
On Bass Fiddler (Adhyâropa Records ÂR00057), the debut album from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and bass virtuoso Nate Sabat, the scope is narrowed down a bit. Drawing from the rich and thriving tradition of American folk music, Sabat delivers expertly crafted original songs and choice covers with the upright bass as his lone tool for accompaniment.
The concept was born a decade ago when Sabat began studying with the legendary old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky at Berklee College of Music. “One of Bruce’s specialties is singing and playing fiddle at the same time. The second I heard it I was hooked,” recalls Sabat. “I thought, how can I do this on the bass?” From there, he was off to the races, arranging original and traditional material with Molsky as his guide. “Fast forward to 2020, and I — like so many other musicians — was thinking of how to best spend my time. I sat down with the goal of writing some new songs and arranging some new covers, and an entire record came out.” When the time came to make the album, it was evident that Molsky would be the ideal producer. Sabat asked him if he’d be interested, and luckily he was. “What an inspiration to work with an artist like Nate,” says Molsky. “Right at the beginning, he came to this project with a strong, personal and unique vision. Plus he had the guts to try for a complete and compelling cycle of music with nothing but a bass and a voice. You’ll hear right away that it’s engaging, sometimes serious, sometimes fun, and beautifully thought out from top to bottom.”
While this record is, at its core, a folk music album, Sabat uses the term broadly. Some tracks lean more rock (‘In the Shade’), some more pop (‘White Marble’, ‘Rabid Thoughts’), some more jazz (‘Fade Away’), but the setting ties them all together. “There’s something inherently folksy about a musician singing songs with their instrument, no matter the influences behind the compositions themselves,” Sabat notes. To be sure, there are plenty of folk songs (‘Louise’ ‘Sometimes’, ‘Eli’) and fiddling (‘Year of the Ox’) to be had here — the folk music fan won’t go hungry. There’s a healthy dose of bluegrass too (‘Orphan Annie’, ‘Lonesome Night’), clean and simple, the way Mr. Bill Monroe intended.
All in all, this album shines a light on an instrument that often goes overlooked in the folk music world, enveloping the listener in its myriad sounds, textures, and colors. “There’s nothing I love more than playing the upright bass,” exclaims Sabat. “My hope is that listeners take the time to sit with this album front to back — I want them to take in the full scope of the work. I have a feeling they’ll hear something they haven’t heard before.”
Available online at natesabat.bandcamp.com/album/walking-away
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/
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This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…
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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
