Latest
Keep an Eye On: Bassist Rich Brow
I first heard about Rich Brown through Damian Erskine, who handles our CD reviews for the mag. Obviously I trust Damian’s opinion considering the job I hired him for, and after hearing some of Rich’s work, I can see why Damian recommended him.
Beyond his credits, which are impressive, I heard a seriously soulful player with a very impressive command of his instrument. He listed his influences, as we all do, but has managed to find his own voice which has kept him a very in demand player in his hometown of Toronto. I’m sure he’d fair well wherever he decided to call home with the musicality he demonstrates, and the talent that’s obvious to anyone giving him a listen.
I look forward to hearing his next release with his band Rinsethealgorithm, and predict we’re going to hear a lot more from this very centered and inspired musician.
Jake: Looking at your list of influences, Jaco, Victor Baily, Jimmy Haslip, and Alain Caron, my assumption was that melodic content within your playing is a big part of your approach, which was solidified for me after hearing you on a live take. How do you personally try to draw this melodic approach into your playing?
Rich: For me the idea of playing melodically is definitely the most important thing about playing the bass. Especially the electric bass which still even today struggles to be taken seriously as a valid voice in jazz music. I think that a good melody can touch anyone in the same way at the same time be they non-musician or jazz snob. Even if (or especially if) that melody is played on an electric bass.
I’m a self-taught player so for me it’s impossible to think about what scale to play over what chord unless the sound is already in my head. This is a far more melodic approach simply because of the fact that I have to think more in terms of melodic phrases as opposed to scales and patterns. Don’t get me wrong, I had to practice the modes up and down the neck for hours to get to this point, but it never felt like I was “learning the modes”, instead I was internalizing the sound being created by each scale. Now as soon as I put one finger down on the fingerboard I can almost see the entire fingerboard light up with all of the possible note choices made available to me. This approach stays the same whether I’m soloing or playing a walking bass line or laying down a simple groove. I see everything as a melody.
Jake: Tell me about your band Rinsethealgorithm, which I understand was nominated for a Canadian National Jazz Award.
Rich: I had always wanted to write some music and put a group together but I felt as though I had nothing to say as a composer until just a few years ago. I was listening to a lot of different forms of dance music from the UK. Specifically the “broken beat” scene of West London. The light went on as soon as I heard this music. It was beautifully melodic and the grooves were heavily syncopated and very funky. I guess the main objective of Rinsethealgorithm is to combine these elements of dance music with jazz. Jazz was originally dance music in the first place right?
The name of the band also comes from that same UK influence. The word “rinse” was used by a lot of DJ’s and artists in that scene. It basically meant to do something really well. The algorithm in this case refers to any kind of problem. So to “rinse the algorithm” simply means to handle any problem with great skill. The idea of putting it all together as one word just made sense. It gives the name more meaning as a word rather than a term made up of 3 words.
We were nominated last year in the category of “Electric Group of the Year” at the National Jazz Awards (NJA’s). What was so incredible about the nomination was not only being mentioned among the greatest bands in the country but also being nominated without releasing a debut record. We didn’t win, we didn’t expect to, but it really was great to be nominated. I like to joke about it and say that we are Canada’s National Jazz Award losing supergroup. We’re hoping to release our first album this year (late spring or early summer). I feel great about the band and the music and I’m sure your going to like what you hear.
(Hey Jake! I just got a phone call. We were nominated again!)
Jake: You made an interesting comment on how you stopped listening to bass players. I’ve talked to other bassists with this same philosophy, for lack of a better word. What does this approach personally accomplish for you?
Rich: I think it’s so important to look beyond your own instrument in order to gain a better understanding of melody and harmony and even rhythm. I went through a phase years ago when I just felt like all electric bass solos sounded the same. I thought it best to look at other instruments to gain a new melodic perspective.
Originally it was just singers and horn players that I listened to almost exclusively — singers because I thought that they were the most expressive melodic voice. I tried to learn the ornaments, the vibrato, anything that would help me to emote on my instrument. And horn players to gain a better understanding of the be-bop language. Later on I became more interested in the music of other cultures, which now has a huge influence on the way I play. Now my influences are constantly changing. All of the players listed in your first question will always be a part of who I am as an electric bass player, but it’s the other elements that have shaped my voice on the instrument.
Jake: You live in Toronto, and you’ve mentioned how you never felt pressured to move to NYC or LA. A lot of players still feel that’s a must. Could you expound upon your comfort zone as far as remaining in Toronto?
Rich: I’ve always thought of Toronto as home. It’s such a beautiful city and the music scene here is incredible. I’ve learned so much as a musician here not only in the Jazz world, but also in more culturally diverse genres of music. Toronto is one of the most multi-cultural cities on the planet with an ever-thriving music scene. Where else would I get the chance to play Jazz, Classical Indian and Pakistani, Middle Eastern, Far East Asian… you get the picture. But I mean authentic forms of these idioms, not just jazz hybrids (although there’s a lot of that as well). I guess if I were chasing money or some sort of fame then I could see myself relocating, but my heart is here.
Jake: Understanding that woodsheding/practicing seems to be a lifelong endeavor, what would you say the focus of your (musical) studies is at this point in time?
Rich: What I’ve really been focusing on for the last few years is the idea of emoting through the instrument. Trying to say more with less. I really admire musicians like Djivan Gaspariyan and Jan Garbarek who are able to say so much with only a few notes. Miles also had this quality about his playing, as well as Pat Metheny. I think with so many players going in the other direction and focusing on speed and dexterity on the bass, I’d rather focus on playing in a way that speaks to everyone, not just bass players or musicians. Trust me, there are times when I listen to some of the more agile players and think “Man I wish I could play like that”. But I think it’s more important to reach as many people as possible with something more universal and inclusive. I still work on chops but only in order to accurately articulate my ideas. It’s definitely a lifelong endeavor but I hope that I’m able to include everyone whether man or woman, musician or non-musician on the same level and at the same time.
Jake: In this issue, Victor Wooten and I discuss the concept of music being a language. I also had a similar discussion on that in an earlier issue with Alain Caron. Best that you can, what might that premise mean to you as a player?
Rich: I remember the first time I heard the song “Alabama” by John Coltrane. I was about 17 or 18 years old. I had no idea who or what it was, I just knew that it was a very important lesson in Black History. I saw images of racism in America, the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King; all of these images came to me at once. When I had heard that this was a song called Alabama by Coltrane, I was absolutely blown away. I couldn’t believe that this man Coltrane was able to convey such a specific sentiment in an instrumental piece of music. That to me is the absolute epitome of music as a language. This has also been my ultimate goal as a musician. I would love to be able to take the listener with me on whatever scenic route I may take. I’ve always felt it a bit cheesy to say, “Music is a universal language”. I think it’s far better to think of music as an inclusionary language free of self-awareness and more focused on self-expression. In other words, it’s more about what I would like to say to you and less about what I can say. This allows the listener to share in the experiences of the musician. That is truly when music becomes a language and goes back to being a form or art.
For more information, visit Rich online at Myspace
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
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
