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Discussion With Oteil Burbridge

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Meet Editor, Jake Kot –

A vibrant personality singing through one’s instrument would be a fitting one liner for Oteil Burbridge. His musicality is unquestioned, which is evident in a variety of musical settings from laying down a serious groove for the Allman Brothers, sitting in on a Bass Day event with the likes of John Patitucci, Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey, and Michael Manring to name just a few, or displaying his second-to-none scatting ability behind a very honed in chord/melody approach he’s developed. His obvious love for playing coupled with his talent and a very positive attitude keeps him on a tremendously busy schedule with a number of different projects.

His influences are vast, and after hearing who some of them are you can better understand his unique approach to playing, as well as his effortless ability to communicate. Does this player have chops—–absolutely. Is this a focus for him as a player—–not at all. He’s completely clear on his role as an artist and has no problem communicating how grateful he is to be involved “as” an artist. He has a lot to say, and after speaking with him, I have absolutely no doubt about his sincerity. His commitment to the “Music” is noteworthy, and more than evident.

Jake: I know you’ve been touring with a lot of different projects, but if you would, give me just a bit of history on your band the Peacemakers.

Oteil: The peacemakers started up around 1996. We weren’t touring a lot, just playing a gig here in there to begin with. The band was actually an outlet for some of the tunes I had written. We ended up touring more and more up until about 2007-2008, and in 2008 I had to take the band off the road because the Allman brothers canceled a lot of dates that year and I couldn’t afford to take the band out for while. It’s been a little over the year since I’ve played with the Peacemakers and I miss it—we did a lot of great gigs. It was a pretty magical time for me you know, it seems you can never be 100% satisfied unless possibly it’s your own project. But the players in my band all landed good gigs, and I’m very happy for them.

Meanwhile I’ve been very busy with the Allman brothers. It’s their 40th anniversary. We’re doing our annual stint at the Beacon theater, and we’re doing fifteen shows, I believe, which are all sold out. We have a lot of special guests coming in each evening, so it’s kept us pretty busy. I’m also working on my new album at my house. My brother got me the Logix software for Christmas, so I’m giving time to that, and I have all kind of players rolling through my house.

Jake: Do you have a potential release date for that?

Oteil: You know, I’m not putting a release date out because I’ve always been so rushed every time I do an album. This is the first recording project that I’ve got to take my time on, so I’m almost hesitant to talk about it because people are always asking when is it coming out, when is it coming out. I don’t want to release this until I’ve got it right, and who knows what kind of time period we’re talking. But I’ve already got some great tracks down because I can take my time on it, and I’m very excited about it. Usually I dread the process of making album, but this time I’m really enjoying it. In the past I’ve always been rushed, and then I’m never happy with the end result. And now, the fun part is not going to be the album coming out; the fun part is going to be making it.

Jake: I saw an interesting quote written about you, speaking of your ability to create new sounds within an old framework. If you would, tell me about how you approach the projects you’re involved with, like the Allman brothers, from a musical standpoint.

Image: Courtesy of Jessica Shouse Photography, www.jshousephotojournalism.com

Oteil: A lot of the bands that I work with are improvisationally based, and it’s a treat to have that as a mandate in your music. There should at least be the threat of it changing, if not actual change, and in addition to that, potentially drastic change (laughs). Lots of times the songs are really simple, but you get into the jam part of it and anything might happen, and usually does. But if you’re playing very simple songs, and doing them every night, you’d “want” to change it, you know. It’s just about everybody getting on the same page with it. Some people do the same set list every night and play the songs the same way every night, and there is nothing wrong with that, but in this kind of music it’s more about the players, and getting them to do something different if they’re so inspired. There’s no excuses for being bored—if you’re bored, it’s your own fault. I think it’s more of an attitude, or a state of mind to pursue that if that’s what everybody wants to do. It means we’ll allow ourselves to make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes can create a different avenue that we wouldn’t have considered before. So it kind of just gets down to trying things, and being open.

Jake: Like many of your contemporaries, there seems to be a lot more about your musical life than just the music. How do you draw the more personal or spiritual side of you to your musical endeavors?

Oteil: Again, I think it’s the state of mind that you’re in. I will say this; I definitely favor playing music that I find to be spiritual in a sense, because the older I get, the less time I have on earth, and I want to make it all count. I want it to be all the way—I want to go as far as I can spiritually, because I think that’s the most important thing. Life with humans and dealing with each other, and all the problems that we have, some of those being spiritual problems, reminds me that we all need healing, and hope, and inspiration. So in essence, I like doing music that opens that door for healing, hope, an inspiration. I fully understand that in this society, money is a factor, but I hope I’m able to not have to play for just the money itself. A lot of the projects that I’m involved in that don’t get noticed as much are really the most important ones to me.

Jake: A lot of the artist’s that I’ve talked to kind of agree with this philosophy, and we all seem to understand that even though it can be challenging, it’s a gift to be able to go through life following your dream as an artist.

Oteil: Life itself is a real gift, and an opportunity. I’m really grateful to my parents. When I was young they really stressed that you can make choices in your life, and not always have to go with the flow. If something doesn’t feel right to you, don’t chain yourself to it. People actually tried to talk me out of being a bass player for a living. My parents were definitely worried, but they said if I was100% on it that they we’re going to support that decision. Everything is a risk, and I find that people in general are very afraid to take risks. They’ll chain themselves to their own misery, for something that they never quite felt was right anyway. If you have faith, and a source of hope and inspiration, it gives you the courage to go for it. And you’re going to need a source healing as well when you do go for it, (laughs) because sometimes you’ll pay the price for it. But that certainly shouldn’t stop one from trying. If you abandon art, you abandon culture itself. Self-expression is what separates us from the animals—-true creative expression. That should be up there as one of the most important things we can experience. That need to create is a need, not a luxury. It comes out whether you like it or not.

Jake: It seems with a lot of today’s more contemporary music, crossing genres is becoming more and more prevalent. Is this something you think about at all, or try to employ within the project’s you’re involved in, such as the Peacemakers?

Oteil: You know, people used to grow up and die in the same town, and that still happens in some places, but now with the world being the way it is and technology exposing us to all these different things, you almost can’t help crossing genres. Let’s put this way… if you’re a mom or dad, and you cook at home every night, and you’re planning the meals for the week, you’re not going to cook the same type of dish every night—you’re going to have some Mexican food, you’re going to have some Italian food, and on it goes, as long as it’s good, and there’s some good in all of it. I like good Indian food, and I like good Indian music—I like good Latin food, I like good Latin music—I like good Jamaican food, I like good Jamaican music—I like good soul food, I like good soul music—you get my point. When I find something good I want more, that’s the best I can explain it. I got exposed to jazz, and gospel music, and classical music through my parents. I got exposed to funk and soul music basically from being black in general. I got exposed to delta and bluegrass music from living in Georgia. And ironically I got exposed basically to Rock & Roll music through the Allman brothers, with the connection it had to the blues. Warren Hayes turned me on to country music, although I have to say that my dad had quite a bit of country music himself. So crossing genres seems to be kind of a natural evolution as far as I see it, and it just seems to come out in your music, and you’re not even aware of it sometimes.

Jake: I think this is analogous to when we speak of someone, and talk about their “voice”. As you’ve just stated, that “voice” many times is a combination of many influences, many that we’re probably unaware of, but those are probably the factors that make it unique.

Oteil: I tell my students this all the time. You don’t work on your voice that you speak with—right—and it sounds like you. If I play Jaco’s bass, and Stanley plays Jaco’s bass, and Victor Wooten plays Jaco’s bass, and Chuck Rainey plays Jaco’s bass, it’s going to sound like four different basses, because it’s the “person”. So really, it’s about having the balls to let yourself sound like yourself, and not try to make it sound like somebody else, not trying to mold it into what you think it should be. Just take a step back and listen to what it is. You can’t hold back your fears, or your joys, or you’re pain. You have to leave all that in there and then take a step back and look at it, and see what it is. And then you’ll find you “do” have your voice. Again, I don’t work on the voice that I speak with, so you want to approach your voice on your instrument the same way, letting it come out naturally in your playing.

Jake: Speaking of your voice, your chord/melody playing has become a big part of that. How did that you evolve for you, and do you still work on that side of your playing, as well as improvisation?

Oteil: I do still work on that. I’m always thinking about melody. I think it’s the most important thing, to me, in my playing, and I hear a lot of other players focusing on that as well, but let’s not go there. I heard a preacher once say, “Comparison destroys contentment.” It’s an easy thing to fall into. If you compare yourself to Victor Wooten, that’s going to be a brutal experience. Nobody’s ever going to play as good as Victor. I see younger people emulating him and working hard to do what he does, but you can’t compete with Victor because you’re going to lose. So it gets to be about just focusing on “playing music”. I’m always thinking about melody, whether I’m on a 6 string or a 4 string, or playing with the Allman Brothers or the Peacemakers, the melody is always first and foremost in my playing. It’s the key to musical freedom for me.

Jake: I noticed on your website that you kind of invited people to join in and speak in a philosophical mode as well as musical. So my question is, with the country being in a bit of a troubled state, what role do you see music playing that might help change the conditions were all under these days?

Oteil: It’s the same role it’s always played. The reason musicians are still doing well even though times are tough is because people need music when they feel bad, and they need music when they feel good.

I don’t know what it is that is so mystical about music—I guess maybe it’s because everything vibrates, and music essentially is nothing but vibrations. It’s a vibration that we take in with more than just our ears. Sonically is the first place we connect with it, but I think it’s more than that—it must be, because its effect is too profound. You see music in every religion, and every culture. It’s everywhere, and I just think it’s one of those things that we need. And we lean on it in tough times and it gives us hope, it gives us inspiration, and it gives us a healing. And I think people that play for those reasons are always helping—more than their hurting certainly. We’re just part of the continuum; we’re doing the same thing we’ve always done. And I’m really happy to be part of that continuum that has gone on for so many millennia. Sometimes it feels like things can get so bad, but we’re still here, and we haven’t completely self-destructed. So if it takes music to help us hang on for that one more day, or one more hour even, then great, I’m going to keep on putting it out there.

Visit online at:
www.myspace.com/oteilburbridge and
www.oteilburbridge.com

Bass Videos

Interview With K3 Sisters Band

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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!

Photo, Bruce Ray Productions

Follow Online:

k3sistersband.com/
TikTok
YouTube
Instagram
Facebook 

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Bass Videos

Interview With Bassist Danielle Nicole

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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.

Follow Online

daniellenicolemusic.com/
IG @daniellenicoleband
youtube.com/daniellenicoleband

Photo, Missy Faulkner

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Features

Bergantino Welcomes Karina Rykman to Their Family of Artists

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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!

Follow Karina Rykman:

Instagram: @karinarykman
X (formerly Twitter): @KarinaRykman
Facebook @karinarykman/

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Bass Videos

Interview With Bassist Ciara Moser

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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.

Visit online:

www.ciara-moser.com 
IG @ moserciara
FB @ ciara.moser

Photos by Manuela Haeussler

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Bass Videos

Interview With Bassist Travis Book

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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

Visit Online:

www.thetravisbook.com
www.thestringdusters.com
FB @ TheTravisBook
IG @ travisbook

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