Cover
Bass Musician Magazine: Dec/Jan 2009-2010 Issue Featuring Christian McBride
Another interesting point about the band was the violent change of the personality of the band switching between Vinnie Colaiuta and Brian Blade. Even before the tour started, we knew that Vinnie was going to have to leave the tour for an extended period of time to play with Jeff Beck. So Chick called Brian Blade to take over. You could not find two more completely different drummers then Vinnie and Bryan. Vinnie is more or less this big strong he-man of the drummer, in volume, and in chops. And then you have Bryan Blade who is like this exquisite painter and minimalist. He’ll just drop a bomb every now and then to make it a work of art. The interesting thing was how John dealt with it. John actually has some hearing issues, as you can imagine with all the drummers that he’s played with over the years. Vinnie, who of course plays much harder than Brian, coupled with the fact that he had these mounted monitors behind his head, had a much bigger sound. John was using Vinnie’s monitors as well, and the sound on stage was very dense. And Brian is the type of guy who would use no monitors, or very little monitor feed. It was hilarious on the first couple of gigs with Brian watching John looking at us going, is he playing? You could see on John’s face that he was panicking a little bit, and he knew he was going to have to get used to this new setup. Obviously, he did get used to it, and it was wonderful.
Jake: Did you have to make I guess I’ll say kind of a different approach conceptually playing with Brian after working with Vinnie?
Christian: Well, I didn’t need as much volume; it was certainly much more of a natural stage sound so to speak. With Vinnie, we kind of had to crank it a little bit just to get over the drum sound. But with Brian, I think just in terms of stage volume, it was a little more natural. That’s certainly not to say that I didn’t enjoy playing with Vinnie as much. Vinnie and I had played a few gigs with Sting together as well, and I certainly see Vinnie being at legendary status now; and rightfully so. He’s the consummate musician.
Jake: Best that you can answer this for me, what do you think has been the key element to your success as far as being able to work with players on such a high level, and such a diversified construct over the years; from Sonny Rollins, to Metheny, Corea, Sting, and on and on?
Christian: Man, I don’t know—tough question. I think people know that I do have a genuine respect for all music in general. Everybody says, they love everything, and they respect everything, but I’d like to think that I’ve proven that I really do try to respect the elements of all these different styles of music. And if I don’t know something, I’m very willing to learn and really get inside of it. I don’t ever want it to get to that point where I would say, well, I’m Christian McBride, and I don’t really need to do any extra work. A lot of guys do that, as we all know, once they reach a certain level in their career. For example, I’ve worked a lot with Eddie Palmieri, and I think one of the reasons he’s been so gracious to allow me to play with him so much is because when you start talking about Latin music, you’ve got to understand that those musicians are very passionate about what they do. And I know if I’m going to play this music, I better play it right. I can’t come up and try to rough off a kind of one bass line fits everything. And I think Eddie knows that I really try to respect the music, and learn what needs to be done. It’s about being flexible, and really putting the music before my own ego. I think Herbie Hancock has been the greatest example of somebody who can just do anything, and do anything well. Chick is also like that. These guys are wide open, and respect everything. If they don’t really know what it is, they’ll “ask” you what it is and what they need to do to make it better.
Jake: It’s got to be gratifying for younger players to know that their contemporaries are working just as hard, and I think that’s a great message to send out. And I think that maybe you’ve answered my question; it’s a continual process, it never ends.
Christian: Absolutely! It’s all about having a passion—a love and respect for the music. If you’re busy just trying to establish your own thing, there’s no balance. This is what all the legends do; they really take the time to figure out all that needs to be learned in whatever they are involved in, and then they’ll work to fit in.
Visit online at www.christianmcbride.com
Bass Videos
Brian Bromberg, Paying Tribute to Scott LaFaro, April 2024
Brian Bromberg, Paying Tribute to Scott LaFaro, April 2024…
Brian Bromberg is one heavy-hitting bass player and I am in awe of his talent as one of the few individuals who is equally proficient on electric and upright bass.
You might remember our conversation back in 2018 when he released his powerhouse Funk album. Brian’s “A Little Driving Music” album is a staple on all our road trips and his Jaco and Jimi Hendrix tribute albums are mind-blowing… and I could go on and on.
Now, Brian has taken on the arduous task of producing an album paying tribute to the late, great, Scott LaFaro. He teamed up with pianist Tom Zink and drummer Charles Ruggiero and Brian delivers a commanding performance on upright. The entire album is a masterpiece and a real treat to listen to track after track.
Join us as Brian shares the details behind this project and more.
Photo, Michel Bocandé
Featured Videos
Visit Online
brianbromberg.net
FB @BrianBrombergBassist
YouTube
Cover
Leland Sklar, Over Half a Century of Bass, March 2024
We all have enjoyed Leland Sklar’s Bass lines for over half a century.
You might remember that we had him on our cover back in 2017 and did an update when he launched his book “Everybody Loves Me” in 2020. It was exciting to hear that The Immediate Family had got back together in the studio to work on their own music in 2019 and are now up to two albums.
Just last December, Magnolia Pictures released a documentary titled “Immediate Family” where we got a behind-the-scenes look at the massive contributions Danny Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel, Ross Kunckle, Leland Sklar and Steve Postell have made in countless songs that are the very essence of our daily personal musical soundtracks. Seeing the astronomical roster of performers they have supported over many years is very eye-opening. It is a must-see for any music lover!
Now, I am thrilled to bring you a special chat with Leland Sklar where we go more in-depth into the bass side of his musical journey.
Photos: Header, Rob Shanahan – Cover Photo, Jay Gilbert/Chris Schmitt
Featured Videos:
Skin In the Game – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhbnzIrdjJ8
from new album Skin In The Game
The Toughest Girl In Town – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVQLZIRfLjU
from new album Skin In The Game
Fair Warning – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DN18DYwLsU –
from the self-titled album The Immediate Family
Visit Online
www.immediatefamilyband.com/
www.facebook.com/TheImmedFamily
www.instagram.com/theimmedfamily/
Bass Videos
Ricky Phillips, STYX Bass And More – February 2024
Ricky Phillips, STYX Bass And More…
I have always been a huge Styx fan. Their music kept me awake during countless nights studying and gave my imagination a place to escape when I had a moment to take a break.
I had the immense opportunity to chat with STYX bassist Ricky Phillips for our August Cover in 2017 and follow his projects as time passed. Now, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to catch up with Ricky as he has been super-busy over the past six years.
Join me as we take a deep dive into the band’s most recent album “Crash the Crown” and EP “The Same Stardust”. Ricky shares some insights into the herculean team effort behind the scenes and the musical process that keeps them ever so busy and how he has updated his sound.
Without further ado… Here is Ricky Phillips!
Photo: Jason Powell
Featured Videos:
“Crash of the Crown” lyric video
“Reveries” lyric video
“Save Us From Ourselves” lyric video
“Sound the Alarm” lyric video
“Too Much Time On My Hands” Zoom video 2020
Visit online:
www.Styxworld.com
FB & IG @styxtheband
Bass Videos
Jeff Pilson, Foreigner Low End – January 2024
Jeff Pilson, Foreigner Low End – January 2024…
Those of us who were around back in the 70’s remember how certain songs on the radio resonated with us. It turns out that many of these iconic melodies came from Foreigner and they were part of our personal soundtracks!
After all these years, the band is going as strong as ever with Jeff Pilson firing away on bass midstream into a 2-year farewell tour.
I am excited to be able to bring you all the details about Jeff’s musical Journey, the farewell tour in progress, how he gets his sound and his plans for the future.
Cover Photo: Krishta Abruzziini / Video Photos: Krishta Abruzzini, Karsten Staiger, Gina Hyams
Featured Videos
For more news on FOREIGNER and upcoming Farewell Tour dates, fans can visit:
foreigneronline.com
facebook.com/Foreigner
twitter.com/ForeignerMusic
instagram.com/foreignerlive
youtube.com/user/FWebTeam
Also on FB @officialjeffpilson
Bass Videos
Rodney O’Quinn, Rockin’ Hard Through the Years – December 2023
Interview With Foghat Bassist Rodney O’Quinn…
Many rock fans have enjoyed music by Foghat, who originally formed in London back in 1971.
Over the many decades of playing, the band members have changed, leaving behind only Roger Earl as the only original member. Bassist Rodney O’Quinn left the Pat Travers Band and joined the group in 2015 and has been laying down the low end for this iconic quartet keeping the Foghat legacy alive. With a new album titled “Sonic Mojo” which dropped on November 10th, the band is as busy as ever and there is lots of very tasty music to come.
Join me as we learn of Rodney O’Quinn’s musical journey, how he gets his sound, and his plans for the future.
Photos:
Cover, Jake Coughlin
Video Thumbnail, Tom Apathy
Photos used in the video: Kerry Quinn, Chuck Lanza, Kim Granger, Kenneth Strohm, Jake Coughlin, Jay Jylika
Featured Videos:
1st Single from Sonic Mojo – Official “Drivin’ On”
2nd Single from Sonic Mojo – “She’s a Little Bit of Everything Official Video
“Road Fever”- California Mid State Fair – Paso Robles, CA – 7-27-22
“Stone Blue” – Rodney O’Quinn Bass/Lead Vocals – Don Odell’s Legends – Woonsocket, R.I – 10/15/22 – The Stadium Theater
The Earl’s Court – Season 2, Episode 7: Funny Guys
“I Just Want to Make Love to You” – CasinoRama – 6-9-23
FOGHAT “Somebody’s Been Sleepin’ in My Bed” – Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT – 1/28/22
“I Just Want to Make Love to You” – California Mid State Fair – Paso Robles, CA – 7-27-22
Visit Online:
www.foghat.com
www.facebook.com/Foghat
www.twitter.com/FOGHAT
www.instagram.com/foghat_official
www.youtube.com/user/FOGHATMUSIC
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
