Cover
Bass Musician Magazine: Feb/Mar 2010 Featuring Jonas Hellborg
Jonas: For me, all of life is a meeting of beings. I don’t go anywhere with a preset curriculum that I want to teach people. I don’t want to tell anybody anything in particular, I just want to establish a communication. And if I do have information that can benefit other people, then it becomes a discussion instead of me just telling them something. As we go through life, the sum of the inputs and the outputs that we have are fairly similar…everybody has something to give, and something to take. If my life experience has made me collect information that is usable for people that are trying similar things, then I can be very helpful. But I have to know who they are, I have to know what they need in order to be able to contribute to their lives. That’s basically what my clinics are about.
Jake: I know you’ve used acoustic bass guitar on some of your earlier recordings, and now you spend a lot of your time on your Warwick signature bass, which I believe is an electric-acoustic. What drew you to this type of sound?
Jonas: Basically, my Warwick is an electric bass. It borrows some features from an acoustic, but it’s mainly about the size and the body position while playing it. I made it a huge body because what I found from playing acoustic instruments is that it doesn’t screw up my back as much while I’m playing compared to a smaller solid body, because you hold your arms and shoulders in a totally different way. And what I’ve done with the pickup is give it a much wider frequency response which of course also emulates nature in a sense…if you hear all of the frequencies, then it starts sounding more like an acoustic instrument. And in addition, it’s a much more dynamic pickup, meaning that if you play soft, it’s soft, and if you play louder, it actually gets louder. A normal pickup will compress what you put into it because it only has a certain dynamic window, so if you push it, it actually doesn’t get much louder. So in a sense, this bass actually emulates acoustic qualities and sounds more like an acoustic. It’s “my” idea of an electric sound. But then again, my idea of an electric sound is close to an acoustic sound. Actually, it’s a little bit contradictory.
Jake: Did you find it to be more challenging when you’re playing a regular acoustic?
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