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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
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/
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
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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
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
