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Freelancing in a College Town: Know Your Role by Jonathan Moody
Freelancing in a College Town: Know Your Role by Jonathan Moody… In the past two articles in this series, we’ve discussed things that aren’t as music oriented as they are professional (being dependable and reliable). This month I’m going to focus more on one of the key elements that the freelancer will use on the bandstand; the ability to know your role. I’m going to break this down into two portions; the technique and the gear.
This concept was firmly planted into my brain years ago when I went to one of the Victor Wooten/Steve Bailey “Bass Extremes” shows. During the Q&A section, I asked them what they think about when they’re backing up someone. I don’t remember Vic’s comment, but Steve looked me directly in the eye and said “My job is to make the lead sound as great as possible. I will play as much or as little to achieve that end result.” I didn’t fully understand (or appreciate) the lesson until years later, when I was freelancing with a number of groups.
Oftentimes, we have the luxury to stick with styles of music that we know, are comfortable with and want to play. However, there are those times that you may be faced with something that you may not want to do, or are not familiar with. In the case of my wake up call, I was playing bass in a country cover band. I was intrigued by the monetary aspect, but was not happy with the basslines of the songs; to be honest, I felt they were below me. However, with Bailey’s comment in my head, I decided to focus more on how the bassline fit in the songs over the specific notes that were used. While I ended up only playing with that group for a couple of months, I held the group together and helped move the songs along, mainly from putting my ego aside and focusing on what was most important; the song itself.
Currently one of my gigs is backing up a folk duo. Technically speaking, I am playing a lot of root notes, and whole notes at that. However, when you look at how the simplicity of the bassline moves the songs along, it is imperative that it stays rock solid and fluid; again, the notes are not as important as the song. And to be honest, keeping something simple with a lot of movement can be tough. However, I’m having a ball with my role in this group.
Secondly, in knowing your role, you also should know what gear to bring. This isn’t your “what bass is best for metal?” thread that we’re talking about; this is more of the “Don’t bring an electric bass to an upright bass gig” statement. With the aforementioned folk group, I use my NS Design CR-5M electric upright bass, because it more closely fits the style of the music. The ability to use a bow is another bonus over just bringing an electric to this gig.
In the case of freelancing, this is one of the questions you need to ask upfront; what is the person hiring you expecting, and can you deliver? I’m in the position that I can bring an electric and/or an upright, but for some people that may not be an option (either you don’t have an upright or do not possess the skills to gig with one). If your gear isn’t exactly what the person is expecting, you need to let them know. Whether or not you think it’s a big deal isn’t important; what they think is. And from talking with a lot of peers, if you address this upfront, you’ll find out that it isn’t a big deal. But that’s the thing; you have to ask. And in that oft chance that it IS a big deal, it is better to back out at the beginning and allow them to find someone that better fits their situation over showing up to the gig with gear that they were not expecting and fighting the sound all night.
Personally, I try to bring the gear I think is necessary for doing my job well and stylistically fits. With that has to come the flexibility to change things up if they aren’t working, or if there is a specific request. I’m currently in a run of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” probably one of my favorite musicals, at the local Civic theatre. This show is scored for electric and upright bass, and the whole pit is using in-ear monitors. During the tech rehearsals, the drummer was having issues hearing the upright as well as the electric; the MD requested I play the whole show on electric. I can fake an upright sound with my thumb muting technique, so it’s no big deal. I really like playing the upright in this score (it’s my second production of this show), but personal gratification at the expense of the quality of the show is not the preferred result, nor is it the way to get hired again.
When it comes to “knowing your role” in the gig, it’s all-encompassing. Musically, you want to play what is appropriate for the style and genre of music that you’re playing. This translates into the gear that you bring into the gig. You’re definitely not going to walk into an orchestral gig with an electric bass, so make sure that whatever you use fits the music and the expectations of the person hiring you. A superior musical product is the desired result, and you need to be able to check your ego at the door in order to do as much – or as little – as is called for to perform your duties to the best of your ability.
Bass Videos
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes…
It is always great to meet a super busy bassist who simply exudes a love for music and his instrument. Erick “Jesus” Coomes fits this description exactly. Hailing from Southern California, “Jesus” co-founded and plays bass for Lettuce and has found his groove playing with numerous other musicians.
Join us as we hear of his musical journey, how he gets his sound, his ongoing projects, and his plans for the future.
Photo, Bob Forte
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Visit Online
www.lettucefunk.com
IG @jesuscsuperstar
FB@jesuscoomes
FB @lettucefunk
Bass Videos
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
“These stories from the front are with real-life, day-to-day musicians who deal with work life and gigging and how they make it work out. Each month, topics may include… the kind of gigs you get, the money, dealing with less-than-ideal rooms, as well as the gear you need to get the job done… and the list goes on from there.” – Steve the Bass Guy and Shawn Cav
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This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Check out our top 10 favorite basses on Instagram this week…
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Bass CDs
New Album: Jake Leckie, Planter of Seeds
Bassist Jake Leckie and The Guide Trio Unveil New Album Planter of Seeds,
to be released on June 7, 2024
Planter of Seeds is bassist/composer Jake Leckie’s third release as a bandleader and explores what beauty can come tomorrow from the seeds we plant today.
What are we putting in the ground? What are we building? What is the village we want to bring our children up in? At the core of the ensemble is The Guide Trio, his working band with guitarist Nadav Peled and drummer Beth Goodfellow, who played on Leckie’s second album, The Guide, a rootsy funky acoustic analog folk-jazz recording released on Ropeadope records in 2022. For Planter of Seeds, the ensemble is augmented by Cathlene Pineda (piano), Randal Fisher (tenor saxophone), and Darius Christian (trombone), who infuse freedom and soul into the already tightly established ensemble.
Eight original compositions were pristinely recorded live off the floor of Studio 3 at East West Studios in Hollywood CA, and mastered by A.T. Michael MacDonald. The cover art is by internationally acclaimed visual artist Wayne White. Whereas his previous work has been compared to Charles Mingus, and Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet with Charlie Haden, Leckie’s new collection sits comfortably between the funky odd time signatures of the Dave Holland Quintet and the modern folk-jazz of the Brian Blade Fellowship Band with a respectful nod towards the late 1950s classic recordings of Ahmad Jamal and Miles Davis.
The title track, “Planter of Seeds,” is dedicated to a close family friend, who was originally from Trinidad, and whenever she visited family or friends at their homes, without anyone knowing, she would plant seeds she kept in her pocket in their gardens, so the next season beautiful flowers would pop up. It was a small altruistic anonymous act of kindness that brought just a little more beauty into the world. The rhythm is a tribute to Ahmad Jamal, who we also lost around the same time, and whose theme song Poinciana is about a tree from the Caribbean.
“Big Sur Jade” was written on a trip Leckie took with his wife to Big Sur, CA, and is a celebration of his family and community. This swinging 5/4 blues opens with an unaccompanied bass solo, and gives an opportunity for each of the musicians to share their improvisational voices. “Clear Skies” is a cathartic up-tempo release of collective creative energies in fiery improvisational freedom. “The Aquatic Uncle” features Randal Fisher’s saxophone and is named after an Italo Calvino short story which contemplates if one can embrace the new ways while being in tune with tradition. In ancient times, before a rudder, the Starboard side of the ship was where it was steered from with a steering oar. In this meditative quartet performance, the bass is like the steering oar of the ensemble: it can control the direction of the music, and when things begin to unravel or become unhinged, a simple pedal note keeps everything grounded.
The two trio tunes on the album are proof that the establishment of his consistent working band The Guide Trio has been a fruitful collaboration. “Santa Teresa”, a bouncy samba-blues in ? time, embodies the winding streets and stairways of the bohemian neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro it is named for. The swampy drum feel on “String Song” pays homage to Levon Helm of The Band, a group where you can’t always tell who wrote the song or who the bandleader is, proving that the sum is greater than the individual parts. Early jazz reflected egalitarianism in collective improvisation, and this group dynamic is an expression of that kind of inclusivity and democracy.
“The Daughters of the Moon” rounds out the album, putting book ends on the naturalist themes. This composition is named after magical surrealist Italo Calvino’s short story about consumerism, in which a mythical modern society that values only buying shiny new things throws away the moon like it is a piece of garbage and the daughters of the moon save it and resurrect it. It’s an eco-feminist take on how women are going to save the world. Pineda’s piano outro is a hauntingly beautiful lunar voyage, blinding us with love. Leckie dedicates this song to his daughter: “My hope is that my daughter becomes a daughter of the moon, helping to make the world a more beautiful and verdant place to live.”
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
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
New Gear: Spector Woodstock Custom Collection Volume II
New Gear: The Dingwall John Taylor Signature Model
This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
New Gear: Esopus Guitars Launches New Acoustic/Electric Bass
Debut Album: Nate Sabat, Bass Fiddler