Features
Joshua Ramos: The Chicago Low Down by Tim Seisser
Joshua Ramos: The Chicago Low Down by Tim Seisser… In these upcoming interviews, my goal is to expose the readers of Bass Musician Magazine to some of Chicago’s most talented and underrated bass players. Many of these bassists are playing the bass at a very high level and are performing with some big name acts. Yet, strangely enough, they are also usually unknown outside of Chicago. My hope is that thru these articles, these bassists will get more of the recognition they deserve and Chicago will become more of a presence in the national bass community.
First up in this new column is Joshua Ramos. Josh has worked his way onto many upper tier gigs in Chicago thru his hard work ethic and ability to groove on both upright and electric bass. He is one of the most in demand sidemen in the city and can be seen performing anywhere from local clubs and restaurants to national and international music festivals. He currently holds the bass chair with the legendary Ramsey Lewis and his Electric Band. You can hear him on Ramsey’s album “Taking Another Look” as well as on the live DVD “Proclamation of Hope” recorded live at The Kennedy Center. In addition to sharing the stage with Ramsey Lewis he has performed with Red Holloway, Donald Harrison, Conrad Herwig, Wynton Marsalis, Carl Allen, Dave Valentin, Liquid Soul, CALJE, Samba Mapangala, The Occidental Brothers Dance Band International, Willie Pickens, Dan Nimmer and Tito Carillo to name a few.
Tim: So give the readers a little bit of background on how you became a bass player and your early musical development.
Josh: Well I remember my parents used to play a lot of music by Ron Kenoly, and his bassist was Abraham Laboriel, so I got to hear a lot of him at an early age. Even though I am Puerto Rican, I didn’t get to hear much Salsa and Latin music, because for my parents it was too secular. There was also a bass player named Marc Torres at the church I grew up at. He was an early influence and every Sunday I got to hear a great band at the church, which eventually I started to perform with. Then, of course, in high school I started playing bass in the jazz big band.
Tim: So your first musical experiences were in the church, high school jazz band, etc.?
Josh: Church, high school jazz band, some rock bands, concert band and I played in the orchestra a little bit, even though I was not adept with the bow at all.
Tim: Then you continued your formal training at Northern Illinois University, which is pretty well known for having one of the better jazz education departments in the country.
Josh: Yeah, I went for Jazz Studies.
Tim: And whom did you study with?
Josh: I studied with Marlene Rosenberg, who is a great bass player. I wish that I could go back and capitalize on that opportunity more. She is not a flashy bass player, and back then I was more impressed with other types of bass players. Marlene can walk a great bass line though, and maybe I could have learned more from her.
Anyways, at NIU I really became serious because I realized I was surrounded by such a high level of musicianship. In order to fit in I had to be able to play different tempos, practice more seriously, be able to solo, learn more tunes, and at the same time still do well in classes.
Tim: What was your introduction into the Chicago music scene like?
Josh: I broke into the scene playing with Dan Nimmer, who is Wynton Marsalis’ piano player. He actually lived right down the hall from me in the dorms. As I started getting more serious we started jamming, and then he started asking me to do some gigs in Chicago. I got to learn a load of tunes and really started to learn how to swing playing with Dan. Also, I ended up landing some gigs from going to sit in at the Velvet Lounge jazz jam session, playing with drummer Isaiah Spencer and saxophonist Fred Jackson. The bottom line was I was eager to learn and to gig. I would be willing to drive from DeKalb to Chicago or Gary, Indiana for little or no money. I ran into a lot of musicians working this way, though. Eventually, I ran into Ernie Adams who is a great drummer, and started doing gigs with people he introduced me too. From there on, things just snowballed and now I am just trying to maintain it.
Tim: Lets talk a little bit about the Ramsey Lewis gig. How did that come about for you?
Josh: Actually, it came about through me playing with some of his sideman. Ernie Adams got me on a trio gig with Henry Johnson, who is Ramsey’s long time guitarist. The gig was great and Henry and I had a lot of fun playing together. Shortly after I played that gig, Ramsey needed a bass player for an upcoming gig, and Henry recommended me to Ramsey. So one day I am on a duo gig with my wife, playing at a retirement home in Hyde Park. My phone rings, and thankfully I answered the phone call right away cause it was Ramsey Lewis. He said (speaking in Ramsey’s characteristic radio voice) “Hi, this is Ramsey Lewis here. I got your number from Henry Johnson. Are you available to do a gig next week in Florida?” I said, “I think I can. I have another gig in Seattle that weekend but I think could fly out.” Then Ramsey said sternly, “What do you mean you think you can?” I said, “Yes of course I can, I can do it.” So, we set it up and I started working on his music.
Tim: You’ve told me that when you got the Ramsey Lewis gig one of the things you had to work on was really focusing in on your upright technique, especially with a bow. What were your steps improving your upright chops, considering the short timeframe you were working with?
Josh: Well when I got the first Ramsey gig, I memorized all the tunes he wanted me to play. So even though the arco sections may not have been super killing yet, I had them memorized. I know I impressed him with the fact that I memorized around 30 of his songs. I started taking lessons with a couple different classical bass players around town. The one that I really started studying seriously with was Greg Sarchet from the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He had me playing scales with the correct fingerings, working on my bowing technique, and showed me how to shift and lift my fingers the right amount and in the right positions. We really worked on the subtle technical details of playing the upright bass. It really is incredible what I have learned from just six to seven months of upright training with an accomplished classical teacher.
Tim: I have seen you play with many other bands like Occidental Brothers Dance Band International, Chicago Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble and Liquid Soul. How do you go about playing so many different styles of music so well? What’s the process like for you when it comes to learning the nuances of all these different grooves and styles of music?
Josh: All of the music I have been successful at, I have also really enjoyed playing. For example, with the Occidental Brothers I got to play behind Samba Mapangala. So, I went in search of some of his recordings, and the second I heard the recordings I was immediately in love with the bass playing. It had a lot of aspects of busier disco-like bass lines. The bass was funky, the beats were funky and it really drew me in. With CALJE, I had always wanted to play with trumpeter Victor Garcia and pianist Darwin Noguera. I got to do some gigs with them when I was coming up but at the time they were primarily using Victor Miranda, who was Al Di Meola’s bass player and a Cuban Timba master. When Victor left the band I learned the stuff and got the gig. I was always interested in Salsa and Latin music. It is very rhythmic and very funky. Then there are the different challenges that come with playing with the really good Funk and R&B guys in Chicago. You can play Jazz, swing, and take good solos, but it is whole other challenge to play a good pocket with a funky drummer and take funky solos and play R&B accurately. I have very wide musical tastes, which I think is really important. My wife is Bulgarian and I like a lot of that music, the Eastern European stuff, which is very rhythmic too.
Tim: Like most of the bass players living in Chicago, you have to be able to play a lot of different styles of music in order to survive and stay in high demand. To go even further you have been doubling (playing upright and electric) and trying to keep up your chops on both instruments. Do you think that there is a danger in being a “jack of all trades” type bass player? Do you think that performing with all these different groups keeps you from developing a personal sound?
Josh: The hope is that if I work hard enough, I will get to a high level on both axes. Like, for example, John Patitucci. He is probably the top doubler that I can think of. There are guys like Christian McBride and James Genus who double and sound great, but to me John Patitucci is the pinnacle of doubling. He is very influential on both axes. A lot of times when I fall into playing more upright or more electric, it takes a lot of re-gearing. It’s like I have this momentum built up from playing upright for a while but then I get a string of electric gigs. I have to reposition that momentum towards the electric so that I have some right hand finesse and so I can slap, and move my fingers with a lighter touch and not dig in too much, which I have a tendency to do. The other side happens too, where all of a sudden I see I have ten upright gigs in a row so I have to get my strength and touch on the upright back together. I look at the two different basses and try to play them very similarly. I really try to play the same bass lines on both. I try to find a middle ground where I can have them functioning parallel. With Ramsey I play upright and electric on every gig, so that has helped me get used to switching back and forth. Maybe if I just focused on one I would be better on that particular instrument, but I think my electric playing helps my upright playing and vice versa.
Tim: So other than Ramsey Lewis, what other projects have you been working on?
Josh: I have been playing with pianist Ken Chaney’s group and I recently did some gigs with pianist Bethany Pickens. I am always keeping up on the Occidental Brothers music; we have some cool gigs coming up. Working on keeping my Funk chops up for some gigs with saxophonist Skinny Williams. I have been doing some Salsa gigs with percussionist Joe Rendon and have some CALJE gigs coming up as well. I am mostly just trying to shed and keep my chops up for all the different styles of music I have to play. Also, I am playing a lot of upright and trying to keep my endurance up, and working on soloing, trying to play new ideas and working on the solos that I play with Ramsey’s group.
Tim: One last thing would be to tell me about the gear you are using right now and if you have any endorsements?
Josh: I have and endorsement with Lakland but am still waiting for some free gear. (Laughs)
Tim: (laughing) Welcome to my world. (Laughing)
Josh: I mean when do I get my free bass?
Tim: Or some free strings or something.
Josh: I pretty much use one or two basses for all my electric gigs. My Lakland Darryl Jones 5 string and a Lakland 55-01 with souped-up electronics. They have the same neck profile and scale length, which is really nice. I also pretty much have the feel and action set up the same for both basses. The Darryl Jones 5 is definitely my go-to bass. I have several other basses but I don’t regularly use them all. Carl Pedigo of Lakland is one of the nicest guys I have ever met and he helps me out with repairs and is really nice to deal with. My main upright bass is an Englehardt. I use the David Gage Realist pickup on my upright. To me, that is the one pickup that sounds most like an acoustic bass. It gets me the best usable bass sound. For most of my gigs I use a Carvin 2×10 with a Markbass Littlemark III. It works for upright and for 70 percent of my electric gigs. The other 30 percent are usually back-lined. I also have an Avatar 2×12 that I use for larger gigs and Salsa gigs. Also, for the Salsa gigs I use a Sendel Baby bass.
Tim: Well Josh, thanks for your time. I appreciate it.
Josh: Thank you.
Bass Videos
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
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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.
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Photo, Missy Faulkner
Features
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:
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Facebook @karinarykman/
Bass Videos
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.
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Photos by Manuela Haeussler
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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
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