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Tales from the Pit – Mike Zabrin and Legally Blonde by Jonathan Moody
With the ever-shrinking budgets of most civic theatres and playhouses, the music director finds themselves hiring a smaller pit than what the original orchestration calls for. Suddenly the bass player has the task of covering a much broader tonal and musical spectrum than what the original notes on the page allow. While this is nothing new to me, I thought I’d find out what my fellow “theatre rats” were doing and coping with.
I got a chance to chat via email with young upstart (and fellow Warwick endorsing artist) Mike Zabrin (who you can find online at www.mikezabrinmusic.com). We both had just recently completed a run of the show, Legally Blonde, and decided to compare notes.
Mike’s Specifics:
- Legally Blonde at the Devonshire Cultural Center, for a 4 week run
- The pit consisted of 5 musicians, onstage in the right corner
- Gear used: Warwick CS Streamer LX, Fender Jazz fretless, Mesa Boogie, Walkabout Amp
Jon’s Specifics:
- Legally Blonde at the Barn Theatre, for a 2 week run
- The pit consisted of 4 musicians, in the pit under the stage
- Gear used: Warwick Streamer LX, Phil Jones Bass Briefcase, ProTone, Pedals Buzzard Overdrive, Flying Eye Auto Wah and Nectar Chorus
With a small pit, there are always compromises to be made. As Mike said, “Being a medium-sized production, the director probably didn’t have the budget to pay 10+ musicians (ed note: the full score for LB calls for 12 musicians, with all horn parts doubling or tripling). I have played in musicals (like Legally Blonde) where the MD will hire 1-3 keyboard players and use MIDI sounds to cover the horn lines, and string lines as needed.” In Mike’s case, the pit consisted of two keys, bass, guitar and drums. Luckily, he didn’t have to deal with the Music Director handing him sheets of music from the score with notation of what to play and/or add to his score. However, there were still enough vamps though to keep him on his toes, or as he put it, “I did have to really watch the Music Director when to get out of some of the vamps and continue with the music. He would normally raise his hand during the last time.”
My run wasn’t that different tonally, in that we were a four-piece; guitar, bass, drums and keys. We focused more on having a rock band sound and covered as many of the cues in our score as possible. I used a lot of effects more as sonic “filler” to help beef up the bass without losing too much of the definition. Given also that our MD was the only keyboard, we didn’t have as many vamps; most of our were timed so we knew ahead of time how many times to take it. In the case of any emergency vamps, we watched the MD’s head.
While our settings were different, we both seemed to attack the book in the same manner. Mike’s method was to look through the book and ask “What are the fundamental points in this song I need to establish as a bass player? That’s the first question that should come into every bass player’s mind while reading a score. Especially in a musical like Legally Blonde, where the bass is often playing ‘busy,’ I couldn’t afford to lose the groove in order to play a really fast lick or slide. It was important for me in this production in particular to distinguish groove from ornament; I used the groove as a guide to take me in different directions.”
I could’ve written Mike’s comment myself; the first thing I look at when approaching a theatre score is to look at what is important (the groove) and what doesn’t have to be exact (the ornament). Especially in a small pit, the fundamental groove is what is needed to anchor the pit and keep the singers confident, especially during the dance numbers (and OMG you guys! There are a lot!). Sometimes that conflicts with what is written in the bass score. Remember, that score was written for a lot more people than what you have, and as such, more things are covered. Not so when you’re down to 4 or 5 people.
My favorite part of every theatre run (or gig, for that matter) is the gear selection. The book for Legally Blonde calls for FOUR basses; upright, electric, electric 5 string and fretless. And no, I’m not making that up. While I opted to stick with just my Warwick Streamer
LX 6 string, Mike took a broader approach.
“I really had to brush up on my fretless bass chops on my Fender Jazz Bass! Also, I brought my Mesa Boogie Walkabout (my smaller combo rig). I needed something small to keep on stage with me that the sound tech can put a mic on, but still has a clear, crisp sound. Also, I had to figure out the exact moment I had time to switch basses from my fretless to my Warwick Streamer LX. In a musical like Legally Blonde, a lot of the songs go right into the next one without pausing for
dialogue, so that was quite a challenge!”
Mike’s comments on the amp really ring true. While a small amp (his Walkabout, or my Phil Jones Bass Briefcase) may not be ideal in a large gig setting, it’s crucial to have something of this size for a theatre pit. It allows the soundman some dynamic control as well as allowing all of the musicians to still hear you.
Lastly, we talked about particular things that had to be taken into consideration. Since mine was in a Summerstock Theatre, there was very little time to work on the show; we had two rehearsals with the band, two with the cast and then a dress/tech rehearsal. However, Mike had even less. “I was surprised that we only had 3 rehearsals and that was with the cast! Usually in other musicals I’ve done the band will rehearse separately a couple of times, so we all really had to be on top of our game!” This is definitely where Mike’s earlier comment of focusing on the groove over the ornament comes into play. When you have little to no prep time before opening night, it comes down to sticking to your role as the foundation and laying that groove down, despite what the notes may tell you to play.
I hope this gives you a unique look into how two different musicians tackle the same book and show. Thanks to Mike for his time and banter on the subject. For more information on Mike Zabrin (and hear his sweet Warwick Streamer LX), please check out his website at www.mikezabrinmusic.com or catch him on Facebook, Twitter (@mikezabrin) and the like.
If you’re a fellow “theatre rat” and would like to be included in an upcoming “Tales from the Pit” article, contact me at moody@justmoody.com or find me on Twitter at @monjoody. Thanks for reading, and have a great month!
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
