BASS LINES BY JAIME VAZQUEZ: TOMMY SHANNON’S STYLE! Hello bass players and fans of bass playing! This month we have a master of the blues bass, Tommy Shannon! An American bass player known as a permanent member of Double Trouble, a blues rock band led by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Shannon plays rock, blues, blues rock, Texas blues, etc. He has played with Eric Clapton, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jimmie Vaughan, Johnny Lang, Susan Tedeschi, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, John Mayer, Little Richard, Lou Gramm, The Rolling Stones, etc. He formed supergroups such as the Arc Angels and Storyville. He created great bass lines for the blues. So, if you want to know how to groove with the blues? Tommy Shannon is the man! Here I have some examples of his amazing work for Stevie Ray Vaughan. Enjoy!

*This is an extra for you:

Tommy Shannon played with Johnny Winter at Woodstock in 1969. Check this out!

PART I:

PART II:

FIG. 1 – An excerpt from the 2nd verse of Pride and Joy, a moderate blues shuffle and one of his most famous tracks. From his debut album Texas Flood, recorded in 1982 and published in 1983. Listen to Pride And Joy

FIG. 2 – The bass groove for the chorus part of the rock ‘n’ roll song called Love Struck Baby, from the album Texas Flood (1983). Listen to Love Struck Baby

FIG. 3 – The catchy riff of one of my favorites songs called Couldn’t Stand the Weather (1984). A very cool blues rock song with a powerful funky groove. Listen to Couldn’t Stand the Weather

FIG. 4 – The first four measures of the bass groove for the guitar solo of The House Is Rockin’. This is a fast rock song and the opening track for the album In Step (1989). Listen to The House Is Rocking

FIG. 5 – This is the introduction and the main bass riff of the moderate bluesy rock track called Crossfire, from the album In Step (1989). Listen to Crossfire