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Your Ego Called and Left a Voicemail… Stop being a Jerk! by Tim Risser
I had the pleasure of entering into the magical world of online dating several months ago and meeting a lovely woman. We had a beautiful child together, bought a lovely house with a yard and lived happily ever… yeah I’m joking- you knew that was nonsense. Although most of this story is BS, I did meet a woman and we discussed our interests and I of course, mentioned that I play bass. She mentioned her brother also played bass and we laughed awkwardly and in unison. Oh, the joys of sharing with a complete stranger! During our second conversation (we’ll call her Ann), Ann shared with me that she mentioned to her bass playing brother that I also played. His response: “I bet he sucks!”
Well, believe me, initially I couldn’t do anything but laugh. He never met me, doesn’t know me and has never seen how bad I suck! So Ann and I shared another equally forced laugh. The comment rested in my mind for a while until days later, when the pride that sometimes makes an appearance in me; stood up and took exception to this guy’s very ill-tempered, misdirected pot-shot!
And then I thought about my own shitty attitude in the past and it led me here.
Stupid Mother Plucker
Believe me, there is so much negativity that closes in around us if we let it: that guy at work who is condescending, the PFA your ex-girlfriend has on you, the neighbor’s dog shit is in your backyard; the list could stretch across North America! What do we do about our attitudes towards other musicians though, and ultimately- ourselves? Playing a steady gig and going to other parts of the country allowed me to witness and experience other bands and musicians I might never had if I stayed in the basement or garage. Ivet, Eastcide, Jack Potential, Squatweiler, Halestorm- all made it out of the garage in their prospective towns!! Ok, that last band really “made it” out of their garage, but I remember once, after a show in some dislocated VFW, standing with a very teen aged and wide-eyed Lizzy Hale. She was eager to learn more about touring from a bunch of grizzled, jaded (and aging) rockers stretched to their capacity to give a shit! That attitude served her well.
This is Lizzy Hale. She doesn’t give a rat’s ass if you like her music!
That’s not to say that a garage band who plays one backyard BBQ is not qualified to judge or un-worthy of an opinion as, let’s say Radiohead (before they flew off to outer-space), or some other well-known entity. I assure you that a band like Radiohead spent a great deal of time honing their craft by listening to other musicians and being open to what they heard.
The way we view music and artists is exclusive to us and that is why most of us feel a certain way. That single-minded approach has its limitations though.
Musicians/bassists have access to every social media outlet: Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and music specific sites like YouTube, BassMusicianMagazine.com(!), ReverbNation, Soundcloud, etc. It would be hard to not take in something new each day. Would you want to focus on one style or genre and snub everything else? Is there a purpose in flame-throwing every type of music but the kind you like?? Is every bass player beside you a joke, with some inherent flaw?? All that wasted energy…
He ‘likes’ your bass playing!
The temptation lies in spending too much time being mediocre, not opening up to enough variety and not listening but JUDGING! When I was young there was cable TV and that was it! My friends and I bought cassettes. Crappy sounding, disposable cassette tapes! I didn’t even see my first real concert until I was 16 (Cinderella and Winger- don’t judge me!), and today I’m guessing every kid out there has seen a show at half that age. Hint: that ringing in your ears- it does not go away!! I spent so much time as a young player learning from fellow musicians; and not just bass players- mostly guitarists. There was no YouTube to reference! I had so many guitar playing friends that I finally bought a guitar as well. Still a ways to go on that, but when I was too naïve to care; my impartial mind was void of harsh judgment. All those inhibitions…
I know that it is part of our make-up, our human condition; to be self-righteous. I’m a parent now, so I’ve gotten pretty good at that! There’s no secret hidden message here or toy awaiting you at the bottom of the Fruit Loops box. If there was a ‘take-away’, it would be to lighten up! As a musician, I’m guilty of the same things and need a reminder as well. Think about it, we want what we want and like what we like and there’s no need to focus on musicians with crappy dispositions or negative situations. Don’t fall into the trap door! If it’s not your cup of tea- don’t drink! And don’t dump it all over everyone else’s head! Focus on the frosty goodness and liquid refreshment that makes you want more. Alternately, think about this:
- The average time a person spends on Facebook a week is 7 hours!
- The average time a person spends on the internet, in general, is 13+ hours per week!!
- Your attitude is rancid cheese. Dispose of it!
Time yourself next time you pick up your bass. Do it without distractions and see if you feel good about making your time worthwhile. Play for thirty minutes straight and you’ll see it in context. Your smartphone has a stopwatch- use it!
Don’t let me fool you. I have entered the large vacuum that is the internet, posted auspicious comments, and well, succumbed to other time drainers. I have picked up the local musician magazine and dismissed most of the bands, until I realized they’re playing out right now and I’m not. I’m here to release myself back into the wild, to free myself from the confines of my own self-righteous entrapment.
If you find you are caught up in some gnarly, chastising, holier than thou opinion of yourself, (you hear me- guy who thinks I suck??), and you have so much negative energy that it’s bursting at the seams; then do yourself a favor. Turn off the TV, unplug your computer, drop your tablet in the bath tub and pick up your bass, plug it in (make it loud, your ears are already ringing) and play something! The only way you’ll feel better about your talents is by focusing on YOU.
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
Featured Videos
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…
Click to follow Bass Musician on Instagram @bassmusicianmag
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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
