Features
From Amateur to Pro: A Discussion with Rufus Philpot
Rufus Philpot (photo by Greg Heath)
Perhaps best known as the bassist with killer acid jazz and fusion chops, Rufus Philpot has developed a remarkable career as a well-respected musician and educator.
His work with such top groups as Down to the Bone, the Virgil Donati Group and Planet X (from 2004-09), the Mitch Forman Group, the Scott Henderson Nomad Trio, and the CPT Trio (with Kirk Covington from Tribal Tech), built Philpot’s reputation for melodic, groove-driven, bass lines as well as his ability to burn up the fretboard with intricate and musical solos.
From the start of his career in London, Philpot has always had one overarching goal in mind: To work with the musicians who inspire him. That desire took him to New York City in 1999 and later to Los Angeles in 2004.
He also has a passion for sharing the hard-won knowledge he has learned over the years. Considered a world-class educator, he teaches regular masterclasses at The Musicians Institute in Hollywood and the Los Angeles Music Academy. He has taught master classes in Australia, England, and Sweden and was also the youngest faculty member at the Bass Collective in New York City from 2001-2004. He currently teaches private students in Los Angeles and internationally through Skype.
He is an endorsed artist for Xotic Basses, TC Electronics Effects, Gallien-Krueger Amplification, La Bella Strings, Pedalsnake, IK Multimedia, and was with Ibanez from 2003 to 2010.
Bass Musician Magazine: Based on your experience as a working musician, what are the one or two musical skills you see that are consistently lacking in bassists who trying to make the transition from playing at home to gigging for pay?
Rufus Philpot: Because of the social media explosion, it’s pretty easy to get impressed with a lot of superficial aspects of bass playing. I think the actual musical component, however, can end up taking second place.
For example, I meet a lot of younger students who can play with a certain amount of speed, but they’re not playing anything musical. If they’re not careful, they can fall into trap of flashy technique overshadowing, or replacing, substance. If you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself playing something bad — just a bit quicker than the next guy.
The concept I like to get across with my students is that technique is always driven by the musical idea. If your approach is the other way around, where you let technique be the main focus of your music, it’s going to be a failure. Your goal should be to have good musical ideas and to be able to execute them at whatever tempo the music requires.
I was fortunate to have grown up in a time where we didn’t have the technology available to slow down music. If I wanted to play along to a Jeff Berlin song, I had to play it at Jeff Berlin’s speed. I had to learn each song bar by bar. I wore out a lot of Sony Walkman tape players as I tried to learn those parts. But as a result of that learning process, the music developed my technique and speed. Not the other way around like we see today.
My facility on the bass comes from transcribing legends like Anthony Jackson, John Patitucci, and Eddie Gomez. My dexterity comes from learning how to play a Pat Metheny guitar solo on the bass. I never played fast for the sake of playing fast. I had to play fast because I wanted to play along with the record.
I’m not saying technique is not important. The general level of technique over the past several years has gone through the roof. Yet some of the stuff I see on YouTube that is hyped as virtuosic bass playing comes across a really nothing more than a fingering exercise. It’s barely musical. It make one wonder if some of those players could walk a swinging melodic line through a jazz blues You know, the work that bassists actually get paid to do.
I think part of this has come about because we live in a hyper-accelerated time. Social media and on-the-go technology enables us to see anything at any time.
It is vitally important for musicians to make sure they don’t limit their musical interactions and experiences to just social media. Instead, there should be a lot, and I mean a lot, of playing with other musicians.
For example, I spent five years with Virgil Donati’s (Planet X, Allan Holdsworth) band. My main priority was to keep solid time. Only after I met that requirement, could I focus on playing all of the crazy unison stuff. Far down the list of my job requirements was my ability to solo.
And with Down to the Bone, it’s simple acid jazz funk 95 percent of the show. The only extra spice I throw in is some trading lines between me and the horn players.
Again, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of letting the music dictate your work as a bassist.
Rufus Philpot’s Trio B.A.D.
For those who aspire to be professional bassists, I would strongly suggest having solid reading skills. I’ve noticed that seems to be missing these days with some folks shying away from developing that skill.
In England, there’s a tradition of reading due to the theater work. When you would sub on a jazz and fusion scene in London, most of the songs were charted out. After a while, you don’t even practice the charts. You’re just good enough to sight read them. You might take 20 minutes to talk through the chart before the gig, but you’re still reading without much, if any, prep time.
When I moved from London to New York, I found the scene there was a 50-50 mixture of reading and learning by ear. The first time I played with Randy Brecker was with his wife’s band in a tiny club. Randy called “Some Skunk Funk”– which is not the easiest tune to read on the spot — and we did it. I was able to not only survive, but thrive, on that gig because of my reading chops. And as often happens in our world, that gig led to other gigs. All because I could read.
On the flip side of that, I’ve been in several situations over the last couple of years where the band is rehearsing material I would expect people to be able to sight read. It can be time consuming to go over things which you would often expect guys to be able to just read on the gig itself.
I don’t think reading has ever stopped being important. I just noticed sometimes it can get glossed over. If your reading skills need work, the best practice I have ever found is to get yourself in a big band. Horn players read their asses off, and it will raise your reading chops tremendously.
Having a good teacher is also a tremendous help. But you have to have the right teacher. If your teacher doesn’t read very well, he’s not going to push you to read. If you come in with a chart you need help with, he’s going to look like an idiot when he can’t help. As a result, he will deflect the importance of learning how to read music when he works with you so be wary of that when you go looking for teachers.
BMM: Along a similar line, what about personal or business skills that bassists should have but many don’t bother developing?
Philpot: I want come back to social media for a minute. What people have now is the ability to use social media to promote and connect to an audience. That is an amazing tool and the younger generation is great at that. My generation, however, is still playing catch up. I definitely believe you need to be savvy in that technological promotion arena.
Aside from technology, there are also more traditional issues that are keeping musicians from succeeding or derailing otherwise successful careers. Probably the biggest one I’ve seen is a lack of common sense. You have to be efficient with your money and prioritize your spending.
Let me give you an example: A friend of mine was going through some tough financial times and was having difficulty paying his musicians. We were packing up after a gig one night and I look over to see this guy — who was filing for bankruptcy by the way — and he’s driving a brand new SUV. His car payment was more than my apartment rent! It simply made no sense and created ill will among those he said he couldn’t afford to pay.
Another consideration is your health. It’s business in a different way than you’re asking, but I consider our bodies to be important business. And one I often see musicians neglect.
Most musicians don’t lead the healthiest of lives. We often perform and eat late at night where you often don’t have the best food options. That lifestyle, if you’re not careful, is not good for you in the long run. If you haven’t been paying attention to your body by the time you hit 50, it’s going to be harder to rectify the damages.
Take care of your money and your body. You could pay $50 a month or more for a gym membership. Or you could buy an acceptable mountain bike for the same money. The bike will get you outside and into nature. I’ve become an avid mountain biker and have experience tremendous mental and physical benefits that have positively affected my life and my musicianship. That’s just one of many different active pursuits that is an inexpensive way to keep your body and bank account fit.
BMM: When it comes to gigs, there seems to be two schools of thought: Take every gig you can to build your experience and network; or be very selective and cultivate your music credentials and reputation. What are your thoughts on building a successful gigging resume?
Philpot: Being selective about gigs can be tied back to being smart with your finances. If you have a certain amount of financial freedom, you may have the option to take the gigs you want and turn away those you don’t like.
You also have to consider the market and who is paying you to perform. Each scene has its own criteria and standards. Do you have the right skill? The right look? The right gear?
Pop musicians, for example, will often pick a band based on playing ability and a certain look. Sometimes it’s more about the look than it is the musicianship. You simply have to know the scene you want to play in and see where you fit.
Another challenge is balancing the market demands with what brings you joy. While you may work more if you can effectively switch between pop, soul, R&B and a jazz, you may burn out because you’re not playing the music that you enjoy. You have to be yourself…which may not make you right for every gig! However, and this is important: With the gigs you do choose, play with utmost conviction.
Last year, I played several different types of gigs back-to-back. I played a New Year’s Eve gig with a bunch of musicians (vocalists) from shows like the Voice/Idol and Belinda Carlisle. I knew the right stuff to play and I didn’t use it as a showcase for my chops and an excuse to overplay. I then played a jazz quartet where I could stretch out a bit. And after that, I played another gig in an entirely different genre. Even though those were all different types of gigs, I poured my heart and soul into each one.
I’ve played in 30 countries for almost 30 years and I’ve never been totally comfortable being a jack of all trades. I look at my life now and decide where the balance is between taking gigs purely for money versus spending my time with music I enjoy.
After playing for a couple decades, you develop a radar for which gigs to take. I almost know within the first 20 seconds of someone calling if I’m going to do the gig. It’s the little things like how they describe the gig, the other musicians involved, and even how they got my number and talk about my abilities without having met me. By the time those first 20 seconds are up, I already know how the gig is going to be.
I’m comfortable with my decision saying what I need to do that gig. Now, if it’s a project I want to do, the money is less important because artistically I’m going to get a lot out of it. One local project that fits that bill for me is working with drummer Joey Heredia and an outstanding Los Angeles-based flamenco guitar player. This music is fun and it is also gives me a chance to utilize my skills in reading, sound, dynamics, and soloing. Plus I can draw on the musical influences I assimilated 25 years ago! These are the gigs that remind me why I got into music.
Even though being true to your musical identity is a big part of the equation, it is not the only part. I still will make sure I’m covered financially for 98 percent of the gigs I take. That way, it feels acceptable. And that comes from the experience of years of getting burned!
My advice is to watch out for the guys who want you to do a gig for free, or on the cheap. They promise you they’ll pay later when they have more money. They won’t.
When those guys finally get a bigger budget, who will they call? Not you.
People will always go with the best they can afford. When they have more money, they’ll call the musicians they wanted in the first place because they can afford them now. You have to understand how to price yourself.
More important though, align yourself with the music and musicians who really speak to you. It has to be artistically driven. The money will follow that.
Using my life as an example, I didn’t move to New York for the money. I moved there to be surround myself with the music and musicians I admired. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized I’d rather be doing something else for money as long as I can play the music I enjoy.
When you’re younger, you’ll naturally play music to make money as well as enjoyment. But as you get older, unless you want to become miserable and jaded, you play with musicians you really like and music you really love. The money is the last piece in the puzzle.
BMM: Where does jazz come into play for a working musician? Is it still critical to learn?
Philpot: This is a thorny topic. The ability to play jazz ties into musical choices made from knowledge versus an instinctive, ear-based approach. I really think it depends on what you want as a musician.
Look at bassists like Mick Karn and Bruce Thomas. They were two incredibly original voices on the instrument and neither played much, if any, jazz. However, they played in one narrow idiom and created incredible music.
If you want to be a player who is not going to be playing in just one band or confined to just one genre, then I believe a jazz background is beneficial. It’s like being well read in literature. It makes you a better speaker and gives you more command of the language.
Photo by Roland Garcia
It also depends on how you learn jazz. If your teacher thought jazz stopped after Charlie Parker, then that’s not cool. What you want is a wide spectrum of what jazz is. There’s no harm starting with Charlie Parker and then looking at Michael Brecker, Jaco, and so forth.
With my students, I don’t suggest they necessarily study other bass players. They need to learn harmony from piano players. What I learned from pianists was material you could study for 20 years. You have to be able to relate the jazz you’re learning to what you’re playing.
A great example is the track “Quantum” from Planet X. I moved that bass line outside the harmony. That was almost directly traced back to transcribing guys like Pat Metheny and Michael Brecker and how they played with the harmony in their music.
Jazz is great, but you need to study it broadly. You also have to use your jazz knowledge in context.
Here’s another example: I had just wrapped up a gig with Virgil Donati and this well-known bassist came up to me and said, “You’re like an R&B guy but with all of that jazz shit put together!”
My reply?
“Exactly!”
Even though I’m mostly known as a jazz-fusion guy, I’m really not. I try and imagine how my influences like Anthony Jackson, Rocco Prestia, or James Jamerson would play progressive rock metal. I try and think how I am going to make this groove in 11/16 sound fat and musical, not mathematical.
So it goes back to my earlier comments about focusing your studies on learning music instead of technique. You also have to be careful on who you’re learning from.
To me, getting your education online can be a potential minefield. There are a lot of people teaching music on the Internet no performance or recording experience. Their main skill seems to be an ability to maximize Google search results to boost their YouTube hits on how to play slap bass. They’re attempting to teach people with so called “hot tips” and shortcuts. Once you scratch the surface of their lessons, you quickly find no substance.
Students today are overwhelmed with education options and it’s easy to get bedazzled by flashy techniques that do nothing for your abilities to get hired. More than ever, I think it is crucial to find a teacher who has a solid performance background as well as one in music education. We’ve all run into incredible bassists who have no skill in conveying their knowledge to anyone else. They’re fantastic performers but lousy teacher. Real world playing experience and the ability to teach should go hand-in-hand in a teacher.
If you see an online “teacher” – or any teacher for that matter – espousing how it’s not important to know jazz theory, watch out. It can often be because they don’t know anything about that subject.
If some of these online teachers were flight instructors and you were taking lessons on how to fly a helicopter, you’d be in trouble. According to them, all you need to do is wiggle the controls and have fun with it. Push a few pedals. Move the joystick around. Just let the gravity flow through you. Don’t worry about what the dials mean or what the controls do.
Good luck surviving the landing.
Rufus Philpot’s Master Class at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California.
So do your own homework. Transcribe some sax solos, study with a great teacher, and check out some good theory texts (ones that deal with jazz theory ideally). There’s a lot to be said for transcribing bass parts and solos from recordings and actually writing them out. Your transcribing work sinks in deep. Those influences will subconsciously find a way into your playing and will provide a form of currency that helps you connect with other musicians.
The first time I played with Kirk Covington at the Baked Potato he came up to me after the gig and said, “Yeah…you get it.”
The reason he said this is because we had a shared musical connection, even though we had never played with one another before. Our shared love of Tower of Power, Weather Report, The Headhunters, and others, was our bond. It gave us an awareness of what the other was doing and that let me “get it.”
That being said, studying with a qualified teacher will dramatically increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your musical education. My students come to me from all backgrounds. Whether they’re novices or touring pros, I make sure each is taught the solid foundations of harmony, technique, and the art of constructing effective bass lines…and if they so desire, to also learn the art of soloing vocabulary.
A fantastic book I recommend to all of my students is Chord Studies for Electric Bass. It is a gimmick-free book full of actual musical examples exploring chromaticism and approach notes over all chords types. Jeff Berlin recommended that book to me when I was 20 years old. It was called Chord Studies for Trombone back then, but it has stood the test of time as an incredible resource.
While it is important to play music you enjoy, I encourage you not to just play it. Study it. Know its history. If you love funk and R&B, don’t start with D’Angelo…as amazing as he his. He didn’t come out of nowhere. Go back in time to the artists who influenced him. Listen to Donny Hathaway, Curtis Mayfield, or Bill Withers.
BMM: Any parting advice you’d like to give to our aspiring professional bassist?
Philpot: Follow your path. Heed advice, but consider who it comes from and where they have travelled on their musical path, as your musical dreams should be unique. On a practical note, find a good teacher to give you a solid musical foundation on which to build whatever your imagination presents to you.
To study with Rufus, you can start with his 55-minute instructional video or contact him for Skype lessons at rufusphilpot.com/contact/.
When I heard that American Vanity, formerly known as Burn the Jukebox, was gearing up to release a new album this summer, it felt like the perfect moment to catch up with bassist and vocalist Virginia Franks.
With a fresh name unveiled just this past January and a clear shift in musical direction, the band is entering an exciting new chapter, one defined by both sonic evolution and a deeper, more focused message.
In this conversation, Virginia opens up about the inspiration behind the upcoming record, how she crafts her distinctive bass tone, what fans can expect from their upcoming tour, and where she sees both herself and the band heading next.
Join me as we dive into it all.
Here is Virginia Franks.
Photo, Devin Kasparian
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Features
Interview With Bassist Bjorn Meyer on ‘Convergence’ … Exploring Sound, Space, and Innovation
By Guest Contributor, Joe Barth
Joe Barth talks to Bjorn Meyer about his new album and exploring new musical territories with the electric bass.
Above photo courtesy: Björn Meyer © Fredrik Gille / ECM Records
Bjorn Meyer was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1965 and has lived in Switzerland since 1996.
Starting on the piano, trumpet, and guitar, he turned to the electric bass at age eighteen. In 1996, the Nyckelharpa player Johan Herdin, percussionist Bazar Bia, and Bjorn formed the trio Bazar Bia. Since then, he has worked with Persian harpist Asita Hamidi, oud player Anouar Brahem, and pianist Nik Bartsch. Convergence is Bjorn’s second album on the ECM label.
JB: Before I ask about the new Convergence album, tell me about yourself. You grew up in Stockholm, Sweden. During your teenage years, you played guitar in punk-rock bands, then, at age eighteen, switched to bass. What was musically most helpful in your personal development as a bassist?
BM: My first encounter with the electric bass was pure luck and changed my life in an instant. Music had been an important part of my life from childhood, but always as one of many things I was interested in, like a very rewarding hobby. The bass changed all that. I had finally found my voice, and all the sounds I had heard and accumulated for so long without knowing how to make them real could finally burst out. I gladly spent every free minute of every day exploring this new universe, and that gave me a focused motivation that was hugely important.
Two important things helped me on my way and shaped me a lot at that time:
First of all, I realized that so much music that I was really interested in, as a guitar player, had resonated with me mainly because of the bass players involved! As a newly emerged bass player, I had a big library of music I could revisit. I learnt many important lessons by figuring out what made the music I loved work.
Second and definitely not less important: at the time I lived close to a house where many great musicians from Stockholm had their rehearsal spaces, jam sessions, and a general meeting point. Often there was a bassplayer missing — and I was five minutes away — so from the very early days as a bassist I could play with fantastic, experienced musicians from many different styles. From the very beginning, I was surrounded by role models and mentors who later on became colleagues and bandmates.
JB: Bjorn, to learn more about what shaped your musical values on the bass, to you, what are the three most influential bassists, and please give us a particular album they appeared on that you really connected with?
BM: There could obviously be many more than three, but – and this connects to the answer above! (Bass players “behind” guitar players)
Bass player: Jimmy Johnson
Album: Alan Holdsworth – Metal Fatigue.
I was (and still am) absolutely fascinated by Alan’s playing and compositions but the real magic was when I realized what Jimmy was doing to keep it all together, weaving fully logical basslines through “impossible” chord changes! And then there are these two very short fills at around 2:55 in the title track. 2 times 2 bars that I still remember the very first time I heard on Swedish radio. Time stopped, and I found myself trying to understand how to create such bass parts and how to adapt Alan’s unique chord voicings for the bass.
Bass player: Carles Benavent
Album: Paco De Lucia Sextet – Live One Summer Night
I had been intrigued by flamenco and the work of Paco De Lucia for a long time. My sister gave me the LP for Christmas, and this sextet redefined anything I had imagined possible. It taught me a lot about how to approach strong musical traditions with deep respect and still find my own space within and make the music even stronger.
It is absolutely incredible how Carles takes part in every function in the group – from rhythm and chords to melody and harmony – without ever losing the bass function of keeping all the sounds together and allowing the others to shine.
The bass solo in “Alta Mar”, the comping — if you can call it that — in Solo Qiero Caminar”.
Also, the studio album Solo Qiero Caminar was a game changer, just listen to the duo version of “Monasterio de sal.”
Bass player: Anthony Jackson
Album: (for once not a guitar player) Michel Camillo – Why Not!
I had been a fan from hearing Live In Central Park by Simon & Garfunkel but his playing with Michel Camillo was another ear-opener for me. Maybe also because my main working band at the time was a Latin-jazz band, so I guess it was a good match.
Having said that, Anthony was a huge inspiration across styles and genres over all the years we were fortunate enough to have him with us!
… that was already three … and I didn’t even get to mention Steve Swallow, Marcus Miller, Aston Barrett, Jaco Pastorius, Skuli Sverrison, Meshell N’Degeocello, Carol Kaye, Pino Palladino, and all the fabulous upright players that have inspired me so much – Charlie Haden, Palle Danielsson, Scott La Faro, Miroslav Vitous, and Eberhard Weber.
.. but the three I mentioned were definitely very important at the time!
JB: Convergence is you recording alone with your six-string bass. Your music has (for lack of better words) a very ethereal sound. How do you describe your music?
BM: The idea of an electric bass as a solo instrument triggers very diverse and often contradictory expectations. Many people have some idea of what a bass can do, and they expect anything from “root notes and fifths” to fast, equilibristic slapping frenzies with the comment, “How can you do that for more than three minutes per show?”
If I were to describe this program, I tend to use a few different approaches depending on who I am talking to:
Electric bass in acoustic space — I think it sums it up very well and gives some idea of what to expect without putting the music in a certain genre. For me, it is very important to share the music’s acoustic experience rather than focusing on the instrument’s electric character.
This music is also a mirror of my musical and personal journey through this life. The bass allows me to express myself without the risk of having my words misunderstood, and everything has a place in this music. Even though there are compositions, performing solo allows a unique freedom of interpretation depending on my state of mind that day.
Generally, I would be very happy to just say – new music for electric bass guitar!
JB: The album opens with “Convergence,” a song with deep textures, loops, and very staccato melodic figures. Talk about this.
BM: The album starts with a distorted chord progression – somewhat inspired by Alan Holdsworth – that I simultaneously feed into a loop through a shimmer reverb that I slowly fade in, played backwards. I find this texture very inspiring, and since it is all created live, it always turns out a bit different.
A pattern in 14/8 is presented – like a teaser – before an improvised part takes off in another direction. The pattern comes back in two versions: the original 14/8 (28/16) and a shortened 27/16 version. I loop the shorter version and play the original one on top, creating the rhythmical displacements you hear at the end.
I find such layering of patterns of different lengths very interesting, and it is a natural part of my vocabulary after many years of playing various kinds of minimal music with Don Li’s Tonus, Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin, NEN, and many others.
JB: The album consists of nine of your compositions. Were these songs all composed for this project? Talk about that process.
BM: Yes and no. I didn’t sit down to deliberately compose a fully new repertoire with this album in mind.
However, from the very first concert I played to release my first solo album, Provenance, in 2017, I noticed that the material and my playing were already shifting. Creative accidents happened, and new ideas emerged during concerts, soundchecks, and travels. After almost six years and many concerts, I had a tour in Japan and realized that there was nothing left of Provenance in the program. Then it took some time for Convergenceto emerge — during which the material continued to evolve.
In hindsight, I can see many stages of the development of Convergence that were definitely meant to become a new repertoire in its own right. One aspect of the name of the album reflects the convergence of ideas, moods, emotions, life, and time into this moment.
JB: Talk about the six-string bass you used in this recording. Did you use amplification, or was it mainly recorded directly?
BM: I play an MTD 635 (#160), an instrument that found its way to me by very lucky coincidence in New York in late 1995. I have played this very instrument on everything involving electric bass ever since.
As I mentioned earlier, the acoustic component is very important to me, and I am very lucky to have the support of producer Manfred Eicher for this approach. We recorded in a big, wonderful-sounding room that often hosts symphony orchestras and recordings of large film-music projects. The sound engineer Michael Hinreiner knows the room very well and was also very keen on the idea of making an acoustic-style recording.
I had a pair of Genelec 8030 Studio monitors and a small subwoofer behind me for the full signal (bass and effects) and a pair of satellite speakers further away, where I sent effects only (delays, reverbs, etc., but no direct bass signal) in order to fill the room and have a spatial experience.
This setup was then recorded using a lot of microphones to pick up all the aspects of the room, but also close miking on the instrument to pick up the acoustic sound. Much like you would approach a serious recording of any acoustic instrument, like a classical guitar or a cello.
Obviously, the line outputs of the bass and the effects were also recorded, but very little of that was used in the mix. I am very happy with the result, and I think you can really have the experience of sitting in the room with me when listening to the album.
JB: “Drift” is filled with harmonics. Tell us about that song.
BM: After Jaco’s “Portrait of Tracy,” anything involving harmonics on the bass is a bit sensitive. However, the range of the six-string and playing harmonics with a bit of a scraping sound with the plectrum does add another texture that I find very inspiring.
The piece started out as a reflection on the ice breaking on a river after a strong winter. Deep cracks forming, small pieces of ice breaking loose into the stream. Obviously, that is only my very personal picture. Some have said that it reminds them of northern lights, which is also a beautiful thought!
B: I love the sense of movement you create in the song “Motion.” Talk about this composition.
BM: Thanks! It took me a long time to become fluent in playing it and for the piece to develop to its current form. It started with the plucking pattern in 11/8 and the first two chords. For a long time, I couldn’t find a way out of this tonality, but the more my right hand started feeling comfortable in any tempo, I started hearing a harmonic development that the left hand was kind enough to accommodate.
“Motion” is a good example of two things that inspire me: I like it when odd meters still can have a dancing quality to them, and I often find this kind of incremental approach to harmony very interesting.
JB: This is your second ECM album. What do you appreciate about working with producer Manfred Eicher and ECM Records?
BM: It is my second solo album on ECM, but I have been lucky enough to work with Manfred on four albums with Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin and two albums with Anouar Brahem. All very different productions.
I am fascinated by his enormous dedication to music and very inspired by his way of listening. Knowing that he is listening changes my focus as a player. From being concerned with playing “right” it becomes all about playing in a way that allows for a deeper level of experience. Taking risks and adapting the performance so that the music translates well to someone who is attentively listening. He has the ability to ask or suggest things that allow me to shift focus away from the microcosm of “my composition” to the macrocosmic dramaturgy of the music.
This overview also applies to the full album, in how he balances the tracks and puts the track list together. For example, the idea of opening with “Convergence” was far from my original plan, but it turned out exactly right. Not to mention the choice of cover picture, a very unexpected but perfect match for me.
JB: Do you view the entire album as a kind of symphony or tone poem with multiple movements?
BM: I definitely see the album as a whole body of work in itself and a thoughtfully curated dramaturgical statement. But I still see it as a collection of separate compositions rather than multiple movements. The album has one sequence, but in a concert situation, I can freely choose another path to adapt the dramaturgy to the room, the audience, and the setting.
Having grown up listening to LPs, it is very important to me that listening to the full album adds an extra dimension to each song’s experience. Especially in this age of streaming and separate songs put together in more or less random playlists, I think it is more important than ever to at least try and compose as deep listening experiences as we possibly can.
JB: The album ends with the reflective “Nesodden.” Is there any connection with the peninsula in Norway?
BM: Yes – the song was written in a small cottage at Nesodden, overlooking the fjord running into Oslo. I was performing at the jazz festival there and arrived a day early due to travel issues. Sitting there, I saw a family of geese and two canoe paddlers in a beautifully respectful interaction. I guess it had something to do with who could land first or something, but all of a sudden, this whole tune had formed. I did rework some minor details over time, but the song was like a gift from Nesodden. It very seldom happens in that way.
JB: You moved to Switzerland a few years ago. Talk about the gigs you do in Europe and how you make a career in music work for you.
BM: You are kind – it has already been 30 years.
One thing I really appreciated coming from Sweden was how well-connected Switzerland is. In four to five hours, you reach Paris, Milano, Munich, and many other comparatively large cities by train or car! This makes touring so much easier than from Stockholm, where you either spend a full day just to reach the country’s border, or you have to fly all the time, which I don’t really like.
Interestingly, both Sweden and Switzerland are quite small countries, yet they have very strong, yet distinct and creative music scenes. There are also many interesting venues and festivals. Since I am involved in quite a few different projects all across Europe, Iran, and North Africa, my touring schedule will depend on which projects are active at the time. At the moment, my focus is on my large ensemble, Garden of Silence — 9 Musicians from 3 continents — on the one hand, and the solo project on the other.
I feel so very blessed to have the opportunity to present this music to so many fantastic audiences and to be part of so many inspiring collaborations.
Like everywhere, the economic situation for live music is changing quite rapidly, also here. However, I am confident that we will always need this form of human interaction, being in the same space at the same moment in time, sharing the same experience. Music is such a strong healing power, and we need it more than ever.
Photo: Self-portrait by Melissa Auf Der Maur
Melissa Auf Der Maur is a Canadian bassist who played with Tinker, Hole, and The Smashing Pumpkins. She released her own work and is a photographer with photos published in Nylon, Bust, and National Geographic. She released her ‘90s Rock Memoir “Even The Good Girls Will Cry” on 17 March 2026.
KB: Did you always want to be a singer-musician growing up?
I’ve played music my whole life. In school, I played trumpet and sang in a children’s choir, so music was always within me. My mother was the first female disc jockey on the Montreal airwaves; her record collection played a huge role in my inspiration and love of music.
KB: When did you start playing bass, and why this instrument?
When I was 19, the early 90s music explosion began to percolate in tiny clubs around the world. I was lucky to be a ticket girl at Montreal’s underground music club. In one year, I saw Hole, Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins, White Zombie, and The Breeders – all had female bass players. That’s when the seed was planted. By the age of 22, I was the bass player of Hole.
KB: Which brands of basses have you used in your career, and which one are you using now?
The first bass that I learned on was a vintage Squier Precision. Hole was sponsored by Fender guitars, so I upgraded to Fender Custom Shop Precisions. That is all I play, but I have a cool vintage 8-string Greco that I use on recordings to thicken up guitar parts.
KB: What equipment do you use or have you used with your basses?
Ampeg SVT amps and cabinets, a couple of Sans-Amp pedals, and that is it.
KB: How did you become a member of Hole, and what is your fondest memory of that time?
Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins was helping scout a replacement for (RIP) Kristen Pfaff, Hole’s bass player. My band, Tinker, opened for them on the Siamese Dream tour, so Billy had seen me play and could vouch for me. Courtney trusted her talented friend, and that was it. I initially said “no thank you” due to my commitment to my photographic studies and the drama and chaos surrounding the band during the “Live Through This” album release. Courtney took it as a good sign that I said no, so convinced me to reconsider, and soon after, I accepted their invitation, in the name of helping put females in the male-dominated landscape of rock music. My fondest memory is every show we played as a mostly female band, symbolizing what a woman could do in a rock band. Every show had a purpose: get more women to play music.
KB: You are a photographer as well. What makes a great picture? Do you shoot in color or b/w?
I started shooting photographs at age 15. Initially only shot black & white and worked in the art school darkroom. In university, I took a color photography course, and shifted mostly and forever to that, because it was easier to process film on the road when I joined a rock band. I experimented with many cameras, point and shoots, manual, polaroids, medium format, and vintage finds. The trick to a good photograph is to shoot many and all the time – the magic is in the edit and selection process.
KB: Are there artists you would love to collaborate with or wish you had?
??I’ve been lucky to collaborate with some of my favorite musicians in my career. I would still love to collaborate with a new generation heavy electronic artist on an analog bass, heavy electronic drums, and synths collaboration project. Take me out of my usual zone, merging the past and future: my love of 80s dark new wave and new artists exploring that genre. It was very futuristic back then, and we are now, after all, living in the future. I am in the mood to play bass to heavy beats I want to dance to.
KB: What are your 7 favorite bass lines in music across all genres? And why these 7?
“Mountain Song” – Jane’s Addiction (love a rambling, rolling bass line – feels like the ocean waves)
“Black Top – Helmet” (was the first bass line I taught myself)
“Gold Dust Woman” – Hole from “The Crow 2” Soundtrack (it was my first bass line contribution to the band)
“Get Ready” – The Temptations (Motown just feels so good, because of the bass)
“Lucretia My Reflection” – Sisters of Mercy (makes me want to hit the dance floor and play bass simultaneously)
“Be My Druidess” – Type O Negative (full chord bass playing at its best by iconic, demonic, Peter Steele, RIP)
“Romantic Rights” – Death from Above (1979 – unique distorted overdriven tone, combined dance rhythm and melodic intelligence, all in one shot – also! Shout out to a bass & drum only band, which is awesome, and we should have more of, but the bass player needs to be a killer to fill that role.
KB: What are you currently up to?
Releasing my ‘90s Rock Memoir “EVEN THE GOOD GIRLS WILL CRY”. Visceral healing process, it was to get it out of me and write it, but I suspect the real magic will begin by putting it into the world and reflecting with others on what the magic of the ‘90s was all about. Powerful music decade that carried us into what is now a brave new world of digital corporate weirdness – may the past shed a light on our future. That’s my hope for this book release and tour.
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Harvie S is an American jazz double-bassist. He recorded numerous albums as a leader and co-leader, with over 400 recordings as a sideman. He has been a professor of jazz bass and ensembles at the Manhattan School of Music since 1984. He has a new album coming out on 20 March: “Bright Dawn”, where he features the bass as a melodic instrument.
KB: Did you always want to be a musician growing up?
In my childhood days, I wanted to be a professional football player. When I hit my early teens, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I finally decided that music was calling me. No one supported my decision, especially my guidance counselor at my High School. I decided to go to Berklee College and enrolled as a pianist.
KB: Why did you pick the double bass?
I was always listening to Jazz in High School, but I had a cheap stereo and the bass never came through, so I was not into the bass. I bought the Riverside Bill Evans “Waltz for Debby” recording and could hear the bass on that. Scott LaFaro made a huge impact on me. I realized what you could do on the bass through that.
In my first year at Berklee, I made the decision to get a bass and give it a try. No lessons, but I started working immediately and took to the instrument fast, even though I really didn’t quite know what I was doing. Berklee at the time didn’t really have much of a bass department (they do now), so I stayed as a composition major and piano minor. I was doing gigs on both instruments, but leaning towards the bass. In my senior year, my hero, George Mraz, graduated, and I was chosen to replace him. I was amazed by that, but it inspired me to do better.
KB: What double basses have you used over the years? Which one are you using now?
Good question. I have owned over 30 basses in my life. I would buy and sell a lot, and quite truthfully, I let some great basses go. About 12 years ago, I got a Jusek bass made in the 1920’s that Barrie Kolstein had completely restored after it was in an accident. He made it better than it ever was. I love this bass. He then turned me onto a Prague 100-year-old bass. I decided on this bass to use a gut G string and added a C-extention. This is my power bass, and my Jusek is great for trio work I do with Alan Broadbent and others. It bows really nicely. I used it on my new recording. I also have a Busetto bass, which is kind of a travel bass with a small body, and I use it around town and can take it on the bus. It sounds so real. Probably isn’t made anymore.
KB: What equipment do you use with your double bass?
I am very concerned about equipment. So concerned that I invented a bass amp called the “Upshot”. It is a completely different design where the sound goes up rather than straight out. For some reason, it projects perfectly and sounds like there is no amp, but has plenty of volume.
I also designed it to fit in a backpack which frees your arms when you carry the bass. It only weighs about 13 pounds. Acoustic Image was making it, but unfortunately, the owner, Rick Jones, passed away, and the company disappeared. I have some spares, so I can still use it. I use Heritage strings because I was involved with the development. Great strings, but maybe hard to get now. I use the Planet Wing pick-up, which, in my estimation, is the best there is, and it is such a simple design.
I use Weidoeft rosin, which Barrie Kolstein invented. Best rosin I ever used.
KB: You are teaching bass at Manhattan School of Music: What is the first thing you teach someone who is new to bass playing?
I really spend a lot of time working on how to get a sound. After that, timing and intonation.Then a lot more.
KB: Are there people you would love to collaborate with or wish you had?
I never got to play with Billy Higgins or Jack DeJohnette. I would have really liked that. I’ve been blessed and have gotten to play with many of my heroes. On my website, you can see the list.
KB: What are your 7 favorite bass lines in all music genres, and why these?
Hard question to answer, but I love the bass lines Ron Carter played on the Miles Davis recordings.
Israel Crosby with Ahmad Jamal
Ray Brown with Oscar Peterson and others
Luizão Maia & Elis Regina
Bobby Rodriguez with Tito Puente and Alegre All Stars
Scott LaFaro with Bill Evans
James Jamerson with everybody
Gene Taylor with Blue Mitchell
Butch Warren with Herbie Hancock
Thelonius Monk (with Wilbur Ware) on everything he ever did
I know I left out a lot, but it’s a good start.
KB: You have a new CD coming out in March… What can you tell me about it? How excited are you?
I’ve made over 20 recordings as a leader and over 20 recordings as a co-leader, but I never did a bass feature project. On “Bright Dawn,” I decided to feature the bass as a melodic instrument. I don’t play all the melodies, but more than in the past. That’s for sure. I wrote all but 2 compositions. I carefully picked the band and was able to get Peter Bernstein, Matt Wilson, and Miki Hayama for the date. I know their playing and have recorded separately with them in the past. I tried to make the music fit with their style so they could shine (and they did).
I am very happy with the result, and I was involved with the mix. Actually, in the past 10 years, I have assisted many musicians in mixing their recordings. I believe the mix to be essential in getting the message across. I have also been doing recordings, and I have recorded over 12 CDs as a recording engineer, mixing assistant, and producer. I enjoy the process so much. I like a hands-on approach to music that I record, and it has been working very well.
The importance of music to me is to tell a story and inspire others to fulfill their potential. Just playing notes is not the way for me. I’ve had a hard road to travel all my life, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’ve had a blessed life.
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Since 2012, Tom Doyle has been holding down the low end for UK alt-rock heavyweights Don Broco, helping to shape the band’s groove-driven, genre-blurring sound into one of the most distinctive in modern British rock. With thunderous tone, razor-sharp precision, and an instinct for hooks that hit just as hard as the riffs, Doyle has become a crucial force behind the band’s ever-evolving sonic identity.
As Don Broco gear up to unleash their highly anticipated new album, Nightmare Tripping, this feels like the perfect moment to dive into the mind of the man anchoring the chaos. From his musical roots and influences to the gear and techniques that craft his signature sound, Doyle opens up about the journey so far and what lies ahead.
Join me as we explore Tom’s evolution as a musician, the creative process behind Nightmare Tripping, and his vision for the future in a band that refuses to stand still.
Here is Tom Doyle.
Photos by Ton Pullen
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