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/.
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
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Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
Ian Allison Bassist extreme…
Most recently Ian has spent the last seven years touring nationally as part of Eric Hutchinson and The Believers, sharing stages with acts like Kelly Clarkson, Pentatonix, Rachel Platten, Matt Nathanson, Phillip Phillips, and Cory Wong playing venues such as Radio City Music Hall, The Staples Center and The Xcel Center in St. Paul, MN.
I had a chance to meet up with him at the Sellersville Theater in Eastern Pennsylvania to catch up on everything bass. Visit online at ianmartinallison.com/
Features
Interview With Audic Empire Bassist James Tobias
Checking in with Bergantino Artist James Tobias
James Tobias, Bassist for psychedelic, Reggae-Rock titans Audic Empire shares his history as a musician and how he came to find Bergantino…
Interview by Holly Bergantino
James Tobias, a multi-talented musician and jack-of-all-trades shares his story of coming up as a musician in Texas, his journey with his band Audic Empire, and his approach to life and music. With a busy tour schedule each year, we were fortunate to catch up with him while he was out and about touring the US.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Dallas, Texas and lived in the Dallas area most of my life with the exception of 1 year in Colorado. I moved to the Austin area at age 18.
What makes the bass so special to you particularly, and how did you gravitate to it?
I honestly started playing bass because we needed a bass player and I was the one with access to a bass amp and bass. I played rhythm guitar and sang up until I met Ronnie, who I would later start “Audic Empire” with. He also played rhythm guitar and sang and we didn’t know any bass players, so we had to figure something out. I still write most of my songs on guitar, but I’ve grown to love playing the bass.
How did you learn to play, James?
I took guitar lessons growing up and spent a lot of time just learning tabs or playing by ear and kicked around as a frontman in a handful of bands playing at the local coffee shops or rec centers. Once I transitioned to bass, I really just tried to apply what I knew about guitar and stumbled through it till it sounded right. I’m still learning every time I pick it up, honestly.
You are also a songwriter, recording engineer, and a fantastic singer, did you get formal training for this?
Thank you, that means a lot! I had a couple of voice lessons when I was in my early teens, but didn’t really like the instructor. I did however take a few lessons recently through ACC that I enjoyed and think really helped my technique (Shout out to Adam Roberts!) I was not a naturally gifted singer, which is a nice way of saying I was pretty awful, but I just kept at it.
As far as recording and producing, I just watched a lot of YouTube videos and asked people who know more than me when I had a question. Whenever I feel like I’m not progressing, I just pull up tracks from a couple of years ago, cringe, and feel better about where I’m at but I’ve got a long way to go. Fortunately, we’ve got some amazing producers I can pass everything over to once I get the songs as close to finalized as I can.
Describe your playing style(s), tone, strengths and/or areas that can be improved on the bass.
I honestly don’t know what my style would be considered. We’ve got so many styles that we play and fuse together that I just try to do what works song by song. I don’t have too many tricks in the bag and just keep it simple and focus on what’s going to sound good in the overall mix. I think my strength lies in thinking about the song as a whole and what each instrument is doing, so I can compliment everything else that’s going on. What could be improved is absolutely everything, but that’s the great thing about music (and kind of anything really).
Who were your influencers in terms of other musicians earlier on or now that have made a difference and inspired you?
My dad exposed me to a lot of music early. I was playing a toy guitar while watching a VHS of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble live at SXSW on repeat at 4 years old saying I wanted to “do that” when I grew up. I was the only kid in daycare that had his own CDs that weren’t kid’s songs. I was listening to Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, and The Doors when I could barely talk. I would make up songs and sing them into my Panasonic slimline tape recorder and take it to my preschool to show my friends. As I got older went through a bunch of music phases. Metal, grunge, rock, punk, hip hop, reggae, ska, etc. Whatever I heard that I connected to I’d dive in and learn as much as I could about it. I was always in bands and I think I kept picking up different styles along the way and kept combining my different elements and I think that’s evident in Audic’s diverse sound.
Tell me about Audic Empire and your new release Take Over! Can you share some of the highlights you and the band are most proud of?
Takeover was an interesting one. I basically built that song on keyboard and drum loops and wrote and tracked all my vocals in one long session in my bedroom studio kind of in a stream-of-consciousness type of approach. I kind of thought nothing would come of it and I’d toss it out, but we slowly went back and tracked over everything with instruments and made it our own sound. I got it as far as I could with production and handed it off to Chad Wrong to work his magic and really bring it to life. Once I got Snow Owl Media involved and we started brainstorming about a music video, it quickly turned into a considerably larger production than anything we’ve done before and it was such a cool experience. I’m really excited about the final product, especially considering I initially thought it was a throwaway track.
Describe the music style of Audic Empire for us.
It’s all over the place… we advertise it as “blues, rock, reggae.” Blues because of our lead guitarist, Travis Brown’s playing style, rock because I think at the heart we’re a rock band, and reggae because we flavor everything with a little (or a lot) of reggae or ska.
How did you find Bergantino Audio Systems?
Well, my Ampeg SVT7 caught fire at a show… We were playing Stubbs in Austin and everyone kept saying they smelled something burning, and I looked back in time to see my head, perched on top of its 8×10 cab, begin billowing smoke. We had a tour coming up, so I started researching and pricing everything to try and find a new amp. I was also fronting a metal band at the time, and my bass player’s dad was a big-time country bass player and said he had this really high-end bass amp just sitting in a closet he’d sell me. I was apprehensive since I really didn’t know much about it and “just a little 4×10” probably wasn’t going to cut it compared to my previous setup. He said I could come over and give it a test drive, but he said he knew I was going to buy it. He was right. I immediately fell in love. I couldn’t believe the power it put out compared to this heavy head and cumbersome cab I had been breaking my back hauling all over the country and up countless staircases.
Tell us about your experience with the forte D amp and the AE 410 Speaker cabinet.
It’s been a game-changer in every sense. It’s lightweight and compact. Amazing tone. And LOUD. It’s just a fantastic amp. Not to mention the customer service being top-notch! You’ll be hard-pressed to find another product that, if you have an issue, you can get in touch with the owner, himself. How cool is that?
Tell us about some of your favorite basses.
I was always broke and usually working part-time delivering pizzas, so I just played what I could get my hands on. I went through a few pawn shop basses, swapped in new pickups, and fought with the action on them constantly. I played them through an Ampeg be115 combo amp. All the electronics in it had fried at some point, so I gutted it out and turned it into a cab that I powered with a rusted-up little head I bought off someone for a hundred bucks. My gear was often DIY’d and held together by electrical tape and usually had a few coats of spray paint to attempt to hide the wear and tear. I never really fell in love with any piece of gear I had till I had a supporter of our band give me an Ibanez Premium Series SDGR. I absolutely love that bass and still travel with it. I’ve since gotten another Ibanez Premium Series, but went with the 5-string BTB. It’s a fantastic-sounding bass, my only complaint is it’s pretty heavy.
Love your new video Take Over! Let us know what you’re currently working on (studio, tour, side projects, etc.)
Thank you!! We’ve got a LOT of stuff we’re working on right now actually. Having 2 writers in the band means we never have a shortage of material. It’s more about getting everything tracked and ready for release and all that goes into that. We just got through filming videos for 2 new unreleased tracks with Snow Owl Media, who did the videos for both Love Hate and Pain and Takeover. Both of these songs have surprise features which I’m really excited about since these will be the first singles since our last album we have other artists on. We’ve also got a lot of shows coming up and I’ve also just launched my solo project as well. The debut single, “Raisin’ Hell” is available now everywhere. You can go here to find all the links distrokid.com/hyperfollow/jamestobias/raisin-hell
What else do you do besides music?
For work, I own a handyman service here in Austin doing a lot of drywall, painting, etc. I have a lot of hobbies and side hustles as well. I make custom guitar straps and other leather work. I do a lot of artwork and have done most of our merch designs and a lot of our cover art. I’m really into (and borderline obsessed) with health, fitness, and sober living. I have a hard time sitting still, but fortunately, there’s always a lot to do when you’re self-employed and running a band!
Follow James Tobias:
jamestobiasmusic.com
Facebook.com/james.tobias1
Instagram.com/ru4badfish2
TikTok.com/@jamestobiasmusic
audicempire.com
Bass Videos
Interview With Bassist Edmond Gilmore
Interview With Bassist Edmond Gilmore…
I am always impressed by the few members of our bass family who are equally proficient on upright as well as electric bass… Edmond Gilmore is one of those special individuals.
While he compartmentalizes his upright playing for mostly classical music and his electric for all the rest, Edmond has a diverse musical background and life experiences that have given him a unique perspective.
Join me as we hear about Edmond’s musical journey, how he gets his sound and his plans for the future.
Photo, Sandrice Lee
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facebook.com/EdmondGilmoreBass
instagram.com/edmond_gilmore/
youtube.com/channel/UCCYoVZBLXL5nnaKS7XXivCQ
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Checking in with Bergantino Artist Ricky Bonazza
Holly Bergantino talks with LA-based bassist/producer Ricky Bonazza about his path from Vicenza to Los Angeles to keep the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll alive!
Photo provided by Bergantino Audio Systems.
Ricky Bonazza has been chasing his dream from a young age. Growing up in Vicenza, Italy and now living in Los Angeles, he’s the embodiment of the hard-working, never-say-die rock and roll spirit. Ricky relocated to Los Angeles to pursue his dream as a professional musician and artist and he’s been going strong ever since!
You have been touring like a madman, playing arenas and some of the biggest music festivals in rock and metal. Tell us about this experience and how it feels going from small clubs onto the big stage.
It‘s surreal! Wacken is one! I have never seen a festival of that size holding like 70,000 people. My first tour with the Butcher Babies, we played Rocklahoma and due to a storm, the band got moved to play as the closing act right after “Slipknot”. Both stages were right across from each other so when Slipknot finished, the crowd basically just turned around and watched our set. It was a big party and people as far as the eye could see. I will say this about clubs though, there is just an unbelievable energy playing smaller venues. A packed club with 200 people can be just as crazy and energetic as a crowd of 20,000 in my opinion. So I really enjoy both.
Would you share some of the highlights of your career over the past four years that you are most proud of?
I am really proud to have this great opportunity to tour the world as a professional musician. It’s surreal sometimes the places music and tours are taking me. I think to myself that so many people are actually paying a lot of money to see the world. I get to travel as part of my job and in doing so I get to explore and see many different countries and cultures. It’s something I am extremely proud of. Playing these massive festivals all over the world such as Graspop, Aftershock and obviously Wacken, which is every rock and metal musician’s dream to play, is huge for me.
Becoming a voting member of the recording academy and with that helping to shape the future of music is also a big achievement for me.
You are also deeply involved behind the scenes in the music industry, especially as a voting member of the Grammys Recording Academy. Could you share a particularly memorable moment where you felt your contributions had a significant impact on an artist’s career or on the broader music community?”
Yes, this year a fairly newer metal band called “Spiritbox” got nominated for a Grammy. They competed against titans like Metallica and Disturbed. The fact that a new band like that made it to the final nomination, and the fact that new generations bands like “Architects”, “Sleep Token” etc. were in the run too, I feel like we were instrumental and shaped the pavement for new bands in rock to have a shot at the Grammys.
Throughout your career, you have earned the respect and endorsement of prominent guitar and accessory companies like Bergantino, EMG Pickups and D’Addario strings. Could you tell us more about these partnerships and how they came about?
Yeah for sure. I was introduced to Jim Bergantino by my good friend Matthew Denis who also uses Bergantino gear at a NAMM show. We have accomplished a lot in spreading the word and showcasing what the Bergantino Forte HP amp can do in various styles of music. All of us complimented and supported each other. With EMG my friend Jason Klein and Luis Kalil put me in touch with Tommy from EMG Pickups. We produced a series of videos together highlighting some of their signature pickups, we have an amazing relationship and they have been great to me. I am stoked to have earned this kind of respect and trust from these companies.
How has your playing evolved over the years, and have you made changes from your start until now? If so, can you describe the changes?
Yes, I started incorporating a lot of slap. I honestly couldn’t really slap before the pandemic haha. When I started doing a lot of video covers during covid, I studied bass players like Les Claypool, Marcus Miller and Flea. Also in the very beginning, I was mainly a finger player. Over the last years I really developed my picking technique and love to incorporate that way more in my playing, especially if the song dictates it.
What are you working on now?
I am working on my solo project, where I am planning to release music very soon. I have a single ready to go, featuring some incredible guests and just recently signed a distribution deal with Bloodblast. I am also writing new stuff with the Butcher Babies and that’s pretty exciting too.
When you are not playing shows around the world you are very active in the studio as a producer and writer, can you tell us about some of the collaborations and projects you have been involved in?
Yes, one thing I am really proud of is the recent Butcher Babies albums, which I had the pleasure to help write and record. Songs like “Red Thunder” had an amazing response and actually even made it into rotation at Sirius XM Liquid Metal” and peaked at number 10 of the iTunes Metal charts. I wrote a lot for music libraries here in Los Angeles and recently got a song placement with NBC Sports, which was for the 2022 “Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship”. So that was a cool collaboration I did with “Megatrax”.
Tell us about the Butcher Babies, Lots of good things have happened here.
Yeah totally! It’s been quite busy over the last 2 years. Lots of writing and even more shows. I think last year we did close to 90 shows. We toured with some incredible bands like Fear Factory, Amaranthe, Lacuna Coil, Mudvayne and Coal Chamber. We also did all of these awesome festivals in Europe and the US like Wacken, Graspop all that fun stuff haha. We released 2 albums “Eye For An Eye” and “Til The World Is Blind” which I am really proud of. This year it’s gonna be more or less the same show-wise.
Tell us about the Bergantino Forte HP bass amplifier.
I have had this amp for four years now and was just blown away by it. The sound, the features, everything. It has pretty much has all of the components I want from a bass amp. It is very versatile, clean, thick and powerful. It really just sounds so organic and real. I use it for everything from Metal to Funk and Pop.
What settings do you use the most on the forte HP? What are your favorites and why?
Honestly, all the EQ’s are on 5 o’clock, punch mode enabled, and a bit of compression.
On the drives there are different firmware downloads Bergantino offers. I use Matts tube screamer and another one called the MF360 fuzz that Jim sent me back in the day, it sounds sick.
Tell us about your favorite bass or basses.
Fender and Fender. I have been playing Fender all my life! At the moment, there’s really nothing else for me. I have tried all kinds of basses. I dig the Dingwall stuff a lot, but at the end of the day, Fender just does it for me. I just wished they did long or multi-scale basses! Haha
How did you learn to play the bass guitar, Ricky?
I honestly just started by playing along to Iron Maiden songs. I would also put on the metronome and just start playing the parts and then unintentionally developed a technique. I remember one person telling me that Steve Harris was playing with 3 fingers, so I started practicing with 3 fingers only to find out years later that Steve only plays with two haha.
Are there any other instruments you play?
Yes, the drums. I never gave up on my dream of playing drums haha, so I learned that a little bit along the way. I also play guitar. I play both of those instruments well enough to write and record my own songs, but not sure if I would ever dare to go out and do it live.
Who are your influencers?
Steve Harris is definitely my biggest influence. Duff McKagan has always been one of my favorites. Jason Newsted, Rob Trujillo, Geezer Butler, Frank Bello, Geddy Lee and many more.
Favorite thing to do besides play bass?
It’s honestly writing and producing music. The studio is my happy place when not on the road. It’s definitely a dream to do that full time at some point. We’ll see what happens.
We see Instagram stories of you when you visit your grandmother in Italy cooking up a storm for you. What is your favorite dish that she makes for you?
Haha, that’s amazing you ask this question! Yeah she’s 86 and kick butts like it’s no big deal. Her Spaghetti’s are definitely my favorite, followed by her homemade (obviously) Ravioli. The funniest thing is every time I post her on my IG stories. she gets the most views of all, I could post me playing the craziest shred video of all time and she would still get more views!
Your story and dedication to your craft inspires a lot of people, especially the younger generation of musicians. Do you have any words of advice for them?
As Arnie would say, don’t listen to the naysayers. If you are serious about becoming a professional musician you should pursue it. It’s not going to be the easiest route but it’s going to be the one that fulfills you, and something that always helped me out was a quote from Denzel Washington saying, without commitment, you’ll never start and without consistency, you’ll never finish.
Follow Ricky Bonazza:
Instagram: @rickybonazza
Facebook: /ricky.bonazza
YouTube: @rickybonazza8011
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