Features
Interview with Mark Wade… Symphonic Swing
Bassist Mark Wade was born to present music from a beautifully profound place that has led him to the acoustic contrabass.
He has been very present on the New York jazz scene for 20+ years, all the while increasing his appearances as a World-Class sideman for the likes of the (late) great Jimmy Heath, Don Byron, Eddie Palmieri, Conrad Herwig and receiving well-deserved acclaim from top-tier jazz publications Cadence Magazine, New York City Jazz Record, All About Jazz, Jazz Life (Japan), Downbeat Magazine, and others, as well as being featured in Sammy Stein’s 2017 book All That’s Jazz. Since 2015, Mark has released two incredible recordings as a leader, “Event Horizon” and “Moving Day”. Mark is currently signed to Berlin’s Edition 46 Records. He is an incredibly busy musician, and it’s a pleasure to sit down and chat with him!
BAJ: Hi Mark! I really enjoyed “Moving Day” and it’s great that you’re receiving a bit of well-deserved recognition for your compositions and fluid playing!
What led you to your gig as Artist in Residence at Flushing Town Hall? Also, please tell us a bit about your earliest musical education and experiences!
MW: Thanks for talking with me. Flushing Town Hall is the largest arts venue in the borough of Queens in New York City. I was in residence there as part of a jazz collective which I used to be a part of. I was there with them for about two years. during that time, we ran a weekly jam session and clinic, curated a concert series, and produced a jazz festival. It was a lot of work! But very rewarding.
I was a latecomer to playing music. I didn’t start playing the Electric Bass until I was going into high school. I was self-taught and didn’t start taking lessons until a year before I went to college. By that time I was just playing rock music in local bands. I was always serious about playing the bass though, and I regularly practiced every day for a few hours. I learned mostly from transcribing music off of records and learning songs with my other bandmates. Finally I started studying with a wonderful bass player named Andrew Harkin who taught me skills, music theory, and began introducing jazz concepts to me and, six months later, I auditioned for the jazz program at New York University and as accepted. Once there, I started studying with Mike Richmond, who at the time was playing with Miles Davis on what would be some of his last recordings. Mike was an excellent teacher, and he’s still a friend to this day. I started playing the acoustic bass about halfway through my experience at college. Two years later, I had graduated and was making a living playing the Double Bass. It’s been quite a ride ever since!
BAJ: As you have had a wonderful career of playing every known notable hall on the East Coast (Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, The Iridium, Birdland, Lincoln Center) where are your favorite venues to play, and why?
MW: I’ve been very fortunate to play in some great rooms here in New York. To be honest though, my most memorable experiences have been when the music is at its highest level. Sometimes, that happens at rooms that are much less famous or of any consequence. In the end, a room is just a room. But, when the sound is good and the band is really playing, that’s the best experience you can have in my opinion! If that happens in one of those famous rooms, that’s great! If not, that’s okay too! All that being said… Carnegie Hall is pretty special!
BAJ: Sadly, we have very recently lost the great Jimmy Heath. Please tell us what it was like to be part of his incredible 2012 Four Black Immortals tour, and what preparations went into that undertaking?
MW: The Four Black Immortals Concerts were fun to do! Ernie Wilkins wrote a piece for big band, choir, and string orchestra by that title, and I was playing in a string ensemble that was contracted to play the orchestra parts for that piece – which was fronted by Jimmy Heath’s big band. We played a couple of concerts in the New York metro area including the Lincoln Center in New York, and the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. Those concerts were like a microcosm of my world – the melding of classical and jazz music. Obviously, listening to Jimmy Heath in that context (or any context) was a special thing for me. Those were great shows for sure!
BAJ: Let’s talk about your writing process for “Moving Day”! Or, rather, your process in general! How often do you find yourself composing from the bass, if at all? Also, what were the differences between writing for 2015’s “Event Horizon” versus 2018’s “Moving Day”?
MW: When I wrote the music for Event Horizon, I was writing music in the abstract. Those tunes were a combination of melodies and harmonies that I happened to gravitate towards at that time. The writing process for Moving Day was very different. For the second album, I took inspiration from certain places and experiences in my life as the basis of writing that music. It was the first time I really attempted writing something that was thematic and was representative of something outside of the music itself. For instance, the title track is based on the fact that I’ve moved 14 or 15 times over the course of my life! I have found that the experience of moving brings on a host of emotions such as anxiety, hopefulness, nostalgic, and excitement. So, I tried to reflect those ideas in the music as best I could.
In general, I do very little of my composing with the bass in my hands. I compose at the keyboard. It is a liberating experience for me to get away from my instrument when I write music, and I don’t want to be influenced in any way by patterns or technical issues on the bass that may unnecessarily influence my writing choices. The more I write the honest reflection of what I hear in my head… the better the music is for me. I have limited facility on the piano, so I feel that the situation leads me to a clearer place in my composing.
BAJ: I love the sound of your instrument, and how it sits in the recordings of both releases. What are you playing these days, and how long have you worked with this particular bass?
MW: Thanks. My bass was made in 2007 by a Czech maker, Rudolph Fiedler. I have owned this instrument since 2012. A lot of new instruments can go through a period of settling-in, where they can crack and need maintenance frequently. I have been very fortunate that this bass has needed almost no maintenance to speak of. I find that this bass is well suited to jazz. It has a clear sound, while still maintaining a nice color and warmth. It also amplifies well, which is a very important thing! The Rudolph Fiedler records well, although that is as much a function of the bass as it is the skill of the recording engineer in the room. For my recordings, I’ve been blessed with having great engineers!
BAJ: Draw a line from your weekly appearances at Birdland (1997-1999) to the present that speaks to your path to growth and deeper musicality as a musician!
MW: My time at Birdland was important for my development. I played there once a week for two years. My set was the early set. So, we played before the famous people came on, which gave me the chance to hear major artists every week over that two-year period! Birdland exposed me to all different kinds of jazz music played at a high-level. During that time, I also started playing in community orchestras here in New York. Initially, it was just an opportunity for me to get more technical ability on the bass as well as improve my sight-reading. I found that I really loved the music, and I put a lot of hours of practice into that as well.
Over time, classical music became part of my professional skillset along with jazz music, as well as playing electric bass on more commercial type projects. I feel the convergence of all three of those musical paths are what define me as a musician today – when it comes to my original jazz music! I feel that I am the sum of parts that includes music that is not necessarily jazz-related. While my taste in music will always run towards jazz and classical music, what I love most is music that’s played at a high level – regardless of the genre or category. When I am in musical situations that are played at a high level, I experience my growth as a musician.
BAJ: How do you “find” yourself gravitating to a particular instrument? Is it the ethereal “voice in the wood”? Or, is it something more visceral?
MW: When it comes to an individual bass, choosing one instrument over another often comes down to your personal style of bass playing. Certain instruments do certain things well than others. If you are someone who likes to play gut strings and get more of a shorter note with less definition to the pitch, there are basses that are going to be more generous to you, than others. My sound concept is about playing clear and warm at the same time. That can be a difficult balance as sometimes, depending on the sonic situation, as one may have to sacrifice a little of one to get the other. Whatever instrument helps me to achieve the sound I’m after is the instrument I gravitate towards.
BAJ: We haven’t talked about your bass guitar playing, at all! Wow! Apologies! What are your favorite aspects of playing the bass guitar, and let’s unpack your technique for the bass guitar versus the acoustic bass!
MW: The electric bass was my first love, and it will always have a special place in my musical life – even if it’s not the instrument I am playing on the majority of gigs, these days. One of the great advantages of playing electric bass is that I can hear all of the notes that I play! As crazy as that sounds, that’s not always the case on the acoustic bass – whether you’re playing in a jazz combo or an orchestra! The electric bass is so much more controllable in terms of tone and timbre. Turning a few knobs can solve a lot of the challenges that exist in your concert venue of the day!
The technique of the electric bass versus the acoustic bass are two very different things. My first teacher Andrew Harkin saw them as two completely different instruments. While I don’t quite see it that way myself, they both require very different positions for your body, arms, wrists, hands, and fingers. Both instruments require you to be as efficient as possible in order to play them at the highest level. But, due to the large and cumbersome nature of the acoustic bass, it’s much harder to be as efficient by comparison.
BAJ: Please give us a “gear rundown” for your traveling rig. Also, what do you most need to hear from your instruments when you record, and what are the differences (if any) in your tonal choices when you’re performing?
MW: My setup for acoustic bass, when I’m able to bring that to a gig, is Thomastik Superflexible strings with a Fishman Full Circle pickup combined with a K&K mic. I use a Dtar preamp to split the pickup and mic into two different signals that I can control separately. That setup gives me the biggest flexibility in sound depending on the room or situation. A louder band typically means I will use less of the microphone. Whereas a quieter gig lets me use that microphone and take advantage of the sonic space to get a warmer, rounder sound more indicative of the instrument. The preamp gives me the added benefit of being able to send a great direct sound to the board to run to the house – should that option be available. Often, DI can sound harsh. But, with this setup, I’m able to get something that still sounds like an acoustic bass. The cabinet I play through is called a Barefaced Midget (I kid you not) from the U.K. It has a nice full sound with plenty of power, but it’s lightweight and easily transportable – which is key in NYC!
BAJ: You are so wonderfully melodic in your soloing! I dig it! Let’s talk about your approach to solos.
MW: Thank you very much. My approach to soloing has always been to try to emulate horn players or piano players. To do this, the technical requirements on the instrument can be quite daunting. It means extra attention to intonation and conceiving a general fluid motion in every range of the instrument. Transcribing horn players has the added benefit of going to the source of those innovators with cutting-edge harmonic concepts. I think of it this way… looking at the Miles Davis Quintet of the 50s, I would say that Paul Chambers is one of my favorite bass players of all time! He is an absolute study in how to play straight-ahead “jazz time”. But, for me, I view John Coltrane’s harmonic concept as more of an influence than Paul’s bass solos. I love Paul solos! But, Trane was at the forefront of expanding the Jazz Language, and those are the guys I look to, as I find ways to incorporate ideas into building a language of my own. The bass is not seen as primarily a solo instrument. But, I think the nature of string instruments, in general, give the player certain qualities which (when developed through rigorous technical study) can lead to an expression unique from any instrument in the band.
BAJ: Absolutely! Well said, Mark!
What are your touring plans for “Moving Day” now that you’re experiencing such a cool second look?! Along with that… Do you have any advice for our reading audience about touring with acoustic instruments? Or, touring, in general?
MW: To support the release of Moving Day, I will be headed to the UK in early February for a week of tours and Master Classes. It will be my first time traveling to the UK, and that’s exciting! I have been very fortunate to have received an extremely positive response for my music from journalists and radio stations there! So, I’m excited to finally have a chance to visit them.
Traveling with an acoustic bass is a difficult thing, and that often means borrowing a bass at your destination. Which means, you never know what you’re going to get! Even if the borrowed instrument is in fine condition it’s never going to feel the same as your own instrument! The intonation can be very different, and the setup can also be very different, etc. Fortunately, now, with the advent of various kinds of travel basses, it is possible to have a consistent instrument with you wherever you go! One of my goals is to afford an additional instrument just for touring in these situations. Though, at present, I have not done enough touring to justify that particular purchase. That day is coming soon. In general, touring is all about being flexible. You have to be able to roll with the punches when travel plans don’t work out the way that you hoped they would. It often means long hours of travel with not a lot of time to rest and recover for the concert. Being as rested as possible, so that you can show up and give your best performance, is key.
BAJ: It is a wonderful thing to find a voice (instrumental or vocal) that matches so well with one’s own voice. Tell us about performing with your wife, Teri!
MW: It’s been a real pleasure to be able to share some of my concerts with my wife, Teri Leggio Wade. Teri is the daughter of Saxophone great Carmen Leggio, who credits include Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Thad Jones & Mel Lewis, Woody Herman, and many, many others. Teri grew up around some of the biggest names in jazz music, and as such, she has a natural affinity for that music. She doesn’t pursue her vocal career full-time, at this time. But, the times we get to share on the bandstand are special ones for sure! She has been unwavering in her support of my career, and anyone who is involved in the music business knows that support (especially spousal support) goes a long way.
BAJ: What are you practicing these days? Also, who is inspiring you (musically speaking) over the past couple of years?
MW: I still practice regularly every day. Being that I play several different kinds of music, there is never any shortage of things to work on. As a classical player, I work on my orchestral excerpts and continue to try to build my technique with the bow.
As a jazz player, I’m trying to continue to build my harmonic language and to increase my abilities as a soloist and as a rhythm section player. I try to continue to develop more efficient ways of moving around the bass and having a general physical approach to the instrument that I can replicate and rely on in any situation. That means getting into some of the finer points of body mechanics. The less tension I have in my body, the better I play – no matter the circumstance.
Inspiration can come from a number of places. In my case, it’s less about one specific person and more about certain situations and experiences I have had – both as a player and as an audience member. Going to watch the bass section at the New York Philharmonic is very inspiring! So too, is watching Eddie Palmieri do his thing at the ripe old age of 80! The more music I listen to, the more inspiring things I find. There seems to be no shortage of people doing creative things that are amazing.
BAJ: When can we expect a new release of original compositions from you, Mark?
MW: I’m going into the studio with my band towards the end of May 2020 to record my third album. The music for the album has already been written, and in most cases, we’ve played the music quite a bit over the last 6-to-8 months. It’s great to see how the music is coming together, and I’m excited to share this music with my listeners. Given the schedule of recording, mixing, and releasing an album for public consumption means the music will probably be available sometime in early 2021.
For those of you who are curious about the new compositions, you can get a preview of some of the tunes we’ve played live on my YouTube page. The link is on my website www.markwademusicny.com.
BAJ: Thank you very much for taking a few minutes with me, man! Let’s talk again soon?
MW: It was a real pleasure. I’ll be sure to send you a copy of the new album. Looking forward to doing this again.
BAJ: Thank you, Mark!
Folks, check out the awesome review on Bass Musician Magazine
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