“Women and rhythm-section first!?” FirstsMusicJazzRhythmSectionsJazz MusicJazz MusicianBass PlayersRhythm SectionBassists Author:Jaco Pastorius
“For the piano and me it is always a blind date! I meet different pianos every single day. I can't take my piano with me like a bassist can take his instrument. So whenever I arrive I am a bit nervous to see what kind of piano is waiting for me.” KindI CanDifferentBitsWaitingInstrumentsBlindNervousPianoBlind DateBassists Author:Hiromi
“In high school no guys wanted to be in a band with me unless I was going to play bass or play grindcore or be in a scream-o band, so it was fun to finally have that experience of having my songs backed by a drummer and a bassist who were just as excited about it as I was.” PlayWantedSchoolGuySongFunBandHigh SchoolExcitedScreamBassDrummerBassists Author:Weyes Blood
“Cheers to the albums written fortunes earned lives touched in the millions and generations defined by one lonely person placing an ad in the back of a free paper seeking a guitarist, bassist, and drummer just looking to jam.” PersonsMillionsWrittenGenerationsPaperLonelyFortuneAlbumsSeekingDefinedTouchedCheerAdsJamDrummerGuitaristBassistsLonely Person Author:Dallas Clayton
“There's always only been three of us [drummer Joey Shuffield, vocalist, bassist and keyboardist Tony Scalzo and myself], but when we first started we didn't have anybody augmenting the band, so everything had to be kinda to the point anyway. We did that record and toured a while on that, but I just got sick of playing it every night. It felt like doing push-ups to me.” FirstsNightThreeFeltRecordsBandSickEvery NightDrummerVocalistPush UpsJoeyBassists Author:Miles Zuniga
“. I did an interview earlier and somebody asked me if I [knew I] was onto something back when I was first writing. I said, "Yeah. I always thought I was good." We're not the Beatles or Led Zeppelin or AC/DC. But Helmet always sounded like Helmet, and we sort of developed our own sound. There's a vocabulary that's kind of universal now that's very simple. My friendDavid Sims, [the bassist] in Jesus Lizard, said, "I wish I'd thought of it." When you first hear it, it's like, "Oh duh." But that's cool.” IfsWritingFirstsKindSaidJesusWishSoundSimpleUniversalYeahInterviewsVocabularyBack WhenHelmetZeppelinsLizardsDuhSimsBassists Author:Page Hamilton
“Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament and I get excited talking about making record artwork or working with T-shirt designs. The least exciting part for us is talking about the finances; it's like going to the dentist for us. But we at least try to do it in a creative way and put our stamp on it. I can only think that we create something that's worth the value of that dollar.” ThinkingWayTryingI CanValuesTalkingCreativeRecordsDesignExcitingDollarsExcitedFinanceShirtsPearlsStampsT ShirtJamArtworkDentistPearl JamBassists Author:Eddie Vedder
“We went to South America on a trip and all I had was a Robert Johnson album. So that's a definite influence on the album. My bandmates John [Stanier, drummer] and Henry [Bogdan, bassist] were interested in expanding their roles as writers, so that had a positive impact on the record.” AmericaRolesRecordsInfluenceImpactSouthAlbumsDefiniteExpandingJohnsonDrummerSouth AmericaPositive ImpactBassists Author:Page Hamilton
“When I had a job catering, I catered a wedding for the Smashing Pumpkins bassist in Indiana. And I served Billy Corgan shrimp off a tray.” JobsWeddingIndianaPumpkinSmashingShrimpTraysCateringBassistsSmashing Pumpkins Author:Amy Poehler
“I wasn't originally a bass player. I just found out I was needed, because everyone wants to play guitar.” WantPlayFoundPlayerNeededGuitarBassBass PlayersBass GuitarPlaying BassBassists Author:Tina Weymouth
“As a bassist he could never really be a sideman. He was always the anchor. He drove the beat. even if it was behind Miles Davis'a horn.” IfsBehindsMusicBeatsMilesHornsAnchorsBassists Author:Michael Connelly
“Bassist Steve Uccello's Symmetria is filled with cool and unique sounds, textures, and musical ideas, evoking an imagined atmosphere of open spaces influenced by Ry Cooder's desert dusty roads as much as anything a bassist could conjure up. It fits a mellow, contemplative mood perfectly.” IdeasSoundSpaceFitUniqueFilledMusicalMoodDesertAtmosphereTextureContemplativeMellowOpen SpacesBassists Author:Bryan Beller
“Steve Lawson is a brilliant musician. I've known about him and listened to him for many years. He may not be one of the most famous bassists but he is definitely one of the most talented.” YearsMayKnownMusicianBrilliantBassists Author:Victor Wooten
“The sudden passing of Jack Bruce is terribly sad news. One of the greatest rock bassists to ever live and a true and profound inspiration to countless musicians. He was one of my first bass heroes and was a major influence on my playing and my music. My heartfelt condolences to his family and fans.” FirstsInspirationFansInfluenceRocksHeroMajorsNewsMusicianProfoundPassingPassingsBassHeartfeltCondolencesBassists Author:Geddy Lee
“To begin with, the key principle of American indie rock wasn't a circumscribed musical style; it was the punk ethos of DIY, or do-it-yourself. The equation was simple: If punk was rebellious and DIY was rebellious, then doing it yourself was punk. 'Punk was about more than just starting a band,' former Minutemen bassist Mike Watt once said, 'it was about starting a label, it was about touring, it was about taking control. It was like songwriting; you just do it. You want a record, you pay the pressing plant. That's what it was all about.'” IfsWantSaidSimplePayPrinciplesRecordsRocksStyleKeysBandPlantMusicalStartingFormerLabelsSongwritingPunkEquationsMikeRebelliousTouringJust Do ItDo It YourselfEthosDiyIndie RockBassistsMusical StyleMinutemen Author:Michael Azerrad
“My mother adores singing and plays piano. My uncle was a phenomenal pianist. My brother John is a double bassist. I used to play the piano, badly, and cello. My brother Peter played violin.” PlayUsedMotherBrotherSingingPianoMy BrotherPeterUnclesAdoreViolinPhenomenalPianistBassists Author:Fiona Shaw