Bass Musician Magazine - SPECIAL February 2014 NAMM Issue | Page 38

I know you have toured excessively. Any
touring advice?
Excessively never…I can’t do that!!!
Visit as many places as you can! Spend
time and connect with other musicians,
artists and ordinary people. Experience
as many things as possible. That’s also
a good occasion to truly take time
for yourself as well. I take long walks,
explore, get lost, find good food and
extra virgin olive oil of course…to balance
myself. Taking care is essential…especially
if you want to have fun!
The more we know…the more we find
out that we know nothing, like the ancient
Greeks used to say…right? Relax and
enjoy when touring.
Funny touring or recording moments?
Fortunately many…especially if you are
on the road with special guys like The
Olms. Forget about counting bars, 11/8
tempos, click…you have to love and know
the songs all the way through, sing the
songs like the Beatles!
Pete Yorn is a fantastic songwriter,
leader and performer, always ON at 360
degrees. JD King, a lovely and unique
vintage-fresh artist. Johnny Polonsky
is incredible and surprising all the time
on anything he does. Sir Malcom Cross,
drummer and composer, is just a wildsweet honey that you want pretty much
on top of everything!
Here is a link to some pretty
funny touring moments: en-maktoob.
news.yahoo.com/video/olms-tourdocumentary-180827892.html
Any technique tips? You have a beautiful
fat bass sound. How do you achieve that?
I have been a bass player for about
30 years….wow, I can’t believe that.
FEB 2014 / BASSMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM

Everybody needs to understand that
the sound of the instrument is in your
hands, in your fingers. You need to get a
comfortable instrument – doesn’t matter
the price. Then you need to spend the
time to practice and mostly connect
with the instrument. You need to have a
statement and an intention. That is why
Jaco cannot be replaced; his touch, his
intention and his imagination cannot be
replaced. There are bass players who
can play faster and cleaner than Jaco,
however nobody will be able to replace
him.
The only thing I’m concerned with
when Music is performed is the Sound...
Energy and Vibration…the Meaning.
Sometimes I love silence, rarely some
noise...I deeply need to be touched by
harmony and melody. I love any source of
sound...from a wonderful acoustic cello to
a Moog plug-in for iPad...from an analog
synth to an old vertical piano…from a
magic snare to a deep bass tone. Any
genre of Music...Wherever it comes from,
it has to be organic...real. This always
comes not from the instrument itself
but from our intention, instinct, study,
sensibility and awareness.
Back to the subject of fat bass sound,
I believe that since it’s a bass we need to
eliminate the treble and the mids. That is
why I love the work and sound of Jimmy
Garrison, Dave Holland, Pino Palladino,
Tony Levin and the Motown players. Deep
Sounds. I believe they feel the same
concept as me and we enjoy the same
frequency. Bass produces the bigger
necessary vibrations that touch the core
of our soul. We only miss the bass when
it is not there. Can you enjoy music if the
bass is not there?