Bass Player Live 2010
Exclusive FBPO 4-part series
FBPO attended Bass Player Live, Saturday, October 23, and Sunday, October 24, 2010.
Here is our four-part series, recounting our fabulous weekend with some of the biggest names in the bass world.
Part I |
Part II |
Part III |
Part IV |
The clinics, presentations and exhibit hall |
The Saturday night "Lifetime Achievement Awards" concert |
Chris Jisi's interview with Alphonso Johnson |
Jonathan Herrera's interview with Bootsy Collins |
PART I - The clinics, presentations and exhibit hall
For us, the festivities actually began Friday evening, as we ventured to the Catalina Jazz Club to take in a set from veteran drummer Billy Cobham and his all-Frenchman (and one Frenchwoman) band. Across town, other bass fanatics took in Abe Laboriel’s “Open Hands” show at the Baked Potato. While there’s never been a shortage of places to hear music in LA, the weekend of Bass Player Live made it that much more special.
 |
FBPO's Jon Liebman, flanked by Victor Wooten (left) and Steve Bailey |
The show itself kicked off right on schedule at 10:00 Saturday morning (actually, a few minutes early, as I recall) with Victor Wooten offering a standing-room-only presentation on bass playing, coupled with some of his music business wisdom. Immediately following Victor’s presentation, we ventured across the hall to take in Steve Bailey’s six-string fretless performance, as he was accompanied by master drummer Joel Taylor. Steve’s intonation was absolutely impeccable and his performance even better than usual (if you can imagine that!). After playing a tune or two with Joel, Steve called Reggie Hamilton and Victor Wooten up to the stage and the three of them wowed the crowd with a tasteful, bass-heavy version of Monk’s “Well You Needn’t.”
Switching gears, we stopped in to see Billy Sheehan’s presentation, which included plenty of advice for serious bass players, as well as some of the unique bass acrobatics his audiences have come to expect. Billy came across genuine and extremely personable, often joking with the group. No one walked away disappointed.
 |
Jon with Darryl "The Munch" Jones |
The next session we attended was that of Matt Garrison, who provided a detailed explanation and demonstration of his looping, super-high-technology, quadraphonic improvisational performance. Matt’s enthusiasm and passion for his cutting-edge pushing of the envelope came shining through, punctuated by his inimitable, high-octane (New Yawk!) personality.
Darryl Jones gave an articulate, amusing and educational talk about the coveted gigs he’s enjoyed with Miles Davis, Madonna and Sting, as well as his current job as bass player for the Rolling Stones. Darryl kept the audience engaged, interacting with them, answering questions and telling some great stories about Miles, the Stones and lots more. He came across like a polished performer and a true gentleman.
On Sunday morning, we stopped in to see our old friend, David Ellefson, who provided some of the inside scoops on Megadeth, along with demonstrations of heavy metal techniques, tips on moving around the fingerboard, using a pick and more.
 |
Jon with Billy Sheehan |
Other popular sessions during the two-day event included presentations by Nathan Watts, Anthony Wellington, Divinity Roxx, Bunny Brunel and Alex Al, as well as a bass builders’ roundtable. Rounding out the conference was an amply filled exhibitor’s hall, including booths by Aguilar, Ampeg, Ashdown, Carvin, D’Addario, DR Strings, Dunlop, Epiphone, Fodera, Gallien-Krueger, Hartke, Rotosound, Seymour Duncan, Warwick and several others.
Making a great show even better were spottings of non-presenters, who stopped by to enjoy the hang. Included in this group were Brian Bromberg, Leland Sklar, Janek Gwizdala, Tal Wilkenfeld and several others. All in all, it was a great way to spend a weekend if you’re a bass player (and/or a bass enthusiast).
Story by Jon Liebman
Part I |
Part II |
Part III |
Part IV |
The clinics, presentations and exhibit hall |
The Saturday night "Lifetime Achievement Awards" concert |
Chris Jisi's interview with Alphonso Johnson |
Jonathan Herrera's interview with Bootsy Collins |
Part II - The Saturday night concert
Saturday night, we ventured a few miles down Sunset Boulevard to the Key Club, where we were entertained by an all-star lineup that read like a who’s who of elite bass players. The purpose of the event was to honor two bass legends, Bootsy Collins and Alphonso Johnson, by presenting each one with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
 |
Alphonso Johnson performs Saturday night |
Our host and emcee was Steve Bailey, who led a group of bass superstars, which spanned the entire stage. Included among the performers (in two shifts) were Alex Al, Brian Bromberg, Bunny Brunel, Sekou Bunch, Hadrien Feraud, Matt Garrision, Darryl, Jones, Billy Sheehan, Nathan Watts, Victor Wooten, Anthony Wellington, Verdine White, John B. Williams and “Ready” Freddie Washington.
We happened to be seated next to Alphonso Johnson and his family and friends. Our proximity gave us a first-hand look at what a class act he is, by way of his sincere and humble demeanor, which was equally apparent when Johnson addressed the audience. After the formalities and the presentation of his award, Alphonso treated the crowd with a rendition of his ‘70s classic, “Bahama Mama,” which featured the cast of bass players, each one of which was featured.
 |
Now that's a birthday cake! |
The presentation of Bootsy’s award began with a rousing version of “Happy Birthday” to the man who turned 59 this week (we happened to get a close-up shot of birthday cake – see photo). Collins took to the stage in his customary “Bootsy” getup, with the lineup of bass stars serving as the backdrop. The band kicked off the old P-Funk “Flashlight” groove, first with Victor Wooten laying down the bass line, followed by each of the bass stars taking a solo, one at a time. Bootsy moved into the audience, got the crowd fired up and was acting very much like, well, like Bootsy! The man did everything but play the bass, apologizing for not having all his necessary gear and effects pedals set up (didn’t he think the audience might want him to play?).
Steve Bailey is to be commended for organizing the event and, perhaps more importantly, improvising with the logistics when things didn’t always go according to plan (after all, who can guess what Bootsy’s going to do next?). Maybe a concert like this one isn’t for everyone, but the bass players loved it. Us included.
Story by Jon Liebman
Part I |
Part II |
Part III |
Part IV |
The clinics, presentations and exhibit hall |
The Saturday night "Lifetime Achievement Awards" concert |
Chris Jisi's interview with Alphonso Johnson |
Jonathan Herrera's interview with Bootsy Collins |
Part III - Chris Jisi's interview with Alphonso Johnson
Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed Chris Jisi’s one-on-one interview with bass legend Alphonso Johnson. The conversation began with Jisi walking through Alphonso’s career, hitting on the major milestones and highlights. Johnson discussed his Philly upbringing and early musical influences, which included substantial doses of jazz, soul and R&B. Getting the gig with Woody Herman’s big band helped catapult the bassist’s career, enabling him to expand his networking opportunities within the music world (it surprised us a little to learn that he played both upright and electric bass in Woody’s band).
 |
Alphonso Johnson with FBPO's Jon Liebman |
Alphonso recounted his days with the Billy Cobham/George Duke band, expounding on every bassist’s need to adapt to playing with different drummers. This versatility became even more important when he was with Weather Report, he says, as the band went through a lot of drummers during his tenure.
Feeling his time with Weather Report had run its course, Alphonso set out on a solo career, where he released a few albums, including Moonshadows and Spellbound, to positive critical acclaim. He shared an amusing story about a then-unknown Jaco Pastorius getting booed at his first gig with Weather Report, as the band’s audiences had grown loyal to Johnson.
The next big gig was with Santana, with whom Johnson played bass for the better part of the ‘80s. During the Q&A session, I asked him to comment on that fateful evening in September 1987, when Jaco Pastorius jumped on the stage at a Santana concert in Florida, which I happened to have witnessed first-hand. I recall it very clearly: Jaco reached his hand way up over Alphonso’s head, pointing downward at him, as if to say to the audience, “Give it up for Alphonso!” Security, however, would have none of it and promptly wrestled Jaco off the stage. While, sadly, we all know what happened later that night, I thought Alphonso might have been affected even more profoundly than the rest of us, given his personal experience
 |
Alphonso Johnson wraps up his interview by performing an unaccompanied solo on his |
with the circumstances of the evening. Johnson recounted how Jaco had spent the entire day hanging out with the band, having a great time, and how they were able to clear the whole thing up as a big “misunderstanding.” He said the image of Jaco pulling away from the loading dock after the show will be indelibly etched in his mind, as that was the last time he saw him alive.
Alphonso answered a few more questions, including one about playing with drummer Chester Thompson, queried by bass heavyweight Roy Vogt, who occasionally plays with Thompson in Nashville. Another audience member asked about using the Chapman “Stick.” Alphonso told the story of how he’d bought a “Stick,” but let it just sit in his room for months before he finally began learning how to play it (he also shared a little known fact that after learning about Alphonso getting a “Stick,” Weather Report’s Joe Zawinul just had to have one, too, although there’s no record of him ever doing anything with it!). Johnson closed the session by performing an unaccompanied solo on his Washburn five-string acoustic bass guitar, much to the delight of everyone in attendance.
Looking back on the accomplishments he’s achieved throughout his career and seeing his demeanor at the weekend’s events, we concur that Alphonso Johnson is indeed deserving of a Lifetime Achievement Award. He’s truly a class act.
Story by Jon Liebman
Part I |
Part II |
Part III |
Part IV |
The clinics, presentations and exhibit hall |
The Saturday night "Lifetime Achievement Awards" concert |
Chris Jisi's interview with Alphonso Johnson |
Jonathan Herrera's interview with Bootsy Collins |
Part IV - Jonathan Herrera's interview with Bootsy Collins
The last formal presentation Sunday afternoon was Jonathan Herrera’s one-on-one interview with funk legend Bootsy Collins. Bootsy began by talking about growing up in Cincinnati as “William” Collins and how his earliest musical influences were the 1950s doo-wop groups. He also paid tribute to his older brother, the recently departed “Catfish” Collins, as a powerful force in his musical development.
The newly-bestowed Lifetime Achievement Award honoree made several references to how, as a kid, he would sit in school and draw stickmen, exemplifying his fascination with cartoons and animation. Soon the stickmen started wearing star-shaped glasses and the “Bootsy” persona was born!
 |
Jon Liebman with Bootsy Collins |
As a man, he became William less and less, morphing into the full-fledged “Bootsy” character. He shared with us how, after he had become established as a star, it became difficult to be Bootsy all the time. Pretending (to himself) that he was becoming more mainstream, he commented on how he had begun to dress more “normal,” as his attire appeared ever so slightly toned down after he took off his coat, revealing a U.S. Army shirt (evoking much laughter from the audience, as he was still sporting his signature hat, star glasses, funky rings, etc.).
The most fascinating part of the dialogue was Bootsy’s contrasting James Brown and George Clinton, two of his former employers. James would ask, “What is all that stuff you’re playing? I just want you to play it on the one.” So Bootsy would “play it on the one” for James, then play whatever he wanted in between. The revised approach made both men happy, not to mention bringing about Bootsy’s legendary trademark catchphrase. JB also taught Bootsy certain life lessons, including his view that their job was 75% business, 25% music.
Working for George, however, carried a totally different vibe. Whereas Brown had some very specific ideas about what he wanted to hear, Clinton was more concerned with bringing out overall concepts and thus allowed his band infinitely more artistic freedom. The Clinton recording sessions we’ve all heard about were legendary, no doubt. We’ll never know exactly what happened behind those closed studio doors, but we can hear the end result.
One highlight of the interview was the story of how Bootsy went to a local music shop in the Detroit area to order a custom-made star-shaped bass. He needed the bass in a hurry, as he had a photo shoot in LA only a few days later. While it was impossible to complete the bass in such a short time, the music store people were able to give him a mockup of the bass, made mostly out of cardboard. Unable to get a case for the strangely-shaped instrument, Bootsy carried the star bass model on the plane just as it was. When the captain asked him about it, Bootsy told him the whole story about going to LA to be a star. The captain said the bass could ride up in the cockpit, between the pilot and co-pilot. So there sat the first star bass prototype, visible to all (in those days, they sometimes left the cockpit door open), the prop that helped launch the career of a legendary funk superstar.
At times Bootsy sounded a bit like an elder statesman and music industry sage. He shared a few of the highs and lows in his life and career, including being in situations where the band members didn’t always get their due. He also expounded on religious tolerance and the difficult process of getting clean of drugs.
After the interview, Collins maintained the personality for which he has become so well known. He walked around, schmoozed and joined the hang, all the while smiling, posing for pictures and, well, just being Bootsy.
Story by Jon Liebman
Part I |
Part II |
Part III |
Part IV |
The clinics, presentations and exhibit hall |
The Saturday night "Lifetime Achievement Awards" concert |
Chris Jisi's interview with Alphonso Johnson |
Jonathan Herrera's interview with |
See our coverage of Bass Player Live! 2011
Click here
Visit the FBPO store!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
.jpg) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
.jpg) |
 |
.jpg) |
