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This is the first of a two-part interview with Gerald Veasley. We spoke just days after the passing of Joe Zawinul. Gerald has been Joe's bassist for many years now, and we spent some time talking about their relationship, which I felt should be included as part of this interview out of respect for one of the music industry's greatest contributors.
My approach when I play is to be able to name every note I play, it's function in the chord and it's musical and emotional impact. But I don't want to think about it while I'm playing, I just want to do it, just like when I speak, I don't spell the words in my head before it comes out of my mouth but I know what they are. I've been trying to develop a mechanism that would allow me to do it, and it starts with the way I practice. I train my brain as much as my fingers, to think fast and ahead of what I'm going to play.
With the interviews I've conducted so far, I found a common thread that I'd like to address. The rules for getting exposure as an artist have changed dramatically over the last decade or so. Each of the artists I spoke to stressed the importance of "being heard", and getting your music out to the masses one way or another. The internet has certainly been a powerful new force in that arena, and has become the obvious first step beyond the record companies, as well as searching out distribution companies on your own. But with the new rules, where do you start? I recommend taking a look at the way Jeff Price, founder of a company called TuneCore, is changing the face of online music from the musician's point of view! I find his approach enlightening, and most definitely "musician friendly".
Coming off a legendary Sonny Rollins gig, followed by preparing to go on tour with Pat Metheny, along with a discography of 250 CD's and albums lets you know why Christian McBride is one of the most in demand and well respected players in the industry.
Speaking as a full time musician, the word "challenge" for me is more than just a multi-defined noun; it's a way of life. Adding to my plate the responsibility for the content and overall tone for this new magazine has also to my surprise more than encompassed the essence of that word in my everyday life.
Doug came onto the scene with his new solo debut "Doug Johns", and has caught a lot of attention. His building tour schedule keeps him busy, as well as his emerging role as a clinician. He's jumped right into events such as Bassquake and Bassbash, and is already working on his next CD. We've also brought him onboard as one of our new staff writers, a testament to his unique voice. This man has something to say.
In our last training session, we downloaded and listened to Autumn Leaves, learned the melody, then practiced embellishing and filling in the holes around the melody while using our ears to guide us.
When I received the news of the recent death of Joe Zawinul age 75, I was shocked and shaken, to say the least. It had been a long time since Joe and I had spoken. I along with many others had been awe inspired by Joe's work with Jaco Pastorius and Wayne Shorter in the band, Weather Report.
Let's see, a healthy dash of salt -- well maybe a little more. Next some fresh ground pepper and a couple of cloves of garlic, then a sprig of basil and a little rosemary. That should just about do it; now for a taste.
Find out what Mark Wright is talking about at BassMusicianMag.com
The first topic I'd like to cover in this slap series is what I call double thumbing. I guess I'm "old school" when it comes to slap in that when I first learned the technique there was no such thing as double popping. I like many learned the traditional way of attacking the string with your thumb by hitting the top of the string and then pulling the thumb away.
