Down With the Bass

I think Mike Watt covers this concept pretty well in a full-length CD release with other bass masters like Flea, Cris Kirkwood and Les Claypool called Big Bottom Pow Wow. From my perspective, the bassist has to balance the entire act. Clearly not the lead or most present voice in the mix and also not the actual foundation of the rhythm - the bass part is the glue, conduit, ligament and the core of the song.

Just as a good drummer can make a band, a good bass player can make a drummer better. Not just in a live performance, but in practice, during a recording session, or anytime they're playing. A good bass player practically translates for a drummer and a guitarist. Rhythm and melody are intimately linked but a drummer is more concerned with the former, guitarist with the latter. The bass player has to understand both elements fluently for the song and the band to work.

These seem to me to be key concepts that not all bass players understand. I think a lot of bass players were at one point guitar players that either wanted an easier time getting into a band or got shoehorned into playing the 4-string out of necessity. I'm not sure if starting with bass or starting with guitar and converting to bass makes a difference. I am sure that understanding the position of the bass in any given band is critical.

I know that usually there's a shortage of bass players in a given scene and, like the missing or exploding drummers from Spinal Tap, they shift in and out of bands fairly regularly. DeKalb always seemed to have a wealth of bass players that not only could hold on, but actually understood the instrument. On further thought, every one that I can think of in this category is a total character, too. Some are full-on nut jobs. Maybe that's the key...