Recently while in St. Louis, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Marco Mendoza. Marco has played with such great artists including Ted Nugent, Whitesnake, Edgar Winter, Bill Ward, Blue Murder with John Sykes, Delores O’Riordan, and countless others. Marco is currently at home with legendary rockers Thin Lizzy. Thin Lizzy is still putting on great shows, as I witnessed later in the evening. Marco also has 2 solos albums (Live for Tomorrow and Casa Mendoza, both available on iTunes and amazon.com) out that are definitely worth checking out and they will not disappoint. Enjoy!

(Ty) Marco, can you share with us your story? Starting with where you were born and raised to what brings you to where you are today.

(Marco) I was born in San Diego, grew up in a family that was bilingual, bi-cultural, so as soon as I came home, I came home to Mexico. So you know, I grew up in a home that we spoke Spanglish pretty much. My whole lifestyle was a mixture of both, which was very cool and interesting. My dad worked in the states as an aerodynamic engineer for General Dynamics. My father always had an instrument playing, his favorite was clarinet, Benny Goodman, the big band stuff, so I got exposed to that very early even before I started playing when I was about 5 or 6. I started appreciating music from that point of view. After that, my parents had a big divorce. My mom is a retired singer, into the Broadway plays, blues stuff like Billie Holiday, Mel Torme, and she had a little bit of a run in Mexico. She had a couple of 45’s in those days. So, needless to say, I grew up surrounded by music. Later on, as I got interested in playing an instrument, the hip thing to do was to play the bugle in the school band. It was a bugle with no valves, so I started to understand how much work it took, the discipline of learning an instrument and practicing. I must have been 8 or 9 years old, so the bugle was my first instrument. I think from then on, I was really digging it so much, the fact that I had to practice to get better and invest time, focus, and then go play with the band. I used to be in the parades and all that, so, it was pretty cool, pretty fun. After my parents had separated, my grandma had come from Mexico City, to raise us, my father’s mom. Along with her came a big old piano, because she’s a piano teacher, and then, another spectrum, another side of music. She was all classical. She had ten to fifteen students at any given time. So there it was, the big band from my dad, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman. The influence from my mom, the blues, the crooners, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday and the Broadway plays. Then my grandma, and it was classical. My sister, she was going to be the concert pianist. I saw what was involved, being a kid, I saw the time involved, the discipline in order to become a concert pianist. As a kid, I was surrounded by music.

I started picking my grandma’s brain, about the keys, having her explain to me “shortcuts”, chords and majors, thirds, fifths, sevenths, nines, thirteens, and all that. I could goof around on the piano but when it came down to sitting down and doing theory, it was too technical for me. My brother had a birthday and he had shown interest in guitar, so they got him an acoustic guitar. He played it for a little bit and 3 or 4 months later, it was just there gathering dust. I gotta say, when I picked up that guitar, that’s when the page, the book opened up if you will, because I really realized I could apply some of the stuff on the keyboard to that guitar. For me, that was easy. I didn’t have to be in the living room in front of everybody practicing. I could be by myself, pick and learn. I started working on the chords. It came with a Mel Bay book of chords, and everybody had those. I slowly started putting time in and I learned there are only really seven chords and variations thereof, and so then I could play songs, and it became fun. I was hooked. Any spare time I had I would spend on the songs that were out there, and that’s when rock-n-roll came around for me. I discovered the connection. Christmas came, my dad got us Abbey Road, Beatles, and an electric guitar. That was it, that was how my whole musical journey started and I jumped into it even though I wasn’t actually playing in a band. My brother showed an interest in playing drums, so my dad got him a drum set. I was the guitar player, and we had some neighbors that played bass and lead guitar, and we started goofing around. Fast forward to high school, by then, our garage band had already gained reputation and we were doing parties, high school dances, and all that. My brother left to live with my mom, and he was pretty much the cat that put everything together. He was older, so when he left, I kind of got left hanging without a band. It just so happened that another band from where I live, little bigger, little more popular, more gigs, they had a van, PA, a little more organized, and they needed a bass player. They came to me because I could sing and they needed someone that could sing and play bass. I lied, I said “of course”, and I had never played a bass, so, yet another challenge and another step to where the direction I am in today. I fell in love. My dad took me to a pawn shop, got me a no brand bass and that started the love affair. I really dug playing bass and singing, it was challenging. Bands that were a little more organized, had major tours going on, started recruiting me. I did a tour of Latin America with a big time progressive rock band, so I had to grow. That’s what it was for me, I got married so young, at 16, and never finished high school. Playing music became the only way for me to make a living. My father said if you wanna get married, cool, you’re on your own and you gotta earn. It was something that forced me into my journey of learning what I had to learn, skill wise, and showing up prepared to any given gig. I was kind of pushed into it, I don’t regret it, I dig it now. I then started getting recruited by even bigger and bigger bands, bigger names and along with that, being married with kids to support and so young, I couldn’t handle the stress and pressure, and there came the downfall. Alcohol, drugs, the whole thing. I have to say, that was pretty hard what I went through. I lost a lot of great opportunities along the way. It took twelve years of abusing myself with drugs and alcohol. I was just “there”. Somehow I managed to be functional when working, still building a little bit of a reputation, but towards the end, it got so bad that people were not calling me anymore because I was dropping the ball. I went through recovery and I met Bill Ward in recovery. Bill was working with Ozzy, Zack Wylde, and Jack Bruce on this new solo album of his. Amazing how things happen, that was my connection back into the business in a bigger way. Bill had known about my skills, who I was, and that I was trying to get my life in order. Bill said he would love for me to come and play on a track or two. Chameleon records, one track turned into two, three, four and I think I did five or six on that album, next to Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, Zack, Ozzy. Next thing you know, he wants to go out on the road to support the album. Bill asked me if I was interested, and I absolutely was interested. We had the common denominator, no matter what happened, we were not going to drink or use. We shot a video with Ozzy and there was a big campaign behind the album. “Ward One” was the name of the album and before you know it, the label goes down, so there goes the tour, promotion, and the marketing. By then I had my own project. I played with Edgar Winter, and John Sykes came and recruited me for his second Blue Murder album. He needed a fretless bass player to replace Tony Franklin, and that was my main thing. Things just started flying from that point on, starting with Bill Ward. I think it had a lot to do with me being sober, paying attention to my career, showing up on time, practicing, and learning the tools of the trade a little more. It started coming together, mentally, socially, spiritually, and psychologically, and I was able to focus more and show up. Sometimes that’s all you need, to show up prepared. It’s become something I love doing. The homework, I really enjoy doing the homework. Looking at where I am going, whether it’s an album, jazz fusion, pop, whatever it is, I put it in front of me, and in the downtime, I shed. Make notes when I have to make notes, which I try not to anymore. It’s a challenge of mine to try and memorize stuff. From the Blue Murder thing, I met Thin Lizzy, and we did a tour in 94 and there’s the whole circle right there. From then on, I got recruited by Ted Nugent, David Coverdale with Whitesnake, and Delores O’Riordan from the Cranberries. With Whitesnake, we had a great time. Tommy Aldridge and I started ending up in the same projects, so we started hanging out. I love Tommy. I think he is one of a kind, one of those drummers that is always on my favorite drummer list. Tommy and I would go from Ted Nugent to Thin Lizzy, Thin Lizzy to Whitesnake, and back and forth and it was a beautiful time. That bring us up to the past 4 or 5 years.

I’ve being doing a lot of stuff, including two solo albums, Live for Tomorrow and Casa Mendoza. (both available on iTunes and amazon.com) . I did the last LynchMob album Smoking Mirrors, two albums with Delores O’Riordan from the Cranberries, and hanging out with Thin Lizzy. I feel that I am at home with Thin Lizzy. We have know each other since 94, we’ve been through a lot, and this current lineup is just mind blowing on how good it is. Ricky Warwick is fronting the band, and not only he is a great frontman, he was there for the phenomenon and success of Phil and Thin Lizzy when it was happening. It’s in his DNA, he has lived the whole thing, and now he is in it. He is a great entertainer, musician, songwriter, just a great guy. Brian Downey on Drums which is great. Darren Wharton on keyboards, Scott Gorham at the helm on lead guitar, and Damon Johnson from Alice Cooper. We went through Viv Campbell earlier this year, and he has his gig with Def Leppard that he had to go do. We had the opportunity to hang out with Richard Fortus who is now with Guns and Roses. We have a lot or work scheduled for next year after we finish this tour, I’ll be going Europe to do some solo dates, back home for Christmas, then back out in January with Thin Lizzy.

(Ty) Can you shed some light on your gear?

(Marco) We all have our preferences in gear as it comes along, and I gotta say, I am lucky. For amps, I ended up with Hartke and it is some of the best stuff out there, absolutely, bar none. Dave Ellefson, Billy Sheehan, Nathan Watts, JD and Victor Wooten, there is a reason why we are all there with Hartke, it’s just great stuff. For basses, it’s Yamaha. They are putting out some great stuff, building some great basses. For strings, I am with D’addario. Pedals, I use TC Electronics and EBS. With Thin Lizzy, I have to use the flange/chorus combination that Phil used a lot. I try not to keep to much in the loop, to get the preferred tone I need for me anyway. Gear wise, I am so lucky, privileged and blessed. I am really at a great time in my life and career. I have a great family, wife and 5 children. My son Marco is part of a band that got 3 Grammys a few years ago. He is in the band Jaguares. I love to sing and write, and after Thin Lizzy, that is my second priority right now. We are going to be doing some new music with Thin Lizzy, and we are currently working on new tracks as we speak. I have a new album in the works with Neal Schon and Dean Cassanova, probably coming out next spring and if we have time, we may do a tour to support it.

(Ty) Any Advice that you can share with the readers ?

(Marco) I tell everyone that wants to get serious about their career, to move to LA and give it a chance. It’s becoming increasingly harder and harder for anybody because their is very little industry. Local gigs are cool and all that, but if you really want to pursue the bigger things, I would do that in LA. That’s what happened to me. I finally got to the point in my career where I said I am going to go where the stuff is happening. It took a lot of work, patience, tolerance, focus and auditioning for anything and everything. Getting rejected, it’s part of what we do. Every time I got rejected, I got back and worked harder and harder. Sooner or later, if you have something to offer, you will float to the top and you will be noticed. I see a lot of talent everywhere, mind-blowing talent. Kids, 17,18, and 19, songwriters, singers, and guitar players that will never get a chance. That another thing about the shows, American Idol, X-Factor, and the Voice. People shoot these shows down, and there is the commercial thing going on, but think about all these people that would never otherwise get a chance. I support that 100 percent.

I would change a few things here and there, but the market is full of people that we would not get to see, and there are some amazing artists. Bass players, I would say they need to get to the foundation of where the bass playing is, which is a function in a group be it a 3 piece or 7 piece which we need to address. Before you go soloing and getting all the shredder stuff down, learn about the R&B, blues, the root of bass playing. Listen to the cats that got on the map in a big way, and start growing from there. You will get more calls to do that than the other stuff. It’s a fact. I’ve seen it and I went through that period where I wanted to be Mr. Man and I would lose gigs by overplaying and not applying myself. It takes maturity and understanding about what music is all about. You would be surprised at how many make that mistake and they don’t do the homework because they are on a different path.

(Ty) What are you currently listening too ?

(Marco) I’ve been listening to some of the work I have been doing in the past. I’m a big Kings of Leon fan so I’ve been listening to them. Listening to the mix we have been doing with Neal Schon. Right now I am in the middle of a period of a lot of work, so it’s all work related. I’m a classic rock cat, so I always go there. Always refreshing myself with Thin Lizzy stuff.

For tour dates, events, discography, etc, please go to marcomendoza.com

Marco’s two solo albums, Live for Tomorrow and Casa Mendoza are both available on iTunes and amazon.com.

Photo Credit: Joshua Black Wilkins

I sat down with Mark recently and he filled me in on everything from Burning Condors to Blacksmith shops. Like I said, he’s multifaceted.

You’ve been in Nashville since ’99, what were some of your gigs prior to meeting J.D.? How did you run into him?

We met in about ’96. I saw him at a Rockabilly weekender in Indianapolis and I just thought he was unbelievable. I thought his band was really traditional, I didn’t think they were keeping up with him. I thought, if he had something that sounded like he looked…

We just started hanging out from there. I moved to Nashville for a publishing deal as a country writer. I was playing a lot for this Gospel artist named Rich Mullins. That was kind of my day job, it paid really well. Unfortunately, Rich died in ’97. But he gave me a pretty long career. I was playing in Rockabilly and Western Swing bands, Punk Rock bands. I had a little Cow-Punk band called This Train. We made three records and I was the primary writer and singer in that band. J.D. and I keep gravitating toward one another and then the time came where neither of us had a band, or somehow the interests lined up. That was, gosh, almost twelve years ago now.

You have a studio here in town (Stainless Sound), is most of the Shack Shakers material recorded there? Do you take on commercial sessions as well?

The last four records for The Shack Shakers were done there. I had another studio (Roswell) as well. (So) either at “Roswell” or “Stainless”. We did “Swampblood”, “Agri-Dustrial” and the Dirt Daubers new record (“Wake Up, Sinners”) at Stainless Sound. I just produced a band from London, about a month ago, called Burning Condors. They’re kind of this trashy, pop, garage band. Like blues meets brit-pop. It’s really peculiar and fun. One of my day jobs is (that) I write background music for T.V. shows and film. So, yeah, we try and keep it busy.

Since ’04 you’ve produced the Shack Shakers albums; it’s not uncommon to see a bassist assume the role of producer (a few well-known bassist/producers include: Don Was, Bernard Edwards & Marcus Miller). Do you think that bass players have any inherent qualities that lend themselves to that task?

I kind of do. I think the nature of our job is that it’s rarely, completely about us. We’re sort of facilitators, in a weird way. We stand between the chord instruments and the drums. I think it meets our personality that we enjoy what’s going on around us and being supportive of it. I think it matches a bass player’s personality to produce records, especially if you find people and music interesting. I love getting inside, even if it necessarily wouldn’t be what I listen to. I love getting inside of what makes them tick; why do they love this so much? If you’re that kind of a person, a naturally curious kind of person who likes to stand in the middle, like a bass player does, it makes perfect sense to me.

Does being on the other side of the board influence your perspective as a player?

Maybe, in a way. I’m probably not as picky about my bass playing when I’m producing because I have to worry about everything. But it also allows me to relax and hear how I fit into the scheme of things and not just be about bass. I’m just not a big fan of “lead” bass or “look at me” bass, it’s got to make everything else sound better or you’re not doing your job right. So, I guess in that sense, it helps keep me clear on what that is. And when I hear a great bass player that I’m producing, I’ll get some cool insights on how they read between the lines.

How has your rig developed over the years, i.e. live gear vs. studio set up?

That’s ever-changing. Playing upright in a super-loud band like The Shack Shakers; it’s a moving target. I have a much deader acoustic bass now so that I can get it louder through an amp. A great acoustic bass wouldn’t get loud through an amp. For almost a year now I’ve switched over to running much more high-end amps than I used to. I’m running Genz-Benz stuff. It really helps to have great gear, especially for upright. It’s not about having 12 tubes in the thing. That’s not the friend of an Upright. That’s good for a P-Bass. For Upright, your needs are just so different. And with the studio, converters get better every five years, or you might rethink software or you might prefer 2”- 16 (track) over 2”- 24 track. But, sometimes I think that’s just a natural curiosity of a musical person.

Bass is made with Red Cedar veneer. Note the "Outhouse" style F-Holes.

A guy named Jason Burns in California. He’s built the last four or five of my basses, my Uprights. The last one is one of the very last (of the) King Double Basses. He’s recently started a new company called Blast Cult. I’ll be getting a new Blast Cult any day now actually. They’re made to be as acoustic and pure as possible but to still be loud through an amplifier, and rugged for the road. These actually have truss rods. They tend to have two sound posts instead of one. They’re beefier and a little more solid for playing Rock and Roll music. He’s the only game in town as far as I’m concerned, who’s really taken upright bass into the modern world for Rock musicians and people playing through amplifiers at high volume. He’s the most innovative bass builder in the world.

The Shack Shakers use some interesting sound effects on their recordings, as a producer how much of that do you create and what’s that process?

We usually do all of that before the band shows up, in most cases. Our main rule is that we don’t use sound effects libraries. We don’t get them off the internet. We make every sound ourselves. That might be J.D. with a cassette deck in an alley at three in the morning; it might be me on location. (For) the last record I took a mobile recording rig out to the middle of Nowhere, KY and just recorded a Blacksmith’s shop. We just turned on machines and banged on walls and hit things with pipes all day. Sometimes with the song in mind, sometimes we create a new song around those sounds, or those sounds make for good atmosphere. We’re big on sound effects but we make them all ourselves.

When you’re not on the road with the Shack Shakers or Dirt Daubers what keeps you busy in town?

Well, my commercial writing, producing records. Trying to take care of my house, like a normal approximation of an adult. Then, I have some really cool, fun gigs I do when I’m in town. I have a little, side Punk band that I play in. I play for a great country artist named Derek Hoke. I play for an awesome, kind of-like, Gothic, Alt. Country artist named Joshua Black Wilkins. I also produce his records and play bass for him whenever I can. And (I also play for) a really great Old-School Country artist named Mark Collie. So, I try and keep pretty busy.

Any tips or recommendations for Upright players looking to develop their sound?

I guess it depends on the sound they’re looking to develop. Upright is a real moving target. You think you’ve got it perfect in your guest bedroom, but then you really have to play it in fifteen different clubs and start seeing what the common issues are. If you’re into slap-style, like what I play, then you’d want to look into gut strings. If you’re playing metal strings you’ll get a better, sweeter, more traditional sound. You got to, kind of, break out the nerd books and get into EQ and phase relationships. I think it pays off to be a little more scientific with how those frequencies work with one another and all that. I think that really pays off for a bass player. The main thing is, play with as many different people as possible and you can see where your middle ground is. The difference between me playing with Derek Hoke and The Shack Shakers is vast. I use the same rig it’s just a matter of learning how to, (in advance preferably) so you’re not wasting someone’s time, to learn what all of the anomalies are.

What are your goals as a player/producer in the future?

Just to keep becoming a better listener and that applies to both. It makes you a great bass player to learn how to listen. Same goes for being a producer, really hearing where other people are coming from. It’s more important to understand than to be understood. That’s the role of a bass player in a nutshell, and a producer for that matter. I want to become a better listener, a better person. Make more with less, don’t over-think things. That’s where great music comes from, when you get that feeling of lightning in a bottle. So, I’m still trying to trap the lightning in a bottle.

Can you tell us about the Documentary that you’re filming? When will it be out?

It’s called “Slap Happy” and it’s just about Slap-Style Upright Bass. We’re not tied into any style (genre). We have Psychobilly guys; Vic Victor from the Koffin Kats, Kim Nekroman, Jimbo Wallace from (Rev.) Horton Heat and some more, kind of modern guys. We have some real Old-School guys, some Gypsy musicians. I’ve got two amazing players from Serbia that I managed to hook up with in my travels. Three great French bass players came out of nowhere. And of course the Austin (TX) scene which is so important; Chicago, Southern California, Nashville obviously. It’s just about all things from Gypsy players and blues players, country players, Psychobilly players. It’s just all things slap-bass. It was supposed to be out by now but I just can’t seem to stop filming. There’s always somebody new to grab and some new angle. I’ve been working on it for almost a year. I think (it will be out in) six months at the most.

Who is one of the busiest working bassists you’ll meet? That would be the versatile, dynamic, industrious and accomplished Ivan “Funkboy” Bodley. To wit, the bulk of this interview was conducted virtually; during “down time” at hotels and on buses between Japanese towns and during sound checks while Ivan was out touring. Subsequently, this interview journeyed along with Ivan back to New York City, where Funkboy lives.

Ivan’s latest recording projects are as the bassist on the CD portion of Bootsy Collins: Legendary Licks, Collins’ new instructional book / CD project, and in addition to that, his new release, “Look at That Cookie,” drops in September, 2011.

First off, thanks for agreeing to this interview! So tell me, how did it come about that you became a bass player? Story please.

I have a theory that your instrument chooses you. You don’t choose your instrument. I dabbled with things when I was quite young: viola, guitar, and piano. But nothing stuck or lasted more than 6 months. I didn’t play anything all through junior high and high school. Then when I was 17 the bass chose me. It made sense to me. It fit my personality, fit my hands. I haven’t looked back since.

How has social media changed the way you network business-wise? Has the speed of the rate information now travels made coordinating a busy career easier or more complicated?

Hugely! That’s how it’s affected my business. I can feel it palpably. Any time I go to a jam session or other gathering of musicians, people with whom I haven’t spoken in years are all up to date on what I’m doing because they read it on Facebook. It’s amazing. So I’m careful about the content I post, knowing full well that it’s getting read instantaneously by all of my contacts. It’s a powerful medium. I also try to post active content designed to inform and entertain.

You’re a busy, working musician. Do you ever take time off? What do you do in your down time?

Time off from what? Take a vacation from what? Down time? What’s that? I’m writing this to you from my hotel room in Tokyo, Japan. And even though travel is exhausting, and we work really hard while on the road, I don’t know too many people who would think that what I do isn’t fascinating work. We’ll go sightseeing on a morning off one day in Tokyo, for instance. But this is no 9 – 5 occupation by any stretch of the imagination. There are no paid vacation days, no sick days, no weekends, no holidays. I played half time at the Jets game last Thanksgiving. I played Christmas night on Broadway, in “Rock of Ages.” If I do have a day off, the last thing I want to do is get on another airplane and go anywhere. I just draw the blinds on the windows of my apartment and quiver in the dark..

Name the cities you’ve performed in in the past year. 3,2,1..GO!

I’ll have to go through my calendar to give you an accurate list. But I can give you a few off the top of my head: Tokyo, Japan; Sapporo, Japan; Miami, FL; Marksville, Louisiana (google that one!); Windsor, Ontario; NYC (Broadway, Carnegie Hall, etc); Virginia Beach, VA; Lima, Peru; Orlando, FL; Westbury, NY; Medford Lakes, NJ; Oh, I could go on. Upcoming gigs in Tulsa, OK; Chicago, IL; Phoenix, AZ; maybe Vegas, NV: and beyond.

How did the moniker “Funkboy” emerge?

Some friends at Tulane started calling me that because of the music I used to play on my radio shows, not because of my being a musician, oddly enough. The name just sort of stuck. And I liked it! It seemed to fit. Like all proper nicknames, they’re assigned by others rather than self-imposed.

You graduated Magna Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music. Do you teach music or mentor budding bassists? Have you written any instructional material?

I do teach privately. But only for folks who seek me out. I don’t advertise or seek students. If people want to know stuff, I have plenty to tell. But they’ve got to want it. I’m not out to sell anyone anything. I have taught in the past as part of rhythm section classes at the Drummer’s Collective and also out of Lennox Studios up in Stamford. There’s a new book of transcriptions of Bootsy Collins, part of the Legendary Licks series from Cherry Lane Music. I didn’t transcribe the music or write the excellent book, but they did hire me to be Bootsy’s stunt double and record all of the bass parts for the accompanying play-along CD. It was an epic endeavor! I’m also writing a book about deepening one’s pocket and groove. But I’m a little stalled on that project at present as summer is my busiest season.

What’s your vision for facilitating young bassists’ instruction and education? How would you like to see schools implement music programs, at a time where music programs are being cut from schools? How would you creatively use technology to enhance music instruction?

These are all fine questions. However, I have a very different approach to how I had to go about it as I was learning, because I went to a prep school in Chattanooga that had NO music program at the time! Forget public funding! So I had to seek out occasional private instruction and do most all of it on my own. I believe strongly in arts education. It’s crucial to cognitive development. But it’s hard for me to know what works since I saw none of it growing up! Now, that being said, once I decided that being a professional musician was what I really wanted to do, i.e., the thought of doing anything else at all just made me queasy, then I went back to school and got my Berklee degree. I already had a degree in Psychology from Tulane. So my later training was very regimented and taught by some of the baddest cats on the planet. Berklee was so important in my development. It’s allowed me to be a working musician for all of these years. I understand all the Berklee kids now have laptops with Pro Tools. But back in my day, Sonny, we had a pencil! You kids get off my lawn!

What’s it like to perform in Rock of Ages on Broadway? How would you compare the schedule of playing on Broadway to being out on tour? Was the audience and the “vibe” of being on Broadway different than that of other venues as diverse as large arenas, clubs or private events?

I sub in Rock of Ages about 2-3 times a month these days and have done for the past two years, subbing for the great Winston Roye. I’ve played 75 performances in the past two years. It’s changed my life. There’s no comparison to being on tour. I take the subway to work. And all I need to bring to the theatre is my eyeliner pencil, my in-ear monitors, and my brain. They have there my costume and the basses I’m to play. Rock of Ages is more than a little unique as far as the typical Broadway show goes. The band is on stage in costume for the whole show. We’re playing a rock concert every night! There just happens to be some dialog between songs.

What’s the largest venue you’ve played?

Meadowlands Stadium, Jets game, Thanksgiving Day, 2010, Half-Time show with the cast of Rock of Ages. 82,255 fans: Sold out!

A little bird told me you have an upcoming CD being released. Do tell! Details, please.

It’s called, Look at That Cookie. It’s my 4th release as a bandleader, and it’s my 2nd disc of music recorded with my dear pals, James Dower, on keyboards, and Joe Goretti, on drums. About 2-1/2 years ago, the three of us started recording each other’s material and eating sandwiches together on weekday afternoons. Having the sessions booked has forced me to write for them. I have 75 original tracks in the can now. I’ve never been this prolific or this happy with my writing, playing, or recordings. The new cd is going to be 11 songs of unadulterated fun! Image: The Meters and Lou Donaldson having a jam session. Echoes of Mardi Gras, Memphis & Motown, my main areas of expertise and experience. James is here in Tokyo with me right now as we’re on tour with the great Sam Moore. Joey is on the other side of our planet at this very moment on tour with Moby. Our sandwich dates will have to wait until the fall until we’re all back home in New York for more recordings. Look at That Cookie should be out this fall and available through CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon, and all the usual retailers.

Pigs Feet & Potted Meat. How did you arrive at the title? What inspired that groove?

The CD cover photo was taken on my camera/phone at my local supermarket. It just looked like a CD cover. So I had to write a tune to go with it. The groove is reminiscent of a Meters kind of vibe from New Orleans, my 2nd home.

Who are your favorite modern bassists and influences? Name names! Name songs.

The only newer guy I’ve seen semi-recently whom I really like is Doug Johns. Most cats are either about groove or chops, but not both. He’s one of those rare cats who has both. He grooves really hard. That being said, there are dozens of classic players who never cease to amaze.

Favorite Classical composer(s)? How has classical music influenced your style?

I’m into Bach, Vivaldi and the Baroque dudes for the real classics. But I’m also wildly into Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and Terry Riley for the modern minimalist stuff. That stuff really lights me up. I took a Bach and Beethoven class at Tulane. The midterm exam was all listening, just identifying which movement of which Beethoven symphony. That’s the only test in my entire educational career that I ever got 100% on. My dad is a classical music buff. So I was exposed to it growing up. That has all served me very well in playing with violinist Alexander Markov and his Rock Concerto. Alex sold out Carnegie Hall last fall. We had 150 musicians and choral singers on stage. I play electric bass on that because I’m the “rock” guy in the concerto. There isn’t a feeling in the world like seeing your name over the door at Carnegie and then taking a bass solo on that stage. Heavy!

You are pretty diverse in your experience within the music business. Safe to say you’re a bass player, first? How does being a musician aid you in seeing various aspects of the business itself through that lens?

I do other things to facilitate being a player that are all business related. I don’t have an agent or a manager or a tech or an engineer. It’s just little old me out here trying to do it all! Having business experience facilitates the playing and vice versa. Everything contributes to everyone else. The same can be said about performing in so many diverse genres and formats. Everything bolsters everything else.

How do you balance it all? Obviously, you do it very well. I’m being cheeky here: Does your psych degree from Tulane assist you as a professional musician and music business person?

See above, about everything contributing to everything else. I’m not a psychotherapist. But I’ve met a few people who I think would benefit from a couple of visits to one! There is no such thing as balance! That’s an illusion! My pal, Killer Joe, and I say this all the time. It’s either feast or famine. I’m either going 900 miles an hour or sitting home for the winter waiting for the phone to ring. Actually, I don’t often sit home. But last winter had the tail end of the recession slowing the music biz down for a bit.

You bring up a good point. What do you do when the music business is “slow?” How have you been creative in networking out there, when the business doesn’t necessarily flow and come to you?

It’s really never slow for me. Last winter was an anomaly. I typically do 250 dates a year.

How valuable is a sense of humor in what you do? Care to share a funny story as an example?

You have to laugh to keep from crying. I forget who said that. But I think about it all the time. I constantly say to my bandmates: “What, and quit show business!?” I just have to quote the punchline about the dude who cleans up after the elephants at the circus, when asked why he doesn’t find another job. We just dragged our carcasses off a Trans-Pacific 13-1/2 hour flight, barely alive, literally dragging our behinds to the domestic transfer area for our 5-hour layover and 2nd flight of the day up to Sapporo. I’m pretty sure I said that at baggage claim: “What, and quit show business!?”

Which professional organizations and groups are you a card-carrying member of?

Local 802 AFM, ASCAP, AAA…

Which online groups for bassists would you recommend as sources of information and support?

There is so much great information out there just one search engine away. Back in my day, Sonny, there weren’t no YouTube. I couldn’t see John Entwistle’s hands play that lick on Sister Disco until I went to The Who concert in Biloxi. Once I saw him do it, the veil was lifted! Nowadays you can just Google that stuff and learn volumes in a fraction of the time.

What brands do you endorse? What’s the process for achieving endorsements?

Warrior basses, DR strings, Hartke and Markbass amps, Digitech and Line 6 signal processors. And I eat only Little Debbie snack cakes. I choose only gear that I use. Endorsements are symbiotic relationships between artist and manufacturers. We give them exposure, they give us gear at wholesale. Everybody wins!

What haven’t you done that you want to do? What’s your dream?

There’s still a big stadium tour on a bus with a currently charting artist who plays all of the major late night talk shows that I haven’t yet done. I don’t have anyone specific in mind. But that seems like something that’s within my reach. Everything else I dreamed about growing up I’m living every day.

Keep up with Ivan at: http://www.funkboy.net

Barbara Wiesenberg is a bassist, pianist, organist, educator, librarian and writer. She holds a Masters Degree in Library and Information Studies from Queens College, City University of New York. Her background includes being an academic music librarian, researcher, an English teacher, a curriculum writer, a church organist, a professional development coordinator for librarians and teachers, a volunteer theaterologist, and she is a self-confessed computer geek. Barbara very much enjoyed writing this interview and learned much about Pigs’ Feet and Potted Meat in addition to the intrinsic value of Little Debbie Snack Cakes.

Steuart Liebig

How can I describe Los Angeles-based composer, experimental music icon, all-around nice guy and über bad-boy fretless bassist Steuart Liebig? HMMM… that’s truly one for the books, folks. I first met Steuart in ’00 when I was looking for a couple bassists to study with via e-mail. After several really cool conversations, though in being completely true to his anomalous nature, Steuart decided that he didn’t have anything to teach me! Wha…?!?! Truly, he is a player and person like none other I’ve ever met. Funny, friendly, and deeply unique, the man composes and participates in music far off the beaten path, and not at all “outside” by any means.

Eventually, Steuart and I fell out of touch and didn’t chat for several years. My dear friend Stewart McKinsey and I were chatting via telephone a few months ago, and I asked him if he’d heard of this great player I met many years ago. Not only was “Stewbacca” very up-to-speed on Liebig, but also the elusive player had just tracked with him – for McKinsey’s latest release! Again, “wha…?!?” Okay, I got Liebig’s contact info and made the call. Within 3 minutes, Steuart and I were laughing and chatting it up as if we’d been in touch all along!

After some chiding and persuading, Steuart sent me a dozen CDs of projects he’s led and/or been involved in over the past couple decades! I spent several weeks listening, and I can’t describe what I heard! Deep harmony, and a real passion for obscure, arcane melodies! It was a wonderful listening experience! Now… how do I write this story? There is no way to conquer this matter! So, let’s see if Steuart Liebig will speak for himself… This is Steuart Liebig!

BAJ: Though some might consider your compositions somewhat divergent, I was very excited to hear the very consonant nature of your writing! Really cool music, too! You seem to carve an atypical path in your exploration of music, man. Thank you! How does your writing process begin, and what are the subsequent steps to taking a piece from brain to page?

SL: Glad you like it. Divergent from other stuff I’ve written or from “normal” stuff (Laughter)? I actually try to make each project have its own sound—be its own universe. And I’m interested in doing a lot of different types of things; so I hope that my chamber music and sort of blues-oriented stuff will sound different from each, even while they might sound like “me.”

As far as my writing process goes, “inspiration” can come from a lot of different places: I might read an passage in a novel, poem or short story, might see a painting that gives me some thoughts, or might read an article on string theory. Usually it would be something that intrigued me and I would try to figure a way to allude to it musically as a piece or a series of pieces.

Another way might be like this: My band the Mentones came about because I was listening to some earlier music by alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman and thinking (despite its reputation for being “out”) that it just sounded like the blues. I was also listening to a lot of Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters at the same time. So it occurred to me that I wanted to hear alto saxophone and chromatic harmonica playing spliced and diced melodies based on jazz and blues. From there it broadened into some tunes that incorporated some country and the influences of stuff like Harry Partch as well. Then I had to figure out the bass lines: some are based on bass parts, some guitar parts, some on banjo parts—or a combination of all of those and more. Recently I’m been working on some bass lines that will probably be the beginning of another project.

BAJ: How much do you improvise within your compositions?

SL: All of the music I sent has improvisation as a major component of each piece. While I have written completely through-composed music in the more “classical” style, the music I’ve been doing for the last 18 years or so is all about melding the control of written material (sometimes in a more classical style) with the needs of improvising ensembles. For the most part, I try to get away from the standard head… solo…solo…solo…head form, and I try to weave the improvised sections in and out of the written music. Depending on the piece or the ensemble, it can be solos over grooves or background figures, or it could be free solos/duos/trios/quartets that hopefully tie into the rest of the piece.

BAJ: Your live recordings have a cool, urban, “dark city” vibe, man. What kind of gear are you hauling to your live performances

SL: “Urban dark city vibe”? I like that. I live in L.A., which (contrary to popular belief) is not the land of milk and honey. Even with all that sunshine, it’s definitely more dark and urban than most people think.

Bass gear? It depends, but all of my basses are Fodera 6-string basses. I met the Fodera guys in 1985, when I bought my first fretted 6-string from them, then I got my first fretless 6-string from them in the same year and have been playing their stuff ever since. I have several of their 6-strings and tend to use different strings (flatwounds and/or round wound) and different tunings for different projects. In terms of amplification, it depends on the project: for my bands the Mentones and Hooked on Lemon Drops, I’ve been using a ’70s Ampeg V4-B; for the Tee-Tot Quartet, it’s been a ’70s Fender Bassman 100; for my more chamber music-oriented stuff (like Minim and Stigette) and more jazz-oriented stuff (Seconda Prattica Quintet), it’s been my ’90s stereo Walter Woods head. I’ve been using the same Harry Kolbe 1×12 cabinets for the last 14 years or so. Recently I got a Genz-Benz ShuttleMax 12 that I like quite a bit. If a project needs effects, there’s a whole menu of stuff that I might use. (If anyone wants to see more gear stuff, go here: http://stigsite.com/gear.html

BAJ: How do you assemble the great players you’re working with, and what does that entail as a leader?

SL: I’m a big believer in chemistry in bands, so a lot of it comes from just meeting people who I might develop a relationship with and then we’ll try playing together. Sometimes I ask for recommendations—that’s how I met Bill Barrett, the chromatic harmonica player in the Mentones (which also includes alto saxophonist Tony Atherton and drummer Joe Berardi). I mean, there aren’t that many guys who can play harmonica like a cross between Little Walter and Ornette Coleman, but I needed to find one for that band, ya know? In terms of being a leader, sometimes I base what I’m going to do on the personalities (playing and otherwise) of the players and sometimes I have to search players out based on the sound I’m going after. I try to make sure that all the players in my bands get plenty of time to improvise and express themselves, and that they have good interplay and empathy. Personal relationships matter to me.

Like a lot of bass players, I think finding the “right” drummer for a project can often be the most challenging aspect of getting a band together. That being said, I have had the opportunity to play with some incredible drummers (beyond the ones I’ve already mentioned here in this interview): Billy Mintz, Alan Cook, Greg Bendian, etc. They all bring something great and challenging to the table.

BAJ: Who comprises your audience, and how do you get your music to those of us who are eager to hear as much from you as possible?

SL: First, I’m terrible at self-promotion. Second, the economy has been killing venues in Los Angeles, so it’s been kind of bleak that last couple of years. CDs are probably becoming increasingly irrelevant. It’s an interesting time to be a musician, right? And then there’s the fact that what I’ve chosen to do is somewhat off the beaten path. So . . . I basically hope that people will be inquisitive and search for different stuff and then stumble upon me. That’s the way I’ve found most of the stuff that’s really turned my head around in the last few years.

BAJ: Also, once you’ve written a tune, how long do you sit with it before you begin rehearsing the material with players?

View Part 2

Missed part 1? Click here to view it.

BAJ: What is your vision for your musical voice, and what are you favorite mood provoking devices – musically and compositionally?

SL: Dude, these are deep questions! My musical voice? In terms of my voice on the bass, I’ve been trying to do some different types of things than might be done more regularly. For one thing, I’ve tried to do stuff that’s more chamber music-oriented, where I’ll be playing music with a bassoon, clarinet and flute. It’s an interesting challenge to try to fit in sonically with those instruments. I’ve also developed a bunch of techniques that might be called “prepared bass” or “extended techniques” (you can find information about his sort of thing here: http://stigsite.com/gear_prepbass.html)
I use this to get different percussive sounds, stuff that sounds like gamelans or koto sounds, or stuff that might sound like rustling leaves. I think there’s a lot of stuff that can be done with the electric bass that has not been touched on—so I guess I’m trying to touch on some of those.

Overall, I guess I’m approaching what I do as a cross between an upright bass, electric bass, cello, guitar, synth and drum. Depending on the situation, I’ll try to incorporate any of those.

One of the guys I played with at an early age was a pianist named Les McCann. He got it into my head that one can express something outside of chops or the usual solo/accompaniment paradigm. I’m really grateful for that lesson because it opened my ears up to so many more possibilities.

Conceptually, I’m into the idea of getting out of the standard hierarchy that we as bass players inhabit. So I might play some stuff as straight-up groove, but I also might be the chordal instrument and leave the bass part (if there is one) to the bassoon or a keyboard, or I might just be an equal partner in group counterpoint.

BAJ: Who are your musical influences?

SL: There are literally way too many to list. I mean, I love the funk, ya know? But I also like metal, jazz, classical, blues, country, “ethnic” music, electronica, hip-hop, avant-garde, etc. I guess you could say I’m an equal-opportunity stealer. If you want to get into bass players, I stole an idea from my friend Nels Cline of doing a list of bassists who influenced me—with the caveat that the word “influence” can mean positively or negatively. The list can be found here: http://stigsite.com/bass%20talk_players.html

BAJ: What grounds you in your life? What gives you hope?

SL: Well, my wife and I have been married 23 years and we have 14-year-old twins! In addition, for the last year or so, I’ve been trying to work out a lot more, be in better shape.

Hope? Globally: Humanity has persevered throughout history, so I guess I’m hopeful that this will continue to be the case. Personally: I believe that the process of living, being in relationships and making art make life worth living.

BAJ: Finally, what are one or two musical goals you would like to accomplish this year?

SL: My goals right now are to continue with a new phase in my compositional life that I’ve been moving toward for the last two years. I’ve been getting more deeply involved with learning an open-ended computer sound-creation software called MAX/MSP that I plan to use in different ways. I’ve been writing a piece for improvising string quartet, so I need to finish that. And I need to do some recording of my band Hooked On Lemon Drops. You wanted one or two? Oops! (Laughter)

BAJ: Who are your favorite composers, and why? Also, what’s the coolest music you’ve heard in the last several months?

SL: There’s too much great music in the world. Hmm, composers: Beethoven, Mahler, Stravinsky, Dutilleux, Ravel, Schoenberg, Monteverdi, Lachenmann, Wayne Shorter, Charles Mingus, Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill. But you know, I listen to tons of stuff: Louis Armstrong, Public Enemy, Mastodon, Shadow Huntaz, Boards of Canada, Supersilent, the Evan Parker Electro/Acoustic Ensemble, Roscoe Holcomb. Recently my new faves would be this music called Rembetika that was underground music in Athens in the 1920s (kinda like Greek/Turkish blues), an improvising group from Norway called Supersilent, a group of composers called the Spectralists (mostly French and some German) who are combining orchestral instruments with computer-generated sound, and Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem.

BAJ: Tell us about the live Thomasson from “Hooked On Lemon Drops”! One of my favorite tunes of all the discs you sent is the second tune on that particular disc! KILLIN’!

SL: Okay, now that I know which tune you mean. So . . . that tune is on my Fodera 12-string (6-string bass with octave strings). I’ve been listening to a couple of earlier discs by Anouar Brahem, and this tune is sort of a tribute to him and borrows from other Middle Eastern music as well. It’s the first of three parts that make up a piece tentatively called Thomasson 2 (still coming up with real tune names for this stuff). I’ve written about five of these pieces. The whole concept is that each piece has three fairly structured parts that evoke different grooves or feelings, and these are bridged by free improv sections. Each three-part piece is designed to be around 30–35 minutes in total length.

The part you’ve asked about is the first section of Thomasson 2 and starts off with some spacey textural improv between percussion/drums (Christopher Allis) and keyboards (Wayne Peet), and then segues into a lengthy unison melody played by Bb clarinet (Andrew Pask) and 12-string. Then it goes into time with a bass solo. It’s all pretty much droney D-minor-ish stuff with shifting modalities. Some of the stuff I’m doing is fingerpicking stuff inspired by Ralph Towner. After the solo, I loop some more D drone stuff and we go into a group improv that segues into the next section of the three-part piece.

BAJ: My all-time favorite CD was the “Always Outnumbered” disc. Tell us about how the Tee-Tot Quartet functions, and how preparing a release like it comes together?

SL: I think that disc is one of my more peculiar discs—what does that say about you?? (Need smiley face emoticon here!) Tee-Tot http://stigsite.com/tee-tot1front.html came about as an offshoot of the Mentones, but with a little more country and a lot of influence from ’20–30s music, like Louis Armstrong’s Hot Fives band. At one point I had thought of doing the Mentones as a quintet with trumpeter Dan Clucas. I decided against that, but then thought it would be cool to have trumpet with slide guitar, so I kept that in mind as a future project. As it turned out a friend, Scot Ray, who used to play crazy-good trombone took up dobro and became pretty monstrous at it. He came into town (he lives in Montana now), so I wrote a few tunes and we got together to play them with Dan and the drummer from the Mentones, Joe Berardi. We all thought it went fabulously well and that it had a great vibe, so I wrote some more tunes. Next time Scot came into town, we rehearsed, did a few gigs and recorded the tunes, then mixed ’em, I did the artwork and put it out.

BAJ: You work with an interesting assortment of musicians, man. Is there an overall sense of like-mindedness amongst your small musical clique? Or, is it more “catch-as-catch-can” when assembling players? How does it work? Also, describe your view of musical camaraderie from any angle. Finally, how long do players sit with your music before they begin to “hear” what you’re going for musically?

SL: I think the main thing with the community of players that I’m part of is that there are a lot of divergent styles and interests, but that we can all get together in different groupings and make music together. For instance, I’ll play with guitarist G.E. Stinson in groups where he does extended technique guitar plus slamming laptop beats, and I’ll being doing bass with lots of effects as well as laptop-generated sounds; or I might play with drummer Alex Cline, whose music tends to be very cinematic—lots of space, beautiful tonal melodies and long arching forms; or I might play completely improvised music that veers closer to jazz with people like Vinny Golia (who is a prodigious multi-reed player and composer) or Dan Clucas. I just did a gig with two drummers (Ted Byrnes and Rich West) and me—it was interesting (challenging!) being the only harmonic and melodic instrument. The interesting thing for me is that we’re all in the same community and sound different for our own projects, but then play in each other’s bands and change what we do to fit that music.

In terms of my written music, I don’t think it’s that hard, but people say it’s challenging. However, I don’t think it’s the actual written stuff that’s tough, but the fact that I want people to build off the written notes or vibe of the piece when they start improvising. That can take a little bit of time and effort because people’s usual licks won’t always work.

BAJ: You’ve accomplished a lot of music! What’s next for you, and what are you currently working on compositionally?

SL: Thanks, I think I’ve probably written more music and so forth than I have “accomplished” anything . . . maybe I need to be more ambitious!
What’s next? Like a lot of people, I’m just trying to make sure my family and I can get through an “interesting economic time.” Musically, I’m working on incorporating computer-generated sound into both written and improvised situations, and starting on grooves for a band of two percussionists, trumpet, keyboards and bass.

BAJ: Is there any specific technical approach to your instrument that you’ll share with our readers?

SL: Technical approach? Not really. I guess I would say that I’m not into the school that says you should play really lightly and let the amp do the work. I’m more into making the string really vibrate and getting the body of the bass to resonate along with it. I was talking to bassist Mike Pope the other night, and (I think) he and I were agreeing that that’s where the magic of a stringed instrument occurs—where all the tonal nuance, dynamics and artistry come from. I think that people might want to investigate “their relationship with the string”—that is, see what they can get out of the string when they’re playing it.

Also, sometimes I think people key into technique too much, I know there have been times in my life where I have. I think it can be more useful to work on concepts and ideas away from the bass than it is to work at the instrument—sometimes we just go into muscle memory instead of really heading into new ideas. For instance, some of the most useful time I’ve spent is thinking about how I wanted to do something (like soloing, for instance)—after really working on the concept away from the bass, it was easier for me to break some of the habits I had and work I on what I wanted to do, not what I already knew how to do.

BAJ: Your fretless playing is sublime. What ear-training exercises have you worked with over the years?

SL: Thanks! (I’m now blushing) I spend a fair amount of time doing double stops and chords, and trying to get them in tune. Sometimes it’s pretty brutal and depressing. One of the things that really helped me both with tone and approach to intonation was studying classical upright when I was in college. I ended up with a really great teacher (and bassist/musician) named Ed Meares who really helped set me in the right direction. I really would rather sound closer to an upright or cello than the Jaco paradigm on fretless. All this being said, I just heard bassist Scott Pazera playing a fretless of mine and I was thinking I needed to tone some stuff down (I’ve been working on some pretty aggressive techniques of late).

BAJ: How often do you participate in sessions, if at all? Are there any artists or groups you would dig working with that you haven’t thus far?

SL: I mostly do work with people who are interested in the same basic area of music that I am. I’ve done some session stuff outside of that, but have pretty much gone away from doing commercial music or music that I’m not into. There’s a long list of interesting people I’d like to work with, but I don’t know if I’d be right for them. Some of it just comes down to logistics as I have a family that I need to take care of. I’d like to do some more recording with Vinny Golia, and would like to revisit a band I was in called L. Stinkbug with Nels Cline, Scott Amendola and G.E. Stinson, but Nels and Scott are way too busy to pull that off, I think.

If you want to get into pie-in-the-sky stuff, I’d love to try to do what I do with someone like Bjork, David Sylvian, Thom Yorke, John Zorn or Supersilent. Another dream project would be to reconvene the version of Julius Hemphill’s 1980s JAH Band with Bill Frisell, Nels Cline, Alex Cline and me, and have someone like Tim Berne or Marty Ehrlich take Julius’ (who sadly died in the ’90s) place. I only mention this in case any of the people I mentioned ever see this on the web . . . (lol).

BAJ: Where do you collect the musical images you articulate through your compositions?

SL: Like I said earlier, it could be just about anything: a book, movie, painting, piece of music, walking down the street. I often just catalog stuff in my mind or on a piece of paper, sometimes I write down a sketch of a rhythmic idea or melodic gesture and let it gestate for a while.

BAJ: Who are a few artists/groups you would suggest for our readers to check out?

SL: I don’t know that I would necessarily try to point someone in any particular direction. I think I would encourage people to be inquisitive. Some much of what I’ve learned has been from reading about someone whose work I like and then finding out about their influences or community, and then following up on that. Often I discover someone else whose work I like and then learn about more people. I try to keep an open ear and keep mental notes from conversations about music or listening to the radio. I guess it’s about keeping an open mind and taking the time and spending the energy and time to follow up on things that interest you. Last, I think it’s a good think to seek out things you might not ordinarily be into and see if you like it.

BAJ: What would you do differently in your musical career, given the opportunity to do so?

SL: I wish that I was little less headstrong in my earlier days. Sometimes being headstrong can mean having a strong vision for yourself and sometimes it can mean you’re reacting from fear or hubris—it can be both good and bad. I wish I could take the bad way of doing that out of my past.

BAJ: Identify one aspect of your playing that you truly dig! Identify one aspect of your personality you would trade!

SL: I think I have a pretty good touch and can interact with other players well; that is, I have pretty good empathy with them and listen well—I “play well with others.” Trade in parts of my personality? There are too many things I could trade in and they’re mostly private. See the comments about being headstrong.

BAJ: What haven’t I covered here that you really want to talk about?

SL: I think a lot of times I see people writing about bass playing or other musical endeavors, the focus is on “working” or making a living from playing. For most of us (and I think this is getting worse all the time), making a living playing (not even to say being happy doing that) is difficult at best. I’ve know people who made good money playing and ended up hating it. I’m more interested in having a life-long relationship with the instrument and music, and what I can get—and give—from that. I guess I’m saying enjoy the “art” of music, not just the commerce. We all have to pay the bills, “pay Caesar”. I’ve chosen to do that by having a day job and letting the musical side of things be more ‘art for art’s sake” . . . it may not work for everyone, but it is one way to do things.

BAJ: Thank you for talking with us, Steuart! I truly appreciate your music and playing ability!

SL: Brent-Anthony, thanks for the kind words . . . and thanks for taking the time to do this interview and asking all these great questions. BIG thanks for having me do it! It’s been a very thought-provoking, interesting and instructive process for me. Hopefully it was somewhat interesting for other folks as well.

Roy Vogt Interviews Jeff Berlin on his new CD, High Standards, now available on iTunes. Click the album cover below to view in iTunes. To read the Bass Frontiers review of High Standars click here.

People often ask me for details on what a typical “day on the road” looks like. Well, it looks (and smells) different everyday. Being a bassist in a popular country band can mean anything from waking up on the tour bus in the parking lot of a stadium like Soldier Field, to waking up in an actual field where your only bathroom option is a port-o-potty. (And good luck using one of those after dark.)

There’s a typical flow I can generally count on everyday though and I will lay out my schedule here for your reading pleasure…

Rise and Shine – 9 a.m.
This is when I generally awake in my bunk, usually because we are pulling into the venue and the gentle whirring of the bus’s engine has given way to a series of herky-jerky stops and starts as the busses line up in their designated parking places.

Early Morning: Set up shop
I open the door of the bus and take in my surroundings. Time to drag my suitcase and computer bag off of the bus and follow the signs to the band dressing room, which I’ll share with 4 guys. I like to set up shop early in the dressing room rather than spend all day on the bus since hanging out on the bus makes me a little stir-crazy. I’ll claim a little corner of the room, change out of my PJ’s, and then it’s off to catering for breakfast.

Midday: World Wide Web
After breakfast, I spend the morning walking around, checking out the venue and eventually forcing myself to do some form of exercise, usually walking on the treadmill which we carry with us in one of the semi trucks. In addition to playing bass with Sugarland, I work for a production company called Sorted Noise (http://www.sortednoise.com) so I’ll spend time updating their blog, tracking a background vocal on the protools rig that we carry, or communicating with clients. Then I catch up on email and Facebook and have lunch.

Afternoon: Straight Chillin’
After lunch everyone usually ends up in the dressing room together and we chill out. Now a days a few of us have taken up playing this awesome board game called Settlers of Catan so this is a good time to get in a game before dinner. We all get along so well and I’m very blessed to get to spend time with such a great gang of folks.

Soundcheck: 3:00-4:00 p.m.
The crew sets up and line checks all the instruments and we (the band) hop onstage and use the first 30 minutes to play through new material or work through harmony parts. Sugarland also has a “Soundcheck Party” as part of their VIP packages so we enjoy entertaining the small crowd with songs of our choosing, like the theme from Ghost Busters.

At around 3:30, Jennifer and Kristian join us. We all use in-ear monitors and for consistency’s sake we play the same song at every soundcheck (that song being “Settlin’”) to make sure that everyone has what they need in their ears. Then maybe we’ll run one or two more newer songs. If everyone’s happy, we’ll wrap it up.

Early evening: Delicious Dinner
After soundcheck I see if I can convince the guys to play another board game with me. Then it’s time for dinner. We have an AMAZING catering service and dinner is always a highlight. Anyone who tours understands how difficult it can be to eat well on the road and we are so fortunate to have healthy, delicious meals provided for us each day. Dinner is always a good communal time to catch up with the other bands on the tour and hang out. I’m very lucky!

Evening: Doors open: Opening Act
After I’ve put on my outfit and done my hair and makeup, I’ll sneak up to the side of the stage to catch some of the opening act. This way I get a feel for the crowd and can really start getting into “show-mode.”

30 minutes before the show…
After the opening act is finished, there’s a 30 minute set changeover. At this point, the band gathers in the dressing room, any guests with whom we may have been visiting leave to take their seats, and we’ll go over any notes on the changes we may have made to the set during soundcheck. Then it’s time to crank the funk. And by “funk” I mean the BeeGees. We love to get fired up for a show listening to some BeeGees. Love it.

5 minutes before we walk to the stage…
Our tour manager comes in and give us what we call the “5 Minute Pee Window” and everyone runs to the bathroom before we head out. Then we dance down the hall, singing whatever song was just blasting on the ipod in the dressing room and meet up with Jennifer and Kristian for a pre-show prayer circle. Jennifer and Kristian take turns leading the prayer and then we walk up the ramp and hit the stage.

After show: Windin’ Down
We come off stage and head back to the dressing room where we wind down and change out of our show clothes. Then we head off to any after-show functions where we may have friends or family to catch up with. I usually can’t wait to wash off my makeup, and by 11:00 p.m. I’m in my PJs on the bus eating after-show food, then getting in my bunk to write in my journal, and eventually falling asleep.

Then the whole thing starts all over again…

JT: Dennis, I know you had done a few very popular movie soundtracks over the past couple of years; what were they?

DC: Well let’s see, there was Oh Brother Where Art Thou, Cold Mountain was one, and Walk the Line was another. Those were fun to work on. Cold Mountain based around the Civil War. I was on the opening theme, which was woven throughout the entire the entire movie. It was a song called You Will Be My Ain True Love. It featured Allison Krauss and Sting. I actually got to bow a little bit on that one. I don’t bow a lot, but when you’re in the trenches you do what you have to do. I did the soundtrack for Jeff Bridges’ new movie: Crazy Heart, and I also recently did Kris Kristofersen’s newest movie called Province of Night.

JT: Have you been using the bow much in other situations, lately?

DC: I quite a bit on the Raising sand tour with Allison Krauss and Robert Plant. I break out the bow whenever I need to.

JT: So what was it like working with Robert Plant?

DC: Amazing! Man, he’s Rock ‘n’ Roll royalty! His voice is an instrument! Quite honestly, going in, I didn’t know a lot of Zeppelin stuff…I wasn’t familiar with Robert’s repertoire, and until I was there, standing behind him and performing live…it’s one of the most powerful things I’ve ever heard. We actually did about four or five Zeppelin tunes. It was different every night. We would add parts, or do things differently adding new twists. Robert was part of the band! We just played off of each other so well!

JT: How would you describe the chemistry or dynamic between him and Allison?

DC: It got really good…I mean the way they played off each other. I saw Allison, who is a very dynamic performer and Robert pretty much go through a role reversal. I saw Allison begin to rock out a bit more than normal. I conversely saw Robert soften up a bit in his performance and vocal delivery.

JT: I remember a few years ago, you mentioning to me that you ran into Robert at Ernest Tubb’s Record Store, going through the old Country record bins.

DC: Oh yeah! He loves the stuff. He would show up at these venues every day with stacks of CD’s that he had just bought. He show up with Old Time Country record, Blues records. He’s just a musical guy. He likes anything musical. Elvis Costello was pretty much the same way. They just never stop digging for good music to enjoy. It lit a fire under me and I’ve become the same way when it comes to the enthusiasm in searching for good music.

JT: How did you get this particular Krauss & Plant gig?

DC: Well, I’ve been working for T Bone Burnett for several years now. He produced the record.

JT: It seems you’ve been involved, as a bassist, in everything T Bone has produced during these past few years. How did your relationship with him come about?

DC: That started on a Ralph Stanley Record around 2000 or 2001. It was roughly right after Oh Brother Where Art Thou. The bass player who was scheduled wasn’t able to make it, so I got the call. T Bone and I just sort of hit it off, and the Cold Mountain soundtrack sound track, also produced by T Bone, came right after that. Yeah, I’ve been doing everything that I can, based on my availability. I missed some stuff last summer when I was out with Elvis.

JT: I know that was a very popular and successful tour. What else has been exciting lately?

DC: Well, let’s see…there was the Elvis Costello record, and oh yeah…In September I did Willie Nelson’s latest record, which was recorded at Sound Stage. That record should be coming out in the spring. We cut about 25 songs for that one. Of course, not all of those will be on this album.
We also went up to Chicago and did Sound Stage, with Elvis Costello, in addition to the David Letterman show, in New York, which was a blast.

JT: I’ve been there. Did you freeze in Letterman’s studio?

DC: Oh yeah! Absolutely!

JT: I happened to catch the Lettermen broadcast that night. I noticed our old buddy Larry Campbell was in the band. Larry’s a fine multi-instrumentalist, who was a big part of the New York City Country scene as far back as the early ‘80’s when I was involved. People are usually shocked to learn that it was a thriving scene back then in the Big Apple, and that quite a few prominent Country & Americana players and artists were a part of it, but that’s a whole other story in itself.

DC: Oh yeah, Larry’s great! Lately he’s been doing a lot of work with Levon Helm, up in Woodstock. and of course he was in Bob Dylan’s band for a good number of years.

JT: Yeah, I think once you become a part of that whole Dylan camp, so to speak, you’re a part of the brotherhood of former Dylan band-members. What else has been new and exciting since we last spoke?

DC: Well, speaking of Dylan, I did Jakob Dylan’s record Way Out…and I also played on a couple of songs on John Fogerty’s current record: “The Blue Ridge Rangers Ride Again”.
In November I worked on Greg Allman’s new album, and after the new year I’m working on Elton’ John’s new record, which is exciting.

JT: You know, it’s very interesting to hear the upright on so many current records, especially some of the older rocker’s records and live shows.

DC: On man, I’ve got to tell you, I showed up to do a session with one of the new and popular Country artists, and when he arrived I heard him through the talkback, saying “we can’t have an upright bass on this record. It’ll set our sound back forty or fifty years!” Well I put the bass down, went into the control room and said “I can leave…it’s a pretty day out there.” Anyway, we went ahead and tracked with the upright; but that’s the mentality that’s prevalent throughout much of Nashville right now. But, I’m loving it, and the irony is that all these other great artists and these legendry rockers are using upright on their records and live shows. People like Plant, John Mellencamp, Elvis Costello, Jakob Dylan, Willie. These people embrace the upright.

JT: What was it like working with Fogerty?

DC: I guess I’d say it was unique…you know…he’s John Fogerty…he’s CCR. That voice is unmistakable! He’s pretty much a legend, and he’s got such a tremendous fan base. I’m happy I got to do it. I was excited to do it. He’s American rock ‘n’ roll! For me CCR was…I mean they were among the pioneers of rock.

JT: Let’s talk about working with Elvis Costello. What were some of the highlights of that experience?

DC: Man, highlights of working with Elvis. Man they’re ALL highlights! Elvis is great! I personally consider him to be the ultimate guy to work for!

JT: Did he give you a lot of direction, or did he leave it all up to you?

DC: He gave me free reign. He’s a “band guy”. We cut that record; Sulfur to Sugarcane in the studio live with no headphones, standing in shoulder-to-shoulder, in a circle.

JT: How many tunes did you guys cut, and how long did it take?

DC: Oh man, we did that record in like three days, and there were about fifteen or sixteen cuts. We got it done pretty quickly.

JT: What other players were on the sessions?

DC: There was Stuart Duncan, Jerry Douglas, Jim Lauderdale, Mike Compton, and Jeff Taylor. Jeff plays accordion with the Time Jumpers.

JT: Speaking of the Time Jumpers, you guy were nominated for two Grammy’s. That’s quite impressive.

DC: Oh yeah, that’s going back about two years now. Man, time sure flies!

JT: Did you attend?

DC: No. A bunch of us were invited, but the only way I’d ever go to the Grammy’s is if I were performing. I did that last year when I performed with Allison Krauss and Robert Plant.

JT: That must have been a big thrill.

DC: Man, you’re not kidding. That record swept the Grammy’s…five Grammy’s in all. It was a thrill to have played on that record, as well.

JT: I’ll bet it was! So tell me, what instruments you’re currently using for most of your dates? What’s currently your favorite bass?

DC: Lately, my main bass is from around 1840 or 1845, and it’s a seven-eighths scale Tyrolean instrument. I used it on pretty much everything we’ve been talking about. It’s a big, full cut, seven-eighths. Then I’ve been using my nineteen-forties Juzek, which I use a lot. I use the 1940’s Juzek for my Time Jumpers gigs. I have a bass out in L.A. that I use a lot. It’s a late eighteen hundreds German Slam back. Right now those are my three main basses.

JT: Are you constantly seeking out new basses?

DC: Oh, absolutely!

JT: What was the last instrument you found, that just blew you away?

DC: I’ve got to say it was the Juzek. I really like it…but I’m always looking. I’ve also sold a few. I guess you can say it’s quite an obsession.

JT: What about strings? You’ve got such an incredible tone. Do you buy your stings off the shelf?

DC: A guy by the name of Daniel Larsen, of Gamut Strings, built my D and G strings, which are pure gut. He makes them from scratch. They’re great! For my E and A strings I use Pirastro Pizzacatto’s, which are wound gut core strings.

JT: What are your personal specifications for your guts?

DC: I can’t recall at the moment, because Daniel has all of that information, and I just call him as I need them. As far as gauge, they’re what might be considered medium. One of my basses is below a medium just because that’s what works best on that particular instrument. Daniel knows what I like and he just makes them for me. The strings I have on my seven-eighths bass have been on there for at least three or four years now, and they sound great.

JT: What’s the turn-around time for having a set made?

DC: I recently called in an order about a week before a record date, and had them in four days. But normally, it takes about a week and a half. They’re located in Duluth, Minnesota. Yeah, Daniel is a great guy, and he can build gut strings for anything.

JT: What about amps? I’ve been mostly using a little Gallien Krueger MB, (Micro Bass), 150E, which I’ve had for nearly twenty years. How about yourself?

DC: I’ve been using a little Ampeg Micro Amp and I love it. I’ve got a great relationship with Ampeg. They supplied the entire set-up for the Krauss and Plant tour.

JT: What’s been your preference, lately, for live micing?

DC: Much of the time it’s whatever they have. Recently I used a little gooseneck clip-on, which they used to mic me at Sound Stage. I don’t know they make, but it sounded wonderful. Of course, if there’s a Neumann around, that can’t be beat, but that’s rare in a live situation. Any of the Shure Beta mic’s like the fifty-seven or Fifty-eight, are good…you know, they’ve got a big fat round sound. The EV RE-20 is really good too.

JT: While talking shop on one occasion, you told me you’ve been using ribbon mic’s to record. What about that?

DC: I have an old RCA 44, which I always use.

JT: What do you like about the 44?

DC: Oh man…the big warmth! It’s got such a big, warm, and round sound. I’ve also got an M Audio Sputnik tube mic, so I’m pairing both of those guys up, and that’s it. On records, though, if there’s a Neumann 47 available, I’ll use that as my first choice. I used the Sputnik on Loretta Lynn’s forthcoming record. We’re currently in the process of making that record. John Carter Cash is doing that one.
Speaking of new projects I’ve played on, I’d like to mention Grace Potter. She’s like… a combination of Aretha Franklin and Etta James. I’m really excited about that record. Jim Keltner was on drums, there was a fabulous horn section, and it was just a great band!

JT: What are using as your upright pick up?

DC: I’m still using the Realist. When I use it I don’t blend it with an external mic, I just use it by itself.

JT: Wow! Very cool! Now I know you’ve always been strictly an upright bassist; has that changed…have you been playing any electric at all?

DC: No…still strictly upright. I don’t play any electric.

JT: Well thank goodness for that, or else there wouldn’t be much work for us electric guys! Well buddy, as always, it’s been fun spending time talking bass with you. Thank you so much!

All photos used by permission of Tony DeFelippis. If you like his work, you can check out his website here: http://www.cinemashowpictures.com

How can I describe Los Angeles-based composer, experimental music icon, all-around nice guy and über bad-boy fretless bassist Steuart Liebig? HMMM… that’s truly one for the books, folks. I first met Steuart in ’00 when I was looking for a couple bassists to study with via e-mail. After several really cool conversations, though in being completely true to his anomalous nature, Steuart decided that he didn’t have anything to teach me! Wha…?!?! Truly, he is a player and person like none other I’ve ever met. Funny, friendly, and deeply unique, the man composes and participates in music far off the beaten path, and not at all “outside” by any means.

Eventually, Steuart and I fell out of touch and didn’t chat for several years. My dear friend Stewart McKinsey and I were chatting via telephone a few months ago, and I asked him if he’d heard of this great player I met many years ago. Not only was “Stewbacca” very up-to-speed on Liebig, but also the elusive player had just tracked with him – for McKinsey’s latest release! Again, “wha…?!?” Okay, I got Liebig’s contact info and made the call. Within 3 minutes, Steuart and I were laughing and chatting it up as if we’d been in touch all along!

After some chiding and persuading, Steuart sent me a dozen CDs of projects he’s led and/or been involved in over the past couple decades! I spent several weeks listening, and I can’t describe what I heard! Deep harmony, and a real passion for obscure, arcane melodies! It was a wonderful listening experience! Now… how do I write this story? There is no way to conquer this matter! So, let’s see if Steuart Liebig will speak for himself… This is Steuart Liebig!

BAJ: Though some might consider your compositions somewhat divergent, I was very excited to hear the very consonant nature of your writing! Really cool music, too! You seem to carve an atypical path in your exploration of music, man. Thank you! How does your writing process begin, and what are the subsequent steps to taking a piece from brain to page?

SL: Glad you like it. Divergent from other stuff I’ve written or from “normal” stuff (Laughter)? I actually try to make each project have its own sound—be its own universe. And I’m interested in doing a lot of different types of things; so I hope that my chamber music and sort of blues-oriented stuff will sound different from each, even while they might sound like “me.”

As far as my writing process goes, “inspiration” can come from a lot of different places: I might read an passage in a novel, poem or short story, might see a painting that gives me some thoughts, or might read an article on string theory. Usually it would be something that intrigued me and I would try to figure a way to allude to it musically as a piece or a series of pieces.

Another way might be like this: My band the Mentones (http://stigsite.com/mentones1front.html) came about because I was listening to some earlier music by alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman and thinking (despite its reputation for being “out”) that it just sounded like the blues. I was also listening to a lot of Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters at the same time. So it occurred to me that I wanted to hear alto saxophone and chromatic harmonica playing spliced and diced melodies based on jazz and blues. From there it broadened into some tunes that incorporated some country and the influences of stuff like Harry Partch as well. Then I had to figure out the bass lines: some are based on bass parts, some guitar parts, some on banjo parts—or a combination of all of those and more. Recently I’m been working on some bass lines that will probably be the beginning of another project.

BAJ: How much do you improvise within your compositions?

SL: All of the music I sent has improvisation as a major component of each piece. While I have written completely through-composed music in the more “classical” style, the music I’ve been doing for the last 18 years or so is all about melding the control of written material (sometimes in a more classical style) with the needs of improvising ensembles. For the most part, I try to get away from the standard head… solo…solo…solo…head form, and I try to weave the improvised sections in and out of the written music. Depending on the piece or the ensemble, it can be solos over grooves or background figures, or it could be free solos/duos/trios/quartets that hopefully tie into the rest of the piece.

BAJ: Your live recordings have a cool, urban, “dark city” vibe, man. What kind of gear are you hauling to your live performances

SL: “Urban dark city vibe”? I like that. I live in L.A., which (contrary to popular belief) is not the land of milk and honey. Even with all that sunshine, it’s definitely more dark and urban than most people think.

Bass gear? It depends, but all of my basses are Fodera 6-string basses. I met the Fodera guys in 1985, when I bought my first fretted 6-string from them, then I got my first fretless 6-string from them in the same year and have been playing their stuff ever since. I have several of their 6-strings and tend to use different strings (flatwounds and/or round wound) and different tunings for different projects. In terms of amplification, it depends on the project: for my bands the Mentones and Hooked on Lemon Drops, I’ve been using a ’70s Ampeg V4-B; for the Tee-Tot Quartet, it’s been a ’70s Fender Bassman 100; for my more chamber music-oriented stuff (like Minim and Stigette) and more jazz-oriented stuff (Seconda Prattica Quintet), it’s been my ’90s stereo Walter Woods head. I’ve been using the same Harry Kolbe 1×12 cabinets for the last 14 years or so. Recently I got a Genz-Benz ShuttleMax 12 that I like quite a bit. If a project needs effects, there’s a whole menu of stuff that I might use. (If anyone wants to see more gear stuff, go here: http://stigsite.com/gear.html

BAJ: How do you assemble the great players you’re working with, and what does that entail as a leader?

SL: I’m a big believer in chemistry in bands, so a lot of it comes from just meeting people who I might develop a relationship with and then we’ll try playing together. Sometimes I ask for recommendations—that’s how I met Bill Barrett, the chromatic harmonica player in the Mentones (which also includes alto saxophonist Tony Atherton and drummer Joe Berardi). I mean, there aren’t that many guys who can play harmonica like a cross between Little Walter and Ornette Coleman, but I needed to find one for that band, ya know? In terms of being a leader, sometimes I base what I’m going to do on the personalities (playing and otherwise) of the players and sometimes I have to search players out based on the sound I’m going after. I try to make sure that all the players in my bands get plenty of time to improvise and express themselves, and that they have good interplay and empathy. Personal relationships matter to me.

Like a lot of bass players, I think finding the “right” drummer for a project can often be the most challenging aspect of getting a band together. That being said, I have had the opportunity to play with some incredible drummers (beyond the ones I’ve already mentioned here in this interview): Billy Mintz, Alan Cook, Greg Bendian, etc. They all bring something great and challenging to the table.

BAJ: Who comprises your audience, and how do you get your music to those of us who are eager to hear as much from you as possible?

SL: First, I’m terrible at self-promotion. Second, the economy has been killing venues in Los Angeles, so it’s been kind of bleak that last couple of years. CDs are probably becoming increasingly irrelevant. It’s an interesting time to be a musician, right? And then there’s the fact that what I’ve chosen to do is somewhat off the beaten path. So . . . I basically hope that people will be inquisitive and search for different stuff and then stumble upon me. That’s the way I’ve found most of the stuff that’s really turned my head around in the last few years.

BAJ: Also, once you’ve written a tune, how long do you sit with it before you begin rehearsing the material with players?

SL: Sometimes it might be a couple of days: I’m just finishing a piece for two percussionists, trumpet and me that will be performed in four days. Sometimes it can literally be years. At this point I have enough material written for at least nine CD-length albums. Some has been performed live or rehearsed, some hasn’t. I’m starting to write more for specific situations because I’m tired of having a huge backlog of material.

BAJ: What is your vision for your musical voice, and what are you favorite mood provoking devices – musically and compositionally?

SL: Dude, these are deep questions! My musical voice? In terms of my voice on the bass, I’ve been trying to do some different types of things than might be done more regularly. For one thing, I’ve tried to do stuff that’s more chamber music-oriented, where I’ll be playing music with a bassoon, clarinet and flute. It’s an interesting challenge to try to fit in sonically with those instruments. I’ve also developed a bunch of techniques that might be called “prepared bass” or “extended techniques” (you can find information about his sort of thing here: http://stigsite.com/gear_prepbass.html) I use this to get different percussive sounds, stuff that sounds like gamelans or koto sounds, or stuff that might sound like rustling leaves. I think there’s a lot of stuff that can be done with the electric bass that has not been touched on—so I guess I’m trying to touch on some of those.

Overall, I guess I’m approaching what I do as a cross between an upright bass, electric bass, cello, guitar, synth and drum. Depending on the situation, I’ll try to incorporate any of those.

One of the guys I played with at an early age was a pianist named Les McCann. He got it into my head that one can express something outside of chops or the usual solo/accompaniment paradigm. I’m really grateful for that lesson because it opened my ears up to so many more possibilities.

Conceptually, I’m into the idea of getting out of the standard hierarchy that we as bass players inhabit. So I might play some stuff as straight-up groove, but I also might be the chordal instrument and leave the bass part (if there is one) to the bassoon or a keyboard, or I might just be an equal partner in group counterpoint.

BAJ: Who are your musical influences?

SL: There are literally way too many to list. I mean, I love the funk, ya know? But I also like metal, jazz, classical, blues, country, “ethnic” music, electronica, hip-hop, avant-garde, etc. I guess you could say I’m an equal-opportunity stealer. If you want to get into bass players, I stole an idea from my friend Nels Cline of doing a list of bassists who influenced me—with the caveat that the word “influence” can mean positively or negatively. The list can be found here: http://stigsite.com/bass%20talk_players.html

BAJ: What grounds you in your life? What gives you hope?

SL: Well, my wife and I have been married 23 years and we have 14-year-old twins! In addition, for the last year or so, I’ve been trying to work out a lot more, be in better shape.

Hope? Globally: Humanity has persevered throughout history, so I guess I’m hopeful that this will continue to be the case. Personally: I believe that the process of living, being in relationships and making art make life worth living.

BAJ: Finally, what are one or two musical goals you would like to accomplish this year?

SL: My goals right now are to continue with a new phase in my compositional life that I’ve been moving toward for the last two years. I’ve been getting more deeply involved with learning an open-ended computer sound-creation software called MAX/MSP that I plan to use in different ways. I’ve been writing a piece for improvising string quartet, so I need to finish that. And I need to do some recording of my band Hooked On Lemon Drops. You wanted one or two? Oops! (Laughter)

BAJ: Who are your favorite composers, and why? Also, what’s the coolest music you’ve heard in the last several months?

SL: There’s too much great music in the world. Hmm, composers: Beethoven, Mahler, Stravinsky, Dutilleux, Ravel, Schoenberg, Monteverdi, Lachenmann, Wayne Shorter, Charles Mingus, Anthony Braxton, Henry Threadgill. But you know, I listen to tons of stuff: Louis Armstrong, Public Enemy, Mastodon, Shadow Huntaz, Boards of Canada, Supersilent, the Evan Parker Electro/Acoustic Ensemble, Roscoe Holcomb. Recently my new faves would be this music called Rembetika that was underground music in Athens in the 1920s (kinda like Greek/Turkish blues), an improvising group from Norway called Supersilent, a group of composers called the Spectralists (mostly French and some German) who are combining orchestral instruments with computer-generated sound, and Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem.

BAJ: Tell us about the live Thomasson from “Hooked On Lemon Drops”! One of my favorite tunes of all the discs you sent is the second tune on that particular disc! KILLIN’!

SL: Okay, now that I know which tune you mean. So . . . that tune is on my Fodera 12-string (6-string bass with octave strings). I’ve been listening to a couple of earlier discs by Anouar Brahem, and this tune is sort of a tribute to him and borrows from other Middle Eastern music as well. It’s the first of three parts that make up a piece tentatively called Thomasson 2 (still coming up with real tune names for this stuff). I’ve written about five of these pieces. The whole concept is that each piece has three fairly structured parts that evoke different grooves or feelings, and these are bridged by free improv sections. Each three-part piece is designed to be around 30–35 minutes in total length.

The part you’ve asked about is the first section of Thomasson 2 and starts off with some spacey textural improv between percussion/drums (Christopher Allis) and keyboards (Wayne Peet), and then segues into a lengthy unison melody played by Bb clarinet (Andrew Pask) and 12-string. Then it goes into time with a bass solo. It’s all pretty much droney D-minor-ish stuff with shifting modalities. Some of the stuff I’m doing is fingerpicking stuff inspired by Ralph Towner. After the solo, I loop some more D drone stuff and we go into a group improv that segues into the next section of the three-part piece.

BAJ: My all-time favorite CD was the “Always Outnumbered” disc. Tell us about how the Tee-Tot Quartet functions, and how preparing a release like it comes together?

SL: I think that disc is one of my more peculiar discs—what does that say about you?? (Need smiley face emoticon here!) Tee-Tot http://stigsite.com/tee-tot1front.html came about as an offshoot of the Mentones, but with a little more country and a lot of influence from ’20–30s music, like Louis Armstrong’s Hot Fives band. At one point I had thought of doing the Mentones as a quintet with trumpeter Dan Clucas. I decided against that, but then thought it would be cool to have trumpet with slide guitar, so I kept that in mind as a future project. As it turned out a friend, Scot Ray, who used to play crazy-good trombone took up dobro and became pretty monstrous at it. He came into town (he lives in Montana now), so I wrote a few tunes and we got together to play them with Dan and the drummer from the Mentones, Joe Berardi. We all thought it went fabulously well and that it had a great vibe, so I wrote some more tunes. Next time Scot came into town, we rehearsed, did a few gigs and recorded the tunes, then mixed ’em, I did the artwork and put it out.

BAJ: You work with an interesting assortment of musicians, man. Is there an overall sense of like-mindedness amongst your small musical clique? Or, is it more “catch-as-catch-can” when assembling players? How does it work? Also, describe your view of musical camaraderie from any angle. Finally, how long do players sit with your music before they begin to “hear” what you’re going for musically?

SL: I think the main thing with the community of players that I’m part of is that there are a lot of divergent styles and interests, but that we can all get together in different groupings and make music together. For instance, I’ll play with guitarist G.E. Stinson in groups where he does extended technique guitar plus slamming laptop beats, and I’ll being doing bass with lots of effects as well as laptop-generated sounds; or I might play with drummer Alex Cline, whose music tends to be very cinematic—lots of space, beautiful tonal melodies and long arching forms; or I might play completely improvised music that veers closer to jazz with people like Vinny Golia (who is a prodigious multi-reed player and composer) or Dan Clucas. I just did a gig with two drummers (Ted Byrnes and Rich West) and me—it was interesting (challenging!) being the only harmonic and melodic instrument. The interesting thing for me is that we’re all in the same community and sound different for our own projects, but then play in each other’s bands and change what we do to fit that music.

In terms of my written music, I don’t think it’s that hard, but people say it’s challenging. However, I don’t think it’s the actual written stuff that’s tough, but the fact that I want people to build off the written notes or vibe of the piece when they start improvising. That can take a little bit of time and effort because people’s usual licks won’t always work.

BAJ: You’ve accomplished a lot of music! What’s next for you, and what are you currently working on compositionally?

SL: Thanks, I think I’ve probably written more music and so forth than I have “accomplished” anything . . . maybe I need to be more ambitious!

What’s next? Like a lot of people, I’m just trying to make sure my family and I can get through an “interesting economic time.” Musically, I’m working on incorporating computer-generated sound into both written and improvised situations, and starting on grooves for a band of two percussionists, trumpet, keyboards and bass.

BAJ: Is there any specific technical approach to your instrument that you’ll share with our readers?

SL: Technical approach? Not really. I guess I would say that I’m not into the school that says you should play really lightly and let the amp do the work. I’m more into making the string really vibrate and getting the body of the bass to resonate along with it. I was talking to bassist Mike Pope the other night, and (I think) he and I were agreeing that that’s where the magic of a stringed instrument occurs—where all the tonal nuance, dynamics and artistry come from. I think that people might want to investigate “their relationship with the string”—that is, see what they can get out of the string when they’re playing it.

Also, sometimes I think people key into technique too much, I know there have been times in my life where I have. I think it can be more useful to work on concepts and ideas away from the bass than it is to work at the instrument—sometimes we just go into muscle memory instead of really heading into new ideas. For instance, some of the most useful time I’ve spent is thinking about how I wanted to do something (like soloing, for instance)—after really working on the concept away from the bass, it was easier for me to break some of the habits I had and work I on what I wanted to do, not what I already knew how to do.

BAJ: Your fretless playing is sublime. What ear-training exercises have you worked with over the years?

SL: Thanks! (I’m now blushing) I spend a fair amount of time doing double stops and chords, and trying to get them in tune. Sometimes it’s pretty brutal and depressing. One of the things that really helped me both with tone and approach to intonation was studying classical upright when I was in college. I ended up with a really great teacher (and bassist/musician) named Ed Meares who really helped set me in the right direction. I really would rather sound closer to an upright or cello than the Jaco paradigm on fretless. All this being said, I just heard bassist Scott Pazera playing a fretless of mine and I was thinking I needed to tone some stuff down (I’ve been working on some pretty aggressive techniques of late).

BAJ: How often do you participate in sessions, if at all? Are there any artists or groups you would dig working with that you haven’t thus far?

SL: I mostly do work with people who are interested in the same basic area of music that I am. I’ve done some session stuff outside of that, but have pretty much gone away from doing commercial music or music that I’m not into. There’s a long list of interesting people I’d like to work with, but I don’t know if I’d be right for them. Some of it just comes down to logistics as I have a family that I need to take care of. I’d like to do some more recording with Vinny Golia, and would like to revisit a band I was in called L. Stinkbug with Nels Cline, Scott Amendola and G.E. Stinson, but Nels and Scott are way too busy to pull that off, I think.

If you want to get into pie-in-the-sky stuff, I’d love to try to do what I do with someone like Bjork, David Sylvian, Thom Yorke, John Zorn or Supersilent. Another dream project would be to reconvene the version of Julius Hemphill’s 1980s JAH Band with Bill Frisell, Nels Cline, Alex Cline and me, and have someone like Tim Berne or Marty Ehrlich take Julius’ (who sadly died in the ’90s) place. I only mention this in case any of the people I mentioned ever see this on the web . . . (lol).

BAJ: Where do you collect the musical images you articulate through your compositions?

SL: Like I said earlier, it could be just about anything: a book, movie, painting, piece of music, walking down the street. I often just catalog stuff in my mind or on a piece of paper, sometimes I write down a sketch of a rhythmic idea or melodic gesture and let it gestate for a while.

BAJ: Who are a few artists/groups you would suggest for our readers to check out?

SL: I don’t know that I would necessarily try to point someone in any particular direction. I think I would encourage people to be inquisitive. Some much of what I’ve learned has been from reading about someone whose work I like and then finding out about their influences or community, and then following up on that. Often I discover someone else whose work I like and then learn about more people. I try to keep an open ear and keep mental notes from conversations about music or listening to the radio. I guess it’s about keeping an open mind and taking the time and spending the energy and time to follow up on things that interest you. Last, I think it’s a good think to seek out things you might not ordinarily be into and see if you like it.

BAJ: What would you do differently in your musical career, given the opportunity to do so?

SL: I wish that I was little less headstrong in my earlier days. Sometimes being headstrong can mean having a strong vision for yourself and sometimes it can mean you’re reacting from fear or hubris—it can be both good and bad. I wish I could take the bad way of doing that out of my past.

BAJ: Identify one aspect of your playing that you truly dig! Identify one aspect of your personality you would trade!

SL: I think I have a pretty good touch and can interact with other players well; that is, I have pretty good empathy with them and listen well—I “play well with others.” Trade in parts of my personality? There are too many things I could trade in and they’re mostly private. See the comments about being headstrong.

BAJ: What haven’t I covered here that you really want to talk about?

SL: I think a lot of times I see people writing about bass playing or other musical endeavors, the focus is on “working” or making a living from playing. For most of us (and I think this is getting worse all the time), making a living playing (not even to say being happy doing that) is difficult at best. I’ve know people who made good money playing and ended up hating it. I’m more interested in having a life-long relationship with the instrument and music, and what I can get—and give—from that. I guess I’m saying enjoy the “art” of music, not just the commerce. We all have to pay the bills, “pay Caesar”. I’ve chosen to do that by having a day job and letting the musical side of things be more ‘art for art’s sake” . . . it may not work for everyone, but it is one way to do things.

BAJ: Thank you for talking with us, Steuart! I truly appreciate your music and playing ability!

SL: Brent-Anthony, thanks for the kind words . . . and thanks for taking the time to do this interview and asking all these great questions. BIG thanks for having me do it! It’s been a very thought-provoking, interesting and instructive process for me. Hopefully it was somewhat interesting for other folks as well.