Status: Married
City: Forest Falls
State: California
Country: US
Signup Date: 3/31/2005
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Sunday, October 25, 2009
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Category: Music
as this CD nears completion, I wanted to explain a few things. my last album was recorded when I was at the height of a busy phase of my music life. I was gigging constantly, touring, recording, writing articles, teaching and generally playing a lot. I was also married and very sure of what my life was, where it was going. and then, literally the day after I finished recording the album, things began to unravel. there's no reason to go into detail but the short version is that I lost everything. including my will to write or play music. but I was given an amazing gift. something I never imagined. I got phone calls, letters, emails, messages passed through friends and family... literally from all over the world. some were people I knew well, others were acquaintances, many were complete strangers. these were words of encouragement, support, gratitude, love, empathy... all of it positive. it was a profound experience. friends loaned and built me instruments and sent me equipment. a trust fund was set up to get me back on my feet. jobs were offered and someone even found me a place to stay. there is no way to describe how humbling and overpowering an experience this was. there is really no way to describe what most of it was like. but not surprisingly I started playing as a means of working through everything I was feeling. in no time I had written enough material for several albums. I fine tuned and arranged the material. I rearranged it. I approached people about turning in guest performances. but things never felt quite... right. I sat on the material for years. I continued to talk with friends and I played. I started to make my own instruments. I immersed myself in a day job. I reveled in weather and meeting new people. I tried foods I had always wanted to try. I learned to laugh. and then I finally committed to studio time and swore to my producer that I would lay the tracks and get the album recorded. for one week I pored over the material, looking at the arrangements and thinking about what the time would be like in the studio. and then I threw most of the songs out. I packed a few instruments, a tuner, 2 effects pedals and a notebook in my Jeep and I left my mountain. the cross country drive was familiar and comforting. when I arrived at the studio I spent 3 days eating, sleeping, laughing, enjoying the scenery, playing with puppies and not recording a thing. I stripped down the arrangements of the few pieces I'd kept. quintets become duets or even soloes. I wrote new songs. things were recorded piecemeal. solos and melodies were recorded anywhere from an hour to several days after the 'bass' part was laid down. things written for others to lend their talents to were given with no direction -- I wanted them to play whatever they felt like as I really wanted their personalities on the songs. a dear friend had taken some wonderful photos for me and I had no idea what I was going to do for a "look" to the album but one of my oldest friends popped up out of the blue and offered to come up with a design! the back cover of the disc will be a wonderful painting!! the original title for the album was going to be "A Life Underwater" but I felt that made as much sense as the original plan for the material. the years between the idea of releasing another album and actually recording it were such a time of healing, growth and transformation. I learned so much. I let so many things go. I had remapped my life. and things were quieter. the scale of everything in my universe had come down. everything was more intimate and, I hope, more honest. so what all that means is that this will not be an album about chops. there are ballads, improvizations, silly sounds and some wonderful contributions by some of my favorite musicians. and there are some mistakes left in the mix. I wanted this to be a very human statement not an opportunity to stand up and scream, "Look at me!" I am more proud of some of the things on this album than I have been of anything I've released. I am profoundly honored by the guest performers on the album. and this is very definitely a document of the person I am right now. who knows how I will feel about this stuff in a few years but today I am smiling. and I will be making announcements all over the place when it is complete and ready for release. it will be soon. :) thank you to everyone who's contributed love, support, encouragement or artistry. I remain humbled and hope that you enjoy the music. 
 | Currently listening:
Seven Waves
By Yves Carbonne
Release date: 2008-01-22 |
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Monday, September 28, 2009
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Current mood:  happy
Category: Music
Stewart McKinsey – Private Thoughts of a Bass Wookie
By Brent-Anthony Johnson
How many times have you heard, “but, this guy is different…” in the sea of “solo bassists”? The very thought of solo bass is retrogressive and off-kilter… in most cases! However, Stewart McKinsey’s solo flights are simply an additional expression to his groove-laden and band-oriented catalog including group efforts with the New Orleans-based Slick Willy and the touring event known as Brotherhood of Groove!
Tonally, Stewart reminds me a great deal of a young Kim Stone – which is a great thing to have in one’s bag! Adding to that, he truly shines in a band context and his drive has that necessary “face like flint” quality. Finally, he has to be one of the nicest cats on the block, having the uncanny ability to turn strangers into friends. That engaging quality is also in his free-spirited style! You’re gonna dig Stew McKinsey…
BAJ: Hello, and welcome to Bass Frontiers, Stew! You’ve had an incredible decade filled with ups and downs, haven’t you? Let’s go back to your musical beginning, and please bring our readers from there to here!
 Stewart McKinsey
Stew: Hello and thanks! I am honored to be interviewed by Bass Frontiers! I really got into music (like a lot of players I think) before my formal instruction. My mom had an acoustic guitar that she never played and I had been told not to play it. Of course, that was exactly the wrong thing to say, to me, and I would wait until she was out of the house and open the case. I respected her wishes enough not to pull the 6-string from its case but I would marvel at the sound of the plucked strings in the otherwise silent room. When I fretted a note and played the string it was no less amazing. For some reason I started to think that only a chosen few could be musicians and that was why my mom never played.
Eventually I ended up in a school with a chorus, and I learned a bit about how to use my voice and I was soon studying violin and whatever else our teachers would let us play around with. I was still really into music but none of the instruments I was fooling around with, including my voice, really excited me like the records my parents would play or the songs I heard on the radio. I tried recorder, flute, trombone, piano, guitar and hand percussion and some of those were fun… but I just didn’t connect with anything until I’d stopped studying. My family had just relocated to a new town (which meant a new school) and I was really pretty lost on a lot of levels. Then one day all 4 classes were pulled into an assembly and there was a talent show. I was randomly chosen as the judge to represent the freshman class and nervously made my way to the table. After I sat through a handful of acts, a punk band took the stage. One of the members was another freshman. They opened with Devo’s “Uncontrollable Urge” and that was it. I knew I was gonna be a musician!
I started reading about bass and asking the kid in my class questions. That summer my dad rented me a short scale Squier Bullet Bass® and a Crate amp and I was hooked. Now, I wanted to make music! I had no idea what I was doing but I played whenever I had free time. I was writing songs immediately. I had my first gig less than a month after picking up the 4-string and I think that had a huge impact on my style. There were things I would do when I was fooling around at home, but having to play in a band setting pushed me to doing what worked for the music. I was listening to cats like Jaco, Stanley, Andy West and Rick Laird but I was playing lines performed by Carol Kaye, Joe Osborne and Cliff Williams.
Something funny happened after I’d been playing for a number of years when, someone asked me to play a tune I had heard but never tackled. As I started to fumble my way through the piece he mentioned that it wasn’t the melody but the bass line I was humming. And I realized that I had always learned tunes that way! Not soon after that it dawned on me that my parent’s musical collection was filled with some wonderful bass.
BAJ: You’ve developed quite an interesting “fan base” over the years, and many folks sent greeting when I mentioned covering you for the magazine! That speaks volumes to your “nice dude” disposition. What is one of the most important aspects of maintaining a busy sideman and solo career?
 Stewart McKinsey
Stew: I am really lucky to have the friends that I do in the industry. That’s players, builders, and fans… I’m really lucky! I think if you’re going to be a working player there are a lot of things that need to be a part of the day-to-day. First and foremost, we need to decide why we’re in it. If someone wants to be rich and famous, they’re probably playing for the wrong reason. If it’s to create art, then we need to realize that there will be hunger, frustration and criticism ahead of us. If it’s to play and enjoy playing, then we start getting into the nuts and bolts of it.
It may not be possible for me to break it down to a single thing that I keep in the front of my mind, but there are a few things that are usually hovering there. First is the simple truth for me that it is a gift to be able to play music and to do it for people. There are so many people who would do almost anything for that opportunity! So, I try never to lose sight of the fact that I am really lucky. As a complement to that is my desire to stay as positive as possible when I perform. An artist is by nature an emotional, and often an intensely emotional, person. There is no way to keep one’s moods up all the time but to perform music is to accept that no one really wants to watch and listen to a tantrum. So even if I am not at the peak of my cheer, I try to find something in every song or every situation that makes it fun. When someone calls out “Mustang Sally” or “Brown Eyed Girl” for the gazillionth time, the audience should feel like it’s not your job to play but what you choose to do. It’s the same in a solo show. I may have played these pieces dozens of times, but I want to bring something new to them every time I perform. That’s the goal anyway…
BAJ: You have successfully built a supporting (sideman) career while exploring the art of solo bass. What are the key differences between the “bread & butter” gig and the seemingly divergent solo bass gig?
Stew: I don’t feel that – for me – there’s much difference. There was an interview I read with Rocco Prestia years ago where he mentioned that he was the only bass player on stage so he always felt like he was playing a solo. My role – whether I’m backing someone or completely alone on stage – is to make the music happen! It’s got to groove and have a heart, life and emotion. A bassist has the unique position of linking rhythm and melody, but I think that it’s all got to tie together. For me that means that even when an ensemble is performing, elements of other players’ function cross-pollinates. Why can’t a trumpet enforce the rhythm section? Why can’t a drummer be melodic? I think in the best groups you find this to be the case.
BAJ: What was your process in composing “Kore Wa Anata ni Desu”? Also, do you find yourself cross-pollinating the skills of “Stewart the solo bassist” while improvising within a band context? Finally, have you written your “best” tune, yet?
Stew: That was a piece I wrote for a very dear friend. It was my way of showing gratitude for some very profound lessons as a musician. It was unique in the way it came together. The song grew out of a motif in the bass part – which had been in my brain for years. When I accidentally modulated a whole step down, the verse changes really just happened. The chorus followed suit as I played through the verse a couple of times. I was really happy with the piece in that form until I was plugged in at the studio and it suddenly seemed to need a bridge. Strangely enough, the first thing I fooled around with was what I kept.
 Stewart McKinsey
Ah! Cross-pollination again… Yes! Absolutely. When I am on stage or in rehearsal with a band, I kind of have to poke at the envelope. Playing a song the same way twice makes me crazy. Even with extremely structured and orchestrated tunes. This ‘on the spot experimentation’ is not usually re-harmonizing the bass part of “Stormy Monday” to make it feel like a Charles Mingus composition (although I have been guilty of that), but is often leaving space where there may not be any or changing the inflection of a note in a passage that interests me. I really hope that I haven’t written my best yet. Just as I hope that I haven’t had my best day or lived all my dreams. To me the best thing an artist can do is to continue to grow and to challenge him-or her-self. I am probably going to paraphrase as badly as I did when I referred to Rocco earlier… But, I think it was Marcus who once asked Miles why he didn’t play ballads any more. Miles said, “Because I love them.” That is tremendously profound! To have the strength to turn from what you love because you don’t want to be comfortable in that environment… That is commitment and integrity.
BAJ: Who do you list amongst your influences, and how have they shaped you musically?
Stew: Wow… that’s a long, long list! There are a few players who really shaped me at the beginning, when I first picked up the bass, and a few who really stood out when I started to think about my style and sound on a conscious level. Initially the cats that blew me away and inspired me all at once were Jaco, John Paul Jones, Larry Graham, Mark King and Percy Jones. I’ll add Pete Farndon and Mick Karn to that list, although I’d probably been playing for a little bit before I found them. Each of these cats just made the music happen in a way that was completely “theirs”. They all had such strong personalities that they jumped out of the mix for me. And they all approached groove, tone, note choice and style in such different ways. And they remain a joy for me to hear even now. I think what stood out about all these players is that they have so much heart in what they do. They are indivisible from what they play. As I started to play more, and more seriously as well, I found Jimmy Haslip, Roberto Vally, Steuart Liebig, Victor Bailey, Greg Campbell and Yves Carbonne.
 Stewart McKinsey
Now before I go on… I want to mention that I count some of the heaviest, baddest bassists on earth among my friends and acquaintances, and I love listening to them all. But some artists really – pardon the phrase – resonate with me. Jimmy Haslip and Roberto Vally just make everything melodic. Jimmy’s playing on those first Yellowjackets albums is so completely original and vibrant. Roberto embodies the three things that I always want in my playing: time, taste and tone. Monsters! Steuart Liebig is, simply put, one of the true originals out there. His tone, phrasing and uniqueness are amazing. He’s a composer even when improvising. He has been a huge source of inspiration. Victor Bailey, more than anything else in his terrifying arsenal, just has this weight to every note he plays. There is nothing tentative. When you combine that with his part on Weather Report’s “Procession”… Wow. Greg and Yves are fearless! Their personalities infuse everything they do and that is so inspiring. So powerful! More than the fact that we play these wonderful, ludicrous instruments, they express themselves with such eloquence and style, and they’re among my best friends in the world. Did I mention that I’m a lucky guy?
BAJ: How do you manage your CD sales, and what tips can you give our readers about self-promotion and booking?
Stew: Well, truth be told, I would probably point you to cats like Darren Michael, Trip Wamsley and Steve Lawson for that. They are promoters par excellence! At this point I am not relying on music to support myself. This is a long story that goes back to the ups and downs of the past several years, and I am likely to return to music full time in the future, but whatever sales I make at the moment are like icing on an incredibly tasty cake.
That said, I think it is absolutely crucial for every serious musician to understand the importance of this stuff. One must learn to move past humility when relying on music for a career. No potential employer is going to read a bio that states a musician feels he is not as great as his influences. It’s important to be able to blow your own horn a bit if you want to be taken seriously out there. Trip Wamsley was doing a clinic a while back and was addressing the issue of ego. I paraphrase once again but he essentially said that you do not have to thing you are the coolest kid on the playground, and this is the part I love, “But guess what? All the chairs are pointing at me!” If someone wants to get out there and make a name for themselves, they would need to believe in that name. If you don’t, no one else will either.
BAJ: Describe your favorite sideman environment! Along with that, describe your favorite solo scenario.
Stew: My favorite sideman environment? Tough one! Hmm… Well, not to get too abstract but any time I am playing and everyone is having fun and we all feel free to play anything, that’s when it gets interesting. We push each other and collaborate all at the same time. If there’s a monster groove happening at the same time, I can’t imagine it gets much better than that.
 Stewart McKinsey
Solo, when is it best? I think the best nights for me are when I can just get up there and simply “be”. I am in the moment and not trying to consciously do anything. I am playing and responding to the energy of my audience. I love those times!
BAJ: What is the most important thing (besides your instrument) you cannot be without in your musical world?
Stew: Honesty. Emotional honesty. A performance should have heart in it. It should feel like you’re sharing something precious with the people who have come to hear you… because you are! This does not mean that every note is dripping saccharine… But listening to the first time Jaco hits that stunning melodic line in “A Remark You Made”… The moment I heard that I was in tears. Really! That was the moment I knew I wanted to be not only a musician, but specifically a bassist! While there is no way to achieve that every time we play, that is what I am trying to do. That’s the big goal: To touch people and give them something precious. Lately I have been getting into tone. Not just cool sounds but the sonic qualities that will stop me in traffic or in the middle of a conversation. Liebig, Carbonne and Karn get this in a major way.
BAJ: Let’s talk about your gear, and why you use what you use! Also, what would you say to a young player who is asking about your endorsement roster?
Stew: Oh my… That bucket of worms! (Laughter)
Well, I never really sought out endorsements. I sure wanted them when I was younger… But there was no way I could see myself on the same level as the people who got them, you know? I had some pretty heavyweight teachers and when they talked about their endorsements, well, these were THE CATS!! Who was I? A student! I still am!
For me, and endorsement is a wonderful sidelight to being a musician. I only endorse what I use and I would happily pay for what I use. In fact there are quite a lot of endorsement offers I’ve turned down because I couldn’t see myself using whatever it was I was being asked to use.
 Stewart McKinsey
It’s kind of like technique. There are certain techniques that I don’t use, either because they are so clearly associated with one player or because there is no way to incorporate them into the vocabulary I have. Could I learn them? Of course! But would they make sense for me to use? Not at all…
I would tell young players not to solicit companies for free gear. If you’re out there and playing, the odds are pretty good that people will come to you. Think of it as a living thing: The more you play, the better you get and the more exposure you get. More exposure brings more attention, from your peers, from fans and ultimately from the industry. In essence, if we keep feeding the thing, it will grow. I just try not to let my eyes get bigger than my stomach, if that’s not mixing too many metaphors.
BAJ: What type of music do you find yourself listening to, recreationally? Any favorite discs you could suggest to our readers? Also, what are some of your non-musical interests at this time?
Stew: I don’t know that I listen to a type of music in the sense of any genre. What I find myself listening to is the stuff that has heart, the stuff that moves me. Lately that’s Seth Horan, Steuart Liebig, Stravinsky, Miles, old AC/DC, Yves Carbonne, Joe Cocker and Brand X. Defunkt’s “In America“ album is frighteningly intense on this level.
When I’m not playing or writing music, I write fiction. I love the art of Marc Rothko. I live on a mountain and I am surrounded by some of the most incredible nature and life imaginable. Laughter inspires me! Great acting is another source of wonderment. Its such a different craft, but fascinating. Nearly every moment in the 1950 film Cyrano de Bergerac (with Jose Ferrer, in black and white; NOT colorized) is incredible. That character was my hero growing up and I still feel a connection with him. The Zen Koans are another great thing.
BAJ: As we wind-up 2008, what are you hoping to achieve in the next 18-months?
Stew: My goals are always simple: To be able to do what I love is truly all I want out of life. I hope that means I’ll be playing and recording more. I’ve been talking to friends and it’s possible that I could be on as many as 3 releases over the next 18 months. At the very least, I want to get through the sessions and mixing of my next solo album.
BAJ: How do you recover from life’s mistakes, and how does that translate in your recovery from musical “accidents”?
Stew: (Laughter) That’s an awesome pair of questions! The answer is really that I don’t see things as mistakes – generally – so much as opportunities to learn and possibly to grow. When I was 18 or 19, I was playing in front of something like 6000 people. The band started my feature tune, Weather Report’s “Birdland”, and I got a big solo in it. I was really on and maybe a little cocky. But it felt great from the first note and I was really pushing myself. As I went into the solo, I was just lost in my fretless and the song. I was pulling off stuff that I’d never played before and in bliss. The solo was crescending I was just going for it. As I hit the high note, I held it, rather than ease back into the arrangement the way I generally did. But was the mix in my monitor started to come down to the level of everything and I opened my eyes, I realized I was about a half tone away from resolution and I had been holding that note against the band’s chord for quite a few seconds! While I would not like to greet that see of aggravated faces again, that moment freed me to take chances in a way that no intellectual argument would have.
 Stewart McKinsey
In terms of recovering from moments like that, I simply go with it. The adage of playing a mistake 3 times to make it sound intentional is an interesting one. But I think the way we get through these moments, how we transition into whatever follows, that is the stuff that defines us stylistically. And it’s different for everyone. All that really matters, in my experience, is that you don’t stop. Whatever is happening in that exact moment, is yourself!
BAJ: What’s coming-up for you in the next 6-months? Also, would you list your websites here so we can keep track of you?
Stew: As I mentioned, I’m trying to coordinate a few recording projects. Two of those are solo projects and very different ones. The other is a trio disc with two of my favorite bassists on earth. Beyond that, I’m trying to put together an old school funk band and I’d love to get into a band situation that is exciting, one I don’t have to lead.
My websites are kind of all over the place, but here are the main ones:
Stew: Grateful is the state of being which allows one to keep perspective and to stay honest. For me it is the reflection upon and the acknowledgment of what an amazing life it is and this allows me to keep hope for the future a very real thing. The day I cannot be grateful for what I have and what I am is a day I dread. There are a lot of lessons I would love to share. For the sake of brevity, let me get a little pithy. Never stop trying to grow: It is not achieving the goal but the desire to do so that makes the difference. This is essentially saying that the point of the journey is not to arrive.
It is important to be humble but this does not mean beating oneself up. You are valuable and worthwhile but there will always be people and events to learn from. To be the best at something is a terrible burden. Conversely, there is nothing wrong with looking up to others but you must never lose sight of the fact that you have something to offer that no one else does.
Always keep the joy of music. In Japanese the word for music, Ongaku, also implies the joy of music. This is important. We are lucky that we can do this. Try never to lose that. You are never truly alone. We are more connected to life and the world than we can know. There will be times that you can’t feel it, but it is true nonetheless. Music, like love, is a language with no words. I have come to understand this more deeply with each passing year.
It is more difficult to remain positive than to get caught up in whatever negativity may swirl around you, but the positive is much more fulfilling. I would rather go to bed relaxed and smiling than stressed and upset. Family and friends are more important than any money or material good. All of this applies to life and to music. Whew! I better stop before I start throwing up fortune cookies!
BAJ: In closing what would you like to say to those burgeoning and those seasoned musicians who will read this interview?
Stew: Never stop learning. Never stop growing. Never stop challenging yourself. Look at your limitations as opportunities, as guideposts on a journey. Learn how to say ‘thank you’, even if something said to you may be hard to hear; It was offered with respect and meant as praise. That can be a tough one!
I’d also just like to thank everyone who’s been a friend or a fan or both. Having your encouragement and support means the world to me and is something that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express accurately. I am lucky enough to receive kind words all the time and that is simple amazing.
Do I have time to share one more tale? I was out on tour with a band and we had just played a show at a small club in the middle of nowhere. As I was stepping down off the stage a woman walked up to me with tears in her eyes and haltingly said, “Thank you. Thank you so much for bringing good music to this town and these people. This is the first time that a lot of us got to see that there is more to the world than living here.” That was one of the most powerful and changing moments of my life. And that is why I’m grateful. Thank you so much for this opportunity!
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Friday, September 11, 2009
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Current mood:  satisfied
hey all,
I'm sorry I haven't been on myspace as much lately, but I've been working on the new album and am nearly ready to release it!
while I would not describe this as my most technical recording, I am really proud of the performances!
this album will feature some great guest artists (from 3 different countries!) and a fairly eclectic mix of material.
the images come from 2 artists I respect tremendously.
if all goes well the new CD should be ready in about 1 month!!
thanks for your patience and for bearing with me!
take care and have a great weekend,
Stew
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Monday, January 28, 2008
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Current mood:  sick
Category: Music
hey all,
I don't want to whine or offer up excuses but the reason it's taken me so long to post this blog is twofold. first, I have been sick since the night I got home from NAMM. literally. a lot sick. lost my voice, fever, coughing up stuff I hesitate to describe... the whole nine yards. second, my computer has decided that I spend too much time on the internet and keeps booting me off. I've tried discussing it nicely, but, well, I keep getting the cold shoulder. might have to call in a professional soon.
so, on to NAMM...
as usual the evening of set up was insane. loading in was delayed because there was no carpet in our booth and we could not block the aisle with our gear. luckily a handful of hipsters swung by and made the passing of time so much nicer. Yves Carbonne and Darren Michaels are flanking me and Seth Horan is behind the camera...
eventually we finished setting up and all was cool. if you want some idea of what set up is like, wander to Seth's page and root through his NAMM pics from this year. luckily, I got some decent sleep that night.
one of the hallmarks of the show for me was that I got to (FINALLY!!) catch Seth playing live, which I've wanted since I first heard him online back in New Orleans almost 3 years ago. for anyone who's had the pleasure, it's a great show. aside from tremendous technical command of his instrument and a great voice, Mr. Horan is one hell of an entertainer. combine all that with his great material and you have an actual event. then afterwards we got to hang a bit with a host of weirdos including Steve Lawson, Yves, Darren, C3 and the mighty Eugenia Horan. and we had sushi!
the show kicked off in a pleasant, low key vein. got to see a bunch of friends, which for me is the best part of NAMM. it's a very different show when you go as a player as opposed to being an exhibitor and to be completely honest I still haven't really made the switch. when Jean Baudin or Andy Cervantes wanted by with their gig bags and I know they've been playing already and are on their way to play more, it's kind of tough to spend most of my time in one booth. but I do still get to do the hang, and that is very hip. some of the visitors to the Nordstrand booth included Lee Barker, seen here talking to Carey...
Lee has been a good friend since we met at the Bozeman Bass Bash years ago. he is the designer and builder of the Barker Bass, a different approach to the electric upright. it's really designed for electric players who want to venture into the realm of the upright but do not necessarily want to devote years to learning the technique that instrument requires. he developed it for personal reasons but it is a ridiculously cool instrument and I'm still trying to find a way to get one.
another visitor was Dale Woolum...
aside from being a wild player, Dale designed the new AccuGroove Synergy amp. I knew little about the amp before the show but I am going to get one of them if it kills me! this thing is unbelievable. for what I do and my personal taste it is absolutely perfect. now, I don't mean to gloss over the fact that Dale is one of the kindest and most genuine people you're ever going to meet. 'cause he is!
I'm really lucky in that my friends are some of the best people on earth.
as I couldn't get out of the booth much (and generally forgot my camera when I did wander), there were lots of people and jams I didn't catch photographically. among them were Trip Wamsley, Brady Muckelroy, Paul Delano, Andy Cervantes, Jean Baudin, Wade Craver, Fred Bolton of Bee Basses, Jon Meghini of M Basses, Steve Sukop and the lovely Aida from Sukop Basses, Mark Wright of AccuGroove and Jake Kot of Kot Basses. my friend Martin Keith, who builds for himself and for Joe Veillette lost his voice the first day of the show, poor guy!
this year I also had the distinct pleasure of finally meeting in person Mike Dimin and Joe Zon. both very cool cats!
a real highlight for me was meeting Martin Valihora, who drums for the amazing Hiromi. if you are not acquainted with her music and the phenomenal trio (filled out by the ever unique Tony Grey on bass), you really owe it to yourself to listen. eclectic, passionate, beautiful and filled with joy. great stuff!
the host of players who came by the booth this year included Scott Pazera and Todd Johnson...
Steuart Liebig, who's got an incredible custom pickup designed by Mike Cooper in this Fodera...
and the incomparable Baba Elefante...
notice the bass he's playing in this shot. try *NOT* to notice it! this is the new fretless that we built for Scott Pazera. I think this was one of the most incredible instruments at the show. am I biased? yes. of course. but I got to play this bad boy just a bit and I got to hear it in the hands of some incredible talented people.
what's significant about this bass is that it's one of the new exotic top Nordy instruments. Carey's basses always play and sound phenomenal. his attention to detail, fit and finish is among the best I've ever seen. and his set up is spooky, it's so good. now you can get one that's really stunning to look at. I would easily put these on the level of his custom basses.
but wait! there's more!
another serious highlight for me came in the form of happenstance. our booth was right next to Zon Guitars. while Zon makes great stuff and many of my friends play them, I didn't even stop to think that their players would be working their sonic magic mere feet away. yes, I am that clueless sometimes.
why was this significant? because I have been a big fan of Damian Erskine since I first heard him last year. his recordings are great, but in person... WOW! not only did I get to listen to him several times while he was at the show, but I had the great privilege of meeting and hanging with him and his wife Cortney. she's very cool and was the ace behind the camera for the following pics...
yes, they really are that silly. and yes, I really did dress like that for the show.
now I'm going to gush just a bit more because this year I got to hear some of the best playing I've ever heard at a NAMM show. Ray Riendeau stopped by and when he sat opposite Damian, much coolness happened...
this was the sort of playing you wait for. players who not only put aside their egos (regardless of their tremendous ability), but they listen to each other and to the music. it was incredible. when they took on "Footprints" it was like a master class in melodic and dynamic playing. these two should go out in a duet tour. again, great stuff!
for anyone who knows me, I am a huge fan of Jerzy Drozd and his amazing basses. I truly believe that he makes one of the finest fretless basses you will ever hear. while I don't know how it will happen, someday I will get him to build me one! what I've never seen or heard was the man playing...
and he can play! no wonder he makes basses as well as he does; he understands them from the inside out! and who was accompanying him but my favorite hippie, Darren Michaels...
Darren, aside from burning up the NAMM show proper, played a great set after hours on the same bill as Randy Marshall and Andy Cervantes. a lot of people played that night and I wilsh I'd been able to get everyone's name, but I am sure if you look around you'll find a listing. other audience members included bass monsters C3 and Adam Tanner. big fun!
and there were some great non-musical bits, too. meet Fred Bolton's wife Petra and their son Alec...
Petra and Fred met in high school and toured in the same band. a lot of people may not know that Fred is still a gigging player (definitely talk him into playing if you get the chance!) and Petra has a voice that you would not believe comes out of that tiny little frame. Alec, well, he's just about the coolest kid on earth.
I have made a point of really only using the gear of companies that I can built a relationship with. that means I don't really think of the companies but of the people. Bill Conklin, Mark Wright, Dave Koltai of Pigtronix and of course Carey Nordstrand. while I don't generally advertise the fact, Fred and Petra have seen me through some very hard times and are truly deep friends. after I lost everything in the hurricanes of 2005, Fred got together with a bunch of people and built me an unbelievable bass which was delivered to me at the very first Lodo Bass Bash. I will forever be in this family's debt and happily so. if you want to see the bass, swing through my photos and check out the 8 string made of zebra wood and birdseye maple.
and of course, there are these guys...
the Horancinis are amazing. creative, funny, goofy, hillarious, welcoming and socially relentless. how two people this brilliant and sensitive met and ended up together, I have no idea. but the fact that they did gives me tremendous hope for my own misbegotten life, romantic and artistic.
each of them writes a blog that will make you think as much as it makes you laugh. they're insightful, honest and wonderful. so much so that I'm putting in these pics as well...
for anyone who heard either the rumor that I got married at NAMM or that Gina and I got married, neither are true. just wanted to clear that up. for the record.
was that all there was to the show? nope!
I got to play a handful of Fred's new basses this year and they kill. this one os Andy Cervantes' fretless Stinger 6 string...
and it is SWEET! Fred's basses have always been responsive but these are just off the hook!
also got to play an ebony topped M Bass 6 string and a few of the Sukop beauties. I could gush more, but it's just easier to say that it's worth your time to find and play them for yourself. very different instruments and VERY cool!
alright, let's hope the computer plays nice and lets me post this opus.
if I get more pics from the show I'll post another blog or add 'em to my photos, giving credit to the photog.
and for the record, the only music I listened to while in my care during NAMM week was indeed Trouble Funk's live album. and it kept me sane.
p.s. - sorry there are no links in this one but I didn't want to risk it.
p.p.s. - supremely cool NAMM moment of the year? walking away from the show with the coolest thing I've ever gotten at NAMM -- one of Gina's original works of art. if you haven't checked out her stuff, DO SO!!
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Saturday, September 01, 2007
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Current mood:  relaxed
Category: Music
hey all,
as promised here are some of the pics from Lodo and Duke City, which I meant to post a couple of weeks back. my apologies for the lag, but here are some of the things I have to remember from a great trip:
first, the drive had it's moments (my pics)...
second, when I got to Colorado, there was the hang (photos courtesy of Cindy Sheffield Michaels)...
which quickly turned into a good chance to catch up (photos courtesy of Cindy Sheffield Michaels and Adam Tanner)...
and to jam (photos courtesy Cindy Sheffield Michaels)...
some down time (my pics)...
and off to the venue (photo courtesy of Cindy Sheffield Michaels)...
and on to the performances (photos courtesy Derrell, Cindy Sheffield Michaels and Adam Tanner)...
a bit of clinic'ing (photo courtesy of Cindy Sheffield Michaels)...
behind the scenes a bit (photos courtesy Cindy Sheffield Michaels, Derrell, Jeff Martinez and Adam Tanner)...
and on to Duke City (photos courtesy Howard Cloud)...
where I got to see Trip sleep again (my pic)...
I knew I was closer to Southern California when I saw this along the freeway (my pic)...
there will be more pics soon, featuring C3, Jeff Schmidt, Kent Beatty, Skip Fantry, Jeff Martinez, Adam Tanner, Todd Johnson, Brady Muckelroy, Yves Carbonne and the general wonderment of both events.
sorry for the delay and thanks for putting up with blogs. you guys rock!
 | Currently listening:
Debut
By Björk
Release date: 13 July, 1993 |
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Saturday, August 11, 2007
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Category: Music
hey all,
because of the fact that photos and video are still being edited from the events, this will be nearly entirely "text only". sorry, but there were a lot of cameras of all sorts working during the events and compiling everything which was captured may take a bit. consequently, there will be at least one subsequent blog about the events for you (which will be proportionately "text light") in the coming weeks.
okay, first up... Lodo!
I left Monday and gave myself 2 days to make the 13 hour drive. this may be the first time I've ever done that. wow, it really makes a difference!! I didn't have to drive like a madman (not that I ever would, law-abiding citizen that I am), nor did I have to ply myself with absurd amounts of caffeine. a delight!
I arrived Wednesday in Colorado, where I met Yves and his son at the promoter's house. Brady Muckelroy and his wife had already arrived as well.
I'm going to assume that most people reading this have not met the majority of the performers I'm about to describe, but I'm going to cut out a ton of text here and simply mention that these are some of the finest humans you're going to meet anywhere. the atmosphere was relaxed, supportive and genial throughout my entire trip.
the following day we were joined by Darren Michaels and his wife, Trip Wamsley, and the mighty Adam Tanner. aside from laughing ridiculous amounts, there was a fair amount of jamming. I would not be surprised if some of it popped up on video somewhere.
almost everyone woke early on Friday as it was the first day of Lodo events and our entire crew had to make its way -- with gear -- into Denver and down to the Hyatt Regency. I must say that even groggy, it was as if everything just picked up where it had left off the previous evening. the day started with laughter and comradery.
after the amount of hubbub one would expect in coordinating all these people and their equipment, we were checked in and had a bit of time to relax before the initial "meet and greet". part of that was devoted to sound checking and teching gear, but most everyone chose to relax, eat and practice.
things got rolling in a nice low key manner. the first performance was by Marc Grabowski, known by many Denverites as the bassist for Corruption. for a bunch of the performers, last year's Lodo was the first chance we met him and he was much more relaxed and at home on stage this year. for those who only know Marc's heavy side, he also possesses a great melodic side. Marc followed his set by joining the event's host and organizer, C3, for a free form jam which was full of the humor and joy which would become the hallmark of the event.
next up was newcomer Kent Beatty from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. what few people know is that Kent hardly slept the night before, flew in Friday morning and was almost completely out of sorts when he started his set. it was also his first real solo show. and he killed. definitely keep an eye on this cat. there will be great things from him in the future, if his performance here was any indication... killin'!
returning to the proceedings was the inimtable Darren Michaels. Darren's life, humor and music are indivisible. they are the same thing, in fact. if you don't know his music and if you haven't seen one of his shows you really owe it to yourself to investigate him. there is a reason that he is a staple in the solo bass scene. beautiful set.
Edo Castro hit the stage next and people began to see the real diversity in the scene. aside from having an incredibly sublime touch on the instrument, Edo possesses a lyrical quality in his playing that is just heartbreaking. he really made an impression on the gathering!
the evening concluded with a monster set from one of the biggest monsters on the solo bass and extended range bass arenas: Jean Baudin. like Marc, so many people know Jean as the bassist for bands like Nuclear Rabbit and Element of Surprise. and like Marc, many don't realize that Jean is a multi-faceted musician. I tend to think of Jean, especially when I hear his solo music, as a composer who happens to play the bass. he had built on the repertoire that we heard last year and for those who are considering the purchase of his upcoming album, you are in for a treat. there is going to be some amazing stuff for you!
Saturday was devoted equally to clinics and performances. Darren spoke about marketing oneself as a solo performer and maximizing one's resources, about pursuing avenues he or she might not normally consider. Jean was up next and talk about not just tapping, which many people had assumed would be the case, but about approaching the music from an emotional place, not just writing to show off technique. Todd Johnson took the following clinic and discussed melodic concepts in soloing, and broke down many ways to play over changes. talk about a lyrical cat! his informal approach to teaching engaged the entire group and presented his overwhelming ability in a way that didn't intimidate.
Brady Muckelroy came to the stage and taught by example, analyzing his own tunes after performing them. his gracious and self-effacing presence really encouraged event-goers to ask him questions. Carey Nordstrand was up next and spoke about pickups and tone. it was great to start hitting things from the technical end of our instrument and the interplay between Carey and the crowd was very animated. Skip Fantry from Knuckle Guitar Works kept the nuts and bolts aspect of it rolling by discussing strings, frequency response, speaker technology and recording. these two seminars covered more in a couple of hours than many musicians will learn in decades!
closing out the morning's educating were Edo Castro and Steve Hahn. Edo spoke to a lot of aspects of what he does from choosing chords to tapping into emotions and even discussing his signal chain. Steve is a Stick player and discussed eveything about his instrument to how he composes and what he does to amplify his gear. incredibly illuminating, but by this time we were definitely ready for a break so our brains could process so much good stuff.
after dinner we returned for a spellbinding set from Yves Carbonne. his new solo album will be -- we hope! -- available by the middle of October and it will quite literally have something for everyone. his performance showed us why. Yves is truly music. it's that simple. and his music is beautiful.
my set was next and I debuted a couple of pieces from the upcoming album along with a new bass. I also had the incredibly special treat of bringing 2 of my favorite instrumentalists in the world, Yves Carbonne and Edo Castro, to the stage for a bass trio version the Marcus Miller/Miles Davis' tune, "Tutu." what an honor and HUGE fun!!
Jay Terrien really took everything in a whole new direction and just rocked. equal parts theater, performance art, humor and hard hitting chops along with some unexpected arrangements in his backing tracks, Jay completely took the crowd by surprise... and gave my amp a workout! videos are already posted on youtube.
the big surprise for many was up next when Bay Area phenom Jeff Schmidt played. in the words of Edo Castro, Jeff has developed his own vocabulary and is doing something that no one else does. he absolutely slayed. just an amazing set.
Trip Wamsley closed the night as only Trip could. he couched freakish technical ability on his instruments in gorgeous music and wrapped it all in that singular sense of humor. we ate it up like candy! what few of the attendees knew was that the Tripster developed a powerful ear infection and was battling that throughout the entire event. what a pro!
the final day of Lodo was dominated by clinics with some great musical performances. first up was C3 who demonstrated how to apply technology to music without having the gear take away from the music. it was a great way to start the day and the crowd was smiling by the time I got up to talk about how to get and keep a gig. I'm going to extend what I discussed there into a full article which will appear on my website soon.
Jeff Schimidt talked about the importance of individuality what we as musicians do. his discussion of technique versus context/content was one of my favorite parts of the event. Trip put on the clinician's hat and discussed things that people had asked him about off the bandstand. it was candid, honest and human. and of course he used performance to punctuate all his points. great stuff!
Yves broke his clinic up between discussion and performance in a near-perfect balance which was a delight to hear and remarkably enlightening at the same time. when he said, "I do not really do anything special," I think a lot of people realized that his dedication to his art and craft are as great as his humility.
the next individual up was Brady Muckelroy. I've known Brady for a while and we've corresponded a bit. I've heard him practice and watched him play. we've talked and joked. I even own his DVD. but actually seeing one of Brady's shows is a very special thing. I will admit that I got choked up quite a few times. this was a very special part of Lodo for me and I will not forget it!
Todd Johnson got up and this time showed why he gets the work he does. a consummate sideman and a spuremely gifted soloist, Todd played us his interpretations of several standards and made us laugh with his great banter between songs. the man's chordal vocabulary and lethal swing were quite something to behold!
the final performers of the show were two comparative newcomers. Denver local Jeff Martinez played his first ever solo set... and killed it! everyone's dying to hear what he does for his next show. beautiful job, Jeff. beautiful!
I think the big surprise for us all was Adam Tanner, though. his completely original and novel approach to solo bass just knocked us out! his showmanship, humor and kindly nature -- as well as a fiendish choice for a cover tune! -- just blew us all away. this guy needs to have a DVD out!
I feel really fortunate in that I not only got to be a part of the event, but I got to hang with some of the coolest people in the world. as bassists we're collaborators and supportive individuals but this really comes out when you get to participate in the community.
Monday morning I headed with Trip Wamsley down to Albuquerque for the Duke City Bass Jam. at this point I really have to send out a special thanks to the kindness and hospitality of Gerry Larribas and the Winchime Champagne Gallery. aside from being a wonderful place to host the event, we were made to feel so welcome and we got to enjoy some incredible art work!
the show was just one evening, but what an evening! I kicked things off in a quiet, and (mostly) mellow mood then turned things over the Duke City Slammers.
holy schlemoly! these cats are killers!! Howard Cloud, Rodney Bowe along with the amazing and rock solid Kcool just tore it up!! true gentlemen, vicious bass players and groove monsters their versions of "Come Together" and "Teen Town" made the trip to New Mexico worthwhile!
and then trip played one of the best sets I've ever heard him turn in. I cannot even begin to describe what this guy does if you haven't caught him before. Darren Michaels described Trip the best I've heard so far when he said, "Trip is a force of nature." and his latest cover tune is going to get people grinning for years to come. when you combine all that with his wit, graciousness and truly original voice as a player and songwriter... man!
in closing I want to send out a huge thanks to:
C3 without whom this would not have happened. the man has a heart bigger than the sun and several times more sheltering. thanks, man, for being my friend and such an incredible supporter of our weird little niche community. each bass-centric event brings us closer to the mainstream and you are a big part of that.
and to Eric Owens. even though we have not yet met in person, your presence was very deeply felt in Albuquerque, man. thank you so much for inviting me and for introducing me to so many great people!
Cliff Engel and the International Institute of Bassists -- man, even though we barely got time to hang in Denver, your presence there was crucial! thank you so much for the years of support, encouragement and friendship! that long call is coming sooner than you think!
okay, everyone, the next time I post will be with pics and possible video from this jaunt!
stay well, take care, take it light and keep it deep!
Stew
ps - for Caleb, fretless exercises? try a few of these...
1) practice in the dark! you want to get your intonation happening, that's a tough one to beat.
2) run scales or play your regular melodic exercises, but make sure you're in a key that has as its root one of your open strings (B, E, A, D, G or C). when you start and finish the exercise wait a moment and then hit the appropriate open string. that will help a lot.
3) bring your fretless to rehearsals and gigs. the more you play it, the more likely you are to play in tune.
4) listen to Jaco Pastorius, Percy Jones, Pino Palladino, Richard Bona and Yves Carbonne. these are some of the real fretless cats. you will find more.
5) keep your ears OPEN!! no better way to make it work than to listen!
 | Currently listening:
Double-Up
By Bill Connors
Release date: 27 January, 1994 |
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Monday, July 30, 2007
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Category: Music
hey all,
tomorrow I head out to perform and teach at the Lodo Bass Bash and at the Duke City Bass Jam. much fun and much craziness!
before I go I wanted to post some pics of recent developments in my world of gear. all of this has made it into recent bulletins but I figured there's no reason not to post them here, too.
first and foremost, the mighty IT is nearing completion. the body has been rough cut and the top has been glued down. so has the headstock cap. the neck is also through the initial stages of construction.
ta-daa!
YOWZA!!
many people have asked about the basses I started building myself. while the two 4 strings are still in limbo, this weekend saw the completion of my new 5 strings.
the fretted is an ash/maple beast with overwound passive Nordstrand Big Singles that I'm calling Spankerella...
it's a killer! slapped and played fingerstyle it has an authority and fullness that just level most instruments I've owned.
my fretless is another story. I wanted something different, something unlike anything I've ever owned and unlike most of what is seen or heard on stage or on recordings. this one's name is a secret, but here's how she turned out...
to say I'm pleased with how she turned out is falling way short of the mark. the sound and playability are just unbelievable! with the tone wide open the sound is aggressive and wiry, and because the fretless cocobolo fingerboard has been coated with finish, it delivers and evil slap sound. with the tone rolled off she is punchy and rubbery with an infectious presence.
I owe major thanks to Bill Conklin and Conklin Guitars for the soon to be finished 10 string behemoth. the rapid completion and perfect set up of the 5's is due almost entirely to Carey Nordstrand and Nordstrand Guitars. guys, I can't even begin to tell you how deep my gratitude runs!
further, Mike Apperson in Bill Conklin's shop is just amazing, both in terms of his electronics work and because he does a wicked job applying finish. and Chris Bakken -- a wock stoaw if ever there was one -- made it possible for the 5 strings to exist at all. his patience and skill as a woodworker have given me 2 of the finest basses I've ever owned!
as anyone who's read my schedule knows, I'm taking off for Colorado and New Mexico in the morning. I'll be offline for a bit so I apologize for not being able to get back to anyone who tries to communicate before I can get back to the 'net.
as soon as I can, I'll be back to bother you guys with more inconsequential news of my silly existence. thank you all for writing and posting your comments. I seriously doubt I would be here and doing this without your constant support and encouragement. I am truly a fortunate man.
thank you, guys!
stay well and I'll be back as soon as I can.
oh! and for those in Southern California, I'll be playing here a day or so after I get back from the road. it's a fundraiser for leukemia and lymphoma research which means donations are encouraged and there will only be about 50 seats available. but it will be an intimate setting and there will be ample time for Q&A.
I will be unveiling brand new tunes, things which will be featured on my next solo album and on the duet album with the one and only Yves Carbonne!
got to try and get a few hours of sleep before tomorrow, but I hope you're all well.
take it light and keep it deep,
Stew
 | Currently listening:
Word of Mouth
By Jaco Pastorius
Release date: 25 October, 1990 |
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Sunday, June 24, 2007
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Current mood:  excited
... but here's the new blog!
first, for anyone who hasn't hit it, please hit my Frequently Asked Questions blog entry. I am still getting gobs of email about stuff that I've answered already in not one but TWO separate blog postings.
okay, on to the new stuff!
I'm really sorry I have been less active over the last months but I have been unbelievably busy. I am not even sure where to begin but let me give it a try.
basses...
I've been building and am having instruments built. everything is very different than the instruments destroyed in New Orleans back in 2005. I think most everyone is acquainted with the basses built for me by Bee and Conklin...
but there are new axes on the horizon for your humble narrator. both builders are crafting new axes for me which will serve very different purposes and -- as I stated moments ago -- they will be seriously different from my old basses.
the new Bee will have (brace yourselves) 4 strings and be used for everything from teaching to session work. so far I have only seen the body, but it's a looker... in the extreme!
yount!
the Conklin? well, to describe this bass as different kind of falls short of the mark. get ready for... IT!!
yes, I'm serious about that being the name for the megaliath. this will be my new 10 string. where the original was a very balanced sounding and sublime instrument (given that it was a 10 string bass), this will be completely over the top, both aesthetically and tonally.
here are the neck blank, the headstock cap and the fingerboard wood...
these are the pickups...
the pickup covers...
and finally the top and the body blank...
BOO-YA!!
while this is a lot of stuff, I have been learning a bit about bass building and have tried to make a few of my own efforts as well. the first of these should be finished this coming week...
I have actually done everything I know how to do on these basses and am just waiting for finish to be sprayed and hardware installed. I was hoping to have that fretted 5 ready for a session this coming week but it looks like I'll be using the first bass I made instead. you can see that one in its very own bass blog.
at the beginning of the month I got to hang with some friends and meet some new ones at the Los Angeles TalkBass get together. there were some great basses there, some great players and it was just a generally excellent hang...
is that all?
hardly!
the Lodo Bass Bash is about a month away and tickets go on sale tomorrow. I apologize for the bulletin I posted stating that they were going on sale a couple of weeks ago. I was misinformed and I hope I didn't cause too many problems for everyone.
immediately after that I will perform at the Duke City Bass Jam in New Mexico alongside my buddy Trip Wamsley and some of the heaviest low end hitters in the Southwest.
there's nothing on the books after that until I share a stage with Bill Burke, Randy Marshall and the mighty Andres Cervantes in Modesto on October 5th, but you can always find out more about my gigs in the calendar on my page.
I'm still picking up some gigs around L.A. and I'm at this point there are lots of openings in the teaching schedule.
on to the personal stuff.
many of you know that my parents' house burned down a few weeks ago and they were incredibly lucky to get out alive. who ever imagined we'd be thankful for my Dad's need to get up and pee in the early hours of the morning!
I can't tell you how incredible it has been to hear from so many of you. my folks are doing as well as can be expected. the good thing is that they have each other for support right now. all the kind words and well wishing have just been a blessing, though. thank you all so much!!
on a different note, as several of you have asked, my divorce was recently finalized. this will be, I think, the last time I discuss this publicly. yes, I'm single again. no, I don't want to go into whether I am or am not dating. it means a great deal to me (more than I can easily express here) that people are as concerned and compassionate as they are, but the vast majority of people who visit this page are much more interested in the musical parts of my life.
rest assured that if anything HUGE comes down the pike for me I'll post it here, but for now let's just avoid all that, okay?
thank you so much to everyone who has written me during my blog absence!!
while I've been overwhelmed by the events and circumstances of these last weeks and months I do read every email I get (even the hate mail) and I answer as much as I can. sometimes there are several hundred emails a day, so as you can imagine it is not always possible to write back, but I do read it all.
thank you guys so much!
you will not have to wait months for more news from me. I will make time for blogging and try to keep it interesting. I will also post bulletins when there is stuff worth sharing... even if it's goofy.
okay, it's getting on in the day and I have stuff to do. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to read these things and to comment. you guys are the coolest!
stay well, take it light and keep it deep,
Stew
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Tuesday, January 09, 2007
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hey all,
just wanted to let you know that my good friend (and great bassist!) Sara Benoy will be featured on the instrumental equivalent of "American Idol". the show is called " America's Hot Musician" and there will be voting... check her out!
the show will be aired nationally, starting this week, but I believe there will be webcasts as well. unfortunately I have no TV and my 'net is out at home so if anyone can get me video I am dying to see my bud on television!
thanks everyone and take care,
Stew
p.s. - the previous blog was an FAQ. read it if you want me to IM you or of you want me to check out your band... this is a really bad time for me and I'm sorry. things will be far better in the spring.
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Saturday, December 09, 2006
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Current mood:  exhausted
alright, everybody, these are some of the things I get the most here at myspace...
1) How can I be a great musician? for most of us there is noo easy way. it's time, practice, gigging, recording, taking and giving lessons, finding your inner voice, figuring out what your style is, coming to terms with the sound you want and making a lot of mistakes along the way. there will be moments where you feel great and others where you are deeply humbled. I can recommend some exercises (a few are posted on my website) but there are no short cuts I've found.
2) Can you listen to my music/our band's music and give me/us you opinion? right now I have no sound on my computer so I'm afraid I can't consistently listen to anything online. a couple of times a week I get to a comp with sound and I listen when I can but there just isn't time right now to get to everybody. in the future I'll post the address for my management company so the interested can send in CDs.
3) Wow! That bass is incredible! Can you tell me about it? yep. that is one of two 10 string basses built by Bill Conklin. you can see more pics and read the story behind it here. the tuning was low C sharp (around 17hz, almost an octave lower than a 5 string) up in fourths to a high B flat (well into the range of a guitar). this is the instrument featured on "interlude 1". it was surprisingly light, perfectly balanced and natural to play. your eyes are not deceiving you: there are no controls on the bass. if you look carefully you will see that's the case with most of my axes. check out #18 below to learn more about the why behind that.
4) Would you sell it me? Can I buy any of your basses? most of the instruments you see here were destroyed last year by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, along with most everything in my life. I am incredibly lucky in that I now have instruments again and a new amp. I am even starting to gig again and I will be recording both a solo album and a duet album soon. there is even talk of a bass trio album which I may be a part of.
5) You seem like a cool guy but could you not post bulletins or things on myspace which aren't about your music? in all honesty I will probably have to quit posting a lot of things soon. the schedule is picking up and I barely have time to do a lot of things I would like to do. but... bulletins that are questionnaires, videos and things not about my music are a blast for me! I'm not a corporation or a machine. it feels nice to just throw some stuff out there which has nothing to do with the musical part of my life. if you don't like looking at these things, please don't read bulletins I post.
6) I have written you several times and you have not answered me. That's not cool, man. I get anywhere from 300 to 1300 emails a day. this is not an exaggeration. I really wish I was kidding. I really wish I had time to answer every communication I get, but it's just not possible. I'm sorry. I do what I can but time is the rarest commodity. please know that I read almost everything but to reply, much less to give detailed replies to everything would require more dexterity and endurance than I have, as well as 18 extra hours of consciousness and free time.
7) I read about your divorce. Do you want to talk about it? well, even if I did feel compelled to share any of these things, who really wants to read them? I would much rather focus on the positive in life. besides, that is really not interesting.
8) Can you introduce me to _(insert name of famous musician) ? please don't ask me this. it puts me in an awkward position and I am probably waaaaaaay too annoying for my friends already. the vast majority of these people are incredibly kind and cool but it is not my place to impose upon their privacy. you are better off trying to contact them yourself. again, I'm sorry.
9) When is your album coming out? tough to say. the sessions are very soon but the process of mixing and mastering is not quick. then there's packaging and printing the product. I hope the solo disc will come out in the spring but there are a lot of forces at work beyond my control which will decide that.
10) Where can I buy your music? my last studio album, Welcome to my World, can be purchased on Cafe Press. there is a bunch of other merch available through my original page at CP. this is where you can buy my demo tunes as well as a bunch of really silly stuff. I am setting up a third page soon for a live CD recorded a few years back in New Orleans. you can hear song samples on each page.
11) When will you play in my town? I don't know. honestly. I would love to go back on tour and that is certainly a possibility in the near future but right now there is just an awful lot up in the air. I have been invited to play in many, many places. while this is flattering, very few of these invitations pan out. any dates I get will be announced here on myspace, on my regular website or even on JamBase.
12) Do you give lessons? absolutely. if you're serious about lessons send me a message here or through my regular website with "I am interested in bass lessons" in the subject line. I will not have a great deal of time before the end of January to teach, but it is possible. aside from working in the "Inland Empire" area of southern California, I am in Los Angeles pretty regularly and may be able to schedule something there. unless you are willing to fly me to you or we arrange for me to do something while I am on the road, SoCal is the best place for me to give a lesson.
13) Can you give me pointers on two-handed tapping? not really. it's not something I use very often and for me it is more of a rhythmic tool than anything else. I think it can be a really wonderful technique but it generally doesn't fit with anything else I do. there are a number of cats who use it well and in a very musical way. I am not one of them.
14) Why is there a picture of a dog in your photo gallery? that was Jaxon. he was a casualty of the hurricanes. aside from the fact he saved my life at least twice, that dog had more heart and soul than most two-legged animals I've come across.
15) I notice a lot of hot women post to your page. Do you really know them? Can you introduce me to them? some of them are my friends in real life. some are myspace friends. see my answer to question #8 as far as introductions go.
16) How do you afford your equipment? Are you rich? Can you help me get some endorsements? the answer is that I don't really afford my gear. I am far from rich. in point of fact I lead a very modest life. I have been incredibly fortunate in that I've made great friends over the years as a musician. some of them are in the industry. but -- and this is true for more musicians than you would believe -- I don't get my stuff for free. I have to pay for it, too. the prices I get are really good and I'm grateful for that, but I have been doing this for a long time and there was a point where I was gigging with a short scale Squier Bullet bass and a 20 watt Crate amp. like chops, gear comes with time and work.
17) Why don't you just shred on your songs? Can you do Victor Wooten's double tumping technique? Can you show me how to do sweep arpeggios? Why don't you tap more? my style, inasmuch as it exists, developed over time. I don't shred because I'm not a shredder. if there was a way for me to really rip in a way that's musical to my ear, I'd do it. but I leave that to the players who really do it well. I'm still trying to get a tone that's the same as the one in my imagination. I try not to use techniques and riffs that are really trademarks of other cats. I love fretless but I'm not Jaco or Mick Karn. I love slap but I'm not Larry Graham or Louis Johnson. I love harmonics but... you get the picture. I have actually avoided learning most of the tunes by the players I love because they've already played them. I'd rather try and find my own voice at this point.
18) Why don't you have controls or preamps on your basses? there are long meandering diatribes about this in many bass forums online but the simple truth is that I don't want to be able to sound like anybody. I want to sound like me, even if that is a limited sound. at the same time I really like the clean, simple look of a bass with no knobs or switches on it. and finally, there are few wires and fewer things inside the bass which can crap out. nothing worse than a battery dying or a preamp getting squirrely on a gig or in a session. when people hire me, they know what they're getting.
19) Do you really live in a cabin in a forest? yep. more than a mile up on a mountain. it is one of the most beautiful places in the world and I am grateful for it every day and every night. I don't get to see it as often as I'd like and it's always a work in progress, but I am so lucky to be where I am now. I try never to take that for granted.
20) Were you really in the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina? yep. but I lump this in with the business of talking about the divorce. it's something that happened which taught me a lot and in a strange way I'm grateful for it. if you really want to read about it, I wrote a piece which was published here.
for anyone who wants to know if I'll marry again, if I'm getting another dog, if I want to date... I appreciate your interest and concern. truly. but I'll make announcements when and if the time comes to make announcements.
I can't thank you all for your support, kindness, humor and curiosity. I hope that the future allows me to interact more with everyone but the present is just very intense. when I first created this page it was because I wanted to have music and pictures up in case anyone wanted to hire me. I never had any idea that people would actually want to hear my music or find out about me as a player, as a person. thank you!
for now I'm going to have to fade into the background a bit. I am not disappearing but I do not know how much I can respond to everyone. that will be different after the NAMM show and after the tracks for the album are done, but that is the end of January. please bear with me until then.
you guys are the best and I hope that my future endeavors are to your liking. stay well and keep it deep,
Stew
 | Currently listening:
Temptation
By Holly Cole
Release date: 15 August, 1995 |
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