By Rob Garner
[Ed.: Caution: Severe electric bass geekery ahead on the part of our writer. Also, another caution, if you are a serious bassist and don’t own a copy of this book, you are at a huge disadvantage in understanding the true history of the instrument, to the detriment of your own playing].
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University of North Texas music professor Brian Wright may have written the most “honest” book ever on the electric bass. Starting with the early history, design, and players of the instrument, Wright takes care to give past credits due to the players who helped shaped its cultural trajectory, in not just popular music, but also many other “legit” styles. The book focuses on the first two decades of the use of electric bass in popular recorded music.
As a bass player, decades ago I felt the sting of wanting to dedicate my life to an instrument that was considered a “novelty” in academia, and with other musical powers-that-be The music school I attended did not think the electric bass was a “real instrument,” so I also picked up the upright bass, though I enjoyed playing it, and still do. But they are, at minimum, two completely different instruments, ergonomically speaking.
In the sheet music business, bass books and sheet music are still categorically filed under “novelty instrument.” This is what the print industry actually calls it, and it confounded me as to how one single word could diminish the works of Weather Report, the Chick Corea Elektric Band, James Jamerson, Chuck Rainey, and Marcus Miller, among all the countless greats who have propagated the electric bass in high musical art form. While most bassists are not bothered by this, the critical and snobbish viewpoint still remains.
The title of the book lays this dichotomy bare.
One of the other fascinating things about this book is the question of, “why hasn’t this already been written?” With literal tons of unique historic print materials on the topic, and the mass of information about the electric bass on the Internet, this is one of the first true academic works on the subject matter. And Wright leaves no stone unturned, with detailed and cited research, and many first person interviews.
A few years ago, Wright made headlines by settling – or not settling – one of the oldest beefs in studio bass recording history. Legendary session players Carol Kaye and Chuck Rainey had something of an open disagreement regarding the studio bass playing on several Motown songs. I had spoken personally many times with both Kaye and Rainey, and knew each of their arguments well. As for me, I couldn’t disagree with either of them. But through research of the actual facts, as well as reviewing all available documentation – or lack thereof – Wright’s comments ended the discussion for now: We don’t really know, and there is the possibility that they were both right.
Considering that this book addresses the cultural impact of the instrument, Wright also makes a compelling argument early in the book. While the guitar has been credited by other writers for pushing forward the Civil Rights Movement, and ending wars, he maintains that the bass is not just for winning wars, but can be used for movements that are for all practical purposes, good, bad, or indifferent. It has become a tool in which humans use to communicate, no matter what the message may be. Part of his mission:
”This book is an attempt to explain how and why electric bassists mattered, not by deifying them or their instruments but by firmly situating their contributions within each of their distinct historical and cultural contexts.”
Wright also goes into detail on highlighting the unsung, and often unknown names that helped shape modern electric bass playing. While most are not close to household names, their work still stands, and their accolades have finally arrived in the academic sense. The book also starts with a review of prior electric bass inventions, many of which were modified or emulative versions of the upright bass.
In many ways, the story revolves both directly and indirectly around one man in particular: Leo Fender. Fender came up with his first production electric bass in 1952, and found himself not only trying to sell a new kind of instrument, but also a different type of musical animal altogether. He was often met with outright rejection from upright bass purists, though many players and band leaders who saw themselves as innovative quickly took to the instrument for its benefits of reduced size, and electrification. One of the miracles of Fender’s invention is how little it has changed since it was first revealed. With millions of electric basses sold, most have the basic characteristics of the original instrument in some way, in terms of fingerboard length, basic electronics, and other elements. Sure, every one of these elements has been further perfected, but a player does not necessarily need a modded- or boutique-bass to get the job done on the stage or at home. Wright covers this in great detail, and also elaborates on the symbiotic relationship between artists and players to “get the word out” about the instrument. Louis Jordan, Monk Montgomery, Shifty Henry, Bob Manners, and Liberace are discussed among many others.
An extended analysis of Monk Montgomery reveals just how nebulous the early days of electric bass actually were for performing musicians. Monk is quoted several times – including referring to the electric bass as a “bastard instrument,” the book’s namesake – and it is apparent that he was in a difficult position as a jazz bassist, and fought off a lot of criticism from fellow musicians for decades, most likely throughout his lifetime.
Wright also notes an interesting Texas tie-in to the acceptance of the electric bass, and much of it happened right here in Dallas. Western swing and conjunto bands were also early adopters, including Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, and Tony de la Hosa. Another checkmark for Texas’ impact and leadership in world music trends. Check out this early video of Bob Wills here, with a beautiful ashtray-intact P-Bass being played in the background.
Wright also offers significant ink on additional Texas contributions to electric bass lore. He cites the 1956 hit “Crazy Arms” by Ray Price and bassist Buddy Gillen as the first major hit featuring electric bass. The track also utilized a then soon-to-be popular studio technique of “doubling” (and sometimes tripling with a baritone), or in other words, playing an electric bass line on top of an upright line for more clarity and effect. There is also an extended analysis of the use of Buddy Holly’s own adoption of the instrument, focusing more on J.D. Mauldin, and a little bit on Waylon Jennings.
The book also covers the invention of the Danelectro 6-string baritone bass, practically unchanged since its 1956 debut. It has only in recent years had its own virtuoso players – namely Texas musician and Buddy Magazine Texas Tornado Mark Lettieri – though these players also favor more high-end baritone bass models.
Also of interest is Wright’s foray into available books on electric bass pedagogy. He cites the 1957 book – “Bert Gardner’s Complete Course For Electric Bass” as the first. He also cites Mel Bay’s book by Roger Filiberto, “Mel Bay Presents the Electric Bass, Vol. 1,” which was a staple in my own learning and library. Filiberto’s legacy is tremendous in this area, having shaped or informed the playing of millions of players, and doing so in an “evergreen” way, even for 1963. In 1979, the book was reported to have sold over one million copies.
Also poignantly captured in the book is the story of the session musicians who literally invented a new sound for popular music. Studio bassists and musicians were almost wholly uncredited for their work, and working conditions were often not only undesirable, but potentially life-threatening, as in the case of the famously manic and gun-wielding Phil Spector.
What these electric bass players accomplished will never be recreated again. Wright notes the geographic constricts, and concentration of the music production industry that were integral to voluminous music output. While many pop music players make the covers of the instrument mags, their attention can be highly disproportionate compared to the sheer volume of output and influence of these pioneering studio payers and working musicians. In this initial 2-decade definitive history of the instrument, some heretofore names unknown are covered in detail. He spends a nice of amount of wordage on the first true artist and “hero” of the electric bass, James Jamerson. While many players were required to play straight off-the-page, Jamerson was given full creative reign in the studios.
Will the electric bass ever get the respect it deserves from music pedagogists and historians? This book steers them in the right path, and maybe there is hope. In short, if you are serious about playing the electric bass, this book is indeed a must-have.
Read more about the book at Amazon.com
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