The other day I sat looking at this muzic equipment with kind of a blank look on my face -- this is typical when I a waiting for that inspiration to take over and then everything moves in sort of a fit. Well finally, the fit came and I jumped over and started working on the bass line for "Beautiful Eyes." I worked it out and worked it out some more until I finally had something that sounded like it was it, the perfect match, the icing on the cake. It was difficult to find though, because if you can remember from the last entry or one of them, that the chords I was used were pretty unorthodox. This is great but it also means that for me, putting the rest of the tune together can be tricky. This was tricky but the real shit once it was done. Yesss!! As I finished and worked out the final notes and movement, I realized how much my writing -- of bass lines at least -- is influenced by the great playing of Verdine White. I think some people sleep on this brotha' but he was sooo soo bad. Now let me make this very clear, I am in no way saying that what I do sounds like or even imitates the incredible, clean, up and down the fret board moving style of this brotha but I can just hear the influence. After listening to hours, hours and more hours of EWF for years, how could I not be influenced by such virtuosity. As stated by EWF "sounds never dissipate, they only recreate." So in this case influence is a form of recreation I would assume and Verdine always locked the bottom down so well, what better way is there to be influenced by the writing of those who set the musical inspiration for so many.
Ya know about a year ago I was in this Old School band, I'll leave out the name, and me and the band leader got into a debate over the baddest bass players. Of course no one in their right mind could ever deny Stanley Clarke his spot at the top but as far as the baddest, rawest, cleanest, smoothest bass players that were part of a band Verdine had to be IT. If you listen to what he did, it was all so clean and melodic. He moved around finding the perfect note every time and stayed in the pocket. I don't think I have ever listened to anything EWF did where Verdine didn't sound perfect every time. So now, considering this debate, my opponent said that he was okay but could only play Earth Wind and Fire tunes. Well considering he was EWF's bass player, what the fuck else did he need to play. Before it was an Earth Wind and Fire tune it was just a thought right? Everyone has a favorite, I know this but have a better argument than that please. Look I know there were a lot of bad cat's out there like Louis Johnson (Brothers Johnson), Mark Adams (Slave), Cedric Martin (Confunkshun) etc. So I know it is hard to choose in a sea of gifted bass playin Brotha's but Verdine just happens to be my favorite. Now his favorite: Marcus Miller. Marcus is a bad, bad brotha no doubt but I just don't put him in that group. My man's argument was that Marcus was an incredible producer also. What the fuck? He was an incredible producer and bass player but we're just talkin about bass players right? Of course the stuff Marcus did for all of his artists he worked with like Vandross, and Sanborn was all out of this world but as far as puttin it down very simply has to go to Verdine. Not a lot of thumping, not a lot of popping just hard core in that groove and on it 125%. We can even step outside EWF and listen to what he did for the Emotions -- flawless. So to tie all this together, for me to even hear the slightest influence of Verdine the way I am writing my bass lines is a wonderful thing y'all. I may indeed be the only one who hears the influence but that's enough.
Thanks for reading and I welcome comments good or bad, bring'um. See ya.
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