Brian Wright On This Month’s Groove – The No Treble Podcast

“Wait… did I miss something? Why is there an article about a bass podcast on Six Pixels of Separation?”

Here’s why:
In the late nineties my first job was as a music journalist (actually, my first interview was with Tommy Lee from Motley Crue right before the band released Dr. Feelgood).
I spent many years interviewing musicians and artists for local weekly alternative newspapers, national and international magazines (and even published three music magazines – before we had the Internet).
I also studied and played the electric bass (in high school and post-secondary) and always felt like bass players never really had a chance to tell their stories.
So, about ten years ago, Seth Godin introduced me to Corey Brown (founder of No Treble – one of the world’s biggest bass platforms – and he also worked on Squidoo with Seth).
From there, Corey and I decided to try this monthly podcast where I would interview bass players and talk about their music, art, creativity and more.
I’m hopeful that these conversations will inspire your work, creativity and innovation as much as they do for me…

Brian Wright (author of The Bastard Instrument) is this month’s conversation on Groove – The No Treble Podcast.

You can listen the new episode right here: Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #117 – Brian Wright.

Brian F. Wright, an Assistant Professor of Music History at the University of North Texas, has a unique passion for American popular music, especially when it comes to the electric bass. His brilliant new book, The Bastard Instrument – A Cultural History of the Electric Bass, dives deep into the story of our instrument and the players who made it essential to the sound of jazz, rock, R&B, and beyond. During our conversation, Brian talked about the journey that led him to write this book – a journey that took twelve years and a ton of research. This book sheds light on the bassists who helped shape popular music but rarely got the recognition they deserved (a similar mission to our podcast). Brian uncovered some surprising facts along the way, and it turns out, the history of the bass is full of these kinds of stories – details that have been overlooked or misunderstood for years. Leo Fender, the man behind the iconic Fender Precision Bass, is a big part of the story. While Fender is often celebrated for his work on guitars, Brian’s book shows how his innovations in bass design were just as groundbreaking. The Precision Bass and the Bassman amplifier helped give the bass its own voice, allowing it to be heard clearly in live performances and recordings, and setting the stage for the bass to become a lead instrument, especially during the psychedelic era of the 1960s and 70s. Brian also talks about how different regions influenced the development of the bass. In the UK, where import restrictions made it hard to get American instruments, German manufacturers stepped in. This led to a unique scene where early bass players, many of whom started out in skiffle bands, helped pave the way for legendary groups like The Beatles and Pink Floyd. The book also covers the evolution of bass playing techniques – from thumbing and two-fingers to picking and slapping. Brian points out how versatile the bass is and how it plays a crucial role in shaping the feel of a song, no matter the genre. While The Bastard Instrument focuses on the early years of the electric bass, there’s still so much more to explore. He’s particularly interested in the contributions of women bass players, whose stories are just beginning to be told. In The Bastard Instrument, Brian has done more than just write a book – he’s filled a huge gap in music history. By shining a light on the electric bass and the musicians who played it, he’s giving our players the credit they deserve and showing how this “bastard instrument” became a cornerstone of popular music. I loved this discussion… I know that you will too. Enjoy the conversation…

What is Groove – The No Treble Podcast?

This is an ambitious effort. This will be a fascinating conversation. Our goal at Groove is to build the largest oral history of bass players. Why Groove? Most of the content about the bass revolves around gear, playing techniques, and more technical chatter. For us, bassists are creative artists with stories to tell. They are a force to be reckon with. These are the stories and conversation that we will capture. To create this oral history of why these artists chose the bass, what their creative lives are like, and where inspiration can be found.

Listen in: Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #117 – Brian Wright

Are you interested in what’s next? How to decode the future? I publish between 2-3 times per week and then the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast comes out every Sunday. Feel free to subscribe (and tell your friends).