Bass Lessons Melbourne Player Profiles

Michael League, bass player for Snarky Puppy, Bokante and Forq, is a modern master of the instrument and one of the hardest working band leaders around. Comfortable in a number of genres on electric, upright and key bass, Mike is not only a world class musician, but a prolific composer, record label executive and all round expert in the modern music industry. It was truly and honour to get to sit down with Michael while he was in Melbourne for two shows with Snarky Puppy and it was great to hear him talk about running a band like Snarky Puppy, the current state of the industry, his vintage P bass, thoughts on gospel music and much more!

http://groundupmusic.net/

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http://www.pickpocketfunk.com

Now based in Melbourne, Lauren is a professional double bassist and educator. Her hugely popular YouTube channel features virtuosic performances of double bass solo repertoire. Lauren has studied with many notable bassists such as Craig Butterfield and Jeff Bradetich and is renowned teacher in her own right.

It was great to sit down with Lauren and talk about her journey as a musician, career paths, overcoming nerves, youtube and much much more!

Lauren Pierce:

https://discoverdoublebass.com/

http://laurenpiercebass.com/

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http://www.pickpocketfunk.com

Fodera artist and bass sensei Lucas Taranto has an enviable reputation around town as the guy you call when you need the best of the best. Pocket, feel, chops, tone, vibe, Lucas has them all in spades and rightfully earned him a place in the world conquering Gotye lineup during the 'Somebody that I used to know' era. It was super cool getting to chat with Lucas about his bass journey including his influences in the form of Gary Willis and James Jamerson, his decision making process with regards to his beautiful custom Fodera bass, his thoughts on time and what young players should be focusing on.

Watch the video interview here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBLzp36LORA

Teymur Phell is one seriously heavy cat! Currently Mike Stern's bassist of choice he has also performed with Oz Noy and trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval. A resident of NYC, Teymur grew up in Israel, studying classical upright bass along side developing his burning chops on electric. In this interview we discuss his approach to walking, what it's like to play for Stern, his beautiful 6 string F Bass and much more!

I first saw a video of Junior playing about 18months ago and immediately I was hooked. He has an incredible facility on the instrument and coupled with deep harmonic knowledge, huge pocket and a Brazilian music background, you have the recipe for one of today's rising stars of electric bass. I was lucky to catch up with him for an hour or so while he was in town playing with Virgil Donati and we discuss his approach to learning that intense repertoire as well as his evolution as a bassist and his plans for the future.

Watch the video on the youtube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/c/basslessonsmelbourneonline

Check out Junior's website and youtube channel

http://juniorbraguinha.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjS8b3_AIyl188FQXrhDRbQ

Evan is one of my favourite Melbourne bass players, with a massive pocket, rock solid time and a phat tone it's no wonder he's held down the low end for the likes of Angus and Julia Stone, Dub Fx and Husky to name a few. In this episode we discuss topics such as domestic vs overseas touring, the importance of practicing super slow, the parallels between tai chi and music, in ear monitoring systems, complex live FX set ups and much more!

*apologies for the audio issues in this episode, there was some random interference with the microphones so I had to cut to the camera mic at times.

Hadrien Feraud is undoubtedly one of the pioneers of modern electric bass. Having played with the likes of John McLaughlin, Chick Corea and Hiromi, Hadrien is also an established artist in his own right having released 2 albums to critical acclaim.

I managed to catch up with him backstage at Melbourne's Bird's Basement jazz club while he was in town with the Zawinul Legacy featuring Scott Kinsey and Kirk Covington from fusion legends Tribal Tech. In this interview we chat about Hadriens musical journey, his love for Jaco, soul and rnb and also what he thinks about the impact of social media on the modern musician.

Check out his website and solo albums here:

http://www.hadrienferaud.info/

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Currently residing in Brisbane, Mark is one of Australia's top bass players having appeared on the first Gospel Chops Bass Shedz DVD and subsequently supporting Victor Wooten on a clinic tour. With a musical mind to match his incredible technical facility, Mark is truly a top flight bass player, but his musical journey has not been without struggles. In this video Mark candidly discusses how he has overcome crippling stage fright and self doubt, bolstered his harmonic knowledge and how importantly he views using a bass the 'fits'. It's a long one, but there's some great bass jamming scattered throughout and we really dig deep on a lot of topics that I feel will resonate with players old and young.

Check out the youtube video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ElmUPp82f8&t=20s

Rocco Prestia is an undeniable living legend of the electric bass, having held the bass chair in Tower of Power for over 50 years, Rocco has influenced countless players with his incredible bass lines and unique tone and approach. It was a real honour for me to get to spend some time with one my bass heroes and was fascinated to hear Rocco talk about his incredible career in a candid and honest manner. Enjoy!

Book your own bass lesson: www.basslessonsmelbourne.com

Watch the video interview here:

I was lucky to catch up with Francis on the balcony of his hotel room shortly before he hit the stage at the Caloundra Music Festival with acid jazz legends Incognito. Hailing from London, Francis has been musical director for Rahsaan Patterson, recorded with Anastasia, Chaka Khan, Lulu, Najee, Miki Imai, Gianna Nannini, Jocelyn Brown and Leon Ware and performed bass live with Cee Lo Green, Mario Biondi, Chaka Khan, Karyn White, Gloria Gaynor and many more. In this revealing interview we hear about Francis' beignnings on the bass, his relationship with Bluey from Incognito, what kind of gear he uses and why and a great insight into what it means to be an in demand sideman for some of the world's top funk, rnb, soul and jazz artists.

Watch the video:

https://youtu.be/krADZ1dv2w4

Check out his website and blog here:

http://www.francishyltonbass.co.uk/

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