Big Noise...From Planet Earth

“A whole bag o' mutes...”Trumpeter Ron Horton and I go back 43 years- when we were fresh out of college, dipping our toes into the world of adulthood, and living the bohemian life in funky Washington, DC, amid the birth of the “Me Generation” and the Reagan Era. Immersing ourselves in everything from hard bop to avant-garde jazz, we were part of a local scene that was to propel each of our futures as musicians. After making the intimidating leap to the New York City of the early 80s, Ron’s tr...

Paying for it on the other side…I couldn’t have picked a better way to launch Season Two into its next atmospheric level, than to invite world-class guitarist Pete McCann as my first guest. After a fun, eye-opening, and ultimately inspiring Season One- asking top-tier bassists to record over my drum improvs- I’m now out to see what various musicians can come up with by adding a new layer of tracks over last season’s “duet mash-ups”. What happens when a third voice is thrown into the mix? Pete...

What /Who becomes a bass legend most?How to finish Season One on an ultimate “low” note? It was several of my guests who chimed in- “Ya gotta interview John. He’s a New York legend, has great stories, and, well, you’ve worked with him tons, right?” So here he is- stories of recording with the hippest jazz artists of the late 50s-early 60s, auditioning for Leopold Stokowski for his (now 56th year!) principal bass chair gig with the American Symphony Orchestra, being a Sondheim “rock” on Broadw...

Just turn on, press record, and play.At about the halfway point in our interview, John casually mentions that he just received word that a record he’s on, “The ReMission”, led by pianist Andy Milne with drummer Clarence Penn, had just won a Juno (the Canadian Grammy). Fact is, John himself has been named several times in the Downbeat Critic’s Poll, as a bassist and leader, and has become over the last decade one of the most sought-after jazz bassists in NYC. He’s an incredibly expressiv...

“Improvisation’s a mysterious thing, man.”In this episode I connect with an old friend- the incredible bassist/composer Lyles West, a luminary of the Dallas jazz scene for 3 decades. Lyles discusses his roots in the backwoods of Lenoir, North Carolina- at 7, performing with his father in an Old Time Mountain band- and his post-college move to Chapel Hill as a member of the local-legend jazz trio “Hands” with the late great Frank Kimbrough. I was lucky to join that band, as we made our journey...

I don’t need no stinkin’ bass…In the late 90s I toured with jazz harp guru, Park Stickney, and the bassist was the phenomenally talented Darren Solomon. Darren, who a decade earlier had a running start at age 19 touring with Ray Charles, Barry Manilow, and Olivia Newton-John, had by then already been morphing his career into being a studio composer for commercials and film, mastering a variety of other instruments. After losing touch for 20 years, we reconnected, and I discovered he was a fan...

Covid is a mother of invention…George was more than three years into the run of his fifth Broadway hit, “Ain’t Too Proud…The Life And Times Of The Temptations”, when the pandemic hit. It seemed to take him no time to pick up the slack and start his own Facebook webcast, “George’s Bass Chat”, where he interviews legendary bassists, musicians, and other performers. He remains busy in these barren times for artists, with that and other projects, “staying on the scene like a…” well, he is badass ...

Disclaimer: I’ve hung out with this guy…Even if he wasn’t a close friend whom I’d played jazz gigs, concerts, and Broadway with, even if he wasn’t generously helping to edit this podcast because he’s one of the most insanely talented dudes I know, Pete would be on my- okay, anyone’s- list, to discuss his amazing career, and to lay down slammin’ bass tracks. Here Mr. Donovan discusses his career of enviable and endless variety, from Juilliard to Broadway, to symphony orchestras to studio work,...

“Ride the storm, baby…” As soon as I decided to do this project and begin by featuring bassists, I knew I’d want to reune with Bill Moring, who I was super-fortunate to have in my former band, the East Dow...

An “Out Of The Past” jazz Homecoming, 50 years in the making... Lou discusses his “film noir reunion” with his 1963 Bridgeport, Connecticut high school jazz trio, and also his journey from the Buffalo Philharmonic, to Vienna, Manhattan School of Music, the American Symphony Orchestra, Broadway, and his tenure with the legendary Elaine Stritch.