Ian Allison (@ianmartinallison) is known to most as a studio and touring bassist for the likes of Eric Hutchinson, Jeremy Messersmith and many many more but to me, he’s a mentor. I first met Ian in 2004, studying my undergrad in music performance in Minneapolis under his bass tutelage. For a few years following, I learned far more than music from Ian and he became one of the most influential people of my adult life thus far. Sit down with Ian in any scenario and the convo is going to end up going deeper than you expected and this was no exception.. Years ago, He actually introduced me to the Minneapolis staple of a breakfast spot known as The Bad Waitress so it felt only fitting that I met up with him on a Tuesday morning for some coffee and conversation.   In this episode we talk about: -What makes someone an Influencer? -Shortchanging your creative voice -the lowdown and proper mindset of approaching music gear and art: “Kurt Cobain and the Fender jaguar guitar” -Why asking someone what gear they used on a session is the wrong question. (and what you should be asking) -Ian’s story about taking a lesson as a teen with Brian Bromberg -The need to embrace your past. (Everyone you think is ’cool’ now, was once a Weird Al fan) -The need to not feel embarrassed about your enthusiasm and being true to yourself -Why, if he could eat sushi professionally, Ian would never touch a bass again (maybe) -Playing what what gets you pumped, in music, but making sure it isn’t coming from a place of boredom and is serving the song -Embracing the right music for the right context // looking past yourself and your own esthetic likes and dislikes. -Ian’s last min ‘dan wilson’ story. “NEVER SAY NO AGAIN!!!” For Links, Guest’s Info And Show Notes Visit: www.thecuriouspod.com