This week Ellen is sitting down to talk bass with a UK session bass player who has played with literally every famous musical act you can think of: Dave Swift.   

As bass player for Jools Holland and all his many TV shows here in the UK over a period of 30 years, Dave has been fortunate to play with hundreds and hundreds of brilliant artists including everyone from Al Jarreau to Tom Jones, Amy Winehouse, Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, Chaka Khan and the list just goes on and on and on.  

In this interview Dave gives us an incredible insight into the requirements for playing with such a diverse array of artists while under the pressures of live television and recording. 

He also talks at length about the steps he took during his long professional career that eventually led to securing such a great gig.

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This week’s interview was an absolute treat for me as I got to sit down and talk bass with one of my heroes, the incredible bass guitar virtuoso Janek Gwizdala. 

Janek has toured and recorded with modern jazz legends such as Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Bob Reynolds, JoJo Mayer and released multiple albums as a solo artist. 

He’s also a high profile educator and author with a huge online presence both through Youtube and his website.  

As a player, Janek is simply incredible both as a traditional groove player and as an improvising soloist. From a soloing standpoint, Janek has developed a beautifully lyrical style of playing and in this interview I delve into how he was able to nurture such a highly developed vocabulary on the instrument.   

We also talk in depth about practice in general, the value of transcription and the impact of social media on modern music.

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Federico Malaman is an Italian virtuoso of the highest order and has been taking Youtube and the online space by storm over the past ten years or so.   

Federico can do it all from beautiful grooves and composition in any style all the way through to incredible jazz improvisation all performed with some of the most flawless technique on planet Earth.   

His popular online videos and collaborations with other incredible players such as Hadrien Feraud, Victor Wooten and Henrik Linder have seen him develop a huge following and reputation. He’s also a great bass teacher with many online lessons.

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Guy Pratt is a session bass legend! He’s been the touring bass player for Pink Floyd since 1987 and recorded with other pop legends such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bryan Ferry, Robbie Robertson and many, many more.  

As well as his hugely successful bass career, Guy has also dabbled in acting, he’s a stand up comic and author of the hilarious (and insightful) My Bass & Other Animals.   

This interview is absolutely hilarious as Guy talks to Ellen O'Reilly, leading you through some of the great anecdotes from his career while providing an insight into how he came to be a first call session musician for so many great acts.

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This week Ellen is Talking Bass with a true female pioneer of bass guitar that needs no introduction, the legendary Suzi Quatro.   

Suzi is a singer, songwriter and bass player that rose to fame during the 1970s with hit songs such as Devil Gate Drive and Can The Can. She’s released 15 solo albums since her debut in 1973 and sold over 50 million records through her amazing career.  

Suzi has been a massive influence on female musicians over the years and on this, the week of International Women's Day, we’d be hard pressed to interview a more impactful, hard rocking lady of bass.

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This week, Ellen O Reilly sits down to talk bass with one of the greatest bass soloists of all time: Michael Manring.  

Michael is a unique voice in the world of bass playing and has been at the forefront of solo bass composition and performance for over thirty years with his highly melodic and eclectic bass style.   

Michael makes use of every conceivable method for creating music on the instrument by way of altered tunings, various techniques and additional gadgets like the ebow.   

He’s released many solo albums resulting in countless awards and it only takes a brief hearing to realise that Michael is a true artist, creating soundscapes and beautiful compositions that are light years from the stereotypical pyrotechnic displays you might find on many an Instagram post.

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This week, Ellen O Reilly sits down to talk bass with the amazing Cody Wright.  

Cody is an incredible player with virtuoso chops and a great funk groove all made possible with his great picking technique.  

Cody made a name for himself with the Jonathan Scales Fourchestra and you might have also seen him work alongside guitar sensation Eric Gales.   

As well as his super sideman work Cody has also become an internet sensation with his great looping improvisations and computer game covers. From blues to funk and beyond Cody is super entertaining and groovy as hell.

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Mark sits down to Talk Bass with a true legend of bass guitar, Leland Sklar.

Leland is one of the most recorded and successful bass players of the pop and rock era. He’s a session musician of the highest order with a CV that includes gigs and recordings with the likes of James Taylor, Carole King, Phil Collins, Jackson Browne, Barbra Streisand, Toto and hundreds more. 

He’s also played on the soundtracks of many films and TV shows over the last 50 years, so even if you aren’t familiar with his name I 100% guarantee you’ve heard his playing many, many times.   

In this first podcast of the series, Leland discusses his incredible career, his interesting basses, his approach to studio work and much more.

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