The Talkingbass Podcast

This week Ellen is sitting down to talk bass with a true legend of bass guitar: Tony Levin. Tony has been a first call session bass player since the 1970s having recorded with artists such as John Lennon, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, David Bowie and many many more but he's most well known for his pioneering work with Peter Gabriel and as bass player with the progressive rock giants King Crimson. In this interview Tony discusses his background in classical music and how he eventually came to work with Peter Gabriel and Robert Fripp. He also provides an insight into his recording of the classic bass line from the song Sledgehammer and gives some tips on working as a professional bass player. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

This week Ellen is sitting down to talk bass with one of the most successful session bass players of all time: the great Nathan East. Nathan is probably most famous for his work with music legends Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson and Phil Collins but his CV is ridiculously long and prestigious having worked with artists as diverse as Al Jarreau, Kenny Loggins, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Joe Satriani and Daft Punk. He's also a member of the band Fourplay and released several solo albums. In this interview Nathan discusses his musical background, his approach to bass line creation and also talks about his touring gear of choice. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

This week Ellen is sitting down to talk bass with another bass legend and pioneer, the great Gail Ann Dorsey. Gail is most famous as bass player for the late, great Davie Bowie from 1995 through to his passing in 2016. She's also played with a wide variety of other bands and big name acts such as Lenny Kravitz, Tears For Fears, Bryan Ferry, Gwen Stefani, Seal and many more In this interview Gail gives an insight into every area of her musical life and the steps that led her to such a huge gig with David Bowie. She also digs deep into her biggest musical influences and how they shaped her approach to both playing and singing. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

This week I'm sitting down to talk bass with one of the greatest bass players of modern prog rock: Colin Edwin. Colin Edwin is most well known as bass player in Porcupine Tree, one of the biggest prog bands of the last 30 years that split up in 2010. He's also played with Henry Fool, Tim Bowness, O.R.k and has also released four of his own solo album including his latest 2020 release Infinite Regress. In this interview Colin gives us an insight into his musical background and jazz influences as well as his interest in odd time signatures, playing with Gavin Harrison and much more. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

This week Ellen O'Reilly is sitting down to talk bass with the amazing Bryan Beller! Bryan Beller has played with guitar legends such as Mike Kenneally, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Dweezil Zappa and has spent the last 10 years as bass player for supergroup The Aristocrats with guitar phenomenon Guthrie Govan and drum legend Marco Minnemann. As well as his real world music ventures Bryan also plays bass for the fictional animated death metal band Dethklok. In this interview Bryan gives some insight into his bass background and how he developed a successful music career over many years. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

This week Ellen is sitting down to talk bass with the amazing Trevor Dunn. Trevor Dunn was one of the founding members of the band Mr Bungle, a band he founded at high school with vocal legend Mike Patton. He's also collaborated with Patton in other projects such as Fantomas and Tomahawk and worked as a sideman with many other artists including an extensive number of recordings with the eclectic music pioneer John Zorn. In this interview Trevor provides an insight into his musical background and varied influences from the rock, jazz and classical worlds. He also takes us through his gear choices and his thoughts on musical writing and performance. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

This week Ellen is sitting down to talk bass with the king of speed metal bass playing - David Ellefson! David is an innovator of heavy metal bass playing. As a founding member of Megadeth, his incredible technique, time and tight bass tone has been a fundamental part of the band's sound since the very beginning. Doubling the intricate rhythm guitar lines of Dave Mustaine has led to David developing a bullet proof bass style that cuts through a guitar heavy mix while adding wonderful groove and distinctive, memorable bass riffs. In this interview David gets to talk about his musical background, including his jazz influence and reading facility developed through his early years as a tenor saxophonist and organist. He also dons his bass in order to take us through some influences and to also demonstrate some of his most famous Megadeth lines. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

This week Ellen is sitting down to talk bass with another Irish lady of bass, the very cool and super talented Tanya O Callaghan. Since relocating to LA from her home in Ireland, Tanya has established herself on as a first call session bassist, playing with many legends of rock such as Maynard James Keenan, Nuno Bettencourt and Dee Snider as well as performing on shows such as Riverdance and The Voice. In this interview Tanya provides a wealth of tips on making it as a professional musician in LA, staying healthy on the road and much more. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

This week Ellen is sitting down to talk bass with the super talented Divinity Roxx. Divinity is best known as touring bass player for Beyonce as well as her collaborations with Victor Wooten and her own solo work. Not only is she a killer bassist, she’s also a fantastic rapper with the ability to mix both together showcasing her incredible rhythmic co-ordination and independence. In this interview Divinity discusses her musical background and the steps that lead to her filling such a massive bass chair with Beyonce. She also gives some tips on bass practice and an insight into her work with Victor Wooten. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

This week Ellen is sitting down to talk bass with funk rock bass legend Billy Gould. Billy is best known as the bass player for the great Faith No More and any of you fans out there will be more than aware of his signature grinding bass tone and funky melodic lines. In this interview Billy gets to talk about his musical background, his approach to bass and bass tone and much much more. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

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. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

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. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

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. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

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. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

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. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

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. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

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. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons

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. You can follow Talkingbass on social media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBassVideo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingbasslessons