Hi, this is Jeff from Tasty Bass Licks. As sideman or through my former band Mansions On The Moon I've blessed with the opportunity to work and play on stage with wide variety of artists from Scarface, Shock-G, Clyde Stubblefield, to Kevin Richardson (Backstreet Boys). I'm currently recording on a project for Curtis Williams (MD from Kool & The Gang). You can hear me on four songs on MALIA's new album - "Back In My Body," "Jasmine In Bloom," "Minding My Own," and "Bad Manners." (Released 8/15/24) This channel will cover music with great basslines - from Elvis Costello to The Beatles to EW&F to D'Angelo to Daft Punk to RU-vid and Instagram. Nothing is off the table! We'll also check out gear, recording techniques, and talk to musicians in the industry! Stay tuned, because all that and more is coming up on Tasty Bass Licks.
Great demonstration! It's definitely narrowing the bandwidth, which can be very useful if your kick drum has a lot of oomph. Does this DI get saturated/distorted at all?
Thank you! I do notice more warmth and presence when I use it. After making this video, it has remained permanently in my signal chain - even when I'm practicing.
Well done Jeff. I can relate to every aspect you pointed out. And the biggest point was play whats best for the music not your ego. Especially in the studio and for songs. It's so important for any bassist to know the role you play in an ensemble of any type. Attitude of gratitude . God Bless
Thanks for the great vid! I love the sound of this DI for smooth styles. I think one reason for its tone is the low input impedance of 60k. Normally we prefer units with an input impedance of 1Meg. So I wonder what it would sound like, when fed with an already buffered signal.
That might have already happened... on the original video linked in the description, an account named El DeBarge wrote - "Greetings Jeffrey EL DeBarge here. Recently a friend of mine, named Shana sent me a link to your RU-vid channel, specifically with regard to your take on who played bass on the song I like it, and you are correct it was definitely ken wild. My brother Randy demoed the complete the song I like it. Randy was going to play the bass on the song himself, but was very much under the weather that day and we had a deadline to make. So we called in one of our favorite bass players, the one and only, Maestro Ready Freddy Washington, but he couldn't make the session either. So he sent ken in his place. The one and only Ken Wild, another great bass player. What we loved most about Ken on this particular song I like it, is how he played the bass line exactly like Randy demoed it, while at the same time giving us his own unique style and touch. Ken wild really put his heart into it and helped to make this song the success it is today. Thanks Jeffrey for your channel and info, and for caring enough to want us all to have the truth Respectfully £] ])eßarge"
The greatest bass players (imo) are composers who happen to have solid bass technique and mastery over their sound. There are a ton of great players out there, but this separates the good from the great. What an amazing opportunity to watch a master at work!
I just listened to “I Like It” through some studio headphones and I would go a little further and say that the strings were Rotosound Swing Bass 66 Standard. I know that sound, I play a J-Bass now but for years I played a P-Bass with those strings - bright and punchy. They were common among a variety of bass players then and probably still are. Even Jaco used them on his fretless which is how he got that growl.
Greetings Jeffrey EL DeBarge here. Recently a friend of mine, named Shana sent me a link to your RU-vid channel, specifically with regard to your take on who played bass on the song I like it, and you are correct it was definitely ken wild. My brother Randy demoed the complete the song I like it. Randy was going to play the bass on the song himself, but was very much under the weather that day and we had a deadline to make. So we called in one of our favorite bass players, the one and only, Maestro Ready Freddy Washington, but he couldn't make the session either. So he sent ken in his place. The one and only Ken Wild, another great bass player. What we loved most about Ken on this particular song I like it, is how he played the bass line exactly like Randy demoed it, while at the same time giving us his own unique style and touch. Ken wild really put his heart into it and helped to make this song the success it is today. Thanks Jeffrey for your channel and info, and for caring enough to want us all to have the truth Respectfully £] ])eßarge
@@eldradebarge7002 Thank you for the information! Appreciating the time you took to stop by, comment, and bless us with this story of how such a wonderful song was created. We'd love to hear more - a video talking about the song creation would be TREMENDOUS! Hope I'm not seeming ungrateful here! Just being a fan of the music. Cheers & Blessings To You, Jeff from Tasty Bass Licks
@@eldradebarge7002Bro whomever was doing yall arrangements in the 80s, was killing it!!!! Thanks for providing so much musical magic for us 80's kids!!!!
@@simonway8936 thank you for the feedback, my bass was intentionally muted when the transcription played, because I didn’t want to cover Jamerson’s playing. I will make sure to always put my bass in the mix when I have any sort of playing in demos in the future 😎👍
Your bass is way too quiet. I can barely hear it even when you’re playing the bass lines by yourself. Playing the bass with the song leaves the bass lines you’re playing totally buried…..
Thanks for your help. My bass in the lessons is pretty loud on my speakers. Can I ask what system are you listening on? To be clear - I don't have my bass mixed in on the transcriptions - I didn't want to play on top of Jamerson's performance so you guys could hear what he sounds like. As said in the video - this left hand video is for finger placement. Would you like me to have my bass mixed on top when hearing a track? Or only in the tutorials after listening? Thanks again for you help. Next time I do another Jamerson muted P-bass I'll add in some distortion to help the bass come thru through smaller speakers.
I was listening to it over my iPad speakers but also through Beats headphones. In both instances, I could barely hear your bass and after replaying it this morning, I realized you’re fingering the notes to Jamerson’s actual bass track to provide a suggested fingering vs actually playing the transcription prominently on your bass (like most of these type of transcriptional videos do on RU-vid Tube). It’s a unique approach but unfortunately, at least through my systems, Jamerson’s bass is somewhat buried in the song mix. And while the song playing, I’m focusing on the transcript and not able to watch the fingering simultaneously with reading the score (I don’t do tabs…). As a result, there’s just a little bit of disconnect between the fingering and Jamerson’s bass lines. Not suggesting you’re fingering is wrong but it’s kind of like watching someone lip sync the vocals to a song. Even if they’re very accurate, you can tell they’re lip syncing vs actually singing the song. Maybe it would help if you did a little EQ remix on the song tracks to try and make the bass lines more prominent. I also think the fact that Jamerson’s licks are quite busy and as you pointed out, ever changing, make it a challenge to mimic his stuff note for note and capture the articulation.
@@MrBusco You can play it exactly like Jamerson, but it does take time - I've been playing bass for almost thirty years and I'm still learning from Jamerson! Perhaps if you slow down the RU-vid playback and use that pause button that will help you out? The transcriptions that you see on the screen are also available for download for free in the comments. I will revisit these Jamerson tunes and record the bass on top for you after I finish my current video and make them into RU-vid shorts - I can tag you when I post them or email the videos to you. Maybe I will also revisit these songs individually and make a whole RU-vid video out of each one - would you like that?
@@tastybasslicks Jamerson is one of the initial bass artists (along with McCartney) that inspired me to start playing bass way back in the early 60’s (so I’ve been playing a bit longer than you have….) But I definitely agree that I continue to pick up subtle insights and tips from Jamerson everytime I take the time to dissect one of his tunes. One thing I hadn’t done is seek out some of these tunes that are not part of his Motown legacy so I appreciate that aspect of your posting. Don’t know if there are other Jamerson tunes like these that are worthy of transcription but I would encourage you to do those as well.
@@MrBusco Yeah, Paul is a legend, too! I ran in once while playing a gig in the Hamptons - he was so kind and we talked for a bit. He told me, "Us bass players gotta stick together, man!" I agree! 😊 You can look forward to more Jamerson transcriptions as well as other great tunes coming up! I'm currently working on a Gary Grainger selection. Cheers!
Sound advice (lesson 4) that goes for the whole spectrum of instruments both live and in the studio, I think - when we were looking for a drummer we explained that what we really wanted was someone who could play songs on the drums, not someone who could "just" play drums. The first guy we auditioned just played the drums....
I've been on both sides of that issue... I remember trying to play Jaco licks over "Brown Eyed Girl" at one of my first wedding gigs. Thank God I got called back. 🤣Big part of being a musician is learning. 🎶
Loved your video, very insightful and clear communication. As an aside, the volume of your bass could have been a little higher when accompanying the tracks. Apart from that, great and thanks. New subscriber.
@@tastybasslicks Sure, I was listening through the Marshall Acton powered speaker I use for DAW monitoring and online video chats. With bass and treble flat, I find it is pretty neutral.
I second this comment. On Sony WhXb900N cups Also when you say “hope this helps”… not clear what you’re helping. Understanding? Technique tips?… kinda confusing
@@TheStratpicker To be clear - I don't have my bass mixed in - I didn't want to play on top of Jamerson's performance so you guys could hear what he sounds like. As I say in the video - this is for left hand placement. Would you like me to have my bass mixed on top when hearing a track? Or only in the tutorials after listening?
@@atlas3650 Thanks for commenting. To be clear - the left hand shot (while the transcription is playing) is for finger placement only, my bass isn't mixed in. I thought hearing only Jamerson's performance and doing a lesson after was the way to go. I'm certainly am open to changing that on the next video - which I'm working on now. BTW - When I said, "I hope this helps," I was "hoping" my explanation of how Jamerson used his right hand raking "helps" you learn his technique. :)
Thank you for connecting me with Ken, Jeff! I would encourage you to check out some of my videos on OTHER unsung bassists including Raymond Earl (Evelyn 'Champagne' King), Dennis Belfield, Johnny Flippin (Fatback), Ronnie Baker (PIR), Cleveland Eaton (Ramsey Lewis), Kendall Stubbs (Tom Tom Club), Michael Wiley (Dazz Band), Raymond Jackson (aka "Rayjac", Mtume), Wilton Felder, Darek Jackson (Kenny Loggins), Robin Duhe (Maze), William Henry Allen (Roy Ayers), Allen McGrier (Teena Marie), Robert Wilson (GAP Band), Paul Denman (Sade), Leon Sylvers, and "Lucky" Scott (Curtis Mayfield) to name a few.
My pleasure, Paul! I'm stoked that worked out. I have enjoyed watching your videos for some time... you are one of my favorite bass RU-vidrs. Looking at your list - I wonder if there's any bass material that you've left for me to cover on my new channel??? I'll have to find something...LOL! :) Looking forward to seeing your Kenny Wild/I Like It video. Cheers to your continued success, Jeff from TBL
I love Paul's channel, and I love yours too. I hope there's no tension-we're all here for the love of bass. However, I believe that the effort to properly credit those who actually played on a track is always a worthy cause. I've done it twice for songs where Freddie Washington was miscredited-quite ironic, isn’t it? Often, people who create RU-vid content or covers are superficial about credits, and in a world where Spotify has buried the names of musicians, it's crucial to do it the right way. So, for me, it's always important to uncover errors in credits. I believe it is absolutely the duty of anyone who does covers on RU-vid, if they truly love this instrument, to thoroughly research the credits of a track. If they don’t know the musicians, they should admit it and encourage discussion to correctly identify the true musician who played on the track.Thank you for your work and your passion; your channel will surely continue to grow.
Thank you for your kind words. Paul from PDBass and Kevin at No Treble did the right thing and I wish them the best. I hope Paul uses his platform to lift up Ken Wild's name. I agree 100% - credits are important and can be the legacy of a musician's career. I'm curious, what songs/videos had mis-credited Freddie Washington? What an incredible player he is! He has laser like accuracy.
@@brian-c-pearl That's an interesting take to see this event as someone either winning or losing. I view it as searching for and sharing the truth. Much Love!
Awesome "new" Jamerson gems! Subcribed, excellent job! Also, check out the tune Sleepin', Diana Ross, Last Time I saw Him album. No credits, but to me it has Jamerson written all over it. Lmk if you agree. I'm a huge fan of ballads played by Jamerson, and Michael Henderson.
Sleepin' by Diana Ross - I see it credited to him online - It certainly has a Jamerson vibe. I would have to transcribe it in order to push me in favor of it being Jamerson or not. Yes! Michael Henderson gets very close to Jamerson in the freedom of his improvisation. I've heard some Henderson ballads that made me wonder if it was Jamerson initially - I.E. Norman Connors "Dindi" featuring Jean Carn. What are your favorite Michael Henderson tunes?
@@tastybasslicks With Michael it depends on the vibe. He was just so versatile. So here's a partial list... check him out with Marvin Gaye (Double Clutch), Jeannie Reynolds (I've Still Got My Pride, drop tuned funk), Happy (In the Nighttime, chords, funk), the crazy drop tuning stuff done with Miles (long before Anthony Jackson or Marcus Miller) sorry I can't narrow it down, I'll Be Understanding (his Goin Places Lp playing fretletless), What I'm Feeling (fretless, chords Wide Receiver Album), Dindi (as you mentioned, Norman Connors). Also check out a kind of head to head on Marvin Gaye's You're The Man. Version 2 is Jamerson, Part 1 (Single) is Henderson. Also Stay With Me This Summer on Michael's Solid LP (very interesting). On so many tunes with the Dramatics. Your Love is Rated X (Johnnie Taylor) and I Want To Make It Up To You, (Leslie Uggams) both are vintage Michael. Please check him out in the youtbe video Miles Davis Honk Tonk - Philadelphia 1970. Peace
@@tastybasslicks As is yours. You definitely introduced me to some new stuff! The live tune with Harvey Mason sounds so much like Anthony Jackson (without a pick) which to me shows how influential Jamerson was to him.
@@hdigitalmedia Yeah! I hear so much Jamerson influence in AJ's playing and that Harvey Mason track is badddd. Listening to "You're The Man" Versions 1 & 2 was incredible - Jamerson vs. Henderson! I'm glad I don't have to go versus Jamerson on a track. Whew! One of the coolest things about doing this channel is what I'm learning from people in the comments - including yourself.
I had "Give Me An Inch" on my playlist, I'll add "Which Of Us Is The Fool." Do you think "Work To Make It Work" is Jamerson...? I'm on the fence about it, there are some very Jamerson-esque phrases. I have to transcribe it before I'll know for sure or not.
@@tastybasslicks I think I read somewhere that it's only the first and last tracks on the Pressure Drop album. So Give Me an Inch and Which of Us is the Fool.
Great Jamerson video. Your production quality, instruction, and analysis is super engaging. The multiple camera angles, tab, and bright red arrows make it really easy to follow. I also like the balance of how ‘geeky’ you get without being too pedantic. More please!
Jeff..great work!! I don't have the technical intelligence to hear the differences. But you are very detailed and clearly you know what the heck you are talking about!! You were like Blues Clues for bass nerds!!😂😂
Thank you! I really enjoyed learning about the Wolfbox. In younger years, I thought Jamerson's studio sound was an Ampeg B-15... those sound great, but this is it.
