My influences 

If someone was to ask who was my greatest influence in bass playing I would have to go back to my beginnings and say Duck Dunn. My beginnings were in the early 70’s and at that time were not a lot of bass guitar player getting the exposure that there are today.Those who did stand out were the premier Bass Player Magazine of the time. Keep in mind that at this time it was hard for musician in the band to get much national exposure. Music was packaged on vinyl disks (records) or cassette tapes. Only the singer was mentioned on the label. Little or no mention was ever made of the musicians. There were (O’ my God) no computers and no internet. It was not until the advent of publications such as Bass Player Magazine, Guitar Player Magazine, and Modern Drummer Magazine that the musician behind all these great singers began to get the recognition they deserved.

Duck had been playing bass guitar though out the 60’s with greats like Otis Redding, Booker T & The MGs, and Wilson Pickett just to name a few. In the seventy, he played for such notables as with Elvis Presley, Rod Stewart, Joan Baez, Muddy Waters, just to name a few. Check out his website, the man has an unbelievable resume.

Most of what I learned about playing bass, that didn’t come from gigging, came from a bass guitar player named Jerry Jemmott. Like Duck Dunn he played with many of the greats of the sixties and seventy’s (King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, B.B. King just to mention a few) and is still playing today. I purchased an instructional cassette tape of his and I have been hooked on and tried to emulate his style of bass guitar playing ever since. A quote from Guitar Player magazine in 1984 from one of Jerry's illustrious bass disciples stated “He was my idol. Making sounds I wanted to make. That stuttering kind of bass line, bouncing all around the beat, but keeping right in the groove – well they don’t call Jerry the Groove master for nothing. He’s the best". That same year he told Guitar World, "I am just a poor imitation of Gerald Jemmott". The disciples name? Jaco Pastorius.

Of all the bass player who have influenced me through out the years Jerry Jemmott is at the top of the list. I would encourage you, if you have not already, get a hold of some of his music and give a listen; I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

www.jerryjemott.com

www.duckdunn.com

www.guitarplayer.com

www.guitarworld.com

www.bassplayer.com