Rick Knapp

A Working Bass Player

Let me introduce you to Rick Knapp, a working bass player. Rick has been playing music since the early 60’s growing up in the Indianapolis area and playing the surf music that was popular then. You remember, Wipe Out by the Surfaris, California Girls and Surfer Girl by the Beach Boys and Walk Don't Run by the Ventures, don't you? Sure you do. Though it was not in the sixties, the first song I learned on the guitar was Walk Don't Run.

The seventy's brought a move to Florida. Rick was playing rock six nights a week and sharing the landscape with a new band playing in the same area calling themselves Lynyrd Skynyrd. Rick shared the stage with hard rock supergroups of the time like Bloodrock, Cactus and Blue Image.

In 1976 went north to Chicago and the Chicago Blues Scene where he joined his first blues band, Bob Reidy Blues Band which featured legendary blues artists Sam Layand Carey Bell. He toured with many of Chicago's well-known blues musicians, Sam and Carey, Johnny Littlejohn, AC Reed, Phil Guy, Eddy Clearwater, and Melvin Taylor. He shared stages with Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Pinetop Perkins, and Junior Wells.

Back home to the Indianapolis area in 1985 Rick worked with the up-and-coming DJs Bob and Tom on radio and television and joined Dr. Duke Tumatoe and the Power Trio. In the early 90's, Rick worked with bands in the Indianapolis area, appearing with Bo Diddley and Kid Rock, and local artist Gene Deer.

In June of 2005 Rick joined Walter Trout and the Radicals and has been touring with them since.

Click here to see their touring schedule for 2011, this is a working band and a working bass player. I am worn out just reading it.

Walter Trout and the Radicals with Rick Knapp on bass, live at the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival 2010. Enjoy.