A Mel Bay Publications, Inc. Webzine
December 2006 · Bimonthly
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In this issue: Rick Turner - Inside the Mind of a Music Industry Visionary | Life on the Road: The Urban Cowboy Band - Part 3 | Improvisational Approaches 1 | Life as a Navy Bassist | How to be a Working Stiff | An Interview with Grammy Nominated Bassist Ricky Showalter
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An Interview with Grammy Nominated Bassist Ricky Showalterby S. K. Wallace Preface: Ricky Showalter was one of my earliest influences and bass heroes. My teacher, Bass Sessions Editor John Reid, showed my beginning bass class Ricky's famous "Swimming Laps" exercise that, when properly practiced, is a great way to learn the entire fretboard. [For instance, you map out all the A's on every string for the whole length of the fretboard…then play them in rapid succession. Repeat with all the A#'s/Bb's, B's, C's etc.] Later, in private lessons, Ricky's Liquid Soul CD "Make Some Noise" was a listening assignment, and John did his best to try to teach me to play some licks from that recording. I'll never forget when I actually got to meet Ricky in person a few years ago. It was for a 7:00 a.m. lesson, and there he was: Day-Glo orange, spiked hair; both biceps emblazoned with bass clef tattoos... and he had the spirit, intensity, and outrageous sense of humor to match his personal style. Well, since then, he's changed his hair, but he's still the embodiment of pure bass energy, and he puts the "Fun" in "Funk"! He's not afraid to speak his mind: I've heard him on at least two separate occasions in bass clinics in West Texas [where certain country music styles never die and sometimes a limited number of time-worn progressions seem to predominate] give his opinions and try to convince people to break out of the age-old patterns. When I attended his bass clinic down here in October of this year, Ricky had the audacity to play Stuart Hamm's "Country Music (A Night in Hell)" [and, as far as I know, he hasn't received any stern reprimands, bans from the premises, or death threats… not everyone would be so lucky!] In the process of performing the piece (in which the bass simulates (parodies?) several instruments one would find in a country band), Ricky complimented the "great BANJO tones!" of the high-end custom bass he'd borrowed from John Reid. [John reflexively made a very… interesting… face at the remark.] At the same time, Ricky is extremely down-to-earth, inclusive, and kind. He genuinely wants to help students succeed regardless of their current abilities or levels. An example that comes to mind occurred at Gerald Veasley's Bass BootCamp 2005. Gerald was letting groups of students come up and play at his "Jazz Base" evening jam session, and I decided it was now or never and to go for it… but I really wasn't quite sure what I was doing at the time. Before I could nervously fumble for frets too long, Ricky was suddenly there next to me saying, "Here, play this note! Follow me!" and I somehow found my place by watching him and got through the experience. The bottom line: Ricky Showalter meets people where they are, and, regardless of where that happens to be, they emerge better bassists from associating with him. SKW: How would you describe your musical style? RS: I grew up listening to hard rock/metal (AC/DC, Ozzy, Iron Maiden) then got into Rush and Led Zeppelin. I attended a small college in North Carolina [North Carolina Wesleyan College] and got into jazz, was introduced to music of Stanley Clarke, Jaco, etc. I went on to DePaul University and studied jazz and got my Bachelor of Music (with emphasis in jazz). So, to answer your question I say I'm a little on the funky/heavy side of things. I like big, meaty, solid bass lines that move and support. SKW: Talk about your projects and gigs of note. RS: Bootleg, a hard rock band in Chicago, opened for Collective Soul, Jake E. Lee and other bands of the era: 1990-1992 SKW: Wow! Along those lines, what are your favorite career highlights? RS: Getting written up in Bass Player (as well as Bassics and Bass Frontiers), being nominated for a Grammy in 2000 with Liquid Soul, and playing the Montreal Jazz Fest, main stage in front of over 40,000 people./p> SKW: What are your future plans and goals? RS: Continue to practice and get better; hopefully land another touring gig soon. Play music I like to listen to and get paid for it! We can all dream, can't we?! SKW: Where can people hear your recordings and live performances? RS: I'm on the first four Liquid Soul CDs. Check out www.RickyShowalter.com for touring info. [Author's note: Check out Liquid Soul's CD "Make Some Noise" for an incredible introduction to Ricky's work. If you're wondering which CD received the Grammy Nomination, it was Liquid Soul's "Here's the Deal." I'd noticed with interest among his gigs that he plays weekly at Wheaton Christian Church of Aurora-Ricky taught me some great Gospel licks at a lesson I had with him in 2004.] SKW: Here's that inevitable question about your rig and gear. RS: My main rig when I was with Liquid Soul was a Mesa Boogie Bassis M-2000 with a 4 x10 and 1 x 15. I ALWAYS use a Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI (although I'm going to get the new programmable one.) I use Monster Cables. For strings, I use D'Addario XLS and go .045, .065, .085, .105, and .130. Bass-wise, I have two Ken Smith Custom Basses ("Neck-thru" Model) 5-strings. One is maple, and the other is walnut. The maple one is used on all of the Liquid Soul CDs. I also use a 5-string Mike Lull Bass. It's my main axe for my Gospel hit and anything that I need to "slap" on. I don't use any effects. I found out early on in my touring life that the more stuff you have, the more that can go wrong on a gig. So, I keep it simple, use great gear, and dig in and groove. SKW: Tell about your early musical background/education. Did you participate in any kind of school music program (e.g. band), private lessons, teach yourself, etc.? Do you sing or play other instruments? How did you get started on the bass? RS: I played clarinet and bass clarinet/contra alto bass clarinet in grade school all the way to 11th grade. I had to switch to percussion in 12th grade because we went to a marching band high school. I was self-taught on bass until college. I sing now with the jobbing band* I'm in. Don't like it much, but it adds to the band. [*Among his current gigs, Ricky plays with the Lisa René Band.] SKW: Describe your "bass journey," the process that led you to becoming a professional bassist, including any personal and professional milestones, challenges, obstacles, etc. RS: Classic moment, I was six years old, and I wanted a drum set. My parents bought me a Toys "R" Us model. I put my foot through the bass drum head in a matter of minutes and had a fit that they didn't buy me a "real" kit. My dad sat me down and said if I could learn two other instruments, I could have a kit. Well, after I could play four or five instruments, I didn't want drums as much. Fast-forward to when I was twelve years old: Let's start a band! My best friend, Tony Lyda, was the first to get a drum set, and we needed a bass player. So, when we went to the "mall." (I believe the name of the store was Harmony Hut.) I put down $20 or $30 to hold a bass. It was a cherry red Hondo II with a white pick guard. I told my dad about it, and he took us to the store and paid for the rest. $110, I think? I remember Dad yelling at me, "Get a case next time you buy one!" I learned every bass lick I could get my hands on: Ozzy, AC/DC, Van Halen, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden… I practiced three to four hours a day. I went through a four-pack of AA batteries (for my Walkman) every other day, or I slowed down the LP to 17 1/2 rpm and learned the bass lines. Fast-forward to college in NC. I heard a band practicing in the music building although there wasn't a single music major [in the group]. They were playing some Dorsey Brothers, and a lot of the locals were there playing with the music directors. I went up to the director and told him I could play better than their current bassist (cocky, wasn't I?!) Anyway, I had played treble clef (clarinet) but had never studied bass clef. So, I taught myself how to read in two weeks. (That's why I don't understand why a lot of players have to rely on tab… soap box!) I landed the gig, and our first show was opening for The 5th Dimension. 
I fell in love with jazz, and the piano teacher at the school gave me copy of the Jazz Educators Journal. I applied to every undergraduate program in the magazine and got accepted to every one, based on my taped audition. I chose DePaul University in Chicago. Fast-forward to my days with Liquid Soul. I toured all over the world, was written up in all the bass mags, and was nominated for a Grammy in the jazz category. Not so bad. SKW: You're also a bass teacher, and I've been fortunate to have had a couple of lessons with you over the years, but what's it like to study with you on an ongoing basis? Can you briefly discuss your approach and materials used? What's your best advice for bass students? RS: I teach out of my house and at a music store. Out of my house is a little more fun because I have just about every bass book known to man. I generally will advise students depending on their level and style. The main thing I would stress is to learn tunes on your own (not downloading some tab off of the internet) and learn your fretboard. You can only improvise as well as you know your fretboard. Hope to hear from some of you!To learn more about Ricky Showalter and contact him, visit his website: www.RickyShowalter.com 
About the author S. K. Wallace is a freelance writer, musician, artist, and educator who plays bass and teaches violin/fiddle and guitar. Her previous articles have appeared in the August 2004, June, August, October, December 2005, and February, April, June 2006 editions of Bass Sessions®. She may be contacted at SKWBassist@aol.com. [ top ]
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