Incidental Boogie - U.S. Girls
from the album In A Poem Unlimited (2018) I was recently approached by a tribute band asking if I would be interested in playing bass. Although tribute bands are not my thing, this group consists of some funky friends and they are playing tunes by The Pretenders. I dig that. So, this weekend I spent some time learning the bass part for My City Is Gone . It reminded me of the power of groove and tone. Groove is a mighty force. It creates a foundation for a song. Other instruments play off the groove. The groove is also unforgiving. There are two objectives of playing the bass: establishing the groove and maintaining the groove. Maintaining a groove is a challenge. It requires chops and stamina. It the groove falls apart - even for a single note - the entire song falls apart. Tone also matters, particularly when playing a popular song. Everyone familiar with the bass line to My City Is Gone not only knows every note, but how that note is supposed to sound. Getting i