Beyond playing ability, does being a session bassist require different skills than being an effective bandmember?
The thing that gets me off more than anything is the group, and I think that’s what makes me effective in the studio. I enjoy bands; even when I walk into a studio to record with someone I’ve never met, I’m always trying to be a part of something, and to make the group experience a fun one. I think I’ve made some artists quite happy, because they thought they were going to get a more conventional session musician—one who doesn’t necessarily care a lot about what’s going on around him. As long as they’re courteous and nice, those guys can be great. But I’m looking for more from a situation. I want the interaction between the artist, the producer, the engineers, and the musicians. I like to turn it into a party, fun and free. I like to think my approach has created opportunities for artists to be more themselves, because they don’t feel like there’s this guy in the room who is just punching the clock and not really making an aesthetic investment of value beyond simply the notes he’s play
