Bass Player Live! 2017 Review

I had the chance to check out Bass Player LIVE! this month in Hollywood and had a total blast.  This was my first time attending this annual event from bassplayer.com, and I was blown away by the positive vibes surrounding the event.

Hanging out with @bradetich_foundation Executive Director and @lemurmusic rep Tammy Jo at #bassplayerlive2017 from @bassplayermag ??

A post shared by Jason Heath (@jason__heath) on Nov 15, 2017 at 8:30am PST

Great Vibes

As a person who spends 99% of his time playing double bass, I’m always nervous about attending electric bass-focused events.  I’m worried that I’ll be stuck in a corner by myself, watching in awe and incomprehension as people dazzle each other with their slap bass technique.

This worry dissolved as I walked into SIR Studios in Hollywood.  Immediately, I ran into Tammy Jo Leonard and Toni Buffa from Lemur Music.  Tammy Jo is also Executive Director of the Bradetich Foundation, and I had a great time working with her earlier this fall for the 2nd International Bradetich Solo Competition.

I’ve been ordering strings, music, and other bass gear from Lemur since I was a teenager, but I’ve never actually spent time hanging out with company owner Toni.  We had a great time chatting about bass, California, new innovations in bow development, and a ton of other topics!

I also got the chance to catch up in person with Grammy award-winning bassist and producer Brandino.  I had Brandino on the podcast earlier this year, and we had a great conversation about the whole Grammy process and what it’s like behind the scenes as a producer.

I also got to chat with Edwin Livingston and Chance Wilder Onody–two great artists that I’m looking forward to having on the podcast!

Killer Bass Playing

In addition to chatting with attending artists and exhibitors, I got to check out some mind-bending bass playing from Bunny Brunel, Steve Bailey, Armand Sabal-Lecco, and several other outstanding bassists.  Here are a couple favorite clips of mine:

Here’s @bunnybrunel joined by Steve Bailey and several other killer players at #bassplayerlive2017 from @bassplayermag

A post shared by Jason Heath (@jason__heath) on Nov 15, 2017 at 8:34am PST

#slapbass insanity from @armand_sabal_lecco ??? @bassplayermag #bassplayerlive2017

A post shared by Jason Heath (@jason__heath) on Nov 15, 2017 at 8:36am PST

Final Thoughts

Whether double bass or electric bass is your main jam, you should definitely check out this event.  For me, it is that perfect middle ground: big enough to keep you totally engaged while small enough to really get a chance to chat with people.

That sense of overwhelm from a massive event like the NAMM show isn’t present here.  Folks are relaxed and totally willing to geek out with you on all things bass.  A big shout-out to Bass Player’s Chris Jisi for putting on this event!