Is it possible to be born with grit in your DNA?

Read my interview with Cassie Taylor, bass-playing daughter of acclaimed blues innovator Otis Taylor, online today at Bass Musician Magazine.

Here's a quote:

"There is a common thought in the songwriter world that in order to write good songs, you have to be miserable."

Great gig last night... playing with artist Allen Stone, a truly gifted vocalist and songwriter. We're shown in above photo performing his song "Sleep".

The venue was Capitale on NYC's Bowery.

Out today....  read my interviews with these two prog-rock kings:

Chris Squire Takes A Straight And Stronger Course

Tony Levin: Mr. Deep

Now playing on Suchow TV... check out this rare 1982 video of a young Anthony Jackson playing with drummer Kenwood Dennard and guitarist Pat Martino. It's from Pat's first documented live performance after his life saving brain surgery. I've just posted Part Four of my six-part series titled "Pat Martino: The Re-Remergence".

Part Four is the longest of the first four segments (over 16 minutes in length) and features some great impromptu jamming by AJ and Kenwood, with Pat "re-emerging" on guitar at the end of the video.

Here's the link:

Pat Martino: The Re-Emergence (pt. 4)

My friend of 20-plus years Ric Mango performed his farewell concert at NYCB Theatre at Westbury last summer (formerly the Westbury Music Fair), and I was honored that he asked me to play for his final show. He killed it! 

It was discovered that someone recently posted an audience shot video clip of the concert on YouTube. Pretty cool... the audio quality is a bit lo-fi, but the video came out good. Here's the link:

Ric Mango Farewell Concert 2012

Anyway, I keep telling Ric he'll be back, but he seems to strongly disagree. One thing is for sure: the man was born to entertain. As a bandleader, he made it look easy, and always knew how to get the most out of his musicians. That's a quality you can't fully appreciate until you see others try to do what he did... but can't.

The third (and final) part of my interview with John Patitucci will be posted sometime next month in Bass Musician. Also, look for my March cover interviews with not one, but two trailblazing pioneers of bass guitar. It's shaping up to be one of the best issues ever.

Part one of my interview with the great John Patitucci is in the current issue of Bass Musician. The direct link to the article is here.

Many thanks to Aerosmith's Tom Hamilton for taking time out from the band's busy schedule to chat with me about their new album, his basses and an update on his health, among other things. Music From Another Dimension! is Aerosmith's first album of new material in ten years and I highly recommend it, it's one of their best ever. The direct link to the interview is here.

Speaking of new albums... want to know what albums your favorite bassists are playing on? Feel free to check out my reviews in the new Rick's Picks column at Bass Musician Magazine. I'll also be writing the cover interview for next month's December issue.

The last week here has been like a tale of two cities; it seems everyone in lower Manhattan got hammered by Hurricane Sandy, and most of us who live north somehow slipped through the wrath. Looking south from my apartment at Columbus and 60th, it was as though someone flipped a light switch off at about 38th Street and left downtown in the dark. It's been crazy here, but hope everyone is getting back to normal...and finding gas!

Also in this month's issue is my interview with the great Harry Shearer, and that link is here: Harry Shearer Interview.

Online today: feel free to check out my latest articles in the new August issue of Bass Musician Magazine, which includes my cover interview with Marcus Miller ("Marcus Miller: Renaissance Man") and Zac Brown Band's low-end man John Driskell Hopkins ("Zac Brown Band's John Driskell Hopkins: The Bassist Uncaged").

Direct link to my Marcus Miller interview is here: Marcus Miller : Renaissance Man.

Direct link to my John Driskell Hopkins interview is here: John Driskell Hopkins : The Bassist Uncaged.

The issue is available at www.bassmusicianmagazine.com (for free, as always). By the way, Zac Brown Band's new album Uncaged is currently at the top of the Billboard charts, and Marcus' new album Renaissance gets released next Tuesday (August 7th) . Take my word for it, you want both of these great albums in your collection.

Enjoy the new Bass Musician issue!

Available online today, May 1... my interview with James "Hutch" Hutchinson... the Groove King.

See entire article in this month's Bass Musician Magazine, and catch Hutch on tour with Bonnie Raitt in 2012.

Among the topics we chatted about: Bonnie's new album Slipstream, Hutch's equipment (including his collection of nearly 80 basses), the U-Bass by Kala, his well-known musical neighbors in Hawaii, drummers Ringo Starr and Bill Kreutzmann, and much more.

The direct link to the interview is here: Hutch Hutchinson : The Groove King.