Dec 17, 2024 9:58 AM
Tabla Master Zakir Hussain, 73, Succumbs to Illness
Tabla master Ustad Zakir Hussain, one of India’s reigning cultural ambassadors and a revered figure worldwide…
You switched from double bass to bass guitar during your set. What prompted you to do that?
It’s just an added element. I’ve been playing a lot more electric these days—mainly for myself, though I play a little bit in Pat [Metheny]’s band, too. It’s just a different sound, a different texture. I still want it to sound like me.
I do think in terms of colors with a lot of these compositions. So much of it is just setting the scene. But within the set, it’s still all us—even if Fabian is doing his electronic thing.
You’ve also added wordless singing to your arsenal. Has it been difficult to vocalize and play simultaneously, or did that come naturally?
I definitely practice it, and I always say to my students that they should practice it, too. It’s a very important component and a useful tool when you’re practicing certain polyrhythmic and even bi-tonal things. It’s great for your ears.
I’ve heard that it can be particularly difficult for bass players to sing and play.
You’re thinking about intonation of the bass—well, the upright bass—as well as the intonation of your voice. But it’s great to do, and a lot of musicians I know do practice it, whether or not they choose to incorporate it.
Finally, do you approach soloing differently on bass guitar?
There are definitely some technical things that are different on electric and upright, but I still want to sound like me. That’s the ultimate goal. DB
Dec 17, 2024 9:58 AM
Tabla master Ustad Zakir Hussain, one of India’s reigning cultural ambassadors and a revered figure worldwide…
Jan 21, 2025 7:54 PM
Roy McCurdy and his wife had just finished eating dinner and were relaxing over coffee in their Altadena home, when he…
Dec 12, 2024 1:58 AM
Cuban-American jazz trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval and Harlem’s Apollo Theater were among the honorees at the 2024…
Jan 2, 2025 10:50 AM
On Musho (Intakt), her recent duo album with pianist Alexander Hawkins, singer Sofia Jernberg interprets traditional…
Jan 21, 2025 7:38 PM
Last November, Keith Jarrett, who has not played publicly since suffering two strokes in 2018, greenlighted ECM to drop…