MIKE PRYOR - THE BOTTOM LINE Being the HEART of sound, Bass is what makes Reggae bounce and it’s what makes funk funky. Without the walking Bass jazz doesn’t swing. Without the groundbreaking syncopated bass style of James Jamerson there would be no Motown. Imagine that! Though most people don’t notice the bass player, they’d miss him if he weren’t there. Practically every stereo manufactured since the 1980’s has a “Bass-Boost” function, so it must be important to people, yet you’d be hard-pressed to get the average person to name even a couple of bass players. The Bass is satisfied to melt into the background and selflessly hold the musical foundation in place allowing other instruments to build those audio images we all love to hear. With the Bass as my magic stick I can manipulate the mood and direction of the music with subtle variations in my groove, and nobody knows I am in control. As a link between rhythm and melody, I have the strongest influence on how the other musicians play. I am their heartbeat, carefully linking up with the Drummer to cook up and lay down a tight pulse, or playfully dancing around the rhythm in funky counter point. Maybe you can't hear the difference when I play behind or in front of the beat, but I know your body can feel it, especially your feet. It’s all part of a subconscious primal affinity that humans have with the low end of the sound spectrum. As a Bass Player, that affinity is what I live to exploit. Bottom line Adapted by Mike Pryor from an Essay written by Shirzad Khusrokhan