BassPlayer 2017-01

i INFO
LISTEN
Percy Jones, Cape Catastrophe
[1990, Gonzo]; MJ12,
MJ12 [2016, Gonzo]; Brand X,
Unorthodox Behavior [1976,
Charisma], Masques [1978,
Charisma]; Brian Eno, Another
Green World [1975, Island]
technology has changed enormously since the late ’70s.
Now we have better-sounding PA systems, the whole
gamut of digital technology, etc. Back then, the only digital
gear I remember seeing was by Eventide. The process
of getting recordings out there has changed with
the advent of the internet.
What was your personal highpoint in Brand X,
musically?
It was probably when Kenwood Dennard joined the
band, because Phil Collins was always too busy with Genesis.
We started gigging and touring, and that’s when I
think the band became really coherent and tight. That
was a good buzz for me, to be in a band that was really
doing its thing well, I thought.
Your new band, MJ12, grew out of a project you
had with drummer Steve Moses.
I’ve known Steve for a long time. Not long after
I moved to New York in the ’80s, I was in a couple of
bands with him, and then we went our separate ways. I
started doing some solo gigs and put Tunnels together,
and Steve went off playing with Alice Donut. We got back
together just a few years ago and started doing these little
improv gigs in Brooklyn, just the two of us, and we’d
invite guests to come and sit in. In Brooklyn there are
loads of really good players, so there was never a shortage
of people. We were playing in really small dive bars
and DIY places. I suggested to Steve after a while that
maybe we should try writing some stuff and making it
a little more structured, but without losing the improv
aspect. So we started writing little bits and pieces, and
EQUIP
Bass Customized fretless
Ibanez Grooveline 5-string
Amp Euphonic Audio (EA)
iamp 800 combo
Strings DR Strings LowRiders
(.045–.125)
Effects Eventide ModFactor
and TimeFactor
bassplayer.com / january2017 15