BassPlayer 2017-04

for the first half of the bars, adding his own answers
at the back end, creating two two-bar phrases. He
also purposely doesn’t match the riff note for note.
“With the riff already doubled, I kind of pick and
choose where to double it, to keep it loose and not
so static. Maybe I’ll catch the jewelry of the riff
every so often, just to prove to myself I can do it,”
he laughs. Letter A is probably best described as the
A section, as it has a verse feel for the first half and
the main riff and chorus lyrics in the second half.
For the “verse” portion (bars 9–12), Rhodes is on his
own and plays the downbeat with funky responses.
Then it’s back to the riff in bar 13. He mirrors this
approach in letter B, the second A section. “I typically
play off the lyric, jumping in the gaps. I’m
generally less focused on what I’m doing as what
everyone else is doing, and then reacting to that.”
Letter D can be called the bridge or B section.
Here, Rhodes eases back to eighths for his descending
notes against the D (IV) chord. “That was in contrast to everything being so staccato,
to open it up and let it breathe a bit.” In a cool compositional twist, for
Guy’s solo at letter D (the song’s C section?), the harmony shifts to the V chord.
As before, Rhodes doesn’t exactly double the riff (now in E), at times leaving
out the downbeat and creating his own measure-ending fills. Letters E and F
(dig Michael’s step-outs in bars 45 and 53) are the third and fourth verse/choruses.
This leads to a breakdown/spotlight section at G, for Guy’s second solo.
The bridge/B section returns at letter H, this time with Rhodes working some
of his trademark reharmonization magic in bars 70 and 71. “I thought, why not
move up instead of down, and re-name the chords in the process? That’s the
beauty of what the bass can do.” Finally, letter I is Guy’s third solo, and he continues
to blow through J, where the chorus background vocals come back. Here,
Rhodes breaks from the riff to freelance with some descending lines before the
band plays the closing riff four times and the vocalists end the track.
Michael, who will tour and record with Joe Bonamossa this year (in between
Music City sessions), advises, “I’m sitting back a bit in the pocket, to anchor
everything else that’s on the beat or pushing. Listen to our interpretation and
find the important elements of the part. Once you have the essence, feel free
to go outside the lines and make it your own.” BP
“Meet Me In Chicago”
Transcription by Chris Jisi & Michael Rhodes
Medium funky
blues
= 97
A7
S
S
H
12
12 7 7 5
4 7 7 7 4 5 5 5
3 5
3 5
6
H
5 5 4 7 7 7 4 5 0 3 0 3 5
4 7 7 7 4 5 5
3 5
3 5
5 5 4 7 7 7 4 5 0 3 0 3
9
A
A7
5
7 5 7 5 0 3 0 3 5 5
7 5 7 5 7 5 5 0 3 3
H
MEET ME IN CHICAGO
Words and Music by Tom Hambridge and Robert Randolph
Copyright Tom Hambridge Tunes (ASCAP) and Happy Fingers Too Publishing (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
bassplayer.com / april2017 55