The title of this book, inspired by a quote from bassist Monk Montgomery, is significant and compelling; the evolution of the electric bass thus far has truly been controversial as well as culturally impactful. Brian F. Wright draws from various popular music examples to illustrate the significance of electric bass contributions, which challenges ‘the traditional depiction of artists as lone musical geniuses’ (p. 3). Wright articulates a holistic and multi-faceted history of the instrument, addressing many lesser-known esoteric figures along with the more traditionally celebrated icons in the electric bass field. As well, various aspects of technological developments are examined in relation to facilitating the physical development of the electric bass. Wright points out that unique insights can be revealed by looking at music from the perspective of the bassist. While Wright treads on some familiar ground in terms of general popular music history, the unique bass-oriented lens through which the music is examined yields intriguing results. Wright draws on his own experience as a bassist to analyze significant historical happenings in the world of the electric bass, chapter by chapter, with interludes to provide further insights. Personal interviews, insightful illustrations, exhaustive research, and thoughtful analysis make this book an exceptional contribution to a young and burgeoning field.
Author Steve Waksman is quoted for his observations about instruments representing ‘technologies, visual icons, and repositories of knowledge’ (p. 5). The importance of genre diversity in the history of the electric bass is emphasized and addressed in a unique fashion, with credit given to Waksman for engaging in this approach when writing about the electric guitar. The book then sets out to chronicle the birth and development of the electric bass with these factors in mind, incorporating sociological, technological, and pragmatic aspects of the history of the instrument.
Volume, sustain, and portability were crucial elements that fostered the popularization of the electric bass, and Wright does well to emphasize these factors. Modern attempts to make more portable and practical versions of the upright bass, various electric upright basses, tend to fall short of a true upright bass aesthetic while not offering the tone and playability of an electric bass. The results are often interesting, but in some ways ultimately fully satisfy no one. The practicality and the visual appeal of the electric bass, especially in television and film, are repeatedly shown by the author to have played major roles in the eventual acceptance of the electric bass as its own instrument.
Lloyd Loar’s 1934 Vivi-tone development and a few subsequent upright bass innovations are discussed, as well as the landmark Tutmarc bass in 1936, the first horizontally played electric bass. Lorraine Tutmarc is pictured with the instrument, and Wright thoughtfully speculates that the first electric bass guitarist was likely a woman. Significant women in the field are refreshingly well documented, such as singer Shirley Douglas who became a pioneer of the electric bass in England and authored an early method book on the instrument. One intriguing photo features bassist Joan Anderson in 1954 with a Fender bass along with Patsy Cline, a powerful image of two important figures (one widely known, one specific to this field).
Carol Kaye’s influence with the Wrecking Crew is addressed in some detail, along with the studio work of bassists such as James Jamerson with Motown, Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn with Stax, Wille Dixon with Chess, and Norbert Putnam with Muscle Shoals. Wright digs much deeper in discussing many of the lesser-known bassists associated with those landmark labels as well. Wright explores some insightful musical analysis of Muscle Shoals bassist David Hood’s electric bass work on ‘Tell Mama’ by Etta James and ‘I’ll Take You There’ by Mavis Staples (the latter recorded on the Stax label). One of the joys of this book is potentially learning about the bassists who played on popular and familiar songs; Hood also supplied the bass tracks for Bob Seger’s hits ‘Main Street’ and the iconic (and sadly overplayed) ‘Old Time Rock & Roll.’
Leo Fender is well established as the sole father of the electric bass as we know it, but while he was successful, Wright posits that ‘his design also left the electric bass without a distinct sonic identity’ (p. 22). This sentiment is later augmented: ‘Historians and fans have long celebrated Fender as an electric guitar pioneer, giving him an outsized reputation that has largely overshadowed his contemporaries’ (p. 41). As blasphemous as this may sound against the backdrop of traditional accounts of Fender’s impact, this is a compelling statement that Wright does well to legitimize.
Wright explores a road less travelled in terms of traditional research when considering the significance of second-hand instrument sales. The impact of these sales would certainly influence the availability and familiarity of the instrument to young musicians and hobbyists. Wright emphasizes the significance of amateur musicians who are often overlooked by music historians who focus on documented recordings and historically significant artists.
Larry Graham of Sly and the Family Stone is widely credited as the father of slap bass. Wright references James Gordon Williams and the term ‘aesthetic segregation’ when the band is categorized as funk or soul, which doesn’t fully acknowledge the influence of the band in rock history. Wright aligns the band more with Jefferson Airplane and bassist Jack Casady than previous historians typically have; commonalities cited include the San Francisco background, the mixing of genders within the bands, the interactions between unique members in each band, the prominence of the bassists, and the fact that both acts played Woodstock among other festivals together. The two bassists are thoughtfully tied together in terms of their work and influence, and Wright manages to avoid the separation of the two based on race or stylistic parameters.
Wright acknowledges the landmark 1970 Woodstock documentary by Michael Wadleigh as a culturally and historically significant testament to the music and social climate of the time. More specifically important to this book, Wright notes that all the bassists playing at this legendary 1969 festival played electric bass rather than upright. As the book nears its conclusion, this seems an appropriate point at which to acknowledge the development and eventual acceptance of the instrument as a mainstay among the cutting-edge musicians of the time.
The Bastard Instrument is written in such a way that it is consistently buttressed with a robust academic approach, yet it maintains an accessibility that could appeal to a variety of popular music enthusiasts. The book concludes with a brief philosophical reflection on how the electric bass evolved gradually through technology and the innovations of the players who capitalized on the potential of the instrument. Wright punctuates his final point by declaring that by 1970, the electric bass had shed the stigma of being a ‘bastard instrument.’ Many jazz purists still consider the instrument less than authentic within certain stylistic parameters, but Wright has certainly done his due diligence in presenting a thorough and compelling argument to defend the legitimacy of the electric bass.
