Interviews
Neil
Stubenhaus
[Image courtesy The
Neil Stubenhaus Website]
ABOUT
NEIL STUBENHAUS
"Neil
Stubenhaus has been a first call session bass player in L.A. for the
past 20 years. He has played on hundreds of records, feature films,
television shows and commercials. He has recorded with many fine artists,
including Patti Austin, Anita Baker, Regina Belle, George Benson,
Michael Bolton, David Benoit, Larry Carlton, Cher, Jude Cole, Neil
Diamond, Billy Joel, Al Jarreau, Elton John, Lala Hathaway, Quincy
Jones, Glenn Frey, Rod Stewart, Kenny G, Bonnie Raitt, Barbra Streisand,
Bill Labounty or Take 6. Neil has also appeared on hundreds of soundtrack
albums and has toured with artists like John Fogerty, Larry Carlton,
Tom Scott or Barbra Streisand. Neil won M.V.P. Award from NARAS L.A.
Chapter in 1987 and has been nominated for same award every year since
1980. Neil has also been presented with "Outstanding Achievement
Award" from Berklee College of Music Played on over 70 songs
and albums." [view
selected discography]
Mike
Visceglia: What were your early influences and how did you come
to choose Nashville as a place to live and work?
Dave
Pomeroy: My
Dad was in the Air Force and was stationed in England from 1960 to
1964. I was very young, but I still remember watching "Top of
The Pops" with my older brother and sister featuring the Beatles
and Stones in their very early days, before they invaded the States.
Maybe because of that, all the great British rock bands of the 60's
and 70's, especially Cream, The Who, Deep Purple and Yes, were my
first big influences as a teenager. Later I got into jazz and players
like Charles Mingus, Ray Brown, and the German bassist/composer Eberhard
Weber.
We moved to the Washington, DC area in 1964 and I started playing
string bass in the school orchestra at 10 and electric in local bands
at 13. I finished high school in Pennsylvania and went to college
at UVA in Charlottesville, playing and singing in various bands all
the while. I quit UVA after 2 years and moved to London, England to
try my luck. I got in a band, applied for a work permit for a year
and starved while learning a lot about the realities of the music
biz. Meanwhile, a singer I had worked with in college had moved to
Nashville, and when I returned to the States I thought I would give
it a try as I didn't want to go back to a local music scene. I didn't
know anyone in New York or L.A., so I thought I'd give Nashville a
try first. I got a road gig after a couple of weeks, and 25 years
later, I'm still here, so I guess it worked out OK!
Mike
Visceglia: Where were you born and what was your early exposure
to music and the bass?
Neil Stubenhaus:
was born in Bridgeport, CT. I took drum lesson starting at age 7,
and had a full kit by age 10. At 12, I was playing with the high school
dance band. I also played drums with a band made up of kids my age,
(12), and I picked up a guitar and learned to play at that time. In
about 4 - 5 months I was playing the guitar fairly well, so I started
another band playing guitar, and found myself always learning the
bass parts and teaching the bass player those parts. That's when I
realized I really liked bass. I loved learning all the cool bass parts
and I loved the learning process of understanding how the bass parts
supported the music. A year or so later, I took a few guitar lessons
from a local killer player named Vinnie Cusano, later known as Vinnie
Vincent, and he took a liking to me and wanted to start a band together
under one condition; that I played bass. That's when I made the switch.
MV:
I know that you attended Berklee. What kind of experience was that
for you? Do you consider that an integral part of your success?
NS: Besides
getting a good education in music, to go to Berklee meant being in
Boston, a major musical center. I knew John Scofield and other great
players had gone there, and the school was a breeding ground for great
players. I met players there who I work with currently like Vinnie
Coliauta, John Robinson, Mike Thompson, and many others.
MV:
What kind of importance do you place on formal musical training?
NS: For
me it was very important, and I'm still learning. For the types music
that rise above the simple basics, most people can't get by without
some training, although there are a lucky few geniuses who hear and
play everything on their own.
MV:
How was it for you as a player when you first arrived in LA? What
circumstances led to your entrenchment as a first call player?
NS: Speaking
of luck, I got very lucky. I was in Larry Carlton's band when I got
to LA, which gave me some visibility. I was called to play on a few
television sessions that happened to have other influential players
in the band, like Tom Scott and a few others, and it snowballed from
there. The business was full of people who talked up younger players
back then, because the top players were in such demand that the likelihood
of booking them were often less than 50/50. Work was plentiful so
everyone had their eyes out for fresh talent. The rest fell in place
with hard work and patience.
MV: What do you see as the main differences in the LA studio
scene as opposed NY?
NS:
Back then: New York had the really cool records, tons of jingles,
a few movies, and almost no television. LA had tons of all styles
of records, a smattering of jingles, lots of movie scores and gobs
of television scoring.
Now:
NY has Broadway, a few jingles, a few live TV shows, and a few records.
LA has a decent amount of records, a fair amount of movie scores,
some leftover television scoring and a reduced smattering of jingles.
Other than those specifics, the differences are the style of living.
MV: There's a perception of studio musicians (I've fallen victim
to this) of being accomplished and precise but non-creative. Have
you had any circumstances where you have been accused of this? What
is your answer or reaction to this kind of attitude?
NS:
I've never been told this to my face, but I've heard it many times.
It comes from a few sources for a few reasons. The precision comes
from experience. Most of what studio player gets called to do demands
precision. Time is money. What is overlooked is the fact that a good
player knows what to play instantly, as opposed to a group of lesser
experienced players who might take a few hours to gel together. The
good players sound great the first time down.
As to the "non-creative," I would regard that as a combination
of ignorance, fear of higher levels of excellency, and a dash of jealousy,
all innocent of course. A common cause for this unfair comparison
to "non-studio musicians" could be that when you're involved
in an abundance of musical situations in a relatively short period
of time, you can rely on a few tricks, but every artist does that.
A musician who plays on relatively fewer projects might be less subject
to redundancy.
Robert Hilburn always hated Toto's music because it was to clean and
precise, and once said "The Clash" was a better rock band.
Jealous? Ignorant? Personal taste? Beats me!!!!
MV:
There are not a lot of bass players that have had the film score recording
experience that you have. What if any are the main differences for
you at these kind of sessions? Are there any particularly different
skills that come into play?
NS:
Not really, other than sight reading. For the most part, any pro bass
player can handle it. Like playing on records, you are dealing with
personalities with composers. You need to know when to play something
"better" than what they wrote or when to stick to the ink.
When you're with a large orchestra you need to rely on your instincts
a little more because the cue system will probably suck.
MV:
Do you find yourself with a healthy balance of film and record work
these days or does it lean one way or the other because of anything
specific?
NS:
This business changes with the wind. Movies are using less rhythm
these days and more pure orchestral scoring. Budgets change depending
on the producers. Records are fickle too. Any six month period can
be entirely different from the last six month period. The only thing
you can count on in this business is change. It's best to not be surprised
and stay prepared for the rainy days.
MV:
In NY there is a fairly close community of musicians both live and
studio. You can walk to studios and venues every day and see great
players in professional and social situations. This serves as a lot
of inspiration and creative nutrition for myself and others. Is there
such a scene there? Is there anything about the NY scene that you
wish was in LA?
NS:
The geographical layouts of the two cities are completely different,
so LA is in your car then behind closed doors, and NY is in the streets
where you see other players. Ideally, to get the best of both you
would have a peaceful world with quick flights from east to west,
enough work and variety to warrant shuttling all players back and
forth between both cities often, and everyone would be happy.
MV:
What is your opinion on the state of the recording industry today?
What do you think needs to happen to make things better?
NS:
That depends on what "better" is. If I elaborate on this
it may be just more wishful thinking and sour grapes. Today's recording
business is full of machines that make music, a declining economical
factor to make the machines appear to be the answer, and changing
musical styles and values to make the machine sound not only valuable
but actually appropriate and musically correct.
MV:
Do you have a favorite producer or artist that you feel has brought
out your best playing?
NS:
Yes, there are many. Quincy comes to mind, Phil Ramone, Tommy LiPuma,
Arif Mardin, all the guys who let the players play and use their sensibilities
to make the music happen, rather than ones who feel the need to control
every note.
MV:
You seem to flow easily between established icons (Barbara Streisand)
and younger rockers (Alanis Morrisette) etc. Do you have any consistent
philosophy about playing or interpersonal skills that bring to the
wide array of sessions that you do?
NS:
No, I just enjoy good music, keep an open mind and play from the heart.
MV:
What is your recording process like? Do you go direct? Do you bring
a lot of your own gear to sessions?
NS:
I like going direct for simplicity. If an engineer or producer has
other techniques in mind I go with it. When a budget allows cartage,
I bring a variety of basses and my own amp with built in direct box
and custom transformer. Otherwise, I show up with my Tyler bass and
a Raven Labs direct box in hand.
MV:
What kind of basses are you playing these days?
NS:
I have a few James Tyler basses, a Pedulla fretless, a Turner Renaissance
fretless, a Ken Smith
and a few Washburn acoustics. All are 5-string.
MV:
What are your views on touring? Do you see it as conflicting with
your career in the studios?
NS:
It can all mix well for the most part, give or take a few accounts
you may lose by going on the road. I don't get called for tours these
days so it is not currently a personal issue. However, touring with
the right artist in the latter stages of one's career can be the perfect
move in the right circumstance.
MV:
Are there any Neil Stubenhaus solo projects on the horizon?
NS:
It crosses my mind all the time. I'd love to do it, but so far the
necessary commitment has eluded me. I won't do it unless I can take
the time to make it great, and so far my time has been too diversified,
for better or for worse.
MV:
Do you get approached to teach or produce often?
NS:
I get approached to teach all the time, but that takes a commitment
to give it your all, just like the solo project. At this time my heart
is not in it. Producing is another issue that you need to want to
do and love doing it, or you shouldn't do it. The difference from
teaching is that people don't knock down your door to produce. Producing
music is very subjective and many successful producers, like some
teachers, were not necessarily good players, and some were not players
at all. If a good player wants to make the transition to producing,
they have to want it and go after it.
MV:
What advice would give someone aspiring to be a studio bassist in
LA?
NS:
Learn keyboards, music software, and keep your mind open to any possibilities
of other career directions. There is a good possibility that we are
at a time in this business that the odds of "breaking in"
as just a studio bassist are getting closer and closer to slim and
slimmer. Be diversified. Don't get stuck on the idea of just playing
bass. If you love music, be ready for anything and everything.
Thanks
to Neil for the interview.
FOR
MORE INFORMATION ON NEIL STUBENHAUS
For
more information on Neil, please visit his official website:
http://w1.112.telia.com/~u11202840/stuben.html
