Christopher Thomas – Bass

One of the Marsalis stable, Chris Thomas has played with all of the brothers and the father, Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra, Harry Connick Jr., Terence Blanchard – all them New Orleans cats.

I chose this tune because I wanted something easy for the starters. What I also realised when I was putting this down is how many of the new breed of bass players don’t seem to get the value of playing root notes in the beat; Semibreves, Minims, dotted crotchets etc. and just playing the tune. Music doesn’t have to be all about arm wrestling. Sometimes playing it pretty is more than enough.

The transcription is Chris Thomas’s part from the tune ‘My Foolish Heart’ from the 1992 Victor Goines album ‘Genesis’. Goines has been friends with Wynton Marsalis since they were toddlers and they grew up together. They are still playing together today and I love that. The tune is once through the head – no solos. An easy read but beautiful because of that.