Willie Weeks – Bass

Weeks was born in Salemburg, North Carolina, and began playing the electric bass in the early 1960s. His earliest influences were the country, pop and R&B music he heard on the radio. Weeks counts bassists Ron Carter, James Jamerson, and Ray Brown as early influences.

Weeks has worked in the studio or toured with a wide range of artists, including Gregg Allman, David Bowie, Jimmy Buffett, Kevin Chalfant, Eric Clapton, Hank Crawford, Bo Diddley, The Doobie Brothers, Lou Fellingham, Aretha Franklin, Isaac Hayes, George Harrison, Vince Gill, Donny Hathaway, Etta James, Billy Joel, Wynonna Judd, Chaka Khan, B.B. King, Neil Larsen, Lyle Lovett, Gail Davies, David Lee Roth, Michael McDonald, Don McLean, John Mayer, Bette Midler, Randy Newman, Andy Newmark, Pino Palladino, Boz Scaggs, John Scofield, Carly Simon, Soulive, Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, Joe Walsh, Steve Winwood, Bobby Womack, Stevie Wonder, Ronnie Wood and Eikichi Yazawa.

(biographical details from Wikipedia)

With a CV like that, it’s no wonder John Scofield chose Weeks to play on his 2005 album, ‘That’s What I Say: the music of Ray Charles’. I have to admit that this was the first time I had heard John Mayer so that was a nice surprise. Great feel on this one and a lot if it isn’t in the dots so closely listen to the recording to find the magic.