Reginald Veal – Bass

I love Reginald Veal. He is one of those players who can go unnoticed in these days of slapping and tapping shock troops but, as I have said do many times on here, this guy’s playing is deep, not just tonally but soulful and profound. It’s like every note has the entire history of instrument oozing from it’s pores; to paraphrase Rey from the Star Wars franchise, ‘I am ALL the bass players’. It’s not just playing music, it’s telling the truth. If you want to know what Jazz bass playing is about, you could do far worse than spending a lifetime listening to this guy.

The is the track ‘Pot Bellied Dinner’ from the 1994 Wynton Marsalis Septet recording, ‘In This House, On This Morning’ and shows Veal playing that beloved New Orleans gospel vibe that usually preceded someone getting murdered in ‘Live And Let Die’. I can read this tune cold and at tempo so you are in with a chance.