Will Lee – Bass

The busiest bass player in the world, certainly in the 1980s. The bass playing magazines were always full of legends regarding how many sessions this guy had done, how many gigs in a single day etc. He is not the most advanced player in terms of bass chops and there are thousands of players who are better than him but he is what we in the trade call a ‘safe pair of hands’. Like Leland Sklar, Pino Palladino, Neil Jason and a host of others, players like Lee can be relied upon to contribute solid performances that are musical and competent. Lee’s CV is the envy of most of us and it is never a surprise to see his name int he credits of an artist. he has performed with Donald Fagan, Gary Burton, Mike Stern, Joan Armatrading, Janis Ian, Cat Stevens, Manhattan Transfer – the list goes on and on.

This track is from the 1990 Gary Burton/Pat Metheny album, ‘Reunion’ and features that Metheny composition, ‘Wasn’t Always Easy’. A simple rooted ballad in 3:4, it is one of those simple tunes I like to include here to give beginner readers something to chew on that helps to build confidence.