Taking time out from recording, performing, and organizing various smooth jazz events, bassist Gerald Veasley sat down with Smooth Views recently to discuss his upcoming release Your Move. It is his first studio release in several years with writing and production help from Chuck Loeb. We were able to gain insight into several of the cuts as well as his work with Grover Washington Jr. over the years. It was a great experience to learn more about this bass player and his versatile background.

Smoothviews (SV): We want to welcome Gerald Veasley to Smoothviews.com. Gerald’s new release entitled Your Move is scheduled to come out March 11th. Gerald tell us a little bit about the new disc and what went into the making of it.
Gerald Veasley (GV): Well, this CD has been a long time coming because it’s been a while since I was in the studio. I did enjoy the process of working on a record especially when you’re collaborating with folks. This one I was fortunate to do some writing and having as a producer Mr. Chuck Loeb. I’ve always admired his production and writing talent, and he’s a great guitar player, obviously, as well. So that’s one of the first things that we went into, that I decided, let’s see if we can get Chuck to do it. He was a joy to work with because he’s got such great musical instincts, first of all. He and I share the same passion for the same types of music. In addition to smooth jazz and contemporary jazz, we both love traditional jazz too. We both love some classic stuff, classic pop music. He considers himself kind of a chameleon as I do. So that was really cool. It was great to collaborate with the musicians in my band that have been supporting me and helping me for so long: Chris Farr on saxophone, Corton Rider an arranger and the musical producer for the band, Donald Robinson the keyboardist who also did some production. So it’s really a group effort and goes through the spirit of Your Move. When folks see the album cover, they’ll see the reference to chess. You know, I’m a pretty bad chess player. I love games and I love the challenges like that where you really have to think ahead. There’s a multiplicity of moves you can make which is very much like the cerebral part of jazz. Also it’s where the instincts take over and you have to react. But Your Move also refers to the fact that music making is a very collaborative type process and a lot of give and take. That’s what I love about it. That’s what I love about music. I love that camaraderie, the inner play, the exchange of ideas that comes from playing with talented people.

SV: I’ve had a chance to listen to the new disc for a week or so now and really like it. Tell us, what’s the first single we can look forward to hearing?
GV: The first single is “Slip and Slide.” It was written by Chuck Loeb. It was the first song that he wrote for me that when I heard it, I immediately fell in love with it. It passed the wife test. That’s the first test the music has to pass. (laughing) Roxanne likes it and she has great instincts as well. She said “Yeah, that’s it.” The song has a cool flavor to it and sort of a twang to it. Sometimes smooth jazz or contemporary jazz is kind of slick. But with Chuck being a guitar player sometimes his music has a little bit of a twang to it, the way he makes the guitar talk. So he had the same idea for the bass melodies. My six string bass is sort of high register so often people confuse it with the guitar (and it is a type of guitar, one with a lower voice.) But the two of us together playing some of these melodies is almost like a game of hide and seek. There’s cool interplay between us. The people who know my music will be surprised by a slightly different sound. I like that too, by doing different stuff on this record.

SV: That one comes off really, really well and I’ve enjoyed listening to it. You can hear a lot of Chuck in that one. The one that you start the disc off is called “Hear Now.” I’m not sure if that’s a play on words, so tell us a little bit about that one.
GV: Well, you know an interesting thing about Chuck; you can hear all the keyboard melodies as a bass player. So when you play this particular bass melody which is funky, I said “Man, you’re trying to take my job.” I said “What can I do? This is supposed to be my record. How can I top that?” I’m not a bass player; I don’t know what I’m doing. But basically I took this funky bass melody, and with this great guitar support and just interpreted it with my style. It’s just a grabbing type tune. It’s really a bass in your face type song, in some respects I avoided in my records. A lot of times they think you’re a bass player making records. People ask me “Are there other instruments on it?” And the answer is “Yes.” Sometimes people assume that it is very funky with a lot of slapping, or aggressive bass in your face. That’s a part of my playing but I’ve always wanted to have my music have more openness, more detail, melodic, and have things that will sweep you into a mood. I want my music to have great texture so that there are beautiful sounds that you can escape into. For me it’s always been about the bass, but a lot more than the bass. But I’m saying all of that to say, it’s all here now and here’s that funky thing you want and enjoy it. (laughing)

SV: Your bass does shine on that one more so than on the other ones. Another favorite one seems to be the title track called “Your Move.” That’s another one you wrote with Chuck. Tell us a little bit about that cut.
GV: Well that’s one of those tunes that’s classic Chuck Loeb writing with a lot of detail in the production of it. It’s one of those songs that when people hear it you’re immediately drawn to it. It’s one of those feel good kind of tunes. I love the melody of it because it is so sweet sounding. It’s just classic Chuck Loeb. It’s like some of the music I envisioned him writing. He surprised me with some of the stuff that he wrote. When I heard it, I said “That’s Chuck.” He’s multi-faceted. Overall, my approach to the music on a CD is to separate my “chief hat” from my “creative hat.” With an outside producer, it was good not to have to make all the decisions myself. It frees me up just to be the musician or to be the artist. The other thing it does is free my head up from having to constantly evaluate and constantly having to make decisions and weighing this versus that. So a song like “Your Move,” I was able to listen to it as a listener. So when I heard it, it was one of those songs that was beyond judgment. It just felt good. So that became sort of a yardstick for what I listened to. After we would record a track (I’d try not to get too caught up in the wrong notes, right notes.) I’d ask “How does it make you feel? Does it make you feel good? Does it evoke an emotional response? Does it make you remember something important in your life? Does it make you feel good? Or does it make you feel at all?” I’m always afraid that I’ll do something that’s not genuine (something that’s “oily” and just on the surface.) So that’s one of the fears that drives me, that I’ll somehow be genuine.

SV: One of my favorites is a song called “Greenwood.” That’s with your sax player Chris Farr on soprano. This is a fun song. Tell us a little bit about that one.
GV: Thank you. My family is originally from Greenwood, South Carolina. I used to go down there for a family reunion. Then when my mom retired, I used to go down there and visit. It’s really a peaceful place. It’s a beautiful place. Of course, growing up here in Philadelphia, it’s just a totally different environment, urban life. But then a part of me yearns for that country life, the way the people are connected in towns like Greenwood. So that’s my impressions of a place like that (a real American place.) It was interesting working on that with Chris Farr who has a very beautiful melodic sense. I’m proud of how that came out.

SV: I like that one a lot and also like “Cross Currents.” How did that one develop?
GV: Well it’s interesting. Two of my main influences as musicians were Grover Washington Jr. who I worked with for a number of years, as well as Joe Zawinul who founded Weather Report who passed away this past summer. I always thought that it would be interesting to write a song that would have influences of having worked with both of them, or how these great artists thought about music: Grover being the quintessential contemporary jazz artist, soulful and earthy, and Zawinul being earthy in some ways, but definitely a more eclectic kind of artist. In the beginning of Weather Report, very spacey, very tied to the fusion movement, then into World music, then developing a music that was his own. The thing about both artists is that they were individualist. You could definitely identify their sound immediately and their approach to music. So I thought there’s gotta be a way to combine these two very different approaches to music. So “Cross Currents” kind of represents those profound influences those men had on me as a music maker. I hasten to say, the profound influence they had on me as a human being.

SV: Both are just great individuals. You mentioned that you had played with Grover. You guys go way back. Tell us what some of your experiences were with him, touring with him as well as what kind of impressions he made on you over the years.
GV: Well I think one of the lasting impressions of Grover was that family meant the world to him. He was a well respected artist among his peers and in the industry. He was a verifiable star for smooth jazz and contemporary jazz fans. But to his family he was “dad” and he was “husband.” That was his most important role. He took that role most seriously. He would not hesitate to cancel a tour or a concert that would interfere with an important family event. He was that dedicated to it. One time he pulled me aside and said the reason that family was so important to him is because that created the stories that made the music special. He didn’t look at as “either/or” choices like family or music. His music was made possible out of his dedication to family. I think, out of everything, that stuck with me the most. Secondarily, as a musician, he was truly a perfectionist. Not really a task master at rehearsal when it wasn’t going quite right. The most he would ever say is “Let’s try it again from the top.” And you knew then what you had to do. You just treated it with respect. When he walked into a room, he could be light hearted and everything, but when he put his horn in his mouth, he was all business. He was very, very serious yet very humble at the same time. He felt like the stage and the rehearsal rooms were places that were sacred almost. When I hear his music, I can hear his breath and I can feel like he’s there. I was fortunate that he was gracious enough to play on my records. The first few records I did until he passed, he was on all of them. I remember doing my very first recording and I was still in Grover’s band. I was actually working with him and Zawinul at the same time. I was thinking about calling him and my wife said “You should just call him.” Well, I said that I didn’t think he’d do it. He’s so busy; it’s going to be awkward because we can’t afford his fee and on and on and on. And she, as any good wife would do, said “Just call him.” I did, and his answer was “I was wondering when you were going to call me.” (laughing) So he was just a gracious man. You just can’t say enough about him.

SV: Let’s change directions for just a moment. Let’s hear about your Bass Boot Camp, and tell us a little bit about it, who comes around for that and what happens there.
GV: Bass Boot Camp is something that I’m very, very passionate about. I’ve been doing it since 2002. Every year just grows and grows. It’s an educational event held over a weekend. We have been joining forces with the Berks Jazz Festival since our inception. What we do is an intense weekend of over thirty hours of instruction, hands on, very interactive. We’ve had a faculty that changes from year to year that’s comprised of some of the best bass players in the world that are very giving and most knowledgeable on bass instruction. It started off as an event that we hoped would inspire bass players to get to the next level at their craft. Guys and women who were turning pro, or finding more pro opportunities by the perfection of their craft. What we found out through the years is that it’s not that at all. Maybe ten percent of our attendees are really serious about becoming professional or just becoming better pros at playing the bass. But the other ninety percent are people who just love bass and just want to do it better at their church or the band they play in on weekends or in the privacy of their own homes. It’s interesting as I think about it that what’s so enriching for me is this camp touches people in ways that I always hoped my music would touch people. That is it connects people, less about the craft and business of music, more about the love and passion of making music. The emotions of what it does for your heart and soul, what it does for your life. We’ve gotten e-mails from people who come into our camp who have had life changing experiences. They’ve been able to turn their lives away in really unanticipated areas. They’re happy. They have defeated issues with drugs, depression. I’m almost reluctant to even talk about it, that the event is bigger than music. If I say that I don’t take any credit for it, because the environment that’s created when all of these like-minded people come together for the love of something that’s so special, something else takes over. There’s world class instruction. They take care of these attendees like they’re family members. There’s great concerts and ability for people to play all throughout the weekend. So it does all of that stuff that you would expect an event to do, but then something else on top of all of that happens where people connect with the best part of themselves. Like I said, I don’t want to take any credit for it, but that’s the beauty of the event that I enjoy watching and seeing how its transforming peoples lives. It’s now become a community of people who have gone through the camps and they stay in touch. People are supporting one another. It’s like a club, it’s like a family.

SV: It’s a bass club! Speaking of which, you play there at the Jazz Base there in PA. Tell us a little bit about that. Is that your club, or do you just play there a lot?
GV: Yes, this is my club. My involvement in the club is one helping to present music in this great town of Reading which is about an hour from my home in Philadelphia. Reading is the site of the Berks Jazz Festival. It’s one of the top jazz festivals in the world. In just a few weeks we have over 130 shows playing this year. The whole city opens its doors for great jazz music during the ten day festival. The only thing that was really missing was that presence year round. So the Sheraton actually approached me with this idea of “why not bring some of your friends in and your ideas, the fact that folks know you, and have a club where we can present music 52 weeks out of the year instead of one week a year.” It’s turned out to be awesome because you run into unanticipated wonderful consequences. We started off thinking it would be a wonderful venue for local and regional artists. We expose some super talented people who don’t have enough venues to showcase their talents. But it’s also become a great venue for national artists who are looking for great places to play between D.C., New York, and Philadelphia. Here in little Reading, PA, we have a club that provides a place where a band like the Rippingtons or Acoustic Alchemy can come play. Joyce Cooling! We’ve had some of the top names in smooth jazz coming to our little 150 foot club, and they love it. Not only does the audience love it, but the musicians love it because it’s so up close and personal. It’s warm, it’s intimate, and it sounds great. I love big concerts, but there’s something about being able to see your audience and make eye contact, and actually see their toes tapping, heads bobbing and they’re right there with you. There’s something very, very special about that.

SV: You’re a busy young man. I understand you do a radio show for WJJZ every Saturday and Sunday evening.
GV: Yeah, that’s exciting. It’s been going on for two years now. We’ve been doing a weekend show. It’s kind of nice because I get to speak to music lovers in a different way or more direct way on the radio which is very, very cool. What I’ve seen through the years is how people are more like friends. We call them fans, but it really doesn’t describe how much a part the music is in their lives. So to be able to talk about the music on the radio, and talk about some of my friends who are music makers and offer a little insight on the radio, then to go out and meet folks at some of our radio events is cool. You know this whole journey of mine is really about touching people, and connecting with people. Doing a little bit to make life better. So the radio is just an extension of that.

SV: Got to ask you this question, been thinking about it all week. You’re on stage with four other bass players, who are they?
GV: Stanley Clarke would have to be number one, because he was the guy who really inspired me to get serious about the bass. The next would have to be Richard Bona who is a great bass player from Cameroon who is one of my favorite musicians. Then it’s tough because I’ve only got two left. So I’ve got to use these last two wisely and maybe have an alternate. (laughing) Victor Wooten would have to be in there because he’s one of my favorite musicians. A guy that is much nicer than we deserved him to be. He’s real cool. Then the fourth one would probably have to be Marcus Miller. Marcus is the one that I’ve never had the chance to be around, but he’s one of my favorite artists (great bass player, great producer, musician, song writer.) He’s kind of the whole package. There are so many great artists. Jimmy Haslip is a friend and we’ve actually jammed on stage together as part of Jaco Pastorius Big Band. There’s so many! Anthony Jackson is another one of my top guys. He’s such an under rated bass player. He’s a genius with what he does with the six string bass. Nathan East, I could go on and on so don’t get me started.

SV: Well, we just want to wish you lots of success on the new disc as it comes out this month. Is there anything you want to tell your fans as we close this evening?
GV: I would say that these records are about the same thing for me, being able to touch people the way that music has touched me. If it does that, then I’m happy, because that’s what it’s all about. Surely, that’s what it’s all about.