Harkening back to his mid-2000s emergence with John McLaughlin and Chick Corea, electric bassist Hadrien Feraud has likely elicited more jaw-drops and head-shakes than any of his contemporaries.
A decade of growth and reflection later, the Paris-born prodigy sought to reach a similar plateau as a musician and composer in 2015, making a firm grab with his sophomore solo effort, Born in the ’80s.
Summoning the music he grew up on and casting it in the light of the talent-rich modern Los Angeles music scene, the 11-track album erupted with a flood of bass-guided soundscapes rife with vocal-laden crossover potential.
A corps of over 40 musicians from L.A., Paris, and New York included Corea, drummer Ronald Bruner, rapper Chris Clarke (son of Stanley), and ten outstanding vocalists, including an unexpected contribution from Marcus Miller.
“I knew Marcus from playing at NAMM shows and bass events,” Feraud told Bass Player. “So I texted him that I had a song I wanted him to write lyrics for and sing on, and he said yes immediately.
“I sent him the tracks, and he sent them back with all the vocal parts and lyrics within two weeks; I was completely blown away! As amazing as he is on bass, I think he’s underrated as a vocalist.”
Feraud had released his debut solo album in 2007, in-between tours with guitarist John McLaughlin, Chick Corea and the Zawinul Legacy Band.
It was right around 2010, having moved from Paris to Los Angeles, that he began thinking about playing and writing more accessible kinds of music. The road to Born in the ’80s had begun.
We spoke to Feraud in 2016, to talk about the album, his early stints with John McLaughlin, and his virtuosic approach to groove.
What was your concept for the album?
“I had two thoughts in mind. One was to pay homage to the music I grew up listening to – which is actually from the late ’60s to the early ’90s – and do my own modern interpretation. The title is a take on the Police song Born in the ’50s.
The title-track opener contains all your references, from film music to a blazing horn section.
“Yeah, everything is in there, my three main influences: Stevie, Steely Dan, and Weather Report, as well as Earth, Wind & Fire, Michael Jackson, and Prince. Guitarist Joel Whiteley and vocalist Jessica Vautor wrote the lyrics. I gave them my concept of a look back at a fun time and how it will never quite be the same.”
The other interesting component on this and other tracks is the blending of bass and keyboard bass.
“I wanted to have keyboard bass because that was part of the sound of that era, and I’ve always liked blending and having multiple basses on tracks. The problem is my keyboard bass chops are lacking.
“So I recorded the basslines on bass guitar, and then I learned and shedded them on my keyboard bass, which is a Korg Triton Extreme. Then I overdubbed the Triton parts. On other songs, I just used octave and chorus pedals on my basses to get a keyboard bass sound.”
Underneath the Golden Moon and Satisfying add elements of electronica and rap, respectively.
“I was going for an electronica vibe on Moonand I relied on drummer Damien Schmitt, who’s way into the genre both technically and musically. Jason Joseph, the vocalist, wrote the lyrics and came up with the title.
“Satisfying was inspired by some very dark, underground hip-hop an ex-girlfriend used to listen to. The track vocalist, Jasmine Mitchell, provided very poetic lyrics, and Chris Clarke wrote and performed the rap.
“That’s my Ken Smith 5 and the Triton on Moon; Satisfying is a Ken Smith 5 with octaver and some boosted lows on the board EQ for a deep, Moog-like sound.”
Gotta Go is the jazziest track.
“I wanted to have a track that captured the jazz vibe of New York City. Gerald Clayton, Justin Brown, Manu Codjia, and I recorded this live.
“I envisioned Gretchen Parlato singing on it, but when the scheduling didn’t work out, I figured I’d sing it on fretless, which would give me at least one song on the album where I play the melody. I used a fretless Fender Victor Bailey Jazz Bass I found in Paris.”
Music, Thank You and Ingrid P are both tribute tracks.
“Music is a tribute to Joe Zawinul. Although I only met him briefly a few times, he’s a very important influence for the beautiful, strong pictures and feelings his music would evoke in my mind.
“The track begins with samples from a 1985 Zawinul documentary, and I have a string section, which was fun to write for. I later realized with saxophonist Stephane Guillaume on the song, we’re paying tribute to Wayne Shorter, as well. I played my Fodera Beeze Elite 5 and my fretless Godin 5.
“Ingrid P is dedicated to Jaco’s second wife. In 2009 I went to Deerfield Beach to visit Felix Pastorius, and Ingrid treated me like a son, putting me up and caring for me. We talked for hours and she showed me Jaco’s hand-written music. She is truly missed by everyone who knew her.”
“The track incorporates a few elements. In the opening, I quote Jaco’s brief solo from the end of the live version of Joni Mitchell’s Coyote; the overall groove is borrowed from a 1983 live version of Coyote with Vinnie Colaiuta and Larry Klein. Then as the piece moves on, you can hear the influence of Matt Garrison.”
You also cover Jaco’s Punk Jazzwhich includes your longest solo.
“I always loved that song and wanted to do my own take on it. I omitted his free-form solo upfront and after the ballad opening, we go into a straight funk feel with background vocals, to give it more of an R&B flavor.
“For the B section, I figured out a way to make the melody fit the 15/8 meter, which carries through the solos. I thought my bass solo was too long to fit the concept of the album, but enough people persuaded me to keep it in.”
How do you reflect on your key early stints with John McLaughlin and Chick Corea?
“Having grown up loving and studying their work, I was totally prepared on the music side. The big learning curve was the other side. I was a kid with no road experience and my English was poor; so, for example, I took luggage that was too heavy, and although John speaks French, he wanted me to speak English to the rest of the band.
“They make sure to hire musicians who have it together, because they don’t have time to keep telling you what they need. The key to playing with artists at that level is to have giant ears so you can hear what they’re doing and how the band is responding. They won’t play with you if you don’t listen.”
You’ve forged a groove approach that incorporates basslines, melodies, and chords, all within the given space.
“The bassline is supposed to carry and support the music, but I think it can also go to other places, thanks to the previous efforts of people like Jaco, Stanley, Anthony Jackson, Victor Bailey, Gary Willis, and others.”
“For me it starts with trying to always create and be improvisational within the repetitive groove-and-bassline context. I react to what everyone else is playing, and I try to go where I feel the music wants to go.
“My goal is to make this concept something that can fit with all musical styles and bass tones, so you’d only be able to recognize it’s me because of my approach.”
What’s your soloing concept?
“To play what the music calls for. If the situation requires me to play fast from the jump I’ll do that, but I prefer to start slowly and build. And I always aim to play inside the chords before I take it outside; I try to respect the harmony and the melody and make the listener hear the chord changes within my phrases.”
“A lot of players now go straight to taking it out in their solos. Or they learn some interesting shapes and rely solely on those. But to my ears, if your soloing hasn’t developed through having a strong harmonic foundation, it shows.”
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings