Thank you for talking to BassGirls.Com Lizzy, where are you based? Seattle, WA, USA

At what age did you first take a bass in your hands? 15

What attracted you to playing bass? Geddy Lee! As a youngster I listened to Rush a lot, influenced by my older brother's musical tastes. Something about their music transfixed me, I didn't even know what a bass was at the time but for some reason I was focusing on it when I listened. Also hearing Chris Squire with Yes early on really opened my eyes to the melodic role the bass can have in rock and he was very influential. Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones opened my eyes to the groove and how to improvise around a simple blues progression.

Did you play any other instrument before you started playing bass? Yes, I started piano at age 6, played alto sax in grade school and Junior High, and started guitar at age 9 but didn't really get serious with it until I was about 11.

Can you remember the first piece you ever learned on bass? I forget, but probably Roundabout by Yes.

What was your very first public performance? My first piano recital, I would have been around 7 years old. I also sang in school chorus and played sax in the school band, so there were concerts I performed in from an early age. As a bassist I think my first gig was when I was 15 or 16, playing in my first band. We played a lunchtime show at the Junior High. My first actual paying gig was as guitarist in the pit band for a local production of Grease when I was 17.

What’s your current band? Half Zaftig

What’s your main bass? I have many I use for different situations, but currently I mostly use my Fender Jazz V 5 string and Fender Geddy Lee Jazz.

Body colour/wood? Jazz V: Purple/alder, Geddy Lee: Black/alder

Neck/fingerboard? Jazz V: Maple/pau ferro, Geddy Lee: maple/maple

What strings to you like best? I like to experiment now and then but usually stick with D'Addario XL standard gauge (nickel). Right now I have Sadowsky nickels on my Jazz 5 string which I like a lot, I may try them on some other basses.

What is your backline bass amp setup? For Half Zaftig I split my signal and run a dual setup. Rig 1: Demeter VTBP201s tube preamp, Stewart World 2.1 power amp, Bergantino HT322 cab. Rig 2: SWR Interstellar Overdrive tube preamp, Peavey DPC1000 power amp, Bergantino HT210 cab. This way I can keep distortion and other effects separate from my clean sound so I don't lose any low end.

Fingers, pick or both? Both. Fingers, mostly. I am also comfortable with a pick (Dunlop Ultex 1.0) and use one occasionally when I need that specific sound.

Have you played double (upright) or acoustic bass? No, I've never had much interest in playing upright.

What type of music do you play? I am willing and able to play just about anything, but generally any kind of "rock" is what I do. I have played music ranging from weird improvised space music to funk to prog-metal to dance pop.

Who do you listen to when you’re not playing? I have always been a fan of progressive rock (Yes, Rush, etc.), but I listen to a vast range of music these days. I love any music that has emotion and/or groove, whether it's Shostakovich or Meshuggah. It can be simple or technical, all has the potential to move me in some way as long as it is well done. Some artists I love are Yes, Rush, Tori Amos, Jeff Buckley, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Spock's Beard, Heart, Genesis, U2, Peter Gabriel, Dream Theater, Kate Bush, Kevin Gilbert. A few bassists I love are Michael Manring, Gary Willis, Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, Tony Levin, Jon Evans.

Have you recorded/released any CDs? Yes, the latest is the Half Zaftig EP called Retrograde. I've also done album sessions for Angela Hammontree, Susan Robkin, 3 dB Down, and others.

What was your worst moment onstage? I can't think of any specific moments. I've had some less than stellar gigs, where I wasn't feeling well or not happy with my sound or couldn't hear anything. No vomiting-behind-the-amp or falling-on-my-ass-in-front-of-thousands-of-people stories, sorry!

Were you ever on a TV show? Yes, I've done some Seattle area TV appearances with Susan Robkin when I was in her band.

What’s your favourite album/CD? I've been a music fan so many years, there are too many to name. A few standouts are Kevin Gilbert "The Shaming Of The True", Yes "Going For The One", Rush "Moving Pictures", Kate Bush "The Sensual World", The Who "Quadrophenia", U2 "Joshua Tree", Jeff Buckley "Grace", Tori Amos "Little Earthquakes", Marvin Gaye "What's Going On", I could go on and on.

Do you play/own any other instruments? Yes, I have several other basses including a couple that are fretless, a few electric guitars, a Taylor acoustic and some keyboard gear. I also play drums every once in a while and was in a pop punk trio for a little while called The Safety Skirts. I have a detailed gear list at my web site. (See Links page - Ed.)

Do you come from a musical family? Yes, both of my grandmothers were skilled pianists, and one grandfather was a self taught pianist and guitarist. It was he who taught me my first few chords. My father was a music major and has played trumpet all his life, my mother played piano and guitar. Both parents sang in the church choir as did other family members. Many family gatherings involved singing around the piano (does anyone do that anymore?)

Are your siblings involved in music? Not really…my oldest brother played drums as a kid, but he is more of a behind the scenes technical guy who spent years working in TV. He runs a cable music show in Spokane, WA. My other brother is a professional juggler.

Do you see the bass as a solo instrument? I don't see why not. Any instrument can be a solo instrument if someone composes music for it. Michael Manring and others play solo pieces to great effect because they write wonderfully musical pieces and not just show-offy stuff. As far as playing solos in a band context, that can be cool too as long as it's done tastefully.

Apart from your own projects, have you played recording sessions with other artistes? Yes, I play sessions for other artists.

Have you ever been to Ireland? No, but I'd love to visit someday. I have been to London, so that's sort of nearby, eh?

Do you favour active or passive electronics/pick-ups? I don't have a strict preference though I use active preamps more often than not. Live, I always run my passive Fenders through a Sadowsky outboard preamp which beefs them up nicely. In the studio I have run them straight into a DI and into high end tube gear - no other beefing necessary. Other basses I use have onboard preamps - my Roscoes and Carvins.

What other instrument would you like to play? I always thought it would be neat to learn violin.

If you could be taken to a concert anywhere on earth tonight, who would you want to see live? Hm, that's a tough one. I wish I could see Yes in 1976, or Jaco at his peak.

What CD are you listening to most these days? None! I rip all CDs to my computer and listen there, or on my iPod. Lately I've been listening to ABBA, and I'm not afraid to admit it either. I also recently bought the new Yes live box set containing some great early live recordings of the band.

Do you have a pet? I love kitties! I once had a cat named Stinky, but she died 6 years ago. Now I can't have any more pets because my husband is terribly allergic.

Do you write/compose? Occasionally in the past, but not much these days. I've been really focused on just being as good a bassist as I can be.

Do you have a day-job or do you play professionally? Both, sort of. I have a day job within the music industry at a digital download company. I also consider the playing I do to be at a professional level even though it doesn't support me financially. The great thing about this is that I can choose to play the music I really enjoy, and not have to take a crap gig just to pay the bills. I like to work with good people and good music, without resorting to playing Top 40 covers in the casinos or at weddings, which is about the only way to make a living playing music in Seattle.

Give one piece of advice to someone who has just bought their first bass? Learn how to listen…to music, to yourself (objectively) and to the other musicians you play with. Your ears are your greatest asset.

Have you ever performed onstage without your bass? Yes, when playing other instruments (drums, guitar, piano, sax, vocalist).

Have you played outside your own country? Yes, in Vancouver B.C.

What’s your opinion on basses with more than 4 strings? I am not a "bass purist" or snob who frowns upon new ideas in the bass instrument world. The only thing I frown upon is when they are played badly, without taste or regard to what's appropriate for the music. I play primarily 5 strings, but still love to play my 4s and even played 6 string basses for a while. I have no problem with folks who want to play 7, 8, 9 string basses. If those are the tools a musician requires to make the music they hear in their head a reality, then I'm all for it. The electric bass is still relatively young, and is still growing and developing as far as what builders can do and what players want to do musically. I do believe it's possible to go so far with extended range basses that the instrument would no longer be considered a bass, but I would then consider it more like a piano - a new instrument altogether.

What do you feel is the bass-players function in a band? It depends greatly on what style of music the band plays. In most traditional forms of music (jazz, blues, rock, soul, pop), I consider the bassist's role to be the glue between rhythm and melody. It has a harmonic function to outline the chord changes, and can alter that harmony by one change of a note. Its rhythmic function is to drive the band from below, and groove with the drummer as if the bass and drums were one big instrument that makes the audience dance. However, as the music played by bands grows ever more experimental, and new genres are formed by combining styles and instrumentation, I don't think there is any set role anymore for a bass player in a band. The musical bass function can be performed by some other instrument. I was once in a band that played all improvised space music. Sometimes I didn't play bass lines at all, but I played melodies high up on the neck or just made rhythmic noises using delay effects. The sky's the limit!

Did you ever have a famous person in your audience? Do tell! Probably more than once. Off the top of my head, one I am aware of was Pat DiNizio from the Smithereens, who was also on the bill at a show I played in LA with Susan Robkin. I have worked in the studio with famous people, so in a way they were in my audience. But if there's one thing I've learned from my experience, it's that famous people are still just regular people. They have the same every day realities as the rest of us.

What are your ambitions? I'd like to continue to be involved in creating some great new music that people will enjoy, and have a good time while doing it!

 
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