Last April, Michael Clarke, a music buddy from years ago and one my favorite drummers in the world, told me about a young Berklee student named Gianluca Magalotti. Gianluca was a bass player from Italy, who had attended Berklee, where Michael has been teaching, and he was moving to Nashville.
Gianluca called me; I said, “Welcome to town.” He came down to Sambuca to hear me play with the Jenerators, and got along great with everyone. He’s a charming fellow, tall, bearded, relaxed, very articulate, passionate and knowledgeable about music, and all of it with that charming Italian accent.
Gianluca had posted some videos online that showed him playing bass, both in studio sessions at Berklee, and some solo work he recorded with his cell phone. From what I could see and hear, he’s a fine player, tasty, skillful, creative.
He plays a Rickenbacker fretless, which sets him apart. He has studied upright bass, but that’s not among his options now that his life as a struggling musician means living in an apartment with no car. His visa prevents him from taking any "day jobs" that most musicians can do when money gets tight.
Gianluca with his Rickenbacker fretless bass
The first time he came to my house, it was on a scooter, with the bass on his back. We found out he could rent access to a scooter for $5 a month. We had never had anyone visit our house by scooter before, but then scooters are becoming a lot more visible around Nashville.
Gianluca, as an immigrant, faces certain challenges besides limited transportation options. He’s in the U.S. with a work visa, which must be renewed within a year or he must return to Italy. He wants to live here, and he’s willing to jump through the elaborate legal hoops to make it happen.
I offered to help Gianluca, and he set up a meeting with his immigration lawyer, herself an immigrant whose legal work is largely with immigrant musicians.
The paperwork that involves me in Gianluca’s application describes me a “petitioner” and him a “beneficiary.” Basically, I’m saying that I intend to employ him.
I know he’s a good bass player, and, frankly, the electric fretless bass is a very interesting voice to add to a small acoustic group, which is how I tend to produce my songwriter recordings. As it turned out, I was working on a song with an acoustic guitar part for which a fretless bass would be the perfect complement. So I hired Gianluca, simultaneously fulfilling both musical and legal goals.
I told Gianluca about the song, and he asked for an mp3 and chart so he could begin working out parts.
One of the things that makes the fretless bass different is the way the sound between notes can slide, continuously rising or falling in pitch. It’s more expressive, but also more challenging. The fretted bass is easier to control but somehow less fluid. It takes a special player to learn and use the technique required to play fretless. It takes a player who is not only dedicated to the technical challenge, but also inspired to use the richer sonic palette in a fresh and creative way, without sounding gimmicky.
Gianluca is a very likable guy, and we love talking about music. Working on this one song was a pure pleasure for me, not only finding the right musical parts, but seeing what it’s like to work with a young musician, who is also a Berklee grad, and a native European.
The little time I’ve spent in Europe impressed me with the overall high appreciation for the arts that seems naturally instilled in the population there. I was delighted that Gianluca was more interested in the art of playing along with a song than the technicalities, although that is certainly not an area where he’s lacking.
A part of enjoying music with another musician is sharing enthusiasm for other great musicians who have inspired us.
I can remember when Jaco's first album came out in 1976. I knew how great he was because I'd been fortunate enough to see him playing in a club near Miami before he got famous, and he amazed me then. So now, in 2020, long after his years with Weather Report and subsequent illness and death, Jaco's name is synonymous with adventurous electric bass playing, especially on fretless.
Gianluca and I naturally shared admiration for Jaco Pastorius. Then Gianluca turned me on to a duet that Jaco had done with Michel Columbier, a beautiful original song of Columbier’s called “Dreamland.”
A beautiful piece of music. Here's the link:
Gianluca is also a big fan of Pino Palladino, both for his original approach to bass and for his versatility, playing jazz, fusion, and commercial pop equally well.
I was aware of another record that featured a stunning fretless bass part, “Man of the Tombs,” by Bob Bennett. I played that for Gianluca, and he loved it.
Here's that link: Bob Bennett "Man Of The Tombs"
We googled and discovered that the bass player on that record is named Gary Lunn. Then we found his Facebook page, and saw that he had recently played with an Eagles cover band, and he was adding his fretless to their sound, quite well.
Here we are in the studio, playing, talking about music, recording a new song.
So, Gianluca is a man with talent, an “alien” seeking a humble modicum of stability so that he can pursue his passion.
He's also the bass player on my latest release, “That Was Me,” which is officially released today, January 24, 2020.
According to the Department of Immigration, he is a “beneficiary” and I am a “petitioner.” I hope that whatever we do, it results in more time for him to be here playing bass. He’s a fine musician, with a tremendous future, and if he wants to live in the U.S., my view is that we are better off with him here.
I only wish I could have mixed his bass louder in my song. But he knows that the bass player - even a fretless bass player - is not a showoff. Doing what’s right for the song is the musician’s job. Sometimes not being heard is the sign you're doing a great job. The unknown defensive tackle can be the football player who makes it possible for the quarterback to throw that winning pass. Music, like all good things in life, is a team sport.
So, again, I hope Gianluca stays. He’s a blessing.
Of course, the Immigration Department is not expected to show any artistic understanding. I’m just speaking from my own perspective. And cooperating the only way I can.
Blogging Bryan 24jan20
No comments:
Post a Comment