Jack Casady Interview 2012 | notreble.com

This is the second part of our exclusive interview with the legendary Jack Casady. Check it out part 1: www.notreble.co...
Video by Keyframe Films: keyframefilms.com/
No Treble. Nothing but bass: www.notreble.com

[@Retrographer]

Jack is so generous in this interview, sharing so much and handing down so many words of wisdom. This cat almost can't say one sentence without it being worth a "quote" you can take with you forever. Thanks Jack !!

[@superfuzzymomma]

As a famous concert promoter once announced, "A devil, devil of a man, Jack Cassidy!".

[@larrybeckham6652]

The First Arrival of "Somebody to Love". The low moving orgasm in "Watch Her Ride". The "rejoyce"ing. The epicness of "Won't You Try". The booming "Crown of Creation". The powerhouse of "The Other Side of Life". Setting in pace in "In Time". The Majesty of "Hey, Fredrick!". The Ramage Years. "Sunny Day Strut"ing with a "Silver Spoon". All that hot, Hot Tuna. If you don't this man is the Greatest Living Bass Player, that you don't know JACK!

[@philipdubuque9596]

No one every occupied the bass clef like Jack Casady. Just listen to his lines on "Greasy Heart" and "Crown of Creation". The power of these recordings is unimaginable without Jack's contribution. Jack's piano/bass jam with Grace Slick on "Rejoyce" from "After Bathing At Baxters" is just astonishing. To be this melodic and imaginative playing bass, and never take away from the song, but really drive it forward has never been achieved by anyone else that I've ever heard.

[@POBulkhead]

The other side of this life, was the best song I ever heard tripping on real LSD-25. Jack's bass is imprinted into my brain.

[@daskitten1]

Funny "Other side of this life" story. Came home late after having bought "Bless it's pointed little head" put my headphones on & cranked it up. Suddenly I'm hearing some drum beats that are out of time with the tune. I take off my headphones & realize I hadn't turned off the main speakers, & the drum beats were my fathers foot steps as he stormed down the hall at 3am! Jack's bass was imprinted on both our brains that night...Go Jack!

[@brianht1434]

His best solos were when I saw Tuna concerts,nothing like studio albums!

[@mrfng5]

i Love this man. he is one of the most swag bass players i've ever seen. great compositions.

[@JR-zv6qm]

Amazing hearing the process of a world class rock star & bassist.

[@TeamFazio613]

Jack, I was at the Electric Hot Tuna Show at the Great South Bay Fest.on Sunday 7/21/13. You and Jorma were so incredible. Smokin, so on the money. The show was one of, if not the best performance I have ever had the pleasure of being at. I also had 2 of my sons with me (age 28 and 23) and they were also blown away.! Thank you for all you do.Keep rockin

[@laserlithuanian]

nice guy and great bassist !!

[@STPlsd]

This man is a LEGEND!!!! Just listen to Bless Its Pointed Little Head!

[@davidhigginbotham5451]

True.

[@mindjob]

Another great airplane album was 30 seconds over winterland, phenomenal playing by Jack!

[@DBMAVIDS]

Between the Airplane and Hot Tuna I have seen Jack about 50 times. Lo these many years later I am still listening , , ,

[@lizlalove6171]

I've seen Hot Tuna twice. When did you see the Airplane?

[@redwolf0849]

The man is a bass God and both parts of this interview allow the rest of us to get a peek inside the head of a musician of Jack's caliber. We're not worthy.

[@J0hnC0ltrane]

Jack Casady! What a treasure.

[@randymason8642]

Jack mentions that, unlike many bass players, he hasn’t played with lots of different musicians. He doesn’t mention that some of them he DID play with include Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, and Steve Winwood.

[@adhay]

Mike, you and your friends are the hope of my generation. I'm 72. Aloha.

[@Pudsy440]

what an inspiration for bass players ... this guy is super skilled

[@vermontbassworks]

When I was 15 years old and started listening to music in a deep way, I always thought the low notes of any song made the song. The two Jacks, Bruce and Cassidy as well as James Jamerson introduced me to playing bass and what a gift it has been.

[@bobot1981]

Well who doesn't love Jack? I've got my December tickets for Tuna's next scheduled stop in Chicago.

[@superfuzzymomma]

Holy Shit Jack Cassidy is RiGHT UP there with the top dudes

[@johncaldwell881]

I love Jack’s tone! It rings!

[@mike06250]

@quickeveryoneactlega I agree with you, I'm 14 and I just hate what our generation is influenced by. They think that a computer is an instrument and rapping is singing. A rap "song" isn't a song. Anyway, it's good to see that there are other people [around] my age who still have some kind of sense and interest in the 60's.

[@quickeveryoneactlega]

as a matter of fact just last night I was listening to the Psychedelicattesen on Weslyna's radio station, and they were spotlighting stevie winwood, but he didn't mention steve was on the voodoo child with jack and jimi when he played it, so I called in and we had a Jack convo, and ended up him playing parts of Bless Its Pointed Head for me, the badass Jack stuff, like 3/5 Mile, Other side of this life, etc.

[@haanashim]

What an intelligent, thoughtful musician!

[@quickeveryoneactlega]

I read the first time Jack was arrested was after smoking some DMT, supposedly the Frisco cops found him smiling naked in a mud puddle. I didn;'t ask Jack about it, but I mentioned the book and he said he'd never heard of it which surprised me given al the details and contributions to the book. "got a revolution!"

[@shanoncasady-weber1254]

WE ARE RELATED I WANT TO KNOW HOW? MOM N DAD TOLD ME WE ARE I HAD A GREAT UNCLE JACK CASADY BROTHER TO PAUL MABLE N HELEN BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU SINCE HIGH SCHOOL SINCE I FOUND OUT YOU ARE AMAZING

[@quickeveryoneactlega]

oh man I believe it, I can remember 3 separate xmas's of waiting....the first was for a CB drum kit, the 2nd was my first electric, the 3rd was a badass boss pre amp.. waiting SUUUCCKKKSS

[@fore101]

Always my favorite bassist.

[@HowardIno]

Stellar!

[@quickeveryoneactlega]

40 someodd years later and it's still so great to....drop (aka bathe at baxter's :) ) to even for us who were no where near the 60s 70s or 80s

[@gratefulguitarist]

Jack Cassidy is hands down, the greatest bassist ever, bar none!!!! He is also one of the nicest guys you could ever meet!

[@katarinask139]

This guy is such a boss

[@pbrucpaul]

Oh do I remember that Cool Bass line he did on "White Rabbit."

[@oortobject77]

+pbruc brooks As Jack has pointed out, pretty much straight out of Ravel's Bolero, but man, the genius of marrying that to Grace's legendary song. To see what Jack added, compare Grace Slick's earlier band The Great Society and their version of it.

[@allrequiredfields]

Nothing beats Somebody To Love though. That chorus is killer.

[@pbrucpaul]

Tremendous Bass player, Definitely one of the best.

[@markhunter8554]

Jack Master of Bass.

[@markdirigible9062]

flat wound strings... verrry interesting... what a great interview. It was a highlight of my life to meet him

[@robgray1999]

Those are definitely not flatwound.

[@Cap683]

Dean Markley steel roundwounds I believe. He played flat wounds in the 1960s like most people.

[@srfgrn]

I didn't know Jimmy Carter played Bass!

[@scarred2112]

Considering that it's Epiphone's "Flagship Bass", their most expensive Production Model and of high quality (JC gets 2 new Basses every year "for touring", but he's stated it's to make sure Build Quality/Quality Control is where it should be) I actually don't think $699 is a high price at all for the JC Signature Model. I've wanted 1 for years, so Dr. Wife just ordered a Ltd Ed Silverburst as my Xmas/Bday Present (they're very close together)... and now its the waiting that's the hardest part!

[@born2grooveu]

Jack rules. HE flew the airplane

[@noreenohare9367]

Hi jack saw this and wanted to say peace and love noreen cleaned inill valley for uou . peace an noreen love

[@markbarry8904]

the 8 string acoustic bass and 8 string guitar here in my picture is AOIE-SJAG.....i think the bronze string tone would go well with the other two acoustic guitar players...i love the Epiphone Jack Cassady bass but honestly if he sampled this bass on youtube Mark Barry channel SJAG is there.....you might want a copy of this trick bass..Also AOIE on facebook MECB

[@mike06250]

He played the White Rabbit bassline. Nuff said

[@TheAncient11545]

I don't think he explained his ideas all that well, but how could he? His bass playing is not of this world. It's from another dimension.

[@cosmiccharlie4993]

happy too see he's still playing a four string v 5 or 6

[@TallaBammahassee]

Exactly! Check out 1:41 to 3:28. This is an exact description of his work on "Let's Go Together" (BLOWS AGAINST THE EMPIRE), where the bass drifts into the melody. Genius. Carry the Fire!

[@quickeveryoneactlega]

I had that argument with some guy last week, he says it was Marty, you belive that crap?? I met Jack AND Jorma last year!!!

[@funkaholik]

The first bass solo I ever learned, about 35 years ago, was a solo by Jack Casady on a Hot Tuna album. Forget the name of the tune.

[@quickeveryoneactlega]

voodoo child, crosstown traffic, and several others on electric ladyland

[@quickeveryoneactlega]

I want a Casady bass so bad but I think its over my head, but i WANT ONE

[@quickeveryoneactlega]

yes yes EVERY girl, I'm sure! I have soooo many albums and cds from the Fillmore east/west, you dont gotta tell me what I missed haha. One good thing about now is its the age of festivals!!! lasy year I actually met Jack n Jorma at Mountain Jam in NY state. Think about it, I shook the hands that played EVERY note of the airplane/tuna! now an average ticket price, for anywhere and a so-so band? low end being $35, high end being $75. what state are you from/where were ur stomping grounds?

[@rainerjohnsen]

What a cool cat.

[@pipeandslippersman]

voodoo child being a case in point: jack can hold down the funk just like billy cox did with hendrix, play the changes like noel redding did with hendrix. but, where he really comes into his own is when he "just plays what ya wanna play within the context of the song" - the improvising stuff... he's the measure of hendrix is what i want to say! hendrix must of loved it coz he's a MOST SUITABLE PLAYER FOR HIM! and that's no faint praise... bless his pointed little head.

[@TheHuester44]

Jack " The Genius " bass player.

[@KurtKnutsen]

Jack is one best bass players still.

[@cincocharms1233]

Really? In bizzarro world , perhaps. I the real world, he is awful!

[@edlawrence5059]

You must have him confused with Jack Bruce.

[@grampzstillkickin7252]

Excellent Bass Player

[@pipeandslippersman]

so smart. no wonder hendrix loved his playing!

[@MrCarl220]

Just better with age!

[@zazz63]

thinking about it he has his trebble rolled way off so for him it dosent matter. except when he is unplugged lol.

[@zazz63]

sure but its not a solid its an electric acoustic. i have the same bass so i know whats possible. you do get some noise especially when its new strings but jacks string noise is as loud as the notes. just thought it would bother him and he would use technique to moderate it a bit. remembering that semi acoustic basses will pass on that noise to the amp. It obviously dosent bother him. I was just a bit dissapointed thats all.

[@allrequiredfields]

He's such a great player, but man, roundwounds sound so terrible on that thing.

[@madedshot5]

Spot on young Mike06250. Music is about talent and discipline. The other stuff is for morons, stick to yer guns matey! Been gigging since 1968, still learning and if you play too, get yourself an acoustic bass and find the real freedom. Ed.

[@ellenelessard]

8

[@gregthornton4209]

"Oh, they're just a bunch of damn hippies getting stoned and plinking around on their instruments. It's not REAL music..." ...sounds to me like we knew musical structure pretty damn well...

[@quickeveryoneactlega]

I get so confused with Jack, all the stuff from the Airplane days shows a crazy crazy kid, Tuna days shows him getting quieter, then when I met him he was all quiet and reserved, if I didn;t know better... Jorma is still the same cat he always was. I like to think Jack is off camera.

[@quickeveryoneactlega]

26...so tell me, how was it Really back in the day??? I'm frequently referred to as "old school" by my peers, but there is a pretty large population of what we today call "the grateful dead family" I don't think I need to explain that one to ya!! Needless to say most people my age have never heard of this "jefferson airplane" thing haha, and insist if it's not this crap called dubstep, its not music. Glad to see someone your age can see past the usual selfish crappings of my generation! cya!

[@rubicon1983]

He's playing an electric bass unplugged. Anyone would have excessive string noise doing that.

[@zazz63]

The amount of string noise when he plays disappoints me....

[@8StringBuzzard]

First!

[@rubicon1983]

Now that's some silly shit.

[@zazz63]

ok lol. so you dont agree but why?

[@edlawrence5059]

This guy talks, but says absolutely nothing.

[@spshapes]

listen up kiddies, he has LIVED THE MUSIC though the 60's till now....WOODSTOCK! played on Hendrix's 'Electric Ladyland' ........very cool character.