We first discovered the music of Miles Mosley a year ago thanks to Youtube, with his performances of Voodoo Child and Shine.

Since then, we’ve wanted to learn more about this unique bassist who is pushing the upright to new heights, who studied with legendary bassists John Clayton, Ray Brown, and Al McKibbon, and who has one of the best “how I started” stories we’ve heard.

In this wide-ranging interview, Miles delivers, sharing his life as a bassist, his inspiration and his approach to pushing the sonic envelope.

Who encouraged you to step out front as a bass player?
There wasn’t really a “who” that initially provoked me to step out front. It was a “What”. I realized that my personality was not conducive to being in the back shadows. For many years I didn’t think I had a choice, however the climate of the music industry and the types of people that we’re being credited as “singers” made me believe that even if singing wasn’t going to be my strong suit at first, it was a good way to get people to pay attention to my bass playing. I’ve always written songs and lyrics, I just hadn’t had the courage to be my own front man. But the notion of running your own project hit me like a ton of bricks… “You can’t fire yourself.” This sense of freedom, like going into business for yourself, made it so that I could shine a lot brighter as a bass player fronting a band. Luckily there are a good handful of legendary bassists who have forged the role of bassist as front man, so there were a lot of good examples to follow. Once I honed my sound as a bassist, I felt that putting it in an environment without restrictions was better suited to me than trying to force my sound on other people’s projects.

Where did you grow up, and what was your upbringing like?
I grew up in Los Angeles, California. I had a wonderful upbringing during a wonderful time in this city. There were a lot of opportunities available that my parents went out of their way to provide for me. I grew up in a hugely loving and rock solidly stable family environment that was chock full of music. There wasn’t a huge range of music in my home. I always hear artists say “my parents listened to everything at home.” Not mine. My parents had a formula for the music enjoying experience. Every now and then there might be a random, off-genre, record but mostly it was Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson Trio, Marvin Gaye, Dinah Washington, Gil Scott Heron, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Ray Charles, The Band, Peggy Lee, Joni Mitchell and the other greats within those genres. That was pretty much the heavy rotation. Music was an honored experience that we paid attention to and discussed. It wasn’t a background kind of thing. I feel very fortunate to have been raised in a home with that particular musical landscape.

Is your family musical?
My parents love and respect music and musicians, but that’s where it stops. My father has a critically discerning ear, and some pretty solid convictions about what “good music” is supposed to sound like. He was instrumental in making sure that I never got too comfortable, and continued to push myself on my instrument. As soon as I got cocky, he’d throw on a Ray Brown record, or if I was playing Pop music he’d put on some Motown with Jamerson on it and put me solidly in my place. He was very humorous in the way he did it so it always made me feel inspired, not deflated. My father is from the Pell City, Alabama. Being “good” at something was not enough during the time he grew up, you had to be “great.” He helped me understand that.

My mother was a hippie in the 60’s putting roses in the barrels of rifles. It was all about emotion and intention with her. She used to say “I don’t care if you decide to be a Sparkletts man (nothing wrong with that btw), as long as you love it with all of your heart you’ve got my support.” The concept of “unwavering bravery” was probably my mother’s largest contribution to my music.

How did you get started on upright bass?
I started playing music in junior high (grade 7). I was to attend a comic book drawing class and the class got shut down because there weren’t enough attendees. I had the choice of going to either orchestra or art appreciation. Frankly, because I wanted an easy grade I figured orchestra would be easiest. I picked the upright bass because it was the only instrument you didn’t have to take home with you. It was pure laziness, however, it backfired because now I have to drag it all around the planet! (laughs).

In any case, I remember playing the “A” string and it resonated through my body. I thought to myself, “This is AMAZING!” Shortly after that I began to notice that I was able to change the mood of an entire song by which notes I, and only I, played. The human brain deciphers music from the bottom up. Having control of major and minor cadences or dissonance was a power fix, and I definitely became addicted to the control the bass had over the entirety of a song.

You have a very unique approach to the upright bass. Who inspired you to develop your approach and style?
I was inspired in stages. At first the only thing I wanted to be was Ray Brown. I transcribed every solo and every walking line. That was probably the first five years of my playing. The more I sounded like Ray, the happier I was. I remember one day buying a record with Ray Brown playing with a big band as a soloist. This CD release included out-takes of Ray performing the same piece multiple times. At one point I realized that he had more or less mapped out his solo for the sake of consistency. I had studied him so closely for so long I was able to predict each solo as I heard it. It was in that moment that I decided to stop transcribing bass players and start transcribing other instruments. I felt I had really soaked up all the Ray Brown I could use at that moment and wanted a new challenge.

That led me to phase two: I started transcribing Clark Terry, J.J Johnson, Charlie Christian, and Paco de Lucia. These solos opened up the instrument in new challenging ways, because the way their instruments phrase lines aren’t as easy, or inherent, to do on the upright. From that point on, anything I heard that moved me, I tried to put it on the bass. When I heard Jimi Hendrix, I tried to emulate it, even before I used effects, I would just scruff the bow on the bass. I think it was the combination of different styles and different soloists that allowed me to execute a unique sound on the bass.

We know you studied with John Clayton, Ray Brown, and Al McKibbon. What did they think of the direction you were taking upright bass, and did they have any input or influence in that?
Well, both Ray and Al died before I really got the pedal board together. But in my experience with them I think they would have seen it as interesting addition to the instrument, but would have encouraged me not to lose my “sound” in the board. To use it as a catapult, not a crutch or disguise. John and I have never talked about my use of the board. I was very fortunate to have legends for teachers, and for all of those players, WHAT you play is the most important thing. Maintaining musicality comes first. So I don’t think the pedal board would be looked on poorly by any of them, but they would definitely put a discerning ear to what I was playing when using it, to ensure that it was not masking errors of any sort… That’s a really funny question for me to think about. It makes me smile.

Read the entire article over here!

Ladies and Gentleman,

The NEW WWW.MILLESMOSLEY.COM has arrived.

I will now be there. Not here.

Thank you,

theStarM

Here are the details posted by Miles himself:

Dear Friends and Fans,

I am happy to announce that on July 17, 2009 I recorded a live CD/DVD in front of a select audience at Korn Studios.
I am truly proud of this piece of work.
Though there are no plans at the moment to distribute the final product, I am uploading several songs from that night for you all to enjoy. You’ll notice that songs you may recognize have been revamped. (Photograph, Back it up, Take Me Home)
In the coming months I will be posting a slew of videos from the evening so you can all experience the night as we did.
The band is in top form as they all moved effortlessly through the performance. Everything was done in a single take and amazingly captures the high amount of energy and talent this music contains and requires.
I hope you all enjoy and spread the word. We’re coming…

TheStarM,

Miles Mosley

Miles had the following to say about the track:

Hello Friends and Fans,

Since the conclusion of my last residency I have to decided to record some of the new songs that were born of that time well spent.

The first I’ve uploaded is called “Guantanamo”; it is an homage to my great grandfather Will Mosley whom, in the 19th century founded the Mosley lineage of free men after standing up for his rights as a man with the use of a Winchester rifle against the, then rampant, oppression of the KKK.
He shot his way to freedom and rode from Texas to Alabama on the back of his horse.

This song was very popular at the most recent shows, and is one I’m sure you’ll enjoy, especially my Kornspace fans! Have fun with it, I sure did. Many more to come…

Thank you,

TheStarM
*throws fist in air*

I’d like to thank the hundreds of people who continue to flood the halls and enjoy every show. I’m extending your invitation once more, but not too much more. Thursday 8:30pm.

you know the drill…

It’s FREE to get in because we love you.
It’s YOURS to enjoy because you deserve it.
It’s Cadillac Funk….come ride with me.

go to www.edisondowntown.com for details
M

UPDATE: Here are four links to songs performed at The Edison in Downtown Los Angeles during May 2009.

Can Can
L.A. Won’t Bring You Down
Get On Up, Get Into It, Get Involved
Voodoo Child / Showtro Remix

“Can Can” and “L.A. Won’t Bring You Down” copyright of Taming Bear Publishing.