Bass Musician Magazine - SPECIAL August 2014 Female Bassist Issue | Page 116
when necessary. I grew to have an incredible
respect for bass guitar and good bass players.
You come to find that they are quite few and
far between.
How/Where did you learn to play?
I’m self-taught, but I’ve taken lessons from
some of the best. They may not know they were
teaching, but I was taking notes the entire time.
I am a lead vocalist as well as the bass player,
so I paid attention to those that were doing the
same thing and doing it well. Players like Doug
Pinnick from Kings X and Geddy Lee from Rush
were always fascinating to me. Ultimately,
I got my first actual “lesson” from Russell
Jackson, a blues cat from Vancouver, BC, who
after 10 years of playing with the master of
blues (BB King) decided to break off and start
his own project. He always claimed to be a
player and not a teacher and had no interest
in teaching anyone anything about technique,
but after seeing me perform, he took a special
interest in my ability and told me, “If any of
these knuckleheads have a chance of making
it in this business, it’s you and I want to help
you achieve that.” He told me that I had the
worst technique of anyone he had ever met,
and I doubt I’ve changed a lot since then, but
many of the things he taught me, I still use to
this day. When I feel myself getting sloppy, I
resort to what he taught me and it keeps me in
check.
Who are your musical inspirations, both
male and female?
I grew up on country music and was fascinated
with Wynonna Judd’s voice. All female country
singers had pretty voices, crystal clear like
bluegrass angels, and she was raw and
sounded like a female Elvis to me. Joan Jett
was the reason that I became a player and why
Photo: Laura Godwin
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