As one that knew Creed, and was fortunate enough to be at Rudy's for some of these recording sessions, i have a deep love for all CTI recordings, remember, once upon a time there was no Xbox, and when there was no babysitter available myself and my brother Myles would have to go to the studio with dad and read books while they recorded, and "no noise while we're recording" dad's rule, lol
the Idris song...WOW. This was a label that brought together 3 things: beauty of recorded sound, impeccable musicianship, and heavy soulful groove...very few labels or recording houses achieved this consistently. Thanks!
Gotta be 'Red Clay' PD...killer line, killer tune & killer band! Ron, as badass as always! Truly inspirational grooves & sounds from that whole back catalogue.
When I started to get into jazz about a decade ago, I picked up Red Clay on a whim. Had n idea who Freddie Hubbard was or anything. After the first listen, I had it on repeat for hours! Wore the damn CD out! Red Clay is a go to, and I always recommend it.
@@cockula776 the whole tune's an education in itself, the way the melody weaves around the chords with a groove that's ahead of it's time. Great vocal version by Mark Murphy also, a few years later...
I didn’t realize I had so many CTI albums in my collection. Being a six stringer , my first was Bad Benson, Take Five my favorite. CTI was a who’s who of great musicians. Does anyone remember Don Sebesky’s Giant Box ? I had that and so many more. Deadato…..check out Skyscrapers on the Superstrut album. Incredible……I think you guys know the drummer …..Jim Halls Concierto, Freddie Hubbard Red Clay. Iconic Killer Joe by Quincy. I didn’t realize Holdsworth was on CTI……ah the music industry…..Thanks Paul. Great stuff as usual !
Giant Box is a masterpiece. IMHO, one of the top 10 CTI albums. And Sebesky is an extremely underrated genius! A few years ago, Giant Box was reissued on SACD, with the original quadraphonic mix by Rudy Van Gelder.
I can't how I would've turned out had I not fallen in love with CTI when I picked up Grover's Mister Magic and Deodato's Prelude. No one really knows me if they don't know how much I love this music.
Louis Johnson on 'Hydra'? OMG... I just discovered he and brother George played on a Bill Withers album also in 1975... WOW! Some of my CTI/KUDU favorites are Deodato's 'Super Strut' the entire 'Mister Magic' album speaking of Grover Washington Jr., Q's 'Killer Joe', anything of Bob James ('Nautilus', 'Night On Bald Mountain', Take Me To The Mardi Gras', etc.) Wes Montgomery ('Bumpin' On Sunset' and 'A Day In A Life')... the list is completely endless; thanks for this video tribute and R.I.P. Creed Taylor.
Louis and his brother George go as far back as playing with Billy Preston's band which he called "The God Squad" which also featured a drummer by the name of Manuel Kellough aka The Deacon. He would later join Graham Central Station and record on the album "Aint No Bout A-doubt It"
RIP Brother Creed Taylor. I grew up listening to Joe Farrell, Hubert Laws, Grover Washington and George Benson as a kid. The music on that record company is stuff of legend. He is forever immortal in Jazz.
One of my favs is Milt Jackson’s Sunflower, another Ron Carter bass masterclass! The title track as well as People make the world go round. CTI is pure gold!
Povo is it. I heard it for the first time on the radio when I was in the dorm at Berklee in 75. I can still recall the moment and it’s been in my repertoire ever since.
Thanks for this tribute to Creed Taylor, and the bassists that played on his label. IMHO, Gary King was very unsung for his work that he was involved with for the label. My favorite Gary King bass work is "Loran's Dance" on Idris Muhammed's "Power Of Soul" album. He flows so well with Idris, and the rest of the ,band. R.I.P. Gary and Creed Taylor
Thank you for posting this. CTI is my favorite label of all time. RIP Creed Taylor. I have to agree with Westchester Lady. With red clay coming in a close second.
Gary King got in there!! Maybe cause I’m a golden era hip Hop head and bassist, which naturally makes me a “Nautilus” head. So naturally.. I love Gary King.
This is fantastic! Thank you for your in-depth review. #3 is one of my top5 albums. It has an all-star cast: Gary King (Bass) Bob James (Keys) Grover Washington Jr. (Saxes) Randy Brecker (Trumpet & Flugelhorn), Joe Beck (Guitar) Ralph MacDonald (Percussion), and of course Idris Muhammad killing the drums. Idris Muhammad's "Power of Soul" album is absolutely FIRE!
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Creed Taylor. The majority of Jazz music I own was on the CTI record label. My appreciation for Hip Hop started when I was able to deconstruct, courtesy of my ears, the jazz music that was sampled. Some of the artists you mention in this video have a permanent place in my jazz playlists. When it came to premiere jazz music, the CTI label held it down. For me, Blue Note, CTI, and Verve record labels and a sprinkling of Columbia have some of the best jazz artists in the world. Rest In Heaven Creed Taylor 🌹🌹
Great selection and analysis! The CTI label is a huge part of my collection! Bob James, Gary King, and Eric Gale were incredible CTI rhythm section magicians!!! I'm surprised that Mr. Magic wasn't mentioned.
OUTSTANDING POST. I was and remain a huge Creed Taylor and CTI Fan. At 61 yrs of age, I was fortunate enough have experienced the music in real time. I love your selection and demonstrations. The Fact that you write out the lines is MAJOR. It enables us to learn them, practice and or play along. Just a thought, I'd love and I think we'd all appreciate a Book ( Hal Leanord style 😆) of these Complete Basslines. The CTI version of such a book would be Great. Anyway appreciate you, love the enthusiasm. Great work My Brother, can't wait for the next one. Peace.
Gary King, Gordon Edwards, Anthony Jackson, and the irrepressible Mr. Ron Carter, among a hall of fame caliber cadre of other bassists, struck new life in the music, coming from the New York City and Van Gelder recording studios, with their unforgettable hooks and lines, during CTI's meteoric decade of the 70s. Some of my favorites are the vocal sessions with Esther Phillips, arranged and conducted by Pee Wee Ellis, and featuring Gordon Edwards and Ron Carter in the bass chair; and supported by some of the finest New York session musicians and vocalists ever recorded. Mr. Magic however is my all time favorite CTI bass line. It's also one of the many bass lines I learned between 1970 and 75, when I was just starting to learn how to play by ear, mimicking the wonderful music wafting through my JVC/Yamaha component sound system; Ahhh, the memories! That Cm groove is iconic, and was a jury worthy recitation for some of my group auditions down through the years. It's still one of my favorite "Call Tunes" when jammin'. The only thing is, to this day I don't know for sure who played bass on the original studio recording. If memory serves me correctly, I think the album jacket on the copy I bought when it was first released November of 1974, credits Gary King, Phil Upchurch, and Anthony Jackson as having contributed bass on the sessions, although not track specific. It's still a matter of some debate when bass players get together and want to prove they know more than every other musician in the band...yours truly included of course! [Laffin' 😄]
Gary King bass player is my father 🙏🏾😁 He is original bass player on 3 versions of Mister Magic. Roberta Flack version, Grover Washington Jr version, Bob James version.
@@kinyatta1 God bless you and your family Brother King, and thank you for settling that long held dispute! Your father's music served as a guide post for me along my bass playing journey. Everything he played I wanted to get my hands on back in the day. When a new jazz album came out, the first thing I did was check the bass credits, if they had any. Imagine my delight when I saw your father's name on the album jacket! Some of his work with Tom Scott and the other emerging NYC/CTI smooth jazz hacksters of the 70s also became iconic, as I navigated my way around the fretboard, trying to figure out, "Man, how did he do that?!" 🤔 There are many of us who honed our chops in the 70s, listening to the magic pouring out of our component stereo systems, that owe a great deal of respect, gratitude, and heart felt appreciation for his numerous musical contributions. I know you are proud of him, just as so many of us are, whose lives he touched through his unforgettable music. Thank you for sharing him with us. ✝️
I've been meaning to dig into the CTI catalog more (I've listened to some Freddie, Stanley, Bob and Deodato, but not much else)… now I've got some great places to go next! I just added all of these albums to my Apple Music library.
Thank you for this one! Brought me back to a simpler time. My interest in Jazz began in 1976. The 1st Jazz album bought with my own dime was BAD BENSON. My uncle sent me a few albums in the mail...BLUES FARM, SPANISH BLUE, & ALL BLUES...(all Ron Carter albums) were in the bunch. This was the 1st time I heard "So What" (from SPANISH BLUE). Huge tone by RC. On a tangent, my 1st times hearing "Footprints" & "Impressions" were on 2 of the Pat Martino albums he also sent my way.
Thanks for another great bass presentation PD. I would add "September 13" From Deodato's Prelude. It starts with an infectious groove that's out of control, driving the whole song.
Your outro? I could say the same thing about myself. My dad was a huge CTI man, so I had no choice but to fall in love with it. CTI was my bass school before I even picked up a bass. You said it multiple times - so many tasty grooves! All are held down and lifted up by the bass. When I saw your posting, I could not click fast enough. Fun note: Marcus Miller was obviously influenced/inspired by CTI as well. On his album Renaissance, he had a song on there called CEE-TEE-EYE. Thank you so much for this tribute to Creed Taylor! He brought so many awesome musicians together; you have brought some joy with this post! Thank you!
Funny enough, seeing Taxi reruns as a kid took me to Bob James and then deep into CTI. Hearing that stuff changed my ideas about music forever, especially after it really sunk in.
I love groove focused music, am finding out about so many interesting artists, albums and songs. I really need to get into CTI, looks like a great label!
I'm happy to say I have every one of these albums. : ) The presentation of the the art form within was beyond any other label in history. Art outside Art inside thank you Creed for setting us up for an incredible listening experience. I think Nautilus has a very special place as a bass line, but I couldn't name one.
great vid I didn't know any of the stories; I missed a lot of these when younger; my favorite baseline that I missed years ago is on Grover's "it feels so good" Louis Johnson again
All of the albums featured I have. And so many more. I did Bob James albums 1 thru 12. Being that I'm 66 yrs. young I was able to get them back in the day off the record store shelf. Love that you featured CTI in it's own video. Great job.
Yes! You read my mind. I was gonna suggest an episode on unsung bassists, like Gary King. As always, your handling of the music is spot-on. So many pleasant memories from this. THANKS!
@@kinyatta1your dad contributed to so much of my joy and understanding of 70’s music. All the Bob James albums, Gato Barbieri, Conquistador by Maynard Ferguson, Grover!!!, Tom Scott, etc. I collected all of it on vinyl, then CDs. No kidding, I still listen to it. That music doesn’t age. Your dad left an incredible body of work. I’d enjoy hearing your take on it.
I always enjoyed Seawind and their very first couple of albums on CTI; listening to bass-lines on most of their songs are also just simply to die for! 😀
As A Tribe Called Quest fan, I have so much appreciation for how Q-Tip pays homage to so many greats that is featured on the CTI label! This breakdown was Dope as usual, R.I.P Mr. Creed Taylor 🕊🙏🏿
Thank you so much! I love CTI but am ashamed to admit I have not gotten into some of the gems you have picked! Thank you for increasing my exposure to this fantastic music. Over the years I have learned about so much great music by focusing on the careers of legendary bass players.
AW MAN❗️RIP Creed Taylor 🙏🏻 What a way to learn of his passing, he was by far my favorite producer of all time. Personally, I’m very particular to Ron Carter’s bass lines on the album (Astrud) Gilberto with (Stanley) Turrentine, “Brazilian Tapestry” and “Ponteio” in particular. Not sure but I think that was Ron Carter on both (personnel are listed but not specified). These picks are all GREAT bass lines as well but I was very surprised to see one from Allan Holdsworth’s Velvet Darkness by Alfonso Johnson
Good Morning, Wow this has been a outstanding. Thank you so very much for sharing. I will be sharing this with my Brother who is a Guitarist from Jamaica Queens, Have a amazing day ,I really enjoy your channel.
Moon Germs is one of the greatest jazz albums of the modern era. It's funky, but the playing is pretty wild also. There's a blues (Moon Germs), a couple of one chord vamps (Great Gorge, Bass Folk Song) and the incredible waltz of Chick's "Time's Lie". Amazing album. I also recommend all of Farrell's other records of this period as they are criminally under-rated.
At the time, a lot of jazz purists didn't like CTI for its pop influence recorded sound -- clear, clean and separated. The bass was direct to the board. The kick drum was muted and punchy. The solos were often overdubbed. I dug it though and have emulated that style with my own recordings (which is necessary since I play multiple parts). The CTI era is an important part of the history of jazz. And yes, some very cool bass lines.
But a lot of CTI music was pumped out like cranking a hot dog machine, and I'll freely admit I got fairly jaded at the time with the endless Bob James Fender Rhodes sound on almost every damn tune. As I was learning and growing in appreciation for more "Blue Note", more traditional jazz from the 50's/60's, it got to the point for me where I didn't want to hear nor buy any more CTI "smooth jazz". No question, there were some great albums in that catalog, but I kinda thought CTI beat it to death.
@@alanpecherer5705 I wouldn't call it "smooth jazz." Please. That's too disparaging. Granted, the Rhodes was the "sound of the time" and it got overused and played out and it does "date" the music. But there's been enough time and distance from it that I can now take it in doses. : )
@@NelsonMontana1234 It was indeed the precursor to smooth jazz. Grover Washington, Jr was the Father of smooth Jazz and Bob James its Godfather. CTI took all those straight ahead jazz dudes from the 60s, Herbie, Hubb, Mr. T, Ron Carter, Cobham, et.al, softened and electrified some of their compositions, and turned them loose on an unsuspecting public that wasn't all that enamored with instrumentation in its existing form...and, they got paid, due to the music's wider acceptance!
@@bustabass9025 Yeah, but it was still jazz. What I think of as "smooth jazz" is mostly muzak, and not swing but closer to R&B. (Without the grit). You can't say that Red Clay sounds anything like Kenny G!!! Though you may be right that the slicker CTI approach had an influence on what was to come.
@@NelsonMontana1234 Tom Scott, Sanborn, Klugh, Benson, Ritenour, aton'na cats picked up that smooth jazz ball and ran with it. They were usually accompanied by the CTI stable of session work horses, as their sidemen. Kenny (a lot like Mangione) on the other hand is more of an easy listening instrumentalist than true jazz artist. His music is more reminiscent of an update to some of the instrumental music of the late 50s, that branched off from the big band/large ensemble sound that had permeated the three previous decades. Lotta uninitiated, non-musician type listeners prefer that...more power to 'em. It put money in the accounts of a lot of artists who, otherwise may not have fared as well. Point being, music is a constantly evolving idiom that has spawned many genres, socio-cultural identfications, and myriad expressions. There is room for it to continue to expand as it certainly will, and not at the expense of the already accepted styles and offerings that, in many cases are as old as the instruments that produce it, and certainly older than the current generation of musicians who play it. As a side note, I attended a jazz bass master class a few years back that featured Marcus Miller. As he was recounting his outstanding musical career, he shared some insight into his working relationships with many of music's iconic personalities. Particularly, he recalled working with Grover. He described the late pioneering innovator as one of the nicest, gentlest persons he ever had the opportunity to work with. He went on to say that the only time he ever saw Grover upset, was when someone seated close to the stage requested that he play Kenny G's "Songbird". According to Marcus that didn't go over to well with the saxophone Maestro! [Laffin' 😄]
Really sad to hear of Creed Taylor's passing. Westchester Lady got me into Bob James- the whole tune is absolutely amazing and the gorgeous production really takes it that step further. That bassline though! Prelude too- such a groovy album.
Mucho thanks, Mr. PD, for your beautiful tribute to Creed Taylor and his incredible CTI/Kudu label. I personally own a number of CTI records on vinyl. I recall encountering Mr. Will Lee at a Chic concert at the erstwhile Tramps night club in Manhattan in the late nineties. Once again, thank you enormously your excellent presentations and tutelage.
Brother, Brother,Brother I want to thank you for sharing this segment so many of these songs I’ve heard over the years and didn’t know who the artist were either someone covered it or sampled it but to find out who these artist are is an eye opener. And I love your brief examples on how to play these bass lines. I like knowing how to start a good bass line which helps me to create my own so I’ll cop some of these line and incorporate them in my own music with slight variation but overall just to know how they start is wonderful thank you wish I lived in your city so I could take lessons brother but since I don’t I’ll learn what I can from your channel. Glad I stumbled upon you again THANKS!!!!!!
I saw Bob James live last night at Dimitrou's in Seattle. His band is very young and the rhythm section one of the best I have seen. The bassist had his eyes glued on Bob for an hour and a half. It was really something to witness.
CTI truly was the connoisseur's label.. only the cream played on there. Records were selling for £100s on the London resale market in the 90s. Camden market was the place, if you know you know 😁
Thanks for posting this. It’s a dream video to have one of my favorite RUclips bassists curate, analyze, and play some choice tracks on CTI, one of my all-time favorite labels. R.I.P. Creed! 🥀
Yeah, my fave is Ron Carter on Sky Dive. It really sets up what's going on with Benson and Jarrett are doing on the intro. Just imagine, this was recorded on friggin' TAPE so everything had to go down perfectly. Listen to this tune with headphones and check out the masterful arrangement by Don Sebesky and of course Van Gelder's incredible mixing.
You put the spotlight on some of the greatest music ever made and the importance of the bass in these tunes. I grew up with this music and in a world filled with so much distraction today it provides a reassurance that our species is in fact capable of creating great beauty and inspiration. Thank you!
Thank you for bringing the sounds that has been the back bone of my playing for over fifty-years! I've use this approach to play everything country, latian, metal, blues you name it. Because it's all about the groove! I really enjoy your videos, they are educational and great fun to your fellow bassist, good vibes.
Great video! I'm a huge CTI fan and a drummer, so I really appreciate props given to the bass players you mentioned. Very happy to see "Moon Germs" on the list! Gonna subscribe right now!
Such a great video. Thank you! Your list takes me back and keeps me current. I first played this arrangement of Thus Sprach Zarathustra in high school when I moved from drums to bass. And Westchester Lady was new to me last year...go figure! I can't agree enough with that arrangement and performance of Killer Joe. The gold standard!
RIP Creed. One of my favorite figures in jazz. An idea for you- I looked on Spotify for a "pdbass" user and didn't find you; I think it would be a no brainer to create a playlist to support each one of these lists, so we can dig your recco's full-length! Thanks for all the great content! (this is my first-ever YT comment, so yeah)
Bass education at its finest! Thanks you so much, for givin so much Infos. This channel is a must for every groovin bassist. Take care,keep the groove and god bless. I am a great Bob James Fan. His music is so deep amd groovy love it.
Great list! For Freddie Hubbard bass lines on CTI, I probably would have gone with "Mr. Clean" from "Straight Life," but you really can't go wrong one way or the other.
I've been looking for 'that' sound for some time now (since Harmless released a compilation series called Pulp Fusion) and haven't heard of CTI records let alone.. Spotify playlist anyone I love this!
Man, Idris Mohammad's "Power of Soul" is AWESOME! Signature tunes IMHO are Loran's Dance, Piece of Mind, The Saddest Thing and the title tune, Power of Soul! Creed Taylor, at his finest! I was a young buck back in the 70's and these had heavy rotation on my local jazz station back in the day! Thank you, for bringing some of CTI catalog back to the fore!
Thanks mate some those dudes I've not heard of so will check them out. But I knew Bob James was coming. Hip Hop owes that man big time. Oh and something a bit lightweight by comparison but great bass line the none the less Fools Gold The Stone Roses. .
Wow; just freakin' wow. Now, again, I need to scour the record stores to find these albums. I faintly remember these tunes, but now as an aspiring bassist I have to cop them all now! But I do have 'Walking in Space' though!
The George Benson Albums Bad Benson and Body Talk had nice bass lines and great playing from Mr. Benson…Also worth a listen are Joe Farrell ‘Penny Arcade’ and Freddie Hubbard ‘First Light’
I was just growing up listening almost exclusively to WRVR in NYC from 1968-1980 so I am surprised that although I was with you for most of this, you obviously have dug even deeper into the CTI catalog. Fine list you have there. An odd detail is that I lived in Buffalo until 1968 so there I listened to WUFO there and no shortage of bass in that Motown/Gospel menu. Have you ever considered doing any videos on left hand organ basslines? We just lost Joey D which is why I think of it, but he's not the only one.
I wasn't aware of the CTI label yet this music is right up my street, absolutely love it. My Dad did have Also Sprach Zarathustra in his collection which I heard a lot. Going to check these albums out, thank you 👌
Brilliant video. Love it. One of my fave labels. I was literally buying the reissue cds just because that imprint. So good. Some amazing stuff. The cit all stars live record is amazing.
Keep Your Soul Together was my first Freddie album. Bought it in high school around 1980. And the KYST bass line blew my teenaged head off. It was one of the first Ron Carter lines I learned. I transcribed the tune so my cheesy high school jazz quartet could play it.
Thanks much for sharing this music, Paul, you are making me discover LOTS of great authentic bass playing! And, talking about bass playing, it's amazing how you make all your basses sing, just great.
Bob James' "Westchester Lady" Was Sampled On Fresh Prince & Dj Jazzy Jeff's "Here We Go Again" One Of The First Rap Songs I Ever Heard When I Was A Kid. Bob James Had Those SPECIAL Bass Lines🤘🏼
'Westchester Lady' was one of several jazz records DJ Jazzy Jeff used in 'A Touch Of Jazz' in 1986 before it was sampled 2 years later for 'Here We Go Again'.
As one that knew Creed, and was fortunate enough to be at Rudy's for some of these recording sessions, i have a deep love for all CTI recordings, remember, once upon a time there was no Xbox, and when there was no babysitter available myself and my brother Myles would have to go to the studio with dad and read books while they recorded, and "no noise while we're recording" dad's rule, lol
PBS viewers may want to track down the newly released Ron Carter documentary “Finding the right notes”.
Thanks for all the great music and creativity, Mr. Carter!
The documentary was fantastic. Very sorry for the loss of your brother.
@@fretlessman71 Thank you so much, and I'm glad you enjoyed the documentary
the Idris song...WOW. This was a label that brought together 3 things: beauty of recorded sound, impeccable musicianship, and heavy soulful groove...very few labels or recording houses achieved this consistently. Thanks!
Gotta be 'Red Clay' PD...killer line, killer tune & killer band! Ron, as badass as always!
Truly inspirational grooves & sounds from that whole back catalogue.
When I started to get into jazz about a decade ago, I picked up Red Clay on a whim. Had n idea who Freddie Hubbard was or anything. After the first listen, I had it on repeat for hours! Wore the damn CD out! Red Clay is a go to, and I always recommend it.
@@cockula776 the whole tune's an education in itself, the way the melody weaves around the chords with a groove that's ahead of it's time.
Great vocal version by Mark Murphy also, a few years later...
I didn’t realize I had so many CTI albums in my collection. Being a six stringer , my first was Bad Benson, Take Five my favorite. CTI was a who’s who of great musicians. Does anyone remember Don Sebesky’s Giant Box ? I had that and so many more. Deadato…..check out Skyscrapers on the Superstrut album. Incredible……I think you guys know the drummer …..Jim Halls Concierto, Freddie Hubbard Red Clay. Iconic Killer Joe by Quincy. I didn’t realize Holdsworth was on CTI……ah the music industry…..Thanks Paul. Great stuff as usual !
Giant Box is a masterpiece. IMHO, one of the top 10 CTI albums. And Sebesky is an extremely underrated genius! A few years ago, Giant Box was reissued on SACD, with the original quadraphonic mix by Rudy Van Gelder.
I can't how I would've turned out had I not fallen in love with CTI when I picked up Grover's Mister Magic and Deodato's Prelude. No one really knows me if they don't know how much I love this music.
Ditto
Same!!! Anything and everything CTI.
Louis Johnson on 'Hydra'? OMG... I just discovered he and brother George played on a Bill Withers album also in 1975... WOW! Some of my CTI/KUDU favorites are Deodato's 'Super Strut' the entire 'Mister Magic' album speaking of Grover Washington Jr., Q's 'Killer Joe', anything of Bob James ('Nautilus', 'Night On Bald Mountain', Take Me To The Mardi Gras', etc.) Wes Montgomery ('Bumpin' On Sunset' and 'A Day In A Life')... the list is completely endless; thanks for this video tribute and R.I.P. Creed Taylor.
Check out the Bro Js on Quincy Jones - MELLOW MADNESS from 1975...and I HEARD THAT!! from 1976.
@@jazzpunk both some hot joints!
Louis and his brother George go as far back as playing with Billy Preston's band which he called "The God Squad" which also featured a drummer by the name of Manuel Kellough aka The Deacon. He would later join Graham Central Station and record on the album "Aint No Bout A-doubt It"
@@jazzpunk The album that introduced the two brothers to the world before landing their debut album on A&M...Look Out For #1.
@@H2R504 I saw that video footage a while back.
RIP Brother Creed Taylor. I grew up listening to Joe Farrell, Hubert Laws, Grover Washington and George Benson as a kid. The music on that record company is stuff of legend. He is forever immortal in Jazz.
One of my favs is Milt Jackson’s Sunflower, another Ron Carter bass masterclass! The title track as well as People make the world go round. CTI is pure gold!
Yeah, that's the one! Tim Collins did this great video on it: ruclips.net/video/L7MATxNK7qM/видео.html
Absolutely! This is one everybody was wearing out when I was in college.
Came here to say the same. Great album.
Povo is it. I heard it for the first time on the radio when I was in the dorm at Berklee in 75. I can still recall the moment and it’s been in my repertoire ever since.
Thanks for this tribute to Creed Taylor, and the bassists that played on his label. IMHO, Gary King was very unsung for his work that he was involved with for the label. My favorite Gary King bass work is "Loran's Dance" on Idris Muhammed's "Power Of Soul" album. He flows so well with Idris, and the rest of the ,band. R.I.P. Gary and Creed Taylor
Gary King bass player is my father 🙏🏾😁
@@kinyatta1 Your father was a great bassist. I really enjoyed his work on the CTI label,and his work with Bob James on the Tappan Zee label.
Thank you for posting this. CTI is my favorite label of all time. RIP Creed Taylor. I have to agree with Westchester Lady.
With red clay coming in a close second.
Gary King got in there!! Maybe cause I’m a golden era hip
Hop head and bassist, which naturally makes me a “Nautilus” head. So naturally.. I love Gary King.
Gary King bass player is my father 🙏🏾😁 Nautilus
@@kinyatta1 That is wonderful. He’s an AMAZING musician. Underrated in my opinion. But those who know, KNOW. 🙏🏾🙏🏾You must be very proud.
This is fantastic! Thank you for your in-depth review. #3 is one of my top5 albums. It has an all-star cast: Gary King (Bass) Bob James (Keys) Grover Washington Jr. (Saxes) Randy Brecker (Trumpet & Flugelhorn), Joe Beck (Guitar) Ralph MacDonald (Percussion), and of course Idris Muhammad killing the drums. Idris Muhammad's "Power of Soul" album is absolutely FIRE!
Gary King bass player is my father 🙏🏾😁
@@kinyatta1 Gary was terrific on Good King Bad, by George Benson, especially Siberian Workout!
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Creed Taylor. The majority of Jazz music I own was on the CTI record label. My appreciation for Hip Hop started when I was able to deconstruct, courtesy of my ears, the jazz music that was sampled. Some of the artists you mention in this video have a permanent place in my jazz playlists. When it came to premiere jazz music, the CTI label held it down. For me, Blue Note, CTI, and Verve record labels and a sprinkling of Columbia have some of the best jazz artists in the world. Rest In Heaven Creed Taylor 🌹🌹
Great selection and analysis! The CTI label is a huge part of my collection! Bob James, Gary King, and Eric Gale were incredible CTI rhythm section magicians!!! I'm surprised that Mr. Magic wasn't mentioned.
Thanks for this Episode. Now I am going Bust out my Mom's CTI Collection.
OUTSTANDING POST. I was and remain a huge Creed Taylor and CTI Fan. At 61 yrs of age, I was fortunate enough have experienced the music in real time. I love your selection and demonstrations. The Fact that you write out the lines is MAJOR. It enables us to learn them, practice and or play along. Just a thought, I'd love and I think we'd all appreciate a Book ( Hal Leanord style 😆) of these Complete Basslines. The CTI version of such a book would be Great. Anyway appreciate you, love the enthusiasm. Great work My Brother, can't wait for the next one. Peace.
I love that you opened it up with Moon Germs - Joe Jack Herbie and Stanley forever!!!
My dad had a copy of Walking In Space, I listened to it constantly. The bass lines on it are amazing, especially Killer Joe. Great video!
Gary King, Gordon Edwards, Anthony Jackson, and the irrepressible Mr. Ron Carter, among a hall of fame caliber cadre of other bassists, struck new life in the music, coming from the New York City and Van Gelder recording studios, with their unforgettable hooks and lines, during CTI's meteoric decade of the 70s.
Some of my favorites are the vocal sessions with Esther Phillips, arranged and conducted by Pee Wee Ellis, and featuring Gordon Edwards and Ron Carter in the bass chair; and supported by some of the finest New York session musicians and vocalists ever recorded.
Mr. Magic however is my all time favorite CTI bass line. It's also one of the many bass lines I learned between 1970 and 75, when I was just starting to learn how to play by ear, mimicking the wonderful music wafting through my JVC/Yamaha component sound system; Ahhh, the memories!
That Cm groove is iconic, and was a jury worthy recitation for some of my group auditions down through the years. It's still one of my favorite "Call Tunes" when jammin'. The only thing is, to this day I don't know for sure who played bass on the original studio recording.
If memory serves me correctly, I think the album jacket on the copy I bought when it was first released November of 1974, credits Gary King, Phil Upchurch, and Anthony Jackson as having contributed bass on the sessions, although not track specific. It's still a matter of some debate when bass players get together and want to prove they know more than every other musician in the band...yours truly included of course! [Laffin' 😄]
Gary King bass player is my father 🙏🏾😁 He is original bass player on 3 versions of Mister Magic. Roberta Flack version, Grover Washington Jr version, Bob James version.
@@kinyatta1
God bless you and your family Brother King, and thank you for settling that long held dispute!
Your father's music served as a guide post for me along my bass playing journey. Everything he played I wanted to get my hands on back in the day. When a new jazz album came out, the first thing I did was check the bass credits, if they had any. Imagine my delight when I saw your father's name on the album jacket!
Some of his work with Tom Scott and the other emerging NYC/CTI smooth jazz hacksters of the 70s also became iconic, as I navigated my way around the fretboard, trying to figure out, "Man, how did he do that?!" 🤔
There are many of us who honed our chops in the 70s, listening to the magic pouring out of our component stereo systems, that owe a great deal of respect, gratitude, and heart felt appreciation for his numerous musical contributions.
I know you are proud of him, just as so many of us are, whose lives he touched through his unforgettable music. Thank you for sharing him with us. ✝️
I've been meaning to dig into the CTI catalog more (I've listened to some Freddie, Stanley, Bob and Deodato, but not much else)… now I've got some great places to go next! I just added all of these albums to my Apple Music library.
Loved this thnx! Now I gotta go back to my old CTI-vinyls 😎🤘
Thank you for this one! Brought me back to a simpler time. My interest in Jazz began in 1976. The 1st Jazz album bought with my own dime was BAD BENSON. My uncle sent me a few albums in the mail...BLUES FARM, SPANISH BLUE, & ALL BLUES...(all Ron Carter albums) were in the bunch. This was the 1st time I heard "So What" (from SPANISH BLUE). Huge tone by RC.
On a tangent, my 1st times hearing "Footprints" & "Impressions" were on 2 of the Pat Martino albums he also sent my way.
Great look into CTI's catalog. Thanks.
After a long week at work, I needed this lesson on the CTI bass lines. Thanks for sharing this knowledge.
Thanks for another great bass presentation PD. I would add "September 13" From Deodato's Prelude. It starts with an infectious groove that's out of control, driving the whole song.
Your outro? I could say the same thing about myself. My dad was a huge CTI man, so I had no choice but to fall in love with it. CTI was my bass school before I even picked up a bass. You said it multiple times - so many tasty grooves! All are held down and lifted up by the bass.
When I saw your posting, I could not click fast enough.
Fun note: Marcus Miller was obviously influenced/inspired by CTI as well. On his album Renaissance, he had a song on there called CEE-TEE-EYE.
Thank you so much for this tribute to Creed Taylor! He brought so many awesome musicians together; you have brought some joy with this post! Thank you!
Marcus Miller recorded for CTI on Fuse One's Silk album, back in 1981. He and Stanley Clarke playing together in the same tracks!
@@arnaldodesouteiro2994 Really? Now I got to check that out! Thank you for the musical info! Good stuff!
Funny enough, seeing Taxi reruns as a kid took me to Bob James and then deep into CTI. Hearing that stuff changed my ideas about music forever, especially after it really sunk in.
Gary King bass player on Taxi theme is my father 🙏🏾😁
I really appreciate the great job you did. Your analysis of the CTI record label bassist is phenomenal. Keep up the good work!
I love groove focused music, am finding out about so many interesting artists, albums and songs. I really need to get into CTI, looks like a great label!
I'm happy to say I have every one of these albums. : ) The presentation of the the art form within was beyond any other label in history. Art outside Art inside thank you Creed for setting us up for an incredible listening experience. I think Nautilus has a very special place as a bass line, but I couldn't name one.
Another Awesome video! My favorite bass line is Caribbean Nights on Bob James' Touch Down album. Another Gary King performance.
Gary King bass player is my father 🙏🏾😁
My dad is going to enjoy watching this
I saw the image of the Bob James album cover in the thumbnail and knew I had to watch. I was not disappointed.
Wow great show! Can you do more on CTI as it is the music of my life, good and bad, 1970s Jazz Funk is always there. Thanks man.
great vid I didn't know any of the stories; I missed a lot of these when younger; my favorite baseline that I missed years ago is on Grover's "it feels so good" Louis Johnson again
All of the albums featured I have. And so many more. I did Bob James albums 1 thru 12. Being that I'm 66 yrs. young I was able to get them back in the day off the record store shelf. Love that you featured CTI in it's own video. Great job.
Yes! You read my mind. I was gonna suggest an episode on unsung bassists, like Gary King. As always, your handling of the music is spot-on. So many pleasant memories from this. THANKS!
Gary King bass player is my father 🙏🏾😁
@@kinyatta1your dad contributed to so much of my joy and understanding of 70’s music. All the Bob James albums, Gato Barbieri, Conquistador by Maynard Ferguson, Grover!!!, Tom Scott, etc. I collected all of it on vinyl, then CDs. No kidding, I still listen to it. That music doesn’t age. Your dad left an incredible body of work. I’d enjoy hearing your take on it.
I always enjoyed Seawind and their very first couple of albums on CTI; listening to bass-lines on most of their songs are also just simply to die for! 😀
As A Tribe Called Quest fan, I have so much appreciation for how Q-Tip pays homage to so many greats that is featured on the CTI label! This breakdown was Dope as usual, R.I.P Mr. Creed Taylor 🕊🙏🏿
YAY!! Another video to expand my bass reportoire!! Thanks. I heard a lot of these songs as a youth and had no idea who was behind them🤗🥰
Thank you so much! I love CTI but am ashamed to admit I have not gotten into some of the gems you have picked! Thank you for increasing my exposure to this fantastic music. Over the years I have learned about so much great music by focusing on the careers of legendary bass players.
Thanks! I was aware of several but unaware of most. I will be looking up these awesome pieces! Alex
AW MAN❗️RIP Creed Taylor 🙏🏻 What a way to learn of his passing, he was by far my favorite producer of all time. Personally, I’m very particular to Ron Carter’s bass lines on the album (Astrud) Gilberto with (Stanley) Turrentine, “Brazilian Tapestry” and “Ponteio” in particular. Not sure but I think that was Ron Carter on both (personnel are listed but not specified). These picks are all GREAT bass lines as well but I was very surprised to see one from Allan Holdsworth’s Velvet Darkness by Alfonso Johnson
Great content. I learn so much from your channel. It’s better than a PBS documentary .
Good Morning, Wow this has been a outstanding. Thank you so very much for sharing. I will be sharing this with my Brother who is a Guitarist from Jamaica Queens, Have a amazing day ,I really enjoy your channel.
Thank you again for opening the doors of the mind we might have missed!!!!!
"Piece of Mind". 🙌⬇️ 🚬
Another outstanding clip, Paul! 👏👏
Moon Germs is one of the greatest jazz albums of the modern era. It's funky, but the playing is pretty wild also. There's a blues (Moon Germs), a couple of one chord vamps (Great Gorge, Bass Folk Song) and the incredible waltz of Chick's "Time's Lie". Amazing album. I also recommend all of Farrell's other records of this period as they are criminally under-rated.
At the time, a lot of jazz purists didn't like CTI for its pop influence recorded sound -- clear, clean and separated. The bass was direct to the board. The kick drum was muted and punchy. The solos were often overdubbed. I dug it though and have emulated that style with my own recordings (which is necessary since I play multiple parts). The CTI era is an important part of the history of jazz. And yes, some very cool bass lines.
But a lot of CTI music was pumped out like cranking a hot dog machine, and I'll freely admit I got fairly jaded at the time with the endless Bob James Fender Rhodes sound on almost every damn tune. As I was learning and growing in appreciation for more "Blue Note", more traditional jazz from the 50's/60's, it got to the point for me where I didn't want to hear nor buy any more CTI "smooth jazz". No question, there were some great albums in that catalog, but I kinda thought CTI beat it to death.
@@alanpecherer5705 I wouldn't call it "smooth jazz." Please. That's too disparaging. Granted, the Rhodes was the "sound of the time" and it got overused and played out and it does "date" the music. But there's been enough time and distance from it that I can now take it in doses. : )
@@NelsonMontana1234
It was indeed the precursor to smooth jazz. Grover Washington, Jr was the Father of smooth Jazz and Bob James its Godfather. CTI took all those straight ahead jazz dudes from the 60s, Herbie, Hubb, Mr. T, Ron Carter, Cobham, et.al, softened and electrified some of their compositions, and turned them loose on an unsuspecting public that wasn't all that enamored with instrumentation in its existing form...and, they got paid, due to the music's wider acceptance!
@@bustabass9025 Yeah, but it was still jazz. What I think of as "smooth jazz" is mostly muzak, and not swing but closer to R&B. (Without the grit). You can't say that Red Clay sounds anything like Kenny G!!! Though you may be right that the slicker CTI approach had an influence on what was to come.
@@NelsonMontana1234
Tom Scott, Sanborn, Klugh, Benson, Ritenour, aton'na cats picked up that smooth jazz ball and ran with it. They were usually accompanied by the CTI stable of session work horses, as their sidemen. Kenny (a lot like Mangione) on the other hand is more of an easy listening instrumentalist than true jazz artist. His music is more reminiscent of an update to some of the instrumental music of the late 50s, that branched off from the big band/large ensemble sound that had permeated the three previous decades.
Lotta uninitiated, non-musician type listeners prefer that...more power to 'em. It put money in the accounts of a lot of artists who, otherwise may not have fared as well.
Point being, music is a constantly evolving idiom that has spawned many genres, socio-cultural identfications, and myriad expressions. There is room for it to continue to expand as it certainly will, and not at the expense of the already accepted styles and offerings that, in many cases are as old as the instruments that produce it, and certainly older than the current generation of musicians who play it.
As a side note, I attended a jazz bass master class a few years back that featured Marcus Miller. As he was recounting his outstanding musical career, he shared some insight into his working relationships with many of music's iconic personalities. Particularly, he recalled working with Grover. He described the late pioneering innovator as one of the nicest, gentlest persons he ever had the opportunity to work with. He went on to say that the only time he ever saw Grover upset, was when someone seated close to the stage requested that he play Kenny G's "Songbird". According to Marcus that didn't go over to well with the saxophone Maestro! [Laffin' 😄]
Really sad to hear of Creed Taylor's passing. Westchester Lady got me into Bob James- the whole tune is absolutely amazing and the gorgeous production really takes it that step further. That bassline though! Prelude too- such a groovy album.
Mucho thanks, Mr. PD, for your beautiful tribute to Creed Taylor and his incredible CTI/Kudu label. I personally own a number of CTI records on vinyl. I recall encountering Mr. Will Lee at a Chic concert at the erstwhile Tramps night club in Manhattan in the late nineties. Once again, thank you enormously your excellent presentations and tutelage.
Brother, Brother,Brother I want to thank you for sharing this segment so many of these songs I’ve heard over the years and didn’t know who the artist were either someone covered it or sampled it but to find out who these artist are is an eye opener. And I love your brief examples on how to play these bass lines. I like knowing how to start a good bass line which helps me to create my own so I’ll cop some of these line and incorporate them in my own music with slight variation but overall just to know how they start is wonderful thank you wish I lived in your city so I could take lessons brother but since I don’t I’ll learn what I can from your channel. Glad I stumbled upon you again THANKS!!!!!!
The great CTI label and contributing artist.. great video.. RIP Creed and thanks for the music.!
I saw Bob James live last night at Dimitrou's in Seattle. His band is very young and the rhythm section one of the best I have seen. The bassist had his eyes glued on Bob for an hour and a half. It was really something to witness.
That line up of musicians were the bomb and i always loved the lp covers.
I used this video while teaching a bass lesson yesterday.
Smoothness and funk defined. Subscribed and a half.
CTI truly was the connoisseur's label.. only the cream played on there. Records were selling for £100s on the London resale market in the 90s.
Camden market was the place, if you know you know 😁
Thanks for posting this. It’s a dream video to have one of my favorite RUclips bassists curate, analyze, and play some choice tracks on CTI, one of my all-time favorite labels. R.I.P. Creed! 🥀
Yeah, my fave is Ron Carter on Sky Dive. It really sets up what's going on with Benson and Jarrett are doing on the intro. Just imagine, this was recorded on friggin' TAPE so everything had to go down perfectly. Listen to this tune with headphones and check out the masterful arrangement by Don Sebesky and of course Van Gelder's incredible mixing.
Sad to hear the passing of Creed Taylor! As a lover of all things Jazz-Funk, I heartfully agree, his place in the history of music is huge!
Another great introduction (and testimonial to Creed Taylor). Thanks Paul
You put the spotlight on some of the greatest music ever made and the importance of the bass in these tunes. I grew up with this music and in a world filled with so much distraction today it provides a reassurance that our species is in fact capable of creating great beauty and inspiration. Thank you!
U r the only yt channel where I like the video before it starts i love ur videos yo and u r a killin bassist educating us all 🤩🤩
Mr. Bass Man you just made me look up a few of your artist you were talking about, and MAN do they sound good. Thanks!!
Thank you for bringing the sounds that has been the back bone of my playing for over fifty-years! I've use this approach to play everything country, latian, metal, blues you name it. Because it's all about the groove! I really enjoy your videos, they are educational and great fun to your fellow bassist, good vibes.
Great video! I'm a huge CTI fan and a drummer, so I really appreciate props given to the bass players you mentioned. Very happy to see "Moon Germs" on the list! Gonna subscribe right now!
yo pd my guy, thanks for that video!
love your utmost dedication to the low end
Such a great video. Thank you! Your list takes me back and keeps me current. I first played this arrangement of Thus Sprach Zarathustra in high school when I moved from drums to bass. And Westchester Lady was new to me last year...go figure! I can't agree enough with that arrangement and performance of Killer Joe. The gold standard!
RIP Creed. One of my favorite figures in jazz. An idea for you- I looked on Spotify for a "pdbass" user and didn't find you; I think it would be a no brainer to create a playlist to support each one of these lists, so we can dig your recco's full-length!
Thanks for all the great content! (this is my first-ever YT comment, so yeah)
Bass education at its finest!
Thanks you so much, for givin so much Infos.
This channel is a must for every groovin bassist.
Take care,keep the groove and god bless.
I am a great Bob James Fan.
His music is so deep amd groovy love it.
Thank thank thank you Mr. Bass man for all of this awesome bass music that you're putting out here on your channel. I love it please keep it up.
Great list! For Freddie Hubbard bass lines on CTI, I probably would have gone with "Mr. Clean" from "Straight Life," but you really can't go wrong one way or the other.
I've been looking for 'that' sound for some time now (since Harmless released a compilation series called Pulp Fusion) and haven't heard of CTI records let alone.. Spotify playlist anyone I love this!
This channel is so good! I’ve been listing to the Idris Muhammad album constantly lately. Channel is always turning me onto great songs!
Man, Idris Mohammad's "Power of Soul" is AWESOME! Signature tunes IMHO are Loran's Dance, Piece of Mind, The Saddest Thing and the title tune, Power of Soul! Creed Taylor, at his finest! I was a young buck back in the 70's and these had heavy rotation on my local jazz station back in the day! Thank you, for bringing some of CTI catalog back to the fore!
Didn't know much about Creed Taylor but i see he lived to 93 and was active up till his passing. That's a good life, RIP.
Thanks mate some those dudes I've not heard of so will check them out. But I knew Bob James was coming. Hip Hop owes that man big time. Oh and something a bit lightweight by comparison but great bass line the none the less Fools Gold The Stone Roses. .
Wow; just freakin' wow. Now, again, I need to scour the record stores to find these albums. I faintly remember these tunes, but now as an aspiring bassist I have to cop them all now!
But I do have 'Walking in Space' though!
The George Benson Albums Bad Benson and Body Talk had nice bass lines and great playing from Mr. Benson…Also worth a listen are Joe Farrell ‘Penny Arcade’ and Freddie Hubbard ‘First Light’
Great job shouting out “Peace of Mind”. Urbie Green’s “Mertensia” has been on heavy rotation for me lately as well. Such a visionary producer.
I was just growing up listening almost exclusively to WRVR in NYC from 1968-1980 so I am surprised that although I was with you for most of this, you obviously have dug even deeper into the CTI catalog. Fine list you have there.
An odd detail is that I lived in Buffalo until 1968 so there I listened to WUFO there and no shortage of bass in that Motown/Gospel menu.
Have you ever considered doing any videos on left hand organ basslines? We just lost Joey D which is why I think of it, but he's not the only one.
Creed Taylor produced the soundtrack for my youth.
Growing up in the 70's was a gas.
Rest in peace
So great! Got some listening to do 🎵
Such a pleasure to watch this video, Mr PD. I own some of these records and the information you provided adds so much context to the listening process
Great list!! I also love the bass line on Knucklehead by Grover Washington Jr. on the Feels So Good album.
Great bass lines indeed!
I wasn't aware of the CTI label yet this music is right up my street, absolutely love it. My Dad did have Also Sprach Zarathustra in his collection which I heard a lot. Going to check these albums out, thank you 👌
Brilliant video. Love it. One of my fave labels. I was literally buying the reissue cds just because that imprint. So good. Some amazing stuff. The cit all stars live record is amazing.
Keep Your Soul Together was my first Freddie album. Bought it in high school around 1980. And the KYST bass line blew my teenaged head off. It was one of the first Ron Carter lines I learned. I transcribed the tune so my cheesy high school jazz quartet could play it.
My favorite CTI bass line is from George Benson's "One Rock Don't Make No Boulder" .
One of your most valuable episodes yet! Excellent work. Even had a couple records I wasn’t hep to that I can now explore! Thanks once again!
Great list! There is so much good stuff on CTI
Thanks much for sharing this music, Paul, you are making me discover LOTS of great authentic bass playing! And, talking about bass playing, it's amazing how you make all your basses sing, just great.
Little Waltz, Ron Carter...I can still remember finding Uptown in a used album bin and bought purely of the cover...still one of my all time favorites
Thank you for your videos. Each one of them just makes me feel good about doing the most pleasant homework that is listening to these amazing artists.
playlist for the week! outstanding 🙏
Another great & very informative video. Truly appreciate you expanding my musical experience
Bob James' "Westchester Lady" Was Sampled On Fresh Prince & Dj Jazzy Jeff's "Here We Go Again" One Of The First Rap Songs I Ever Heard When I Was A Kid. Bob James Had Those SPECIAL Bass Lines🤘🏼
'Westchester Lady' was one of several jazz records DJ Jazzy Jeff used in 'A Touch Of Jazz' in 1986 before it was sampled 2 years later for 'Here We Go Again'.