Ladies & Gents
A conversation with......
( Composer
/ Bassist / Vocalist / Visual Artist )
The
Late GREAT :
"Victor
Bailey"
So
, What have U been into playa ??
VICTOR BAILEY :
These days... I'm mainly doing my thing with my
group. As has been typical throughout jazz history
I can get thousands of people at a
show outside the US..... and can't get arrested in the US.
Is that
Bad ?
See,
this kinda situation ...reminds me of a pathetic person ...chasing after
somebody, who doesn't wanna be bothered !
Why
chase somethin' ( america's attention ) that ain't for You ?
Fuck em'
!!!!
Why be
in a room full of people....that don't "Get" you ?
( or who
ain't even tryin’ to feel your shit ?!? )
I'm
thinkin' : "Wouldn't you rather be among friends ? ( european audiences)
or
folks that you don't have to impress ?
But, on
da reel ?
"Ignorance
& Racism" are at the root of THAT problem.
In the States…..
VICTOR BAILEY :
Outside of the USA, audiences aren't bombarded with images of African Americans being
bad,lazy,shiftless,dumb or dangerous.So when you show up with a group of cats,you can be
viewed strictly as some bad mutha fuckas,period.Also because we pose no threat to them on
any level,they're not afraid to acknowledge that peoples of African descent have superior
rythmic capabilities and feel for certain musics.Doesn't mean that no one else isn't
great,but when they hear some brothers funkin' or swingin'they're not afraid to admit that
it's our feel,and anyone else can share it,but we have it naturally.Black people that
never touched an instrument in their lives can be funky,or swingin'.And they also know we
takin' our black ass back home so they ain't worried bout you stealin their women and
shit.If we steal one or two along the way that's alright though.Cause they know most of
the time they'll be back anyway! I've been working on music for a
new record too.I've played for other people for so long I didn't realize how much my thing
WASN"T really developed,so I've been working on my playing more than in years. The
new record will be a whole different guy.
Yea ,
Vic.... I feel U , when I turned 40 ( sporty ) a yr. ago
I
decided to FINALLY do MY own thing [ exclusively ]
I was like
: "If not NOW...WHEN ? "
Cause,
the "Hired Gun" thing is cool for awhile....
And, if
U can finish your own sentences ? ( MUSICALLY )
Then YOU
SHOULD !!!!
Learn
what U can Learn......Then " GO & APPLY" the Shit ?!?!
VICTOR BAILEY :
At some
point if you have something to say….. you HAVE to say it. I played on 1000 records and three of them sound
like ME : MY records
! I'm proud of the career Ive
had… but, 99 % of what people think is
me.... actually represents a fraction of my capability.Most of the time I'm playing
basslines written by someone who doesn't play the bass,written on a keyboard with two
fingers.Then that comes out and peole think that's MY concept. Kid Logic from my “Bottom's
Up” record is MY concept of a bassline! As proud as I
am of Weather Report, I was playing way more shit back then…. than is on any of those
records. Ask anyone who was in the 55 Grand St. or 7th Ave South clubs back in the day,or saw WR live with me and Omar. Now there's all this
stuff out there, that I just sound a'ight on to me, and I'm glad people dig it....but ,
lots of 'em have no idea what I really do. Gotta
do YOUR thing after a while.
Aaaaaaaaay , man ....U know I KNOW !!!
Your
version of P-Funk’s ( not just ) Knee Deep…w/ just You & Omar [ Hakim ] was Maddness !!!
VICTOR BAILEY :
Thanks. When I was younger and played funk
gigs, I used to do the bassline in the beginning of that whenever we played Knee Deep.The
cats always hated it. During the last record I thought that if I arranged it my way,
maybe cats could see where I was coming from.
Sounds
like dem “corny-ass” jazz purists….
HOW IN THE FUCK are YOU NOT GONNA
be able to hear
"KNEE DEEP" ?!?!?!
VICTOR BAILEY :
Actually, that was the
"Funk" guys !!!!
But,
Corny.... Never Sleeps !
VICTOR BAILEY :Sometimes when you're going for something
different cats don't get it at first. Right before I came to New York Marcus had gotten
big in the studios,and most young brothers were trying to sound like him.Some cats would
say : "You need to check out Marcus". I said "shit,why did I need
to check out somebody I was just as good as?To tell the truth I thought I was
better! I didn't give a fuck how big anybody's name was,when it was time to hit, it
wasn't NO THING, with ANYBODY I was hearing at the time.The whole idea with this style of
bass created by Stanley, Alphonso, Jaco was new, and nobody was trying to apply it to the
funk. So those guys thought I didn't know what I was doing. Now... everywhere I go , I
meet cats they've bragged to about hittin' with me when I was young.
Ha ha
ha.
VICTOR BAILEY : My recording of "Knee
Deep" on the last cd was a reactionary thing in a way.I was talking to someone about
how lame I thought most of the smooth-jazz cover stuff was,and they said "well what
can you do with a cover"? So, I sat down and did my version of a classic tune.
Though I don't think of it as a cover, I think of it as an "Arrangement".
Okay
?!?!
Victor
…..NOBODY swings harder than YOU !!!!
U take
cash or charge for lessons ?
VICTOR BAILEY :
Foley.... you're one
of the rare cats these days who know how much swing and bebop are a part of my
foundation !! Growing up I never listened to Jaco for 'jazz" playing like a lot
of cats.I listened to Ron Carter, Ray Brown & Paul Chambers. I try to
give lessons but , sorry to say :
I'm a terrible
teacher.
"Damn,
Damn, Damn" -------Florida Evans ( Good Times )
The
“SMARTALECMUSIC” BURINING
QUESTION :
Indies vs. the Majors
Omni-Important ? or In the End…
it doesn’t *really* Matter ?
VICTOR BAILEY : As I've grown in age an
experience,I've come to the conclusion that being a musician is not having a record
deal,making money,being famous etc.Being a musician is BEING a musician.Major labels are
great if your goal is to be a star.
Preach....
VICTOR BAILEY : If you just want to be a
creative artist it's not always the best situation.I would never get the kind of support
to just express myself on a major label like I do from ESC Reords.None the less I must say
to be on a major and have their support can be a great boost to your life as a
musician,and your life in general, if your relationship works well.
This
pic was taken mins. after Victor's beloved signature bass was Stolen
( it
was missing for Months )
I’m gonna throw some
“Names” @ ya
( Respond however U wish )
Joe Zawinul 
VICTOR BAILEY : In twenty years of working with Joe on and
off,I never heard him make a mistake.The man is TOTALLY dedicated to music and even at 72
years old he's still reaching for new things all the time.
Damn.....
VICTOR BAILEY :
Add to that that he's very serious about life,not one of these "hang out" type
of cats.I've been around a lot of bad cats,but there's another level,of TRULY great
cats,and he's there for sure.He's a heavy guy on every level.After 23 years of knowing him
there isn't one thing I can say I have ever seen that was not together.He's a little rough
on some cats,but regardless of what they may say about him,they,no WE,were all better
musicians and stronger men after we played with him.And some of those cats couldn't even
play so they should be grateful to have shared the bandstand with him even once.I'm
gettin' a little rough myself now huh!?
Yes,
Indeed !
Jaco Pastorius 
VICTOR BAILEY :
Needless to say,Jaco opened up a lot of doors on the bass.He's one of those rare cats who
influence how people that come after play.What he had that so many of his disciples miss
though,is great feel and groove.A true master.
His Bass
shit ..I already heard it from "Alphonso Johnson"
( that
close to the bridge fingering)
But,
Jaco's MUSIC MIND ?!?!
That's
where his genius was shown !!!
HIS
“DRUM SHIT” ALONE !!
Teen
Town ??!?!?
People
always talk about the bass on that tune ....
TOTALLY
sleepin' on his DRUM work !!
VICTOR BAILEY :
And all the arrangements and shit too.Cats also sleep on the fact that none of his writing
was too busy or complicated.The shit he played was ridiculous,but the tunes had
grooves,nice melodies,and nice harmony.Sophisticated,but not trying to show how deep he
could get.Telling stories.So many disciples have these records with all this shit on it
and NO tunes I can remember.
Marcus Miller 
VICTOR BAILEY :
Marcus is another one of those rare cats whose sound and style become a part of the
vocabulary of their instrument. He set the standard for sound and stlye with thumb
playing. He's the only bassist who influenced the sound of slapping.Larry of course
invented the stlye,and Louis added some nice flourishes,but no one copied their
sounds.Marcus set the standard with his sound and is the only thumb player in history to
do so.Listen to radio now and half the records sound just like him,especially smooth jazz
records from LA.But you know how you can tell if it's him or not?If you hear a record and
go "is that Marcus?" it's not him.Because when it IS him you hear one fuckin'
note and you know,THAT'S MARCUS! And he's
done it with all great music. Never was trendy or faddish,always had his own shit.I heard
him with Lenny White in Philly when I was sixteen and still coping Stanley and Jaco
licks.He was only seventeen and already totally had his own shit.The rest is history.And
he's probably one of the coolest millionaires you'll ever meet.
Whew
!!!!
VICTOR BAILEY
: When you ever see a cat that
rich be so down,especially out here is LA? Gotta
love dat brutha!
Great
"Inner-view" with Marcus.
Thanks,
man…..
Lenny White 
VICTOR BAILEY : I have MADD love for Lenny
White. When I came to NY and some guys were trying to say I didn't know what I was
doing,he said "you got something else, don't ever change that".Plus Lenny is hip
to ALL the shit,jazz,funk,hip hop,whateva.That's my kind of cat.
"HATERS
?"
VICTOR BAILEY : Like I said before when you go for something
different,cats don't always "Get It" at first.But Lenny did,and the
cats that didn't were no lenny white's,so I'll go with the CAT! He used me in situations at a time
when everyone was looking for marcus or some other young cat playing like Marcus. and he
always said "play YOUR thing. And he's not only a great drummer.... but a great
musicain as well. We ( You & I ) worked together with him and you know that music was
off the heezy!
Aaaaww,
man ....
THAT was
a cool-ass band !!
VICTOR BAILEY
:
That
last one was phenomenal !!
Me,
You, Donald Blackman AND Patrice Rushen, Bennie Maupin,Mark Ledford, Lenny.....SICK !
Yea..... We did the Gott Damn Thang ,
that tour !!
James Jamerson 
VICTOR BAILEY : No one will ever be more significant to the
history of bass guitar than Jamerson. The instrument has advanced so much it's easy to
forget that before Jamerson, it was thought that you couldn't have a sound, a style or a
recognizable identity on electric bass. It was literally not thought of as a
"legitimate" instrument. He changed all that.
And, NOBODY know who he was.....
til' MARVIN put the credits on the
insleeve of "What's Goin' On"
They knew his Hands
...but , NOT HIS NAME ?!?!
VICTOR BAILEY :
The standard of his work is
so high you cannot play any of the songs he played on without playing his
basslines.They're a part of the song now.That concept didn't exist on electric bass before
Jamerson.
No Jamerson ?
No Peace ! ( If
U "THINK" U play BASS )
Herbie Hancock 
VICTOR BAILEY :
Herbie is the one cat I never worked with that I want to play with. He is a COMPLETE
master of his instrument yet never sounds "chopsy". He's always telling a story.
Not to
mention being a MAJOR contributor to hip-hop ?!?!?
THEY consider him to be one of the Bricklayers ,
because of the MTV exposure of dj's with
"Rocket"
VICTOR BAILEY :
His Rocket thing was a ground breaking moment for hip hop getting exposure to the
mainstream.I'm as big a fan of Herbie as anyone alive,but not his hip hop shit.It's some
watered down...who's that dude...Bill somebody?......mmmmmm.......yeah ok,right......
Ha ha ha....
Wayne Shorter 
VICTOR BAILEY :
I'll never forget on Weather Report's Domino Theory tour in 1985,we played a ballad from
that record called Blue Sound Note Three.I played a solo and just ripped it.Then Wayne
played a solo and played three chromatic notes,E flat,E natural and F.He played those
three notes so many ways,maybe one or two every bar,and wiped everything I played out.He
has an incredible mind.
I've
never heard Miles speak as highly about someone [ consistantly ] as he did about
"Wayne"
VICTOR BAILEY :
I haven't been around Wayne for a long time but when i was he was ALL music.
He would sit on the bus with his
little yamaha keyboard and improvise harmonies that were ASTOUNDING !
As a composer.... he is a grand master for all time.
Prince 
VICTOR BAILEY : Prince is so bad he makes me sick! Plays
everything like he *really* plays THAT instrument. He can write, arrange, produce, sing,
dance, all of it. And of course these days with Rhonda Smith, he has the world's
prettiest bass player in his band,and she funky as hell too,that don't make no kinna
senss!!
yea....I
guess.
Madonna 
VICTOR BAILEY : Madonna was phenomenal!
She knew exactly what
she was doing in every aspect. The amount of time and effort she spent putting
things together was in-human. She's a genius at being a "Star".
As soon
as she'd taken ALL cues from Prince on "Pushing Buttons"
Yes,
then I'd agree....
Let’s play the....Either
OR Game !!!
Using an Amp or goin’ Direct ?
VICTOR BAILEY :
That depends on what
your sound is. If you get your sound from using a particular amp use the amp.Myself, my
sound is me on the bass, so although I like to mic an amp if there's room for it in the
studio,to have sound options, I'm ok with direct. As long as the end result sounds good...
nothing else matters.
Aiiiiight
??
Producing or Writing ?
VICTOR BAILEY :
Well, times have changed with the advent of
home recording technology. Everyone thinks they're a writer and producer now.
(((((( PLEASE…. DON'T GET ME STARTED !!! ))))))
VICTOR BAILEY :
Know your strengths. Some people should just write and at least produce with someone with
"adequate" production skills. If you can do both all the more better. I do them
both... sort of at the same time and love both aspects.
Aiiiiiiiiiiight ?
Logic or
Digital Performer ?
VICTOR BAILEY :
My philosophy on that
is : "Either a kats music is happening..... or it's
not."
If a cat's got the
ears,he can use a four track and make great sounding music.I used to use Performer but
switched to Pro Tools because all the studios all over the world seem to have it,and I was
getting frustrated with going into studios and not being to sit down and take care of
things myself,which is sometimes necessary. But, really it all comes down to the
quality of the music.
Ya Heard
?
Mac or PC ?
VICTOR BAILEY :
I'm a MAC guy.
I haven't ever used a
PC..... so, I can't say one way or the other.
Once again ....the
music will be either happening or not.
Oceans or Mountains ?
VICTOR BAILEY :
I can't swim.... so,
I have to go with the mountains.
Ha
ha ha ha….
Live or Studio
VICTOR BAILEY : I like it when the music sounds
great.
Ok.
Bluegrass or Classical
VICTOR BAILEY :
“
Bluegrassical “
Ha ha
ha....
Jazz
or Precision ( Fender bass )
VICTOR BAILEY :
I'm a Jazz Bass
man.It has more sound varieties. Of course we must acknowledge people like
James
Jamerson who had such a great Precision sound.
and....
Paul Jackson ( Head Hunters )
Precisions
feel like I have a TREE in my hands !!
( or a
3x4 )
VICTOR BAILEY : Ha haha….
The Future ?
VICTOR BAILEY :
I hope the future
brings some new music.
Well....THAT’S on US !!!
VICTOR BAILEY :It's been a long time. Jazz,
r&b, pop, rock, country, fusion, bebop,hip hop-these are all musics of the twentieth
century, and we're in the 21st ......
Yea,
well..... folks' VCR's still blink 12:oo am !
People
don't like to think !!
(
especially, if you're gonna do it for them ! )
Have U
seen a "McDonalds" cash register ?!?!
(
picture pages )
And,
when U order a computer now.....
All of
the connection cables are "color-coded"
...&
the software is ALREADY installed
Education
: "It melts in yo' mind !!"
You’ve
definitely put it down out there & STILL …..
VICTOR
BAILEY :
Thanks, though
I feel I've only scratched the surface. I
played grooves for people for so long, in my own inimitable way,but grooves none the
less.I have so much more to say than that and hope I can grow into saying it all while
making some good music along the way.
Keep
Pushin' Vic !
And,
Keep Tellin' "THE TRUTH"
VICTOR
BAILEY :
Can't stop.
Yeah, that's wha's wrong wit da vibe right now.
Mufuckas don't
be sayin' how shit IS !!!
Everybody
'spose to be a "Bad Kat" if they're doing well ?!?
I'm never one
to HATE on 'em .....but , Let's keep dis shit Ree-yall !
Peace
to all *Real* musicians out there, let's keep doin' it.
HOLLA!
Aiiiiiiight, Mayne !!!!!
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