Episode 46 Nathan East: Premier Bass Player with Over 2000 Recordings!

With over 2,000 recordings, Nathan East is considered one of the most recorded bass players in history! He is a founding member of the GRAMMY-nominated contemporary jazz band Fourplay and has recorded, performed, and/or co-written songs with a huge number of major artists including Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel, Whitney Houston, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Phil Collins, Toto, Daft Punk, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, The Bee Gees, Steve Winwood, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Earth Wind & Fire, Savage Garden, Sting, Michael McDonald, The Isley Brothers, Joe Satriani, and that's just some of them! The list goes on and on! You should also be aware that Nathan has released two incredible solo albums, with the most recent being Reverence in 2017 which hit the #1 spot on both the Jazz albums and the Contemporary Jazz albums Billboards charts. Nathan discusses his earliest memory of music moving him emotionally and also describes his innate musical ability as a gift and one of the first miracles of his life. He reflects on his first major break having worked with Barry White and where he went from there. He enthusiastically describes his experiences having worked with artists like Quincy Jones, Chick Corea, Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Michael McDonald, and others, and he talks about topics such as the differences between touring and recording, whether or not his mindset changes between recording different genres of music, whether or not he struggles with any difficulties in his profession, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted him. He closes by briefly touching upon his work as a teacher via the Nathan East Online School of Bass out of ArtistWorks, humbly asserting that he still learns plenty by teaching. Andy describes his chat with Nathan East as an incredible conversation and really appreciated this opportunity to talk to Nathan. He would be very appreciative if you would help build the community by sharing this podcast with friends and fellow musicians and lovers of music! A great review would also be very helpful and appreciated! Show Highlights: [0:10] – Andy gives us some background information on Nathan East. [2:38] – Nathan shares his earliest memory of being emotionally moved by music. [3:14] – We learn that Nathan was only sixteen when he got his first big break playing with Barry White. [4:28] – Nathan discusses his stint with Quincy Jones playing on Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall album. [6:02] – Nathan shares where he believes musical ability at such a young age comes from. [7:45] – Nathan justifies why he lists Paul McCartney as an influence on him as a bassist. [9:16] – We discover how Nathan went about finding his signature sound as a bass player. [11:04] – Nathan reflects on his general approach and mindset when he is playing in a more supportive role and shares what his experience working with Whitney Houston was like. [13:45] – Andy and Nathan discuss a quote that is on Nathan's website about how Nathan loves the element of surprise when it comes to the recording process. [15:20] – Nathan expounds upon the touring process and how it differs from recording and talks about having worked with Chick Corea. [18:05] – Andy and Nathan enthuse over Nathan's work with Phil Collins. [19:38] – Nathan details the process of having co-written “Easy Lover,” recorded by Phil Collins. [22:09] – We hear about Nathan's collaboration with Michael Jackson. [24:27] – Nathan tells Andy about his experience having worked with Stevie Wonder. [26:00] – We learn about Nathan's collaboration with Peter Gabriel. [26:41] – Nathan recounts his work on a Beyoncé song and working with David Foster. [27:51] – Nathan praises Michael McDonald's artistry and personality. [28:54] – Nathan describes his process of writing instrumental pieces. [30:16] – We hear Nathan discuss some of his favorite drummers and what elements make a drummer especially good. [32:56] – Nathan offers advice to young people who might want to become musicians like he is, asserting that every single note you play should be important. [34:40] – Andy and Nathan have a conversation about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it affected Nathan. [37:40] – We learn who Nathan will likely be touring with in 2022. [39:35] – Nathan discusses and describes what kind of gear he is currently using to play bass. [40:52] – Nathan enthusiastically states that there is still plenty for him to learn and gives his students at ArtistWorks a nod. LINKS & RESOURCES Nathan’s Website Nathan’s Facebook Page ArtistWorks - Website Mentioned in this Episode: The Music Makers – Episode 45 Steve Ferrone: Celebrity Session and Touring Drummer Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - “More Love” The Beatles - “Nowhere Man” Whitney Houston - “Saving All My Love for You” Whitney Houston - “The Greatest Love of All” Hubert Laws - “Ravel's Bolero” Phil Collins - “Easy Lover” Michael Jackson - “I Just Can't Stop Loving You” Stevie Wonder - “Overjoyed” Beyoncé - “Listen” Lee Ritenour - “Mr. Briefcase” Nathan East & Michael McDonald - “Moondance”   Follow The Music Makers: The Music Makers on Instagram   The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection.   Sponsor: Kushner Entertainment   Check out Andy's Other Podcast: The Wedding Biz