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Whenever rhythm section guys decide to be candid about what they do, I'm all ears. Horn players sometimes get a lot of attention, but it's the guys in the back line who make all the difference.

Here's Dave Robbins being interviewd by Karen Plato:

"As a sideman the first rule is fitting in. I feel very lucky because I think I get hired to play how I play, not to play like somebody else wants me to play. That makes my job much easier and more enjoyable because I don't have to second guess myself. (for Junction, that's not an issue because there is no single leader)

I do, though, approach every group differently. The bass player has as big if not bigger impact than the leader on how I will approach the group. If the bassist is a swinger or a groover, then I'm goin' in lookin' to swing or groove as hard as I can. If they're more interplay oriented, I won't be looking for that cookin thing, but a more conversational relationship. That same process happens for the whole rhythm section later. With soloists, they are either lookin to float over top of the rhythm section (while it grooves and swings along underneath) or get into interplay with someone. Some soloists only interact with drums and others will look for anyone at anytime. That takes a long time to figure out in a band. In my experience it doesn't happen with pickup bands."


The link to the rest of the interview is on the portal page of this site. For anybody who just skips straight here to the forum, take the time to read some of the interviews on the home page. You'll be glad you did.