HAVE YOU EVER RUN ACROSS THOSE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE AROUND? THERE SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT THEM. IN SPORTS, LIKE WITH MAGIC JOHNSON , THEY ARE ALWAYS ON THE WINNING TEAM. IN MUSIC, IT’S GUYS LIKE BASSIST NATHAN EAST.
IN THE BIBLE, PEOPLE WERE ATTRACTED TO JOSEPH BECAUSE HE HAD “GOD’S FAVOR.” HE DIDN’T HAVE AN EASY LIFE, BUT EVERYTHING HE TOUCHED SUCCEEDED. SIMILARLY, ARTISTS AS FAR RANGING AS HERBIE HANCOCK TO ERIC CLAPTON FIND SOMETHING SPECIAL IN EAST’S PLAYING AND PERSONA.
BESIDES BEING A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE 25 YEAR OLD BAND FOURPLAY, EAST HAS BEEN IN BANDS AND ON RECORDINGS WITH HANCOCK, CLAPTON, PHIL COLLINS, GEORGE HARRISON, QUINCY JONES, ANITA BAKER, AL JARREAU AND EVEN BARRY WHITE! AND, AS WITH MOST ARTISTS WHO HAVE BEEN BLESSED BY GOD, EAST CONTINUES TO BE GRATEFUL, THANKFUL AND WILLING TO GROW AS AN ARTIST AS A PERSON. HE SEES HIS CAREER AS A REASON TO BE INSPIRED TO IMPROVE BOTH ARTISTICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY.
WITH SUCH A FULL RANGED CAREER, IT’S SOMETHING OF A SURPRISE THAT IT’S TAKEN THIS LONG FOR EAST TO PUT OUT A SOLO ALBUM, SELF TITLED, WHICH CAME OUT IN 2014. HIS RECENT DUO ALBUM WITH BOB JAMES (THE NEW COOL) IS A RICH TAPESTRY OF MUSICAL CONVERSATIONS THAT IS GETTING LOTS OF ATTENTION AS WELL.
WE RECENTLY CAUGHT UP WITH NATHAN EAST, IN-BETWEEN TOURS.
YOU GREW UP IN SAN DIEGO, NOT EXACTLY A BASTION OF JAZZ, IS IT?
I was born in Philadelphia, and spent a few years there before moving to San Diego, but we used to go back every summer. I would get together and jam with Philly musicians and soak up some of the influence of the music scene there which was cool.
But there was a pretty nice scene in San Diego with lots of great players like James Moody, Charles McPherson, Mike Wofford, Hollis Gentry, Bob Magnusson, Peter Sprague.. Burt Turetzky was my contrabass instructor at UCSD as well as Cecil Lytle. My best friend was Carl Evans, Jr. of the group Fatburger, Steve Laury, John Auzin…a lot of music was going on with lots of opportunities to play.
YOU ALSO GREW UP PLAYING IN THE CHURCH
Every Sunday we were in a church. We were sort of a religious hybrid; my father was a Baptist who went to a Methodist church, but we were raised Catholic with an aspiring priest in the family. So, we integrated the faiths, and were attending St. Rita’s or Christ the King Catholic church one Sunday then Chollas View Methodist church the next.
When the folk masses became popular, my older brothers Ray and David were involved. They would compose music for the liturgy every Sunday then go to church and play it. That’s when I discovered the bass guitar!
HOW DID GOING TO CHURCH AFFECT YOU MUSICALLY?
There’s a lot of music coming out of most churches. Go down the block on any Sunday and you’ll hear great music. In fact, I love attending this particular church in Fiji (we used to go there a lot) and the timbre of the voices you hear and the music flowing out is something very special.
Music is a quite a spiritual experience, whether it’s a Gregorian Chant or “Hey Lordy Mama” gospel, there’s a nerve that it touches, and it’s even more majestic when you’re in a house of worship.
HOW ABOUT PERSONALLY?
Well, I think the gospel inspires one to try and be a better person, highlight humanity and live in harmony with your fellow brothers and sisters. The church provides a path to peace,happiness and a meaningful life.
For me, it gave me a clue that there is a holy spirit, a Higher Power that guides me on my journey. One of my daily prayers is “Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace” ..from St. Francis.
DO YOU STILL GO TO CHURCH?
Absolutely. When I’m in DC my brother (Msgr. Ray East) has a parish in Anacostia called Saint Teresa of Avila and I’ve been there a lot recently. It’s a wonderful mass to attend if you’re ever in the area.We attend a church called In His Presence in the San Fernando Valley which is non-denominational. Jonathan Butler used to be the musical director there, so I’d make sure to get there early! I also recently discovered Agape Church in Los Angeles and love it!
YOUR SPIRITUAL WALK CONFIRMS A THEORY OF MINE. WHEN SOMEONE HAS A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, OTHER PEOPLE CAN SENSE GOD’S FAVOR IN HIM OR HER, AND WANT THEM TO BE PART OF THEIR TEAM, INEVITABLY BRINGING A BLESSING TO THEIR MUSIC. SORT OF LIKE JOSEPH HELPING OUT PHARAOH DURING THE FAMINE.
Wow! You’ve said a lot there! I thank God for every breath He allows me to breathe. A spiritual walk is important to me however, you don’t necessarily want to hit people over the head with your beliefs. It’s a very personal thing.
LIKE THAT LINE BY ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, “PREACH THE GOSPEL AT ALL TIMES; USE WORD IF NECESSARY.”
Exactly! And so there’s a fine line. Nowadays I wonder what God thinks, as so many organized religions seem to spiritually divide more than unify.
IT’S THE SAME WITH MUSIC. IT USED TO UNITE PEOPLE, BUT NOW IT SEEMS TO DIVIDE. THAT”S WHY IT’S SO INTERESTING THAT YOU ARE SO “ECUMENICAL” IN WHOM YOU PLAY WITH, RANGING FROM FOURPLAY TO ERIC CLAPTON
I don’t really observe the labels and boundaries of musical genres, I approach music with sort of a hybrid mentality… if I’m in a rock & roll scenario, for instance, I’ll try to insert a little jazz or funk and vice versa where I can mix the flavors a bit.
We all have the same notes to work with. So why limit our imaginations just to fit into any one particular label?
HOW DID ERIC CLAPTON FIND YOU?
What a dear and close association we’ve had for 35 years! I was introduced to him, it was almost fate (Ed Note-here we go again with God’s favor!) when I worked with Phil Collins on the Phillip Bailey “Chinese Wall” album, Phil took me by a pub out in the English countryside. I met Eric there one night, but it was just to say “hello” and that we were working together.
Shortly after I played Live Aid with Kenny Loggins, with Eric standing on the side of the stage ready to go on with Phil Collins, I came off and he said, “Let’s get together.”
We then met on the sessions for his album Behind the Sun (1985), his producer Lenny Waronker had a stable of musicians; me , Jeff Porcaro, Steve Lukather and that gang. We really hit it off in the studio.. Obviously, when Eric put the band together with me and Phil Collins and Greg Phillinganes it became a love of all of our lives and we toured for a few years with it, doing 24 Nights and a world tour. Last year we played Eric Clapton’s 70th birthday celebration at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Lots of fun; seven nights there and a couple nights at Madison Square Garden.
To this day Eric and Phil are still so much fun to be around and make music with. I feel like the most blessed guy in the world to just be able to jump right on stage with them.
HAVE YOU EVER ASKED CLAPTON WHY HE KEEPS YOU?
(laughs) I’m just glad that we’ve been hanging tough all of these years. To be honest, every job I’ve ever had, whenever the call comes, I’m just grateful.
When Quincy Jones calls you for a Michael Jackson record, you do it and he calls you for the next one…that’s the highest honor, for me, the call back is really the most gratifying thing.
A DOCTOR ONCE TOLD ME “YOU CAN GET ANY FOOL TO COME TO YOU ONE TIME. THE REAL TEST IS IF HE TRUSTS YOU ENOUGH AND COMES IN FOR THE SECOND VIST
This is very true…many of the people that I work with now, I have been working with for more than 35 years.
Life is all about relationships. So that’s what I try to focus on, creating long lasting relationships. When you work with great people it’s easy, similar to a marriage.
HOW DID YOU INITIALLY JOIN UP WITH JAMES AND FOURPLAY, NOW THAT YOU’RE CELEBRATING 25 YEARS TOGETHER?
When Bob came to Los Angeles to record his solo album ‘Grand Piano Canyon’ in 1990, he asked Lee (Ritenour) and Harvey (Mason), with whom he’d known and played with on several occasions, who he should hire as a bassist. Independently, they both said my name. I had nothing to do with it except play.
So per their recommendation, the four of us got together, and that was the first time I worked with Bob. I was always a big fan, going back to the 70s. The chemistry was just so great on that session, and Bob being an A&R man at Warner Brothers suggested “Hey, I bet we can get a deal as a quartet.” Just like that.
So he went to the label with the concept. We were signed the next day and shortly there after were in the studio recording our first album.
WHAT HAS MADE IT LAST FOR A QUARTER OF A CENTURY? LONGER THAN MANY MARRIAGES!!!
I think it’s the music, first of all. The camaraderie and friendship is next, and then the fact that everyone is a gentleman and we enjoy what we do. We also have a level of gratitude for the opportunity to make music together.
YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE AN INTIMATE WALK WITH GOD. DO YOU EVER TALK ABOUT SPIRITUAL THINGS WITH FELLOW MUSICIANS SUCH AS HANCOCK OR CLAPTON? OR, DO YOU JUST TRY TO KEEP DEFERENTIAL SINCE THEY ARE HIRING YOU?
As you probably know, Herbie (Hancock) has been practicing Buddhism for more than 40 years of his life.
I chant with Herbie and Wayne Shorter and feel like it’s a practice that helps tap into the harmony and rhythm of life.
Eric talks to me; he mentioned “God must have a mission for me because I’m still here doing this.” Whether we sit in a room together and have a conversation, or just meditate in silence before a performance, it unifies the collective spirit of the group. We pray before we go out on stage with every band that I’m in.
DO YOUR HAVE TO SHIFT YOUR MUSICAL GEARS WHEN YOU GO FROM HANCOCK’S TYPE OF JAZZ FOURPLAY TO CLAPTON’S BLUESY ROCK?
To me, it’s just all music and so seamless going from one to the other. All of these guys that I play with were on my “playlist” when I was growing up. I listened to Hendrix, Clapton, Herbie, Quincy Jones, Earth, Wind and Fire, Wes Montgomery, Chicago. I was all over the map.
This is probably why when I made my record it was all a combination of my favorite music and musicians.
YEAH! YOU FINALLY PUT OUT YOUR OWN ALBUM! WHAT WAS THE IMPETUS?
One was the fact that I was in Fourplay and I was the only one that did not have a solo album out there. Also, to be honest, after twenty years of interviews with people asking “When are you going to make a Nathan East album?” I was finally able to do it and get everyone that’s been hounding me off my back! LOL
Besides, I’ve been so busy having the time of my life playing with everybody…I was just looking at some photos of me playing with George Harrison. You gotta just wake up every day and pinch yourself with these kind of gigs.
But then, it’s also been so much fun putting out an album and embarking on my own solo career. I feel like there’s a brand new chapter in my life, something I actually haven’t done in the 35 years since I’ve been doing this. It’s a whole new game and I’m loving it, too!
WHAT ADVISE WOULD YOU GIVE A YOUNG BASS PLAYER ON MAKING A SUCCESSFUL CAREER?
First of all, you’re going to have to love it and be ready to just go into the trenches. Sometimes you’re not going to even get paid, but just play the bass whenever you can. Establish a solid foundation.
I do clinics at many of the colleges around the world and have my own online school of electric bass. (www.nathaneastbass.com) The one thing that I stress is that “although you can practice some really fast and impressive licks in your bedroom, music and playing bass is about a conversation, a dialogue between you and the other players either on stage or in the studio.” It’s not something that is pre-determined; you have to go in there, listen and play what’s right. To this day I select every note with the greatest of care based on what I’m hearing from the musicians around me.
HAS THERE BEEN A POINT IN YOUR CAREER, AFTER PLAYING ALL THESE GIGS THAT YOU’VE SAID “HEY, I’VE MADE IT!”
I haven’t reached that point yet!
IT’S JUST LIKE FAITH. THE APOSTLE PAUL EVEN SAYS “NOT THAT I’VE ARRIVED, BUT I PRESS FORWARD”
The more I learn, the more I realize how much there is to learn. My daughter Sara is a competitive gymnast. She works so hard in the gym for about 4-6 hours almost every day of her life. I think to myself, “If I did ANYTHING with that much diligence I’d be a million times better!
I’m always very thankful for the calls, gigs and the career that I have, but I do realize that there’s so much more to learn.
ONE LAST QUESTION FOR A GUILTY PLEASURE: TELL ME ABOUT PLAYING WITH BARRY WHITE!!!
(laughs) It was the thrill of a lifetime. I was just 16 years old, and at that time Barry was just making hit after hit after hit. I loved it; what an introduction to the real world of music! To play Madison Square Garden in a tuxedo with the Love Unlimited Orchestra to a full house…the Apollo Theatre…the Kennedy Center…it was then that I knew I was hooked!
I’ll be forever grateful to him for showing me how to come up with bass lines. Barry came up with some of the greatest bass lines. For a lot of those songs he would just come around and sing the bass part to me which was a fascinating process of recording. I tell people I went to “Barry White University.”
HOW IS YOUR VOCAL IMPERSONATION OF BARRY WHITE? YOU MUST HAVE IT DOWN!
RIGHT ON!!!
NATHAN EAST’S CAREER IS A REFLECTION OF HIS DEVOUT FAITH, AS HE BECOMES ‘ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN’ TO REFLECT GOD TO THEM. LIKE THE RISING SUN, HE SHINES HOPE, AND WITH HIS FAITH IN THE RISEN SON, HE OFFERS HOPE TO A WORLD VIA MUSIC TO AN EVEN GREATER, MORE ETERNAL, SONG.
CHECK OUT HIS SOLO AND DUET ALBUM AND HAVE SOME LIGHT SHINE IN YOUR LIFE.