Western Swing Bass: An Interview with Dick Gimble by S.K. Wallace Favorite Career Highlights вЂњRecording and performing with my dad [legendary fiddler Johnny Gimble] which has led to sessions and shows with Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Floyd TillmanвЂ¦ I really enjoyed playing on the seven or eight segments of Austin City Limits that included Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Charlie Pride, Tom T. Hall, and others. Performing with Carrie Underwood at the 2007 Grammys... July 4th at the Washington Monument with the Texas PlayboysвЂ¦ every gig IвЂ™ve been pleased to play with my daughter Emily Gimble!вЂќ Education and Experience вЂў 1965-68: Johnny Gimble, high school jazz band вЂў 1968-70: McLennan Community College and University of Texas Jazz Programs вЂў 1970-72: Nashville Studios вЂў 1972-81: Gigland in Austin, TX вЂў 1981- present: Music faculty at McLennan Community College, Waco, TX photo credit: Marilynn Gimble Current Gigs вЂў Faculty jazz ensemble at McLennan Community College where I teach bass and music business management вЂў The Gimbles (Johnny, Dick, and Emily) вЂў Dick Gimble and Friends вЂў Several music camps throughout the summer Preferred Music Styles вЂњSwing, Funk, LatinвЂ¦ anything improvised and free and that has harmoniesвЂ¦вЂќ SK: What are the key elements of style in playing bass for Western Swing? DG: вЂў вЂў вЂў вЂў A solid вЂњ2 beatвЂќ feel behind vocals or instrumental melodic versesвЂ¦ usually the standard root вЂ“ 5th on beat 1 and 3 with an occasional walk to the next chord A walking 4/4 line behind improvised solos and swinginвЂ™ solo sections Lyrical quality A good sense of time with a feel for swing SK: How would you compare and contrast aspects of playing Western Swing bass with other musical styles? DG: I enjoy playing a fairly broad spectrum of bass styles that are not swingвЂ¦ classic rock and country, Latin and funk, classic jazz and fusion, contemporary Christian and gospel. IвЂ™ll say that most of those styles are in contrast to swing because of the straight eighth note feel. However, classic jazz (of course) some of the old country tunes of the 1940s and вЂ�50s, some gospel, and even that funky ВЅ time hip-hop feel can take a good walkinвЂ™ swing bass line. SK: In Texas/Western Swing music, there has always been so much emphasis on fiddle and guitar, the latter of which almost co-opts the role of the bass. [e.g. IвЂ™ve heard that Eldon Shamblin said he developed his style of guitarplaying to cover for a bad bassist.] Why isnвЂ™t there more general focus on and attention to the bass? DG: ItвЂ™s a good thing thereвЂ™s all that emphasis вЂ“ with those little-bitty instrumentsвЂ¦ they need all the help they can get! I believe the sound of the bass on all those sessions (back when they made the real Western Swing records) was so far back in the mix that it was more of a feel than an actual sound. Fiddle, steel, and guitar jump out right at you. Bass, piano, and drums were in the background laying down the foundation of the music for the lead players to ride upon. Like J.R. Chatwell told my dad, вЂњA man ainвЂ™t no better than his rhythm section.вЂќ SK: How does a bass find its lines in a style that is so eclectic and jazzy without exactly falling into the same patterns of straight-ahead jazz or country? How is the idiom defined? DJ: OooeeeвЂ¦ One tricky questionвЂ¦ The jazz of the 1930s and вЂ�40s was swing. Western Swing is jazz played on stringed instruments. (Fancy cowboy garb instead of suits & tiesвЂ¦) One big difference is that the jazz idiom became more complex harmonically while Western (Texas) Swing continued to work with a simpler chord progression: 1 4 5/1 67 27 57/ even 1 57. But, the players were free to play jazz alterations and extensions as they felt it. I sвЂ™pose the idiom is defined as вЂњcow jazz.вЂќ SK: How do you keep the guitar from stepping on your toes or vice versa? DG: I was way blessed to play lots of gigs and to record several albums in a rhythm section with Eldon Shamblin. We never once concerned ourselves with вЂњstepping on each otherвЂ™s toes!вЂќ He was sitting in a chair, and I stood at the left side of the drummer! NawwwвЂ¦ Now, the truth is, with the bass line and to complement what I was playing, he was usually an octave and a 3rd above me. And, when we came close on a pitch, it was at least a 5th or 6th away and always a passing toneвЂ¦ nobody hurt! SK: Discuss aspects of electric versus acoustic/upright bass in Western Swing music. In some traditions (e.g. bluegrass, accompaniment for contest-style fiddling) electric bass is strictly verboten. How did electric bass come to be used in Western Swing? Was there any resistance to it? Is there a preference between the two? DG: When I first came to dad and told him I wanted a bassвЂ¦ my wish at fifteen years old was for a Fender PrecisionвЂ¦ He said, вЂњIвЂ™ll help you buy a bass fiddle so you can learn how a вЂ�realвЂ™ bass is supposed to sound!вЂќ It took me two years of playing that old Kay before I could afford a bass guitar and amplifier. IвЂ™m thankful he put me through that. Because itвЂ™s such a hassle to transport an acoustic bass, IвЂ™ve purchased two solid-body upright basses: Cleavinger and ZetaвЂ¦ nice instruments, but they sound like big olвЂ™ bass guitarsвЂ¦ not the real deal. I have an acoustic fretless bass guitar that I love to play, GoodinвЂ™вЂ¦ I can make it sound вЂ�almostвЂ™ like my KayвЂ¦ but people always come up and say вЂњWhere is Blondie?! It just ainвЂ™t the same.вЂќ I believe they are right. An upright bass with the tone right cannot be replaced by an electric bass guitar. Electric bass came into Western Swing because of convenience, not because of tone. I remember Dad saying, вЂњWhen you turn it up enough to hear it, then itвЂ™s too loud.вЂќ SK: LetвЂ™s talk about slapping in Western Swing: Who slaps; who doesnвЂ™t, and what do you think about it? DG: Who slaps? Kevin Smith, Mark Rueben, Jake Erwin with the Hot Club of CowtownвЂ¦ I love them all. I slap a little, usually when the drummer begins to stray from the original tempo, but it hurts my hands, dangit! Okay, then, what I think about itвЂ¦ I love to hear slappers slapвЂ¦ even if it is rude. If I traded вЂ�foursвЂ™ bass soloing with any of my friends mentioned earlier, the applause meter would tip in their favor. However, my quest is to create a melodic bass line that complements the singer or instrumentalists IвЂ™m backing up or to play a lyrical bass soloвЂ¦ one that tells a short story with notes and pitches rather than rhythm. SK: What is your best advice to a bassist who wants to learn to play swing music? DG: 1. Get a decent upright and pick-up. 2. Study some music theory: chords, chord progressions. 3. Find some like-minded friends to play with. 4. ListenвЂ¦ listenвЂ¦ listen to the great swing music of the 1930s and вЂ�40sвЂ¦ Ray Brown and any bassman with the Basie band. For more information, see DickвЂ™s website at www.DickGimble.com. Note: S.K. recently returned from another Johnny Gimble Western Swing Week, June 30 вЂ“ July 5, 2008, in Taos, NM, where she caught up with the Gimbles and enjoyed their music instruction and performances (as usual!) Johnny Gimble indicates a Nashville System 2 chord to S.K.вЂ™s dad, Charlie, (either that or he wants him to steal second) while S.K. fiddles in the middle. (The Poster Children of Swing Camp 2005)