Aeolian
Platinum Member
At least two people have to be on and together for there to be a groove. The drummer and bass player. Since the drums have a more definitive snap to where they put the beat, they stand out more than the rumble of the bass. So if the foundation isn't there, the drummer is often zeroed in on as the reason. I have a few friends who'd entire criteria for taking a gig is "who is the bass player?". Singer can be a total joke, guitarist can be a complete wanker, but if the money's decent and there's a good bass player on the gig, no problem. Have a great frontline but poor bass player and they'll pass. I had the good fortune the other day at a blues jam to play with New Orleans bluesman Kenny Neal. The good fortune was that the bass player on that rotation was someone who is all about locking with the drummer and making it work. Kenny made it fun for the audience, the bass player made it fun for me.