Reader Spotlight: Edward Baida

Meet Edward Baida, a bassist from New York and our player in the spotlight for October 19, 2010.

Bio:

I’m a 21-year-old bass guitar player about to be a senior in college at Boston University. Playing music is how I’d like to make a living for myself, and making a living for myself is a reality I am going to have to face very shortly. I grew up in a household with a strong appreciation for music, and when I was a baby, my mother would sit me in her lap while she played piano. That had a major impact on me, and I have played both piano and drums before settling on the bass. For the past eight years I have been focused on bass, and am hoping that the hours I have put in over those years will help me make a career that I love and am passionate about.

Location:

New York, New York, USA

Day gig:

Student

Years experience:

A little bit over eight years

Bands & Gigs:

I was in the Boston University Big Band last year, which was a great experience and a lot of fun. It was probably the most formal and structured setting I’ve ever played music in and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Outside of that, the last band I was in was a couple of years ago and we gigged around New York a bit… had a lot of fun and made some groovy, funky music.

Gear:

• Fender American Jazz Bass with Seymour Duncan Basslines STK-J1 pickups
• Fender American Jazz Bass V with Lindy Fralin pickups
• Ampeg SVT-4 Pro head
• Ampeg SVT 410 HE cabinet
• Gallien Krueger MB150S-112 combo amp (which, by the way, is a tank)

Why I play the bass:

I remember being in a middle school band as one of two drummers, and at one point in the year we were playing a song (if I remember correctly, it was “Wipeout” by the Surfaris) so as one of two drummers and not wanting to sit out for the song I said, “I think I can play this bass line,” and the rest is history.

In retrospect, it was a perfect move for me because as a drummer, I was highly involved in the rhythmic aspects of music, but also with my previous background playing piano, I wanted to be involved with the melodic and harmonic aspects as well. So bass is a happy middle ground for me. Plus, we all know that there are way too many guitarists out there…

My bass superpower/claim to fame

Don’t really have one… several years ago I was playing (with the band I just mentioned) at a bar in downtown Manhattan and we played “The Chicken” and a guy came up to me afterwards and told me that I handled the Jaco lines and captured the feel better than he’s ever heard. I don’t know how super that is…

My influences

Such a tough question. Jaco, Jamerson, et al… those are the obvious roots. I also really, really love Oteil Burbridge and Pino Palladino. Those are two guys I really try to – and hope to continue to – learn from by listening to their recordings. Oteil plays really beautiful melodic lines and grooves so hard. I think he adds a tremendous amount to The Allman Brothers Band. And Pino is great… he fills the space just right, and that’s something that’s so hard to teach and to learn.

There are just far too many influences to make a list… whenever I listen to music, if I hear a bass line I like or even just one fill, I’ll try to go back and listen to it again.

More on the web:

• Official Website (though it’s only in the very first stages of its life)
• Myspace
• Twitter