James Taylor with Leland Sklar: Your Smiling Face, Live 1988
I was going through my records this weekend and realized just how many of them feature the tasteful bass lines of Leland Sklar. Of course, that sent me into a Sklar phase on YouTube, which led me to this great version of James Taylor’s “Your Smiling Face” from 1988.
His playing on this track is the perfect mix of anchoring the song while adding melodic flourishes at just the right moments. This bass line has and will continue to inspire scores of bassists. (For more on Sklar’s take on the song, check out our Stories Behind the Songs interview.)
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
Great bass line!
Yeah, for sure! Lee is an amazing bassist!
Leland you’re timeless , good song.
I first learned Leland’s name from stumbling on his own Youtube channel during the covid lockdowns, but once I paid attention, it’s AMAZING how many of my favorite songs he is playing in. Definitely a big musical influence on me, and I had no idea.. He’s awesome.