Reader Spotlight: Heyko Gülicher
Meet Heyko Gülicher, a bassist from Germany who takes on the big task of anchoring a Jamiroquai tribute band dubbed Jamirolike. He says he fell in love with the bass “from the first time [he] played Peter Gunn on an E string”.
Heyko is our player in the spotlight for the week of July 10, 2012.
Bio:
I’ve been brought up in a steady diet of soul, funk, rock, jazz, pop and almost every other conceivable style. After switching from keyboard to bass, I barely knew how to correctly hold the instrument when I joined the newly formed Big Band of the Bochum University – leaving behind three competitors for the bass seat because I was the only one who could read music.
After several years of changing jazz and pop projects (most notably a band called Funky Five for which I wrote a song that Tom Moulton was willing to remix), I found my musical home in Jamirolike – Germany’s only Jamiroquai tribute band.
Location:
Castrop-Rauxel, Germany
Day gig:
I am a lawyer with my own one-man firm.
Years experience:
Since 1986
Bands & Gigs:
Jamirolike is Germany’s only Jamiroquai tribute band. We won the German Pop & Rock Price 2009 in the category “best cover/revival band” and were featured on the official Jamiroquai website. Former and current band members of Jamiroquai have raved about us too.
Gear:
- Music Man Stingray Classic 5
- Various Fender Jazz and Precision basses
- FMC 2×12?
- Genz Benz Streamliner 900
- Emma Discumbobulator
- Akai Deep Impact
- Yamaha NE-1
Why I play the bass:
I started off as a piano player until at one point my band decided they preferred not to carry around my piano anymore. Thus, our then second keyboard player became our only keyboard player, and I was promoted to being the bass player. From the first time I played Peter Gunn on an E-String I was hooked and never looked back.
My bass superpower/claim to fame
I never cease to be curious about music! New sounds, new styles, new chords, new licks – there is still so much to discover! That and the emotional effect that music has on me makes me passionate about music. I am calm, grounded and balanced – which I consider some of a supporting bassist’s best assets.
My influences
- Duck Dunn for showing me that less is more.
- Rocco for his superhuman stamina.
- Jaco for his overall musical genius.
- Jamerson and Carol Kaye for teaching me how to snuck in all those extra notes into a pop song.
- Marcus for his tone.
- Verdine and Bootsy for Funk, dance moves and style.
- Miles and Mingus for everything else.
More on the web:
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