Reader Spotlight: Richard Scott

Meet Richard Scott, a bassist with a longstanding history on the instrument in the L.A. area. Richard is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight. (You can be next).

Here’s his story…

Bio:

I’m a funky bass player in the Los Angeles area. I’ve played with a lot of different people in the LA area, I used to hang out and play with Flea and RHCP (when they were What Is This), the Bangles, War, La Ley, Klymaxx and many others. I was friends with Flea for a while, but he got big and moved on to other things. I still follow him and am really glad for his incredible success. I love funky music and one of my goals is to keep Funk alive! Right now I’m trying modern funk like Bruno Mars, Daft Punk, Maroon 5, the Weeknd, those types of grooves. I’m hoping to get into soundtrack music for commercials, TV shows, or movies. Not much interested in the record deal thing.

Location:

Lancaster, CA (Los Angeles)

Years experience:

I started playing when I was a teenager. That was quite a few decades ago.

Why I play the bass:

I was a teenage kid trying to sneak into a grown-up party, and the DJ played “The Jam” by Graham Central Station. I was blown away and I have been hooked on the funky bass ever since. Before that, I played the cello.

Gear:

• Fender Jaguar Bass
• Fender Amp

My Influences:

Bootsy Collins (my fave), Rick James, Prince, Michael Jackson, Larry Graham, Sly Stone, Ray Parker Jr., P-Funk, Foxy, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, new wave bands, rock music, disco, pop funk, punk funk, modern funk.

My bass superpower/claim to fame:

I can sing, play, dance, and perform at the same time. It is easy for me to do. I’ve met many bass players who can’t or have a hard time doing it. I found out about your site because No Treble featured a bass player I follow who is always seated while playing. I’ve had many battles with bass players who say I move around too much, I do, but that’s my problem. The video link I sent will prove my point.

More on the web:

• Youtube