From the Bottom: Digging Into Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love” Bass Line
In this episode, I’m digging deep into Tom Tom Club’s iconic song “Genius of Love” from 1981 and Tina Weymouth’s genius bass-playing style.
What makes this bass line so great? What influenced this song? We’ll get into all of this.
I’ll also share a great story about how Tina handed over the bass playing on this song and solve the mystery of who really played it.
Paul Thompson has been playing bass professionally for over 30 years, including recording and touring stints with trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Recent playing credits include Bob Reynolds, John Pizzarelli, Jeff 'Tain' Watts, and Bob James, among others. Currently, he can be seen playing in and around the Pittsburgh, PA area with the THOTH Trio, the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, and many other musicians in the city's rich Jazz community. An educator of over 25 years, Paul currently teaches Jazz Bass at Duquesne University, West Virginia University, and his alma mater, Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 Performing Arts School.
Connect with Paul on Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and his website.
