Larry Graham Archives - Page 2

Larry Graham, as you know, is one of those bass players who can easily take the title of THE MAN. And a new book can teach you how to play the bass lines he created with Sly and the Family Stone. , from Hal Leonard, is the first book to transcribe Graham’s iconic lines on songs like “Dance to the...

In honor of Larry Graham’s birthday today, we wanted to look back at his earlier work with Graham Central Station. This is some serious old school funk right here – with Larry and the band making an appearance on Soul Train – I believe in 1975. Happy birthday, Mr. Graham!

When I started to learn how to slap, “Hair” was the song that stuck with me the most. It’s so much fun to play, and it’s even more fun to watch Larry Graham go wild on it in this clip taken from Japanese television.

Bass legend Larry Graham has released Raise Up, his latest effort with Graham Central Station, following a 13 year recording hiatus. The iconic bassist of Sly and the Family Stone and his own group enlisted the help of Prince – a long time collaborator of Graham’s, as well as songwriter/guitarist/producer Rafael Saadiq. And while it has been 13 years since...

It’s not often a musician can lay claim to changing the way their instrument is played, but Larry Graham is definitely one of those musicians. His story is the stuff of legends – Graham played guitar in his mother’s band. He also sang and played the bass pedals of an organ to fill the bottom end. The organ broke, so...

Photo by Erich Francois Larry Graham and Graham Central Station are back! The slap bass pioneer and his crew have just announced that Raise Up, their first studio album since 1999’s GCS2000, will be dropping on September 25th. With guest appearances from Prince and Rafael Saadiq, Raise Up will include three new versions of classic Graham Central Station songs and...

Yep, you read that right. During an appearance on the Dutch radio show GIEL to promote his European tour, Larry Graham and his band Graham Central Station took current pop music head on by tackling the Maroon 5 tune “Moves Like Jagger”. Armed with his iconic white bass and some gnarly effects, the slap bass innovator nails the tune and...

Here’s a little piece of bass history for you. At the Live Under the Sky Jazz Festival in 1983, the Crusaders were joined by bass legends Stanley Clarke and Larry Graham for an exciting version of “Put It Where You Want It.” After some showmanship between the two bassists, Clarke waves Crusaders bassist Brad Bobo to the front and the...

Here’s a cool clip of Larry Graham taken from an out-of-print instructional video called “Super Slapping Bass.” The funky slap master gets heavy as he demos a few of his favorite effects pedals. Can Larry get any cooler? We think not.

65 years ago today, Larry Graham, Jr. was born in Beaumont, Texas. From Sly & the Family Stone to Graham Central Station, and a whole lot of other projects, he’s credited with the invention of slap bass. Or as Larry calls it, “Thumpin’ and Pluckin’.” Larry is still bringing it… Here’s a clip of Graham Central Station performing “The Jam”...

Bootsy Collins’ Funk University has begun it’s second year of classes. The online funk school’s faculty for this year includes Ron Carter, Verdine White, Jack Bruce, Hansford Rowe, Stanley Clarke, Larry Graham, Jani Hendrix and more. The program, which costs $29.99 a month, includes access to on-demand video lessons, tutorials and lectures on playing and the music business as a...

The lineup for the 2011 Montreux Jazz Festival has been announced, and it will be a solid year for bass lovers. A few of the bassists set to perform include Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding, Larry Graham, Bootsy Collins, Christian McBride, Richard Bona and Marcus Miller, who will be performing as part of a tribute to Miles Davis. The fest is...