Maby’s knack for melodically driving the rhythm section allows him leeway most sidemen would envy. “Graham tends to overplay,” says Jackson, “but he does it so well that instead of asking him to play less, I’ll ask the other players to get out of his way. Compared to Graham, other bass players seem like they are fumbling around. He plays with total commitment behind every note, and always has a sound that’s full, but clear. You can always hear what he’s doing, and it always makes sense melodically and harmonically.” Such dynamic pianoman/bassman relationships are rare, and the Jackson/Maby combination is prolific and influential, with hits “Sunday Papers” and “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” just two examples of Maby’s melodic bass anchoring Jackson’s brilliant pop songcraft.

From the opening moments of Jackson’s new album, Rain, it’s clear there’s still chemistry between Jackson, Maby, and longtime drummer Dave Houghton. The trio’s interplay is endlessly interesting, its familiar sound evoking a somehow bitterly sentimental emotional response. When not busy with Jackson, Maby tours with folk icon Joan Baez and former Mott The Hoople frontman Ian Hunter; other gigs have included stints with They Might Be Giants and Natalie Merchant, and appearances on several Marshall Crenshaw records.

How do you capture your bass tone in the studio?
I’m a minimalist in that I don’t like a lot of choices—I’m not a gear head. I have a couple of basses I like, and with the amp miked properly, I keep the EQ as flat as possible, which is always a good idea when you are recording. Joe’s pretty old school, and that applies to the way we record. We track live—with minimal overdubs—and we don’t use Pro Tools. We worked out the new material onstage before we recorded, so we knew it backwards, forwards, and sideways by the time we went into the studio. That’s the way we did it in the early days, and it’s still my favorite, since recreating demos isn’t very satisfying.

What goes through your head when you are working out a part?
Joe often comes in with fully realized compositions in his head and a clear idea of what he wants everyone to do. I play along those lines and add my own stamp. Trusting my instincts and having a good ear has gotten me this far. I’ve been described as melodic, and I suppose that’s true; the bass players I like, such as Colin Moulding [XTC] and James Jamerson, have both a rhythmic and melodic approach. I guess all bass players do that—maybe I’m just busier! I hate overplaying, and yet I think I’m often guilty of that. It’s a constant battle to keep that impulse in check. 

What’s your favorite line on Rain?
I like “Good Bad Boy.” We worked that one up from scratch, and it’s at a breakneck tempo. I still get jazzed playing fast—especially with Dave, because he really drives you along. It’s like somebody’s on your ass the whole time and you’re just running. I’m not very fast with my fingers, so I’ve always tended to use a pick for the faster things. There is a sound you get with a pick that you absolutely cannot get with your fingers. T-Bone Wolk [Hall & Oates] told me that he uses a pick in big venues because sometimes the attack gets lost in boomy environments when you use your fingers. Joe has encouraged me to play with a pick more than other people. He likes the sound, and I think the attack helps him hear the bass onstage with in-ear monitors, which don’t deliver a lot of low end.

How do you approach sessions with other people?
I usually assume they have a sense of my ear and will let me come up with things, but I do encounter rare cases where someone asks me to play with a pick and sound like I did back in the ’80s. I was in love with that sound for a while—flatwound strings on an Ibanez Jazz Bass copy through a Fender amp with the treble cranked all the way up—that was the key. It can be unforgiving, but that’s what I was hearing back then. I fell out of love with it for a while when I played with my fingers and rolled the treble all the way off. You’ve got to go through your phases. 

How would you describe your current phase? 
I’m known for my pick playing, but I’ve developed more fingerstyle chops as I’ve branched out over the years. These days my playing is split about 50/50 between pick and fingerstyle. I feel better than ever, especially on tour. I can still play fast, but with more nuance, subtlety, and restraint.

CAN BE HEARD ON

Joe Jackson, Rain [Ryko, 2008];
Ian Hunter, Shrunken Heads [Yep Roc, 2007]

CURRENTLY SPINNING

Radiohead, In Rainbows [Capitol, 2008]
“On a record this challenging, you just know you’re going to get something new out of every listen—except whatever the hell Thom Yorke is singing!”

GEAR

Basses Spector NS-5
Rig Eden WT-800 World Tour head, Hartke HX410 4x10 cabinet
Strings Dean Markley Medium Light Super Rounds or Rotosound Tru Electric Bass Black Nylon Flatwounds
Pick Herco Heavy