Reggie Scanlan

The New Orleans style
For me, it all starts with the drums. Unlike most popular music, where the drums are relegated to keeping time without getting in the way, in New Orleans music the drum beat really defines what the song is and how it moves, like on [Professor Longhair’s] “Big Chief” or [Stop, Inc.’s] “Second Line.” As a result of this dominant role, the bass, in turn, is totally integrated with the drums—more so than in Motown, Memphis, or Muscle Shoals. A lot of the bass parts are dictated by the drumming, which is why I describe New Orleans bass playing as “angular.” On Meters tunes like “Cissy Strut,” George Porter’s bass line doesn’t have a fat, melodic roll to it, like a James Jamerson part; it sounds more sparse, punchy, and lean. It’s more like in Afro-Cuban music, where the bass is viewed as a pitched drum. That’s my approach: The bass and drums is one big instrument that takes two people to play. The other key factor is that the feel is back in the pocket, as in most Southern music. If I play with a drummer who is right on the beat, it feels like rushing to me.

Playing tips
First, find a drummer who can play the style, or is on the same page with you to try. Next, strip everything down. Whatever you’re thinking of playing, cut it in half, down to the root and 5th in half-time. Then you can start building your part on top of that. Listen to George Porter Jr. on the solo sections of “Cissy Strut” or “Look-Ka Py Py”; he drops back into these root-5 pockets that are so slow and greasy, and they feel great. The simpler you keep it, the funkier it will sound.

Katrina’s effects
Katrina chased the Radiators around, causing gig cancellations first in Florida and then in New Orleans. I evacuated to the north, only to have to leave there when Hurricane Rita loomed. When I finally got back to my home near Tulane University in October, I was relieved to find no damage, although the water got to within six inches of the floorboards. Like everything else, the bass community was ravaged, but the scene is slowly coming back. About half the clubs are open, and with so many regulars still relocated it has opened the door for some younger players, with varied backgrounds. The catch-22 is that even if you have a gig to come back to, housing is at such a premium it’s hard to find a place to stay. Money has been raised to support a musicians’ medical clinic and to replace instruments lost throughout the school system—but the best way to help out is to come to New Orleans, attend shows, and let the musicians know you care.