Originally from London, England, Philpot made his way to New York and wowed the notoriously tough scene with a frightening combination of versatility and virtuosity, playing with Randy Brecker, Bill Evans, and Joel Rosenblatt, among many other jazz heavies. He hooked up with the X-men in 2004 soon after moving to L.A., and he found a chemistry with the notorious meter-manipulator Donati that few could even imagine, let alone hang with. “Virgil likes to throw in some really inspired and unusual stuff on every gig,” Rufus explains, “so you develop your own sense of time to a greater degree than in some other situations. Also, his stamina is intense, so keeping up with that has been inspiring in itself.”
Stamina is exactly what’s required to get through the two musical examples shown here. Ex. 1 is an exercise in pure speed. In Derek Sherinian’s “One Way or the Other” [Mythology, Inside Out, 2004], Rufus cranks out this frenzied odd-time blues lick employing the ultimate economy of motion. Notice how he leaves the first G (2nd note of bar 1) open and then frets the G only two notes later; this makes for easier plucking-hand technique. It also allows the fretting hand’s 3rd finger to release from the high C immediately and get into position for the fretted G (4th note of bar 1). From there, you’re in place to descend to the lower C at the end of the bar.
Unsurprisingly, Philpot’s masterful technique didn’t happen by accident. “Well, it sounds obvious, but I practiced really slowly! That way your brain-to-hand coordination seems to get better and better. I would practice an arpeggio or phrase—say, a Charlie Parker or Mike Brecker lick—and play it in two, three, or four positions on the neck, so I developed some fluidity over different areas of the fingerboard.” Wait a minute, didn’t John Patitucci say something just like that in the May ’07 issue? Funny how the masters do these things in common.
Philpot’s experience as an educator (his instructional materials, including a DVD, are available at www.rufusbass.com) gives him additional insight into technical and musical development. “I encourage my students to transcribe bass lines and solos to help them develop their technique and ear-training skills,” he says. “I am not a fan of technique exercises per se; I prefer to use challenging examples from recorded material to develop and improve areas of technique on the instrument.” Behold, the Advanced Master Class Mission Statement!
Now let’s look at Ex. 2, an excerpt from the Planet X cut “Space Foam” [Quantum, Inside Out, 2007]. This one’s more of a mental exercise, with over-the-bar-line rhythmic figures in 6/8 followed by tricky 4th-interval licks every four bars. The figure in bars 4 and 5—the 1st/2nd/3rd ending—shows how Rufus played it: slightly up the neck for extra meat on the notes (though he still uses the open A after the Bbm descending triad to regain position for the following low D). It’s also possible to play that same lick entirely in 1st position. As Rufus says, “Parts of these examples can be played in a couple of different places on the bass, but it’s up to the individual to find the sweet spot where good tone and fluidity meet.”
Rufus’s bass influences include Mick Karn (“the most unorthodox and brilliantly original fretless … just sheer originality”), Jaco, Percy Jones, Laurence Cottle, Jeff Andrews, Victor Bailey, Anthony Jackson, and flamenco specialist Carles Benavent. But he’s quick to add that “non-bassists like Allan Holdsworth, Paco de Lucia, Mike Brecker, Bob Malach, Bob Mintzer, Joe Zawinul, Karim Ziad, Scott Henderson, and Scott Kinsey figure highly too ... plus, there’s arranger Vince Mendoza, vocalist Björk, and even Coldplay ... pianist Glenn Gould, upright bassist Edgar Meyer, and cellist Jacqueline du Pré.”
Finally, here’s what Rufus has to say to anyone crazy enough to want to sub on a Planet X gig: “Learn to watch and listen to the drummer always. And practice those quintuplets and septuplets at 400 bpm!”
He’s kidding. I think.
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