Steffans Influences

[werkinsnake]

I am going to be writing a small report about Steffan Lessard, and I was wondering if anyone had any idea who some of his influences were. I've tried Yahoo/Google searches as well as searches on this site and came up with nothing. I was thinking to have Chuck Mingus as one, but I'm hoping for two or three more. If anyone has any Steffan articles or interviews in which he states who has inspired him, please post them. Thanks in advance.

[greppson]

it might help if you spelled his name right: stefan.

other than that, i would say you could try dmband.com and look at his bio.

[werkinsnake]

it might help if you spelled his name right: stefan.

other than that, i would say you could try dmband.com and look at his bio.

Ooops, :monkey uh...sticky F key? I checked the bio a while back. It's fairly rudimentary knowledge though.:shrug

[gregory311]

Lessard has cited his first teacher, Mary Carol, as a big influence. Also, Colin Moulding (XTC) and Jaco Pastorius.

Hope that helps.

J.

[werkinsnake]

Lessard has cited his first teacher, Mary Carol, as a big influence. Also, Colin Moulding (XTC) and Jaco Pastorius.

Hope that helps.

J.

Awesome. Thanks. :thumbsup

[gregory311]

Awesome. Thanks. :thumbsup

You are more than welcome.

J.

[pay4whatuget]

anyone who plays modern electric bass guitar can/should cite jaco as a major influence...

[JG2121]

Jaco is amazing. I really want to get his instrucitonal video.

[don_diego_675]

Hey,

Sorry if i sound overly pretentious, because I never post here, but . . .

First off . . . don't buy the Jaco instructional video. It was during the time when he was really a cocaine and beer junkie. He was quarrantined for two days before shooting it so that he would be 100% sober for the shooting.

Now. Stefan's interview in Bass Player magazine from when Everyday came out lists a lot of his influences. He's a James Jamerson (motown bassist) fiend. You can hear it in all of his playing. I hate to say that I 'sound' like anyone when I play, but I would have to say I sound a whole lot like Fonz, although the first person that people guess I sound like when I play is James Jamerson, so I think that makes that effect a little bit stronger. Also, Stefan is a real big fan of Donald "Duck" Dunn, which you can notice in the badass way that Stefan puts notes over every hit of Carter's bass drum.

Hope this helps.

[JG2121]

Where can I hear some Donald Dunn? I haven't heard of him before...

[don_diego_675]

Donald Dunn played bass for Otis Redding (Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay)...it's all the old old old R&B records that you're going to hear where Stefan got his playing from, because I got into that stuff a little later than I got into DMB, and I instantly heard the resemblance. Also be sure to check out anything that James Jamerson did (almost any Motown/Atlantic hit), and also anything that Prince played bass on. Stefan really digs Prince's bass playing.

[werkinsnake]

Wow, James Jamerson? Now that's interesting. Great bassist, he was able to walk difficult baselines with one finger. Most bassists would need two fingers to play his lines, and they still have trouble. I believe they called his finger "The Claw".

Thanks for the old R&B tip. I listen an play a lot of the Motown music, but for some reason I just never related that style of bass playing to Fonzi. On the other hand, I'm usually listening to sax riffs.:)

By any chance, did they ever put that Stefan interview on the web?

[davephan420]

Lessard has cited his first teacher, Mary Carol, as a big influence. Also, Colin Moulding (XTC) and Jaco Pastorius.

Hope that helps.

J.

almost all bassist are influenced by jaco, IMO, stefan kinda missed the idea of jaco's playing. stefan is in the low end of the bassist spectrum. dmb would be amazing if they had a stand out bassist, he kind just plays the notes and fills the space, no feeling/talent, whatever you want to call it. just my thoughts.

[twosteppinpun]

Donald Dunn played bass for Otis Redding (Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay)...it's all the old old old R&B records that you're going to hear where Stefan got his playing from, because I got into that stuff a little later than I got into DMB, and I instantly heard the resemblance. Also be sure to check out anything that James Jamerson did (almost any Motown/Atlantic hit), and also anything that Prince played bass on. Stefan really digs Prince's bass playing.

More importantly he played in the Blues Brother's Band! :D

[SweetUp&Down40]

stefan is underground incredible - he played a big part in writing songs like Last Stop, Rapunzel (Funk in 5), Dreaming Tree (Stefan's in 7) and Let You Down

[don_diego_675]

almost all bassist are influenced by jaco, IMO, stefan kinda missed the idea of jaco's playing. stefan is in the low end of the bassist spectrum. dmb would be amazing if they had a stand out bassist, he kind just plays the notes and fills the space, no feeling/talent, whatever you want to call it. just my thoughts.


Ummmm...in my ensemble classes, I cop a lot of Stefan's fills, and all my professors eat it up. Stefan is what a bass player should be. A lot of Jaco's stuff is icing on the cake. Stefan has the cake. I'm a bass player that has to get hired for gigs based on the fact that I know how to fit the bass into a playing situation. Most stand-out bassists couldn't rock a I-V-I for their lives. Trust me, I have to study them 7 days a week.

[fox_lyan]

my humble opinion is very simple...

if you have a drumming nemesis like carter in your band, you need a good bassist. a very good one that can fits well with the drum...

[don_diego_675]

my humble opinion is very simple...

if you have a drumming nemesis like carter in your band, you need a good bassist. a very good one that can fits well with the drum...

Agreed, but all a good bass player ever needs to do is find 1 and 3, and occasionally find the rhythmic anticipations. I mean, not to seem like I'm deconstructing my own point, but to get a gig, all you ever have to know is where 1 and 3 are, and maybe a few other things the bass drum is doing.

[werkinsnake]

don_diego, I read in one of your other posts that you attend Berklee. Props to you. Getting in to that school is quite an accomplishment. I'm friends with a guitarist who took classes up there for guitar. Actually, I credit him for much of my knowledge on music theory. Good luck up there.:thumbsup

[JG2121]

Ummmm...in my ensemble classes, I cop a lot of Stefan's fills, and all my professors eat it up. Stefan is what a bass player should be. A lot of Jaco's stuff is icing on the cake. Stefan has the cake. I'm a bass player that has to get hired for gigs based on the fact that I know how to fit the bass into a playing situation. Most stand-out bassists couldn't rock a I-V-I for their lives. Trust me, I have to study them 7 days a week.
:thumbsup
In term of bassists in popular music Stephan is definietly a few steps ahead of the crowd.

[davephan420]

i just think dmb would benefit more if they had a bassist that could at least match the talent of the others in the band. im not saying he isnt good, but i dont think he is up to par.

[JG2121]

i just think dmb would benefit more if they had a bassist that could at least match the talent of the others in the band. im not saying he isnt good, but i dont think he is up to par.

Actually minus carter, he's probably the most talented one...

[dpresti]

Actually minus carter, he's probably the most talented one...

sometimes you have to take it slow with the some people.... and often times... you will never get through to these people.. dont waste your time my friend..

ps.. your statement is correct. however, the musically ignorant dont reallize how amazing stefan really is.

[werkinsnake]

i just think dmb would benefit more if they had a bassist that could at least match the talent of the others in the band. im not saying he isnt good, but i dont think he is up to par.

:ugh Really, Stefan is up there as far as great bassists are concerned. Vic Wooten is the only bassist I can think of who could beat Stefan hands down. There are other great bassists out there, but Stefan is on par or better than most of them.

[davephan420]

sometimes you have to take it slow with the some people.... and often times... you will never get through to these people.. dont waste your time my friend..

ps.. your statement is correct. however, the musically ignorant dont reallize how amazing stefan really is.


first of all, you are wrong in calling someone you know nothing about "musically ignorant". i listen to alot of vic wooten, jaco, and a couple other solo bassists. and when comparing to stefan, he is weak. i never said he was untalented, but i do retract my statement in saying that he isnt up to par, i was getting ahead of myself. someones comment that besides carter he is the most talented is just plain bullshit. show be somewhere where stefan plays something where you were completely blow away and had to replay over and over to actually hear. ive never been too impressed with him. and also, i wonder why he is always turned down so low, i doubt that its because he is "one of the best bassists in the world". hes got talent, but im sticking with my opinion, and you can stick with yours. but your wrong in calling someone musically ignorant, ive been playing the bass for about 4 years now and the guitar for about the same, so i may not have as much knowledge as others. but im far from musically ignorant my friend.

[JG2121]

So whos more musically talented than stefan, if he's not behind carter?

[davephan420]

So whos more musically talented than stefan, if he's not behind carter?


uhh.. that dave matthews guy is ok, but no, stefan is way more talented than him. :ugh

but i guess im just musically impaired and dont understand.

[JG2121]

you said
"someones comment that besides carter he is the most talented is just plain bullshit"
which kinda goes against what I said.
So I asked who you think is better as a way of ending this stupid arguement I thought it was pretty clear.

It seems everytime that there is a thread discussing Stefans talent, someone comes along and immediately declares bullshit. He's the only member of the band it happens for too. Am I the only one that thinks this is stupid?

[dpresti]

hey davephan420...


can you please explain to me this theory that you have that stefan is always "turned down low"... i'm just not seeing this.

[davephan420]

my theory is based off of the fact that you can barely hear him over the others in the band, not a theory, its a fact.

[dpresti]

my theory is based off of the fact that you can barely hear him over the others in the band, not a theory, its a fact.

clean our your ears my friend...

anyone else care to share any thoughts on this subject?

if not..this thread has overstayed its visit

[davephan420]

clean our your ears my friend...

anyone else care to share any thoughts on this subject?

if not..this thread has overstayed its visit


agreed.

[JaZzBounty]

Your kidding right. The only possible explanation for your post has
to be that you're mixing Carter and Stefan's playing together.

Given it's a lower pitched instrument, but that's lower not quieter.
It may be that your being pulled away from his playing by listening
more to the vocal parts or Violin. He's there, you just may need
to actually listen in to the music rather then just having it play
in the background while you're doing something.

He's definitely not turned on lower though. Go back and listen
to the music... Unless you're perhaps talking about the song
Gravedigger? :lol

[werkinsnake]

my theory is based off of the fact that you can barely hear him over the others in the band, not a theory, its a fact.

I always thought that you were supposed to FEEL the bass, not hear it like a soloing instrument. If you think that it's hard to hear Steffan, go listen to some old jazz records where you can barely hear the sound of a giant upright acoustic bass.

[nonewdirections]

bassists i prefer: mike gordon, victor wooten, rob derhak

[don_diego_675]

Mike Gordon: Good, but leaves the groove far too often in search of counterpoint.

Victor Wooten: Why do people even put him on a list like this? HE'S VICTOR FUCKING WOOTEN. There's no need to compare people to him. Quit it!

Rob Derhak: Guilty of musical masturbation on a lot of occasions.

These dont mean I disapprove of your listening choices. I just like pointing out flaws in bassists and finding my own . . . I get three credits of it per semester. :hump