4 BASS MAGAZINE ; ISSUE 4 ; bassmagazine.com
From the Editor
Bass Family,L
ong before album streaming, iTunes,
and digital downloads, I remember
the night of June 23, 2003, when I
rushed out to the local record store at mid-
night to buy the Mars Volta’s debut album,
De-Loused in the Comatorium. For younger
readers out there, we used to have to actual-
ly leave our homes and drive to music shops
to cop the latest records when they were re-
leased, sometimes fighting lines of fans in
the process. But regardless of how it was ob-
tained, I listened to that record on repeat for
months on end. I knew that Flea had record-
ed the bass parts, with a couple of tracks fea-
turing Justin Meldal-Johnsen on upright, but
it wasn’t until a few years later that I learned
that most of the bass lines I idolized on the
album were actually written by Eva Gardner.
I was blown away that a pop-centric play-
er could unleash those brilliant parts that I
had spent weeks learning note-for-note. Shequickly became one of my favorite players to
follow, and before long, every time I turned
on the TV I would see her playing on SNL,
award ceremonies, daytime talk shows, or
late-night musical guest slots with Pink,
Gwen Stefani, Cher, Moby, and Tegan And
Sara. We’re so honored to have her grace our
cover this month and for you to learn more
about such a diverse player — she is a con-
summate professional at the highest level,
not to mention one of the nicest people you’ll
meet in the music realm.
Additionally, we’re thrilled to have in
our pages the other main player behind the
Mars Volta and so many other artists, ped-
al and gear aficionado Juan Alderete, along
with Dream Theater’s mighty John Myung,
Janek Gwizdala, Harmoni Kelley, Fat Mike,
and Dane Alderson, plus the conclusion of
our Abraham Laboriel piece that began last
issue. This edition is also jam-packed with
plenty of other artist features, transcriptions,
reviews, lessons, and insight from the experts
on all things bass. As always, hit me up with
any comments you may have (jon@bassmag-
azine.com), as we’re always listening. Cheers
to the future of bass!Jon D’Auria
Editor-In-ChiefFinding Eva