Baselines

About Me
Ive been playing guitar off and on since the age of 13. I started playing bass because of Phillip Lynott from Thin Lizzyit was my first rock concert, my brother took me. Also, I was really into Kiss and thought Gene Simmons was cool. I still have trouble not playing bass when I play guitar. I continue to throw in bass riffs and runs, especially when playing rhythm guitar. I started playing electric guitar because I wanted to be like Eddie Van Halen or David Gilmore. Sadly, I was never really any good, I could never play the really cool songs or hot licks. I gave up more than once because of the frustration. I always returned to the passion (from time to time) when ever my life got difficult (as life often does). Finally I found the music inside of me and was able to follow the inspirations that were given to me. It took a many years and a lot of self-abuse. I had to hit an emotional rock bottom in my life before I finally saw all the good things I had been given. That seemed to spark all my inspirations. I have my wife and kids to thank for that. They are an endless source of inspiration.

About My Music
My music is a blend of blues, jazz and rock. The music is a sometimes delicate blend and other times a harsh blend of electric rhythms, melodic solos, and bass counter-melodies. My main influences are a diverse group of guitar innovators and legends.
I strive for a sound that is raw yet powerful. I record all the instruments myself, but I take on a different persona for each instrument. Each persona is allowed to add their personal stamp to the music.

About My Altered Egos
Pappy is a very structured musician. He studies music theory and chord progressions. He believes that music is closely related to math, mostly geometry. He writes most of the songs. He believes that chord progressions should actually go some place, so he likes to see lots of movement in his songs. Most of his rhythms have a built in bass line or melody. This allows the other egos be more creative and add counter-melodies.
M6 is a programmer by nature. He works very closely with Pappy on song construction. Not knowing how to plan drums doesnt seem to be a problem for M6. His job is to create rhythms that complement the music. With each song he learns more about making a glorified drum machine (computer) sound more natural. He programs all the drum patterns is MIDI, then we record it as audio. Pappy told him it is hard to play with a computer because it doesnt breathe or take a rest. Although, M6 is responsible for teaching Pappy and the other egos that timing is important, and it has made them better musicians. M6 doesnt know how to play piano either, but with the help of MIDI, hes added some nice touches to our music. He is also invaluable as the sound/recording engineer
Knobs is the bass player that no one ever notices until he makes a mistake. Like most bass players, he is ignored and under-rated--but not by us. Knobs loves playing the bass, and we love his work. We all appreciate the new dimensions that a great bass line or counter-melody can add.
Tweak is not like the other egos. I never meant to be a lead guitarist, and I cant sing, so we created Tweak to add melodies and other interesting sounds to the music. We like to cut him loose so he can express himself fully. We call him Tweak because he is always adjusting his effects pedals (some thing he taught Pappy how to do as well). After Pappy and M6 decide on a drum pattern, Pappy records the Rhythm, then Knobs creates and record the bass parts. Then we let Tweak record three or four solo tracks--just because you never know what might happen. Then we keep what we like and throw out the rest. Luckily Tweaks ego never gets bruised, we think.

MY INFLUENCES:
Robin Trower; Ted Nugent; Jackson Browne; Kenny Burrell; Flea; Sheryl Crow; B.B. King; Gene Simmons; David Grohl; Stevie Ray Vaughan; Walter Brecker; Donald Fagen; Carlos Santana; Lindsay Buckingham; Neil Young; David Gilmore; Jimmy Page; James Taylor; Otis Rush; Alex Liefson; Gordon Lightfoot; Steve Miller; Wes Montgomery; Alanis Morissette; Hiram Bullock; Eddie Van Halen; Sade; Peter Buck; Eric Clapton; Tom Petty; Geddy Lee; George Harrison; Peter Frampton; Larry Carlton; Johnny Marr; Dusty Hill; Nancy Wilson; Mark Tremonti; Billy Gibbons; Keith Richards; Carla Bley; Slash; Jimi Hendrix; Dave Brubeck; Carly Simon; The Edge; Dave Navarro; Martina McBride; Angus Young; Van Morrison; Joe Walsh; Waylon Jennings; David Bowie; Glenn Frey;
Etc., etc.I know I must be forgetting someone.