It's a wonderful thing to discover bassists you weren't necessarily aware of, but whose passion for and remarkable ability on the bass is something you want to rush out and shout to the world. Such is the case with Amanda Ruzza - a bassist we think every bassist should know. We were privileged to interview Amanda recently and present this remarkable musician herewith.
Enjoy!
Ed.
Born in São Paulo, Brazil to a Chilean mother who loved opera and an Italian father who loved rock n’ roll, AMANDA RUZZA developed an eclectic musical ear at an early age. She was introduced to her family’s different cultures and languages during her childhood, and soon became fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and English. There were always records playing at her house and music is one more language that she learned to use to communicate across international cultural boundaries. AMANDA started playing bass at the age of 12, and by age 13, she was already gigging regularly, performing Brazilian jazz, funk, and folkloric music in clubs, concerts and festival venues throughout her country. From 1999 to 2002 she worked with renowned Brazilian producers and arrangers, including Grammy Award-winner Moogie Canazio, Maestro Jobam and Sony Music Japan's Osny Mello.
After performing in Brazil for nine years, AMANDA spent two semesters at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. As the recipient of the highly competitive Latin American World Tour Scholarship, she studied bass performance and contemporary writing and production with Fernando Huergo, Anthony Vitti, and Bruce Gertz, among others. In 2003, AMANDA began touring and recording with the all-girl country band, Mustang Sally, based in Nashville, Tennessee, the Country Music Capital of the World. With a rugged touring schedule of 262 days a year, she performed in 43 states and four countries. While in the band, she worked with country music producer Barry Beckett, recorded four albums, and played for US military bases overseas in Japan, South Korea, and within the US.
Currently, AMANDA is studying Jazz Bass Performance and Liberal Arts at the New School University in New York City. She performs regularly in the Tri-State area, and continues to compose her original music.
TR: Hi, Amanda. Thanks so much for taking the time to tell the folks on Thunder Row about yourself. Let's go back to the beginning: when and why did you start playing bass?
AMANDA: As a kid, I always loved groove and wanted to play drums, but didn't have the possibility to do it, so one day I said to myself: "If I can't play drums, at least I would like to be standing near the drummer." So I tried bass and immediately fell in love with it.
TR: Well, since this isn’t Entertainment Tonight, I’ll refrain from asking if there’s a particular drummer you prefer to stand next to and move right along: Is there a bassist or other musician you look to as a mentor?
AMANDA: The late Maestro Jobam (one most famous samba pop arrangers in Brazil). He taught me so much about how and what to practice, but especially how to behave in the music business in general. I will be eternally thankful for the long studio hours, advice and talks over the phone that he gave me. I’ve also studied with some other great musicians such as Bob Cranshaw, Jeff Andrews, Adriano Giffoni, Rory Stuart and Billy Drewes.
TR: What is your most memorable gig?
AMANDA: This is a very difficult question as I played many gigs and recording sessions that absolutely changed my life.
TR: What would be the ideal gig, as far as you're concerned?
AMANDA: Any gig where there's a beautiful relationship between the musicians (what they can contribute to in order to make beautiful art), the audience's support and a good sound in a "stress free" venue. But mostly, I feel that it's about finding the right chemistry with the right group of musicians and then all the other things will naturally fit in the right place. This is a very difficult thing to be achieved, because it goes beyond technique, musicianship, or experience. It's more related to personalities and how they match together. Because a band full of virtuoso players who are only worried about showing how good they are will never captivate an audience into feeling how good the group is.
TR: Or how good the music is! So true. Now, cast your mind back a bit and tell us about your first bass.
AMANDA: My first bass was a Giannini imitation of a P-bass. This was back when the company didn't have foreign competition (Brazil had a "protectionist" policy - only foreign companies who had at least of 51% of a Brazilian partner could have business in the country).Needless to say, that that bass (together with almost all the gear available in stores) was terrible. The neck was crooked and had big bumps. It was very heavy, difficult to play and with a bad sound. However, I loved it, it got me to practice hard and develop strength in my hands. But most importantly, it taught me how to appreciate good gear, lol!
TR: Sounds like it might have been a blessing in disguise – an ugly one at that! What about your first paid gig?
AMANDA: It was in a club in a really bad neighborhood downtown São Paulo. I knew this drummer (who was around 50 years old). He had been making a living playing with his own band in forrós in São Paulo (such clubs could be compared to a bad version of a Honky Tonk in East Tennessee...). The drummer fired the guitar player because he had sold his instrument and had no guitar to perform with. So he requested the bassist to switch to guitar and asked me if I wanted to play bass. I said "Yes", but was very hesitant, since I had only played bass for less than a year and was about to go on a stage for the first time with REAL professional and experienced musicians. The youngest person in the band was around 25 and I was only 13... So I practiced really hard for a week, learned like 40 tunes (all Brazilian) and told my parents I would sleep at my friend's house. Took a bus, a subway and another bus alone with my bass, met the rest of the people next to the club.
- Personally I don't recommend any teenager to do that (and I hope I'm not being a bad example), but the truth is that I couldn't help it, I wanted to play no matter what; I was absolutely (and still am!) in love with music. So, I went with the other band members to the club's back room where the band leader gave me a set list. I walked on stage, and saw that the club was packed (they had several live bands from 8pm until 5am, and it was around 11pm). There were 3000 people in there. I was shaking. Right before we were about to play the first song, the whole audience was looking at us onstage, and the band leader went in the microphone and said: "Everyone please give a big clap of hands for Amanda. This is the first time she’s ever performed on a stage!" - I was about to die! So embarrassed... But anyway, I did it and it was such a magical moment that it made me realize that the only thing I could imagine myself doing was to keep playing, keep performing, and become a professional musician. And the best of all is that after 3 sets, I got paid for the gig - the same amount given to all the other very experienced musicians in the band. What a blessing! The next day, I went to the record store and bought a bunch of CD's with the money earned from that gig!
TR: Heck of a way to start a career! Apart from you desire to play the drums, have you played any other instruments?
AMANDA: I tried guitar, trombone, trumpet and piano, but bass was always my biggest passion.
TR: That covers a lot of ground. Which musician or musicians (they don't have to be bassists) do you admire most?
AMANDA: This can be a long list and it could change according to whenever you'll ask me, but here's a few: Hermeto Paschoal, Miles Davis, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Nico Assumpção, Maestro Jobam, Esperanza Spalding, Milton Nascimento, Herbie Hancock, Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Elis Regina, João Bosco.
TR: And who would you classify as the greatest bassist ever?
AMANDA: I feel that there are several, I couldn't only point at one person. So my "list of greatest bassists" could be (in no particular order): Nico Assumpção, Ray Brown, Luizão Maia, Nathan East, Larry Graham, Anthony Jackson, Marcus Miller, Esperanza Spalding, Niels Pedersen, James Jamerson, Jaco Pastorius, Victor Bailey, Cachao and Oscar Pettiford.
TR: If the government passed a law that said “you can only play one kind of music” what style would you pick?
AMANDA: I would be an unhappy person, because I always think of music of "music as art", and that transcends what the market calls "a style" or a niche. I love to play many different styles and grooves, ranging from jazz, funk, pop, R&B, rock, salsa, African, reggae and all the Brazilian grooves.
TR: Then let’s hope that kind of government never comes to power. On a little more esoteric note, what’s the best professional advice anyone ever gave you?
AMANDA: "Unless it's your own gig, don't say anything, be quiet! Only give your opinion when it's strictly necessary (or asked) and play the way people ask you to." This is crucial for rhythm section musicians, as most of the time we're supporting someone's lead and it's not up to us to tell them how their music should be played. Also it makes you look arrogant or condescending and no one wants to make music with arrogant or condescending musicians.
TR: How true. Along the same lines, what would you say is the best personal advice anyone ever gave you?
AMANDA: "Don't ever give up. Even if you make mistakes, keep moving forward!"
TR: If you couldn't be a musician, what would you be?
AMANDA: This is a difficult question as I always imagined myself only playing music, but maybe I would be involved with interpretation and translation, as I have a big passion for foreign languages.
TR: Which bassist do you think is the best vocalist?
AMANDA: Esperanza Spalding
TR: We’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Esperanza on the Row, and there’s no shortage of people here who would agree with you. Let's get down to basics; describe the perfect combination of equipment for the stage and rehearsal.
AMANDA: I love tubes, but think they can be a little problematic on the road. If it's an open-air stage situation, I prefer a powerful head (at least 800 watts) with a bright 4x10" cabinet (with a tweeter) and a 1x15" cab. I also try to send 2 channels to the P.A.: a clean pre signal from my DI and one from a microphone placed right in front of the 4x10" cabinet. Depending on the gig, I'll bring a bunch of effects, which are mostly the MXR bass stuff (chorus, phase 100, bass envelope filter, bass octave deluxe, bass driver DI, and the Way Huge pedals such as the Swollen Pickle, and the Fat Sandwich). I love analog gear and try to stay away from digital effects and amps.If I'm playing in clubs, I'll probably bring a small combo amp, and the same applies for rehearsals. Also, despite the fact that I have several basses, I usually play a Peavey 5 String Cirrus bass and a 5 string Ken Smith 'BSR Elite'. However I'm about to add another "baby" to my collection, since Mas Hino is building a custom made bass for me.
TR: What kind and make of strings do you prefer?
AMANDA: I use the Dunlop 5 string nickel set (125 - 100 - 80 - 60 - 40).
TR: Back to your playing experience, what's the most exotic or interesting place you've ever gigged?
AMANDA: In 2005 I did a U.S. military tour through 6 cities in South Korea, where I travelled through the country and even got to go to the border with North Korea and visit the DMZ. It was an amazing experience to play for the U.S. soldiers and meet the local people in small cities in South Korea as well as in Seoul.
TR: In that musical marriage of the bottom end, If you could play with any drummer in the world (past or present), who would it be?
AMANDA: I feel very blessed, as I've been playing with (who for me) is one of the best drummers in the world. His name is Mauricio Zottarelli, and what I really love about his music is that not only he can play all styles and has so much technique; he's a perfect example of a drummer that really listens to the bassist and takes the two musicians to a different level. I also had a chance to play a few times with Charli Persip (he played with Dizzy Gillespie, Hank Mobley and many other historical jazz figures) and it was absolutely amazing!!Besides those two, here are some drummers that I would love to play with: Steve Gadd, Omar Hakim, Carlos Bala, and Ignacio 'El Negro' Hernández.
TR: I wouldn’t be surprised if you get the chance to play with most of them – and the pleasure would be all theirs! Looking back, what do you know now that you wish you'd known when you were first starting out in music?
AMANDA: That I should have spent more time practicing piano.
TR: That could lead to a whole new list of questions. So, instead, let me ask if you have a favorite charity?
AMANDA: I usually donate money to cancer treatment non-profit organizations.
TR: If you could relive one day of your life, what day would it be and why?
AMANDA: There are too many to make it only one; but I could give you examples, such as: to earn a full scholarship to study at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City; to see one of the best and most prestigious arrangers in Brazil (Maestro Jobam) command the most famous session musicians (and my idols) into recording hit records in only two takes with no overdubs; or to work in the biggest and most prestigious studio in Latin America, the Mosh studios. Also, moving to New York, meeting and playing with excellent musicians. Or to record with producer Simone Giuliani and Simon Katz at the Bass Hit Studios- Simon was the guitar player for one of my favorite bands when I was growing up, Jamiroquai (I loved that group so much - I transcribed many bass lines and learned so much from those records). Also, recording my own music with excellent musicians and performing with my group (Mauricio Zottarelli, Fernando Arruda, Mamiko Watanabe and Lucas Pino) while having an audience willing to pay and hear my music.... I guess...nothing can top that, right? Overall, I feel that it's a blessing to be able to play bass, make music and share this passion with really talented people here in New York and the world.
TR: You’ve clearly accomplished a lot in your young life. Is there another achievement you especially look forward to?
AMANDA: To be able to improve as a bassist, composer and pianist while being able to write and perform my own music. Also to keep working as an accompanist for artists and other excellent musicians. I really, really love to just groove and bring a strong foundation into people's music.
TR: And you do it very well. What kind of music do you listen to when you're alone?
AMANDA: It's all a phase thing. I usually love to listen to all kinds of music (especially funk, jazz and Brazilian). Lately, I've been listening to a lot of Joe Henderson, Mariana Baraj (she's an excellent folkish/jazzy singer from Argentina), Victor Jara, Milton Nascimento, Chet Baker, Larry Graham, and Fred Hammond. - But if you'd ask me the same question in a week, the answers would be totally different.
TR: Who do you think is the greatest person in history?
AMANDA: Christ.
TR: I certainly won’t argue with that. Who do regard as the greatest musician of all time?
AMANDA: Beethoven, Hermeto Pachoal, John Coltrane, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Milton Nascimento.
TR: I’m sure many of our members and visitors have never heard of many of the musicians you name, so I’m sure they’ll be Googling and YouTubing like crazy. Our folks LOVE great new music! Let’s take a moment to put the shoe on the other foot. You’re a pro and a particularly accomplished musician; what advice would you give someone who is just picking up bass for the first time?
AMANDA: Transcribe all sorts of things, not just the stuff that you're passionate about. As an accompanist it's very important to be versatile. Work on sight-reading. Learn piano, since that will teach you how to think about music from other instrumentalists' perspectives. Therefore you will play bass not just for the sake of the bassline, but also for the sake of improving the arrangement of the music that's being performed.But most importantly work on listening to people and figuring out ways of how to make them sound better.
TR: Following up on that, do you have any advice for young women who are considering taking up the bass?
AMANDA: Forget that you're a girl and just practice hard. If you're good at what you do, the phone will ring and you will get gigs.
TR: Well, the sand's run through the hour glass. Thanks again for your time and we look forward to following your career.
AMANDA: Thank you so much for inviting me for this chat and I also wanted to congratulate Thunder Row for giving us bass players access to all this information about many bassists around the world, while serving as a vehicle for exchange of ideas.
To find out more about all things AMANDA, visit her website: www.amandaruzza.com AMANDA endorses the following products/companies. Visit them to find out why.Lexicon (LXP - reverb plug-in): http://www.lexiconpro.com/artist_list.php
Dunlop (effects, strings and accessories): www.jimdunlop.com
Peavey 5 string Cirrus Bass: http://www.peavey.com/products/brows...rrusSeries.cfm
Mas Hino (he's currently building the "Amanda Ruzza" 5 string bass): http://www.mashinonyc.com/profile.html
www.amandaruzza.com
www.myspace.com/amandaruzza
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