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Brian Running
Brian sprang into the world on January 4, 1960 in Menomonie, Wisconsin. Some memorable years later he now lives in Waukesha, Wisconsin, which is in the western metropolitan area of Milwaukee. Married to Debbie with three kids, Charlotte (12 yrs old), Chris (10 yrs old) and Drew (will be 2 in January). Also resident at the Running establishment is Brian's 'big ol' dog', Duke.
Brian is a self-employed lawyer, doing contract, business, employment and real estate law, including trial work, with two or three jury trials per year on the average. As if family, work and hanging out on a.g.b. don't take up enough of his time, he is also involved in a bunch of community functions. Amongst others, the music-related one is being on the board of directors of the Waukesha Symphony Orchestra.
"Like a lot of young boys in the '60s, I took guitar lessons. My elementary school had a band program and a real enthusiastic band director named Harry Shoplas, who had a mid-'60s Fender Precision Bass and wanted someone to play it in the dance band. My guitar was a Harmony Stella with a cheap pickup my dad installed in the soundhole (we weren't a wealthy family, to say the least) -- when Mr Shoplas put that big, shiny, sexy P-Bass in my hands, there was no question about it, I was gonna be a bass player. I was nine or ten years old, and I've played more or less continuously since then. I played in school jazz bands, pep bands and pit bands for musicals -- all the usual school stuff. I played in all those garage bands we all went through when we were teenagers, mainly trying to imitate Chicago, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Chase, Tower of Power, Earth, Wind and Fire, and all those horn bands of that period. Found my inspiration as a bassist in guys like Peter Cetera and Jim Fielder, later, Lee Sklar, and then later yet, Jaco, Steve Swallow and Ralphe Armstrong. Played in a number of bands after high school, but I've never played for a living -- meaning I've never had to depend on music as a sole source of income."
| "Since the trio is part of UnderCover, we often do jazz while the audience is eating or schmoozing over cocktails early in the evening, and then move into the dance stuff later when everyone's ready. It's been a good formula for us, we do a fair number of corporate and country-club type parties, and rarely play out in bars for the general public." |
| "I also used to play the baritone horn, or euphonium, so I've got some of that low-brass mentality. I pick one up every now and then these days, but the embouchure is shot. My philosophy of playing bass is to think of it as a part of the music, as opposed to an individual instrument. I detest the style of playing that uses the bass as a sound-effects machine, and when someone starts with all that tapping, slapping, clicking, clacking, playing-card-in-the-bike-spokes horseshit, I just turn it off. Hey, I'm becoming an old fart!" |
We all know Brian for his entertaining stories and excellent grasp and ability to explain the more technical aspects of bass setup. We have immortalised some of Brian's words by linking to the Google archives in our very own FAQ.
| | | | | | | | | | | LeCompteBass.com
May 12th, 2007