![]() It was usually more performance-oriented than specific. ![]() What kind of bass directions would Michael give? Having worked a lot with drummer Jonathan Moffett before, we had so much fun adding that sort of “modernold- school” nuance to the tunes. It really lent itself to a modern-day Jamerson approach, and as I’ve gone through playing different genres of music, I’ve found his style has stayed with me the most. I took the most liberties with the Jackson 5 medley. Early on, there were times I’d take too much liberty or not enough, but as the weeks went by I’d sort of figure out what makes everybody smile. Obviously, you can’t change the main bass line of, say, “Billie Jean” too much, but in the bridge, which is more legato, there was room to stretch. #MICHAEL JACKSON BAD ALBUM CREDITS UPDATE#From there, it was a matter of finding a way to update the parts in a manner Michael liked he definitely wanted a fresh edge to them. How did you approach the bass lines, and how much freedom did you get?Īs I say in the movie, you had to know them cold from the record because Michael knows every sound, 16th-note, and inflection, and he’s a stickler about having the original part as a starting point. So an eight-bar intro might become 11 bars to suit the choreography- and Michael counted on us to remember that there would be no charts of any kind allowed onstage. Whatever Michael worked out with them during the day took precedence at night. Both Michael and Michael Beardon collaborated on the arrangements, but a third key element was the dancers. Michael picked almost 50 songs overall and then we worked on getting about half of them ready for the London shows. I jumped at the chance because I had no doubt he would set the world on its ear again. This time around I got a call from keyboardist Michael Beardon, who was hired as the musical director I had worked with him before. I imagine they might release that material at some point. From there, I did assorted studio work for Michael, some of it produced by John Barnes at Westlake, where they recorded Thriller. I trace it back to meeting and working with Greg Phillinganes on Vibe that led to his calling me for Michael’s 30th Anniversary Special on CBS, in 2001. What led to you getting the call for This Is It ? His developed skills on upright bass and keyboard bass made him even more of a threat, leading to recordings with venerable vets such as Herbie Hancock, George Benson, Paul Simon, Sting, and Smokey Robinson, and chart-toppers like Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, the Pussycat Dolls, Uncle Kracker, and Jordin Sparks.Īlex Al (R) with drummer Jonathan Moffett (Image credit: Angela Weiss/Getty Images) ![]() The program’s high-visibility, “in-town” nature resulted in Al’s session work blossoming. #MICHAEL JACKSON BAD ALBUM CREDITS TV#In 1997, road work (via recommendations from Rickey Minor and Nathan East) with El Debarge, Bobby Brown, Diana Ross, and the Spice Girls led to drummer Terri Lynne Carrington tabbing him for the house band of the Quincy Jones/Sinbad TV variety show Vibe. ![]() At 17, having already opened for the Gap Band and Cameo on a summer tour with Carl Carlton, Al headed to L.A. The Detroit-born Al had a Jackson 5- like start to his career, getting a P-Bass copy at age nine and filling the vacant bass chair in the 12-piece funk-rock horn band led by his older brothers when he was just 12. ![]()
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