Jack Daley – Interview by Liam Sweeny – Xperience History

Jack Daley – an Interview with Liam Sweeny – Xperience History. Originally published April 2019.

Bass lines move people, and great bass lines move their songs into the soundtrack of the movie we call life. Bass can be taken for granted sometimes; its the unsung hero. But when it’s good, it’ll infect your soul.

Jack Daley is a great bass player. Lenny Kratiz thinks so. He laid down the undercurrent of a lot of our favorite Lenny songs, and we’re pretty damn glad, because he’s also one of our very own.

I “sat” with Jack and we talked about… well, you have eyes; give it a whirl.

RRX: You competed for, and won, a spot playing bass for Lenny Kravitz, and have been his “go-to” bassist for about fifteen years. And of course, we’ve seen Lenny Kravitz’s rise in that time, but what has your rise been like as a bassist? Can you break the fourth wall for us a little bit on your own journey through the big top?

Jack: Okay, yes, but just for clarity I was Lenny’s bassist for close to 15 years but left him in late 2007. However, I was with him during a very successful time for him and his band and remain very proud of the work that we did during that period. I think that being his bassist gave me a great platform to be seen and heard and that helped lead the way to much of my success.

RRX: This really goes with the last question, as it refers to your personal journey, but this one is about recording and studio work. The people you’ve worked with as a sessions bassist, or a musical director or a producer is a who’s who of outstanding talent and fame. You’ve had a personal journey with Lenny Kravitz – how is the journey different when it’s behind the scenes?

Jack: I think that most people think it’s all fun and games in the music business. But to be honest besides the obvious talent necessary it also requires hard work and focus to really be successful. I moved to New York City in 1989 after spending 4 years locked in a recording studio in Saratoga called Woods End. Nice little studio that I worked at as head engineer and staff producer. This experience gave me the chops and confidence in the recording studio that I would need later . I am a firm believer in the 10,000 hour theory. And I am way past that hurdle at this point in my career.

RRX: Everybody imagines that when you’re playing coliseums, the full rock star dream kicks in. Every night is Keith Richards in the seventies, or Lemmy Kilmister… well, any year. Is it like that? Or does the professionalism and the sheer footprint at that level put a damper on what people might expect the backstage to be like?

Jack: Well, it depends on the gig of course. In general, I would say the bigger the gig the more serious it is. I like to enjoy a drink or a glass of wine like everybody else, but with Little Steven and the Disciples we have a 15-piece band with complicated arrangements, horns, strings and background vocals. Everyone has to be on their game 100 percent. I feel it’s my responsibility to be as close to perfect as possible every night. It’s a respect thing! Wine with dinner later.

RRX: I have very good friends who are bass players. And they are a catalog of jokes. The general glee at which people pick on bass players… it’s crazy. Now here you are, not only an insanely talented and successful bass player, but also a studio guy, behind the scenes. You probably rock the pots and faders personally. What don’t people, even musicians, get about bass?

Jack: This is the thing with bass. Most great musicians will tell you this as well. Bass is the unsung most important instrument in the band and if nothing else the bassist is the last person you want hitting clams. If the bassist knows the songs all good.  The bass is the bridge between the harmony and the rhythm.

RRX: When you’re behind the scenes with people who are known performers, do you get surprised a lot by how they act? Are most people that come to you different in person than you thought they’d be? And are they different in similar ways? Does the studio reveal any hidden, universal truths?

Jack: Sometimes, I guess. But usually people are what they appear in public. Sometimes, I am just blown away by their talent. I’ve worked with a lot of people and find that there is always a reason why the successful ones are successful. The universal truth could be hard work and commitment to your craft usually always pays off.

RRX: You beat out what, two-hundred-and-seventy other musicians to land the spot on Lenny Kravitz’s Universal Love Tour in 1993? That is so many people, so many styles. I’m sure you made personal revelations in that process. So sharing is caring; what do you have to learn about yourself very fast if you’re up against serious competition – in anything?

Jack: When the call came for Lenny’s gig, I was ready! I was playing in 13 bands in the city. I played with everybody. Blues, Rock, singer-songwriter and every Monday night at The Rock and Roll café, it was a Led Zepp tribute band. Lenny was looking for someone that could do JPJ and could funk as well. I knew I was the guy and never even considered that I would not get the gig. It was that simple I was going to LA to get the gig. You have to have that tunnel vision at times. When I first started with Steven Van Zandt, keep in mind he is Silvio Dante on The Sopranos. Something came up at my first rehearsal. I blew a transition and he corrected me in his very colorful wise guy style. I used my many years of experience to not shit my pants.

RRX: This is where you can answer the question unasked. Who’s got your ear right now? Who’s on the horizon? And of course, what’s on your horizon this year? Anything you want to say, the floor is yours.

Jack: At the moment I am loving Brandi Carlile! She saved the Grammys for me this year along with the host. I also love Sara Bareilles. I played on her last record and just love what she does.  Not too much rock happening at the moment unfortunately.

This year for me will be all about touring our new record (Summer of Sorcery) with Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul and finishing my recording studio buildout in Asbury Park, New Jersey.  I am very excited about getting really involved in producing and creating my own version of what many studios had in the sixties and seventies with a house band that has a real sound. The business is challenging but it’s what I love and am good at. Most of the great shit I am hearing these days is coming out of Nashville from a few great producers and some of that spirit I want to recreate here in Asbury Park with a bit of NYC, NJ flavor tossed in the mix.  www.jackdaleybassist.com

More from Liam Sweeny.