The bass player.

I played in cover bands in high school and college. We played wherever we could – mostly battle of the bands or a campus pub. We weren’t very good but we always had a blast.

I mostly played bass guitar. And while I wasn’t a great bass player I fell in love with the instrument and appreciated real bass players that were much more capable.

While the lead guitar could take off, the bass player provided an important role. Above all else, keep the beat and don’t screw up the timing.

Last night we went to a cool jazz club in Paris called Le Caveau de la Huchett. The bar is upstairs and the band plays in a funky cellar.

The band (pictured above) was awesome last night but of course my eyes and ears were fixated on the bass player. He kept the beat, he made up some crazy shit and made everything just work without taking the limelight.

Yesterday I wrote about celebrating the misfit.

Today I want to point out how important the bass player is in a band, or in life or in a startup.

It’s the person that makes the trains run on time day in and day out. They dont take up center stage. They are the unsung heros.

And they have soul.

(please excuse any typos and lack of links. Wrote this post on my iPhone)