Jimmy "Flim" Johnson

[richbass939]

Jimmy, great walking line on that one.  That song (Damn This Traffic Jam) sure brings back memories.
The first time I remember hearing it was in the early 1980s in the Denver area.  About 3 or 4 A.M. a trucker hauling torpedoes for the Navy flipped his truck and dumped the load right in the middle of the intersection of two interstate highways near downtown, shutting down both highways.  It took until mid afternoon to get the mess cleared away.  The morning traffic had to filter through all the residential streets.  What an ordeal.  The local radio stations tried to help everyone get through the morning commute.  That song was perfect for it.
Ricn

[muller1007]

Jimmy,
 
One of my all time favourite bass lines is the one on Los Cabos on The Rippington's  Kilimanjaro album. Especially the ad libs you play are mind blowing. It's not just the bass line itself, but also the bass tone that's out of this world. It sounds to me that it's a graphite neck bass you're playing.
 
I was wondering, did you play that same fretted graphite five string that you used on the Rio Funk video?
Duncan

[JimmyJ]

Thanks for the story Rich.  A good lyric will have different meaning for different people - although that one is pretty obvious.
 
Hey Duncan,
Thanks for that.  Um, I don't have that record and can't remember directly.  And the funny thing is, the online music services seem to disagree which tune is which on that recording.  Haha!  But if we're talking about the fast latin tune, that's definitely me...  
 
Since that record came out in '89 I think the fretted graphite bass from the Rit clip above had already been transformed to a fretless, so I suspect this is my main studio bass the '87 fretted series II, all wood.   Interestingly, on this particular track there is a chorus effect on the bass throughout.  I can imagine I suggested they put something on the bass for the little solo near the front of the tune and then they liked the sound and just left it on for the whole thing...  I guess it worked because you like it too!
 
thanks,
Jimmy J

[muller1007]

Thanks for that insight, Jimmy.  
I noticed something different about the bass sound compared to the basic sound of a wooden Series bass. I ascribed it to the graphite neck, but it was a chorus all along.  
Great!  
 
A twenty-year mystery solved.

[michael85]

Hey Jim,
        do you use any particular 3 finger technique  ? I've been trying out different right hand techniques from people like Gary Willis, Steve bailey and sheehan but somehow i feel that the index and middle seems to have the most consistent tone and attack. do let me know. Thanks Jimmy!
 
rgds,
Mike

[JimmyJ]

Hey Mike,
Welcome to the forum.
 
The guys you mentioned would all be great sources for this kind of technical info, I'd listen to them!
 
My thoughts?  Everybody's hands are different, some have long thin fingers, some short and stubby (and some play with a pick).  It all comes down to whatever works for you, whatever allows you to get the sound you want or even reach the notes you want to get to.  
 
Unless I run into some crazy written line that forces me to think about my right hand I seldom know what it's doing...  But since you asked, let me try to describe what I think is happening - for what it's worth.  I wouldn't go so far as to teach this as a legit method - it's just what happened to develop for me.  
 
I think my thing stems from trying to keep everything quiet.  When the bass is on and I am not playing, my thumb is resting between the B and E-strings (muting both), my index finger is on the A, middle finger on the D and ring finger on the G.  From there, if I want to play a C on the A-string followed quickly by a C on the G-string, or even sound them together, I will use my index finger and my ring finger.
 
And that's about as organized as it gets... HA!  Once I need to play other things my thumb kind of floats around, sometimes resting on the B or even floating above it when I'm playing low notes.  Like I said, it's unclear to me what is actually going on down there!
 
You are right that each finger sounds slightly different but I've never purposely incorporated that (except for the occasional big soft low note plucked with my big soft thumb).  I will say that if asked to play straight eighth-notes I try to play them all with one finger instead of alternating - always sounds more even to me...  It's my understanding that James Jamerson did all that great playing with only his index finger.  
 
So there you go, whatever works for you is the way to do it!
 
Cheers,
Jimmy J

[jazzyvee]

Hi Jimmy it's interesting you sharing your string damping technique. I was showing a student of mine how I personally damp the strings recently as she was having some trouble keeping things quiet.
 
 When using a five string bass I damp the B with the pad of my thumb on top of the string, E with my little finger, A with Index finger and D with middle finger. The G is damped with my left fretting hand. I tend to play mostly with my index and middle finger or thumb and index with the edge of my hand resting on the strings when i need a more percussive and muted sound. As I move down the strings to play the D and G strings my thumb tip ends up on the A string whilst resting against the B and E strings to keep things quiet.
 
On a 4 string I either anchor my thumb on the bottom of the neck, neck pickup or both thumb and little finger on the E string, the index and middle fingers on A and D-strings and G damped with fretting hand.
 
I don't recall ever consciously developing these methods but I guess they have evolved sub consciously and work well for me.  
 
jazzyvee

[sonicus]

Rocco Prestia has an  effective lesson plan regarding damping or muting in his instructional video  FINGER STYLE FUNK.

[bigredbass]

I was struck watching clips from Eric's Crossroads Festival in Dallas how a LOT of the participants made a point to be in the wings and watch James (and you) work.
 
Having backed lots of front-man-singer-with-box-guitar, could you talk a little about playing behind a guy like that who really has a commanding acoustic technique?  From the outside looking in, it appears you all follow his lead, obviously, but that his guitar work is way more part of the chart than most.
 
I've always appreciated you and Anthony for playing to the song, and leaving the Bass Player Olympics to others.  Any fool can rush in, machine-gun the chart, and earn NAMM Show Gig points while running the tune off into the ditch.  Playing what fits is what separates the men from the boys.

[mario_farufyno]

You're not asking me, but I'll tell my way if you don't mind.  
 
I've never learned how to damp using multiple fingers, so I only mute the low strings with the side of my thumb. I let it floating and just touch the strings by its side as I never anchor it on the strings.
 
If I play the B string and have to move to upper strings, my thumb naturaly damps it as my hand move up. This works fine with B, E  and eventualy A (but I don't think A and D strings really needs to be damped as the fingers are always passing over them). The G I also damp with left hand's fingers.

[michael85]

Many thanks to Jim and Mario. sure helped me alot in my playing. For some reason... Bass players are really nice people. I'm emailed guitarist like andy timmons but they never seemed to reply. lol. I emailed sheehan and he sent me a post card. Gary always replies me on the ask willis. Man.. ain't it great to have a conversation with bass greats! Thanks alot Jim. you're simply amazing.  
 
rgds,
Mike

[JimmyJ]

Interesting to hear everybody's different muting styles.  Wish I could train my right-hand pinky to do something!  I'm pretty sure my left hand is involved in muting too but I am unable to describe its contribution...
 
Joey, thanks for the comments.  Yes, James is an ideal combination of great singer-songwriter and great player.  The general public may not realize what a fine guitarist he is but players generally recognize his great technique and identifiable sound.  He is essentially playing all our parts, including the bass notes ... so our job is to simply expand on what he is already doing.  His general tendency is to play the bass note with his thumb before he plays the chord, often before the downbeat.  So when he teaches us a tune, the main decision for me is how many of those anticipations should be caught and how many skipped in favor of the downbeat.  This is a really subtle bass player thing that only folks like us in here will even be aware of, but you guys know what I'm talking about.
 
As far as those Alembic Olympic moments, well, I do enjoy trying to step out and blaze now and again (can't do it like the true LEAD bass guys we all know) but there is also much joy to be had in playing a simple groove with a great band.  I can dig getting together with a drummer and just trying to groove on G for 45 minutes.
 
Mike, no problem, bass players are a nice lot - maybe not as social as drummers, but...  
Thanks for the nice comments and good luck to you too.
Jimmy J

[bigredbass]

One of my favorite things is playing behind acoustic guitars, up the neck, when the chart lets you ride that McCartney-esque territory where your holding the groove and you can insert the occasional doubled line or harmony.
 
I know on road gigs you're at the mercy of the sound contractor, though I'd be surprised if James' tours don't travel with one company for the length of the dates.  As you play direct, Jimmy, do you find any certain power amps you prefer, or is it hard to hear much difference from one to the next?  Do you have any luck with in-ears?
 
Me too, floating right-hand thumb on the B/E gap, the fingers choking the A/D/G.  And I'll kill some notes with the fret hand.
 
On occasion I've killed a LOT of notes with my fret hand . . . I HATE going to the Clam Buffet!

[JimmyJ]

Hey Joey,
 
With JT I use in-ear monitors and have gotten used to the good and bad of it.  One of the goods being the ability to keep the overall level low even if I'm standing right next to the drums, trying to get many more years out of these old ears.  Also, the less bass you have flying around onstage leaking into vocal mics, etc, the cleaner the bass sound is in the PA.  James uses Clair Brothers on the road, they're great soundies.
 
I don't have a specific power amp preference although if I tested a few it might become apparent.  When I am doing that direct to power amp to monitor wedges thing, I think the speaker cabinets are the biggest variable. In those situations my goal is only to be able to hear myself over the drums so even a pair of relatively low-end self-powered wedges can work.  Even in a tiny club I am not trying to fill the room with sound from my position onstage - I count on the PA to do that.  I'm just using what I have next to me to hear what I'm playing.  So, as it's just a monitor for me I might be less specific about it's sound and confident that the bass sounds good in the house.
 
Yes, the clam buffet - been there.
Jimmy J

[bigredbass]

Rewinding back thru the length of this thread, I'm struck by your chasing one tone, evidently arrived at by you with the fewest items (amps, cabs, effects) inline between you and the wedges:  Would you mark this down to growing up around an upright player, the type of guy(s) that chase a single tone from the right acoustic instrument?  I understand you've even stayed with Boomers all these years, again in a way reducing new variables to a minimum.
 
I, too, have always chased one tone in my head.
After way too much money spent, I still sound like me, it's in my damn hands and between my ears.
 
I s'pose the mutiple instrument/tone thing is not as widespread among electric bassists, though there are several session guys here in NashVegas who show up for sessions with quite a selection . . . although I always wonder if it's really for tone or playing the dog+pony show for the today's producer-de-jour.
 
Been a hoot to visit with you, hope to meet you one day.  My best to you and yours.