You can bend your ears to his undulating goodness on his studio debut with the Dead Kenny G’s, the perversely tasty, make-ya-dance-like-Mummenschanz-on-crank Operation Long Leash (released March 15 on The Royal Potato Family), and you can catch him with the DKG’s on Jam Cruise in January followed by gigs in Florida and the Carolinas (peep tour dates here).
We’re chuffed that Houser took a few minutes to to answer our bass guitar queries.
- Favorite effects pedal? Why?
- Moogerfoogers – all, especially low pass filter and freqbox.
- Tastiest bassist — i.e. not just soloing but also overall playing — currently working four-strings?
- Pino Palladino or Me’Shell NdegeOcello
- A bass solo I never get tired of listening to is:
- Havona by Jaco Pastorius
- Preferred brand of axe?
- Lakland. It’s all about the hollow body.
- John Paul Jones, Paul McCartney or James Jamerson – which one gives you the biggest bass boner? What makes them SO sweet?
- Gotta give it to Jamerson the father, but those two sons did pretty well.
- Some lesser-known bassist folks should check out is:
- Colin Greenwood from Radiohead. Jesse Murphy’s work with Brazilian Girls. The late, great, Gene Kurtz , who co-wrote “Treat Her Right”, a hit in 1965. I played on a gig with him once about five years ago. He was like Buddah playing country bass. Amazing feel and presence.
- What aspect of being a bassist always makes you happy?
- When I’m in the zone.