Michael Gerry is a product of various influences. Born and raised in Chicago, he played in rock, blues and show bands before attending Indiana University. After graduating with a Master's degree, he moved back to Chicago and started working in various theater orchestras. With great reading skills and a background of many playing styles, he became a first-call player in no time. In 1987, Michael started traveling with many top entertainers, doing concert dates and shows; he has been on the road continuously since then. The lists of artists he has performed with reads like a "Who's Who" of the entertainment industry. Gerry toured with Michael Crawford's Music of the Night for a year, followed by seven years touring with the Broadway show Cats. Since 2001, he's been on tour with the Broadway show Les Miserables.

Although I heard Michael perform with the Cats tour, I didn't know him at the time. (That orchestra was great, by the way.) I first met him when I was up at the US Music corporate headquarters in Mundelein, IL, outside of Chicago. Michael was in town with Les Miserables. The following interview took place via subsequent emails during April, 2005

Eden: How did you get started on bass?

MG: I started playing bass guitar at around 13 years old. It seems silly now, but I had a group together and I was playing tenor sax. We couldn't find a bass player, especially one our age, and I always loved the bass.

Eden: What was your first bass?

MG: I went to a pawnshop on State Street in Chicago and bought a $50 Sears Silvertone bass (Danelectro). My father was quite helpful and supportive. He built a speaker cabinet with 2-15" speakers and we modified a tube high-fi amp (about 35 watts) for the correct input impedance. For that era it really sounded great.

Eden: Did you take any formal instruction on bass?

MG: In those days most music consisted of 3 chords and, with a good ear, you could start playing with a band within hours. I did buy some instruction books and taught myself the proper positioning for scales, etc.. My bass guitar roots were firmly planted in rock, blues and jazz while my musical education was on woodwind instruments in classical and jazz.

Eden: How did you move into the world of professional playing?

MG: After I graduated from college, I spent many years playing in club and wedding bands. I think it's important for young bass players to realize that you never know who will be important to your career. You have to treat every other musician with respect even if you don't feel that they are of your level. Some of the musicians that I've worked with didn't impress me at the time as being "killer" players. Many years later I would hear about them and see them listed on CDs and movie credits.

Eden: Did networking help your career?

MG: I was lucky enough to have made connections through casual "jobbing" bands with musicians that were doing jingle work and theater show music. An endorsement from them opened a few doors for me and started me on my way. As a bass player, you must feel comfortable with all styles of music and be careful not to get labeled as a "specialist". It's unfortunate, but some really great bass players get labeled as "jazz bassist" or "rock bassist" and never will get a call for other type of work.

Eden: How did you get started in the pits, doing show work?

MG: I started playing shows at a "theater in the round" and that was my start in pit orchestras. We played a different act almost every week and it ran the gamut from Motown shows, such as the Spinners and Four Tops, to family shows like Steve Lawrence & Edie Gorme. Once you start getting a reputation as a solid bass player that can read, you open the door for getting the calls for other shows. In Chicago I played everything that came through town including Broadway shows, the Ice show, the circus and when there was no show in town, I was juggling my date book with Bar Mitzvahs, Weddings, conventions, etc. During the day I was doing sessions for Radio/TV jingles and music for fashion shows.

Eden: Did you do a lot of jingle work?

MG: Oh, yes. I've done more than 3,000 of them over the years. It's good work if you can get it, but that scene has dried up somewhat.

Eden: Who were your greatest influences?

MG: Since I was music major throughout high school and college on woodwind instruments, I was exposed to all styles of music. My music collection always looked like 5 people were storing their albums together. I listened to a ton of jazz as well as pop, Motown, R&B, blues, etc. In school, I was learning the classics and theory.

Eden: Tell us about the basses you use.

MG: Through my 40+ years of playing, I've accumulated a huge amount of equipment. I still have one of my first bass guitars- a 1961 Fender Jazz Bass that had the individual spring mounted mutes under each string near the bridge. In all there are 14 or 15 bass guitars sitting in storage while I tour. On the road I'm using a Sadowsky 5 string bass with a P-J pickup arrangement. I also have found that the Sadowsky bass strings are well balanced to the instruments. I have a Pedulla 5 string fretless with me and also an Eminence Upright electric bass.

Eden: What about amplification?

MG: As far as amplifiers, I've been using Eden gear for since the middle 90's, about 10 years now. I've used the Eden Metro in some venues but, for theater work, my favorite is the CXC series. I find that the coax speaker has a sweet extended range and extremely faithful to the slightest nuances of playing style. Our situation is different than club playing or "on stage" requirements. In some venues we are in a very confined orchestra pit that may be partially under the stage.

Eden: Tell us about that.

MG: It sometimes amazes me at how we can fit 16-18 musicians, electronic racks, amplifiers, drums and full percussion in such a small space. In those situations I use the Time Traveler 10 (CXC110). I raise the amplifier off the floor at approximately " ear level" so that it is more like a monitor for me. In all situations, the D.I connection on the back of the CXC110 is used to the house soundboard. Our sound tech tells me that the signal is as good as his D.I. box so there is no need to go through extra gear.

Eden: Do you use that same combo in larger pits?

MG: No. In larger orchestra pits, we are totally in front of the stage and you could fit 100 musicians without a problem. In those venues, I use the CXC1015. It adds extra depth to the sound without changing the character of the sound. I find that the CXC series is like hearing your bass through a good studio playback setup.

Eden: What about the Metro. Do you use it at all anymore?

MG: Yes, but not in the pit. The Metro is great when you need a bit more bite. I used it last summer on a Rock 'n Roll nostalgia show with an added Eden 115 bottom.

Eden: Why Eden?

MG: About 10 years ago, a bunch of the guys in the orchestra went to a club after our show to hear some music. The bass player at that club was using Eden gear. It sounded so good that I had to stick around and ask him about it. Shortly after that, I started using Eden equipment with the show. At that time, I was touring with Cats. Our sound tech manager wasn't familiar with Eden and we carried an extra setup as a back up in case of any problems. We never had to take the "back-up" out of the case. My Eden amp proved so reliable that now we don't even carry a spare. I'm talking about over 10 years without so much as a hick-up.

Also, you have to realize that the road gear is transported in semi-trucks in all types of temperatures over bumpy roads. It sits on loading docks in below zero weather, blazing Arizona heat and probably dropped a few hundred times by the local load-in, load-out crew. I'm glad I'm not an Eden Amplifier!

Eden:: What are your favorite features on the CXC?

MG: I love the Enhance knob. I find that I can set the tone controls "flat" and use a small amount of enhance (8-9 o'clock position) to get a perfect tonal balance.

Eden: What's it like playing in a pit band? What are the differences between this kind of work and other kinds that you've done?

MG: There are so many aspects that make it different. Your playing must be accurate on a continual basis. This situation mandates that you can follow a conductor, blend in with orchestral instruments and play accurately for an extended period of time. Les Miz [Les Miserables - ed.] is 3 hours long and features almost continual bass playing. The part is more similar to a bass trombone part than a bass guitar part. Some of the parts were originally a bass violin part and you have to emulate those styles on the bass guitar by muting, using a pizzicato effect.

This show is unique because the bass and drums don't play together as a rhythm section. The bass keeps the time going and the drum part is more of a percussion book. In most shows, you strive to play as a "tight" rhythm section, but this orchestration is the opposite.

The most difficult aspect is keeping my attention sharp even though I've been playing 8 shows a week for 5 years (2,000+ shows). I'll let out a little secret: If you look around the orchestra pit during the show, you'll see everybody reading books, doing crossword puzzles, etc. All of us have played the show so many times that we know when to enter without having to watch the conductor. It really is funny to see musicians putting down a book within a second of picking up their horn to play their part.

You have to realize that as a "pit" musician, you aren't a soloist. There is little or no room to "stretch out". You have to have the right mind-set to play this type of job or you'd go crazy. On the other hand, it's the best musical job around. We get paid well, have steady employment with benefits (health insurance, pension). You show up for work in black shirt and black pants and have a cup of coffee and a book at your side. You get to visit nice cities and have plenty of time to be a tourist during the day. Your workday is only about 3 hours long. Generally you're playing with upper level players and playing high quality music.

Eden: You've been doing Les Miz for a long time. Does boredom or a sense of staleness ever set in? If so, how do you deal with that?

MG: That's the most challenging part of the job. Keeping it fresh even though you're playing it for the 2,081st time. There are some musicians that have been with the show for over 15 years, and they still play the show as strongly as they did their first week. I think that you must have that quality in your personality to make it in this industry.

Of course, there are some musicians that won't stay out with a tour for more than a year. A musical contractor expects that you will stay with a tour at least 6 months. You can understand that they don't want to be finding new bass players every few months. As a player, you have to understand that you are leaving "your life" behind. You will be out of circulation from your other musician friends and not see your family and friends for quite a long time.

I would have to say that playing in different venues all the time helps keep it fresh. We are faced with a different acoustic environment, different surroundings, etc., in a different theater almost every week. If you can imagine the typical office worker going to a different office every week to do the same job, you might realize that this aspect is important in keeping things fresh.

Eden: What's your favorite part of the work itself? Your least favorite?

MG: For me, the best parts are a nice lifestyle, good pay and working with great players. The worst part is trying to keep up your level of playing without becoming bored.

Eden: What's your favorite part of traveling? Your least favorite?

MG: The best is getting to visit and feel comfortable in some great cities. The worst parts are packing and unpacking, long travel days and the need to be utterly organized.

Eden: What is your philosophy of music in general and of playing bass?

MG: Always understand that you are making music. Forget that it's a job. Whatever negatives you're feeling should never surface. The audience has paid good money and is excited to see your production. It may be the 3,000th time you have played the show, but it may be the 1st time for them.

My philosophy on Bass playing is to understand what your bass line is trying to "say". You should "become" the part.

Eden: What recommendations would you give to bassists first starting out?

MG: Don't shy away from learning to read music. It's great to be able to play "by ear" but there is no substitute for reading. If a bass part is written well, you should be able to actually see it in groupings in a measure. It is also the easiest way to remember a great bass line that you've created. I sometimes compare it to reading and writing English. Can you imagine getting along in life without reading or writing?

Eden: What advice would you give to a bassist wanting to get started in pit work?

MG: Try to play any show you can at any level - school shows, regional theater, cruise ships - to get some real experience. Find the bass players that are currently doing the "pit" shows and ask if you can "audit" the show. If your reading abilities are good and you have some experience, you might get considered to substitute on the show. Once you get to sub on a show, you have your golden opportunity to get future work. There are some bass players in New York that make a good living just subbing on shows.

Eden:Any tips on becoming a good reader?

MG: Don't be afraid to start simple. Get a good collection of bass books including bass violin books. Even though it would have bow markings printed on the music, it would relate to a bass guitar just as easily. You should be able to find "transcriptions" of bass parts for most groups. It's a wonderful way to practice your reading skills. Then, play along with the recording to confirm that what you are playing correctly.

Eden: What does the future hold for you?

MG: Our next year's tour schedule includes longer stays in some of the major cities. I'm looking forward to enjoying less frequent packing and traveling. In some of the larger cities, I plan to get together with musician friends that I have made across the country.

Michael Gerry Bio