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Uriah's Eden Interview
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WTX-260
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Young up-and-coming bassist Uriah Duffy, a 31 year old native of Rhode Island, currently touring with Whitesnake, has established himself as one of the few top-choice working bassists in the California Bay Area. Knowing the set lists for many different acts keeps him busy, as well as his ability to jump in and learn on the spot.

The son of hippie parents (consider his name, and his brother's, Yes), Uriah grew up on the East Coast listening to classic rock-and-roll and playing in rock bands. Wanting to be the "baddest fusion cat ever," he was also influenced by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and Chick Corea's electric work. In school he learned to play in Classical, Theater and Jazz settings. Turning down a scholarship at Berklee School of Music in Boston, Uriah moved to Berkeley, CA, in 1994 with his son, Shilo.

No stranger to shifting gears for different gigs, when Uriah says he plays "all styles" of bass, he means it. "I never wanted to be a 'Jack-of-all-trades; master of none', he comments, "so I make certain to respect whatever style or feel the gig requires. I strive to be the best bassist I can in any given situation."

The proof of this shows in his recent work with a diverse array of artists, including TnA (Pat Travers and Carmine Appice), Christina Aguilera, Bay Area hip-hoppers Lyrics Born, metal guitarists Doug Doppler and Danny Jones and many more. He's even filled Larry Graham's shoes playing bass for Family Stone Experience and Funk 101, both of which feature original members of Sly & the Family Stone.

Duffy's ability to strike at the heart of any style us uncanny. When Taj Mahal needed a bassist on the spot for the California part of the Horde Tour, Uriah was called in. With no warning, and virtually no preparation, he suddenly found himself onstage with the Blues icon in front of 20,000 fans at the Shoreline Amphitheater. Another call came from the singer of Toronto's Juno-Award winning Reggae group, Messenjah. Rupert "Ojiji" Harvey subsequently invited Uriah to stay for a month in Maui to record his solo album, "Once A Lion".

Although he is proud of his ability to play so many styles, when asked Uriah will tell you his favorite styles are "R&B and Funk. The kind with the stank on it." When it comes right down to it, he wants to see people up and dancing, moving and grooving to the lines he creates. Following in the complex and technical styles of Michael Manring, Victor Wooten and others, Uriah also learned to play all types of tunes arranged for solo bass playing but quickly points out his solo ability isn't what keeps him working. "It's great that the bass can now be seen and heard as a solo voice, though I'm not sure if this (solo bass playing) is just a hobby for me or not. I definitely don't get hired because I can play this type of stuff, but it keeps me challenged. And most listeners could care less if I play 3000 notes or 3 solid notes!".

What does the future hold for Uriah? "More pop music!" he says enthusiastically. "I love the simplistic impact that Pop music has. In touring situations, the band is usually comprised of the baddest musicians playing with discipline and professionalism. I'd love to be the musical director for a big tour while holding down the bottom." Uriah has also been honing his writing and production skills in his Mac-based home studio. "I know I'll get tired of gigging one day, but until then, I'm gonna keep charging!"