Typically, the producer will be responsible for the creative vision and flow of a session. That may extend to locating and selecting material for the artist if they don't write all the material themselves, or helping with arrangements and keys if they do. The producer will locate and book the studio, hire a session leader who hires the players, and generally set the wheels in motion for the session.

When he's in the control room, the producer listens to the overall track, gives it a thumbs up or thumbs down, or notes any changes in parts and tells the players what he's looking for. He's the set of "Big Ears" that listens to the overall feel and sound of the track. That bass fill that you played may be the coolest thing you've ever thought up, but if it steps on the vocal line or a key part, the producer may have you punch in and change it (or just cut it and replace it with another clip of audio in this era of DAW production).

In a perfect world, the producer is out for the good of the Song and the Artist. In Hip-Hop, Urban, and Dance, the producer may play or sequence all of the instruments himself. In Nashville, he guides the session players in the direction that suits the song and the artist.

In Nashville the lines of duties can get blurred, to say the least. In my experience, many sessions here take on the feel of an old-fashioned barn-raising. The players all brainstorm on arrangements and the producer steers the direction of the song while using their contributions. A session player's value is based not only on his playing ability, but also on how many creative and useful ideas he can bring to the table while working on the song. (All of this has to be done diplomatically - there's a fine art to suggesting an idea in a way that makes the producer feel like he or she thought it up!).

The session-leader can be the person who steers the arrangement under the supervision of the producer, or he can just collect the right combination of session players and let the Alchemy of that group of musicians take it's natural course. Both styles work, though I prefer to put together a group of musicians and let the ideas fly.

The producer is often times dealing with the logistics of the session and the overall direction. He then hires a session leader he trusts to put together the right team of players to create the right environment for that "barn-raising" to occur. The session leader is the direct conduit to the band. He also takes care of paperwork that needs to be filed with the Musician's Union so that everyone gets paid (can't forget that!). In New York or Los Angeles, where producers hire arrangers for recording work, one of the duties of the Nashville session leader is taken over by a contractor who calls the players (in Nashville, contractors hire String and Horn sections in a lot of cases).

I personally feel that the overall vibe of making music in Nashville is a bit more informal than on both Coasts, and that contributes to the blurring of the lines. At the end of the day, the working bassist who wears the producer or session leader hat as well, has to be aware and flexible so that he can adapt to whatever role makes the music work the best.

Peace and Low Notes,
Roy C. Vogt
Nashville Bassist
Bass Instructor, Belmont University, Nashville, TN

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