Kenny G bassist opens up about eclectic history and solo show

Exclusive video interview with FBPO’s Jon Liebman
October 28, 2019

By David Sands

You might call Vail Johnson the man of a thousand basses. Not so much for the volume of his instruments, mind you, as the multitude of musical styles he’s known for playing.Taken as a whole, the range of his musical experience is pretty staggering. Beyond being Kenny G’s longtime bass guy, the Seattle native has also played with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Stevie Nicks, Gil Scott Heron, Michael Bolton, George Benson, David Cassidy, MC Hammer, Edgar Winter, Carmine Appice and Warren Hill, as well as Eric Marienthal and Frank Gambale of the Chick Corea Elektric Band.  He’s also released six solo albums and tours around with his own solo bass show.

FBPO’s Jon Liebman caught up with Vail at this year’s Summer NAMM show in Nashville for a conversation that delved into the multi-faceted bassist’s solo show, tales of Danny Bonaduce’s bass technique, and his own philosophical outlook on playing the bass.

Watch our interview with Vail!

See Jon’s blog, with key takeaways from this interview, here.