Dave Bass
Rhymes with "Class" - like the shoes, the ale and the fish.
Although I sometimes play bass (which rhymes with "face")
it's not my primary instrument -
and has nothing to do with my name.
Now that we've cleared that up - !
Diamond Dave was fashioned from Cosmic Dust by an all-powerful Entity
and sent to Earth during the Summer of Love
to spread Love, Joy and Cosmic Grooviness to Earthlings in song and rhyme.
Sometimes he has succeeded in his mission.
Other times, he has failed miserably.
(But hey, your batting average probably isn't much better, so no judgement).
He entered the Earthly realm in New York City, (Queens to be precise), and loved every minute of it:
the sidewalks, the hustle, the street vendors, Ditmars Avenue, Central Park and a loving, extended family,
including a father who was a jazz and rhythm & blues guitarist and composer.
But soon, Dave was kidnapped by his Earthly parents and brought to Naples, Florida ... then Miami, then Atlanta.
(Don't call the cops - it's called 'moving' and being too young to say a daym thing about it).
At first, all young Dave wanted to do was go back to Gotham.
He was homesick; he missed Knishes and couldn't pronounce an "R" to save his life.
Then, over time, something unexepected happened;
he was seduced by the greenery of the Shire, Southern hospitality (and Southern women).
He decided to stay and begin his Earthly mission right here, in good old 'Latna, Gahwga.
In school, young Dave won awards for writing essays and poetry, drawing and music,
and had too many hobbies to count:
coins, stamps, books, dinosours (not real ones), cars (ditto), sharks (actually had a baby shark) and martial arts.
Eventually, he decided to concentrate on his musical talents.
At first, he freelanced with big bands, blues outfits, jazz combos, variety bands
and one freezing-cold gig outdoors, playing polkas in lederhosen (which shall never again be spoken of).
Along the way, Dave's talents expanded to include drums, piano, saxes, flute, guitar, voice and bass.
Yes, bass as in "face," not as in "class" -
although he would say his bass-playing is classy,
and let's not forget arranging, bandleading and composing.
In 1991, inspired by the music of Charles Mingus,
he rounded up a group of ragtag warriors and formed the Dave Bass Quartet.
In 1993, to get closer to the 'action' (whatever that is),
he moved to the quaint inner-city neighborhood of Virginia Highlands.
In 1996, he took the leap of faith into music full-time
and was soon busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.
For the next 12 year, the DBQ played everything imaginable across a 7-state area;
festivals, weddings, private events and clubs; you-name-it.
He had a full-time assistant and a group of merry men who enjoyed making music together.
On the side, Dave even booked and emceed music festivals.
But eventually, Diamond Dave got bored.
He felt unchallenged.
The streets of New York called again.
So he decided to move back.
The month of 9/11.
Suffice it to say, not good timing.
In fact, that whole year sucked for Dave; he lost his father, his girlfriend, his assistant
and put a looot of money into a debut album he didn't have the will to finish or release.
Lost and bereft of his superpowers, he wandered the streets of Atlanta aimlessly for a few years.
Then someone said, "Go West, young man!"
And for some dumb reason, Dave listened to him.
So in 2008, our hero loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly -
(although it was Santa Monica) - but close enough,
and not before three hot, ugly months in Vegas (of which we shall also never again speak).
It was the year of The Banking Crisis.
Great timing, yet again.
But our hero persevered.
He soon found a little cottage in Hollywood (emphasis on little)
where he could make noise undeterred.
And then, something amazing happened: he fell in love.
No, not with a woman, (I wish) but with a process -
the Art of Studio Recording.
Dave was soon spending many sleepless nights multi-tracking and composing
until the wee hours of the morning, happy as a clam.
He befriended some of the greatest Recording Engineers on the planet;
people who worked with Cannonball Adderly and Elvis, The Stones and Michael Jackson,
and got an education money just can't buy.
He built a great studio, spent lots of time composing and recording
and engineered and produced a lot of talented folks.
He kept playing gigs, toured the West Coast with a crazy hippie funk band,
taught voice, piano, saxophone, flute and guitar
and
developed a class on his favorite subject; Songwriting.
In spite of all this, Dave became homesick again -
not for New York but
for the green of the Shire and his wonderful mother.
The city of Fallen Angels was becoming increasingly unclean, unsafe and more expensive to survive, as well.
and then the Plandemic, where the only music permitted in public was from homeless tents on the sidewalk!
It was time for Ulysses to make the journey home.
So he bought a bus (not a ship but a bus),
and began loading his stuff to move out of Beverly and back to Atlanta, to be near his mom.
Unfortunately, during this process his mother became ill and unexpectedly passed (with Dave by her side).
In her honor, Dave moved into her house.
It is situated on a beautiful lake full of wonderful critters; the hand of God is everywhere.
Dave is hoping to re-open his Hollywood Analog studio in the house in the Summer of 2026,
And has once again taking up his Cosmic Mission to bring Love, Joy and Cosmic Grooviness in song and rhyme.
Dave recently summoned a group of Superheroes to help him in this journey.
Their names and identities will soon be revealed -
but we can reveal their super powers:
One plays Contrabass, otherwise known as The Doghouse
One plays Keys, otherwise known as Piano or Organ
One plays Kit, otherwise known as Tubs & Plates or the Drumset
One plays The Big Plumbing, otherwise known as Trombone
And one plays The Little Plumbing, otherwise known as Trumpet
That's the short story;
if I ever write a book, it'll be a doozey.
Thank you and God Bless,
Dave
Come see us at The Atlanta Botanical Garden
Saturday, June 27, 6-10
Tickets on sale here:
https://atlantabg.org/calendar/summer-party/
