By Jim Santella

Jim Ferguson’s A-Records album Not Just Another Pretty Bass was released only weeks ago in the U.S. Featuring tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, pianist Pat Coil, and drummer Jim White, Ferguson sings eleven lovely songs and accompanies on bass. The album is quite impressive and the singer/bassist presents a unique blend. In this world where the male jazz singer has become nearly extinct, Ferguson brings a welcome breath of fresh air.

Conducted by email correspondence, this interview was posed three questions at a time. Fortunately, the drift of the conversation did not require abrupt changes in direction. Instead, we developed a natural rhythm as we waged our 5-day conversation about motives, models, and methods.

Let's start at the beginning. Where are you from and what got you started on your career?

I was born in Jefferson City, Missouri. My dad had been a high school band director for 16 years; right up to the year I was born. He went into church music and took a job at a large church in South Carolina. That's where I grew up. It's also where I began singing. I was singing in the children's choir at 4 years old. The South Carolina public school music programs were woefully inadequate at that time. If it hadn't been for the church music program, I'm sure I'd be doing something entirely different now. I didn't begin to play the bass till my senior year in high school. Here again, it was for a folk musical at church. My dad didn't want me to be involved in "show business". He finally relented and let me buy my first bass to play at church. I took my first lessons after my freshman year at the University of South Carolina.

Who were your earliest influences in the jazz area?

I was told to get my hands on any Oscar Peterson record with Ray Brown. I love Ray's playing, even though I don't think I sound like him at all. I really fell in love with Scotty's playing with Bill Evans. From there I discovered O.P. [Oscar Pettiford], Slam [Stewart], P.C. [Paul Chambers], Leroy [Vinnegar], Percy [Heath], Wilbur [Ware], and a host of others. Later on I met and studied with Michael Moore who I believe to be one of the finest players ever. I also met my other favorite, Red Mitchell, at about that same time. Red and Michael are probably the two players that first come to mind when I think of uniquely individual melodic voices. I've actually written lyrics to one of Red's solos.

Was there any particular schooling, or did this pretty much come naturally?

I studied voice on the College level beginning my junior year of high school. I wasn't a natural at all, I'm afraid. I worked very hard to expand my range and control vocally. After college I had to work at undoing some of the classical sound in my jazz singing, but the techniques of classical training gave me a good foundation so that I can break the rules without hurting my voice. The jazz aspect of my bass playing came mostly on the bandstand with two seasoned players, trumpeter Johnny Helms and guitarist Terry Rosen. Johnny had been in Woody's and Clark Terry's bands, among others. Terry had accompanied Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Nancy Wilson and Harry James. Johnny and Terry each took me under their wings. They wanted the sound of the string bass so much that they put up with my lack of experience at the time. I did finally get a Masters in Jazz Performance from the University of South Carolina. Two years ago I was chosen outstanding music alumnus of 1997.

After being out on the road and then coming back to school, did you find a difference in the way you approached your studies?

I was a confused student for many years. I didn't feel that any of the organized curriculums fit my needs. Finally I discovered that USC had a General Studies degree program that only mandated total hours. I had to have 120 hours total with 30 of them in upper level courses. I had the equivalent music hours for a music degree, but not all the academic hours. The General Studies program allowed me to receive an undergraduate degree so that I could go to graduate school. The graduate music program directors didn't care what my undergraduate degree was in as long as I had the proper music courses covered.

Does Columbia or any nearby cities have a club scene for student musicians to intern, or is it pretty much "New York or else!"

We had a few places to play when I was there. One place was called The Coal Company. It had actually been a coal company in earlier years. I'm not sure what the scene is like now. Chris Potter used to sit in with us when I was in college. His folks would bring him to the gigs. He was 8 or 9 years old at the time and could play well even then.

Chris Potter's tenor saxophone blends quite well with your ensemble on Not Just Another Pretty Bass. The round tones he's bringing in add a lot to each song. Do you work together much these days?

We don't see each other nearly enough to suit me. We used to do a festival in South Carolina every spring, but that doesn't happen anymore. I hope to include Chris on subsequent CDs if I am lucky enough to do some more.

The title track is your original, and the album's song selection works well. You've said that the songs of Mose Allison and Dave Frishberg influenced your writing.

I've had the opportunity to work with Mose on several occasions and have enjoyed a few after-gig meals with him as well. I was singing his songs in South Carolina long before I met him in person, so it was especially nice to get to work with him. I'd have to include Red Mitchell in this group too. Red came back to the United States after twelve years in Sweden at the same time I was moving to New York from South Carolina. His lyric writing could be humorous or serious, much like Mose. Dave Frishberg has a more distinctly urban sophistication when it comes to his lyric writing. These three very clever songwriters have each influenced me, perhaps in part because they are each also singing instrumentalists and bring that perspective to their writing.

To me, Red had the most uniquely melodic approach to the bass that I've ever heard. Listening to Red always gave me the impression that he was very free to play what he heard. By that I mean that he never seemed to let the instrument's technical difficulties dictate the notes he'd choose. Most of us tend, at least some of the time, to choose notes that lay easily on the instrument. I've never sensed that in Red's playing. I've never sensed that he's chosen a position on the fingerboard in order to play the notes that are convenient from that position. From that standpoint Red seemed to hear the notes first and then make them happen without regard to difficulty. That's what we all strive for, but Red achieved it most convincingly I think.

Does your bass accompaniment go hand-in-hand with lyrics, or do you concentrate on one aspect at a time?

If you're referring to song writing, it doesn't always work the same way from song to song. Sometimes the lyrics come first, though I usually have an idea in the back of my head for the melody and chord changes as I'm writing. Regarding the performance of existing material, I usually get comfortable with the words and melody by listening to various versions before I pick up the bass. I've learned the changes by that time and usually just play the tune from there. Some more difficult songs require a bit of separate attention to the singing and bass playing before I am totally relaxed with them together. I try not to think of them as separate instruments in performance, however, even though I know that they are. I guess I try to think of them as two voices of the same instrument (namely me) in the same way a keyboard player would perform the voice leading of a two-part invention on one instrument.

Your bass solos are improvised, while singing lyrics narrows that path somewhat. Is improvisation really necessary?

I think improvisation is the essence of jazz. The vocal improvisation that I do is much more subtle than most instrumental improvisation, and that's on purpose. Even though I usually don't completely alter the melody when I'm singing, the choices of rhythmic phrasing, dynamics (variations in volume), tone coloring and note choices all add to the individuality of the performance. Some believe that you have to scat sing to be a real jazz singer. That requirement practically eliminates Billie Holiday, Johnny Hartman, Frank Sinatra and Nat Cole from the very list that they should own, in my humble opinion. These singers all improvise, each within a very recognizable and unique personal style, and they are each masters. There are, of course, others whose names should be on that short list of great jazz singers, too. The above named group illustrates my point though. There are, of course, some great scat singers associated with jazz. I don’t want to give the impression that I don’t like what they do. At the same time, I think history proves that scatting is not a required "right of passage" for a jazz singer, as some would have us think.

In what directions would you take your work if you suddenly had a year’s retreat away from it all without any obligations?

It's hard to imagine what you are suggesting becoming reality. I guess it would be close to heaven. Of course, if my musical collaborators didn't have the same year's freedom, it would be a lonesome joy. I suppose I'd record and perform as many old standards and new "standard like" songs as I could within the allotted time. If the above mentioned freedom from obligations included the financial freedom, I'd bring in some favorite players to help me achieve my musical goals. This is all very hypothetical, of course.

Your first introduction to life on the road was with the New Christy Minstrels. How do you cope with that "all work and no play" performer’s lifestyle on the road?

I was very lonely as a 22-year-old "youngster" out with the Christies. We were based in L.A., and I didn't get home for 5 months. The work that I do now doesn't take me away from home for so long at one time. We do a lot of 2 and 3 date "runouts" with Crystal.

It's actually more like "an hour or two of demanding work along with lots of 'HURRY UP & WAIT'. The hardest part of being on the road for me is figuring out how to make reasonable use of the "down time", and there's lots of it. I try to do some songwriting, reading, exercising and PR work like calling area radio stations, etc., to fill the time. But, I never feel like I make as good use of my time on the road as I would if I was home.

How does it work traveling with that big stand-up bass? Do you take it everywhere with you?

I don't carry the double bass on the road with Crystal Gayle very often. I take an electric upright bass. It goes in the cargo bay on planes or underneath on the tour bus. I'd always rather have the real bass, but it is expensive to transport. If I'm doing a session in Chicago, for instance, I book an extra seat and carry it on the plane. Some airlines make me buy the extra seat in first class at 3/4 of the normal first class fare and then they make me fly first class with it. I'll have to get a bass trunk when I start taking bookings with my own band.

Do you feel that you’re able to balance family time with your professional obligations?

This is always difficult. I don't know that I'll ever feel like I've really spent enough time with my daughter. I try to make sure that I give her my full attention for a while each day. Some days that's really hard. My wife is very supportive of what I'm doing. She comes from a family of musicians and is a violinist herself. Sometimes I think she likes to have the bit of peace and quiet that comes when I leave for a road trip.

What’s on your horizon?

I'm contemplating several ideas for my second CD project. I believe that we achieved a pretty high level of communication on the first one, so I'd like to approach the next one in similar fashion. I'm thinking about a thematic thread that would run throughout the CD.

On Not Just Another Pretty Bass I simply tried to choose the best songs I could find. I'm convinced that this was one of two things that I did pretty well regarding that CD. The other thing I did well was call the right players. They really made the difference by lifting the performance level up several notches. I have Chris, Pat and Jim to thank for their creative efforts on behalf of the music. I couldn't have asked for a more compatible group.

I also hope to do some live performances of this music before this millennium passes. Anyone need a band?

Copyright © 1999 by Jim Santella for All About Jazz.