Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2014
It’s good to be Nathan East.
After a career spanning more than three decades playing alongside stars such as Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston, the Philadelphia-born bass guitar player has decided to strike out on his own.
And while he’s had numerous gratifying moments over the years, such as playing for Pope John Paul II and to a crowd of 2 million at President Barack Obama’s inauguration, he says the greatest kick so far has been the release of his first solo album. As East exited the stage at his CD release party in Tokyo’s Spiral Hall on April 22, in a cherry-red McLaren 650S Spider no less, we’d have to agree.
This year has been a promising one for the gregarious, humble rocker. East is the man behind the catchy bass line in Daft Punk’s 2014 Grammy-winning hit “Get Lucky,” which makes his solo debut particularly auspicious.
The bassist first came to Japan in 1981, and like many artists, fell in love with the culture, people and food. This month he’s nearly on his 70th visit, and says this market “is the most near and dear to [his] heart.”
One of his first contacts with Japan was through a collaborative album with jazz fusion group Casiopea, whose bassist Tetsuo Sakurai and drummer Akira Jimbo are still good friends of his today.
East is a founding member of contemporary jazz quartet Fourplay. “Forever idol” Seiko Matsuda collaborated with the group on their latest CD, Esprit de Four, for a composition dedicated to tsunami relief in the wake of the March 11, 2011, triple disaster. More recently, the “beautiful singer” A.I. has become a very dear friend, he said.
“Most of all, I have recorded extensively with one of my favorite artists and human beings, Kasumasa Oda [singer/songwriter of Tokyo Love Story fame], who has become my Japanese brother,” he added.
East’s ties to Tokyo extend beyond his friendships with fellow artists. The award-winning bassist has also cultivated a long-standing relationship with Yamaha Corporation.
When East first picked up a Yamaha bass, it immediately struck a chord in him. Since then, Yamaha has been his instrument of choice, and he even worked with the manufacturer to develop the Nathan East BBNE-2 signature model.
Like the artist himself, the customized axe is highly versatile, excelling in both live performance situations and in the recording studio, he explained.
“It’s like a one-size-fits-all bass for me.”
When asked why he chose to ignite his solo career now, he replied, “Well, I’ve been ambitious about doing my own project but was just too busy touring and recording with so many other artists, so my project simply kept being put on hold. I believe that the timing now is perfect!”
It is just those musical connections formed over the years that make his solo album, and even live shows, a joy to experience. He’s a man that undoubtedly can hold his own in the spotlight, comfortably dominating vocals and seamlessly shifting from smooth ballads to funky interludes. East’s ability to assemble a diverse mix of artists to add a unique spin to each number is truly what sets him apart, however.
Contributing artists on his album—which features both original and cover tracks—include Stevie Wonder, Bob James and even his 13-year-old son Noah, who performs a heart-wrenching version of “Yesterday” in a duet with his dad.
Former Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers vocalist Michael McDonald also collaborated on the album. East will join McDonald this weekend on stage with Toto at Tokyo Dome City Hall.
This is yet another band Nathan has toured with for many years. When asked about the partnership, he replied, “Toto has a catalogue of songs that really stand the test of time, and their standards for excellence as a group started out very high and remain so to this day.”
Nathan East & Toto play Apr 27 at Tokyo Dome City Hall and Apr 28 at Nippon Budokan.
