Dewayne Pate

Veteran bassist Dewayne Pate releases Melting Pot

Robben Ford, Andy Narrell and Johnny Hiland contribute to compelling CD,

Release Party to be held at Yoshi’s, Oakland , on Monday, June 23, 2008

February 28, 2008: For immediate release

Contact: [email protected] or 510-234-5777

( San Francisco , CA ) The release of Melting Pot, distinguished bassist Dewayne Pate’s first CD as a leader, represents one of those exciting occasions that true music fans savor: that moment when a career-long sideman steps forward to reveal himself as a dynamic performer and insightful composer, fully worthy of the spotlight. On Melting Pot, Pate makes his point emphatically, delivering a sparkling CD filled with diamond-sharp performances and intriguing compositions that illuminate the impressive range of Pate’s virtuosity.

Prominent jazz writer Andrew Gilbert says, “Bassist Dewayne Pate delivers a impressive array of grooves on his new album Melting Pot. . . . Pate is deep in the pocket, playing taste and soul.”

The scope of Pate’s talents have been well known for years within the musical fraternity. Pate’s well-earned standing as a “musician’s musician” springs from his facility across a wide spectrum of musical styles. That status is made evident by the roster of the artists who have called on Pate’s services over the past twenty years for his skills as a rock-solid rhythm man, a sophisticated colorist and a stylish improviser. Pate has flashed his blues and jazz-funk chops for guitar-slinger Robben Ford. He’s helped propel the bands of Latin all-stars Pete Escovedo and Ray Obiedo. And he’s soared through the intricate rhythms and exotic harmonies demanded by the Indian-jazz fusion of saxophonist George Brooks.

All-Star lineup powers exceptional release

The lineup on Melting Pot is no less impressive a testiment than Pate’s curriculum vitae. Ford is on hand to slash and burn his way through the infectious funk celebration “Uptown Down South” and the Miles-style modal romp “My Isles.” The latter tune features glowing trumpet work by Bay Area horn-man Steffen Kuehn, and both numbers enjoy a buoyant gospel underpinning courtesy of organist David K. Matthews, Pate’s frequent collaborator and Etta James’ touring keyboard player.

Obiedo turns in funk-heavy rhythm guitar support for the effervescent “Tappin’ It Out on the Eastside” and adds a smoother touch to Pate’s lush jazz/ballad adaptation of Antonin Dvorak’s “Going Home,” a number that also features Tower of Power/Doobie Brothers saxophonist Marc Russo. Steel pan master Andy Narrell, along with drummer Jean Phillipe Fanfant and keyboardist Mario Canonge from Narrell’s ensemble, Sakésho, lend a French Caribbean spice to “Bakoua” and “Em Ferias.” And ace Nashville guitar picker Johnny Hiland sears through the joyous “Heeeeeeere’s Johnny.”

You get the idea. Dewayne Pate had no trouble assembling a first-string line up to power Melting Pot. But even with this high-test team around him, Pate’s own talents come through in fine style, not only in his radiant, driving bass work, but in the compelling quality and range of his song writing. For, as exciting as the musicianship is, here, Melting Pot is as much a showcase for Pate’s composing skills as for his performing. All the songs are Pate originals, with the exception of his Dvorak arrangement and a lovely cover of Ivan Lins’ serene ballad, “Lembra de Mim.”

A composer's showcase

“The composing is what I’m most proud of,” Pate says. “The playing is great, but I really wanted to focus on making a CD that people would want to listen to over and over again because the material is so good. The recordings I listen to most are albums where the song-writing is so strong it doesn’t even matter what genre they’re in. That’s what I was going for with Melting Pot.”

Pate makes that point quickly, opening Melting Pot with the CD’s fascinating title track. The number begins with the drone of an Australian didgeridoo and a plaintive far-Eastern vocal call from singer Sukhawat Alikhan. Tabla player Nilan Chaudhuri brings a swelling Indian cadence to the fore until Pate’s bass and Ken Harrill’s rhythm guitar urge the music forward into a funk beat that is in turned taken up by the rap stylist Jonah. We’re heading around the world, all right, but somehow Pate’s writing, arrangement and production make it all work seamlessly and organically.

Asked whether he was trying to make a specific point by including so many genres and musical styles on his first CD, Pate shakes his head and laughs.

“No, that’s just who I am,” he says. “I love all kinds of music, and that’s why I get hired to do a lot of different gigs. One day I might be playing with Pete Escovedo, and the next day I’ll be working with Chris Cain, the blues guy. I pride myself on being versatile. But more importantly, that’s what I like to do. When you’re playing different music all the time, a lot of different music will come to you. And if you hear something you like, you write it down. That’s what happened with Melting Pot. I wrote these songs over a 10-year span. I was playing a lot of different styles, and it all rubbed off on me.”

Pate grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area town of Pinole . He switched from guitar to bass in junior high and played through high school in rock bands and jazz ensembles. After high school, Pate headed to Los Angeles for studies at the Los Angeles Musician’s Institute of Technology , where he worked with bassist’s Jeff Berlin and Bob Magnussen and visiting artists like Steve Lukather and Robben Ford.

Returning to the Bay Area, Pate dove into the life of a working musician, taking gigs of all sorts and styles. In the late 80s, he joined the Ford Blues Band, led by Robben Ford’s brother Patrick. Through Patrick, Pate made contact with Robben Ford again, nearly a decade after those visiting artist sessions at MIT. After a stint filling in with Robben’s band, Pate got the call to join the group full-time, beginning a tenure of touring and recording that lasted for several years. Since then, Pate has continued his busy and versatile career, playing, as noted with Escovedo, Obiedo and Brooks, as well as with ex-Prince keyboardist RAD, and, most recently, blues guitarist Chris Cain. He’s even recorded a best-selling instructional bass tapping video, “The Art of Tapping.”

Stylistically, Pate names Robben Ford and John Scofield among his major influences.

“Robben is a master improviser,” Pate says. “I enjoy improvising, and I’ve really worked hard on it. Robben’s improvising is so soulful and so complex harmonically that he’s influenced me tremendously. John Scofield, as well, because of his soulfulness. Like Robben, his improvisational skills are incredibly advanced harmonically, but they’re also very soulful and funky. Those are the musicians I gravitate to.”

There’s a lifetime of musical influences coursing through Melting Pot, a world of music to be heard and a world of talent on display. And with his first CD as a leader now available, it may well be Dewayne Pate’s turn to influence others. It’s certainly his turn to impress and entertain fans of jazz, funk and World music, from their head right down to their shoes.

Upcoming release party and more information

The prominent jazz club Yoshi’s Oakland , located in Oakland ’s Jack London Square , thinks enough of Dewayne Pate and his fine new CD to have booked them for a CD release party on Monday, June 23, 2008. For more information about Dewayne Pate and Melting Pot, visit and for bookings and interviews, please call 510-234-5777, email [email protected] or visit www.myspace.com/dewaynepate .