The Bastard Instrument: A New History of the Electric Bass

The University of Michigan Press has published “The Bastard Instrument: A Cultural History of the Electric Bass” by Brian F. Wright (ISBN 978-0-472-07681-9). In what Library Journal referred to as an “ingenious twist on contemporary pop musicology,” this book chronicles the history of the electric bass and the musicians who played it, from the instrument’s invention through its widespread acceptance at the end of the 1960s.

Although their contributions have often gone unsung, electric bassists helped shape the sound of a wide range of genres, including jazz, rhythm & blues, rock, country, soul, funk, and more. Their innovations are preserved in performances from artists as diverse as Lionel Hampton, Liberace, Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, the Supremes, the Beatles, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Jefferson Airplane, and Sly and the Family Stone, all of whom are discussed in this book.

Author Brian F. Wright is Assistant Professor of Music History at the University of North Texas as well as a bass player. His work has been featured in Vintage Guitar and Bass Player magazines and at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. By bringing his own experience with the instrument as well as his academic research— punctuated by 40 illustrations—he demonstrates how early electric bassists fundamentally altered the trajectory of popular music.

As bassist Stuart Hamm attests, The Bastard Instrument is “Solid detective work chronicling the early days of the electric bass, written by someone who knows what he is talking about. A must read for all bass players!”

Details:

368 pages, 40 photos, 6″ x 8″ trim, Publication: July 2024

Hardcover: 978-0-472-07681-9; $70.00

Paperback: 978-0-472-05681-1; $24.95

Ebook: 978-0-472-22170-7

Discount: Trade

https://press.umich.edu/Books/T/The-Bastard-Instrument2