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Chuck Rainey

American bass guitarist (born 1940) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chuck Rainey
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For the former major league baseball player, see Chuck Rainey (baseball).

Charles Walter Rainey III (born June 17, 1940) is an American bass guitarist who has performed and recorded with many well-known acts, including Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and Quincy Jones.[1] Rainey is credited for playing bass on more than 1,000 albums,[2] and is one of the most recorded bass players in the history of recorded music.[3][4]

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Early life

Rainey was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 17, 1940, and grew up in Youngstown. His parents were both amateur pianists. He learned viola, piano, and trumpet as a child[5] and majored in brass instruments in college.[6] He attended Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee.[4] Rainey began playing guitar in the military.[5]

Career

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Rainey (right) and Ronnie Cuber at the Porretta Soul Festival 2005

After college he played guitar in a local band but had difficulty with some of the guitar chords due to the large size of his hands. His drummer suggested that he might try playing a bass guitar instead. He was twenty-one years old when he first picked up a bass. His first big professional gig was playing with Big Jay McNeely. He then joined up with Sil Austin to tour Canada and New York.[5] In 1962, Rainey joined King Curtis and his All-Star band;[7] in 1965, they opened for The Beatles' 1965 US tour. He joined Quincy Jones's big band in 1972.[6] By the 1970s he had played with Jerome Richardson, Grady Tate, Mose Allison, Gato Barbieri, Gene Ammons, as well as with Eddie Vinson at the 1971 Montreux Festival, and on five albums of Steely Dan.[1]

Although much of his work was as a session player, Rainey recorded a solo album, The Chuck Rainey Coalition, in 1969. Other solo albums were Born Again (1982), Hangin' Out Right (1999),[8] Sing & Dance (2001),[9] and Interpretations of a Groove (2012).[10]

Rainey wrote the five-volume Complete Electric Bass Player instructional books, and filmed instructional videos. The early bass curriculum at Musicians Institute and the Dick Grove School of Music were created by Rainey. He also wrote columns for Bass Player magazine from 1990–1992.[5]

On November 5, 2011, Rainey had a stroke[11] which paralyzed his left side. He spent four years receiving physical therapy and practicing meditation and Hatha yoga, and made a full recovery.[6]

In 2014, Rainey and drummer John Anthony Martinez[12] cofounded Rhythm Intensive, which provides clinics, workshops, and master classes for aspiring rhythm section musicians.[13] Rainey and Martinez also co-authored The Tune of Success: Unmask Your Genius.[6]

In an interview with Chris Jisi in April 2020, Rainey disclosed that he had retired as a bassist and turned his focus to writing his biography and working with Rhythm Intensive.[14]

A Rainey signature line of bass guitars is produced by Alvarez Guitars and Ken Smith Basses.[7]

Rainey received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music at a ceremony on May 7, 2022.[15]

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Discography

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As leader

  • The Chuck Rainey Coalition (Skye, 1969)
  • Albino Gorilla (Kama Sutra, 1971)
  • Born Again (Hammer 'N Nails, 1981)
  • Coolin' 'N Groovin' (A Night at On-Air) with Bernard Purdie (Lexington, 1993)
  • Chuck Rainey/David T. Walker Band with David T. Walker (Toy's Factory, 1994)
  • Hangin' Out Right (CharWalt, 1998)
  • Sing & Dance (CharWalt, 1999)
  • Interpretations of a Groove (Vivid Sound, 2013)

As guest

With Alessi Brothers

  • Driftin' (A&M Records, 1978)

With Louis Armstrong

With Gato Barbieri

  • El Pampero (Flying Dutchman, 1972)
  • The Legend of Gato Barbieri (Flying Dutchman, 1973)
  • Bolivia (RCA, 1985)
  • The Third World Revisited (BMG, 1988)

With George Benson

With Donald Byrd

With David Castle

  • Castle in the Sky (Parachute, 1977)
  • Love You Forever (Parachute, 1979)

With Ray Charles

With Joe Cocker

With Larry Coryell

With The Crusaders

  • Hollywood (MoWest, 1972)
  • Crusaders 1 (Blue Thumb, 1972)
  • The Golden Years (GRP, 1992)
  • The Crusaders' Finest Hour (Verve, 2000)

With King Curtis

  • Live at Small's Paradise (Atco, 1966)
  • Get Ready (Atco, 1970)
  • Everybody's Talkin' (Atco, 1972)
  • Instant Groove (Edsel, 1990)

With Delaney & Bonnie

With Aretha Franklin

With Gene Harris

With Richard "Groove" Holmes

With Bobbi Humphrey

With Etta James

With Quincy Jones

With Ben E. King

With Yusef Lateef

With David "Fathead" Newman

With The Rascals

With Steely Dan

With Sadao Watanabe

  • My Dear Life (Flying Disk, 1977)
  • California Shower (Flying Disk, 1978)
  • Nice Shot! (Flying Disk, 1980)

With Ernie Wilkins

  • Blood, Sweat & Brass (Mainstream, 1970)
  • Hard Mother Blues (Mainstream, 1970)
  • Screaming Mothers (Mainstream, 1974)

With Bobby Womack

With others

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References

External links

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