Andrew writes:
Gar’s an old friend, a bass player extraordinaire and possibly Gene Simmons’ secret illicit love child. We’ve spent many hours together enjoying life, listening to and making music and recently, went to see a band play in Hollywood. For some reason there was copious amounts of Irish Whiskey being handed round and while the end of the evening may be a little hazy – I do remember typing something into his phone. Below is how it played out:
Playlist image by Andrew Valdivia on Unsplash
About the Curators
Gar
Gar, a workers’ compensation defense attorney by day, and a demonic fire-breathing bass player by night (wait, no, that’s Gene Simmons!), grew up in the Hollywood Hills surrounded by music and musicians. He used to sit on the piano bench next to his father, watching and listening to his dad play ragtime classics and loved every minute of it.
He took piano lessons from his next door neighbor who was part of a very musical family. Jazz legend Les McCann lived 3 doors up from him, and was an important influence on him since the age of eight. When he found himself in the fence as to whether to move on to guitar or bass, Les told him, “Guitar players are a dime a dozen.” And that was it! Gar played bass!
Gene Simmons was an early influence, not just because he appeared to have so much fun playing bass and captivating his audiences with his wild antics and distinctive vocals, but because his bass sound and tone was and is so strong, balls out, and badass. While Gar’s playing style bears the mark of many different bass players, his tone is most influenced by that of Gene’s.
As Gar progressed with the bass guitar, many of the other usual rock and jazz suspects naturally became a part of Gar’s thing, such as John Paul Jones, John Entwistle, Jaco Pastorius and Marcus Miller, to name just a few.
Gar spent the 1990s in San Francisco and played in various rock and blues bands when he wasn’t stomping around on his mountain bike. He currently enjoys playing in a rock and blues covers band, playing songs he loves to hear and play. He also enjoys oil painting, skiing and cooking as well.
Andrew McCluskey
The first visual memory I have is that of the white upright piano in Singapore, Hell and the Dark Forces lived at the bottom, Heaven and the Angels at the top, they would play battles through my fingers and I was hooked.
As a psychology graduate I studied how sound affects human performance.
As a musician I compose instrumental music that stimulates your brain but doesn't mess with your language centers, leaving you free to be creative and brilliant without distraction.
As a curator I research how music can improve your life and create flow - I can tell you what music to listen to when studying for a test and why listening to sad music can make you feel better.
As a creator / contributor at musicto I’m part of a global creator community that collaborates through music. You can learn more about our community here.
