By DJ Mixolydian
For this week’s In Session feature, KZSC presents to you the music of Bob Babbitt. A legendary studio bassist who traded off sessions with James Jamerson of Motown Studios, Babbitt spent considerable time with both the Funk Brothers of Motown and MFSB (Mother Father Sister Brother) of Philadelphia International Records.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Babbitt was blown away by the electric bass at first sight. He traded his upright bass for a 1960 Fender Jazz Bass, and proceeded to record some of the most famous basslines of all time, including Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”, Diana Ross’s “Touch Me in The Morning”, and The Temptations’ “Smiling Faces Sometimes”, among others.
Babbitt was not limited to just soul music, though. His talent was extraordinary and utilized by artists of many genres, including Jimi Hendrix, Alice Cooper, Jimmy McGriff, Yoko Ono, Taj Mahal, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Stanley Turrentine, and many others. Read on for a playlist of tracks Babbit held down the low end on, and check back in every Monday for a legend of the recording studio on In Session.