Meet Jeff Gellis

Today's Interview is with Jeff Gellis - Bassist

Hi Jeff, how many years have you been playing the guitar?
Whenever anybody asks me how long I've been playing I have a little difficulty answering that question because at what point did really good music start to come out?  That line gets a little blurry.  I've basically been holding an instrument in my hand since I was five years old and have been paid for gigs since I was in the seventh grade. That's quite a long time I think.

What was your first guitar?
Well, anyone that knows me, knows that I'm a bit of a guitar junkie.  I started off playing guitar and so my guitars were nylon string classical guitars but since then I have a collection of many guitars.

How many bands have I been in?
Wow, I've been in a lot of different bands. When I graduated college I was playing Atlantic City lounges.  Later on, I played in the house band at Sounds of Brazil in NYC with percussionist Guilherme Franco.  I was in the house band Preachers in Greenwich Village with Will Galison.  Jaco and Paul Butterfield would wander in on occasion.  I've been in many club bands throughout the years.  I was lucky enough to travel the world playing bass for David Clayton Thomas and Blood Sweat and Tears... many other bands, too many to name.

How often do you practice?
I'll try to practice every day.  The more you know, the more you know that there's more you don't know.  When I'm practicing,  I'm working on stuff I can't play rather than stuff that I can play.  That takes some self-discipline because working on the stuff that I can't play obviously is much harder.  Sometimes it's as simple as working on two notes.  If you were listening to me practice, you might wonder if I know how to play ... hehee.

What's it like to gig?
That depends on who we are gigging with (lol).  At its best, it's an out of body experience where you actually get to float above the music and become a spectator, not thinking about what you're playing.  You are absorbed in a moment in time, as present as you possibly can be.  It's really something special.  If you are an adrenaline junkie, you obviously love the crowds and the applause but it's really all about the music.

What was one of your accomplishments as a musician?
Well, it's hard to pick out one accomplishment, there are many.  I got to play with some tremendous musicians, played some great venues and locations all around the world.  My bass guitar has basically taken me places I could never have dreamt of and I have to say that's a huge accomplishment.

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