Tracy Ramon Pierce was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He started playing music at the raw age of seven years old, first playing the piano, lead guitar and finally the bass guitar at the age of nine. After playing with many local bands, groups and churches he went on the road at the age of thirteen.
He began taking the stage with and producing artists like the
Blind Boys of Alabama,
Sugarfoot of the Ohio Players,
Ronnie (
Diamond)
Hoard of the Ohio Players,
Timothy Schmit of the Eagles,
Chaka Kahn,
Rose Royce,
Dr Hook,
James Cleavland,
JODECI,
Flava Flav,
Ce Ce Penniston,
Randy Travis,
Peter Gabriel,
Bizzy Bone (Bone Thugs and Harmony)
Emmy Lou Harris,
Doc Mckinzie and the
Hi-lites,
The Mighty Clouds Of Joy and many more.
He then expanded his talents to a higher level and now is currently recording a bass solo project featuring some friends like K-Ci Haley, Ce Ce Penniston, Devante and many more. You can also hear his work on former American Idol, Corey Clark's CD: “So Many Questions.” Andre Darby's (Thru It All) featuring Darryl Coley. The movie sound tracks he has performed on include; The System Within, Brother Bear (with Phil Collins and many more). He has performed on many TV shows such as the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Wayne Brady, Regis and Kelly. He also has a movie credit to his name; The Fighting Temptations with Cuba Gooding Jr.
On top of all this he has Achieved 3 Grammy awards 2 Dove awards and 1 Image award. You can currently hear some of Trae's work on his Myspace page.
UG: What led you to D’Alegria Basses, unique tonal characteristics?
TP: Chuck McKinney of the Blind Boys of Alabama and Quality Management introduced me to James at Bass Dynamics. He brought me one of the D’Alegria Basses. I try to play many different styles of music, so I was looking for a bass that gave me more than one style of sound. The D'Alegria played and felt good and I was able to play around with the sound of it, and I just liked what it was sounding like and just went on with that.
What inspired your signature D’Alegria model, what kind of feels, sounds etc.
D'Alegria brought a bass up to the Blind Boys Office, and I tried the bass out and tried the knobs and made different sounds that made it into my own identity and I just kept playing around with the bass. D'Alegria actually suggested that they make a signature model, so thanks to Rod and all the guys over there at D'Alegria, they made it happen for me.
What does your rig consist of/what kind of strings do you use etc?
Mostly I use two four ten XL Hartke bass cabinets and a 5500 Hartke bass head. Most of the time that's what I use on stage and in the studio. As far as strings I use D'addario, I use to use Ernie Ball, but I kind of grew out of them and moved to D'addario.
You started on other instruments, what finally led you to the bass, and what kept you there?
Well I was messing around with piano and messing around with guitar. I would always listen to records and hear the bass lines and play them on the piano without even using the right hand. Then when I started playing guitar I would play the bass on guitar too. Then one day a friend of mine left a bass at my house on day and I just started playing around with it. This is when I figured out I wanted to be a bass player. As a kid, I was decent on all those other instruments but not real good. Once I picked up a bass I knew that was my love.
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| "I was looking for a bass that gave me more than one style of sound." |
Which players most inspired you?
First and far most, Stanley Clarke. I didn't know a bass player could play a solo like that until I heard Stanley Clarke, before that I was just holding grooves. But I like them all though. I like Victor, I like Marcus, I have a good friend of mine name Dauno Martinez, from Australia he's a good player. I listen to him a lot. But mostly I have to say Stanley Clarke.
How do you go about recording your bass?
When I'm recording with the Blind Boys, we record at capitol. They have everything set up. I run through a pre-amp and into Pro-Tools. But being that I have my signature bass I use that all the time. It has 6 different knobs on it. One of the knobs has six different notches on it, between one of those notches I can find the sound that I need in the studio. I record at home most of the time. While I’m there I go direct and use an amplifier.
What kind of influences/sounds can we expect on a solo album from you?
I try to play all different styles, so I'm trying not to stay in one vain of music. But there's definitely hip-hop, rap, jazz mixed with funk and some smooth jazz. I have different people doing guest appearances. Sugarfoot of Ohio players, he's the lead singer, I have different members of Jodeci, another group I produced, some of the Blind Boys, I have a new hip-hop artist out, he's number one on the charts, Flo-Rida. Mostly just things that I've been wanting to play for years on different recordings I did and wasn't able to because of what people want. That's why I called it the “Many Sides of Trae Pierce”, because I've played a lot of styles but I wasn't able to show all the styles at once. So basically that's what I wanted this first CD to show.
Do you have a release date for the solo album?
No release date yet. I’m over half done with the album but I don't have an exact release date yet. Recording is kind of funny. When you think you’re finished you go back and listen to things and you’re not as finished as you thought.
What inspired the song “Trae”; it has a really unique groove.
I'm from Miami. I was playing one day with my band down there, with that groove at a gig a few years back. The kick drum was playing all four beats. While I was playing over that, one of the guys in by band started telling the audience to say “Trae”. I just started playing different things. Lot of things that are on the recorded version are things that I was playing that day. My production company is T-Stone, so I kind of added T-Stone, but I've been playing that groove live for a long time.
You have very unique bass tone while soloing, what is the most crucially defining element of your tone?
When finger soloing, it has to have the perfect amount of mid's and highs and a little chorus. Plus I have an extra switch on my signature series that clicks in like a high and mid tone together, to give a flatter sound. On my finger solo I use that a lot.
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| "Once I picked up a bass I knew that was my love." |
Has being able to play with so many different artists/styles of music over the years resulted in any new techniques?
It gave me a lot of discipline. When I'm playing with one group, they want me to be more in the pocket, and others might want me to play more solos, more busy. Dr. Hook was a mix of disco, rock, folk, so it showed me how to play a whole different style when I was with him. The little bit of time I was with James Brown showed me more discipline mentally. The Blind Boys are totally different they want you to be busier; they don't want you to lie in the pocket as much. So I kind of learned how to go with the flow more, and that brings technique because I have to play a certain way. James Brown never wanted you to play with your fingers. He wanted you to play with your thumb always. Some of his grooves weren't easy to play with the thumb. That forced me to learn speed with my thumb. When I got with the Ohio Players I had to learn more funk, because I wasn't really a funk player when I got with them. I also have played country as well. These experiences brought me up to standards to kind of walk on stage with almost anybody, without sounding cocky, but I think I can.
You've won three Grammies, which albums did they stem from?
The Grammies come from my work with the Blind Boys. The first Grammy winning album I did was High Ground. They did a Christmas CD and I won a Grammy for my participation with that and the Ben Harper Blind Boys album won a Grammy as well. That album also won an NAACP image award.
What do you think set those works apart from other material?
I think it was the collaboration. The Ben Harper album was a nice collaboration. The Christmas album was also a nice collaboration. It had George Clinton, Tom Waits, Chrissy Hines, Erin Neville, and Mavis Staples. With that collaboration, how could you not win a Grammy? The Higher ground album was Robert Randolph and Ben Harper again. They were just nice records, and they were in the right place at the right time. I've done a lot of good work. These just so happen to be the ones that won the Grammy, so thanks to the Blind Boys for that.
What kind of things do you listen for while producing a song?
First thing I listen for is groove. I listen deep down inside the music and make sure everything is flowing right; all of the instruments are working together and complimenting each other. Make sure no instruments are fighting each other. Then I go and listen to the pitch of things. I listen to the vocals, to make sure the vocals are on time. With Pro-Tools you can move the vocals, make sure there on time and all that. I'm no stranger to producing. Just to name a few, I've produced Corey Clark from American Idol, Flava Flav, Jodeci, Bizzy Bone and Lazy Bone from Bone Thugs and Harmony, Sugarfoot from the Ohio Players, and Flo-Rida. Dealing with those types of people you learn things as you go. You learn from your mistakes. I have made some but it made me into the producer I am today.
What would the most crucial piece of advice that you could give to a player trying to break into the business?
Stay humble! Be around the type of musicians you want to be, and it will rub off on you. You have to practice! Put your time in and the talent will come out. I used to practice 8 hours a day every day. Even now I practice as much as I can, not as much because I'm so busy producing. Be humble and listen to somebody that knows more than you. A lot of young artists don't want to listen to other people because they think they already know what they're doing. Listen to the greats. You can learn from all of them.
Do you see yourself being drawn in the production direction, what do you see for yourself in the future.
I think when it's all over, when I've finished touring, I want to be at the studio at home turning knobs ad producing. I'll be touring for a long time, but I don't want to be touring for the rest of my life. I'll still be producing while touring. I'll be trying to make my solo albums successful.
Interview by Nicholas David Cole-Klaes
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