| When bassist Gary Willis began working on No Sweat, his first solo album, he decided to take a novel approach seen less and less in today's jazz world: he let the spirit of the music guide him. That's right, there were no consultants pushing the buttons of smooth jazz and retro-virus-plagued radio programmers. Nor were there any Artie Fufkin-style record label sharks busy devising demographics and unit sales charts.
Willis' uncompromising approach is one he's stuck to throughout his main gig with Tribal Tech, the furious fusion quartet from California he co-leads with guitarist Scott Henderson. Since the mid-'80s, the group's released seven studio albums of ballsy jazz-rock that proudly spit in the face of fashion.
That same disdain for trends permeates No Sweat. The disc is a fun, no-holds-barred fusion outing that focuses on improvisation, lengthy jams and intricate interaction between the players involved. No Sweat finds drummer Dennis Chambers, sax/keysman Steve Tavaglione and Tribal Tech keyboardist Scott Kinsey combining with Willis' supple, yet fiery fretless bass lines. The result is some of the most refreshing instrumental music of recent memory.
When Willis isn't working with Tribal Tech or on his solo career, he can be found serving as a sideman for the likes of legendary players such as Wayne Shorter, Allan Holdsworth and Robben Ford. He's also a teacher, author and avid mountain biker.
This interview explores the making of No Sweat, Willis' evolution as a composer, Tribal Tech's future directions and his opinions on everything from Alanis Morissette to Bill Clinton to Homer Simpson.
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