by Martin simpson

I recently asked Simon of The Sleepers if anyone had taken over the Bass slot from the late Carly Phillips, who passed away in November 2005 after a short battle with Leukemia. Simon told me that Jordi was the replacement bassist and kindly asked him to contact me. We had a quick chat and I asked Jordi if I could interview him. Jordi appears to prefer to keep his answers short and sweet (maybe he’s one of those ‘Less is more’ type of bassists) but anyway, this is what he told me in March 2006.  

How long have you been playing Jordi? 

I’ve been playing bass for almost six years. I’ve played piano since I was seven, and saxophone since I was 15. 

How did you get started? 

I wanted to play in a metal band and the bass grabbed me immediately.  I bought one and used my experience from other instruments to teach myself to play.  Since then I’ve incorporated classical and jazz techniques to develop my own style. 

Do you come from a musical family? 

Not really.  My mom’s practically tone deaf, but my dad’s been through his fair share of instruments.  He messed around on the guitar for a bit, and the flute appeared somewhere in his life (this was all before I was born).  He started the piano at the same time I did, but he got too busy so I eventually surpassed him. 

What’s your favourite band / solo artist? 

Favourite band is “Tool” undoubtedly!  Favourite individual bassist is Jaco Pastorius. 

What are the amps and instruments you currently use? 

Currently playing a Cort Artisan A6 (6-string bass) with a Laney R4 head and cab. 

Are you happy with the B string? – I bought a 5 string Cort, years ago and immediately altered the tuning to include a high C rather than the low B. 

YEAH!!!!  I’ve tuned that down to a B-flat and dropped the E to a D.  It works better for my style that way.  I’ve left the rest of the strings in standard tuning, but I’m thinking of making the C a C-sharp.  Invariably I will use all of the strings in any given song. 

What instruments would you like to have if money were no object? 

I have all that I could want in my current bass, so the only possible upgrade would be a custom bass.  I would like a mahogany bass with the Ibanez Ergodyne EDA shape – 6-string neck through, of course. 

So you don’t have any plans to follow in Steve Bailey’s footsteps and go fretless? 

I play a lot of chords and classical style plucking (fingers only – I hate plectrums!), so to stretch the full distance on a fretless bass would be hell for my hands.  I also prefer the definite notes that frets provide.  However, I do sometimes wish I could slide notes without clicking my way up the frets…  

What about 7 strings? 

Definitely on the cards - especially for my solo stuff.  If I decide I need more notes, a 7^th string would be the way I’d go. I could expand on my chord structures to make them more crisp and precise.  I might need an extra finger on my left hand.   I’d add a higher string, of course. 

What have you been doing for the last five years or so? 

Finished school three years ago, and have been studying Mechatronics Enginering at UCT since then.  I’ve been working with my technical metal (like Tool) band, Anaphis, and I recently joined The Sleepers.  I’ve also been writing some experimental (and listenable) solo bass music. 

Have you done any gigs with The Sleepers yet? 

Yes.  I was playing for them in a temporary capacity for a while.  Since then I’ve played about a dozen gigs with them.  With regards to my bass part, I’ve been playing Carly’s original lines, and just adding a few fills here and there.  We’ve just finished a new song in which I made my first ‘real’ contribution to the band.  

How’s life treated you since stepping into Carly’s shoes? 

I was friends with the guys from the Sleepers before I even knew they were in the band, so joining was not a difficult decision, particularly since we all get along really well. Our supporters have been extremely accepting of me, and it feels perfectly natural to be part of the band.  University treats me like dog meat, but that’s the same old story.  It’s the music that matters… 

What recordings that you’ve played on would you recommend for listening? 

None as yet.  I’ve only done scratch tracks and demos. 

What’s been the low point in your career so far? 

The frustration of being at the mercy of incompetent resident sound ‘engineers’. 

Yeah, we’ve all been there at some time or other. So what has been the high point? 

Getting my 6-string.  Glorious! 

Have you visited www.bassplayers.co.za  yet? 

Definitely.  I haven’t had a chance to peruse the site, but it looks like an interesting resource for bassists. 

What does Jordi Reddy get up to outside of studying Mechatronics Engineering and playing music? 

I’m quite involved in Goth culture, and I design many of my own clothes in that style.  I’ve also been doing some painting.  Other than that, I mostly spend time with my friends and make considerable effort to meet new people. 

What are your goals currently? 

To further improve my playing ability to that of Jaco Pastorias, and complete my solo bass album (it’ll take a while, though).