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Plenty of bassists chase the spotlight. Derek Frank would rather run the whole room from the pocket. The veteran touring bassist, composer and bandleader, who has kept time for Gwen Stefani, Shania Twain, Shakira, Melissa Etheridge and Don Felder (Eagles), recorded “In Case You Missed It, Volume 2 (Live at The Baked Potato)” on a night off the road, in the Studio City club where Los Angeles’ session royalty goes to stretch out. He did it with no rehearsal at all.
The setup sounds like a dare. Schedules clashed, so Frank mailed out the set list, charts and recordings and trusted his players to do their homework. Michael Bluestein, the longtime Foreigner keyboardist subbing in for the night, was meeting most of the material for the first time. “Rehearsal is overrated,” Frank joked after the first set. Press play and you start to suspect he’s right.
The record kicks off with a double shot: fellow bassist Oskar Cartaya’s “Da Break” rolled straight into Frank’s own “Breakout,” a five-minute, 47-second opener that wastes no time announcing what kind of night this is. The low end struts. Drums and percussion lay down a floor you could build a house on, while guitar and keys trade syncopated chatter like two people finishing each other’s sentences. About a quarter of the way in, the horn section walks through the door and the whole thing catches a second wind. “Breakout” first showed up on Frank’s 2020 album “Eleven Years Later,” and it makes sense that he chose it as the way in, since it’s built on a tight, propulsive bass-and-drum partnership. Onstage, it picks up extra swagger. Frank plays with a calm authority, never grandstanding, and he seems to know exactly when to lean in, when to ease off and when to let the room breathe. It’s a terrific first impression.
Then comes “Thwip!”, and the mood gets playful. If you guessed the title nods to the sound of Spider-Man’s web shooters, you’re right, and the tune keeps one foot in the cinematic world of Frank’s 2024 album “Origin Story.” He has a talent for turning childhood memories into instrumental storytelling, and this one reads like a Saturday-morning cartoon scored by someone with a serious record collection. No lyrics are needed. The bass drives the action, swinging from rooftop to rooftop while the band follows.
“Goin’ Stagg” takes a hard left into the glitter ball. It’s a disco-soaked, funk-fueled number that swings as hard as it moves, with the kind of late-’70s dancefloor energy that makes sitting down feel rude. Rhythmic shifts keep the arrangement nimble, and the blend of classic funk and disco gets a fresh, modern polish. Think platform shoes with a pulse.
A short bit of housekeeping, “Interlude: Bass Change,” gives everyone a breath before the band tackles Tower of Power’s “Squib Cakes.” The instrumental, which first appeared on the group’s 1974 album “Back to Oakland,” is practically a funk landmark, famous for its intricate rhythms, razor-sharp horn charts and long stretches of instrumental give-and-take. Frank’s crew is the right bunch to handle it. Trumpet and saxophone bring heat and color, the arrangement moves between tightly choreographed passages and looser, conversational detours, and every player gets a moment to shine. It’s the sort of performance that makes live funk feel like a contact sport, in the best way.
What holds it all together is the chemistry. Matt Hankle (drums), Anthony King (guitar), Demian Arriaga (percussion), Dan Fornero (trumpet), George Shelby (saxophone) and Bluestein (keyboards) back Frank with a seven-piece swagger that sounds lived-in even though it was assembled on the fly. The charts stay tight without turning stiff, solos get room to wander, and the rhythm section sits like bedrock underneath it all.
Years on the road with some of pop and rock’s biggest names have sharpened Frank’s instincts for timing, dynamics and knowing when to step on the gas. On his own material, he gets to chase the sounds that raised him, from classic funk and soul to jazz fusion, blues and the big-screen music of the 1970s. With Jim Scott behind the mixing board, the album captures more than a band running through favorites. It bottles a night when preparation met instinct and a group of ace players trusted each other enough to follow wherever the music went.
For Frank, the bass has never been just the thing at the bottom of the song. It’s the heartbeat, the engine and, often, the personality. This live album proves it. Funky, fluid and full of life, it’s a reminder that some of the best musical moments happen when you hand talented people a stage, a groove and the freedom to run with it.
The album was mixed by Jim Scott, whose credits include Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tom Petty, Wilco, Sting, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, with assistant mixing engineer Benjamin Knapp. Fellow bassist Whynot Jansveld (The Wallflowers) handled the mastering, bringing another accomplished musician’s ear to the project. The result is “In Case You Missed It, Volume 2 (Live at The Baked Potato),” a showcase of Derek Frank’s musicianship, musical range, and deep appreciation for the collaborative spirit of live performance. Ready to hear it for yourself? The record arrives Nov. 7. Pre-save it and stream it wherever you listen to music. For more on Derek Frank, visit DerekFrank.com
Tracklist:
1. Da Break: Breakout
2. Give It What You Can
3. Thwip!
4. Barker’s Boogie
5. Goin’ Stagg
6. Interlude – Bass Change
7. Squib Cakes
8. Beefcake
9. Happy Friends
