Originally from Buffalo, New York, and now based in Kingston, bassist Zak Colbert, aka Papa, has spent decades keeping dance floors moving across blues, soul, funk and jazz. He comes from a city with serious funk credentials: Buffalo was home to Rick James and his Stone City Band, whose sound helped put the city on the funk map.

Colbert became a fixture of Kingston’s music scene, playing with blues stalwarts Blue Monday before joining drummer Mike Sakell to co-found Ghetto Xpress in 2000. The band started with Motown and classic R&B before developing a funkier, New Orleans-inspired groove, becoming a popular Monday-night institution at Kingston’s Toucan. Colbert also toured with Georgette Fry, including trips across Canada and to South Africa, and has worked with a range of local artists.

Today, he continues to bring the low-end magic to performances with many local acts including Miss Emily! A veteran musician with a few decades of road stories behind him, Colbert has plenty of history to share—and we’re hoping to uncover a little more of it. Hear his low end theory on stage as he propels You’ve Got a Friend: The Music of Carol King and James Taylor at The Cove Inn on Friday, October 23. Details and reservations here.

Seamus Cowan: You grew up in Buffalo, a city associated with funk legend Rick James and the Stone City Band. What was the music scene like when you were coming up, and which bass players first made you want to pick up the instrument? Was there a particular record or live performance that changed everything for you?

Zak Colbert: Yes, Buffalo was home, and the music scene was lively. I have always wanted to play bass. It seemed to draw me in. I loved Stanley Clarke, but Chuck Rainey was the player that took me on the journey. The Quincy Jones album Walking in Space (1969) Gave me so much to work with. Everyone played fantastic.

Seamus: When you first started teaching me bass, you mentioned that you had toured with various show bands during the 1970s and ’80s, but I don’t remember their names. Who were those bands, where were they based, and where did the road take you? And give us one unforgettable, funny or unbelievable story from those touring days!

Zak: I toured early with a band called Dave Parker & The Uptowners. White and emerald suits, platform shoes. We played The O’Jays, Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes, stuff like that.

Seamus: You and drummer Mike Sakell helped launch Ghetto Xpress in 2000 after playing with Blue Monday. Watching you regularly was inspiring! What is so special about those Motown, classic R&B, funk and New Orleans grooves to you and what made those Toucan Monday nights so special?

Zak:  The thing about Motown and funk is, in the ‘70s the bass became the dominant sound you heard: Louis Johnson, Larry Graham, Stanley Clarke and such.

Seamus: You’ve played with Georgette Fry, Blue Monday and Miss Emily. How does your approach to the bass change between those musical worlds, if at all? Is there a philosophy in there that you have learned along the way?

Zak: So my music evolved over time, but the job is the same. Find what fits and works and play that. Think of all the things you could play and don't do it.

Seamus: Bass players are often the people quietly controlling the entire room while the singer is out front. What’s the most misunderstood thing about being a bass player? And if you could sit in with any band, from any era, for one night, who would you choose—and what song would you insist on playing?

Zak: I like to connect with the audience so they know what i'm doing and feel what i'm doing. If I could sit in with Donnie Hathaway and play “Little Ghetto Boy”, that would cap it off for me. Willie Weeks’ bass playing was a huge inspiration.