an artful tailor of bass lines passes on

Check out NPR's Morning Edition today for a great remembrance of Keter Betts, a jazz bassist who had a brilliant career, accompanied Dinah Washington and Ella Fitzgerald, and died this past Saturday at age 77. I love his analogy of the bassist as a musical tailor, designing a suit in just the right style and fit to clothe the singer, who would otherwise be "buck naked". You can listen to the story online.