Chuck Rainey

Charles Walter Rainey III (born June 17, 1940) is an American bass guitarist who has performed and recorded with many well-known acts, including Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and Quincy Jones. Rainey is credited for playing bass on more than 1,000 albums, and is one of the most recorded bass players in the history of recorded music.

Early life

Rainey was born in Cleveland, Ohio on June 17, 1940, and grew up in Youngstown. His parents were both amateur pianists. He learned piano, violin, and trumpet as a child and majored in brass instruments in college. He attended Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee. Rainey began playing bass guitar in the military.

Career

After leaving the military, Rainey joined a local band. His first big professional gig was playing with Big Jay McNeely. He then joined up with Sil Austin to tour Canada and New York. In 1962, Rainey joined King Curtis and his All-Star band; in 1965, they opened for The Beatles' 1965 US tour. He joined Quincy Jones's big band in 1972. By the 1970s he had played with Jerome Richardson, Grady Tate, Mose Allison, Gato Barbieri, and Gene Ammons, as well as with Eddie Vinson at the 1971 Montreux Festival.

Although much of his work was as a session player, Rainey recorded a solo album, ''The Chuck Rainey Coalition'', in 1969. Other solo albums were ''Born Again'' (1982), ''Hangin' Out Right'' (1999), ''Sing & Dance'' (2001), and ''Interpretations of a Groove'' (2012).

Rainey wrote the five-volume ''Complete Electric Bass Player'' instructional books, and filmed instructional videos. The early bass curriculum at Musicians Institute and the Dick Grove School of Music were created by Rainey. He also wrote columns for ''Bass Player'' magazine from 1990-1992.

On November 5, 2011, Rainey had a stroke which paralyzed his left side. He spent four years receiving physical therapy and practicing meditation and Hatha yoga, and made a full recovery.

In 2014, Rainey and drummer John Anthony Martinez cofounded Rhythm Intensive, which provides clinics, workshops, and master classes for aspiring rhythm section musicians. Rainey and Martinez also co-authored ''The Tune of Success: Unmask Your Genius''.

In an interview with Chris Jisi in April 2020, Rainey disclosed that he had retired as a bassist and turned his focus to writing his biography and working with Rhythm Intensive.

A Rainey signature line of bass guitars are produced by Alvarez Guitars and Ken Smith Basses.

Rainey received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music at a ceremony on May 7, 2022.

Discography

As leader

* ''The Chuck Rainey Coalition'' (Skye, 1969)
* ''Albino Gorilla'' (Kama Sutra, 1971)
* ''Born Again'' (Hammer 'N Nails, 1981)
* ''Coolin' 'N Groovin' (A Night at On-Air)'' with Bernard Purdie (Lexington, 1993)
* ''Chuck Rainey/David T. Walker Band'' with David T. Walker (Toy's Factory, 1994)
* ''Hangin' Out Right'' (CharWalt, 1998)
* ''Sing & Dance'' (CharWalt, 1999)
* ''Interpretations of a Groove'' (Vivid Sound, 2013)

As guest

With Alessi Brothers
* ''Words & Music'' (A&M Records, 1979)

With Louis Armstrong
* ''Louis Armstrong and His Friends'' (Flying Dutchman, 1970)

With Gato Barbieri
* '' El Pampero'' (Flying Dutchman, 1972)
* ''The Legend of Gato Barbieri'' (Flying Dutchman, 1973)
* ''Bolivia'' (RCA, 1985)
* ''The Third World Revisited'' (BMG, 1988)

With George Benson
* '' Goodies'' (Verve, 1968)

With Delaney & Bonnie
* ''D&B Together'' (Columbia, 1972)

With Donald Byrd
* ''Black Byrd'' (Blue Note, 1973)
* ''Street Lady'' (Blue Note, 1973)
* '' Places and Spaces'' (Blue Note, 1975)
* ''Stepping into Tomorrow'' (Blue Note, 1975)

With David Castle
* ''Castle in the Sky'' (Parachute, 1977)
* ''Love You Forever'' (Parachute, 1979)

With Joe Cocker
* ''I Can Stand a Little Rain'' (A&M, 1974)
* ''Jamaica Say You Will'' (A&M, 1975)
* '' Luxury You Can Afford'' (Asylum, 1978)

With Larry Coryell
* ''Coryell'' (Vanguard, 1969)
* ''Fairyland'' (Mega, 1971)
* ''Basics'' (Vanguard, 1976)

With The Crusaders
* ''Hollywood'' (MoWest, 1972)
* ''Crusaders 1'' (Blue Thumb, 1972)
* ''The Golden Years'' (GRP, 1992)
* ''The Crusaders' Finest Hour'' (Verve, 2000)

With King Curtis
* ''Live at Small's Paradise'' (Atco, 1966)
* ''Get Ready'' (Atco, 1970)
* ''Everybody's Talkin (Atco, 1972)
* ''Instant Groove'' (Edsel, 1990)

With Aretha Franklin
* ''Young, Gifted and Black'' (Atlantic, 1972)
* '' With Everything I Feel in Me'' (Atlantic, 1974)
* ''Let Me in Your Life'' (Atlantic, 1974)
* '' Sweet Passion'' (Atlantic, 1977)

With Gene Harris
* ''Astral Signal'' (Blue Note, 1974)
* ''Nexus'' (Blue Note, 1975)
* ''In a Special Way'' (Blue Note, 1976)
* ''Tone Tantrum'' (Blue Note, 2001)

With Richard "Groove" Holmes
* '' Comin' on Home'' (Blue Note, 1971)
* ''Six Million Dollar Man'' (RCA, 1975)

With Bobbi Humphrey
* '' Blacks and Blues'' (Blue Note, 1973)
* ''Satin Doll'' (Blue Note, 1974)
* '' Fancy Dancer'' (Blue Note, 1975)

With Etta James
* '' Etta James'' (Chess, 1973)
* '' Come a Little Closer'' (Chess, 1974)
* ''Etta Is Betta Than Evvah!'' (Chess, 1976)
* '' Deep in the Night'' (Warner Bros., 1978)

With Quincy Jones
* ''Walking in Space'' (A&M, 1969)
* ''Smackwater Jack'' (A&M, 1971)
* ''Body Heat'' (A&M, 1974)
* ''Mellow Madness'' (A&M, 1975)
* ''I Heard That!!'' (A&M, 1976)
* ''Roots'' (A&M, 1977)

With Yusef Lateef
* '' Yusef Lateef's Detroit'' (Atlantic, 1969)
* '' Suite 16'' (Atlantic, 1970)
* ''The Gentle Giant
* '' Bigger & Better'' (Atlantic, 1968)
* ''The Many Facets of David Newman'' (Atlantic, 1969)
* '' The Weapon'' (Atlantic, 1973)
* '' Return to the Wide Open Spaces'' with Ellis Marsalis and Cornell Dupree (Amazing, 1990)

With The Rascals
* ''Groovin''' (Atlantic, 1967)
* '' Once Upon a Dream'' (Atlantic, 1968)
* '' Freedom Suite'' (Atlantic, 1969)
* ''See'' (Atlantic, 1969)
* '' Peaceful World'' (Columbia, 1971)
* '' Search and Nearness'' (Atlantic, 1971)

With Steely Dan
* ''Pretzel Logic'' (ABC, 1974)
* ''Katy Lied'' (ABC, 1975)
* ''The Royal Scam'' (ABC, 1976)
* '' Aja'' (ABC, 1977)
* ''Gaucho'' (MCA, 1980)

With Sadao Watanabe
* ''My Dear Life'' (Flying Disk, 1977)
* ''California Shower'' (Flying Disk, 1978)
* ''Nice Shot!'' (Flying Disk, 1980)

With Ernie Wilkins
* ''Blood, Sweat & Brass'' (Mainstream, 1970)
* ''Hard Mother Blues'' (Mainstream, 1970)
* ''Screaming Mothers'' (Mainstream, 1974)

With others
* Cannonball Adderley, ''The Happy People'' (Capitol, 1972)
* Mose Allison, '' Western Man'' (Atlantic, 1971)
* Mose Allison, ''Mose Allison'' (Atlantic, 1976)
* Gene Ammons, ''My Way'' (Prestige, 1971)
* Gene Ammons, '' Free Again'' (Prestige, 1972)
* Eric Andersen, ''Avalanche'' (Warner Bros., 1968)
* The Archies, '' Jingle Jangle'' (Kirschner, 1969)
* Patti Austin, '' End of a Rainbow'' (CTI, 1976)
* Harold Battiste, Melvin Lastie, ''Hal-Mel Alone Together'' (Opus 43, 1976)
* Maggie Bell, ''Queen of the Night'' (Atlantic, 1974)
* Brook Benton, ''Story Teller'' (Cotillion, 1971)
* Gene Bertoncini, ''Evolution!'' (Evolution, 1969)
* Bobby Bland, ''Reflections in Blue'' (ABC, 1977)
* Willie Bobo, '' A New Dimension'' (Verve, 1968)
* Terence Boylan, ''Terence Boylan'' (Asylum, 1977)
* Delaney Bramlett, ''Sounds From Home'' (Zane, 1998)
* Randy Brecker, '' Score'' (Solid State, 1969)
* Ray Bryant, '' MCMLXX'' (Atlantic, 1970)
* Oscar Brown Jr., ''Brother Where Are You'' (Atlantic, 1974)
* Ruth Brown, ''Black Is Brown and Brown Is Beautiful'' (Skye, 1969)
* Jackson Browne, '' The Pretender'' (Asylum, 1976)
* Tim Buckley, '' Greetings from L.A.'' (Warner Bros., 1972)
* Tim Buckley, ''Look at the Fool'' (Discreet, 1974)
* Gary Burton, '' Good Vibes'' (Atlantic, 1970)
* Billy Butler, '' Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow'' (Prestige, 1970)
* Paul Butterfield, ''Put It in Your Ear'' (Bearsville, 1975)
* Charlie Byrd, ''The Great Byrd'' (Columbia, 1968)
* Andrés Calamaro, ''Alta Suciedad'' (Gasa, 1997)
* Cándido Camero, ''Thousand Finger Man'' (Solid State, 1970)
* Jim Capaldi, ''The Contender'' (Polydor, 1978)
* Valerie Carter, '' Just a Stone's Throw Away'' (Columbia, 1977)
* Valerie Carter, '' Wild Child'' (Columbia, 1978)
* David Clayton-Thomas, ''Tequila Sunrise'' (Columbia, 1972)
* David Clayton-Thomas, ''David Clayton–Thomas'' (RCA Victor, 1973)
* The Coasters, ''Young Blood'' (Atlantic, 1982)
* Ry Cooder, '' The Slide Area'' (Warner Bros., 1982)
* Hank Crawford, ''Mr. Blues Plays Lady Soul

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