morrie louden

Born September 16th, 1960.

Morrie Louden embarked on his journey with music at a mere age of four years old years after hearing his father's band rehearsals.

His father would have the band over once a week. They were called "The Outhouse Five". They formed themselves because of a local talent show in town. The instruments consisted of a wax paper comb, a washboard played with a thimble, a gut bucket bass, a home made boom bass. That ís a pogo stick with a set of high hats on top of a bongo, cowbell, wood block & cymbals.. An upright piano with thumb tacks stuck inside the hammers to emulate a tinny ragtime sound. Also a drum set with tin garbage can lids for cymbals. It seems his dad never lost his Kentucky roots.
Quite innovative and very funny!

Joseph Louden had adoration for all kinds of music.
He played an up-right bass while serving time in the military in 1952. He recorded his first album with his band called the Western Edition at the age of thirty three after moving his family to Pacheco Ca.. He had a collection of various albums that kept his son Morrie intrigued. While listening to the sounds of Herb Alperts Tijuana Brass, Stan Kenton's Road Show, and Sammy Davis Jr.s Live at The Sands, Morrie knew he was destined for a life of music.

"I actually played them so much I wore them out" he says with a grin. Being the youngest child of three, it was always a struggle over who and how long we got to play the drums or piano.

"The radio in the 60's had a huge impact on me as a child growing up in Pacheco California" says Morrie. " Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, all that Motown music. The happy times growing up ran concurrent with the music of the time. That music invokes feelings that will forever be with me. There's probably a little "My Cherie Amour" in everything I write."

Morrie's love for piano transcended to the bass when he turned 12 years of age and his brother told him he could jam with his band if he would learn to play the bass. Morrie's mom Katie Louden, ever so supportive coming from an artist background herself, ran right out the door to rent her son a dark translucent red Gibson copy bass guitar. Obsessive practice would send Morrie on his way one year later playing with the best bands in the San Francisco Bay area.

He played all the music his older brother and
friends were into. Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Hendrix, Jeff Beck, The Beatles. The Doors, John Mclaughlin, James Brown & Cold Blood.

His first real major influence was Francis Rocco Prestia of Tower of
Power. He copied his style for years and learned how to incorporate it
into his own playing.
He says: "Back to Oakland" and "Tower of
Power" are still to me a couple of the best records ever made".

Then In 1974 --Morrie's life was turned upside down when here heard Stanley Clarke for the first time. His older brother brought home "Light as a Feather" by Chick Corea's "Return to Forever". He said: " That record changed my life! . During high school it never left my turntable. It inspired me to practice all day, everyday. I learned, emulated and played along with every note Stanley played."

Morrie explains: "I was fortunate enough to grow up in the golden age of progressive jazz & fusion. Jaco Pastorious was a major force in my growth as a bass player during those years in the latter 70's & early 80's. Along with thousands of other bass players, Jaco was my mentor. I had all of his solo records and all of his work with Weather Report. I practiced and studied his playing for several years until I learned how he produced his innovative sound. I then tried to extrapolate it to my own sound."

Fresh out of high school Morrie received a scholarship to study music at DeAnza College in Cupertino Ca. It was during college in 79 & 80 that he learned how to play straight ahead jazz.
"Doc Herb Patnoe taught me how to swing! " He says.
It was in school that Morrie had the opportunity to play with Chick Corea, Paul Horn & Toshiko Akayoshi.

After two years of music study, he left for the road and hasn't looked
back since. Touring the world with several big name acts such as: Engelbert Humperdinck, The 5th dimension, Paul Anka and many others in the pop genre throughout the 80's was of great value to Morrie as he learned much about playing and performing on the big stages. All the while, still very much into composing and studying jazz.

Although Morrie's formal training was classical technique on the double bass, the 70's & 80's were mostly spent perfecting the electric bass. Then in 1990 his interest swayed again back to the upright bass & straight ahead jazz.
. "I was lucky to make a living playing purely jazz with the old school cats,
Some of whom are gone now. Carl Fontana, Joe Romano, Gus Mancuso & Bobby
Rosario. This was my best musical education because these guys knew all the tunes
with all the hip changes and wouldn't hesitate to tell you when you
needed