Robert Andrew Kreinar (November 26, 1937 – July 16, 2012), known as Bob Babbitt, was an American bassist, most famous for his work as a member of Motown Records' studio band, the Funk Brothers, from 1966 to 1972, as well as his tenure as part of MFSB for Philadelphia International Records afterwards. Also in 1968, with Mike Campbell, Ray Monette and Andrew Smith, he formed the band Scorpion, which lasted until 1970. He is ranked number 59 on Bass Player magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time".
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In this episode, we’re diving into an amazing song from Marvin Gaye’s 1971 masterpiece, “What’s Going On?,” and Bob Babbitt’s bass lines from that iconic album: “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).”
Marvin Gaye’s iconic album “What’s Going On” turned 50 this year, and Motown/UMe celebrated with a deluxe digital edition. However, fans will be interested to hear an accompanying album called “Funky Nation: The Detroit Instrumentals” - with Michael Henderson on bass.
In 2007, keyboardist and producer Jason Miles brought together a killer supergroup to perform classic soul hits at the Berks Jazz Festival in Reading, Pennsylvania. The band included vocalists Maysa, Susan Tedeschi and Mike Mattison (Tedeschi Trucks Band), saxophonists Karl Denson, Richard Elliot (Tower of Power), Dave Mann and Barry Danielian, guitarists Reggie Young and Sherrod Barnes,...
Today we’re remembering the legendary bassist Bob Babbitt, who passed away on this day in 2012. After playing on over 200 Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hits, it’s safe to say that he will never be forgotten. Here’s a video of Babbitt performing “Mercy Mercy Me” at the 2004 Montreal Jazz Festival with the Funk Brothers. Babbitt played on the...
While the first bassist featured in our Bass Players You Should Know series was Southern soul master Duck Dunn, this one takes us above the Mason Dixon line to the industrial city of Detroit. Commonly recognized for his work at Motown’s Hitsville Studio A, Bob Babbitt’s career as a session player took him to a wide range of places, including...
