Today we’d like to introduce you to Sammy Burke.
Hi Sammy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started playing music in high school. It was mostly straight-ahead jazz, like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, and the big bands like Count Basie, Buddy Rich, and Louis Bellson. We had a trio (piano, bass, and drums) that was really good. We actually were winning festival awards and I quickly became addicted to the stage.
When it came time to go to college though, the jazz took a back seat to more commercial music as I needed to earn money. I kept playing some original music but found out that playing covers would help pay the bills. So, for the next 30 years, I would play in sports bars, small clubs, and occasional private events.
About ten years ago, I got the itch to get back on bigger stages. So I worked hard at three things; making myself more versatile as a musician, using social media as a vehicle to re-brand myself as a working musician, and build a network of contacts that would help me become more successful.
To be more versatile as a musician would require me to get back to basics – develop my skills as a vocalist, guitarist, and whatever else a job may require – even keyboards. And then find the bands that would help me take those first steps away from the comfortable weekend warrior gigs. That’s when I found the tribute scene. Bands that would play an entire library of one artist. I found the task compelling and rewarding, as I did my best to emulate my idols; Roger Waters, Tom Petersson, and yes – even Gene Simmons. I still enjoy getting calls to play tribute shows – and look forward to more of them in the future.
My latest venture has been to create a successful weekly jam in the Valley. In March of 2022, I began the Last Call Jam with a vision to create a unique, diverse brand of entertainment that would differentiate us from the usual jams. The music had to be more current and eclectic because I wanted regular non-musicians to come in and say, “Wow! I’ve never heard anyone play THAT song at a jam!” We now have a network of over 300 musicians and have established ourselves as the premiere weekly jam in – and around – the Valley.
I can’t begin to tell others how important – and fragile social media can be. It can be used to build a network of thousands of followers and dozens of close contacts to help create roots in the music business. It is also very fickle; negative posts can be very detrimental and can set you back on your brand for weeks. I always tell people this one rule of thumb: Never post anything you wouldn’t want your grandmother to see.
Finally, the network. If there’s one thing this pandemic has shown us, it’s how fragile your network can actually be. That is why it is so very important to maintain physical face-to-face interactions with the people that can help you build as a musician – or whatever artistic field you choose.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the biggest struggles for me, just as it is for most artists, is the emotional rollercoaster that we ride constantly. The highs can be intoxicating, but the lows can be quite devastating. I always try to remind myself of the mantra, “don’t let your highs get too high or your lows get too low”. Finding that balance is always difficult.
The pandemic really created a period of depression for so many musicians. I was riding one of those amazing highs, playing some of the best shows of my life, and looking forward to a summer of touring, when it all came to a screeching halt.
No shows. No contacts. Just me, my computer, and all of my gear sitting in my house… waiting.
Then it hit me. I have my gear. I have my computer. I used to make videos and I used to be a recording engineer. I’m going to challenge myself to do an entire video in 24 hours. And so I did it. And then another video. And another. Each video becoming a little more humorous and a little more crafted.
Shortly after completing six or seven videos, I was contacted by my friend Dave Schulz (Berlin, Wang Chung, Goo Goo Dolls) about doing some more videos with him. Together, we created Sam & Dave Productions and have released a number of videos and recordings featuring many special guests including Teri Nunn, Cherie Currie, and Joe Sumner.
All of it just proves that you never know which door will open for you if you don’t knock first.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My primary specialty has always been as a bassist, I’m always looking for that tone that sits perfectly in a mix with drums, guitars, and vocals. A sound that compliments everyone and yet is completely unnoticeable in its own right. But, if it was removed, the silence would be deafening. That is the psychological part of my work; to build the self-esteem of my fellow musicians without them realizing that I’m even there to support them.
Next would be my work in sound and video. I see today’s music is equally a visual and auditory experience. It’s one of the things that MTV understood forty years ago. The days where people sit on their couch, put a needle on a record, and listen while reading album liner notes are scarce. That’s why I see a huge need in our industry for musicians to really look into how their performance looks – and not just how it sounds.
Lately, I’ve really taken to artist and show management with the Last Call Jam. Working with over 50 personalities each week, making sure that they are all happy and comfortable enough to create a live music experience, and then ensuring that the evening is entertaining for musicians and non-musicians alike, has been an incredible reward for me.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I have to say that one of the greatest musical influences in my life is Ron Kobayashi. He took a Ted Nugent album and smashed it against the wall, and then handed me a Count Basie album instead. Then there was Mark Manchester, the man who told me to “never not sing”. Mark Cardinal and Chad Patchen (from my cover band Echo Love Chamber for over twenty years), who are more like brothers to me than they’ll ever know. When I decided to build and expand my network, it was Roger Capps (original bassist for Pat Benatar) who led me on a wild ride of escapades. He then introduced me to John McCloy, who has inspired me more than ever now to get back into playing original music. And then there’s Dave Schulz, my partner in Sam & Dave Productions. I still can’t imagine why the guy actually believes in me!
Finally, the folks from the Hollywood music scene including Steve Ferlazzo, Erik Himel, Paulie Z. and Chuck Wright – thanks so much for letting me share the stage with so many of my idols and inspiring me to create The Last Call Jam…
One last shoutout to Annette and Derek Frank; these two wonderful people have reminded me time and time again that it’s okay to step out of my comfort zone and reach for something bigger.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://sj-bass.wix.com/sjbass
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sj_bass
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sjbass63/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sjbass
- Youtube: youtube.com/sjbass63
Image Credits
Sal Gomez, Rose Guerrerd, Nanci Sauder Ruest, William Greenberg, Bart Keagy
