The band’s uniquely perfect blend of funk and jazz established a cornerstone sound for the genres. A key was Jackson, whose edgy, vibrato-laced Fender Telecaster Bass served as a seminal influence for scores of younger players—from Marcus Miller and “Ready” Freddie Washington to Meshell Ndegeocello and Raphael Saadiq. While “Chameleon” and Hancock’s updated version of “Cantaloupe Island” were accessible Headhunters hits, it was the more ambitious “Actual Proof” (from 1974’s Thrust) that became an all-time bass groove classic, hoisting Jackson into a Mount Rushmore-like position with his fellow Bay Area bass brothers Larry Graham and Rocco Prestia.

Jackson also had a weighty impact on bass great Nathan East, who has been touring in Hancock’s current quartet (with drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and guitarist Lionel Loueke) since November, with dates in the States this summer. He offers, “We play ‘Proof’ pretty much like the original, with a bit brighter tempo, and it’s a beast! Paul’s part is incredible and indelible, so I stay close to it.” East learned the tune from repeated listenings, so he wouldn’t have to read it onstage. He continues, “The groove is a combination of funk and samba, and the most important parts are the two opening and two closing measures.”

Taking a closer look, East explains, “The intro is the first two bars repeated four times, with a bit of Herbie comping, so it’s all on me to establish the feel and the flavor. In that section, I always think Paul Jackson and Jaco, and I back off the bridge pickup of my 6-string a bit, to get a punchy sound.” In bar 5, as the changes begin to move, Jackson switched to more of a samba feel. [To hear what he played on the head of the original recording, go to www.bassplayer.com.] Says Nate, “This is where I make the part more of my own, retaining the samba pulse and being mindful of what Paul played. There are also pushes to be aware of—into bars 5, 9, and 13—plus the hits in bar 10.” The unison riff in bars 16 and 17 functions not only as a cap to the head, but since Jackson plays it throughout the solos, it also serves as a signpost or an island in a sea of swirling improvisation.

Nate smiles, “Probably the biggest challenge bass-wise is counting and landing on your feet! Although the last three measures of the original written chart are in 5/4, 4/4, and 3/4, Herbie told us the whole song is in 4/4; that’s how he feels it. I found myself counting the 5/4 bar, but either way works. As for Herbie’s solo, that’s akin to riding a mechanical bull; he takes it out both rhythmically and harmonically—he’s got all the relative keys in his mind, and he uses them! Fortunately, we all have our own GPS units in our heads onstage, and no matter what chord substitutions or rhythmic phrase I found myself on, it has sort of became intuitive when to play the two-bar F blues lick.” He adds, “The riff also contains one of Paul’s signature moves: slurring between the minor and major 3rd (the Ab and A on the “and” of two in the unison-lick bars), so I paid homage to that every time.”

For overall advice, Nate teases, “Have both shoes planted firmly on the ground and make sure all brain cells are functioning—don’t drink a beer beforehand! The feel sits right in the middle. Ultimately, the key is to relax and just try to be an anchor.”