What is a group to do when one of its members dies. Instead of replacing bassist Douglas Allen, who died last August, Southern rock/jam band Gov't Mule has recruited the cream of the crop of bassists to record their next album, "The Deep End," due in December.
The bassists are (in alphabetical order): Jack Bruce (Cream), Orell Burbridge (Allman Brother's Band), Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna), Les Claypool (Primus), Bootsy Collins (James Brown/George Clinton & the P-Funk Allstars), Billy Cox (Jimmy Hendrix's Band of Gypsy's), John Entwistle (The Who), Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Roger Glover (Deep Purple), Mike Gordon (Phish), Larry Graham (Sly and the Family Stone/Graham Central Station), Alphonso Johnson (Weather Report/The Other Ones/Jazz Is Dead), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), Steffan Lessard (Dave Matthews Band), Tony Levin (King Crimson/Peter Gabriel), Me'shell N'degeocello, George Porter, Jr. (Funky Meters), Rocco Prestia (Tower of Power), Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), Chris Squire (Yes), Mike Watt (Minutemen/Firehose), Willie Weeks (Areha Franklin/George Harrison), Chris Wood (Modeski, Martin & Wood) and others.
And that's not all. Guitarist Warren Haynes and drummer Matt Abts have recruited a slew of other sidemen including guitarists John Scofield and Derek Trucks, organists Gregg Allman, Art Neville and Chuck Leavell, keyboardists Bernie Worrell and John Medeski, mandolinst David Grisman and many, many others.
