Mendocino-based David Hayes spent 15 years playing bass for the great Van

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HD: Hayes still providing the bass-ics

HD: Mendocino-based David Hayes spent 15 years playing bass for the great Van

Morrison. Hes doing the same thing these days for former Stocktonian Dirk

Hamilton.

BY: Tony Sauro

SO: Record Timeout Editor

Preview

n Who -- Dirk Hamilton with David Hayes, bass

n When -- 9 p.m. today-Sat.

n Where -- Blackwater Cafe, 912 N. Yosemite St., Stockton

n Tickets -- $7

n Information -- 943-6938

When David Hayes plays bass, the heartbeat is unmistakable.

Its the same supple, melodic pulsing that throbs through much of the music

Van Morrison recorded between 1973-86.

Now, Hayes provides the same kind of support for Dirk Hamilton, the Austin,

Texas-based singer/songwriter who used to call Stockton home.

Hayes -- and his vintage Earthwood acoustic bass -- will provide the undertow

again tonight and Saturday night when he backs up Hamilton during 9 oclock

shows at the Blackwater Cafe.

In some ways, said the 45-year-old Hayes, playing with Hamilton reminds him of

those memorable 15 years he spent touring and recording with Morrison, the

Irish rock n soul bard who, quite literally, has become a legend in his own

time and, not coincidentally, was the inspiration behind Hamiltons original

decision to become a singer and songwriter.

Ninety percent of Dirks music I get really well, said Hayes from his new

home/recording studio in Mendocino. I really lock into it really deep

inside. I know what his musics about.

Like with Van, its definitely the spirit of it. ... I hope Ive influenced

Dirk a little bit to be musically more simple, so he really can let whats

inside him out.

Hayes got used to that with Morrison, who helped set the standard for letting

it all out with a level of honesty, integrity and spirituality rarely matched

in pop music.

I always looked at him (Morrison as much more than a singer/songwriter type

of guy, said Hayes, who played bass on 10 of Morrisons albums, from Hard

Nose the Highway (1973 through No Guru, No Method, No Teacher (1986.

Its got a lot to do with the lineage of artists who came out of his neck of

the woods. ... Ireland.

The music is just a means for him. If he hadnt been a musician, he would

have been a poet.

Hayes said, Van and I just hit it off immediately when they met in the

early 1970s. He said working with Morrison was an educational and rewarding

experience -- because Morrison always recorded his albums live with a full

band and because Hayes and the other musicians were free to play whatever the

spirit of the moment moved them to play.

It never got redundant, said Hayes of his days with the eccentric, often

temperamental, Morrison. He was always full of surprises. I think I was

really lucky because, at that time, he really was writing some interesting

stuff. He was really stretching it.

One thing I really remember about it was the spontaneity. It was very real.

Everything that happened was very real. There was no sleight-of-hand.

He was a genius at finding the right people and delegating jobs to them.

Thats very rare. We had tons of freedom as long as we didnt abuse it.

Hayes certainly didnt and his full-bodied, almost talkative, bass parts --

check him out on And the Healing Has Begun from Morrisons Into the

Music album (1979 or Fair Play, from Veedon Fleece (1974, or In

the Garden, from No Guru ... -- became a signature part of Morrisons

earthy sound.

I think I made a good contribution to all of it, said Hayes, who wound up

co-producing Morrisons jazzily experimental Inarticulate Speech of the

Heart in 1983. I think I had a real special connection with Van. I think,

in a way, it was just meant to be.

I have no regrets, although I wish I was richer, he said with a laugh.

Hayes was born in New Orleans and grew up a Navy brat in Naples, Italy;

Yokahama, Japan; England (he lived in St. Johns Wood, right around the

corner from the famous Abbey Road studios in London; and New England.

One day in 1969, after a stint in a Massachusetts rock n roll cover band

called the Nomads ran dry, he threw all my stuff in a van and migrated to

San Francisco.

Originally, he was forced into playing music -- kazoo and washboard, that

is -- to accompany his folk-singing brother (Gary Hayes, now an accomplished

flamenco guitar player during the 1950s.

After a boring attempt at piano lessons, Hayes was sucked in when the

Beatles hit in 1963. He became a musician for life.

He and his brother formed a blues band (the Blind Lemon Blues Band as

teenagers in Japan and, at 16, Hayes made his first record, playing bass on a

folk album he and his brother recorded for Philips. He cant remember if it

ever was released or not.

After landing in the Bay Area, he hooked up with a folk-music consortium

called Equinox and became a regular session player for Bill Grahams Fillmore

Records, working with the likes of Herbie Hancock on records made by folk acts

such as Lamb and Victoria.

He quickly hooked up with Jesse Colin Youngs post-Youngbloods band --

recording and playing with the Get Together man off and on between

1971-78.

Hayes met Morrison through roommate Rick Schlosser, then a drummer in

Morrisons band, and remembers one night when he played bass in four shows on

a San Francisco double bill -- two with Morrison and two with Young.

Since his days with Morrison ended -- 15 years is a long time to be together.

Its kind of like a marriage, said Hayes -- hes toured for pushing six

years with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and toured and recorded

with British singer/songwriter Tanita Tikaram.

He and three of the Jukes -- including singer John Lyon -- just returned from a

six-week, 28-show unplugged tour of France, Holland, Scandinavia and Great

Britain. It was unusual for us, Hayes said. Because the Jukes usually

are just like a runaway train. But it was great.

Hayes, who lived briefly in Sacramento, now lives with his wife (Katy and

children (Kaitlin, 11, and Tyler, 14 in Mendocino, where hes recording his

fifth solo album -- a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks with a working title

of Songs for Loot. He plays bass, guitar and keyboards.

Hes also preparing to play on Hamiltons next album. His bass pumps

melodically through two of Hamiltons last three records, including the most

recent (Yep!.

I loved Yep! It was exactly my cup of tea, said Hayes. I could really

express myself well through it.

Hayes and Hamilton crossed paths back in the 1970s, but didnt play together

until 1989.

We were arguing about this during a radio interview, said Hayes, who

remembered hearing Hamilton opening shows for Young in the 70s. And neither

of us really can remember how we met. But, to tell you the truth, I wasnt

particularly attracted (to Hamiltons music at first.

He did some of Vans songs, and I kind of pooh-poohed that because I was

doing the real thing. But I didnt dwell on it.

Now, theyre a perfect match.

He comes exactly from the same place I come from, said Hamilton, the

46-year-old Lincoln High graduate. He really values raw, spontaneous

emotion. We see eye-to-eye on that. We both like to go into the studio and go

for the magic of life. Vans the same way. ... He doesnt like to mess around.

Davids very passionate and melodic. Hes my favorite bass player. He plays

things you dont even know. You cant write em down. Hes just amazing.

...The difference between a good musician and a great musician is that hes

a magician. ... Thats really the reason Im coming out there. To play with

David.

Its worth watching Hayes just to check out his magic wand -- that rare

Earthwood acoustic bass designed by Ernie Ball, circa 1973.

I just dont bring it with me unless I can hand-carry it, said Hayes.

``Nobody`s beat it yet.'