Eric Smith is a versatile San Francisco area bassist who has been using an Aguilar rig on tour this year with international superstar Rihanna. When I first met Eric last year I remember him telling me he would often play a TV show with one artist in LA and then fly back up to San Francisco for a gig with another artist that night. Add his job as Musical Director for some other prominent artists and I'm sure he is one of the most in demand bassists around!

David Avenius - In addition to playing bass with Rihanna you are Musical Director for a few groups - who else are you working with?

Eric Smith - I'm also the musical director for Fantasia Barrino who won American Idol, and also Lalah Hathaway who is the daughter of the late great Donny Hathaway.

DA - You've been touring the world with an Aguilar rig for 6 months now. What are you using and how is it holding up on the road?

Eric Smith - In my rack, I have four DB 750's with a compressor and it's blaaaaaazing hott! Don't get scared - I don't use all of them simultaneously! I also have six GS 410's that I'm using. I used to use four cabs for my bass and two cabs for my keys but I was killing the front of house engineer. Now I just use two for bass, two for keys, and the other two are my backup. I have never used any rig with so much booty. My sound is huge even with just two GS 410's.

DA - As MD you picked another great bass player for Will.I.Am - Vivi Rama. She has actually been using Aguilar longer than you have! What was it that appealed to you about Vivi's playing?

ES - ViVi, ViVi, ViVi! I loved her from the moment that she picked up the bass at the audition. We had a lot of girls come down to try out on the 1st day who sounded good, but since I'm a bassplayer myself that was the seat that I really needed to be on fire. When she started playing the 1st song, my neck started to go backwards & forwards. She has so much vibe. She sounds good & when she digs in, her body does a little bit of a dip & her leg raises. It looks so dope! Will.I.Am couldn't be there for the final decision of the band personnel so it was all on me, but I was like "You Are Going To LOVE The Bassplayer"!

DA - What are your big plans for 2008?

ES - Well, my schedule with Rihanna already goes through June & there are rumors that we'll be on the road all year again. I'm waiting for Fantasia to finish her new CD so that I can start vibing out the recored to put her new show together. She is incredible to work with as is all of the artists that I currently work with. Lalah just finished her new CD so I'm going to hook up with her at some point to put her show together. That's the beauty of having ProTools on the road. I'm also working with my band that my brother "Jubu" started by the name of "Legally Blynd" so definitely look out for that in 2008.

Thanks Eric!