Fernando Rosa remembers what it was like to play with Lenny Kravitz: “very easy”

Fernando Rosa remembers what it was like to play with Lenny Kravitz: “very easy”

Brazilian musician who caught Kravitz’s attention with his talent on bass tells Rolling Stone Brasil how he ended up in the rockstar’s recording studio: “if you don’t play there, you won’t play anywhere”

Summarize CV Fernando Rosa is no easy task. At 42 years old, the musician from São Paulo, a bass virtuoso, saw his talent become a pioneer on several fronts: he was the first Brazilian among the manufacturer’s artists Ernie Ball Music Manwas recognized as one of the most influential on the specialized portal Scott’s Bass Lessons and even won a model from fender signed with your name – entitled to your own color, the Fernando Rosa Green.

Among his greatest achievements, he gained the attention of names such as Adam Levine, slash It is Duff McKaganof Armas e Rosas. With his fist in hand, he also celebrated a particular recognition, that of Lenny Kravitz. From the invitation to a rehearsal at your home in Los AngelesKravitz later cast him for his shows and even for the studio, where he finished his next album: scheduled for release on May 24th, Blue Electric Light there must be Rosa’s participation in some tracks.

“The first contact we had was like, ‘Hey brother, let’s play’. So I said, ‘Damn, let’s play’ and I went to Los Angeles, where he found a warehouse full of instruments, a bunch of musicians, and Then we went to have a jam session. We spent a couple of days playing a lot of stuff. We really played around”, says the Brazilian about getting closer to Kravitz.

See this photo on Instagram

A post shared by Rolling Stone Brasil (@rollingstonebrasil)

From the first jams came the connection. Rosa says that he and Kravitz have similarities in terms of each other’s influences: “he’s a very eclectic guy in terms of sound, he likes jazz, he likes blues, he likes rock’n’roll, funk… and we are very similar, because I like it too.”

The initial contact would provide space for the invitation to Bahamas, where Fernando would once again participate in a series of rehearsals with the rockstar. One day before the scheduled date for his return to Brazil, however, the São Paulo native ended up approached by Kravitz himself, who asked him to extend his stay – a good memory for Rosa, who remembers the long sessions with breaks on the paradisiacal beaches of the Caribbean.

At this point, Fernando, who had played with the rockstar in several shows, had already checked out the star’s unreleased album. Hence the surprise, when the rocker’s producer asked him to record a guest appearance on the album:

“The producer came to me and said: ‘look, you’re here because Lenny wants you to record some songs for his new album’. But I had already heard the album, it was already ready. I questioned the producer, who told me that Lenny wanted my touch. Then I recorded three, four tracks. I don’t know what it’s like now, whether it will be maintained or not, but I recorded it, I believe it will be.

Regarding the experience of playing with Lenny Kravitz, Fernando confirms that the star is demanding, a perfectionist, “knows what he wants, he has it well defined”, but recognizes the genius behind the process: “He knows everything, he’s a genius. He knows how to compose , he knows how to play, he knows how to sing… he creates everything on the records, he has his own creative process.”

“You asked me what it’s like to play with Lenny Kravitz – playing with Lenny is very easy! Because you have a great artist, you sing like hell, amazing composition, the guys by my side are the best in the world, a wall of Ampeg from the 1970s, a 1965 Fender Jazz Bass, basses, sound, timbre, references, clothes… man, there’s nothing you can do if you don’t play there, you won’t play anywhere.”

Check out Fernando Rosa’s full conversation with Rolling Stone Brasil below:


Source: Rollingstone

You may also like