Jazz music and the city of New Orleans share a special relationship and help shape one another. In this video from SB Nation, bassist Roland Guerin describes how he got started in Jazz music and the strong influence his mom Lorena had on him.
Roland started his musical life playing the viola and guitar before switching the bass in eighth grade, a choice that pleased his mom Lorena. She is a bassist herself who started playing in clubs at the age of 14, backing up her younger brother who was a lead guitarist.
In his early days on the bass, Roland attempted to impress his mom by playing fast, but she taught him that music had to have more feeling in it. She taught him that each note means something and that you really have to care about your music.
Wherever Roland plays he knows if his mom is in the audience, because no matter how loud the club might get he can always hear her yelling, "spank that bass."