Veteran Nashville-by-way-of-New Jersey bassist Garry Tallent had nearly 50 years of stage and studio experience before he cut his first solo LP. Earlier this year, he planned on celebrating the record — aptly titled Break Time — with a local release show, but those plans changed when his band decided to go on tour. No, not The Long Players — the vaunted album-covering local tribute band he co-founded years ago (see our pick on their Monkees tribute this week) — but his other band. The E Street Band. Indeed, Tallent, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer as of 2015, has, save for a long gap from the late ’80s to the early ’90s, held down the low end for Bruce Springsteen since his Jersey Shore bar band days. Now he steps out from the shadows and up to center mic, letting the world know he can sing, too! On Break Time — which features notable local musicians like Paul Burch, Kristi Rose and Dave Roe — Tallent, a walking Wikipedia of music knowledge, lends his gruff rasp to a roots-tinged set of original tunes steeped in influences like Duane Eddy and Doug Kershaw. Sunday night, he finally plays a Nashville solo band gig at The Basement. The club’s capacity hovers around 200 people, which might make this a nerve-wracking gig for the legendary bassist. “I have always gotten more nervous [playing] small clubs than [playing] a stadium,” Tallent told the Scene in 2011. The Martian Denney Orchestra opens. ADAM GOLD
Garry Tallent w/The Martian Denny Orchestra
