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Description
September 6, 1954

Patrick O’Hearn, a man of many talents and achievements. From his beginnings in the jazz world to his time in new wave band Missing Persons, his collaborations with Frank Zappa, Charles Lloyd, and John Hiatt among others, his talents on bass and keyboards, all while pursuing a highly productive and fruitful solo career.

Born in Las Angeles and raised in Portland, Oregon, Patrick began his career in his teens when he joined the Musicians Union and began playing in night clubs. Upon graduating high school, he moved to Seattle to study at Cornish College of The Arts as well as taking lessons with jazz bassist Gary Peacock. By 1973, Patrick relocated to San Francisco, where he danced at the Fillmore and established himself in the Bay Area jazz scene. While here, he would support several notable jazz musicians such as Charles Lloyd, Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Pass, and Dexter Gordon, as well as collaborating with younger musicians such as Mark Isham and Terry Bozzio.

By 1976, O’Hearn was in the midst of his own career as Bozzio was playing with Frank Zappa. While in Los Angeles touring with Joe Henderson, Patrick got a call from Terry asking if he wanted to stop by the Record Plant to hear what he and Frank had been working on. Accepting the invitation, O’Hearn arrived at the session at 2 am, and not one to leave his upright bass in the car, he naturally took it with him as he entered the studio. As he looked for a place to put it, he met Frank for the first time. Taking notice of his upright, Frank asked O’Hearn if he wanted to play on a track they were working on, to O’Hearn happily accepted. As he played the track, later to be known as “The Ocean Is The Ultimate Solution” off Sleep Dirt, he faced several strange key changes, transitions, and various time signatures and took them on with pure ease and enthusiasm, consistently rising to the challenge. Once the session was done, Frank asked if he could play electric bass, to which O’Hearn answered affirmatively. But not having an electric bass on him, Frank simply told him to come back the next night to lay this part down. Next night, said part is laid down, and Frank invited O’Hearn to join his band. As the tour with Joe Henderson was wrapping up and he had nothing lined up, O’Hearn happily accepted and the rest was history.

For two years straight, Patrick O’Hearn and old partner in crime Terry Bozzio were the backbone to the controlled chaos that was Frank Zappa’s band and music. Through his background and savvy, O’Hearn elevated the role of bass in Zappa music, bringing it into the modern age of a world that has seen the likes of Jaco and Stanley Clarke. His fretless bass was clean, sharp, deadly in precision, yet with a fierce bite that retained the brows as Frank would often say. His sense of pocket was so incredible, his counter melodies giving Frank’s guitar work another depth and dimension. In addition, it’s one thing to have well rehearsed pros, but it’s another when you have such a team like O’Hearn and Bozzio. Their chemistry was and is so indomitable, the two were so in tune with each other that any time fans found their names on an album, they could be rest assured that a quality product was in their hands. And when playing music as challenging as Frank’s, that trust and understanding is especially important as any number of things can go wrong. Doesn’t hurt, either, that O’Hearn was also a funny and charismatic personality in addition to being a technically gifted virtuoso, and when it seemed for a time that Frank might not be able to pay O’Hearn or Bozzio, neither one hesitated to stick by Frank during a pretty bleak time. Sure, Frank was able to maneuver and ensure they’d be paid, but really, you can’t buy that kind of loyalty.

No suprise, then, that Frank often reached some of his greatest heights as a guitarist with O’Hearn and Bozzio, who could very well be the greatest rhythm section he ever had. Releases such as Sheik Yerbouti, Zappa In New York, the Baby Snakes film, Philly 76, and the Halloween 77 set are ranked so highly thanks in no small part to this dynamic duo. Even after both left the band in early 1978, Frank would enlist O’Hearn to serve as a solo bassist in the Fall 78 band. As dicey as two bassists can be on a strictly practical level, O’Hearn and Arthur Barrow proved well it can work if pulled off. And with Vinnie Colaiuta, O’Hearn didn’t miss a beat. The debate over Frank’s “best” bassist can take close to an eternity to settle, but I will say that out of every bassist he ever had, Patrick O’Hearn seemed to be the one that best knew how to compliment and play off of Frank, particularly in an improvisational setting.

O’Hearn soon developed a growing interest in synthesizers, production, and audio engineering, encouraged in no small part by Frank. With this, he would depart from the band in 1978 once touring commitments were done. His first post-Zappa project was to reunite with old friends Isham and guitarist Peter Maunu to form Group 87. The group would release two albums, a self-titled one in 1980 featuring Bozzio and fellow Zappa alumni Peter Wolf on keyboards in addition to A Career in Dada Processing in 1984; on these releases, the members show their jazz roots while also experimenting more with electronics and soundscapes in the process, particularly on the latter album.

In the meantime, O’Hearn would lend his talents records like A. Heller on Basta (also featuring several other Zappa alumni), Charles Lloyd’s Koto, Cam Newton’s Welcome Aliens, Tony Williams’ Play Or Die, and Alex De Grassi’s Clockwork. However, he’d soon get a call from Terry, who was putting a band together with then-wife Dale on vocals and fellow Zappa alumnus Warren Cuccurullo and needed a bass player, an invitation that O’Hearn accepted. Rounded out with Chuck Wild on keyboards, the band became New Wave act Missing Persons, a staple of early MTV with their space age-influenced videos, their synth driven hooks, and Dale’s...personality. Going into Spring Session M, you kick off with several straight up hooky New Wave synthpop songs like “Noticeable Ones”, “Windows”, and “It Ain’t None Of Your Business”. But for the Zappa fans worried that the gang have sacrificed their chops (which I was guilty of, admittedly), fret not. You get cuts like “U.S. Drag”, “Tears”, and “Rock And Roll Suspension” that really cook, showing that even with the pop sheen, these guys haven’t lost what made fans love them in the first place.

Missing Persons would put out two more records before calling it quits in 1986. After playing on ex-Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor’s solo album Thunder, Patrick would begin his solo career. Beginning on Tangerine Dream member Peter Baumann’s label Private Music, O’Hearn’s solo debut Ancient Worlds was released in 1985 and began a new chapter in his life and career. Ricocheting between New Age, Ambient, Downtempo, folk, world music, and jazz, O’Hearn’s sound has a subliminal trance quality, enrapturing you in a whole realm of existence. There’s a highly intelligent character, but never devoid of heart or soul. In a style often dismissed as Muzak, O’Hearn can create such rich and meaningful work. And with instruments often characterized as cold and sterile, O’Hearn can offer such tremendous warmth. To list off every solo album is rather pointless, but certainly records like So Flows The Current, Trust, and Between Two Worlds are notable.

All this as he’s pursued film score work, contributing to films like White Sands, Crying Freemen, and Silent Tongues as well as acting in the film Made In Heaven. He’s also collaborated with people like former Weather Report percussionist Alex Acuña, avant garde composer Steve Roach, and singer-songwriter John Hiatt among others, as well as seeing his daughter Rachel become an accomplished electronic musician in her own right under the names Chromatiq and Black Sound Effects.

O’Hearn is not simply a great musician, he’s also an artist in the truest sense. He’s always sought not the path that will be quick and easy but rather the one that will be rewarding. Much like his old mentor, he’s always been one to seize any new thing that comes his way, never content to rest on his laurels. He’s Patrick O’Hearn, and there never has been and never will be another like him.

Description
September 6, 1954

Patrick O’Hearn, a man of many talents and achievements. From his beginnings in the jazz world to his time in new wave band Missing Persons, his collaborations with Frank Zappa, Charles Lloyd, and John Hiatt among others, his talents on bass and keyboards, all while pursuing a highly productive and fruitful solo career.

Born in Las Angeles and raised in Portland, Oregon, Patrick began his career in his teens when he joined the Musicians Union and began playing in night clubs. Upon graduating high school, he moved to Seattle to study at Cornish College of The Arts as well as taking lessons with jazz bassist Gary Peacock. By 1973, Patrick relocated to San Francisco, where he danced at the Fillmore and established himself in the Bay Area jazz scene. While here, he would support several notable jazz musicians such as Charles Lloyd, Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Pass, and Dexter Gordon, as well as collaborating with younger musicians such as Mark Isham and Terry Bozzio.

By 1976, O’Hearn was in the midst of his own career as Bozzio was playing with Frank Zappa. While in Los Angeles touring with Joe Henderson, Patrick got a call from Terry asking if he wanted to stop by the Record Plant to hear what he and Frank had been working on. Accepting the invitation, O’Hearn arrived at the session at 2 am, and not one to leave his upright bass in the car, he naturally took it with him as he entered the studio. As he looked for a place to put it, he met Frank for the first time. Taking notice of his upright, Frank asked O’Hearn if he wanted to play on a track they were working on, to O’Hearn happily accepted. As he played the track, later to be known as “The Ocean Is The Ultimate Solution” off Sleep Dirt, he faced several strange key changes, transitions, and various time signatures and took them on with pure ease and enthusiasm, consistently rising to the challenge. Once the session was done, Frank asked if he could play electric bass, to which O’Hearn answered affirmatively. But not having an electric bass on him, Frank simply told him to come back the next night to lay this part down. Next night, said part is laid down, and Frank invited O’Hearn to join his band. As the tour with Joe Henderson was wrapping up and he had nothing lined up, O’Hearn happily accepted and the rest was history.

For two years straight, Patrick O’Hearn and old partner in crime Terry Bozzio were the backbone to the controlled chaos that was Frank Zappa’s band and music. Through his background and savvy, O’Hearn elevated the role of bass in Zappa music, bringing it into the modern age of a world that has seen the likes of Jaco and Stanley Clarke. His fretless bass was clean, sharp, deadly in precision, yet with a fierce bite that retained the brows as Frank would often say. His sense of pocket was so incredible, his counter melodies giving Frank’s guitar work another depth and dimension. In addition, it’s one thing to have well rehearsed pros, but it’s another when you have such a team like O’Hearn and Bozzio. Their chemistry was and is so indomitable, the two were so in tune with each other that any time fans found their names on an album, they could be rest assured that a quality product was in their hands. And when playing music as challenging as Frank’s, that trust and understanding is especially important as any number of things can go wrong. Doesn’t hurt, either, that O’Hearn was also a funny and charismatic personality in addition to being a technically gifted virtuoso, and when it seemed for a time that Frank might not be able to pay O’Hearn or Bozzio, neither one hesitated to stick by Frank during a pretty bleak time. Sure, Frank was able to maneuver and ensure they’d be paid, but really, you can’t buy that kind of loyalty.

No suprise, then, that Frank often reached some of his greatest heights as a guitarist with O’Hearn and Bozzio, who could very well be the greatest rhythm section he ever had. Releases such as Sheik Yerbouti, Zappa In New York, the Baby Snakes film, Philly 76, and the Halloween 77 set are ranked so highly thanks in no small part to this dynamic duo. Even after both left the band in early 1978, Frank would enlist O’Hearn to serve as a solo bassist in the Fall 78 band. As dicey as two bassists can be on a strictly practical level, O’Hearn and Arthur Barrow proved well it can work if pulled off. And with Vinnie Colaiuta, O’Hearn didn’t miss a beat. The debate over Frank’s “best” bassist can take close to an eternity to settle, but I will say that out of every bassist he ever had, Patrick O’Hearn seemed to be the one that best knew how to compliment and play off of Frank, particularly in an improvisational setting.

O’Hearn soon developed a growing interest in synthesizers, production, and audio engineering, encouraged in no small part by Frank. With this, he would depart from the band in 1978 once touring commitments were done. His first post-Zappa project was to reunite with old friends Isham and guitarist Peter Maunu to form Group 87. The group would release two albums, a self-titled one in 1980 featuring Bozzio and fellow Zappa alumni Peter Wolf on keyboards in addition to A Career in Dada Processing in 1984; on these releases, the members show their jazz roots while also experimenting more with electronics and soundscapes in the process, particularly on the latter album.

In the meantime, O’Hearn would lend his talents records like A. Heller on Basta (also featuring several other Zappa alumni), Charles Lloyd’s Koto, Cam Newton’s Welcome Aliens, Tony Williams’ Play Or Die, and Alex De Grassi’s Clockwork. However, he’d soon get a call from Terry, who was putting a band together with then-wife Dale on vocals and fellow Zappa alumnus Warren Cuccurullo and needed a bass player, an invitation that O’Hearn accepted. Rounded out with Chuck Wild on keyboards, the band became New Wave act Missing Persons, a staple of early MTV with their space age-influenced videos, their synth driven hooks, and Dale’s...personality. Going into Spring Session M, you kick off with several straight up hooky New Wave synthpop songs like “Noticeable Ones”, “Windows”, and “It Ain’t None Of Your Business”. But for the Zappa fans worried that the gang have sacrificed their chops (which I was guilty of, admittedly), fret not. You get cuts like “U.S. Drag”, “Tears”, and “Rock And Roll Suspension” that really cook, showing that even with the pop sheen, these guys haven’t lost what made fans love them in the first place.

Missing Persons would put out two more records before calling it quits in 1986. After playing on ex-Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor’s solo album Thunder, Patrick would begin his solo career. Beginning on Tangerine Dream member Peter Baumann’s label Private Music, O’Hearn’s solo debut Ancient Worlds was released in 1985 and began a new chapter in his life and career. Ricocheting between New Age, Ambient, Downtempo, folk, world music, and jazz, O’Hearn’s sound has a subliminal trance quality, enrapturing you in a whole realm of existence. There’s a highly intelligent character, but never devoid of heart or soul. In a style often dismissed as Muzak, O’Hearn can create such rich and meaningful work. And with instruments often characterized as cold and sterile, O’Hearn can offer such tremendous warmth. To list off every solo album is rather pointless, but certainly records like So Flows The Current, Trust, and Between Two Worlds are notable.

All this as he’s pursued film score work, contributing to films like White Sands, Crying Freemen, and Silent Tongues as well as acting in the film Made In Heaven. He’s also collaborated with people like former Weather Report percussionist Alex Acuña, avant garde composer Steve Roach, and singer-songwriter John Hiatt among others, as well as seeing his daughter Rachel become an accomplished electronic musician in her own right under the names Chromatiq and Black Sound Effects.

O’Hearn is not simply a great musician, he’s also an artist in the truest sense. He’s always sought not the path that will be quick and easy but rather the one that will be rewarding. Much like his old mentor, he’s always been one to seize any new thing that comes his way, never content to rest on his laurels. He’s Patrick O’Hearn, and there never has been and never will be another like him.