Apparently he has a new bassist and Ida is on guitar along with mike Scott. Why cant prince just stick to one band instead of swapping them around just as you get used to them!

RumAndRaisin said:

Apparently he has a new bassist and Ida is on guitar along with mike Scott. Why cant prince just stick to one band instead of swapping them around just as you get used to them!

I like her better on guitar. I wasn't feeling Ida on bass with Prince. I knew it from the first time I saw her in NJ/NYC. She just could not bring the Prince funk like I like it. For example, I always feel unsatisfied when she plays the bassline on Let's Work. I know he noticed some of the things I did. Andre Gouche, on the other hand, is killing the bass for Prince's songs and Andy's songs. That brotha is FUNKY! So, he has Andrew Gouche giving him what he needs on certain songs and is helping Ida add to her arsenal by focusing more on guitar.

Although he has had some musicians whom I loved and wouldn't mind seeing with him forever, I like that he switches them out. It is an excellent way for him to share his gift with so many. Prince is not only an amazing musician and performer. He is also a teacher. He has taught so many musicians over the years by bringing them into his band. So, his work ethic and knowledge have been planted in countless others.

Look how many musicians flourished under his tutelage. The experience of touring in a Prince band has got to be the greatest education a professional musician can get about music, sound, performing, etc. Look at Rhonda. I wasn't crazy about her when I first saw her on the Emancipation/Jam of the Year tour. However, by Musicology she was a beast. Although she had the tools, she learned so much during her time with Prince and we just witnessed her grow into an amazing musician and performer. She even stated in a Bass Player Mag interview that she was more Jazz and Fusion Rock before joining Prince and that Prince and Larry really taught her about funk and playing the bass, period. Now look at her and the other musicians she has played with. Playing with Prince gave her a career that she would never have had. Same thing goes for Wendy and Lisa. Wendy was 19 when she joined Prince's band. She learned and grew so much from that experience that she went on to have a career that, again, she would not have had without that Prince experience. There are so many others that I could name.

So, I think this is the next best thing to Prince opening a music school.

It also helps the songs to not get stale by him constantly teaching them to new people, and having new people play them. Every musician interprets music differently. So, Prince probably gets inspired by different things he hears when rehearsing and teaching his music to new players. New players influence what he does with the music, too. For example, when Rhonda and Renato were in the band, he had a more jazzy feel. With this band it is more funk and soul based. Back with other bands, it was more rock. The beauty of it is that with Prince as the captain, the ship can go in any direction.

It's really a win-win.