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Fretless Questions: Mai Leisz (formerly Mai Agan)
Article by Eric Larson, © Copyright 2018 FretlessBass.com
I am honored to have interviewed Mai Leisz (formerly Mai Agan), Estonian bass player and composer for MaiGroup, David Crosby and more. A very hardworking professional bass player, who caught the attention of Greg Leisz while he was on tour with Jackson Browne in Stockholm, Mai has crossed genres playing and writing with many artists, forming her own “MaiGroup”, and touring, writing, and recording extensively. Her fretless playing is sweet, melodic, and always respectful of the music. She plays a gorgeous 1981 Ibanez fretless bass that is seven years older than she is, yet her ability and musicianship go far beyond age, breathing new life into this vintage instrument, and the genres she crosses. It was a pleasure to learn more about her fretless bass playing and background.
FB: What inspired you to play fretless bass? How long have you been playing?
Mai Leisz: I started to play the bass by accident or by the hand of destiny, really. I played the violin for 8 years before I started playing bass at the age of 16. When it was time for me to go and buy my first bass, I didn’t know anything about them. I chose this really cute small, 5-string red bass. I played it a couple of months until a friend of mine said: “I love that you’re playing fretless!” and I was like: “What’s that?”. I didn’t even notice that the frets weren’t there! I was so used to not having them when I played violin but all of a sudden there was this visceral connection between the fretless and I. I started off kind of self-taught but now I’ve had several bass gurus through my years of studying at Georg Ots Music School in Tallinn, Skurups Folkhögskola in Sweden and last year I got my masters degree in jazz at The Royal College of Music in Stockholm.
FB: Who are your main fretless bass influences or favorite players?
Mai Leisz: My first bass teacher in Estonia – Raul Vaigla. Such a melodic and sensitive player. Jaco, of course. Gary Willis. Jimmy Johnson. Jimmy Haslip.
FB: Do you play upright, electric, or both?
Mai Leisz: I don’t play upright, I never fell in love with it. I prefer electric, always. Perhaps I compensate it with playing fretless.
FB: What was your very first fretless bass? What other fretless basses have you used live or in studio?
Mai Leisz: It was Cort Curbow 5-string… I still have it somewhere yes. Now my main fretless is Ibanez Musician from 1981. That bass makes such a beautiful tone that it can make a grown man cry. For recording “Home free” for Croz, I borrowed a 6-string fretless from Raul Vaigla and tuned the B string down to Ab!
FB: What other equipment do you use live and in studio?
Mai Leisz: I use EBS amps and pedals and TC electronic amps and pedals. I don’t use very many effects. Mostly just a little reverb and delay. I love La Bella light gauge strings.
FB: What bands or projects feature you playing fretless bass?
Mai Leisz: My own group MaiGroup with whom I’ve released two albums now, and mostly on tour with David Crosby and the Sky Trails band.
FB: What are some of your favorite songs you’ve played fretless bass on?
Mai Leisz: Michael McDonald & David Crosby song “Before Tomorrow Falls On Love”. Also, Joni Mitchell’s “Amelia” with Croz, and “Laughing” from his first solo album. “BeNight” on MaiGroup’s first album.
FB: How would you describe your fretless playing style?
Mai Leisz: I would like to hope that my co-musicians see me as a melodic, sensitive and supportive player. I hope they see me as someone who serves the song, not my ego and that they appreciate my ability to listen, interact and react to what they are doing. Fretless bass brings totally different palette of colors and a kind of melancholy and beautiful sadness into the music. I love that.
FB: Are you still actively playing fretless bass?
Mai Leisz: Oh yes, I play it a lot.
FB: Do you have any basic advice for bass players looking to take up fretless or those who are new to the instrument?
Mai Leisz: Intonation is everything but you already know that…
FB: Do you have websites or social media sites you would like to share?
Mai Leisz: Instagram: @maileisz, Facebook: @maileisz, Website: www.maileisz.com
From Wikipedia.com (full Wiki link):
