Groove -The Notreble Podcast

Eric Revis doesn’t just play the bass… he interrogates it. Born in California and now one of the most respected voices in modern jazz, Eric’s journey into the instrument began like many others... through curiosity, records, and a gravitational pull toward the low end, but quickly evolved into something far more intentional. This conversation was recorded during the Montreal International Jazz Festival, where Eric was in town performing with Branford Marsalis… a fitting backdrop for a discussion rooted in tradition, evolution, and what it really means to play this music at the highest level.

Riccardo Oliva is one of those modern bass players who feels less like a specialist and more like a musical system… a player, composer, producer and thinker whose instincts move freely between groove, harmony, texture and technology. Born in Palermo and now based in Milan, Riccardo’s path to the bass began unusually wide… first as a drummer, then through piano, and eventually to electric bass as the instrument that best translated what he was already hearing (but he was very young when this happened). Rooted in jazz-fusion but fluent in electronic music, rock and contemporary composition, his playing reflects a generation raised on both Weather Report and YouTube… equal parts lineage and restless curiosity. Many listeners first encountered Riccardo through his work with the ever-hot and exciting guitarist, Matteo Mancuso, where his six-string bass doesn’t just support the music, it actively converses with it… shaping harmony, filling space and making this wild trio sound far larger than it should. This conversation was recorded this past summer during the Montreal International Jazz Festival

Billy Sherwood’s story has always felt like one of those rare musical journeys where destiny, discipline, and sheer curiosity collide. Raised in a profoundly musical family in Las Vegas, Billy grew up surrounded by harmony, arrangement, and the idea that music was both craft and conversation. By his teens he was already writing, engineering, and producing, eventually forming the band Lodgic before joining World Trade, where his progressive instincts fully took shape. His connection to Yes began long before he officially joined the lineup in the mid-90s: he co-produced and performed on albums like Talk, Open Your Eyes, and The Ladder, becoming a trusted creative partner to Chris Squire. After Squire’s passing in 2015, Billy stepped into the role of bassist at Chris’s personal request (an emotional and technical mantle he continues to carry with extraordinary grace). He has now spent decades in and around the Yes universe, contributing bass, vocals, guitar, keyboards, and production across albums and tours, all while releasing an astonishing catalogue of solo material and collaborations. In our conversation, Billy reflects on how Squire’s influence shaped not only his playing but his entire approach to composition and sonic architecture. He talks about the internal chemistry that keeps Yes moving forward, the brotherhood that sustains the band after so many eras, and the weight (and privilege) of performing foundational works like Fragile for a new generation. We also explore how he maintains his own creative identity amid the legacy, and why he continues to write constantly, even when the ideas don’t yet have a home. If you’ve ever wondered what it means to honor the past while still pushing into the unknown, Billy’s perspective is a masterclass in that balance. More at NoTreble.com