But when I saw Gerald Johnson [of Crosby, Stills & Nash] playing around town, everything changed. He would play the simplest note choices and groove so hard you never missed the notes he didn't play." Finding her niche in the R&B scene, Lynne has headlined the city's top rooms, including B.B. Kings and the House of blues, backing up such R&B legends as Don "Sugarcane" Harris and Dewey Terry. "I've learned it's better to play the same line 50 times in a committed way than play it half-committed and slip in a cool fill. The fill goes by in two seconds and it's gone."

Originally a classical pianist, Lynne studied at Vienna's Austro-American Institute for a year but discovered that the classical world was not for her. Her introduction to the bass came while she was working as an engineer at a recording studio: After a band's bassist left in the middle of a project, Lynne took it upon herself to take over. "My classical training gave me instant access to technique, since I knew how to use my hands in various forms of synchronicity." While living in Philadelphia Davis played in original bands, forging a sense of service to the tune. "My first approach was to play the tune more than play the bass. I think songwriters like me because of that." After seeing Jennifer Condos playing bass behind Don Henley, Lynne was inspired to take her career to the next level: The following day she bought a ticket to L.A. Now Condos is her next-door neighbor and close friend.

For live work, Davis fills the room with an SWR Goliath 4x10 cab powered by an SWR SM-400 head. Her longtime main axe is an old Spector NS-2, but she's recently added a `75 Fender Jazz. "I played the same bass and amp for eight years and never wanted anything else, but playing blues and R&B has made me appreciate the Fender mystique." In the studio Lynne still prefers the Spector. All her instruments are strung with GHS Boomers.

In addition to her busy performance schedule, Lynne teaches bass and piano at several L.A-.area music stores, and she's on the bass faculty at the Los Angeles Academy of Music, where she teaches ear training, sight reading, and groove mechanics and also gives private lessons. While she's open to the possibility of doing a major tour, Lynne appreciates what she has cultivated around town. "To be a working player is a fine goal. If this is as good as it gets, it's pretty great!"

By Ed Friedland

For the last five years Lynne Davis has played alongside the best musicians in Los Angeles. She's earned a reputation for groove-oriented, aggressive bass as the leader of her own band, the Scarletts - a high-energy R&B/blues group - and as a freelancer for many top L.A. club acts. She landed a slot on ex-Men At Work vocalist Colin Hay's new solo record, Transcendental Highway [Festival], contributing solid yet unobtrusive lines. Davis also appears on the recent Black Olive release by Jim Belushi's backup band, The Imperial Crowns.

Lynne admits that living in los Angeles has changed her musical approach. "At first I was very into trying to find those cool-sounding notes, to get into the 'secret note' club.