“What continues to evolve is my sense of self as a player. The thing you can’t be taught is the musical instinct you get from time on stage. There is a trust you build in yourself when you have put time into a craft consistently for years upon years. I feel that more than ever at this point in my career, and I think it translates to how I show up in a band setting.” – Angeline Saris

Saris held down the low end for the all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band Zepparella for seven years, and she just completed a six-week fall 2022 tour with Celebrating David Bowie. This all-star tribute to David Bowie featured an A-list cast of musicians, including Rock’n’Roll Hall Of Famer Todd Rundgren, Adrian Belew (Bowie, NIN, King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Talking Heads), guitarist Scrote, Spacehog’s Royston Langdon, Fishbone’s Angelo Moore, solo artist Jeffrey Gaines, saxophone great Ron Dziubla (Jon Batiste, Joe Bonamassa), and drummer Travis McNabb (Sugarland, Better Than Ezra). No stranger to honoring the playing of music icons, Saris was the perfect fit to take on such celebrated bass lines.

“Bowie had so many different bass players, which has shaped my approach in a really big way. Trevor Bolder, George Murray, Herbie Flowers, Willie Weeks, Barry Campbell, Carmine Rojas, Tim Lefebvre, and Gail Ann Dorsey are just a few of the names that come to mind. Obviously, each player has a different style and approach that helped to shape the music and serve Bowie’s artistic vision. The bass plays a huge role in Bowie’s music which definitely shapes my approach to these songs. I even like to push that envelope a bit whenever it feels like the right musical choice.”

In this month’s installment of Wonder Women: Stories From the Women Who Play Bass, I conclude my two-part interview with Angeline Saris. (Check out part 1).