Volume 4, November 2012
Walk That Dog: The Emergence of Walking Bass Lines In Jazz

by Regan Brough

Regan Brough began playing electric bass at age eleven for his family steel band, Pan Jam, which has been featured with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Gladys Knight and at the 2002 Winter Olympics. The son of a university percussion professor, Regan was exposed and expected to play in a wide variety of world and ethnic music in his early years. As a teenager, Regan received several outstanding soloist awards culminating at the 2005 International Society of Bassists Convention where he was awarded second place in the Jazz Solo Division. Soon thereafter he graduated from Brigham Young University magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in bass performance.

An active composer and arranger, Regan was awarded the Outstanding Instrumental Composition from the 2006 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival for his original composition "I Don't Know Why." In 2006 he became the bassist for the premiere jazz ensemble of The United States Army, The Army Blues, a component of "Pershing's Own" in Washington D.C. He has performed at the White House, the Vice-President's home, for heads of state, and various military leaders from around the world. Regan has performed with artists such as Tim Hagans, Terell Stafford, Wayne Bergeron, Tim Warfield, Eric Marienthal, John Clayton, Bill Watrous, Dick Nash, Buddy Baker, Jeff Lorber, Steve Allee, Steve Houghton, Conrad Herwig, Peter Erskine, Simon Phillips, John Riley, and Emil Richards among others. He also participated in the 2008 Sergeant Major of the Army's Hope and Freedom Tour, backing up country artists Keni Thomas, Mark Wills and Craig Morgan to entertain troops in the Middle East. Regan continues to perform actively in the D.C. area and can often be heard with the Alan Baylock Big Band, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra and The Capitol Bones. Two of his recent compositions, "Kelli's Number" and "Walk that Dog" can be heard on The Army Blues' recent album Live at Blues Alley.