Ever since the great Milt Hinton coined the phrase “the Brotherhood of the Bass,” the kinship between bass players has morphed in countless and wondrous ways. From the Manhattan Bass Amp Club formed by New York City session bassists (including Milt) in the ’60s, to the emergence of live bass events and camps in the ’90s, to the current global web-connectivity between like-minded thumpers, the community is strong and supportive. Within these countless connections — bonded by genre, geography, study, or “hang” — there is one group of players whose commitment to and support of each other is simply unparalleled, especially when it comes to their circumstance, successes, and ascension to the top of the music world. You may or may not know their names and faces, but you undoubtedly know their output. Adam Blackstone, the CEO of BASSic Black Entertainment, went from key stints with Jill Scott, Justin Timberlake, The Roots, Janet Jackson, Jay-Z, Eminem, and numerous others to become the most in-demand musical director on planet Earth. That includes most recently MD-ing the Super Bowl, Grammys, Oscars, BET Awards, and the high-profile Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom. Derrick Hodge does it all: He’s a Blue Note solo artist whose latest acclaimed effort is Color of Noize; an in-demand doubler and MD whose credits include H.E.R., Robert Glasper, Terence Blanchard, Common, and Maxwell; and a much-sought-after composer/arranger/conductor, with recent orchestral roles in the Super Bowl, Oscars, Grammys, and the Juneteenth concert (not to mention his being featured on “Bass Night,” which capped Marcus Miller’s week-long spring run at the Blue Note New York). Thaddaeus Tribbett is a gospel legend and one of the most mimicked and borrowed-from bassists on YouTube. In addition to seminal work with his brother Tye Tribbett, Jill Scott, Black Lily, Justin Timberlake, Musiq, Conya Cross, and Q-Tip, his latest output includes an appearance on Robert Glasper’s Black Radio III, Tiny Desk Concerts with Chris Dave & the Drumhedz and Snoh Aalegra, and touring with Jon Batiste. Finally, Dwayne Moore is a hella-undersung pocket savant whose key recording credits include Gerald Levert, Fred Hammond, Jill Scott, Musiq, and Pharrell. He’s perhaps best known as Beck’s touring bassist, ever since his appearance on 2017’s Colors, and he has recently also hit the road with Lauryn Hill and with Seal, and he is working on a record with his own The Origin Band. What you probably don’t know is that these four gentleman of the groove grew up together in the culturally rich community of Willingboro, New Jersey, located less than 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia (the official City of Brotherly Love). What welded their unique friendship after they all met in high school was abundantly apparent to us back in the dark days of the initial COVID lockdown, when we gathered them for a Zoom roundtable. Their uplifting and inspiri