Jon Button on SoundBetter

From the Who to Sheryl Crow, I've been fortunate enough to work with and learn from many legendary artists, musicians and producers in my years as a professional bassist in Los Angeles. Using what wisdom I've gained, I'd love to help make your music the best it can be.

I like to think of myself as a meat-and-potatoes, pocket player. I always try to think of what will best serve the feel of the song and support the melody. Hooks and themes that a listener can grab onto are an integral part of music, and I try to create bass parts that are catchy, but also change slightly and build through the song to keep the listeners interest.

Send me a note through the contact button above.

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Jon Button

Devil Doll
Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Messer
Neil Slater
UNT One O'Clock Lab Band
The Who
The Who
James Blunt
Daniel Licht
Daniel Licht
Caleb Johnson
Tom Freund
Andy Palmer
The Stripminers
Mikey Wax
Kate Voegele
Pepe Aguilar
Misty Gonzales
Misty Gonzales
Bill Cody
James Blunt
James Blunt
The Stripminers
The Dance Party
Jesse & Joy
Josh Wilson
Chantal Kreviazuk
Robben Ford
Ednita Nazario
Kirk Wheeler
Kirk Wheeler
Shakira
Jeremy Kay
Shakira
Angela Easterling
Kristy Frank
Yogi
The Corrs
The Corrs
The Corrs
The Corrs
Robi Rosa
Jessica Jacobs
Shelby Lynne
Emily Richards
Dakota Moon
Daniel Cage
Matthew Puckett
Matthew Puckett
Blackout Money
Connie Hunt
My Silent Bravery
Kevin Lee Florence
Kevin Lee Florence
James Blunt
Giorgio
Kat Parsons

13 Reviews - 4 Repeat Clients

Endorse Jon Button

by Matt Mashburn
Verified
Jon is awesome. He is super responsive, fast working, and will deliver the bass part you’re happy with. Great player!
by Oliver
Verified
Jon is a highly experienced and talented musician. He delivered a bassline that had energy and groove even though it was a slow tempo track, and it worked really well with both the composition and performance of the other musicians.
by Lorenzo
Verified
Amazing bass player! His groove and sound are incredible, very timely, professional. A great guy to make music with!
by adan s.
Verified
Whoa! Just top notch musicianship! Feel fortunate to have Jon on this track! Thank you Jon!
by Wade R.
Verified
Jon was amazing to work with and provided perfect samples of his ideas to bounce off of me before delivering the perfect rendition for the song. He really pays attention to what the song is calling for and this just makes the song shine with his playing. I really enjoyed working with him and getting such a perfect bass line
by adan s.
Verified
Thank you, Jon! Feel very grateful to have your bass parts on this song! Stellar work! Hope Jon can lend his talents, musicianship, killer tone to another song soon! Very very highly recommended.
by Sean M.
Verified
Jon is a true professional and fantastic to work with. Highly recommended!
by David M.
Verified
I worked with Jon to add bass to an instrumental track with just guitar and drums and it was a great experience. After talking with me about what I wanted he quickly provided me with a scratch version for feedback. He made suggestions and asked detailed questions, which I appreciated not being a bass player myself and so I was pretty ignorant. The end take was just perfect for what I needed and I know I'll be coming back to Jon with more work in the near future.
by Graham K.
Verified
Jon did a great job with my song. He was super patient and willing to try different things to make sure that I was happy with the track. Great guy to work with. Highly recommended!
by Will Gramling
Great tone, great parts, great sensitivity to the song. He's great!
by Pete Thorn
He's an incredible bass player, with great instincts. Yes he has chops and a college music program education, but he NEVER EVER overplays and his influences are impeccable. He will lay it down and play for the song, always, with great tone and feel. And, maybe most importantly, he's a gracious and lovely guy, just a great person to have in the room when you're creating music.
by Zak Schaffer
In addition to being easy on the eyes, Jon is one of the go to guys in LA for many good reasons. I will try to elucidate a few of them here.
First of all, he plays great. He never needs to make it about him. He has no ego about his playing and yet, is very generous with his time. He is always completely prepared and knows his way around the material from every angle. Whether it’s a benefit, a vanity project or a stadium show, Jon arrives ready to go and stays til the end.
In addition, he makes everyone else feel good. The session just feels more legit when Jon arrives.
by warren huart
Jon Button is without a doubt one of the finest Bass Players I have ever worked with! We have made many records together over the last 17 years and he is a first call for many people, not just because he's a wonderful musician but a wonderful person to have in your session!

Interview with Jon Button

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I'm very fond of the bass playing I've done on Danny Donnelly's projects. I've done a number of records with him, and it always just feels natural and effortless.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I'm not a frustrated guitar player, I don't want to be a producer, I LOVE playing bass and I count my blessings every day that I get to do it for a living!
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Make sure your tracks are edited and arranged the way you want. Be sure that the whole track is rhythmically solid.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My Aeropress Coffee maker. My '65 P bass and my '65 Ampeg B15... I don't need anything else.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started on piano at age 5 and switched to bass at 7. Growing up, I played in everything from symphonies and pit orchestras to jazz bands and bar bands.. I studied jazz at the acclaimed University of North Texas then moved to Los Angeles in 1994.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Simple, tasty and with good feel.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Bjørk. She's so creative and unique, I think it would be a real challenge and a real learning experience to work with her.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Keep it simple! If it ain't a hook, it's gook.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: If I had to pick what I've done most, and come most naturally, it's probably americana, along the lines of Sheryl Crow, Wilco or The War On Drugs.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Great tone and feel.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: These days with digital recording, it's easy for anyone to edit together a passable bass track. What I can bring is great tone, a great human feel, and the knowledge of how bass functions in a song gained from years of studying bass parts and making records as a session bass player.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Noble Tube DI, BAE312 Mic pre, Purple Audio 1176 clone, Apollo twin interface. I have a number of great tube amps, including a '65 B15 which I mic with a Heil PR30, RE20 or 421.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: James Jamerson, Paul McCartney, John Paul Jones, John Entwistle, Pino Palladino, T-bone Wolk, Paul Bushnell, Randy Jackson (seriously!!), Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller, Charlie Haden.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Play bass!!!