Benjamin J. Shepherd on SoundBetter

Versatile Grammy Nominated Bassist with over 25 years of experience available for your next project! My tracks focus on delivering the best performance for your project with emphasis on groove, tone, feel, dynamics and attitude. I strive to serve your vision by enhancing the music without ever distracting from it.

Check out my Tidal playlist of everything I have recorded on: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/91163cb7-9c19-4f87-9bdc-f41f262a9b03

Hi, I'm Benjamin J. Shepherd. I have played Bass both live and in the studio for artists including Chance the Rapper, Isaiah Rashad, David Archuleta, Lee Ritenour, Dave Weckl, Mike Stern, Peter Erskine, John Beasley and MONKestra, Billy Childs, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Virgil Donati, Eric Marienthal, Patrice Rushen and many more. I have also worked with producers such as Tae Beast, Raja Kumari, Cam O'bi, Jeff Lorber, Eric Valentine as well as Film/TV scoring composers including Thomas Newman and Kris Bowers.

My roots and training are based in Jazz but I have branched out from there into Hip Hop, Neo Soul, House, Pop and Rock.
I've played just about every type of genre imaginable throughout the years of live and studio work. I am a very proficient sight reader and a virtuoso on both the Electric Bass and Upright Bass, so go ahead and throw all your hard and complicated music at me, I'll make sure it is played exactly how you want it!
I have a combination of high quality modern and vintage basses to get any tone that you are seeking for your project. Feel free to reach out with any questions, I'd love to chat about working on your project :)

Contact me through the GREEN button above and let's make some music!

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Interview with Benjamin J. Shepherd

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I'm really proud of all the John Beasley and MONKestra records that I have recorded on! I played both Upright and Electric bass on the records and have been Grammy Nominated as well as won a Grammy!!!
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: My own personal record as well as random tracks that clients send to me.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Tim Lefev, Nick Klingenberg
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I like both! They both have their advantages and disadvantages but are very useful in getting whatever sound you want!
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: You will only get the best and will never have to settle for anything.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I love that I get to collaborate and meet so many talented and wonderful artists from all over the world while at the same time getting to play music for a living!
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Are your prices negotiable? Where's your accent from? Whoa! How did you make it sound so good?
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: Just because I play 6 string bass doesn't mean that I don't know how to play a 4 string bass. You may not even know that I may have used a 6 string bass on the bass track.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What style do you have in mind for the part(s) you need me to record? Any reference tracks you liked that I should check out to get the right vibe? When do you need this by?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Make sure that you have a good idea on what you want me to play. That means providing a demo with some sort of a demo bass part that you would like me to vibe from. If you are providing charts, make sure they are correct and the forms are laid out properly with any recent corrections made. Good communication is a must as well!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: 2 of my main bass guitars, upright bass, amp head and cabinet!
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started on the bass when I was 7 years old in New Zealand. I've been playing for over 25 years.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: A cross between Stanley Clarke, Chuck Rainey and John Patitucci.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Ah this one is hard since there are too many but a few would be Herbie Hancock, George Benson, Jill Scott, Flying Lotus
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Don't step on anybody's toes. Space and simplicity are a beautiful thing.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Everything and I really mean that! I pride in being able to fit into virtually every kind of gig and session!
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Having perfect pitch I'm able to learn parts very fast by ear. On top of that being a very proficient sight reader enables me to work fast and efficiently without taking too long to learn how to play the song first. I'm also reliable, friendly and engaged in your project to make sure you are getting what you requested.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Everything you are asking for plus attention to details like dynamics, note length etc.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: It depends on what the client asks for. Typically I do all my tracks late at night when my family are asleep, that way I can give all my attention to the project.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Audio interface into a mac book pro.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: So many and too many to name!
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Bass tracks for songs or full albums.