Zoe Guigueno

Upright bass / electric bass

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1 Review (1 Verified)
Zoe Guigueno on SoundBetter

I am a professional female upright bass and electric bass player headquartered in New York City. Career highlights include touring with Steve Martin & Martin Short in the Americana band Della Mae, performing on the Grand Ol' Opry, opening for Snarky Puppy with Michelle Willis, and busking in the New York subway in a pink gorilla costume.

Hi there. My name is Zoe Guigueno & I've been touring, recording, performing, and teaching the upright and electric bass for over 20 years. My background is in folk and jazz, and these days I specialize in singer-songwriter, klezmer, bluegrass, and generally music under the 'indie' and 'americana' umbrellas.

I love being in the studio and have recorded on over 30 albums. I am happy to read charts, but I also love creating parts, co-writing, co-arranging, and improvising. I have written and recorded four of my own albums and love to be in a collaborative environment. I also have a degree in music and a strong knowledge of music theory.

As a performer, I can play upright bass (arco and pizzicato), electric bass & sing background vocals. I have toured in about 30 countries and am road-ready. I can learn music by ear and memorize it, but am also a strong sight-reader.

Finally, if you are looking for a teacher, I have over 20 years experience in private lessons & music camps (I absolutely love music camps.) I am comfortable teaching electric & upright bass, singing, songwriting, theory, and leading ensembles.

Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.

Credits

Discogs verified credits for Zoe Guigueno
  • Fish & Bird
  • Joy Kills Sorrow
  • Fish & Bird
  • Jenny Ritter
  • Tsibele
  • Della Mae
  • Brian Dolphin & Earth Person
  • Taylor Ashton
  • Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards
  • The Faux Paws
  • Sadie Gustafson-Zook
  • Michael Winograd
  • Caroline Cotter
  • The Faux Paws
  • Jenni Lyn

Languages

  • English
  • French

1 Reviews

Endorse Zoe Guigueno
  1. Review by Jackee Stang
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    I just started working with Zoe and so far her work is stellar. She was able to absorb my brief completely and deliver me several totally jammy bass lines quickly and professionally. So easy to work with and more importantly her music SOUNDS BETTER ;).

Interview with Zoe Guigueno

  1. Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

  2. A: I am proud of a collaboration I did with the Persian/Italian producer & songwriter Peyman Salimi. We co-wrote a song together in Farsi & English; he sang the verses and I sang the choruses. I would love to do more multi-lingual collaborations like this.

  3. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  4. A: At the moment I have some upcoming recording sessions that I'm preparing for.

  5. Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

  6. A: Yes, I know another bassist on here named Jenni Magana, and I'd absolutely recommend her.

  7. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  8. A: I don't have a record player and am not an audiophile, really. I confess I enjoy the convenience of digital media. However, in life in general I tend to be more of an 'earthy' person and not super into tech.

  9. Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

  10. A: To be honest & to do my best.

  11. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  12. A: Collaborating with others.

  13. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  14. A: I have been pegged as a 'folk musician' -- which I am! But I have a broad set of interests and skills. Genre names can serve a purpose but they are also so limiting. There's not an artist on Earth that only fits into one little box.

  15. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  16. A: Oh, all kinds of questions. What's your concept? How involved do you want me to be - how much of my creative opinion do you want? What's the end goal? What's the vision?

  17. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  18. A: Just reach out, start a conversation.

  19. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  20. A: Acoustic guitar, upright bass, a good long book (or let's say a kindle with 1000 books..), pen & paper, a surfboard !!

  21. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  22. A: I've been playing professionally for over 20 years now. I played as a kid, then I went to Humber College in Toronto and got a degree in music (jazz performance). Right out of college I started touring heavily with a Canadian indie-folk-rock band called Fish & Bird. Around 2012 I was invited to join the Boston-based string band Joy Kills Sorrow (RIP) and that's when my touring career expanded to the US and Europe (and beyond). It's been a run-away train since then.

  23. Q: How would you describe your style?

  24. A: Folk with a penchant for dissonance & improvisation.

  25. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  26. A: Fiona Apple! She's my hero. I love how colourful and bold and emotional her music is. And I love how when she performs live she stretches out and improvises.

  27. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  28. A: Less is more. Found sounds are cool.

  29. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  30. A: Usually I'm in a singer-songwriter zone. I also have many years experience in klezmer, bluegrass, and generally "americana".

  31. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  32. A: Bass playing, arranging.

  33. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  34. A: I love songs almost more than anything and am passionate about making them the best they can be. Along with bringing supportive & creative bass lines, I love to bring arrangement & writing ideas - only if that's welcome input! I have also been told I am a great team player and bring a calm and positive energy to musical situations.

  35. Q: What's your typical work process?

  36. A: Typically clients send me their music and I either learn it by ear or from a chart (either way is fine). If it's a recording session, I prepare as much as possible in advance and communicate clearly with the artist about expectations. I can travel to the session, or can record from home. Similar process for live performances - I prepare at home as much as possible, and then schedule any necessary rehearsals & details for the show.

  37. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  38. A: I have a Focusrite 2 channel audio interface, an Ear Trumpet Chantelle condenser mic and a Beta 58 dynamic microphone. I run Logic Pro.

  39. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  40. A: Ooh! I love the artists Tōth, Charlotte Cornfield, Juana Molina, Maya de Vitry, and Busman's Holiday.

  41. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  42. A: -recording upright or electric bass & harmony vocals -helping arrange or co-write in the studio -performing live shows on upright or electric bass & vocals -writing custom songs for people -teaching privately or at music camps on bass or voice

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Radar Stations by Zoe Guigueno

I was the bassist, vocalist, writer, arranger in this production

GenresSounds Like
  • Beth Orton
  • Pieta Brown
Gear Highlights
  • McLagan upright bass
  • G&L electric bass
More Photos