Electric and upright bass

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

A: I was there at the first rehearsal in La Jolla, CA for what would become the international hit musical JERSEY BOYS, and many of my ideas made it into the final bass part for the show, which I played there and on Broadway for ten years. Being involved with something from the ground up that went on to such huge success is something I'm proud of.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: A solo project which will hopefully be done by the end of 2025

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

A: Yes, Josh Taylor is an excellent guitar player and vocalist, hire him!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog is great for records, and can be useful when recording drums/bass, but other than that it's digital all the way for the editing capabilities and the lossless nature of digital recording/mixing/mastering.

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

A: I'll bring all my skills to the job, and will strive to get you what you need as quickly as possible.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: That I bring joy to people through music, and that what I do doesn't harm anyone or anything.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: Q: Are you happy with it? A: If you're happy, I'm happy!

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

A: Most folks who aren't involved in the arts have a hard time comprehending what a freelance musician does, how versatile they must be, how fickle the revenue stream can be at times. Most of the time, they just ask, "Are you in a band?" 😁

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Which bass do you want (unless already obvious)? How simple/complex do you want the bass part to be? When do you need it by?

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

A: Have a positive idea of how you want the track to sound, rather than having to zero in on it through the lengthy process of elimination.

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

A: My upright bass, my six-string bass, my P-bass, a combo amp, and a computer to record with

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

A: I've been playing professionally since high school, so over 30 years. While teaching myself electric bass, I performed with the San Diego Youth Symphony, and studied upright bass with San Diego Symphony members, and later at UCSD with Bert Turetzky. I started taking theatre gigs in college, since I could read, follow a conductor/music director, and understood the many styles of music one has to play in those situations.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Melodic, solid, tasteful

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

A: Too many to list, but if I had to pick one, I'd say Tedeschi Trucks Band. It's all about groove and feel, and I can't think of a better band touring now.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Your ear should always have the final say. Don't rely solely on presets that claim to get the sound you want.

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

A: Pop, rock, jazz, country, acoustic styles like Bluegrass and "Old-Timey," and various mash-ups of those and other genres.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I've found that I can usually interpret what an artist wants from a bass track pretty quickly.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: In my 30+ years of playing professionally, I've always tried to learn to play authentically in any style I'm exposed to, by listening to the masters of each genre do their thing. I'll bring all that real-world experience to your project.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I'll record a track where I "play it safe," keeping it towards the simpler side, as appropriate for the style. Often that's the track that's used. I'm also happy to provide a take where I play busier, with more fills, etc., which you can then use or not, or cut and paste as needed.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: In my backyard studio shed, I record electric bass direct into a standard USB interface. For recording acoustic bass, I use an AT202, a Realist pickup, and various other attachable mics, tailored to each situation.

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

A: I'm always inspired by the amazing musicians I'm lucky enough to work with and call friends. As for musical heroes, way too many to name them all, but regarding bass playing some of my favorites are Jimmy Johnson, Anthony Jackson, Pino Paladino, and of course the two main branches of modern bass playing, Jaco Pastorius and James Jamerson.

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

A: The most common thing I do is record bass tracks for people's music: upright bass, fretless, five-string, six-string. I'm currently working on a solo record as well.