Bassist Bob Cunningham's website features jukebox, discography, itinerary, projects, biography.
Samadhi, that high meditative state whereby the human spirit realizes it's total oneness with the Creator, is deemed the greatest ecstasy one can experience. Bassist Bob Cunningham appears to reach, or closely approach that ecstatic state as he blends himself in oneness with his Bass and with the rich, luminous sounds he skillfully coaxes from it. He clearly enjoys and relishes every stroke and sound of the instrument, and this thorough enjoyment of his polished musical craft inevitably translates into the collective enjoyment and soul movement of each audience Cunningham musically serves.
Dwayne Burno made his entry into this world on June 10, 1970 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a city rich in its musical traditions and history. He gained his initial musical exposure to music through his mother. "My mother is my first musical influence. She told me of the times when she sat me on her lap while she accompanied, directed, and sang with the church choir which she continues to do to this very day."
Dwayne's first chosen musical instrument was the violin which he played until his unexpected first encounter with the double bass. "During my junior year of high school, I was told to begin learning and playing the bass. I was chosen because of my musical aptitude, knowledge and love of music, intellect, character, physique and the bottom line fact that a gig was scheduled to occur in one week's time. I had one week's time to begin 'gettin' it together' and have been a professional musician ever since."
Upon graduation from high school, Dwayne set off to continue his quest for a higher education at Boston's famed Berklee College of Music. There, he remained for three semesters before leaving once again for Philly. In 1989, while in attendance at Berklee, Dwayne began a personal and musical association with his first major employer, alto saxophonist Donald Harrison ...
Bassist and composer
Ben Allison's official web site containing bio and touring info,
photo gallery, downloadable press kit, music samples and info on the
Jazz Composers Collective.
Cited by Downbeat magazine as one of the "25 rising jazz stars for the future" and in the "Bassist of the Year," "Album of the Year," "Composer of the Year," "Acoustic Group of the Year," "Arranger of the Year," and "Jazz Artist of the Year," Rising Star categories of the 2003, 2004, and 2005 Downbeat Critics' Poll, bassist-composer Ben Allison has solidified his reputation as "one of the most original voices in modern jazz" (Amazon.com), a strong organizational force on the New York City music scene, and an advocate for artist empowerment.
With his groups Peace Pipe, New Quartet, Medicine Wheel, the Kush Trio, and the Herbie Nichols Project (which he co-leads with pianist Frank Kimbrough) Ben has toured extensively throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and Brazil winning fans and building new audiences with an adventurous yet accessible sound and a flair for the unexpected.
His six recordings as a leader - Buzz (2004), Peace Pipe (2002), Riding the Nuclear Tiger (2001), Third Eye (1999), and Medicine Wheel (1998) on Palmetto Records, and his 1996 debut Seven Arrows on the Koch Jazz label - showcase Ben's forward-thinking vision as a producer, composer, arranger, and bassist, and his hands-on approach to his craft.
Buzz, was #1 on the CMJ National Jazz radio charts for 6 consecutive weeks and has remained in the top 20 for over five months. His previous three albums, achieved similar radio success, being among the most played albums of the years in which they were released. and have been named as among the best of the year by publications such as The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Village Voice, Jazz Times, Jazz Journalists Association,Downbeat Critics Poll, All About Jazz, Coda (Canada), and Jazz Review (UK), among others ...
Bassist Peter Ind and his record label Wave Records' website features reviews, sound bites, itinerary, photo and art gallery, Wave Record label, biography.
Peter Ind was born on July 20, 1928 in Uxbridge Middlesex. U.K. He played on the ship the Queen Mary (1949-51) before settling in New York (1951), where he taught, and performed and recorded with Lennie Tristano (1951), Lee Konitz (1954-57), and Buddy Rich (1957).
He established a recording studio in 1957, and in 1961 started his own record company, Wave. His album Looking Out (1958-61, Wave 1) includes solos, duos with Joe Puma and the drummer Dick Scott, and tracks recorded with a trio and with a quartet. While living in Big Sur, California (1963-6), he became the first double bass player to give concerts and broadcasts as an unaccompanied soloist. In 1965 he played with Konitz and Warne Marsh. Thereafter he returned to England and continued to perform, teach and manage Wave. He toured with Konitz and Marsh in 1975-6. In 1984 he opened the Bass Clef in London, which became one of the city's most popular clubs. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz ...
Jazz bassist Maryann McSweeney's website features reviews, sound bites, itinerary,
biography, cds, educational activities, discography.
Mary Ann McSweeney's acoustic bass is found at the melodic heart of her jazz compositions. The California-born artist has developed a sound that is colored by her early classical roots and inspired by her mentors, Ray Brown, John Clayton and Richie Beirach.
McSweeney's performance work has taken her from jazz clubs and festivals in the US, Europe and Asia and onto the symphony stage. She tours with her own jazz quintet that includes Donny McCaslin on saxophones, Mike Fahn on valve and slide trombone, Henry Hey on piano and Tim Horner on drums. Thoughts of You, her debut recording as a leader with this quintet, will be released in early 2001 (Jazz Magnet).
Mary Ann has performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Witherspoon, Betty O'Hara, Stacy Rowles, Rick Margitza, Lynn Ariel, Maiden Voyage Big Band, and the Ed Palermo Big Band to name a few. She has recorded with the Jim Cifelli New York Nonet, the Diva Big Band, Gene Burkert, Nana Simopoulos and Manhattan Vocal Project among others. On the classical side, she has worked with conductors Leonard Bernstein, John Williams and Lalo Schifrin ...
Dave Holland's website features biography, complete discography, sound bites, recordings, itinerary, newsletter, publishing info, photogallery, etc ...
Dave Holland was born in Wolverhampton, England, on October 1, 1946. He was drawn to music at an early age, starting with the ukelele at age 4, moving to the guitar at 10 and then to the bass guitar at 13. Other than a brief period of piano lessons, in these years he was largely self-taught, learning the popular music of the day from song books and the radio. At 13 he and a few friends formed a band and began playing at the local clubs and dances. By the age of 15 he had joined another band, and as that group was starting to work regularly, he decided to leave school and try and earn a living as a musician. It was around this time that in a search to expand his ideas on the bass guitar, he began listening to jazz and heard on records the great bassists Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. This had a profound affect on Dave and he quickly got a double bass and began practicing with the records. Although he was still working as a bass guitarist, he began going to jazz clubs with his double bass and sitting in with the local jazz players. In the summer of 1963, at the age of 17, he was offered a job playing double bass with a dance band that was working at a holiday resort for the summer season. This was followed by a short tour with a big band that was accompanying the singer Johnny Ray, and then came an offer of a job in London playing music in a restaurant.
As soon as he moved to London Dave began studying with James E. Merritt, who was the principal bassist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and teaching at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. In the spring of 1964, on Mr. Merritt's recommendation, he applied for admission to a three year program at the Guildhall School and after taking the entrance exam, was admitted in September of that year with a full scholarship.
This began a period of intense musical experiences for Dave. By his second year at the school he was the principle bassist in the school orchestra and was also beginning to work with a wide variety of people in the London jazz community ...