Grammy Winning Bassist from Disney/Pixar's "Soul" --> Billboard-Charting Arranger - Quincy Jones, Jon Batiste & Late Show w/ Steven Colbert --> “Phil Kuehn is a master musician and arranger whose musical abilities are unparalleled in his generation. He's also the greatest person you'll ever meet and is my favorite bass player." - Jon Batiste
I specialize in upright and electric (fretted and fretless) basses and arranging for strings, horns, woodwinds, choir and full orchestra or jazz big band. I am known for a “straight ahead jazz”, smooth jazz, and/or R&B/Soul sound with lush textures and smooth lines. I can record both upright (pizz and arco) and bass guitar tracks. I can record 1-2 instruments at a time, or larger instrumentation with 1-2 mics, and can produce arrangements using a combination of live and/or programmed instruments for a wide variety of sonic textures.
Bass Credits: Disney/Pixar's Soul, Performed and/or Recorded w/ Jonathan Batiste & Stay Human, Aloe Blacc, Harry Connick Jr., Anthony Hamilton, Wynton Marsalis, Tony Bennett and Marie Osmond., the Grammy Nominated Album "Live at the Village Vanguard: Chronology of a Dream" by Jon Batiste, and other albums by Khristian Dentley (Take 6), Cyrille Aimee, Victor Goines, Justin Kauflin and more.
My arrangements and compositions have been performed on the Late Show with Steven Colbert, the Billboard-Charting Album "Christmas with Jon Batiste", live by the Beethoven Orchester Bonn (co-arrangement with Quincy Jones), and more.
Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.
18 Reviews - 3 Repeat Clients
Endorse Philip Kuehn
check_circleVerifiedPhil is absolutely incredible. Incredibly kind, incredibly cooperative, and a true master of his instrument. He really elevated my song with his playing, and I'm sure he will do so with pretty much any project thrown at him. Strongly recommend!
check_circleVerifiedPhilip Kuehn does it again!! I had a really pretty piano ballad that needed that extra *something*. Phil did his thing and took a song from good to GREAT. If you're looking to kick things up a notch, reach out to Philip Kuehn!
check_circleVerifiedPhilip provided me with a string arrangement that consisted of audio parts, midi files and written parts. The arrangement was top-notch and well-thought-out. I would recommend Philip to anyone who wants a great professional job.
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Phil is a great musician and was great to work with - he had 3 takes of a superb bass line to me in no time at all. I can highly recommend him and look forward to working with him in the future.
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Philip Kuehn is an absolute master on the bass and a joy to work with! Whether you need upright or electric, jazz or pop or rock, he’s got you covered. Very highly recommended!!
check_circleVerifiedVery good. Goes above and beyond.
check_circleVerifiedPhillip is great to work with, completely nailed the track on the first try in a timely manner .....
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He is a cool sincere performer. I am so glad to find him!!! Our collaboration will continue!!!
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Philip is so wonderful! Great communication, work finished in a timely manner, and great quality! Looking forward to working together again in the future. :)
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Philip provided me with three versions with varying feels, allowing to compare, pic and chose from varying, but tasteful approaches to the same musical piece.
check_circleVerifiedPhil is a master of his craft and delivered a fantastic arrangement for my quartet. Communication with him was smooth as well and those two aspects combined made it an absolute pleasure to work with him.
I'd definitely recommend putting your musical ideas in his hand 😊- check_circleVerified
Phil has been for me - the ultimate bass player with a high level of professionalism. For my song he presented me with various wonderful takes, tones and patterns. I wish I could have used all of them. Thank you Phil!
check_circleVerifiedGreat player with great ear and sound! Understood right away what i wanted to add to the track, and great to communicate with.
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Philip is an incredibly skilled player who understands what the song needs in order to be the best it can be. Great to work with, and 100% recommended!!
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Phil is as good as it gets. He's a world-class bass player on both upright and electric bass. His time, feel, and intonation are impeccable, you won't need or want to make any edits. He brought so many great ideas and parts to my production. He's got a great recording rig, so his tone is punchy and full, not requiring much in terms of processing. Gave me exact file formats I requested and provided great alternate takes. Overall great experience with a bass master and consummate professional.
I can confidently say that Philip Kuehn is my #1 call for my studio and live bass needs. With an incredibly vast musical vocabulary, Philip is able to deliver any genre of bass line needed and always gives me multiple takes of variations. If something isn't working to my liking, he is completely willing to rework the idea until it does work. As far as arranging goes, Philip gives special attention to supporting the melody and makes musical choices that heighten the emotion of the song and create a mood. I can't say enough about Philip and his abilities.
Phil is the finest professional bassist that I know personally. Seeing him in live performances, hearing recordings, and taking classes from him have all only reinforced my opinion of this. This last fall I was working on my first self-released album, and knew Phil was the only option for recording bass. I wanted my album to be the best it could be, so I could only choose the best. Phil executed his recordings perfectly, and I had to do next to no extra work to assimilate his recordings into the rest of the album. I only wish I was allowed more words in this review to further endorse Phil.
One of the absolute MOST IMPORTANT THINGS you can do as a record producer or artist is hire the best musical foundation possible. One of the most important fundamental, foundational elements at the foundation of all music is the bassist. Phil Kuehn is one of the very best hires I’ve ever made. I’ve been honored to have him do work for me in studio sessions, as well as live application, and he exceeded my expectations every time! He is the quintessential professional... Great spirited, easy to work with, and ALWAYS giving more than what’s required. To hire Phil is to honor your craft.
Interview with Philip Kuehn
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I recently recorded bass on Disney/Pixar's Soul. My bass playing represents 85% of the onscreen and incidental bass playing. This was a 4 hour session where we recorded all the songs in one take. It was fun!
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Producing/Arranging two albums
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I like both! They both have benefits
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: They often ask for contrasting takes. I say “yes”!
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Philip Lassiter! Trumpet player and Arranger. Killer!
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I will treat their project as a unique entity, and make sure I "nail" whatever vibe their music calls for. My main priority is that my work matches the purpose of their project.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Music is an outlet for life expression!
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That it is not work!
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What goal do you have for your music? What sound are you going for? What is the intention?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Know that I will put in the time to get it right.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Upright Bass, Fretless Godin Bass, Ernie Ball Stingray, Apollo Twin Duo, Laptop, M-Audio Axiom mini-32 (I know that's 6!)
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been playing, recording and arranging for 20 years professionally. I've been teaching professionally for 8 years.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Straight ahead jazz, Soul, Funk, Gospel, Lush Strings and Horns.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Many! Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Tori Kelly, Kirk Franklin, Bruno Mars.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Aim for quality over quantity.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Jazz, Soul, Social Music, Gospel, etc.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Bass playing and arranging.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Creative, soulful and grooving basslines. For arranging - lush, smooth, full and contrasting harmonies, lines and voicings.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I am a perfectionist. I don't like to send work back until it's the way I want it to be. That said - I work hard until the job is done.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I use an AKG C414 XL mic to record upright bass. I run the mic through a Universal Audio Apollo Twin Duo Interface and record the electric/fretless bass either direct through that interface, or through an Aguilar ToneHammer Preamp first. I can also record electric bass amplified through a microphone.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Bass: Ray Brown, Ron Carter, Paul Chambers, Jaco Pastorius, Pino Palladino, Marcus Miller
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Record bass tracks (electric and upright) and arrange for strings, horns and choir
I was the String/Choir Arranger, & Bassist in this production
- Bass UprightAverage price - $125 per song
- String ArrangerContact for pricing
- Bass FretlessAverage price - $125 per song
- Bass ElectricAverage price - $125 per song
- Composer OrchestralContact for pricing
Turnaround (depending on schedule)
Bass: 1-3 business days
Arranging: 1-2 weeks depending on size/scope
*Credit must be listed on physical project & online
*Price doesn't include SoundBetter fees
- 1950’s Juzek Upright Bass
- Ernie Ball Music Man Sting Ray 5 Electric Bass (Low B)
- Godin Semi Acoustic 5 String Fretless Bass Guitar
- 4 String 1980 Fender Squire Jazz Bass Guitar
- 4 String Piccolo Bass
- AKG C414 XL
- Universal Audio Apollo Twin Duo
I will do my best to accommodate your budget and timeline!
