Session Bassist/Cellist

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

A: Gabe Lee's last three records. His songs are just amazing and the way we all work together in the studio to bring them into a full band sound is always so creative. I have played all the bass on those records. Both electric and upright bass. They're just all so great!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Everything is analog until it's converted to digital! Recording digitally is just so convenient. The ability to edit is nearly unlimited and the technology to capture analog signals is virtually indistinguishable from tape. We can even digitally add the tape noise that give it its "warmth"!

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

A: I promise that I will provide tracks that meet or exceed the client's expectations.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Being part of creating new music every day!

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

A: Upright bass and electric bass are not interchangeable instruments. They have very different sounds and therefore function very differently within a song.

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

A: Know what you're looking for and be willing to collaborate and hear some other possibilities!

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

A: My Ampeg fliptop amp, 1963 Fender Precision bass, 1999 Lakland 55-94 Deluxe, Martin acoustic guitar, and my 1905 Hamilton upright piano.

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

A: I have been playing and singing music nearly my entire life. Started piano at age 8. Cello and upright bass at age 10, and electric bass at 14. I then attended two different colleges for music. Indiana University where I mainly studied classical double bass, and the Berklee College of Music where I concentrated on electric bass. After earning my degree from Berklee I moved to Nashville in January of 2003 and have been a working musician ever since. I have been playing recording sessions full time for nearly 10 years.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Soul inspired, thoughtful, melodic groove.

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

A: Anyone creative! But I had to choose one I'd say Peter Gabriel.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Get a solid, fundamental bass signal chain. My tone is punchy with a great low fundamental but not boosted in any part of the EQ. Many mix engineers have told me that they do very little to my bass sound when mixing. Just turn it up!

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

A: Since I'm in Nashville I tend to play on mostly modern country music. But I have experience in a lot of pop, soul, rock, funk, R&B, even classical, jazz, and some latin genres.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Technical proficiency on bass (both electric and upright) and pocket/groove/feel.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I have solid time, pocket, and feel. (Although those may all be synonyms for the same concept). I also have a good sense of melodic bass lines that I can employ when the song calls for it!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I generally build my session for the song first. I use Reaper as my DAW so I will open up my template with all potential bass track sources already setup and import whatever audio files the client provides. I will then write a quick Nashville Number chart for the song while listening to the provided tracks. After placing some markers in the session I will then start recording! I generally play 3-4 complete takes usually using the newest complete take as the final version to send to the client.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I am set up in the lowest level of my townhome here in Nashville, TN. I use a Burl B1D pre into an Inward Connections The Brute optical compressor that feeds an Ampeg Portaflex tube amp and then direct into my Focusrite 18i20 audio interface.

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

A: My community here in Nashville is a constant inspiration. I work with the best musicians in the world in some of the best studios in the world here in Nashville and every day is a new challenge met with great friends and musicians.

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

A: I most commonly play electric bass on pop, country, rock, and R&B/soul songs. But I do also play a fair amount of upright bass, cello, keys, and some guitar as well.