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 a note through the contact button above.
Languages
- English
- French
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Interview with Zoe Guigueno
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
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.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: At the moment I have some upcoming recording sessions that I'm preparing for.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Yes, I know another bassist on here named Jenni Magana, and I'd absolutely recommend her.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
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.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: To be honest & to do my best.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Collaborating with others.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
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.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
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?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Just reach out, start a conversation.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Acoustic guitar, upright bass, a good long book (or let's say a kindle with 1000 books..), pen & paper, a surfboard !!
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
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.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Folk with a penchant for dissonance & improvisation.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
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.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Less is more. Found sounds are cool.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Usually I'm in a singer-songwriter zone. I also have many years experience in klezmer, bluegrass, and generally "americana".
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Bass playing, arranging.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
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.
Q: What's your typical work process?
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.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
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.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Ooh! I love the artists Tōth, Charlotte Cornfield, Juana Molina, Maya de Vitry, and Busman's Holiday.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
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
I was the bassist, vocalist, writer, arranger in this production
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