Dave Bass is a brilliant American success story. He is also a composer and lyricist. It reads like an engaging bio-pic script. At seven years old, this Cincinnati native started piano lessons. He then formed his own band and opened for Captain Beefheart. After just a few months, he was accepted to Boston’s Berklee College of Music. He then left to study piano under Madame Margaret Chaloff. He was taught by Madame Chaloff, along with other talented young jazz musicians like Kenny Werner and Steve Kuhn. They understood the importance in creating a unique sound and style. Chaloff was a teacher in the “Russian Technique”, a unique technique for musical articulation and tone production. One lesson might not include the use of a “weightless wrist”, which is necessary to play one note correctly. He also studied composition with George Russell, Avram David and again formed his own band. After a few commercial gigs, he was fortunate to land a great job as Brenda Lee’s piano player. This allowed him to leave Boston for several tours of Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Dave was a full-time musician and supported his family in the Bay Area during the 1970s and 1980s. He was immersed in San Francisco’s vibrant Latin music and jazz scene and led his own band, often playing with Bobby McFerrin and Babatunde Laa, as well as jazz vocalist Jackie Ryan. Other musicians at the Keystone Korner, and other venues, were also his friends. Jackie Ryan invited Dave in 1981 to perform at a Maui jazz gig. This led to him becoming the Entertainment Director at Royal Lahaina Hotel. After a slip and fall while on his way to a gig left him with a severely fractured wrist, doctors didn’t give him a prognosis. Dave entered the University of California Irvine after his music career was over. He also had a wife and a young daughter to support him. After graduating from UCLA School of Law, he became an Editor of UCLA Law Review. He began his legal career with a prominent commercial firm in 1992. Dave was awarded the 2009 Attorney General’s Award of Outstanding Achievement. He is currently a California Deputy Attorney General for Civil Rights Enforcement. After a 20-year hiatus from the music scene Dave’s long-held dreams of playing and writing jazz were revived in 2005 when his self-discovery led to an invitation to play some solo piano at a private party, while the band was on a break. He was a popular guest and was invited to join the band for the remainder of the evening. He quickly became a popular local performer at jam sessions where he fell back in love with playing the piano and writing music lyrics. His first CD, GONE was released in June 2010 by the Dave Bass Quartet, which featured Ernie Watts and Babatunde Lee, Gary Brown, and Mary Stallings. It features ten Dave Bass original rock-solid compositions that range from post-bop, sultry ballsads to gospel, straight ahead, and even Tango. GONE includes Dave’s original ten songs and a duet with Ernie on Astor Piazzolla’s famous Libertango. GONE was produced by Babatunde Léa and Dave Bass. It reached #2 on the JazzWeek Radio Charts in just 3 weeks. With such high radio play and national interest, Dave was motivated to create new arrangements and compositions for his CD NYC Sessions. It features jazz legends Phil Woods (Harvie S), Harvie S, Ignacio Berroa and Conrad Herwig. Two of Dave’s instrumental compositions from GONE were given a new dimension by his original lyrics and vocals. Current plans include national tours and a new label affiliation. Keep checking back! Stay Tuned! from www.davebassmusic.com
