Bass Player with 30 Plus Years Experience in Southern California

During the last 20+ years, I have been performing with The Antix, Stellar or Tomasina Band at Disneyland in Anaheim. The Tomasina rock and pop band had been my primary band at Disney for the 7 years. A recent change at Disneyland has eliminated all the bands at Tomorrowland Terrace. (This is the stage rises on a hydraulic elevator lift.) The stage has been serving up live music since 1967 but is now sadly silenced.

Here are some other things about me you might want to know if you are looking at me as a potential bassist or sub for your band...

I tend to be a FULL time musician. I do have other things going on but I like and want to make money playing music. It is NOT a hobby for me.

I am reliable and on time. I show up and know the material. I bring no "drama" to a band.

How To Play Bass

My playing style is very simplistic. In the current network of players I work with, I am considered the “Adam Clayton” of that clique. This means the parts I play fit the songs because I mostly copy them exactly and I do not do things to confuse the singers.

I have found the better I learn the bass part off the original recording, the better the band sounds. As one singer said to me a while back, “I don’t know what it is exactly but I notice that when you are here, the band sounds a lot better.”

I sing lead and backup vocals. My range is limited and in most situations, I do not sing lead on more than about eight songs a night. Usually, it is more like 4 or 5. In bands with lots of singers, I do not sing. I play bass better than I sing.

While I have performed in a few original projects in my past, I primarily play and perform with “cover” bands now. Making money is more interesting to me than not making any. I prefer rock, pop, funk and modern country cover bands.

Reading charts and playing jazz and standards is a bit outside my comfort zone but I have done it before and especially if I can study the charts ahead of time, it is less stressful.

I do like to travel and my passport is up to date.

Bass Gear That Makes You Sound Good

I love in ear monitors when they are available. I like playing to tracks and a click. When a click is running, the arguments about tempo go away. That is unless your drummer does not play well to a click. However, that is another issue.

I favor Markbass, Quilter, Aguilar, Barefaced, Form Factor gear as well as Fender, Kiesel and Reverend basses.

I have done gigs for the following Southern California talent agencies: Firepan Music, Society Music and Sound, NRG, West Coast, and Essence.

Southern California Rock Band

If you have been around Southern California during the last 30 years, you might have seen me perform in one of these bands:

Forecast - San Diego, CA

The Features – San Diego, CA

The Shake – Orange County, CA

Modern Faith – Orange County, CA

The Instigators - Orange County, CA

Pipes and Drums - Orange County, CA

The Betty Fords - Orange County, CA

Clockwork - Orange County, CA

The Antix - Orange County, CA

Radio Rage - Orange County, CA

Stellar Show Band - Orange County, CA

The Society Music and Sound Band - Orange County, CA (Currently playing with top-notch wedding and corporate event band.)

Tomasina Band - Orange County, CA (Currently playing Knotts Berry Farm during the summer. We also do occasional gigs outside of that. Tomasina is highly entertaining to watch. I just back her up and enjoy the fireworks while she does her thing.)

SMITH country band – Orange County, CA (Currently playing with this great modern country band.)