Artist · United States
Gerald Veasley
Since 1955
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About
Gerald Veasley (born July 28, 1955) is an American jazz bass guitarist.
Veasley was born and raised in West Philadelphia, where he played in R&B groups as a teenager. He received a bass guitar for Christmas from his dad when he was 12 years old and his relatives drove him to music lessons. A strong student, Veasley was attending the University of Pennsylvania with plans to go to get a Juris Doctor degree, but then his father died. After that, Veasley changed directions following his heart which was to pursue music. His uncle Ira Tucker, lead singer of the gospel quartet The Dixie Hummingbirds, took him under his wing providing him with work at the beginning of his career. Veasley also worked in an R&B revue-carnival run by his cousin and his cousin's wife, and from this experience learned what it would be like to be a musician.
In the early 80's Grover Washington Jr. asked Veasley to work with him. He then connected with Joe Zawinul from 1988 to 1995, and began releasing his own records in 1992, with his debut album Look Ahead on which both Washington and Zawinul appear. He has also done extensive work as a studio musician. His 2008 release Your Move hit No. 12 on the U.S. Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. Veasley has also worked as a smooth jazz DJ on WJJZ in Philadelphia.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Also in Français
Gerald Veasley est un bassiste de jazz américain né le 28 juillet 1955 à Philadelphie, en Pennsylvanie (États-Unis).
Veasley a grandi à Philadelphie, où son enfance a été marquée par le gospel et le R&B. Adolescent, il a joué dans plusieurs groupes de R&B de l'ouest de Philadelphie à la fin des années 1960 et dans les années 1970. Entre-temps, il a découvert le jazz et a rapidement développé la même passion pour Weather Report et Return to Forever que pour Earth, Wind & Fire et Smokey Robinson. Veasley cite comme ses principaux inspirateurs les bassistes Jaco Pastorius, Anthony Jackson et Stanley Clarke mais aussi les contrebassistes Oscar Pettiford et Paul Chambers. De 1988 à 1995, il a collaboré avec Joe Zawinul en tant que sideman et a commencé à sortir ses propres disques en 1992. Il a également travaillé en tant que musicien de studio. Ses disques sont tantôt marqués par des grooves funky énergiques, à l'instar de On the Fast Track, tantôt par des sonorités plus "smooth" et soul, comme sur Love Letters. Son album, Your Move, de 2008, a atteint la 12e place du classement jazz contemporain du Billboard.
Veasley a également été DJ sur la radio smooth jazz de Philadelphie, WJJZ.
Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Discography
Albums
- 1992 Look Ahead
- 1997 Soul Control
- 1999 Love Letters
- 2002 Velvet
- 2008 Your Move
- 2011 Electric Mingus Project
- On the Fast Track