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Jimmy Haslip

Jimmy Haslip grew up in a rich musical environment. As a youth, he listened to Latin and salsa music around the house, including such Latin music icons as Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Machito, Ray Barretto, Celia Cruz and Eddie Palmieri, to name a few. In addition to learing various Latin dances from his parents, Jimmy learned how to play a lot of basic Latin rhythms on the different percussion instruments that they had around the house. He learned to play authentically on the claves, maracas, cowbell, bongos and the guido, which gave him that keen sense of time and rhythm that surfaces in his bass playing today.

His older brother Gabriel also played Jimmy some jazz and classical music, so he had exposure to John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Eric Dolphy, Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck on one hand, and the music of Debussy, Stravinsky, Beethoven, Mozart and Mahler on the other. Jimmy says, "This was an eye opening time for me and even though most of this music was over my head, it definitely ignited my musical curiosity. I also was listening to a lot of Pop music, like the Beatles, the Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Wilson Pickett, James Brown and lots of great Pop music on the radio. I can remember that it was a very exciting time for music!"

Jimmy began studying music in elementary school, playing the trumpet and other assorted brass instruments (including the bugle, baritone horn and tuba) from age seven to fourteen. Jimmy picked up a bass at the age of fifteen and taught himself how to play it. "Actually the very first time I saw an electric bass, was at a junior high Valentine's day dance. There was a live band playing and the bass player had an reddish/orange Hagstrom bass and a small Standel bass amp. It was then that I knew I wanted to play the electric bass! What a feeling! I'll never forget it as long as I live. It was my very first real spark of creative passion!"

While being mostly self taught on the bass, Jimmy studied with a private bass/tuba player from New York named Ron Smith. He was also very fortunate to have studied with one of jazz music’s greatest talents. "…I did manage to study with Jaco Pastorius for a few weeks in the mid seventies, when he had just joined Weather Report. That was a giant leap for me as a serious musician and it filled me with a much higher level of inspiration. I think he was a major inspiration to all bass players at that time!"

Randy Bernsen: Heart Mind and Soul

Read "Heart Mind and Soul" reviewed by Geannine Reid

by Geannine Reid
February 27, 2024

Randy Bernsen, a guitarist, and composer whose roots trace back to Needham, Massachusetts before embedding himself in the vibrant musical scene of South Florida, has long been a figure within the jazz and fusion communities. His journey began with early collaborations with Jaco Pastorius and has evolved into a rich solo career that spans over three decades. His eleventh studio album, Heart Mind and Soul, is a set of six songs guided by his vast experiences and brought to life ...

Album Review

Oz Noy: Triple Play

Read "Triple Play" reviewed by Doug Collette

by Doug Collette
December 4, 2023

In the parlance of baseball, the triple play is one of the rarest occurrences in the game, a fielding opportunity relying as much on practice as experience. So it is altogether fitting that guitarist Oz Noy, drummer Dennis Chambers and bassist Jimmy Haslip title their live outing after this most unusual gambit; the trio's combined history and preternatural chemistry make for a singular outing, one in which camaraderie takes precedence over technique (although there is plenty of the latter).

Radio & Podcasts

Yo Miles, Jing Chi, Mar Russo and Arc Trio with John Daversa Big Band

by Len Davis
October 8, 2023

We finish our tour of Europe with German Band Metrik system and Hungarian band European Mantra. Jimmy Haslip, Vinnie Colaiuta and Robben Ford from Jing Chi, Yo Miles from Upriver and French Canadian guitarist Michel Cusson. Saxophonist Marc Russo with Benny Rietveld, Christian McBride band, German composer and keyboard placer MSM Schmidt and The ARC trio with The John Daversa Big Band from Arceology.Playlist Metrik System “Perception Ain't Reality" from Expectations (Self Produced) 00:00 European Mantra “Zakat" from ...

Album Review

Jeff Richman: XYZ

by Jim Worsley
April 17, 2023

XYZ could perhaps reference any number of things. Sparing us that rabbit hole, in this case it references boundaries pushed to their fullest extent with some exceptional new music from fusion guitarist Jeff Richman. Richman's previous release, Sizzle (Nefer Records 2017) was/is a record that lives up to its name. There is something to be said about not putting out a record every eighteen months, twenty-four months, or any other calendar-driven period. It would seem that Richman threw away the ...

Liner Notes

The Trackers featuring Gary Husband & Alf Terje Hana: Vaudeville 8:45

by Mike Jacobs
January 26, 2023

What appears next on a resumé as weighty as Gary Husband's is always a matter of musical interest. Even with long and satisfying associations with legends like John McLaughlin and Allan Holdsworth, the talented drummer/keyboardist continually seeks different worthy and intriguing paths to explore--whatever his vehicle of expression. So when his latest project is co-led by a comparatively under-the-radar musician--in this case, Norwegian guitarist Alf Terje Hana--additional curiosity ensues. To that end, the story of their collaboration begins with both ...

Album Review

Allan Holdsworth & Alan Pasqua: Proto-Cosmos

Read "Proto-Cosmos" reviewed by Jim Worsley

by Jim Worsley
December 19, 2022

If the song title “Proto-Cosmos" brings Tony Williams to mind then step to the front of the class. Alan Pasqua's tune is featured on the drummer's 1975 album, Believe It (Columbia). The record is considered by some to be the best fusion album of all time. In addition to Pasqua and bassist Tony Newton, a young British guitarist named Allan Holdsworth introduced himself to the masses. Fast forward to 2022 and it has been five and a half years since ...

Album Review

Marilyn Scott: The Landscape

Read "The Landscape" reviewed by Jim Worsley

by Jim Worsley
June 16, 2022

Some artists feel obligated to put out a new record every one-point-three years, or whatever their factory warranty calls for (mileage may vary). Others are more interested in quality than quantity. On her first record since Standard Blue (Prana, 2017), jazz vocalist Marilyn Scott has something to say about The Landscape. More than the title track, Scott's concerns with our landscape is the scope and focus of seven original compositions, all co-written with pianists Russ Ferrante or Scott Kinsey. Scott ...

Recording

ARCeology: The Music Of MSM Schmidt With The ARC Trio & The John Daversa Big Band Releases June 10th

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations
April 17, 2022

For the past several years, former Yellowjackets bassist and prolific producer Jimmy Haslip has enjoyed an ongoing working relationship with the Bremen, Germany-based jazz fusion keyboardist and composer Michael Schmidt (aka MSM Schmidt). While Haslip played on Schmidt’s 2007 album Transit and 2009’s Destination, he ended up co-producing 2012’s Evolution, 2015’s Utopia and 2017’s Life. They take their chemistry to new heights on ARCeology. The Music of MSM Schmidt. This dynamic offering finds Haslip and members of his ARC Trio ...
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Education

Maryland Summer Jazz Festival Announces Tenth Year Anniversary Season

Source: The Phillips Agency
June 10, 2014

Rockville, MD: For ten years, the Maryland Summer Jazz camp and concerts have been rocking the rafters at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Rockville in late July. Workshops help adult jazz musicians improve their chops and learn performing skills. Public concerts delight area jazz fans and summer tourists. At the heart of the program is the jazz camp, held this year from July 23 - 25. Camp begins with a short lecture and demonstration by eight big-league jazz artists. Then ...
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Recording

Jeff Lorber And Jimmy Haslip Once Again Produce CD With Saxophonist Terje Lie

Source: GoMedia PR
June 3, 2014

Bright Moments, Lie’s Third Album and His Second with Lorber and Haslip, Will be Released on July 15 Again teaming up with contemporary jazz greats Jimmy Haslip and Jeff Lorber, Terje Lie (“Terry Lee”) is expanding upon the explosive energy, compelling melodies, and stylistic diversity of his previous critically acclaimed and contemporary jazz radio hit albums Traveler and Urban Vacation. The Norwegian native - celebrating many years in the Los Angeles area – serves up ten joyful Bright Moments and ...
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Recording

MoonJune To Release New Studio Album By Indonesian Guitar Master Tohpati Featuring Jimmy Haslip And Chad Wackerman

Source: Glass Onyon PR - William James
May 2, 2014

New York, NY - With Tohpati’s 3rd release (2nd as a trio) on MoonJune, recorded in Los Angeles in September 2013, we see the Beckian progressive metal riffing of 2012’s Tohpati Bertiga 'Riot' supplanted by a pairing of compositional dexterity along with the unique guitar voice that is the essence of Tohpati, one of Indonesia's most famous guitar players. Though there is no shortage of acrobatic axe-wielding on 'Tribal Dance', Tohpati’s democratic interplay with the formidable world class rhythm section ...
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Recording

Jessy J Inspires With Second Chances Featuring Jeff Lorber, Norman Brown, Jimmy Haslip & Johnny Britt

Source: 1888 Media
August 26, 2013

Album Includes Renditions Of Classics by Roberta Flack & Sérgio Mendes Label Debut For Shanachie Entertainment Due Sept 10, 2013 Los Angeles, CA: Jessy J burst onto the contemporary jazz scene in 2008, blending her love for Latin rhythms and jazz on her chart-topping, award-winning debut album Tequila Moon. Jessy earned the Radio & Records' ‘Debut Artist of The Year' Award and Contemporary Jazz ‘Song of the Year' by both R&R and Billboard for the title track, which held the ...
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Recording

Guitarist Dave Haskell Releases Debut Album, "Pivot Point", Feat. Robben Ford, Russell Ferrante, Jimmy Haslip

Source: Michael Bloom Media Relations
March 25, 2013

The history of jazz is strewn with brilliant players who have inexplicably eluded widespread recognition, flying under the radar of labels, journalists, and fans. But guitarist Dave Haskell’s stealth status over the past two decades isn’t hard to explain. He’s spent most of that time on the move as a commercial pilot, fulfilling a dream that took root as a child, about the same time he became enamored with the guitar. Before Haskell took to the air as a profession, ...
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Recording

Migration by Hamilton Sterling & Jimmy Haslip releases 2011 CD edition

Source: Hamilton Sterling
March 3, 2011

Migration by Hamilton Sterling & Jimmy Haslip—an ambient-jazz soundscape in six movements—a journey out of Africa to the stars. This 2011 audio CD release is a wide dynamic range remix of the original surround recording.

Migration was produced, composed, arranged, performed, and programmed by Hamilton Sterling and Jimmy Haslip. Hamilton Sterling is a sound designer, composer, editor, and musician who has worked on such films as The Dark Knight, War of the Worlds, and Master and Commander: The Far Side ...
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Recording

"Migration" by Hamilton Sterling & Jimmy Haslip Released

Source: Michael Ricci
November 5, 2009

Migration is a modern programmatic composition in six movements. A world-ranging journey from the rural to the urban and beyond. It was produced, composed, arranged, performed, and programmed by Hamilton Sterling and Jimmy Haslip. Hamilton Sterling is a Sound Designer, Composer, Editor and Musician who has worked on such films as The Dark Knight, War of the Worlds, and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Jimmy Haslip is a Producer, Composer, Musician and founding member of the ...
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148

Performance / Tour

Allan Holdsworth / Alan Pasqua / Jimmy Haslip / Chad Wackerman - East Coast Tour

Source: All About Jazz
September 29, 2009

HOLDSWORTH PASQUA HASLIP WACKERMAN EAST COAST USA TOUR Allan Holdsworth guitar Alan Pasqua keyboards * (except January 26) Jimmy Haslip bass guitar Chad Wackerman drums Promoting the upcoming MoonJune Records' release Blues For Tony (double CD). Tour Schedule January 26 – Alexandria, VA (The Birchmere) (this show only: HOLDSWORTH HASLIP WACKERMAN) January 27 – ...
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134

Music Industry

Funky-Groovy-Jazzy Sounds from Amsterdam: Chris Beckers with Jimmy Haslip, Peter Erskine, Ernie Watts, Michiel Borstlap

Source: All About Jazz

Funky-Groovy-Jazzy Sounds from Amsterdam CrisCrazz Records,the music company of producer, composer and guitarist Chris Beckers, is back on duty.The new base for these activities is Amsterdam, from where the label plans the release of new CDs in the field of jazz, acid, funk, groove and fusion. Chris has also established his new BEAU GARAGE STUDIO in the museum quarter of the old center of Amsterdam in the basement of a typical, more than 100 years old Dutch building. Chris is ...
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