Rob Wasserman is an American, Grammy Award winning upright bass player and NEA grant winning composer, who has played and recorded with a wide variety of musicians including Bruce Cockburn, Elvis Costello, Ani di Franco, Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, Rickie Lee Jones, Mark Morris, Van Morrison, Aaron Neville, Lou Reed, Pete Seeger, Jules Shear, Studs Terkel, Bob Weir, Brian Wilson, Chris Whitley, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Laurie Anderson, Stephen Perkins Banyan, Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo and Ratdog
He is best known for his own work on the trilogy of albums, Solo, Duets, and Trios.
Life and career
Wasserman started playing violin and did not graduate to the bass until after his teenage years. He studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied composing with John Adams and double bass with San Francisco Symphony bassists.
Early on, he was playing with Van Morrison, Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo and the David Grisman Quintet. His 1983 album, Solo won Downbeat Magazine's Record of the Year award. Subsequent albums, Duets and Trios saw Wasserman engage with other musicians, such as Bobby McFerrin, Rickie Lee Jones, Cheryl Bentyne, Lou Reed, Stéphane Grappelli, Jerry Garcia, Brian Wilson, Willie Dixon, Branford Marsalis, and Elvis Costello.
Duets was nominated for three Grammy Awards and won one for "Brothers" with Bobby McFerrin. Wasserman also won Holland's Edison Award for Record of the Year.
His 2000 album, Space Island, incorporated more contemporary musical elements. RatDog which he co- founded with Bob Weir from the Grateful Dead, occupied much of his time. He also has toured extensively with Lou Reed.
Wasserman was also a judge for the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.
Family
Rob Wasserman's parents are Albert and Dunia, his wife is Veronica, daughter Sara, sister Cindy and brother Bruce.
Discography
Solo
- October 1, 1983: Solo
- January 1, 1988: Duets
- January 1, 1994: Trios
- January 13, 1999: Live (Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman)
- August 15, 2000: Space Island
- September 26, 2000: Evening Moods (RatDog)
- August 3, 2004 "Trilogy"
- September 27, 2011: Note of Hope Woody Guthrie's unpublished words set to music
- December 17, 2013: Fall 1989: The Long Island Sound (Jerry Garcia Band and Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman)
With other artists
- 1980: Quintet'80 - The David Grisman Quintet
- 1981: Mondo Mando - The David Grisman Quintet
- 1982: Beautiful Vision - Van Morrison
- 1989: Flying Cowboys - Rickie Lee Jones
- 1989: New York - Lou Reed
- 1990: Mighty Like a Rose - Elvis Costello
- 1992: Magic and Loss - Lou Reed
- 1995: Naked Songs - Rickie Lee Jones
- 1996: The Charity of Night - Bruce Cockburn
- 2011: Lulu - Lou Reed & Metallica
[ Source: Wikipedia ]