Artist View

Freekbass

Born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, Freekbass was an only child who initially wanted to be a magician. He grew up glued to the television set, his mom influencing him with her obsession of "The King" and The Beatles. He later developed his own obsession for cartoon superheroes and comic books, relating to the underlying themes.

Living in Cincinnati exposed Freekbass to genres of music he may have missed otherwise. While most kids were listening to Nirvana and Green Day, he connected with the bottom-heavy sounds coming out of the boom boxes like Zapp and Midnight Star. While working in a music shop to pay off his first electric bass he had in lay-away, he began to study the classics of Larry Graham, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, Parliament and Bootsy. By high school he transferred to Cincinnati's School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA), where he studied bass and dove right into the local music scene.

Freekbass has released four full-length CDs, including the current "Junkyard Waltz" which includes guest appearances by Phish bassist Mike Gordon, guitarist Buckethead, keyboard wizard from P-Funk/Talking Heads Bernie Worrell, and is produced by funk legend Bootsy Collins. Also, national music DVD instruction company, The Rock House Method, recently released two Freekbass instructional DVDs "Learn Funk Bass with Freekbass (Level 1 & Level 2) " . This heavily touring band is known for their live show. The combination of infectious energy, solid musicianship and that fancy finger-work on the custom, mutron bass, this production is more reminiscent of the big rock shows of another era.

The Freekbass lineup, in addition to Freekbass on bass and lead vocal, includes guitarist/vocalist - TSly, drummer/vocals - Chip Wilson, and DJ/Turntablist- Tobotius, who when not on tour with Freekbass, is the DJ for supergroup Science Faxtion with Bootsy Collins, Buckethead, and Brain from Primus. In the summer of 2008 Freekbass was a part of "A Tribute To The Godfather Of Soul Tour" which included and featured the original JB's, Bootsy and Catfish Collins, Chuck D From Public Enemy, guitarist Buckethead, and hip-hop legend Afrika Bambaataa.

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