Bassist Steve Bailey is a master of styles, from bebop to smooth jazz, rock to country, new age to blues. Famous for his pioneering work with the six string fretless bass, he has recorded and toured with such luminaries as Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Liebman, Paquito D’Rivera, Claudio Roditi, the Rippingtons, David Benoit, Jethro Tull, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Willie Nelson, Larry Carlton, Kitaro, Tab Benoit, Johnny Witherspoon, Mel Tormé, and many more.
Bailey began playing electric bass at age 12, picking up the upright and fretless bass by the time he was 14. Inspired by musicians such as Chick Corea, Jaco Pastorius, and Stanley Clarke, he practiced 12 hours a day. After earning music degrees from North Texas State and the University of Miami Frost School of Music, he moved to New York where he joined Paquito D’Rivera’s band, and later, Dizzy Gillespie’s band.
In addition to recording with numerous artists, Bailey has released 3 solo albums, Dichotomy, Evolution, and his newest release, So Low….Solo. In 1993, he formed Bass Extremes with Victor Wooten, releasing Cookbook and Just Add Water and performs regularly in the group.
Bailey teaches as a clinician worldwide, and is currently chair of the Bass department at Berklee College of Music. He serves on the advisory board and as a columnist for Bass Player magazine, and with Wooten hosts Bass on the Beach, a workshop for bassists of all abilities. His books include The Steve Bailey Bass Guitar Series and Bass Extremes, and his videos include Advanced Bassix and Bass Extremes: Live.
