Studio Musicians
Jim Horn, part of the “Wrecking Crew”, started playing the saxophone as a child and eventually expanded his musical reach to include the flute, oboe, and French horn, even playing the oboe on a Carpenters album. Jim firmly believes that the key to being a successful session player is having the...
James Singleton was born in Chicago and took to playing bass at an early age. After performing in the Chicago area and briefly attending the University of North Texas, James was called to New Orleans to perform with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. As he cut his teeth further with Brown, James became a...
Vinnie Bell was a studio musician in New York who often was asked to create new and unique sounds. As a luthier, Vinnie built several innovative guitars including one tuned like a sitar. His efforts were recognized by the Danelectro Guitar Company who hired Vinnie to help design their electric...
Marty Stuart grew up in the small town of Philadelphia, Mississippi surrounded by country music, which he taught himself to play on a family guitar when he was 12 years old. Marty soon learned the mandolin and began writing songs for local dances and school events. During his NAMM interview he...
Shane Fontayne grew up in England and came to the United States for the first time in 1976. He has recorded and performed with a long list of musical greats including Joe Cocker, Van Zant, and toured with Bruce Springsteen during 1992-1993. Shane has been a regular musician for the Kennedy Center...
Frank De Vito was the drummer and percussionist in the studios in Hollywood known as the Wrecking Crew. His long career as a jazz player gave him the chance to work with Charlie Parker, Buddy DeFranco, Frank Sinatra, and several big bands. As a rock musician in the studios, Frank recorded with...
Bill Pitman was a first call studio musician in Los Angles who played on a string of hit records and award winning motion pictures. As a member of the Wrecking Crew he played on the Beach Boy's Pet Sounds album as well as hundreds of top 40 hits beginning in the late 1950s. Bill's ukulele can be...
CJ Vanston was thrilled to have the opportunity to produce for Toto, one of his all-time favorite bands. The project was a symbolic full circle experience having been a studio musician, first in Chicago and later Los Angeles. CJ became known for creating sounds and becoming an expert on...
Tommy Morgan played a significant role in elevating the importance and reputation of the harmonica in television, recordings, and motion pictures. Over his 63 year career, Tommy contributed to over 7,000 projects. He played, arranged, and composed music for several television programs and movies...
Kenny Aronoff gained a worldwide fan base as the drummer for John Cougar Mellencamp from 1980 until 1996. He conducted countless clinics in music stores from coast to coast and enjoyed long lasting relationships with suppliers such as Tama Drums, Zildjian cymbals, Vic Firth drum sticks, Evans...