Biography
A skilled player on both acoustic and electric bass, Brian Bromberg has forged a substantial reputation across straight-ahead jazz, funk, and fusion by collaborating with numerous prominent figures and releasing his own acclaimed recordings. Drawing from Stanley Jordan’s innovative finger-tapping technique, he often gives the impression of three bassists performing simultaneously amid his powerful, explosive solos. That ability led to an invitation to join Stan Getz’s ensemble when Bromberg was only 19. From that point forward he has served as a dependable sideman for musicians including Dave Grusin, Billy Cobham, and Michael Bublé, among many others. His earliest albums as a leader appeared during the 1980s, among them 1988’s Basses Loaded featuring Ernie Watts, and he has continued to intersperse session work with his own diverse projects such as 1991’s It’s About Time: The Acoustic Project, 2010’s Bromberg Plays Hendrix, and 2021’s A Little Driving Music.
Born in Tucson, Arizona, in 1960, Bromberg was raised in a household filled with music. As the son of a drummer he first took up percussion before shifting his focus to the bass. Already a formidable player upon leaving high school, he quickly became a busy live performer appearing on stages several nights each week. In 1979 bassist Marc Johnson took notice of him and later introduced the young musician to saxophonist Stan Getz. Bromberg remained with Getz for approximately a year, after which he performed with pianist Bob Ravenscroft before beginning his independent career. His initial leader dates leaned toward smooth jazz, encompassing 1986’s A New Day, 1988’s Basses Loaded, and 1989’s Magic Rain.
He changed direction with 1991’s It’s About Time: The Acoustic Project, a straight-ahead acoustic jazz album. The subsequent self-titled Brian Bromberg from 1993, however, returned to the smooth-jazz approach of his earlier work. After signing with Zebra Records he issued 1998’s You Know That Feeling, which included appearances by Rick Braun, Joe Sample, Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp, and additional smooth-jazz artists.
Bromberg reverted to straight-ahead jazz for 2002’s Wood and followed it with the Jaco Pastorius tribute simply titled Jaco in 2003. A second volume, Wood II, arrived in 2005, by which time he had clearly departed from his smooth-jazz period, most notably through the rapid, astonishing bass solos that defined the later 2005 release Metal. He also established himself as a sought-after producer, overseeing several charting projects. Continuing to explore new territory on bass, he ventured further with 2009’s It Is What It Is. The next year he honored guitar icon Jimi Hendrix on Bromberg Plays Hendrix. In 2012 he assembled an all-star ensemble featuring Alex Acuña, Randy Brecker, George Duke, and Béla Fleck for Compared to That.
Stepping away from his own recordings, Bromberg contributed to projects by Till Brönner, Andrea Bocelli, and Andreas Varady, among others. He reemerged as a leader with 2016’s Full Circle, which featured guest spots from Arturo Sandoval, Kirk Whalum, and additional musicians. Thicker Than Water followed in 2018 and included appearances by Najee, George Duke, Randy Brecker, and more. After releasing a holiday album in 2020, he returned to his funk-oriented original material on 2021’s A Little Driving Music.
Born in Tucson, Arizona, in 1960, Bromberg was raised in a household filled with music. As the son of a drummer he first took up percussion before shifting his focus to the bass. Already a formidable player upon leaving high school, he quickly became a busy live performer appearing on stages several nights each week. In 1979 bassist Marc Johnson took notice of him and later introduced the young musician to saxophonist Stan Getz. Bromberg remained with Getz for approximately a year, after which he performed with pianist Bob Ravenscroft before beginning his independent career. His initial leader dates leaned toward smooth jazz, encompassing 1986’s A New Day, 1988’s Basses Loaded, and 1989’s Magic Rain.
He changed direction with 1991’s It’s About Time: The Acoustic Project, a straight-ahead acoustic jazz album. The subsequent self-titled Brian Bromberg from 1993, however, returned to the smooth-jazz approach of his earlier work. After signing with Zebra Records he issued 1998’s You Know That Feeling, which included appearances by Rick Braun, Joe Sample, Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp, and additional smooth-jazz artists.
Bromberg reverted to straight-ahead jazz for 2002’s Wood and followed it with the Jaco Pastorius tribute simply titled Jaco in 2003. A second volume, Wood II, arrived in 2005, by which time he had clearly departed from his smooth-jazz period, most notably through the rapid, astonishing bass solos that defined the later 2005 release Metal. He also established himself as a sought-after producer, overseeing several charting projects. Continuing to explore new territory on bass, he ventured further with 2009’s It Is What It Is. The next year he honored guitar icon Jimi Hendrix on Bromberg Plays Hendrix. In 2012 he assembled an all-star ensemble featuring Alex Acuña, Randy Brecker, George Duke, and Béla Fleck for Compared to That.
Stepping away from his own recordings, Bromberg contributed to projects by Till Brönner, Andrea Bocelli, and Andreas Varady, among others. He reemerged as a leader with 2016’s Full Circle, which featured guest spots from Arturo Sandoval, Kirk Whalum, and additional musicians. Thicker Than Water followed in 2018 and included appearances by Najee, George Duke, Randy Brecker, and more. After releasing a holiday album in 2020, he returned to his funk-oriented original material on 2021’s A Little Driving Music.
Albums
Singles
