Greg has been playing bass for 30 years. Early influences were mainly from progressive rock icons such as Yes, Tull, Rush, and the other usuals. Time and curiosity led to the exploration of other more instrumental pursuits in the jazz/fusion arena including the Dregs, Al DiMeola, and a wide variety of other great instrumentalists.Playing through the years led him through the usual steps of playing in top 40 nightclub bands and various other projects. In the late '90's, landing the bass spot in the Christian rock band, Ezra, he gained his first experiences in 'real' recording projects. Since then he as enjoyed playing on a number of recordings, contributing as both a player and composer.
As time progressed, earlier work experiences as a woodworker, coupled with his love for the bass guitar, led him to building his own instruments. Local players noticed the custom basses, and requests started coming in. So, in 2001, James Basses was created. "James" is Greg's middle name. ('Greg' Basses just didn't roll off the tongue). Since then, he has had the pleasure of building basses and other instruments for some great players. They are all hand made, custom instruments, taking in considerations of each player's individual styles, needs and desires. Understanding that most musicians are not earning CEO level incomes, Greg tries to keep things 'pure and simple', focusing more on the core elements of what makes a good instrument, rather than all of the super fancy 'bells and whistles' that may be on some other 'boutique' instruments... not that there's anything wrong with that. Of course, based on what the customer wants, there are a number of cool additions that can be considered.
Greg still plays and is involved in a new musical project with guitarist Kenny DeVries . Kenny is a brilliant and versatile musician. A CD is in the works. It will cover a variety of instrumental genres, and will of course include the use of a James bass or two. Some of the tunes will be posted here from time to time. Enjoy, and if you would like to know a little more about James Basses, please check out the web-site at Jamesbasses.com
Thanks a ton for visiting, and God Bless!
