Tony Axtell profile picture

Tony Axtell

Producer/Musician/Composer/Arranger

About Me


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TONY AXTELL, a native Minnesotan, graduated from the Musician's Institute Of Technology in Los Angeles, CA with a degree in bass studies. A true multi-instrumentalist, he is an accomplished bassist, keyboardist, drummer, guitarist, vocalist, and a prolific composer, arranger and producer. Tony produces several CDs per year on his own and in collaboration with his partner Matthew Zimmerman of Wildsound Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Throughout his 28 year career, Tony has toured and recorded nationally and internationally with an array of artists including, jazz vocalist and Grammy nominee, Mark Murphy, Japanese artist/keyboardist/producer and multi-award winner, Toshi Hinata (JVC), R&B funk group TKO the "KAJ Orchestra"(Prince), fusion group "Samoa"(ProJazz), artist/guitarist Jimi Behringer (Go Jazz), artist/vocalist Diana Grasselli, Japanese artist/pianist Yukiko Isomura (Victor Records Japan), artist/keyboardist/producer Ricky Peterson, artist/vocalist/writer Kimberly Michaels and pop artist/vocalist icon Donny Osmond. Currently, Tony is keeping quite busy, not only touring with Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" as the front of house sound engineer, but also continually moving forward with his own writing and production, as well as many other musical projects and performance settings. ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------- Here is a video directed & edited by Jeff Peabody as well as lyrics written by Marissa Dodge entitled "In A Single Moment" from the 2003 release "SEPTEMBER LIGHT" featuring the collaborations of Tony and Japanese pianist/composer Yukiko Isomura.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 2/13/2006
Band Website: tonyaxtell.com (under construction)
Band Members: Track 1 - Bass solo from Minneapolis' "Hot Summer Jazz Festival 2000" with the Ronny Loew band. Band members on this one were; Ronny-Sax, Tommy Barbarella-Keys, Ron Heyne-Drums, Andy Kotz-Guitar. Track 2 - A song from the "September Light" CD with beautiful lyrics written by Marissa Dodge-Bartlett, the songwriting and delicate piano of Yukiko Isomura, and all the rest is some guy named Tony Axtell :) Track 3 - An original composition of mine from "September Light" featuring Yukiko Isomura on piano and background vocals, Wendy Plaster on background vocals and yours truly on background vocals, lead vocals and everything else... except for the kitchen sink (I left that out of this one!) Track 4 - A favorite jazz standard ballad and a favorite accompanist. Chris Lomheim helps me out on keyboards. Track 5 - This song is also from the September Light CD and features the piano styles of Yukiko Isomura. I wrote the song as an instrumental way back in the late '80's and Yukiko thought it would be cool to put some vocals to it. Track 6 - Another favorite ballad to sing... and also with Chris Lomheim on piano.
Influences: Jeff Porcaro, Marcus Miller, Vince Mendoza, Lyle Mays, Abraham Laboriel, Dave Grusin, Jimmy Haslip, Russell Ferrante (Yellowjackets), Claus Ogerman, David Foster, Michael Ruff, Carlos Vega, Michael Brecker, Steve Lukather, Stanley Clarke, Bill Champlin, Jeremy Lubbock, Marissa Dodge, Eliane Elias, Eric Tagg, Alan Broadbent, Louis Johnson (Brothers Johnson), Humberto Gatica, David Sanborn, Steve Gadd, Henry Mancini, David Lasley, George Duke, Jimmy Earl, Michael Tobias, Harlan Rogers, Michael Jackson (Jackson 5), Randy Brecker, Terry Trotter, Larry Williams, David Pack, Charlie Haden, Larry Carlton, Neil Stubenhaus, Richard Page, Steve George (Pages), David Hungate, Joe Vannelli, Jeanne Arland Peterson, Victor Feldman, Jaco Pastorius, Jay Graydon, Kimberly Michaels, Lalah Hathaway, Sam Lee, Don Murray, Will Lee, Jimi Behringer, Tom Scott, Bobby Caldwell, Phil Kadidlo, Tom Schuman, Lee Ritenour, Enrique Toussaint, Burt Bacharach, Toto, David Paich, Matthew Zimmerman, Anthony Jackson, Frank Zottoli, John Robinson, Chris Lomheim, Jeff Lorber, Alex Acuna, Richard Bona, Kevyn Lettau, Dean Parks, Doky Brothers, Hezekiah Walker, Donny Osmond, The Perry Sisters, Patrice Rushen, Gino Vannelli, Al Jarreau, Phillipe Saisse, Peter Erskine, Chaka Khan, Joe Sample, Frank Gambale, Patti Austin, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Al Schmidt, Don Grusin, Sergio Mendes, Phil Perry, Ernie Watts, Donnie LaMarca, Vinnie Colaiuta, Robbie Buchanan, Ricky Peterson, Steve Porcaro, Brandon Fields, Tom Barney, Bob James, St. Paul Peterson, Bill Schnee, Paul Jackson Jr., Donald Fagen, Bernard Purdie... and the list goes on & on & on & on...
Sounds Like:

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Type of Label: None