Jeff
Carlson's solid bass playing is a key ingredient that
keeps The Crew's fans on the dance floor all night.
He is a life-long disciple of infectious styles of music
that audiences love: soul, Motown, Stax, rhythm &
blues, classic rock, and contemporary worship. Credits
include LP album sessions at Curtis Mayfield's Curtom
Studio, the dance band Final Edition, blues rock originals
with Separate Checks, and some of Chicago's finest songwriters.
Over
the years, Jeff has combined a love and curiosity for
bass playing, building basses, and modifying gear. At
a young age, when his peers were putting forks in toasters,
he figured out how to connect his first bass and a phonograph
to the family's spare TV set - a 1953 RCA Victor console
with built-in mono amp and 12" speaker. While a
cool way to "amp up" for learning the music
of the 60's, Jeff knew that a bassist needed something
more portable than a 40"x40" maple cabinet!
After
a few years of self-study, Jeff was invited to join
the coolest band in his hometown, which required cramming
to learn the entire Allman Brothers catalog up to 1973,
along with numerous other blues/rock tunes. Live performances
were primarily outdoors, where more power would have
been welcome.
After
high school, Jeff experimented with bass lines, horn
solos, and even Fender Rhodes parts from American and
European jazz records. College years brought experience
with a jazz trio, supporting music major recitals, and
other ensembles.
One
memorable experience in the 70's was writing original
bass lines for a singer-songwriter's LP album of 14
originals. In two weeks, the parts were written and
the group rehearsed, except for a session drummer who
laid it down "live". The two-night session
at Curtis Mayfield's Chicago studio was recorded live
to two-inch tape - a very exciting first recording gig.
That session taught Jeff how hearing one's bass clearly
helps control the groove and make a focused statement.
Through
the 1980's and 1990's, Jeff was a weekend warrior throughout
the Chicagoland area with dance and rock bands, as well
as supporting the originals of accomplished singer songwriters.
He now focuses his time on The Crew and performing
with a pair of praise bands in the Chicago area.
For
the last five years, Jeff has pursued the craft of building
and modifying basses to suit projects of the moment.
Some of the builds are "go-to axes", while
some were sold to bassists in Chicago, Nashville, and
Dublin. Receiving fan mail photos from buyers has been
a real honor.
During
this period, Jeff also became an avid fan of David Nordschow's
talent for building the best bass amps and cabinets.
Jeff
Carlson has been working David and Lane for more than
five years, assisting with testing in various areas,
including product design and Quality Control. When the
company assembled its SEAL Team, Jeff was an obvious
choice.
"I
really love David's designs," Jeff say, "and
I love doing testing and development. It's a real honor
to be a Local Liaison and SEAL Team member. I'm looking
forward to a lot of fun!"
