Biography Rob Wasserman

Rob Wasserman (April 1, 1952 – June 29, 2016) was an American, Grammy Award winning upright bass player and NEA grant winning composer, who has played and recorded with a wide variety of musicians including Bruce Cockburn, Elvis Costello, Ani di Franco, Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, Rickie Lee Jones, Mark Morris, Van Morrison, Aaron Neville, Lou Reed, Pete Seeger, Jules Shear, Studs Terkel, Bob Weir, Brian Wilson, Chris Whitley, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Laurie Anderson, Stephen Perkins Banyan, Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo and Ratdog

He is best known for his own work on the trilogy of albums, Solo, Duets, and Trios.

Wasserman started playing violin and did not graduate to the bass until after his teenage years. He studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied composing with John Adams and double bass with San Francisco Symphony bassists.

Early on, he was playing with Van Morrison, Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo and the David Grisman Quintet. His 1983 album, Solo won Downbeat Magazine's Record of the Year award. Subsequent albums, Duets and Trios saw Wasserman engage with other musicians, such as Bobby McFerrin, Rickie Lee Jones, Cheryl Bentyne, Lou Reed, Stéphane Grappelli, Jerry Garcia, Brian Wilson, Willie Dixon, Branford Marsalis, and Elvis Costello.

Duets was nominated for three Grammy Awards and won one for "Brothers" with Bobby McFerrin. Wasserman also won Holland's Edison Award for Record of the Year.

His 2000 album, Space Island, incorporated more contemporary musical elements. RatDog which he co- founded with Bob Weir from the Grateful Dead, occupied much of his time. He also has toured extensively with Lou Reed.

Wasserman was also a judge for the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.

He died June 29, 2016.

Discography

As primary artist

Solo – Rob Wasserman – 1983

Duets – Rob Wasserman – 1988

Trios – Rob Wasserman – 1994

Live – Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman – January 13, 1999

Space Island – Rob Wasserman – August 15, 2000

Evening Moods – RatDog – September 26, 2000

Trilogy (box set of Solo, Duets, and Trios) – Rob Wasserman – August 3, 2004

Note of Hope – various artists – September 27, 2011

Fall 1989: The Long Island Sound – Jerry Garcia Band and Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman – December 17, 2013

With other artists

Quintet '80 – David Grisman Quintet – 1980

Mondo Mando – David Grisman Quintet – 1981

Beautiful Vision – Van Morrison – 1982

Flying Cowboys – Rickie Lee Jones – 1989

New York – Lou Reed – 1989

Mighty Like a Rose – Elvis Costello – 1900

Magic and Loss – Lou Reed – 1992

Naked Songs – Live and Acoustic – Rickie Lee Jones – 1995

The Charity of Night – Bruce Cockburn – 1996

Lulu – Lou Reed and Metallica – 2011

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