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Damian Erskine

Damian Erskine is not your ordinary bass player.  Damian is known for his ability to fit into any musical situation and his extraordinary reading and improvising skills.  Damian has played in the studio or on the stage with the likes of • Peter Erskine • Teri-Lynn Carrington • Gino Vannelli • John Ellis • Shawn Pelton • Sveti w/ Marko Djordjevic • Luis Conte • Brandon Ross • Les McCann • Jeff Lorber • Vardan Ovsepian • Charmaine Neville • Jessy J • Luis Perdomo • Tony Furtado • Kate Schutt • Bobby Torres • Alan Jones • Patrick Lamb • Dan Balmer • Klezmocracy and many others as well as being featured on the GospelChops.com "Shed Sessionz Vol. 1" DVD. Whether playing as a sideman or with his own group, he is known for his rock solid bass work, virtuosic solos and thoughtful chordal abilities.  Damian is also an adjunct professor at both Portland State University and Marylhurst University in Portland, Oregon.

Gear

Skjold Basses, Zon Basses, Aguilar Amplification, GruvGear, D'Addario Strings


Tags

30
Album Review

Doug Scarborough: The Color of Angels

Read "The Color of Angels" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The Color of Angels, an engaging album by trombonist Doug Scarborough's sextet, blends music with a jazz heart and Middle Eastern temperament. Scarborough, who teaches at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, has worked toward expanding the jazz idiom to encompass rhythms and harmonies from countries and regions not usually associated with the music. The endeavor's fruits can be heard and appreciated on Angels, wherein he enlists the talents of violinist Akram Abdulfattah and Mustafa Boztuy who ...

4
Album Review

Charlie Porter: Hindsight

Read "Hindsight" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


Trumpeter Charlie Porter has proved himself to be an inventive composer whose works are simultaneously thought-provoking and mellifluous. His third and perhaps most immediately relevant release, Hindsight, draws inspiration from the events that came to public attention in 2020. Musically, the nine originals are fluid yet complex and are peppered with sounds from other genres such as gospel, African folk and hip hop. The result is a seamless and delightfully unique fusion which delivers its message with intelligence and panache. ...

7
Album Review

Charlie Porter: Hindsight

Read "Hindsight" reviewed by Paul Rauch


Portland based trumpeter/composer Charlie Porter is back, and following the trend industry wide over the past year, has released a finely crafted collection of pieces attached to a social narrative. Hindsight examines how we act in hindsight dealing with the long term societal struggles of racism, corruption and inequality. While two of the pieces feature the lyrics of Majid Khaliq and Madelaina Piazza, Porter has namaged to weave the emotional uncertainty of daily life during the Covid-19 pandemic into bittersweet ...

319
Album Review

Damian Erskine: So To Speak

Read "So To Speak" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Bassist Damian Erskine is a master in the art of rhythmic trickery. Erskine, the nephew of famed jazz drummer Peter Erskine, has put together a program of original music that demonstrates his skills as a bassist, composer, and manipulator of time. The material here, whether placed in an odd time signature or simply feeling like it might be, is fusion-leaning music with some Latin underpinnings. The odd-metered workouts, bass virtuosity, and edgy guitar work from Chris Mosley help the music ...

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191

Interview

Damian Erskine: Playing the Groove

Damian Erskine: Playing the Groove

Source: Jazz en Dominicana by Fernando Rodriguez

Bassist Damian Erskine has released two albums as a leader over the past couple years, including So To Speak (Self Produced, 2010), a fusion album with Latin underpinnings. He's also been playing with his uncle, Peter Erskine, in the veteran drummer's New Trio, performing a series of concerts during 2010 south of the border, in the Dominican Republic, Chile and Argentina.

The bassist has also recently published a companion book of charts and a play-along version of So to Speak ...

172

Recording

Bassist/Composer Damian Erskine Releases New CD Titled "So to Speak"

Bassist/Composer Damian Erskine Releases New CD Titled "So to Speak"

Source: Two for the Show Media

Bassist/Composer Damian Erskine has released what promises to be one of the most exciting recordings of 2010. The CD titled “So to Speak" is the most recent release from this master bassist from the West Coast. If the last name rings a bell, it should, Damian is the nephew of legendary jazz drummer Peter Erskine, to which he credits much of his influence and musical path. Damian spent much time on the road as a young man with uncle Peter, ...

“...The Pacific Northwest's secret weapon on bass. Well, not so secret. He is one serious cat (to use the parlance of our times) on bass. He has an instantly recognizable rhythmic and harmonic style that includes chords and some quantifiably viscous funkosity. He grooves is what I am telling you...” Bassist Ridiculoso - Basso Ridiculoso

“Good fusion is hard to come by, but thanks to people like bassist Erskine, it’s making a comeback...” Kyle O' Brian - Jazz Society of Oregon

“...Hard-hitting...fluent..” Bill Milkowski - Jazz Times

“despite his incredible technique, he never overplays and instead stays within service to the songs... ...I suspect with the talent he shows here, we will be hearing much more from this player/composer. ” Brad Walseth - Jazz Chicago

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Matt Gruebner
bass, electric

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Color of Angels

Origin Records
2022

buy

Hindsight

OA2 Records
2021

buy

Fellowship

Self-Released
2020

buy

So To Speak

Self Produced
2010

buy

The Color of Angels

From: The Color of Angels
By Damian Erskine

Videos

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