Born: August 7, 1979 Primary Instrument: Bass, acoustic
Chicago saxophonist Dudley Owens and New York bassist Aaron Immanuel Wright have joined forces, forming a powerful band that is scheduled to tour the United States and Canada in 2012 as the Owens and Wright Experience. On their new record, People Calling (Origin 82611), Owens and Wright each introduce a handful of explosive, reflective, political, and hard-swinging compositions.
Composer and bassist Aaron Immanuel Wright was raised in a musical family in Oregon. His grandmother Geneva Wright, a music educator and composer, introduced him to the piano. She also encouraged him to write down music as early as age nine. Meanwhile, his uncle, bassist and songwriter Donny Wright, encouraged him to learn how to “groove” and play with others in a band. By age fourteen he was dead set on becoming a double bassist and began playing in school bands.
Wright’s freshman and sophomore years at Bend Senior High School were jam-packed with musical activities, but because the area lacked a thriving music scene, he relied primarily on his family and record collection for inspiration. Fortunately, his family relocated to Berkeley, California toward the end of his sophomore year. Once in the Bay Area, Wright immediately began playing bass professionally and participating in competitive education programs. His talents were quickly recognized while studying at Berkeley High School and U.C. Berkeley’s Young Musician’s Program. For the remainder of his teens, he regularly performed with an impressive roster of young musicians associated with these institutions, including Dayna Stephens, Darrell Green, and Ambrose Akinmusire.
After graduating high school, Wright was commissioned to write for Fear No Music, a chamber music ensemble based out of Portland, Oregon. Despite the attention he was getting as a composer, his primary focus during this time was studying the bass. While living and writing in Portland he studied classical bass with Ken Baldwin. During this time, legendary jazz bassist Leroy Vinnegar was also living there. These two great bassists had a profound effect on Wright’s development and philosophy.
Wright has since worked as a bassist, composer, and producer all over the world in a wide range of professional scenarios. Highlights have included playing double bass for blues legend Matt “Guitar” Murphy at blues festivals, and recording an album of his compositions (Eleven Daughters) with with two of the Pacific Northwest's finest musicians: pianist Darrell Grant and tenor saxophonist Tim Willcox. More recently, Wright has produced music for Genna Baroni, one of New York City's most cutting-edge dancers and choreographers. His current band includes some of the finest performers in jazz music: Dudley Owens, Willerm Delisfort, and Clif Wallace.
“Outstanding original compositions that take in parts from bebop, modal jazz, and post-bop. The pieces are rich, textural, and full of life throughout.” -Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
People Calling (Origin Records, 2012)
Eleven Daughters (Origin Records, 2010)
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