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Val Shaffer

About me: I was born in a small city in southern Indiana. As a child I gravitated towards music early, and took up the violin around the age of 3. At about the same time, my mother had me in group classes with other children learning keyboard instruments. (I also had some used drums that my dad had bought me, once I had worn out all my toy ones.) Eventually, I took classical piano lessons lasting into my mid teens, which is around the time that I switched to classical organ, which I had loved the sound of, again, since around the age of 3. When I was 14, I took up the bass guitar, to become involved in rock and roll which I had also embraced from a very young age, and proceeded to play in rock bands until the age of 21. (Instead of going to school as a classical organ major!) Thereafter, I started listening to bands like "Weather Report, " and when I first moved west (settling first in Albuquerque New Mexico) I was playing music that at the time, might have been called "New Age." Eventually, I made my way to San Diego California, and got involved with playing in various musical genres: Blues, R and B, Funk, and Contemporary Jazz. When I eventually moved to Los Angeles, I knew I wanted to be more involved with jazz, and so started to play the acoustic bass within 6 months of arriving. Eventually, that led me to be busier than ever musically, playing jazz of all types, (including Latin and World rhythms) along with some musicals and classical engagements. In the west coast jazz arena, I have had the pleasure of playing with: Chuck Flores, Jack Sheldon, Bill Holman big band, Bill Perkins, Danny Pucillo, Ark Sano, Tamir Hendelman, Anthony Wilson, Paul Astin, and Bill Fulton to name a few. After a visit to NYC in June of 2008, I decided the temptation was too great, and made the move to the east coast in mid-August of that year. These days most of my efforts are directed towards organizing different groups of players, and then experiencing the creativity that ensues.

Gear

Acos Hungarian 3/4 acoustic bass, Obligato strings, David Gage Metropolitan french bow, K and K Golden Trinity pickup, Gallien Krueger MB-150S, Fender 5 string Jazz Bass w/ Jim Crawford custom long scale neck and EMG pickups.


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