New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) Pictured in Ocean Way's renowned
Studio B are (L-R) Ricky Lawson,drums; Jeff Babko, keyboards; Michael Thompson,guitar; Chris Gero, producer; Nathan East, bass, producer;
Wesley Sideman, assistant engineer; Brian Lennox, engineer; and Tim Carmon, keyboards. Photo by
David Goggin.
Famed bassist
Nathan East has been recording in Ocean Way's
Studio B for his first ever solo album. In his rich history, he has performed and recorded with Eric Clapton,
George Harrison,
Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Phil Collins, Beyonce_, Michael Buble_, and
Fourplay (founding member) to name a few. He currently appears on two hit records as diverse as
Andrea Bocelli's "
Passione" and Daft Punk's "Random
Access Memories," and after a career that spans three decades, his solo album will be released early 2014.
Nathan East is Philadelphia-born and San Diego-raised, one of seven children, who picked up the bass in middle school and played in folk mass church groups with his brothers. That led to an RnB club band that went on the road with
Barry White and the Love Unlimited Orchestra in the mid-'70s when Nathan was only 16. Many other offers followed, but he decided to learn more about the bass and complete his education. He received a degree in music from UC San
Diego and headed straight for the session life in Los Angeles.
Since then he has played bass on a staggering number of songs in over a thousand recording sessions and counting. He played on Michael Jackson's "Bad," as well as most Eric Clapton,
Anita Baker and
Lionel Richie recordings in recent memory. In addition, he's toured incessantly for the past few decades, most notably with Clapton since the mid-'80s, as well as with his jazz super group
Fourplay and with rock legends Toto and jazz legend Herbie Hancock.
For his debut album project, East teamed up with Yamaha Entertainment Group, with whom he has had a personal and professional relationship for over 30 years. Joining him at Ocean Way Recording was YEG President and producer Chris Gero and a who's-who of musicians and vocalists on the modern scene. The recordings run the gamut from
Bob James originals to re-workings of RnB and rock standards, from funky jams to patriotic hymns, and a vocal or two from Nathan himself. A documentary and a full biography are also in the works to chronicle East's remarkable life and times.
