Nathan East Documentary to Debut in December

A new documentary about Nathan East may catapult him from being known primarily in bass circles for his years of superstar work and into the orbit of more casual mainstream music fans.

“He’s just the baddest bass players that ever was,” says Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds in the doc, Nathan East: For the Record, which debuts in December on Hulu.

East’s output is almost ridiculously prolific. He started his professional career at age 16 with Barry White. Since then, he has appeared on more than 2,000 albums and performed live with scores of musicians. He’s a founding member of Fourplay, a jazz quartet. He became Eric Clapton’s preferred bassist after the legendary guitarist saw East perform with Kenny Loggins at Live Aid. East also helped Phil Collins write the hit “Easy Lover” in less than a half-hour.

Some of the musicians interviewed for the documentary include Clapton, Collins, Loggins, Quincy Jones, Vill Gill, Babyface, David Foster, Lionel Richie, Ray Parker Jr, Wynonna Judd, Don Was, Herbie Hancock, Bob James, Michael McDonald, Al Jarreau, Dave Koz, Richard Marx, Mindi Abair, Hubert Laws, Lee Ritenour, David Paich, Chuck Loeb, and Greg Phillinganes.

Footage documenting the recording of East’s first solo album, released earlier this year, is also included in the film.

This trailer makes the film look irresistible, especially for anyone who already appreciates East’s work: