Gary Willis Archives

This week’s Berklee Bass Department webinar will feature heroes of the fretless bass. Guests will include Tony Franklin, Percy Jones, Gary Willis, Steve DiGiorgio, Alain Caron, Bakithi Kumalo, Michael Manring, and Mark Egan.

Drummer Gergo Borlai has just released his new album, The Missing Song, which serves as a tribute to all the influential drummers that have inspired him. Although it’s drum-centric, Borlai is joined by an unbelievable cast of bassists for the record.

Every January, you can feel the ground shake. That’s thanks to the annual Bass Bash, which is returning to Anaheim, California on January 24th and 25th. The two-day event coincides with the Winter NAMM Show and features performances by some of the world’s best bassists.

It’s been 20 years since Ibanez introduced a signature model from bass guru Gary Willis, and they’re celebrating with an anniversary edition.

We’re huge fans of Mohini Dey and always on the lookout for her videos. Here’s another one that blew us away. “Finally!!!! It’s out! Had [the] honor to work/record for the great Gary Willis and his new app ‘Groove A Day‘,” Mohini shared. “Gary is one of my biggest influences in my musical upbringing and bass playing. I was super...

If you’re looking for a New Year’s resolution to start grooving more, bass master Gary Willis has you covered. He’s just released an app for iOS called “Groove A Day” that aims to help teach building grooves. The app includes grooves of various styles and difficulties performed by Willis and drummer Gergo Borlai. “In decades of teaching, Gary Willis has...

Steve Bailey has sent out his annual audio Christmas greeting, and this year’s is the biggest yet. As head of the Berklee Bass Department, Bailey brings in featured artists during their visits to the college to make special bass arrangements of holiday carols. This year has Bailey, Sandro Scoccia, Leland Sklar, John Patitucci, Victor Wooten, David Ellefson, Gary Willis, and...

Famed bassist Gary Willis, well known for his work with the band Tribal Tech, has released his fifth solo record, Larger Than Life. The fusion-funk record pairs Willis with drummer Gergo Borlai, Tribal Tech band mate Scott Kinsey (keyboards), Steve Tavaglione (saxes and EWI), Claudia Bardagí (voice) and Llibert Fortuny (tenor sax and voice). Willis, Borlai and Kinsey form the...

Here’s a great fan-shot video of Tribal Tech performing in Tokyo in 2013. Or a better way to describe it: bass in your face! Man, Gary Willis brings it on this one. But he always does, doesn’t he?

Ibanez has added a new fretted model to the Gary Willis Signature series. The GWB35FDBKF is the first fretted Willis signature model and will be available as a limited edition instrument. The five-string bass is built with a three-piece maple neck topped with an ebony fretboard with off-set white dot inlays. The basswood body is finished in a flat black,...

From a commercial standpoint, Gary Willis is mostly known as the co-founder of Tribal Tech (the jazz fusion band that includes Scott Henderson). The life of a jazz musician is never easy… no matter how much hype and excitement there is surrounding your band (and, Gary had plenty of that with Tribal Tech). Like most bass players, Gary has paid...

The annual Bass Bash will be returning this year, and it’s going to be a doozy. Scheduled in the evenings after the NAMM Show, the Bass Bash is held at JT Schmid’s in Anaheim, California on January 22nd and 23rd from 7pm to midnight. This year’s performers include some of the world’s finest bassists. The first night will feature Alain...