Jimmy Haslip

A virtuoso, an innovator and a truth seeker, bassist Jimmy Haslip casts a long, mythic shadow over the Contemporary music landscape. A founding member of the two-time Grammy winning Yellowjackets, he has won acclaim for his soul-stirring bass improvisations and sophisticated Jazz-Funk compositions. A protégé of the legendary Jaco Pastorious, Jimmy helped pioneer the Contemporary Jazz sound that continues to captivate radio listeners worldwide.


His distinctive 7-string bass flourishes can be heard on countless Pop, Rock and R&B recordings. Jimmy currently produces a variety of Jazz musicians and vocalists including; Michael Franks, Marilyn Scott, Take 6, Bobby McFerrin and Chaka Khan. As if his résumé wasn't impressive enough, Jimmy has also authored or contributed to several instructional books and recordings. Indeed, as a new millennium dawns, Mr. Haslip's shaman-like mystique looms larger than ever.


For his own Unitone debut, Jimmy opted to chronicle a life journey that began in the Fifties and continues today. As a boy growing up in Long Island, Jimmy's musical curiosity was fueled by his father, a Puerto Rico native and an administrator for the U.S. Customs Service. James Joseph Haslip was also a music lover who taught his son the wonders of the Latin sound - the sensuousness of Rumba and Merengue; the percussive magic of congas, maracas and other instruments; the genius of Latin Jazz legends like Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Ray Baretto.