Quick Facts
Biography
Rob Wasserman (April 1, 1952 – June 29, 2016) was an American composer and bass player. A Grammy Award and NEA grant winner, he played and recorded with a wide variety of musicians including Bruce Cockburn, Elvis Costello, Ani di Franco, Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, Stéphane Grappelli, Rickie Lee Jones, Van Morrison, Aaron Neville, Lou Reed, Pete Seeger, Jules Shear, Studs Terkel, Bob Weir, Brian Wilson, Chris Whitley, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Laurie Anderson, Stephen Perkins, Banyan, Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, and Ratdog.
He is best known for his own work on the trilogy of albums, Solo, Duets, and Trios.
Life and career
Wasserman started playing violin, and graduated to the bass after his teenage years. He studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied composing with John Adams, and double bass with San Francisco Symphony bassists.
Early on, he played with Van Morrison, Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, and the David Grisman Quintet. His 1983 album, Solo won Downbeat Magazine's Record of the Year award. Two subsequent albums, Duets and Trios, saw Wasserman engage with other musicians, such as Bobby McFerrin, Rickie Lee Jones, Cheryl Bentyne, Lou Reed, Stéphane Grappelli, Jerry Garcia, Brian Wilson, Willie Dixon, Branford Marsalis, and Elvis Costello.
Duets was nominated for three Grammy Awards, and Bobby McFerrin won one for a track, "Brothers", which was performed with Wasserman. Wasserman also won Holland's Edison Award for Record of the Year.
His 2000 album, Space Island, incorporated more contemporary musical elements. RatDog, which he co- founded with Bob Weir from the Grateful Dead, occupied much of his time. He also toured extensively with Lou Reed.
Wasserman was a judge for the sixth-tenth annual Independent Music Awards.
He died June 29, 2016 .
Family
Rob's surviving relatives were his wife Veronica, his daughter Sara, his sister Cindy, his brother, Bruce, and his mother, Dunia.
Discography
- Quintet '80 – David Grisman Quintet – 1980
- Stephane Grappelli/David Grisman Live - Stephane Grappelli and David Grisman - 1981
- Mondo Mando – David Grisman Quintet – 1981
- Beautiful Vision – Van Morrison – 1982
- Solo – Rob Wasserman – 1983
- Duets – Rob Wasserman – 1988
- Flying Cowboys – Rickie Lee Jones – 1989
- New York – Lou Reed – 1989
- Mighty Like a Rose – Elvis Costello – 1991
- Magic and Loss – Lou Reed – 1992
- Trios – Rob Wasserman – 1994
- Naked Songs – Live and Acoustic – Rickie Lee Jones – 1995
- The Original Wang Dang Doodle – Willie Dixon – 1995
- The Charity of Night – Bruce Cockburn – 1996
- Live – Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman – January 13, 1999
- Space Island – Rob Wasserman – August 15, 2000
- Evening Moods – RatDog – September 26, 2000
- Live at Roseland – RatDog – July 2001
- Dua – Ustad Sultan Khan and Rob Wasserman – 2001
- Bassically Me – Rob Wasserman – 2002
- Trilogy (box set of Solo, Duets, and Trios) – Rob Wasserman – August 3, 2004
- Cosmic Farm – Rob Wasserman, Craig Erickson, T Lavitz, Jeff Sipe – 2005
- Note of Hope – various artists – September 27, 2011
- Lulu – Lou Reed and Metallica – October 31, 2011
- Fall 1989: The Long Island Sound – Jerry Garcia Band and Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman – December 17, 2013
- "Summertime" – Nineteen Thirteen – 2015