Tal Wilkenfeld

Infobox musical artist


Name = Tal Wilkenfeld
Img_capt =
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name =
Alias =
Born =
Died =
Instrument = Bass
Guitar
Genre = Blues-rock
Jazz fusion
Jazz
Free funk

Occupation = Musician
Years_active = 2002 - present
Associated_acts = Eric Clapton
Jeff Beck
Wayne Shorter
Herbie Hancock
Joss Stone
Chick Corea
Susan Tedeschi
Allman Brothers Band
URL = [http://www.talwilkenfeld.com/ talwilkenfeld.com]
Notable_instruments =

Tal Wilkenfeld (born in Sydney, Australia, ca. 1986) is an Australian bass guitarist and former guitarist who has gained worldwide attention performing alongside some of rock and jazz music's most notable talents. In a "Bass Player" reader's choice poll, Tal was voted "The Year's Most Exciting New Player" for 2008. She has impressed critics and fans alike with musical achievements usually reserved for players with relatively long established careers. Tal became a professional bassist after only three years on the instrument.She is currently bandleader of The Tal Wilkenfeld Trio, which includes Wayne Krantz on guitar, and Keith Carlock on drums.

Biography

Early life

Wilkenfeld began playing guitar at age 14, but made a switch to bass at the age of 17. After a matter of a few months, she devoted herself to forming a band of her own, and began composing her own material. Discussing her chosen instrument, she has been quoted as saying, "I’ve always just picked up any instrument and been able to play it ―I could sit down at the drums or the piano and just play for fun," however, she continued, "as soon as I started playing bass I knew it was my instrument. It was like, 'Yes this is it. I don’t even want to play guitar anymore, this is amazing.'" McCulley, Jerry August 2, 2008 [http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/meet-tal-wilkenfeld-jeff-becks/ Meet Tal Wilkenfeld, Jeff Beck’s Young Aussie Bass Prodigy] ]

Move to the United States and professional career

In 2002, Wilkenfeld dropped out of high school, saying that "it just wasn't going to work for me", and emigrated to the United States at age 16. She first settled in Los Angeles where she attended the Los Angeles Music Academy. After completing school, she moved to New York City and began making a name for herself in New York's jazz clubs. She now divides her time between Los Angeles, New York, and Sydney, Australia. When she first arrived in the United States, she'd studied electric guitar, but within the year made the switch to electric bass guitar.cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/just-doing-her-thing/2007/04/27/1177459975500.html|title=Ace of bass just doing her thing|date=2007-04-28|publisher="The Sydney Morning Herald"|author=Paul Bibby] Wilkenfeld's compositional talents can be heard on her debut solo album, "Transformation", recorded over a period of two days when she was 20 years old. [http://www.talwilkenfeld.com/Tal.html Tal Wilkenfeld Official Website ] ]

Performances 2006-2007

2006 saw Tal Wilkenfeld sitting in with the Allman Brothers Band, and soon after, heading an instructional bass clinic. Tal's backup band for this clinic consisted of drummer, Chaun Horton and guitarist, Ben Hauptmann. Aware that Chick Corea was seeking a bass player for an upcoming tour, Wilkenfeld, knowing that he had heard her music before, sent him demos of her work. She was elated to be selected to accompany him on his Australian tour before joining up with Jeff Beck, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Jason Rebello for Beck's summer European tour. After returning from Europe, the group joined up with Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago. In November of 2007, Tal joined back up with Jeff's band for a week of gigs at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London, where the band was joined on stage by Eric Clapton thus rounding out a very productive year for Wilkenfeld.

Wilkenfeld has performed with such notable musicians as Chick Corea, Jeff Beck, Hiram Bullock, Steve Vai, Susan Tedeschi, the Allman Brothers Band, Herbie Hancock, and Jeff "Tain" Watts. Wilkenfeld's performance with Jeff Beck at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival was aired on PBS in November, 2007. Unfortunately no credits were given for Beck's band, and viewers have confused her with Becky Godchaux or even Beck's daughter. However, the DVD of the concert gives full band personnel listings, crediting her on bass.

Equipment

Wilkenfeld was offerred an official endorsement from Roger Sadowsky of Sadowsky Bass Guitars, after seeing her play at the 2003 winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California. cite web|url=http://www.sadowsky.com/pop/artists/wilkenfeld.html|title=Featured Artists - Tal Wilkenfeld|publisher=Sadowsky Guitars|accessdate=2007-11-29] Tal also has endorsements with EBS amplifiers and cabinets, [http://www.ebs.bass.se/2007/artists.htm EBS Amplifiers and Cabinets] ] and Pigtronix effects pedals. [http://www.pigtronix.com/artist.htm Pigtronix effects pedals] ]

Discography

* 2006 "Transformation"; Wikinfeld's first solo effort, on CD

References

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/talwilkenfeld Official MySpace page]
* [http://www.bassplayer.com/article/tal-wilkenfeld/Aug-07/30550 Review of Tal Wilkenfeld's "Transformation"] , from "Bass Player" magazine
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/tal-wilkenfeld-the-basement-may-13/2007/05/15/1178995158812.html Review of Tal Wilkenfeld concert] from "The Sydney Morning Herald", May 16, 2007

Listening

* [http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-au&brand=ninemsn&fg=rss&vid=5b66095f-67a9-4f9e-b08e-aa321ae8d250&from=imbot_en-au Austalian Video Sample]
* [http://www.myspace.com/talwilkenfeld Tal Wilkenfeld audio samples]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIFFRHBCPzA Cause We Ended As Lovers] . Jeff Beck & Tal Wilkenfeld. Crossroads Guitar Festival, Chicago, July 28, 2007.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRFkOrnds8I Bass Clinic] Section of Tal Wilkenfeld teaching at a bass guitar clinic, in 2006.