Bass

Born in Chesapeake, Virginia, Wes has been a professional musician and educator for over 30 years. He takes great pride in calling himself a "formally self-taught" electric and upright bass player. As a bassist, Wes has performed with many great artists and entertainers over the years to include the vocal group Take 6, Broadway stars Bernadette Peters, Joel Grey, and Franc D'Ambrosio (Phantom of the Opera), songwriter Marvin Hamlisch, rock and roll legends Frankie Avalon, Fabian, and Bobby Rydell, jazz greats Chris Vedala (Chuck Mangione), Phil Wilson, and Deanna Martin (daughter of Dean), and comedy greats Regis Philbin, Jay Leno, and Bob Newhart.

Wes has also enjoyed being the "first call" bass player for many Broadway musicals to include A Chorus Line, Grease, Legally Blonde, Annie Get Your Gun, The Last Five Years, Songs for a New World, and others. Particularly noteworthy were his performances for two world premier musicals at the Virginia Stage Company, Frog Kiss and SCKBSTD, the latter of the two with music written by Grammy-winning artist Bruce Hornsby who worked closely with Wes and the other members of the ensemble as the show ran for three weeks. Wes is in high demand in the local area where he performs 150-200 dates per year.

Wes began performing with Windborne Music in August of 2010 with his first show being The Music of Led Zeppelin. Since then, Wes has performed with orchestras around the country to include the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra as part of Windborne Music's world-class team in The Music of Michael Jackson, The Music of Pink Floyd, The Music of the Eagles, and The Music of the Doors.

Wes thoroughly enjoys being a part of a quality core of musicians who have the opportunity to entertain audiences around the country while performing with some of the world's greatest orchestras.


What equipment/instruments do you use?
 For Windborne Music shows, I play a Yamaha, 6-string, TRB-JP6, John Pattitucci Signature Model electric bass with a Tonebone, Bass Preamp. I also have a Yamaha, 6-string, 1006J Model electric bass that I use as a backup. The Yamaha basses have proven to provide a wide variety of tonal colors and sounds along with great playability and durability. They allow me to feel comfortable playing all of the Windborne Music shows, from The Music of Michael Jackson to The Music of Pink Floyd. I also play a Keith Roscoe SKB 6-string fretless electric bass when the situation calls for it.

Who are some of your musical influences:
Wow, there are so many great bass players and other artists who have influenced me as a musician! I will try to limit my response to a select group. My earliest influences were Geddy Lee (Rush), Chris Squire (Yes), Willie Weeks, James Jamerson (Motown great), Louis Johnson (Brothers Johnson), and Verdine White (Earth Wind and Fire). When I first heard Jaco Pastorius it changed the way I thought about playing bass. I went from thinking like a bass player to thinking like a musician. It might sound crazy, but I named my son after Jaco. It is my son’s middle name. I had many other influences who were not bass players – people like BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, and many others. I have also been influenced by many of today’s top artists. There are so many great musicians and artists out there to draw inspiration from.


Tell us about performing Windborne Music shows and how it impacts you:
Having the opportunity to perform in several of the Windborne Music shows provides an opportunity to not only perform with a very talented group of musicians and vocalists, but it also gives me an opportunity to help bring back memories for thousands of people as we perform the incredible music written by these legendary bands. After performing for thousands of people over the past 30 years, I have come to realize that live musical performances are about creating special moments and connecting with the audience. With Windborne Music, it is not just about being prepared to deliver your parts onstage; it is about that connection with the audience…creating those moments!

What's on your IPod?:
Well let me look… Bill Withers, Eagles, Frankie Valli, Peaches and Herb, Rush, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Van Halen, Yellowjackets, Third Eye Blind, Spin Doctors, Weather Report, Maroon 5, John Mayer, Hootie and the Blowfish, Hall and Oats, Five for Fighting, Dave Matthews Band, and more. I know it is a wide variety, but there are probably 30 other artists that I love to listen to as well.