Roscoe Beck - Bio

Roscoe Beck has been a mainstay on the Los Angeles and Austin, Texas music scenes for many years. Originally from Poughkeepsie, New York, Roscoe moved to Texas in his teens and was soon integrated into the thriving blues and jazz communities in Austin. Relocating to Los Angeles in 1979, he recorded with Leonard Cohen, Robben Ford, Jennifer Warnes, and others. The Cohen/Warnes/Beck partnership eventually produced Warnes' classic 1986 recording Famous Blue Raincoat/The Songs of Leonard Cohen (produced by Roscoe Beck and Jennifer Warnes) an album which sold over a million copies and made the Ten Best lists of both the New York Times and LA Times. He's played on and/or co-produced five Cohen discs to date, and is currently serving as musical director/bassist/vocalist on Leonard's 2008 world tour.

The Texas connection continued throughout the L.A. years and Roscoe returned often to Austin, recording several CDs and touring with Texas guitar favorite Eric Johnson. He appeared with Eric on the 1997 G3 tour, CD and DVD (with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai,) joined Eric again on his latest release Bloom, and on tour in 2006/2007. Roscoe, Eric, and drummer Tommy Taylor are currently working on a new CD.

In 1997, Fender Musical Instruments released the Roscoe Beck Signature Five-String Bass, a popular addition to Fender's line of legendary instruments. The Roscoe Beck Signature Four-String model followed in 2004.

Roscoe's first release as a solo artist, Walk On features guest artists Eric Johnson, Robben Ford, blues legend James Cotton, Fabulous Thunderbird Kim Wilson, and David Grissom, with vocalists Mike Cross, Malford Milligan, Omar Dykes, Ruthie Foster, and Jacqui Cross.

2003 saw Roscoe touring and recording (CD and DVD) with the Dixie Chicks on their now infamous Top of the World tour, much of which is profiled in the film Shut Up and Sing.

Roscoe is a founding member of Robben Ford and the Blue Line, playing on and/or co-producing their five discs to date. Roscoe's most recent releases with Robben Ford are Robben's debut CD for Concord Records Blue Moon, and the DVD Robben Ford & the Blue Line in Concert.

Roscoe has made three instructional videos for REH/Warner Brothers Publications: Blues Foundations and Beginning Blues Bass, Volumes 1 & 2, and has been a regular contributor to Bass Player magazine with a bi-monthly column, Mastering Five-String Bass.

When not on the road, Roscoe appears most Tuesday nights at the legendary blues nightclub Antone's continuing his position as bass player in the famed Antone's houseband, along with Derek O'Brien, Malfred Milligan, Riley Osborne, and many special guests.