Edo Castro
Encyclopedia
Edo Castro is an American Jazz
Bassist
and composer
.
Edo grew up during the tumultuous 60s
, where from an early age he was exposed to a myriad of musical styles, listening not only to rock and roll
and R&B, but classical music
, folk
and jazz
. His first Jazz albums were given to him by his late Uncle, recording engineer pioneer Reice Hamel. From these, Edo was first exposed to and smitten by the sounds of Vince Giraldi, Hugh Masekela
, Ahmad Jamal
, Bill Evans
, Ramsey Lewis
and Paul Desmond
. Edo initially studied piano and violin. But when a friend suggested that he try the electric bass
, he knew he had found his instrument and did everything he could to immerse himself in it, seeking out and learning whatever he could from whoever would take the time to teach him.
in northern California
. With less than three years playing bass, he bought an acoustic bass
and auditioned for the music department at San Jose State University
. While studying there, he met musicians from across the country. He was so inspired by their sound, he moved to Chicago in 1982, his uncle’s hometown, to pursue his music education. He studied at DePaul University
for a year, then completed his studies at the American Conservatory of Music
, earning a Bachelor of Arts
in 1987 with a focus on jazz studies and electric bass. During his time at the Conservatory in Chicago, Edo rose through the musical ranks, often recommended for gigs by his teachers. By the time Edo graduated from the Conservatory, Chicago Magazine had noted him as “One of Chicago’s finest.” He continued to hone his craft in Chicago until 1990 when he returned to the Bay Area.
, jazz and rock bands in the Bay Area and Chicago
. In the late 70’s Edo studied and Performed with Lou Harrison
and Gamelan Si Betty. This led to one of his first compositions for American Gamelan
being published by Lou Harrison.
Since his return to the Bay Area in 1990, Edo has worked on 20 CD projects and has performed/recorded with David Amram
, Mark Walker
, Hassan Kahn , Pete Cosey
, Roy Haynes
, Fareed Haque
, David Onderdonk, Ed Thigpen
, Johnny Griffin
, Joel Harrison, Jim Trompeter, Ian Doogle, Deborah Winters, Jill Knight, Paul Van Wageningen, Caroline Aiken
, Dan Zinn, Bethany Pickens, Michael LaMacchia, Armando Peraza
, Caren Armstrong, Percy Howard
, Mike Molenda, Stuart Hamm
, Lorn Leber, Michael Manring
, Mark Egan
, Yves Carbonne, and David Friesen
.
Edo’s fan base stretches the globe (with sales in Norway
, Switzerland
, Germany
, France
, Japan
, Spain
, Argentina
, Italy
and England
) where he has found praise and recognition for his unique musical talents and his joyous and transfixing compositions, and recognized internationally for his rare proficiency on several varieties of the extended-range bass
. Edo is an endorser of Conklin Basses, Bee Basses and AccuGroove Cabinets,
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
Bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Biography
Born in San Francisco to mother Aida Saberi, Edo was an only child from Aida’s first marriage. Later Aida remarried and had two more sons, Thomas & Ted Saberi. Edo attended Grattan Elementary, Herbert Hoover Junior High and J. Eugene McAteer High schools, all in the city by the bay.Edo grew up during the tumultuous 60s
60s
-Significant people:* Boudicca, rebellious British queen* Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, Roman general* Julius Civilis, leader of the Batavian rebellion against the Romans...
, where from an early age he was exposed to a myriad of musical styles, listening not only to rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
and R&B, but classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. His first Jazz albums were given to him by his late Uncle, recording engineer pioneer Reice Hamel. From these, Edo was first exposed to and smitten by the sounds of Vince Giraldi, Hugh Masekela
Hugh Masekela
Hugh Ramopolo Masekela is a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and singer.-Early life:Masekela was born in Kwa-Guqa Township, Witbank, South Africa. He began singing and playing piano as a child...
, Ahmad Jamal
Ahmad Jamal
Ahmad Jamal is an innovative and influential American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. According to Stanley Crouch, Jamal is second in importance in the development of jazz after 1945 only to Charlie Parker...
, Bill Evans
Bill Evans
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists including: Chick Corea, Herbie...
, Ramsey Lewis
Ramsey Lewis
Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. is an American jazz composer, pianist and radio personality. Ramsey Lewis has recorded over 80 albums and has received seven gold records and three Grammy Awards so far in his career.-Biography:...
and Paul Desmond
Paul Desmond
Paul Desmond , born Paul Emil Breitenfeld, was a jazz alto saxophonist and composer born in San Francisco, best known for the work he did in the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for penning that group's greatest hit, "Take Five"...
. Edo initially studied piano and violin. But when a friend suggested that he try the electric bass
Electric Bass
Electric bass can mean:*Electric upright bass, the electric version of a double bass*Electric bass guitar*Bass synthesizer*Big Mouth Billy Bass, a battery-powered singing fish...
, he knew he had found his instrument and did everything he could to immerse himself in it, seeking out and learning whatever he could from whoever would take the time to teach him.
Musical education
Edo attended Humboldt State UniversityHumboldt State University
Humboldt State University is the northernmost campus of the California State University system, located in Arcata within Humboldt County, California, USA. The main campus, nestled at the edge of a coast redwood forest, is situated on Preston hill overlooking Arcata and with commanding views of...
in northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. With less than three years playing bass, he bought an acoustic bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
and auditioned for the music department at San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
. While studying there, he met musicians from across the country. He was so inspired by their sound, he moved to Chicago in 1982, his uncle’s hometown, to pursue his music education. He studied at DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
for a year, then completed his studies at the American Conservatory of Music
American Conservatory of Music
The American Conservatory of Music was a major American school of music founded in 1886 by John James Hattstaedt . The conservatory was incorporated as an Illinois non-profit corporation. It was located in Chicago until 1991 when its Board of Trustees — chaired by Frederic Wilbur Hickman...
, earning a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1987 with a focus on jazz studies and electric bass. During his time at the Conservatory in Chicago, Edo rose through the musical ranks, often recommended for gigs by his teachers. By the time Edo graduated from the Conservatory, Chicago Magazine had noted him as “One of Chicago’s finest.” He continued to hone his craft in Chicago until 1990 when he returned to the Bay Area.
Musical career
Edo’s formative years were spent developing his skills in various funkFunk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, jazz and rock bands in the Bay Area and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. In the late 70’s Edo studied and Performed with Lou Harrison
Lou Harrison
Lou Silver Harrison was an American composer. He was a student of Henry Cowell, Arnold Schoenberg, and K. P. H. Notoprojo Lou Silver Harrison (May 14, 1917 – February 2, 2003) was an American composer. He was a student of Henry Cowell, Arnold Schoenberg, and K. P. H. Notoprojo Lou Silver Harrison...
and Gamelan Si Betty. This led to one of his first compositions for American Gamelan
American gamelan
American gamelan could refer to both instruments and music; the term has been used to refer to gamelan-style instruments built by Americans, as well as to music written by American composers to be played on gamelan instruments...
being published by Lou Harrison.
Since his return to the Bay Area in 1990, Edo has worked on 20 CD projects and has performed/recorded with David Amram
David Amram
David Amram is an American composer, musician, conductor, and writer. As a classical composer and performer, his integration of jazz , ethnic and folk music has led him to work with the likes of Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Willie Nelson, Langston...
, Mark Walker
Mark Walker
For the fisher and songwriter with the same name, see Mark Walker . For the Canadian Ethicist, see Mark Alan WalkerGeneral Sir Mark Walker VC KCB was born in Gore Port, Finea, County Westmeath in Ireland...
, Hassan Kahn , Pete Cosey
Pete Cosey
Pete Cosey is an African-American guitarist most famous for playing with Miles Davis' band between 1973 and 1975. His fiercely flanged and distorted guitar bore comparisons to Jimi Hendrix...
, Roy Haynes
Roy Haynes
Roy Owen Haynes is an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Haynes is among the most recorded drummers in jazz, and in a career lasting more than 60 years has played in a wide range of styles ranging from swing and bebop to jazz fusion and avant-garde jazz...
, Fareed Haque
Fareed Haque
Fareed Haque is a fusion guitar virtuoso of Pakistani and Chilean descent.Raised in Chicago, he studied at North Texas State University and Northwestern University....
, David Onderdonk, Ed Thigpen
Ed Thigpen
Edmund Leonard "Ed" Thigpen was an American jazz drummer, best-known for his work with the Oscar Peterson trio from 1959 to 1965...
, Johnny Griffin
Johnny Griffin
John Arnold Griffin III was an American bop and hard bop tenor saxophonist.- Early life and career :Griffin studied music at DuSable High School in Chicago under Walter Dyett, starting out on clarinet before moving on to oboe and then alto sax...
, Joel Harrison, Jim Trompeter, Ian Doogle, Deborah Winters, Jill Knight, Paul Van Wageningen, Caroline Aiken
Caroline Aiken
Caroline Aiken is a singer and guitarist from Atlanta, Georgia whose work spans genres, from folk to blues to rock. Aiken has released seven albums and performed with Bonnie Raitt and the Indigo Girls....
, Dan Zinn, Bethany Pickens, Michael LaMacchia, Armando Peraza
Armando Peraza
Armando Peraza is a Latin jazz percussionist. Through his long associations with jazz pianist George Shearing, vibraphonist Cal Tjader and guitarist Carlos Santana, he has been internationally known from the 1950s through to the 1990s...
, Caren Armstrong, Percy Howard
Percy Howard
Percy Lenard Howard is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys in 1975. He was an unlikely star for the CowBoys in Super Bowl X.-Early years:...
, Mike Molenda, Stuart Hamm
Stuart Hamm
Stuart "Stu" Hamm is an American bass guitar player, known for his session and live work with numerous artists as well for his unconventional playing style and solo recordings.-Beginning career:...
, Lorn Leber, Michael Manring
Michael Manring
Michael Manring is an American electric bassist from the San Francisco Bay Area, .-Biography:...
, Mark Egan
Mark Egan
Mark Egan is an American jazz bass guitarist and trumpeter, arguably best known for his membership in the Pat Metheny Group from 1977 to 1980, and the Gil Evans Orchestra...
, Yves Carbonne, and David Friesen
David Friesen
David Friesen is an American jazz bassist born in Tacoma, Washington. Friesen plays the double bass as well as the Oregon bass, which is an electrified acoustic bass....
.
Edo’s fan base stretches the globe (with sales in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) where he has found praise and recognition for his unique musical talents and his joyous and transfixing compositions, and recognized internationally for his rare proficiency on several varieties of the extended-range bass
Extended-range bass
Extended-range bass refers to an electric bass guitar with greater frequency range than the standard 4-string bass guitar. Bass guitars tuned one octave lower than a standard four-string instrument are also considered an extended-range bass...
. Edo is an endorser of Conklin Basses, Bee Basses and AccuGroove Cabinets,
Instruments
Conklin - 7 string Fretted bass, 7 String Fretted Midi bass, 8 String Fretless bass Bee Bass - “Stinger” 7 string Fretless, 7 String Fretted Stinger bass and 7 String Groove Bee Fretless bass Watson 7 String Chambered Fretless bass Warwick “Triumph” 4 String electric UprightPersonal philosophy
“I think the biggest lesson for me has been to appreciate where I am in my life and not focus on where I am not at in my life.As a sideman
- “Live" by Eric Doc Smith
- “K2” by Seth Elgart and Eric Doc Smith
- “A Pleasant Fiction” by Percy Howard and Meridiem
- “Are We There Yet Momma” by Caroline Aiken
- “Everything” by Caren Armstrong
- “Imaginary Line” by Jill Knight
- “Bassics Compilation CD” Issue No 36 2003
- “Conklin Guitars Compilation CD”
- “Soul Threads” by Jen Spool
- “Quiet The Storm” by Ilene Adar
- “Lift” by Greg Lamboy
- “Blessing and a Curse” by Deborah Pardes
- “Bobo’s Country” by Deborah Pardes on compilation CD “Songs inspired by Literature II”
- “Party of One” by Donner Party
- “The Adventure of Franz Bonaventure” by Michael Lamacchia
- “Dark Comes Light” by Crowsong
- “Times Present, Times Past” by Coale Johnson
- “Suspiciously Blue” by Eva Jay Fortune Band
- “So Far Gone” by Eva Jay Fortune Band
- “Shiver” by Shiver “Atticus Finch” by Atticus Finch
- “Rockets to the New World” by David Sobel
- “Butterfly Blue” by Butterfly Blue
- “Louisiana Grail” by Enna Deer
- “Mass of the Living God” Joseph Herbert
- “Pathways” by Viewpoint
- “Lake Effect-City House” 45 RPM by Michael Mason
Sources
- Chicago Magazine
- http://www.extendedrangebassist.com/ERB_EC.htm
- Passion Star Records
External links
- http://www.edocastro.com/
- http://www.passionstarmusic.com/
- http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/edo
- http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/edocastro
- http://www.google.com/profiles/Edobass7
- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Edo-Castro/30662623877
- http://www.myspace.com/edocastro
- http://tucsonbassplayer.blogspot.com/search?q=Edo+Castro
You Tube
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dROoNvO57fI
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2ujyCjmsnI
Reice Hamel
- http://www.discogs.com/artist/Reice+Hamel
- http://sites.google.com/a/trendsystems.net/home/
- http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/music/search?keywords=Reice+Hamel&pageSize=10
- http://65.55.14.126/music/artist-credits/reice-hamel/
- http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/reice-hamel/440404