Steve Bailey

Steve Bailey
Bailey performing at Stanford University
Background information
Birth name	Steve Bailey
Born	(1960-02-10) February 10, 1960 (age 56) Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, jazz fusion, funk
Instruments	Bass guitar, fretless bass, upright bass, keyboards, trombone
Years active	1981–present
Website	Official Website

Steve Bailey (born February 10, 1960) is an American bassist who is famous for his pioneering work with the six string fretless bass. He was voted runner up for "Bass Player Of The Year" in 1994 and 1996. In 2012 and 2013, Steve toured with Victor Wooten on the Sword and Stone/Words and Tones tour, playing electric bass, upright, keyboards, and trombone.

Steve began playing the bass guitar at age 12 and started playing fretless bass after he ran over his fretted Stuart Spector with his car. Bailey not only plays electric bass, but he also plays double bass; he started playing upright after hearing Stanley Clarke playing with Return to Forever. Steve received full scholarships to both North Texas State University and University of Miami. Steve is currently Chair of the Bass Department at the Berklee College of Music. He has previously been a faculty member at Coastal Carolina University and the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He was also a faculty member at Hollywood's BIT for 10 years. He has done extensive work as a studio musician, as well as numerous collaborations including several albums with fellow bassist Victor Wooten. Steve is a core contributor to Victor Wooten's Bass/Nature Camp, which helps to teach bassists of all ranges. He is an avid tennis player and surfer, and also a Warwick Signature Artist.

Steve has played with a huge range of artists, including Victor Wooten in Bass Extremes, Bryan Duncan, Paquito D'Rivera, Dizzy Gillespie, James Moody, Dave Liebman, Claudio Roditi, Michel Camilo, The Rippingtons, David Benoit, Chris Duarte, Jethro Tull, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Willie Nelson, Ray Price, Billy Joe Shaver, Scott Henderson, Larry Carlton, Emily Remler, Brandon Fields, Carol Kaye, Kitaro, Max Highstein, T Lavitz, Tab Benoit, Johnny Witherspoon, Toni Price, Mel Tormé, Ernestine Anderson, Mark Murphy, John Patitucci, Billy Sheehan and others. He has released albums with many of these artists.