Tim Webb has been playing bass for more than 40 years in the New England area. He can currently be found playing with psych/soul rockers Ghostbird and the groove-jazz quintet Sound Suggestions.
Tim started playing electric bass at age 12, inspired mostly by progressive rock and classic rock, and played everything from new wave to heavy metal in a few different bands. He developed an interest in jazz via studying with Jeff Leonard at Lexington High School and John Hunter at the University of New Hampshire, where he took up the upright bass and performed with numerous jazz groups, the UNH orchestra, and chamber ensembles.
From there, Tim went on to perform with free jazz band Marsupial Hat, a Zappa-inspired rock band called The Zaklees, and singer/songwriter Kaye Kelly, among others. He also performed as a session musician on many recordings with folk and rock artists in the Boston area, as well as recording for jingles and movie soundtracks, while maintaining a busy schedule of gigs as a freelancer.
After years of doing session work, Tim wanted to make more of a statement of his own, and he recorded a solo bass album in 2006. This led to connecting with saxophonist Thom Keith, and together they formed the free improvising group Equal Time and co-founded the improvising artists collective and concert series Avant Coast. Equal Time played a couple of shows with trumpeter Eddie Gale and trombonist Dick Griffin that served as a launching point for the group.
Currently, in addition to his work in Ghostbird and Sound Suggestions, Tim continues to do plenty of freelance work, making music with many of the musicians listed below.
Some of the musicians Tim has worked with:
Dave Bryant, piano/keys (Ornette Coleman)
Curtis Clark, piano (David Murray, Julian Priester)
Stu Dias, vocals, guitar (Soggy Po Boys, Shango, Wizzardess)
Francis Dunnery, singer/songwriter/guitar (It Bites)
Equal Time
Future Memory
Eddie Gale, trumpet (Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor)
Ghostbird
Forbes Graham, trumpet
Luther Gray, drums
Dick Griffin, trombone (Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Sun Ra, McCoy Tyner)
Les Harris, Jr., drums
Paul Heckel, vibraphone
Chris Humphrey, vocals/piano
Michael Gregory Jackson, guitar/vocals (Oliver Lake, Wadada Leo Smith)
Charlie Jennison, saxophones
Thom Keith, saxophones
Kaye Kelly, singer/songwriter
Chris Klaxton, trumpet
Marc LaForce, saxophones
Matt Langley, saxophones
Frank Laurino, drums (Future Memory, Big Blue World)
Marsupial Hat
Ralph Norris, saxophone
Jonny Peiffer, drums, piano (Sojoy)
Mark Shilansky, piano
Tom Snow, piano
Sound Suggestions
David Tonkin, guitar (Tonkin Toys)
Mike Walsh, drums
G. Calvin Weston, drums (Ornette Coleman, James Blood Ulmer)
The Zaklees