Session
musicians
We enthusiastically endorse these exceptional local musicians to work with you on your project. Each one has a distinct a diverse set of skills to help your dreams become a reality. Feel free to reach out to these musicians directly to discuss rates and availability for your session.
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Chris Baum - violin/composition
Chris Baum is a violinist and composer with extensive experience as a studio musician and orchestrator. He's worked on records by Leprous, Bent Knee, The Dear Hunter, Ihsahn, The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, Einar Soldberg, Richard Henshall, Hanson, Guy Mendilow, Dropkick Murphys, Video Game Orchestra, and many others. Whether you're looking for a haunting solo line or a lush section sound, he'll make your string dreams come true! He's available for in-person or remote recording.
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Albert Behar - Accordion
Hi I'm Albert, a Providence based accordionist. I first fell in love with the accordion as a teenager which eventually led to me studying the French tradition in Paris and working in NYC as a musician for a little over a decade. I moved to Rhode Island with my wife in 2021 and joined the Paper Moon Jazz Band which just won Motif Magazine's 'Judge's Pick Award' and was featured on The Public's Radio and RIPBS. I play and compose in a wide variety of accordion styles including tango, polka, indie rock and more.
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Dan DeLange - Arrangement/Orchestration
As a passionate orchestrator and arranger, I have had the privilege of scoring music for a diverse array of renowned artists and organizations, including: Julie Andrews, Paul Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O’Donnell, Stephen Schwartz (composer of Wicked), Charles Strouse (ANNIE), Jerry Herman (Hello Dolly), Harvey Schmidt (The Fantasticks), Universal Theatrical Group at Universal Pictures (L.A.), Manhattan Concert Productions (NYC), The Jim Henson Company (creator of The Muppets).
My orchestrations/arrangements have been heard in London’s West End, Madison Square Garden, Off-Broadway, Carnegie Hall, National Tours, European Tours and numerous regional theaters around the world including 60 productions as the resident orchestrator at Goodspeed Musicals.
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Marcus Grant - Drums/percussion
My name is Marcus Grant. I’m a drummer and percussionist well-versed in many styles including jazz, gospel, rock, hip-hop, funk, Afro-Cuban, folk, singer-songwriter and more. I hold a master’s degree in drum set performance from the University of Miami Frost school of music and have worked as a professional touring/session musician for 15 years.
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Ryan Kowal - vibraphone/drums/percussion
A veteran percussionist in the area, Ryan has been playing drumset, vibraphone, and percussion for over 25 years in a wide variety of settings. He has worked in many styles (jazz, blues, rock, pop, funk, folk, classical, etc.) and has leant his percussive voice to many recordings and live settings. He has a creative ear, can help craft your songs, and is skilled at realizing your vision in a short amount of time (very adept at recording and getting the parts down in a small amount of takes). He is also very easy to work with in the studio, with a warm, open, and collaborative vibe.
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Ben Levin - guitar
My name is Ben Levin and I'm a guitarist and singer. I can play guitar for rock, jazz, pop, rnb, metal, and hip hop groups and specialize in adding production ear candy to tracks. I'm happy to play serious or silly and can play both at the same time! You can hear my playing on my YouTube channel @BenLevin as well as in the band Bent Knee (every album from 2009-2022).
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Roz Raskin - Piano/Vocals
Roz Raskin (they/them) is a Providence basilovenovaone.comed pianist, songwriter, and vocalist. They are actively touring in their band NOVA ONE and played for many years in the band Roz and the Rice Cakes. For session work, they specialize in piano and vocals (lead or backing) within genres of indie rock, americana, and general alternative music.
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Chris Ryan - bass
Chris is a professional bassist with over 20 years experience touring and recording with a wide variety of artists, most notably as one of the core members of Deer Tick. Comfortable with all genres of music, and happy to play prewritten parts, develop accompaniments, or anything in between. Rates are negotiable, inline with Big Nice’s mission. Capable, easygoing, fun.
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Ben Shaw - saxophone/clarinet
Ben Shaw is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer based in Rhode Island. He is proficient on tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, alto saxophone, EWI, and can also play clarinet and harmonica. As a composer he has written and arranged music for a wide variety of ensembles including string quartet, mixed chamber ensemble, rock band, jazz big band, and orchestra. He works in a wide range of genres having released Americana/Folk, Jazz, and Classical albums as well as regularly performing in several different bands.
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Eric Smith - Trumpet/Flugelhorn/Arrangement
Eric Smith is a trumpet player and arranger with deep experience writing, recording, and performing music for horn sections. He has recorded and performed with groups such as Fordham Road, Half-Astronaut, and the Interconnections Ensemble. With the help of pro-level local musicians, Eric has provided horn sections comprised of trumpets, trombones, and saxophones that bring songs across genres to the next level.
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Courtney Swain - keys/vocals/arrangement
Hi I’m Courtney! I’ve recorded and produced many albums over the last 10+ years, most extensively with my band Bent Knee! Outside of my own music, I’ve also contributed vocals to bands like HAKEN, Childish Japes, and Car Bomb, well as projects like Mortal Kombat 11 and Bob’s Burgers. I can add background vocals, keys/synths, bass, as well as create vocal arrangement and string/horn arrangements for your music. If you want another mind to work on your lyrics or song arrangements, I can help with this, too! There are a lot of fun pedals, synths (including eurorack!), drum machines, and more living in my home studio, and I’m happy to bring them along to BNS for your session. I’m open to pretty much any genre, pop and rock to ambient, heavy metal, contemporary classical, jazz, ska, etc etc. Think of me of a fun studio Swiss Army knife :) Looking forward to working with ya!
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Jason Taylor - trumpet
Jason is a Providence based multi-instrumentalist specializing in trumpet and also proficient with guitar, bass, and keyboard. He plays across a variety of genres including Jazz, Funk, Soul and R&B to Country and Pop music. He is a part of the Half Baked Horns, a horn duo for hire that plays with musical groups up and down the East coast. He is also part of a couple different projects such as Americana folk rock group Molly Maguires, rock n roll cover band The Rob Davis Band, and general business/wedding band Purple Honey.
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Emily Dix Thomas - cello
Emily Dix Thomas (EDT) is a skilled cellist and singer who is an active member of The Huntress and Holder of Hands and Nova One, in addition to performing and recording solo. They are classically trained and have experience playing many genres, from folk to metal, punk to hip hop, and beyond. They are comfortable reading music or improvising in the studio, and can build and write lush string arrangements in the full range of the cello and experimental extended techniques. In addition, they love to add and blend vocal harmonies, and make jokes in the studio.
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Charles Vadala - keys
Charles is available for any of your piano and keyboard needs: piano, rhodes, synth, organ, etc. He have a background in jazz, an enthusiasm for harmony, and plenty of experience playing pop and rock. he’s a versatile player, but one of his sweet spots is in mellow and sweet sounding music. His piano and keyboard playing can be heard on the music of 'Erin Vadala' (FKA 'Erin Vadala and Her Brother Charles Vadala and their Band'), Adeline Um, and 'Sunshine Brother's Inc,' playing jazz-influenced indie, indie-pop, and psychedelic/surf rock, respectively.