Trevor Roy Dunn (born January 30, 1968) is an American composer, bass guitarist, and double bassist. He came to prominence in the 1990s with the experimental band
Mr. Bungle. While performing with Mr. Bungle, Dunn would dress similar to the
St. Pauli Girl. He has since worked in an array of musical styles, including with saxophonist/composer
John Zorn
John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jazz ...
,
Secret Chiefs 3
Secret Chiefs 3 (or SC3) is an American avant-garde group led by guitarist/composer Trey Spruance (of Mr. Bungle and formerly, Faith No More). Their studio recordings and tours have featured different lineups, as the group performs a wide ra ...
and with his own
avant-garde jazz
Avant-garde jazz (also known as avant-jazz and experimental jazz) is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. It originated in the early 1950s and developed through to the late 1960s. Orig ...
/rock ensemble
Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant
''Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant'' is an avant-garde jazz trio led by Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn with guitarist Mary Halvorson and drummer Ches Smith.
AllMusic said the band combines "moody jazz with convulsive rock."
Discography
* ''Debut ...
. He is also a member of the band
Tomahawk
A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Indigenous peoples and nations of North America. It traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. In pre-colonial times the head was made of stone, bone, or antler, and Eur ...
.
Biography
Early life and career
After four years of studying the
clarinet, Dunn began playing electric bass at the age of 13. His earliest musical influences included the
Beach Boys
A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...
,
Blondie,
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American Rock music, rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, ...
, and
Kiss
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
.
Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant
In 1998, Dunn formed his
Trio-Convulsant. Their first release, ''
Debutantes & Centipedes'', features Dunn on bass,
Adam Levy on guitar, and
Kenny Wollesen on drums. The album ''
Sister Phantom Owl Fish'' on Ipecac (2004) includes
Ches Smith
Gordon McChesney "Ches" Smith is an American musician, whose primary instruments are drums, percussion, and vibraphone.
He recorded and performed an album of his own solo percussion pieces entitled ''Congs for Brums'' (2006). In 2010 he release ...
on percussion and
Mary Halvorson
Mary Halvorson (born October 16, 1980) is an American avant-garde jazz composer and guitarist from Brookline, Massachusetts.
Among her many collaborations, she has: led a trio with and Ches Smith, and a quintet with the addition of Jon Irabag ...
on guitar.
Other works
Dunn has participated in dozens of other recordings, both as a main collaborator and a guest musician. He is part of
Mike Pride's MPThree,
David Krakauer's Klezmer Madness, and
the Nels Cline Singers. He has contributed to or played with: Afro-Mystic,
Ben Goldberg
Ben Goldberg is an American clarinet player and composer.
Career
In the early 1990s, Ben Goldberg performed alongside electric bassist Dan Seamans and percussionist Kenny Wollesen as the New Klezmer Trio. They went on to produce three albums a ...
,
Brian "Head" Welch, Graham Connah's Sour Note Seven, Jess Jones Quartet, Junk Genius, Laplante/Dunn/Smith,
John Zorn's Electric Masada,
Matisyahu
Matthew Paul Miller (born June 30, 1979), known by his stage name Matisyahu (; ), is an American reggae singer, rapper, beatboxer, and alternative rock musician.
Known for blending spiritual themes with reggae, rock and hip hop beatboxing soun ...
,
Rova Saxophone Quartet,
Sean Lennon,
Suit of Lights, Rob Price Quartet,
Tin Hat Trio, and
Tipsy.
Bass guitars
*1975
Fender P-Bass
The Fender Precision Bass (often shortened to "P-Bass") is a model of electric bass guitar manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In its standard, post-1957 configuration, the Precision Bass is a solid body, four-stringed instrum ...
(his primary electric bass tuned to B-E-A-D for Fantômas)
*1950's Czech Contrabass used with Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant, occasionally with Mr. Bungle and with King Buzzo
*1991
Alembic
An alembic (from ar, الإنبيق, al-inbīq, originating from grc, ἄμβιξ, ambix, 'cup, beaker') is an alchemical still consisting of two vessels connected by a tube, used for distillation of liquids.
Description
The complete di ...
5-string Europa
*
Ken Lawrence 5-string fretless
*
Guild Ashbory
*1966
Guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...
Starfire
Discography
As leader or co-leader
* 1996 ''Phillip Greenlief/Trevor Dunn'' with Phillip Greenlief (Evander)
* 1999 ''
Debutantes & Centipedes'' (
Buzz
Buzz may refer to:
People
*Buzz (nickname), a list of people
*J. Buzz Von Ornsteiner (born 1967; aka ''Dr. Buzz''), American forensic psychologist and journalist
Fictional characters
*Buzz, a character in the 1987 American comedy movie '' Reve ...
)
* 2004 ''
Sister Phantom Owl Fish'' (
Ipecac
Syrup of ipecac (), or simply ipecac, is a drug that was once widely used as an expectorant (in low doses) and a rapid-acting emetic (in higher doses). It is obtained from the dried rhizome and roots of the ipecacuanha plant (''Carapichea ipecac ...
)
* 2005 ''untitled'' with Shelley Burgon (self-released)
* 2005 ''At Blim'' with Shelley Burgon (Audiobot)
* 2007 Baltimore with Shelley Burgon (
Skirl)
* 2008 ''Four Films'' (
Tzadik
Tzadik ( he, צַדִּיק , "righteous ne, also ''zadik'', ''ṣaddîq'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadiqim'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The ...
)
* 2008 ''White with Foam'' (Ipecac)
* 2016 ''
Strength & Power'' with
Roswell Rudd
Roswell Hopkins Rudd Jr. (November 17, 1935 – December 21, 2017) was an American jazz trombonist and composer.
Although skilled in a variety of genres of jazz (including Dixieland, which he performed while in college), and other genres of musi ...
,
Jamie Saft
Jamie Saft is an American keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist and composer. He was born in New York City, and studied at Tufts University and the New England Conservatory of Music.
Saft moved from Brooklyn to the Hudson Valley around 2007, and ...
, and
Balázs Pándi (
RareNoiseRecords
RareNoiseRecords is an independent record label based in London, co-founded by Italian entrepreneur Giacomo Bruzzo and Italian musician and producer Eraldo Bernocchi in 2008. The label's mission is to detect and amplify contemporary trends in pr ...
)
* 2019 ''Nocturnes'' (Tzadik)
As band member
With
Mr. Bungle
*1991 − ''
Mr. Bungle'' (
Warner Bros.)
*1995 − ''
Disco Volante'' (Warner Bros.)
*1999 − ''
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
'' (Warner Bros.)
*2020 − ''
The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo'' (Ipecac)
With
Secret Chiefs 3
Secret Chiefs 3 (or SC3) is an American avant-garde group led by guitarist/composer Trey Spruance (of Mr. Bungle and formerly, Faith No More). Their studio recordings and tours have featured different lineups, as the group performs a wide ra ...
*1996 − ''
First Grand Constitution and Bylaws''
With
Fantômas
*1999 − ''
Fantômas''
*2001 − ''
The Director's Cut
''The Director's Cut'' is the second studio album by American musical supergroup Fantômas. The album is a collection of cover versions of themes from horror films and television series, performed in a variety of different musical styles. The al ...
''
*2002 − ''
Millennium Monsterwork 2000
''Millennium Monsterwork 2000'' is a live album by Fantômas and Melvins taken from a New Year's Eve 2000 performance at Slim's which was released in 2002 through Ipecac Recordings.
Track listing
Personnel
*Dale Crover - drums, vocals
* Tre ...
'' (by The Fantômas Melvins Big Band)
*2004 − ''
Delìrium Còrdia
''Delìrivm Còrdia'' is the third studio album by American avant-garde metal band Fantômas, released on January 27, 2004, by record label Ipecac.
Style
Music
The music, which was composed solely by Patton, could be described as the score to ...
''
*2005 − ''
Suspended Animation
Suspended animation is the temporary (short- or long-term) slowing or stopping of biological function so that physiological capabilities are preserved. It may be either hypometabolic or ametabolic in nature. It may be induced by either endogen ...
''
*2008 − ''
Live from London 2006
''Live from London 2006'' is a DVD by the Fantômas Melvins Big Band that was released on August 26, 2008.
Track listing
# "Sacrifice" ( Flipper cover from '' Gone Fishin)
# "Page 27" (from Fantômas's '' Fantômas'')
# " Night Goat" (from ...
'' DVD (by The Fantômas Melvins Big Band)
With
Melvins
Melvins (sometimes The Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Initially, they performed as a trio but later also sometimes appe ...
(Lite)
*2006 − ''
A Live History of Gluttony and Lust'' (electric bass for this album, double bass for all subsequent releases)
*2012 − ''
Freak Puke
''Freak Puke'' is the eighteenth album by the Melvins, under the name Melvins Lite, released on June 5, 2012 through Ipecac Recordings. It is the first to feature one of the Melvins' alternate lineups with Trevor Dunn on standup bass.
Track l ...
''
*2013 – ''
Everybody Loves Sausages'' (on three songs, also sings on "Timothy Leary Lives")
*2016 – ''
Basses Loaded
''Basses Loaded'' is the 21st album by American rock band Melvins, released on June 3, 2016, through Ipecac Recordings. It features every member that has been a part of the Melvins over the previous decade, centered around the many bass guitar ...
'' (on "Planet Destructo")
With
The Nels Cline Singers
*''
Macroscope'' (Mack Avenue, 2014)
With
Tomahawk
A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Indigenous peoples and nations of North America. It traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. In pre-colonial times the head was made of stone, bone, or antler, and Eur ...
*2013 −
''Oddfellows''
*2021 – ''
Tonic Immobility
Apparent death, colloquially known as playing dead, feigning death, or playing possum, is a behavior in which animals take on the appearance of being dead. It is an immobile state most often triggered by a predatory attack and can be found in a ...
''
As sideman
With
Erik Friedlander
Erik Friedlander is an American cellist and composer based in New York City.
A veteran of New York City's experimental downtown scene, Friedlander has worked in many contexts, but is perhaps best known for his frequent collaborations with sax ...
*''
Grains of Paradise'' (Tzadik, 2001)
*''
Broken Arm Trio
''Broken Arm Trio'' is an album by cellist Erik Friedlander, bassist Trevor Dunn, and drummer Mike Sarin performing compositions inspired by Oscar Pettiford's cello work and the music of Herbie Nichols.
Reception
PopMatters correspondent Michael ...
'' (Skipstone, 2008)
*''
50 Miniatures for Improvising Quintet
''50 Miniatures for Improvising Quintet'' is an album by cellist Erik Friedlander, violinist Jennifer Choi, pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, bassist Trevor Dunn, and percussionist Mike Sarin released on the Skipstone label.
Reception
The Free Jazz Col ...
'' (Skipstone, 2010)
*''
Bonebridge
''Bonebridge'' is an album by cellist Erik Friedlander which was released in 2011 on the Skipstone label.
Reception
Allmusic rated the album with 4 stars out of 5. '' (Skipstone, 2011)
*''
Nighthawks
A nighthawk is a nocturnal bird.
Nighthawk(s) or Night Hawk(s) may also refer to:
* ''Nighthawks'' (painting), by Edward Hopper, 1942
Books and comics
* ''Nighthawk'' (novel), a 2017 novel by Clive Cussler
* ''Night Hawk'' (comics), a British ...
'' (Skipstone, 2014)
*''
Oscalypso
''Oscalypso'' (subtitled ''Tribute to Oscar Pettiford'') is an album by cellist Erik Friedlander performing compositions by Oscar Pettiford which was released in 2015 on the Skipstone label.
Reception
In JazzTimes Britt Robson called it "a mod ...
'' (Skipstone, 2015)
With
Eyvind Kang
Eyvindur Y. Kang (born 23 June 1971) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. His primary instrument is viola, but has also performed on violin, tuba, keyboards and others.
In addition to his solo work, Kang has worked extensively with ...
*''
The Narrow Garden'' (Ipecac, 2012)
With
Jamie Saft
Jamie Saft is an American keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist and composer. He was born in New York City, and studied at Tufts University and the New England Conservatory of Music.
Saft moved from Brooklyn to the Hudson Valley around 2007, and ...
*2009 – ''
Black Shabbis''
With
John Zorn
John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jazz ...
*2000 −
''The Big Gundown'' – 15th Anniversary Special Edition
*2001 − ''
The Gift''
*2002 − ''
Cobra: John Zorn's Game Pieces Volume 2''
*2002 − ''
Filmworks XII: Three Documentaries''
*2002 − ''
Filmworks XIII: Invitation to a Suicide''
*2003 − ''
Filmworks XIV: Hiding and Seeking''
*2004 − ''
50th Birthday Celebration Volume 4
''50th Birthday Celebration Volume 4'' is a live album by Masada (band), Electric Masada documenting their performance at Tonic (music venue), Tonic in September 2003 as part of John Zorn's month-long 50th Birthday Celebration.[Electric Masada
Masada is a musical group with rotating personnel led by American saxophonist and composer John Zorn since the early 1990s.
Masada was the first ensemble to perform Zorn's compositions inspired by Radical Jewish Culture and written to be performe ...]
*2005 − ''
Electric Masada: At the Mountains of Madness'' with Electric Masada
*2005 − ''Filmworks Anthology – 20 Years of Soundtrack Music''
*2006 − ''
Moonchild: Songs Without Words'' with Moonchild
*2006 − ''
Astronome
''Astronome'' is an album by American musician John Zorn featuring the "Moonchild Trio" of Joey Baron, Mike Patton and Trevor Dunn. It is the second album by the trio, following '' Moonchild: Songs Without Words''.
Theater director Richard Fore ...
'' with Moonchild
*2007 − ''
Six Litanies for Heliogabalus
''Six Litanies for Heliogabalus'' is an album by John Zorn. It is the third album to feature the "Moonchild Trio" of Mike Patton, Joey Baron and Trevor Dunn, following '' Moonchild: Songs Without Words'' (2005) and ''Astronome'' (2006) and the f ...
'' with Moonchild
*2007 − ''
Asmodeus: Book of Angels Volume 7'' with
Marc Ribot
Marc Ribot (;
born May 21, 1954) is an American guitarist and composer.
His work has touched on many styles, including no wave, free jazz, rock, and Cuban music. Ribot is also known for collaborating with other musicians, most notably Tom Wai ...
*2008 − ''
The Dreamers'' with The Dreamers
*2008 − ''
The Crucible
''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Miller wrote the play as an ...
'' with Moonchild
*2009 − ''
O'o'' with The Dreamers
*2010 − ''
Ipos: Book of Angels Volume 14'' with The Dreamers
*2010 − ''
Ipsissimus'' with Moonchild
*2010 − ''
Interzone''
*2010 − ''
Filmworks XXIV: The Nobel Prizewinner''
*2010 − ''
The Goddess – Music for the Ancient of Days
The Goddess – Music for the Ancient of Days is an album composed by John Zorn and released on the Tzadik label. It is the third in a series of albums, the first two being '' Alhambra Love Songs'' and ''In Search of the Miraculous''.
Reception
...
''
*2011 − ''
Nova Express'' with the Nova Quartet
*2011 − ''
At the Gates of Paradise
''At the Gates of Paradise'' is an album by John Zorn released on Zorn's own label, Tzadik Records, in 2011 and featuring music inspired by William Blake and the Gnostic texts from the Nag Hammadi library.A Dreamers Christmas
''A Dreamers Christmas'' is an album of Christmas music by John Zorn released in October 2011 on the Tzadik label. It was produced by John Zorn and released on his own label Tzadik Records. It was Zorn's 5th album in 2011.
Reception
Allmusic said ...
'' with The Dreamers
*2012 − ''
Templars: In Sacred Blood'' with Moonchild
*2012 − ''
Enigmata''
*2012 − ''
Rimbaud''
*2012 − ''
A Vision in Blakelight
''A Vision in Blakelight'' is an album by John Zorn recorded in New York City in December 2011 and released on the Tzadik label in 2012. The album is inspired by the works of William Blake.
Reception
Martin Schray stated "The album is a wonderfu ...
''
*2012 − ''
The Concealed
''The Concealed'' (subtitled ''Esoteric Secrets and Hidden Traditions of the East'') is an album composed by John Zorn. The album was released on Zorn's own label, Tzadik Records, in November 2012. ''
*2013 − ''
Dreamachines'' with the Nova Quartet
*2014 – ''
On Leaves of Grass
''On Leaves of Grass'' is an album composed by John Zorn inspired by the works of Walt Whitman and performed by the Nova Quartet, John Medeski, Kenny Wollesen, Trevor Dunn, and Joey Baron, which was recorded in New York City in March 2014 and relea ...
'' with the Nova Quartet
*2014 – ''Valentine's Day''
*2014 − ''The Last Judgment''
*2015 – ''
Pellucidar: A Dreamers Fantabula'' with The Dreamers
*2015 − ''The True Discoveries of Witches and Demons''
*2015 − ''The Song Project Live at Le Poisson Rouge''
*2017 − ''The Garden of Earthly Delights''
*2018 − ''Insurrection''
*2018 − ''Salem, 1692''
*2019 − ''The Hierophant''
*2020 – ''Calculus''
With Jozef Dumoulin Trio
*2011 − ''Rainbow Body'' with
Jozef Dumoulin (Rhodes) and Eric Thielemans (drums)
With the
Rob Price Quartet
Rob or ROB may refer to:
Places
* Rob, Velike Lašče, a settlement in Slovenia
* Roberts International Airport (IATA code ROB), in Monrovia, Liberia
People
* Rob (given name), a given name or nickname, e.g., for Robert(o), Robin/Robyn
* Rob (s ...
*2004 − ''At Sunset'' with
Ellery Eskelin
Ellery Eskelin (born August 16, 1959) is an American tenor saxophonist raised in Baltimore, Maryland and residing in New York City. His parents, Rodd Keith and Bobbie Lee, were both professional musicians. Rodd Keith died in 1974 in Los Angeles, ...
and
Joey Baron
Bernard Joseph Baron (born June 26, 1955 in Richmond, Virginia) is an American avant-garde jazz drummer who plays frequently with Bill Frisell and John Zorn.
Music career
Baron was born on June 26, 1955, in Richmond Virginia. When he was nine, h ...
*2007 − ''I Really Do Not See the Signal'' with
Jim Black replacing Baron
With
King Buzzo
Roger "Buzz" Osborne (born March 25, 1964), also known as King Buzzo, is an American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He is a founding member of the rock band Melvins, as well as Fantômas and Venomous Concept.
Biography
Born in Morton, ...
*2020 − ''Gift of Sacrifice'' (Ipecac)
Album collaborations
*1999 − ''PantyChrist'' by
Bob Ostertag,
Justin Bond and
Otomo Yoshihide
is a Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist. He mainly plays guitar, turntables, and electronics.
He first came to international prominence in the 1990s as the leader of the experimental rock group Ground Zero, and has since worked in ...
*2004 − ''
Eucademix'' by
Yuka Honda
Yuka Honda is a Japanese-American musician who resides in New York City. She is a multi-instrumentalist (mainly piano, synthesizer, sampler and other keyboards), composer, record producer, and co-founder of the band Cibo Matto. Throughout her ...
Guest appearances
*1994 − ''
Dressing for Pleasure'' by
Jon Hassell & Bluescreen (on the songs "Villa Narco" and "Mati")
*1996 − ''In These Great Times'' by John Schott
*1996 − ''Trip Tease'' by
Tipsy
*1999 − ''Memory Is an Elephant'' by
Tin Hat Trio
*2000 − ''Helium'' by Tin Hat Trio
*2002 − ''The Rabbi's Lover'' by
Jenny Scheinman
Jenny Scheinman is a jazz violinist. She has produced several critically acclaimed solo albums, including ''12 Songs'', named one of the Top Ten Albums of 2005 by ''The New York Times''. She has played with Linda Perry, Norah Jones, Nels Cli ...
*2003 − ''Dimly Lit: Collected Soundtracks 1996–2002'' by Doug Wieselman
*2004 − ''
Eucademix ''by
Yuka Honda
Yuka Honda is a Japanese-American musician who resides in New York City. She is a multi-instrumentalist (mainly piano, synthesizer, sampler and other keyboards), composer, record producer, and co-founder of the band Cibo Matto. Throughout her ...
*2004 − ''Shalagaster'' by
Jenny Scheinman
Jenny Scheinman is a jazz violinist. She has produced several critically acclaimed solo albums, including ''12 Songs'', named one of the Top Ten Albums of 2005 by ''The New York Times''. She has played with Linda Perry, Norah Jones, Nels Cli ...
*2005 − ''Nihm'' by Okkyung Lee
*2006 − ''
Starling
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The Sturnidae are named for the genus ''Sturnus'', which in turn comes from the Latin word for starling, ''sturnus''. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, ...
'' by
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989), commonly called "Billy", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yan ...
*2008 − ''
Save Me from Myself'' by
Head
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may no ...
*2008 − ''
Terror Syndrome'' by
Terror Syndrome
*2009 − ''Blackbird's Echo'' by Niobe
References
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunn, Trevor
1968 births
20th-century American bass guitarists
American experimental musicians
American rock bass guitarists
American male bass guitarists
American rock double-bassists
Male double-bassists
Avant-garde jazz musicians
Guitarists from California
Living people
People from Eureka, California
Singers from California
Tzadik Records artists
Fantômas (band) members
Melvins members
Mr. Bungle members
Tomahawk (band) members
21st-century double-bassists
20th-century American male musicians
21st-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians
Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant members
The Nels Cline Singers members