Roland Guerin is an American bassist, composer, singer and songwriter born in Fort Polk, Louisiana. Guerin began playing bass at age 11, learning from his zydeco bass playing mother.

Musical Career

Guerin has played bass in bands including

Alvin Batiste Alvin Batiste (November 7, 1932 – May 6, 2007) was an American avant-garde jazz clarinetist born, who was in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He taught at his own jazz institute at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Hi ...

's The Jazztronauts while earning a degree in marketing at

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, The

Marcus Roberts Marthaniel "Marcus" Roberts (born August 7, 1963) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and teacher. Early life Roberts was born in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. His mother was a gospel singer who had gone blind a ...

Trio, Allen Toussaint and Dr. Johnas his music director. Chicago Symphony Orchestra 2005

Guerin joined the

Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descri ...

Band in 2008, touring with him until Toussaint died in 2015. He then joined the band of Dr. John, becoming The Night Tripper's final music director. Guerin has toured as bassist with artists including Jimmy Scott, John Scofield, Frank Morgan, Vernel Fournier, Gerry Mulligan, James Singleton, Jason Marsalis, George Benson, Ellis Marsalis, John Scofield, Wynton Marsalis,

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and

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and the Fellowship Band. He performed at UNESCO's first annual International Jazz Day in New Orleans at a sunrise concert in 2012, along with

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

. Guerin resumed touring with the Marcus Roberts Trio in 2022, playing Gershwin at The Grange in Hampshire UK, and in 2023 at the Mahalia Jackson Theater in New Orleans. He debuted his genre Prog:Funk at a New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation showcase, and on radio station WWOZ-FM in 2024.

Recording

Guerin performed on Marcus Roberts' ''In Honor of Duke'', a ''New York Times'' Album of the Week in 2009, on Allen Toussaint's album ''Connected'', ''The

Marsalis Marsalis is a surname. Notable people with the name include: Arts and entertainment Music *Branford Marsalis (born 1960), American saxophonist, composer and bandleader *Delfeayo Marsalis (born July 28, 1965), American jazz trombonist and record pr ...

Family,'' and Dr. John's single "The Bare Necessities" for Disney's live action movie ''The Jungle Book''. Guerin's first album ''The Winds of the New Land'' was released in 1997. His 2019 album ''Grass Roots'' was his first on Louisiana Red Hot Records. "Stick to the Basics" featured lyrics Toussaint gave Guerin, to add his own music and create the song. In 2021, Guerin won Burl Audio's International Song of the Year Contest with the single "28 Days" about masking up for four consecutive weeks, winning gear for his home studio. His subsequent EP "Prog:Funk" was released on Louisiana Red Hot Records in February, 2024. OffBeat Magazine wrote of "Prog:Funk" that drawing inspiration from his years as the music director for Dr. John and bassist for Allen Toussaint, "Guerin has honed his signature bass grooves, infusing them with the soulful essence of New Orleans."

Albums

* ''The Winds of the New Land (1997)'' * ''You Don't Have to See it to Believe it (2000)'' * ''Live at the Blue Note (2002)'' * ''Groove, Swing and Harmony (2003)'' * ''A Different World (2011)'' * ''Black Coffee (2016)'' * ''Grass Roots (2019) ouisiana Red Hot Records' * ''Prog Funk (2024) ouisiana Red Hot Records'

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guerin, Roland 1968 births Living people Jazz musicians