Thomas Michael "T. M." Stevens (born July 28, 1951) is an American

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

ist from

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Stevens has worked with an array of rock, R&B, and pop acts as a

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

, and also leads his own groups and works as a solo performer.

Life

Stevens recorded with his band Shocka Zooloo, a power trio that features Michael Barnes "Master Blaster" on guitar and Garry "G-Man" Sullivan on drums. Stevens, with the band Shocka Zooloo and earlier the band Out Of Control, has released seven albums, the most recent being ''Africans in the Snow'' for the SPV Steamhammer label. Along with his work as both songwriter and producer, Stevens worked with other artists. Scheduling at least two European Shocka Zooloo tours each year, he also toured in 2004 with Jean Paul Bourelly and drummer John Blackwell, ex-drummer for

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

. In Autumn 2005 he completed an Asian tour with Neil Zaza going directly into a lengthy European tour with Shocka Zooloo. Stevens finished 2005 with a collaboration with

Carl Palmer Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer (born 20 March 1950) is an English drummer best known as founding member and the last surviving member of the progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer. He was also a founding member of progressive rock s ...

and Andrea Braido in Italy and Russia which was followed by a European ELP tour in February 2006. In 2007, he was the touring bassist for

The Headhunters The Headhunters are an American jazz fusion band formed by Herbie Hancock in 1973. The group fused jazz, funk, and rock music. History (and name) Hancock had grown dissatisfied with his prior band, Mwandishi, and wanted to make a band with a st ...

. In March 2008 while on his solo tour his bus was attacked by fireworks thrown by a young fan, the young fan who could only be called JO due to legal reasons was charged with vandalism and given community work. In summer 2011 he joined the Bootsy Collins Funk Unity Tour. Steven's vocals came about through

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

's insistence that he not only play bass but sing on " Living in America" and on Brown's album, ''Gravity''. Stevens has recorded with many artists including:,

Steve Vai Steven Siro Vai (; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a transcriptionist for ...

Neil Zaza Neil Zaza is an American guitarist known for his instrumental rock compositions as well as his adaptation of classical works by Bach and Mozart into his own blend of neo-classical, melodic, guitar instrumentals. Biography Neil Zaza was born in ...

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

Little Steven Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin ...

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...

Dan Hartman Daniel Earl Hartman (December 8, 1950 – March 22, 1994) was an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Among songs he wrote and recorded were " Free Ride" as a member of the Edgar Winter Group, and the solo hits ...

and

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...

. A former member of

The Pretenders Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Fa ...

, Stevens recorded on the platinum album ''Get Close''. He produced and arranged the album ''Tribute to

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...

According to New York'' on which included:

Vinnie Moore Vincent Moore (born April 14, 1964) is an American guitarist and a member of the British hard rock band UFO. Biography Moore was born in New Castle, Delaware. He began his professional career at age 12 after receiving a guitar as a Christ ...

, members of

Living Colour Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. The band currently consists of guitarist Vernon Reid, lead vocalist Corey Glover, drummer Will Calhoun and bassist Doug Wimbish (who replaced Muzz Skillings in 1992). S ...

and

Bernie Worrell George Bernard Worrell, Jr. (April 19, 1944 – June 24, 2016) was an American keyboardist and record producer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll ...

Parliament-Funkadelic Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s. Their distinctive fu ...

. Stevens performed on

Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...

's album, '' Unchain My Heart.'' Together with

Narada Michael Walden Narada Michael Walden ( ; Michael Walden; born April 23, 1952) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He acquired the nickname Narada from Sri Chinmoy. He began his career as a drummer, working primarily in the jazz ...

he penned the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

"I Should Have Loved Ya". His early jazz years brought him to play with the

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

trumpeter The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard B ...

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

and

bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or ...

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

. Stevens has been a resident of

West Long Branch, New Jersey West Long Branch is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 8,097,Arcadia Publishing Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of neighborhood, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the History Press, which publi ...

, 2007. . Accessed October 25, 2015. "Its new owners are Taka and T. M. Stevens. The latter is a heavy metal funk bassist, well known as a sessions musician who has also produced his own solo albums."

Equipment

Stevens is often seen with

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...

basses, most notably 4-string neck-through Streamers. He has his own signature model, the Zooloo Warrior, which features images of African motifs on a bright colored background. His signature model also sports African styled "Mask" abalone inlays and a painted wenge neck. Previously, he was using

Cort Cort is the surname of several people: * Cornelis Cort (1536–1578), Dutch engraver * Henry Cort (1740–1800), English ironmaster * Frans de Cort (1834–1878), Flemish writer * Hendrik Frans de Cort (1742-1810), Flemish landscape painter * John ...

bass guitars, his own signature model called Funkmachine and the A5 model. TM is a user of Dean Markley strings which he has endorsed since 1984. Morley pedals has also given him a signature bass Wah Wah pedal with a painted picture of himself playing a bass and a text saying "fonk wah".

Discography

* ''Africans In The Snow'' (2007) * ''Shocka Zooloo'' (2001) * ''Limousine Drive'' (2001) * ''Radioactive'' (1999) * ''Black Night - Deep Purple Tribute According to New York'' (1997) * ''Ground Zero'' Maxi Single (1996) * ''Only You'' Maxi Single (1996) * ''Sticky Wicked'' (1996) * ''Boom'' (1995)

Recordings with other artists

* 2008 -

- ''On Top'' * 2008 - Temple Of Soul - ''Brothers in Arms'' * 2008 - Swans In Flight - ''Swans In Flight'' * 2005 - Travers & Appice - ''Live at the House of Blues'' * 2004 - Travers & Appice - ''It takes a lot of balls'' * 2004 -

Victor Wooten Victor Lemonte Wooten (born September 11, 1964) is an American bassist, songwriter, and record producer. He has been the bassist for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones since the group's formation in 1988 and a member of the band SMV with two other ...

- ''

Soul Circus ''Soul Circus'' is the fifth album by Victor Wooten, released in 2005. Wooten claims he took inspiration from what played in radio stations in the 1970s, so most songs have lyrics to them. Track listing #"Intro: Adam" (V. Wooten) – 0:09 #"Vic ...

'' * 2004 - Aina - ''Days of Rising Doom: The Metal Opera'' * 2004 -

Mindi Abair Mindi Abair (born May 23, 1969) is an American saxophonist, vocalist, author, and National Trustee for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the organization that puts on the Grammy Awards show. Her solo career has produced ten N ...

- ''Come as you are'' * 2004 - 03 - ''Monster'' * 2002 - 03 - ''03'' * 2002 - Jeff Pitchell and Texas Flood - ''Heavy Hitter'' * 2001 -

Syleena Johnson Syleena Johnson ( Thompson; September 2, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter from Chicago, Illinois. Personal life Johnson is the daughter of 1960s rhythm and blues, R&B Hi Records singer Syl Johnson and Bre ...

- ''Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness'' * 2000 -

- ''The 7th Song: Enchanting Guitar Melodies - Archive'' * 2000 -

2Pac Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

- ''The Rose That Grew from Concrete'' * 2000 -

- ''Best of'' * 1999 -

Illegal Aliens Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...

- ''International Telephone'' * 1999 -

- ''Da Bomb'' * 1999 -

Nona Hendryx Nona Bernis Hendryx (born October 9, 1944) is an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, and author. Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady ...

- ''Transformation: The Best of Nona Hendrix'' * 1999 -

Mark Whitfield Mark Whitfield (born October 6, 1966) is an American jazz guitarist. Life and career Whitfield was born in Lindenhurst, New York. He has worked with Jack McDuff, Jimmy Smith, Courtney Pine, Nicholas Payton, and Chris Botti. In 2000, Whitfiel ...

- ''Take the Ride'' * 1998 - Angelique Kidjo - ''Oremi'' + ''We Are One'' * 1998 - JK - ''What's the Word'' * 1998 -

Stacy Lattisaw Stacy Lattisaw Jackson (née Lattisaw; born November 25, 1966) is an American R&B singer from Washington, D.C., United States. Career The 1979 song "Ring My Bell" was originally written for then twelve-year-old Lattisaw, as a teenybopper song ...

- ''Very Best of Stacy Lattisaw'' * 1997 - Nicklebag - ''Mas Feedback'' * 1997 -

- ''Complete Hits Collection 1974-1997'' * 1997 -

Cissy Houston Emily "Cissy" Houston ( ''née'' Drinkard; born September 30, 1933) is an American soul and gospel singer. After a successful career singing backup for such artists as Roy Hamilton, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, Houston embar ...

- ''He Leadeth Me'' * 1996 -

Mick Taylor Michael Kevin Taylor (born 17 January 1949) is an English guitarist, best known as a former member of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (1967–1969) and the Rolling Stones (1969–1974). As a member of the Stones, h ...

- ''Shadow man'' * 1996 -

- ''Ecstasy's Dance:The Best of Narada'' * 1996 -

Billy Squier William Haislip Squier (, born May 12, 1950) is an American rock musician and singer who had a string of arena rock and crossover hits in the early 1980s. His best-known songs include "The Stroke", "Lonely Is the Night", "My Kinda Lover", "In t ...

- ''Reach for the Sky, the Anthology'' * 1995 - Jean-Paul Bourelly - ''Tribute to Jimi'' * 1995 -

Curtis Stigers Curtis Stigers (born October 18, 1965) is an American jazz singer. He achieved a number of hits in the early 1990s, most notably the international hit "I Wonder Why" (1991), which reached No. 5 in the UK and No. 9 in the US. Career St ...

- ''Time Was'' * 1995 -

Gabrielle Roth Gabrielle Roth (February 4, 1941 – October 22, 2012) was an American dancer and musician in the world music and trance dance genres, with a special interest in shamanism. She created the 5Rhythms approach to movement in the late 1970s; t ...

- ''Tongues'' * 1995 - American Babylon * 1994 - Uptown Horns - ''Uptown Horns Revue'' * 1994 - Gabrielle Roth - ''Luna'' * 1994 - Big Bang - ''In the Beginning Was a Dr'' * 1994 - hide - ''

Hide Your Face ''Hide Your Face'' is the debut album by Japanese musician hide, released on February 23, 1994. It reached number 1 on the Oricon Albums Chart and was certified Double Platinum by the RIAJ for sales over 500,000 copies. It was named one of the ...

'' * 1993 - Massimo Riva - ''Matti come tutti'' * 1993 - John Andrew Parks * 1993 -

Stevie Salas Stevie Salas (born November 17, 1964) is a Native American guitarist, author, television host, music director, record producer, film composer, and former advisor of contemporary music at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. ...

- ''The Electric Pow Wow'' * 1993 -

- ''Sex & Religion'' * 1993 -

Taylor Dayne Taylor Dayne (born Leslie Wunderman; March 7, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to fame in 1987 after her debut single " Tell It to My Heart". Dayne achieved six additional U.S. top-10 singles, including "Love Will ...

- ''Send Me a Lover'' * 1993 - Billy Joel - ''River of Dreams'' * 1993 - Gabrielle Roth - ''Trance'' * 1993 -

- ''Best of Joe Cocker'' * 1992 - Taylor Dayne - ''Soul Dancing'' * 1992 - Joe Cocker - ''Night Calls'' * 1991 - Two Rooms - ''Celebrating the Songs of'' * 1991 -

- ''Simply the Best'' * 1991 -

- ''Curtis Stigers'' * 1990 - Joe Cocker - ''Live!'' * 1990 -

Darlene Love Darlene Wright (born July 26, 1941), known professionally as Darlene Love, is an American singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and she also recorded as a solo artist. She began singing as a child with her ...

- ''Paint Another Picture'' * 1990 -

Riot A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...

- ''

The Privilege of Power ''The Privilege of Power'' is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Riot. It was more experimental than their previous work, being an attempt at a concept album and also including a horn section on some of the tracks. "Racing wi ...

'' * 1989 - Very Special Christmas - ''Very Special Christmas'' * 1989 - Tina Turner - ''Foreign Affair'' * 1989 -

- ''Night to Remember'' * 1989 - Taylor Dayne - ''Can't Fight Fate'' * 1989 - Joe Cocker - ''One Night of Sin'' * 1987 - Little Steven and the Disciples of soul - ''Freedom - no compromise'' * 1987 - Joe Cocker - ''Unchain My Heart'' * 1987 - Nona Hendryx - ''Female Trouble'' (Co wrote "Funky Land" B-side single) * 1986 -

Pretenders Pretenders may refer to: * The Pretenders, a rock band ** ''Pretenders'' (album), the 1980 debut album by the group * ''Pretenders'' (TV series), a 1972 British television series * ''The Pretenders'' (play) (Norwegian: ''Kongs-Emnerne''), an 18 ...

- ''Get Close'' * 1986 - James Brown - ''Gravity'' * 1986 -

Gregory Abbott Gregory Joel Abbott (born April 2, 1954) is an American singer, musician, composer and producer. Although he continues to record to date, he is best known for his singles in the mid-1980s including his platinum single, "Shake You Down", from h ...

- ''Shake You Down'' * 1986 - Billy Squier - ''Enough Is Enough'' * 1986 - Lovebug Starski - ''House Rocker'' * 1983 - Tramaine - ''Search Is Over'' * 1983 - Gary Private - ''Secret Love'' * 1982 - Yoshiaki Masuo - ''Mellow Focus'' * 1980 - David Sancious - ''Just As I Thought'' * 1980 - Yoshiaki Masuo - ''Masuo Live'' * 1980 - Yoshiaki MASUO - ''Song is You and Me'' * 1979 -

- ''Dance of Life'' (co-wrote the hit single "I shoulda loved ya") * 1979 - Yoshiaki Masuo - ''Good Morning'' * 1979 - Yoshiaki Masuo - ''Sunshine Avenue'' * 1978 - Yoshiaki Masuo - ''Sailing Wonder''

References

External links

*
Photos: TMS tevens live in Salzburg / Austria

Bass Guitar Magazine
Interview with TM in Issue 3 - UK's No.1 bass magazine
TM Stevens interview at Allaboutjazz.com

Pretenders 977 RadioTM Stevens Interview for the NAMM Oral History Program

TM Stevens teaches at Camp Rock
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, T. M. 1951 births Living people American rock bass guitarists American funk bass guitarists American male bass guitarists American male guitarists African-American guitarists The Pretenders members People from West Long Branch, New Jersey Guitarists from New York (state) 20th-century American guitarists