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About
Kevin grew up in New York where he studied piano with Marvin Drucker and played trombone in the public schools. He has been a bass guitarist and instructor in Chicago for a long time. After studying jazz expression with David Bloom at the Bloom School Of Jazz he went on for 17 years to teach ensemble classes with an emphasis on improvisation skills.
According to Kevin there's nothing quite like driving a rhythm section and he is as happy playing quarter notes or blues shuffles as he is soloing on jazz standards.
The most helpful thing a teacher can do for students is to emphasize the importance of studying the most fundamental materials and then begin to learn how to get as much out of those basic materials as possible. Triads can be used for simple walking bass lines or for complex upper-structure chordal harmony so everyone needs to dig in to the basics and then go from there.
Beyond the actual harmonic materials I always emphasize solid rhythm and will introduce concepts for improvising whenever students are ready. I make it low-pressure and super fun. I try to never get too technical, especially when things can be learned in a more natural way.
I've had students that range from beginners to self-taught experts, from Julliard School graduates to Navy Seals, so I am quite used to a wide variety of students.
Bloom School Of Jazz (Chicago, class instructor for 17 years), Bass Musician Magazine online (contributor, articles/video lessons)
My own materials are the starting point and I use music notation software for legible charts but will sometimes go to other sources.
Beyond anything technical, I like to start out with blues lines, shuffles and R&B grooves and then move into walking bass studies. One very helpful area of study for all modern players is ostinato grooves from any genre. Once we can add studies in dynamics to all of these things everything comes alive and the student will approach more advanced levels of playing.