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Vanessa McGowan is an acoustic and electric bass player from Auckland New Zealand, now based in London after living in the United States for two years.
Current projects include Her Make Believe Band, The Cy Winstanley Trio and Ladyfunk. Vanessa is currently working on original material for her debut album as a band leader, and Her Make Believe Band's debut album is out now and available through itunes, Rough Trade London, CD Baby, Amplifier NZ and direct from Old Oak Music.
History
She started playing bass professionally in 1998 and has been a full time freelance musician since completing a Bachelor of Music (Jazz Performance Bass) from Auckland University in 2002.
Before Vanessa left New Zealand in August 2005 she was the bassist for The Rodger Fox Big Band, The Caitlin Smith Group, who in 2005 released the album “Aurere”, and The Caitlin Smith Trio with Caitlin on vocals and Kevin Field on piano.
In 2004 she performed with The Rodger Fox Big Band on the band’s national tour, which included the great American musicians Michael Brecker (saxophone), Diane Schuur (vocals), Bill Cunliffe (piano) and Jon Papenbrook (trumpet) and in 2005 toured NZ again, this time with the legendary Steve Smith on drums plus Mike Brignola (baritone sax), Bruce Paulson (trombone), Jon Papenbrook (trumpet) and Glenn Walters (vocals). She has also performed throughout NZ at most of the major Jazz Festivals including Tauranga, Bay of Islands, Waiheke, Rotorua, Whagarei, Wanganui and Auckland.
In 2005 Vanessa accepted a scholarship to study with the great American bassist Tom Warrington at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and in 2007 graduated with her Masters of Music, Jazz Performance Bass.
While at UNLV she won the International Association of Jazz Education Sisters In Jazz competition. She performed with them under the direction of Ingrid Jensen in New York in January 2007 at the IAJE Conference and again in May 2007 at the Mary Lou Williams Women In Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. In July 2007 the group finished up with a tour to Costa Rica, performing around the country as part of the Costa Rica International Jazz Festival..
Vanessa has performed with Bobby Shew (Trumpet), Bob Sheppard (Woodwind), Joe La Barbera (Drums), Ruth Brown (Vocals), Marlena Shaw (Vocals) and Chris Potter (Saxophone). She has also worked with top Las Vegas musicians David Perrico (Trumpet), Tony Bronco (Piano), Joe Lano (Guitar and adjunct faculty at UNLV) and David Loeb (Piano and Director of Jazz Studies at UNLV). Before leaving Las Vegas Vanessa was playing a weekly duo residency at the Bootlegger with the fantastic pianist Gus Mancuso.
As well as being a dedicated performer and composer, Vanessa is also an experienced music tutor, passionate about passing on excellent technique, depth of understanding and her own love of music to her students.
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