Music has always been a part of my life. Even  as a small child, I learned to appreciate the great music both my parents loved, from Duke Ellington, Count Basie to Ella Fitzgerald.It was my father who took my brother and I at age l0 to the Uptown  Theater in Philadelphia to see the Temptations, the Supremes, Steve Wonder , James Brown and many others live.

My own playing is influenced from a wide variety of great musicians. Musicians who strive for perfection with creativity, such as John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins, Stanley Turrentine,  and also greats like Bennie Goodman, Tito Puente,  Eddie Palmieri, Fela Kuti, Oscar Peterson.

I have experienced Philadelphia Salsa music by performing with Panama y su Orchestra Ritmo Caliente for over l0 years, one of the best salsa bands in the East Coast during that era. At the time of emergence of World Music, I performed with one of the best local world music bands in the Philadelphia area, Jaja Matsimela.

I draw my inspiration from my experience of these pluralistic sources to create a unique sound and  innovative arrangements, from jazz to Latin to blues. Today, performing with my contemporaries continues to further my growth and maturity as a musician.

Laurent Bass Bio

A native of Philadelphia, saxophonist, clarinetist  and educator LB Laurent  Bass has an extensive background in Jazz, Latin , Classical and World Music. He received his M.Ed. from Harvard University and B.A. from Temple University. Presently, Laurent is Adjunct Professor at Penn State University. He studied clarinet extensively with composer, clarinetist and saxophonist Norman David, currently Adjunct Associate  Professor and member of the Composition & Theory Dept. at the University of  the Arts in Philadelphia.

LB is recognized in the Philadelphia area  in the  entertainment and special  events industry for his solo  band LB Jazz +One in which he plays live as a single  multi-instrumentalist   with the accompaniment of his Synchronized Automatic Melody (SAM) backup band.  His style of jazz and arrangements not only contain American Jazz styles but also combine with the historical and contemporary rhythms of Africa, Brazil, Cuba, Caribbean's and Europe. His eclectic and vibrant  music  thrills audiences with its rich blend of blues, sambas, reggae and jazz unique sounds.

In addition  to his solo band ,   LB  is an integral  member of Mélange Jazz Collective for which he performs as the lead clarinetist , saxophonist and blues  harmonica  player. He has also performed with several Latin and World Music groups.

LB has performed over the entire East Coast at live events including  the Kimmel Center, Mellon Jazz Festival, The Bethlehem Music Festival, Penn's Landing Music Festival, The Painted Bride, New York's Beacon Theatre . He has also appeared at the World Café Live , the Sunoco Welcome America , the Annual SoNo Arts Celebration in So. Norwalk, CT and at some European events.