veasley, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The roots of his music run deep in his soul.Veasley started playing the bass at age 12 and recallslearning a great deal from jam sessions at home with friendsof his musically inclined parents. His parents� hard workinspired him, and his outstanding high school career earnedVeasley a four-year full academic scholarship to the Universityof Pennsylvania. During his third year, Veasley lost his father.To deal with the loss, he focused on music. Veasley taughthimself how to improvise, transcribe solos and studied chordprogressions, and he took up studying classical guitar toexpand his range as a musician.�When my father died, I had a hard time coming to gripswith the loss, and the music proved very therapeutic,� he said.�I thought, �If music can have that kind of healing effect on me,maybe I can spend my life creating music that can do thesame for others.� �He came to appreciate Weather Report and Return toForever as much as he appreciated Earth, Wind & Fire andSmokey Robinson. Veasley has cited Jaco Pastorius, AnthonyJackson and Stanley Clarke as his main influences on electricbass.In the 1980s, Veasley had developed into a versatile andreputable sideman and session player. He joined longtimementor and friend Grover Washington Jr.�s band in 1986 andplayed on six of the sax player�s recordings.�Grover was a gentle human being who I think about everyday,� Veasley said. �I feel like a steward of his legacy, alegacy of honest, heartfelt music. It�s better to play one notethat sounds like you, than a hundred that sound like someoneelse.�Having held the music of Weather Report and Pastoriusin such high regard, Veasley was delighted when, in 1988,Weather Report co-founder and legendary jazz fusion pioneerJoe Zawinul hired him as a sideman. Veasley toured the worldwith his idol until 1995.�That was a real education, on and off the bandstand,� hesaid.He has recorded and/or performed with McCoy Tyner, TheDixie Hummingbirds, Odean Pope, Special EFX, labelmateJoe McBride, Teddy Pendergrass, Phil Perry, Chieli Minucci,Dianne Reeves, George Howard, Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind& Fire, Kenny Blake, Pamela Williams, Eric Marienthal, OnajeAlan Gumbs, Omar Hakim and many more. He has sharedstages and tours with Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie.Since 1992�s Look Ahead, Veasley has released Signs,Soul Control, Love Letters, On the Fast Track, Velvet, andYour Move on the Heads Up label.Love Letters (1999) was Veasley�s last album to featureGrover Washington Jr. before his death at the end of thatsame year. Washington had appeared on all of Veasley�s soloalbums, and Veasley paid tribute to his friend and mentor with�Goodnight Moon,� a tune on his 2001 release, On the FastTrack.When not teaching or wowing audiences, Veasley isproducing for other artists. He produced part of saxophonistAndrew Neu�s new album.�We�re just finishing up,� Veasley said. �At a young age, he�s

already a master.�With his skill and versatility apparent both on and off thestage, it�s easy to see why Veasley is such a favorite here atBerks.