Tony Garnier (musician)
Tony Garnier (born August 18, 1956 in Saint Paul, Minnesota) is an American bassist (both double bass and bass guitar), best known as an accompanist to Bob Dylan, with whom he has played since 1989.
- This page is for the musician. For the architect, see Tony Garnier.
Tony Garnier | |
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Garnier at the 2015 Aarhus Festival, in Denmark | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Tony Garnier |
Born | Saint Paul, Minnesota | August 18, 1956
Genres | Rock, folk, folk rock, blues, country |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Bass guitar, double bass, keyboards |
Years active | 1976–present |
Associated acts | Bob Dylan, Asleep at the Wheel, Buster Poindexter, The Lounge Lizards, Robert Gordon |
Musical heritage
Garnier's musical heritage descends from the Camelia Brass Band in New Orleans led by his grandfather, D'Jalma Garnier, (also spelled Ganier while with Camelia Brass Band), a legendary early jazz player noted on the Preservation Hall roster in the New Orleans French Quarter. Garnier is one of the numerous grandsons descended from D'Jalma Thomas Garnier the New Orleans bandleader, trumpet player, pianist and violinist said to have taught Louis Armstrong at the New Orleans Boys Home for Colored Waifs. Tony Garnier is the younger brother of D'Jalma Garnier born 1954, the fiddler, composer, guitarist and "pedestrian scholar" of Louisiana Creole fame. The two brothers, along with first cousin Stephen "Stevo" Théard, are the only descendants of Papa Garnier to become professional musicians in the legacy of this significant New Orleans musical family. Both of their parents were musicians working with non-profits in California.
Professional career
Before joining Dylan's Never Ending Tour Band in 1989, Garnier added bass tracks to films by Jim Jarmusch, most notably Down by Law, filmed in Louisiana.
Garnier is Dylan's longest-running sideman, and has sometimes been characterized as his "musical director" as well.[1] In addition to his work with Dylan, Garnier has recorded with Tom Waits, Loudon Wainwright III, Paul Simon, Marc Ribot, Eric Andersen and Chris O'Connell, former female singer of Asleep at the Wheel, Western swing band with whom he also played and recorded from 1976 to 1978, and The Lounge Lizards. He also played with Robert Gordon in the early 1980s. He was also a long-time sideman for David Johansen in his Buster Poindexter persona, and was also briefly a member of the Saturday Night Live house band. Garnier appeared in Bob Dylan's 2003 film Masked and Anonymous.
Garnier worked with Michelle Branch on her third studio album, Everything Comes and Goes, released in 2010.[2]
In 2019 Garnier co-produced the album "After the fire After the rain" of The Lost Brothers.[3]
References
- Jisi, Chris (May 7, 2015). "Tony Garnier: The Song Whisperer". bassplayer.com. NewBay's Music Group. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
- Billboard.com
- https://thelostbrothers.bandcamp.com/album/after-the-fire-after-the-rain