Anthology

Tal Wilkenfeld is a musical marvel; the kind of dynamic young talent whose fresh vision and uncanny intuition puts a whole new perspective on an age-old art form. Bursting upon the New York City scene as a teen, Tal moved effortlessly from funk and fusion to jazz, rock and blues, gigging with the likes of Hiram Bullock, Wayne Krantz and the Allman Brothers. Her acclaimed 2007 instrumental solo debut, Transformation, confirmed her burgeoning voice on the bass and as a composer, earning her the title “Rising Star of the Bass Guitar.” Word spread quickly, leading to a tour with Chick Corea in her native Australia and a world spin with guitar icon Jeff Beck that culminated in Tal’s global breakout moment: Her performance at Eric Clapton’s 2007 Crossroads Festival in Chicago, which generated over a million YouTube hits. Four Months later she flew to London, backed Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter for the filming of “Live at Abbey Road”, and the very next day, recorded Live at Ronnie Scott’s with Jeff Beck, including a sit-in by the legendary Eric Clapton.

Moving to Los Angeles, Wilkenfeld continued her musical momentum, recording with Prince and racking up album credits with Lee Ritenour, Macy Gray, Steve Lukather, Trevor Rabin and Wayne Krantz. She also appeared on Jeff Beck’s Emotion and Commotion, and backed Sting, Steven Tyler, David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Buddy Guy and Billy Gibbons during concerts with Beck. In addition, she played on Herbie Hancock’s Grammy-winning CD, The Imagine Project, resulting in a tour with the jazz piano giant.

Back home, Wilkenfeld connected with rock poet laureate Jackson Browne, recording a track on Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan and playing live with Browne (including recent performances with Ben Harper and Wayne Shorter). The collaboration served as a valuable transition to a new path Tal had been pursuing as a singer and a songwriter. With bass, guitar and pen in hand, she composed dozens of songs and began recording them for an early-2013 release. The music is an intoxicating, intimate reimagining of the singer-songwriter idiom, comprised of pure jazz bloodlines, rock energy and intensity, and lyrics rich in both realism and folk symbolism-all delivered via vibrant, revealing vocals and world-class musicianship.

Fresh from joining Jeff Beck to back Mick Jagger on the season finale of Saturday Night Live, Tal is focusing on her upcoming solo performances, which will mark her debut as a vocalist. The next chapter begins…