Guys/Gals who got their start, or rose to prominence as session musicians. A few from my list looks like; Guitars Jimmy Page Steve Lukather Larry Carlton Glen Campbell Drums Steve Gadd Omar Hakim Jeff Porcaro Hal Blaine Roy Haynes Buddy Rich Got any favorites?
Um...I didn't even know who he was, until looking him up. (shame on me!!) Holy crap! He played for everybody!
You are asking TWO different questions: who got their start? who were/are the best? not necessarily the same, also what is the time frame? 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, etc., UK? US? Europe? Australia? Canada?, etc.,
Dean Parks, Leland Sklar come to mind. But a quick scan of the Steely Dan catalogue should provide loads.
I'm not trying to make it purposefully vague or confusing. I just find it interesting that some of the greats got their start as session players, and some of the totally "unknown" (to the general public) probably played on a bunch of the songs everybody knows & loves.
Jimi Hendrix. He played a bunch of r n' b sessions in 1964-66 and he was untouchable in that era too.
Multi-instrumentalists Larry Knechtel Leon Russel Bass Joe Osborn Carole Kaye Ron Carter Anthony Jackson Abe Laboriel Drums Harvey Mason Alphonse Mouzon Guitar Chet Atkins Lee Ritenour Eric Gale Al Dimeola Tony Mottola Hugh McCracken Vinnie Zummo John Tropea John Pisano Oscar-Castro Neves Keyboards Don Randi Victor Feldman Greg Phillinganes Percussions Victor Feldman Paulinho da Costa Laudir de Oliveira Airto Moreira Rubens Bassini Steelpan Othelo Mollineaux Flute Huber Laws Tim Weisberg Horn Section Tower of Power horn section (Emilio Castillo, Stephen 'Doc' Kupka, Lenny Pickett, Greg Adams, Mic Gillette) Lew Soloff Randy Brecker Groups of Session Musicians The Wrecking Crew MFSB
Waddy Watchel has been part of some great stuff as a session guitarist. Zevon, Linda, JT, Jackson Brown, Carole King, Joe Walsh, Stevie Nicks, and of course later Keef.
Michael Landau guitarist went to high school with Steve Lukather and Steve Porcaro ... started touring with Boz Scaggs at age 19 ...... astonishing resume ..... anything from Joni Mitchell to Michael Jackson to Barbra Streisand to Pink Floyd to .... Michael Landau | Credits | AllMusic Michael Landau - Wikipedia Had a killer trio in the 90s with his brother Teddy and Abe Laboriel Jr.... The Raging Honkies. check out this trio ! I saw him up close at The Baked Potato in Hollywood in 2000, a place/vibe very similar to this. “I’m a rocker at heart but you have to have light with the shade”: session legend Michael Landau on his approach to guitar | Guitar.com | All Things Guitar
Yes. Most 70's singer songwriter albums by people like James Taylor, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon etc. also have a long list of them.
