Tim Landers


Timothy Gerard Landers is an American bassist best known for his contribution to the 1970s-80s jazz-fusion genre and his work with Al Di Meola, Billy Cobham, and Gil Evans. Landers is a session musician and was a member of Tom Scott's band on The Pat Sajak Show.
Born in Taunton, Massachusetts, Landers has worked with Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos, Al Stewart, Crimson Jazz Trio, Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, and Loreena McKennitt. He is also known for his contribution to bass guitar design with the Pedulla Buzz bass and Peavey Dyna Bass as well as his Signature Series, the Peavey TL-5 and TL-6.
WWW timlanders.com

Career

Musical beginnings

Landers was influenced to pursue music by his parents. His father played guitar, electric bass, and lap steel guitar professionally. His mother sang with church choirs and played piano. Landers took up the drums first, then guitar at 8 years old and by the time he was 11 had formed his first band in Brockton, Massachusetts called The Jordan Empire. The band members would each earn about $5 for playing songs by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf, Jimi Hendrix at private functions, then eventually at larger venues. At age 14 he shifted to bass in order to play with his high school big band and soon found himself busy playing with a number of bands in the Brockton area, most notably a southern Massachusetts rock group called Pledge.
Landers studied at the Berklee College of Music. During his second semester he was invited to tour with Al Kooper, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, and trumpeter Stanton Davis. When he returned to Boston, he played with Tiger Okoshi, Mike Stern, Mick Goodrick, Mike Metheny and Dean Brown (guitarist).

Professional music career

Landers moved to New York City in 1978 and lived there until 1984. He worked with Gil Evans, Al Di Meola, Billy Cobham, Michael Brecker, Barry Finnerty, Horace Arnold, Sam Morrison, Tiger Okoshi, Mike Stern, Nicholas Pike, and Michael Shrieve. He was a founding member of the jazz-fusion group Vital Information with David Wilczewski and Journey drummer Steve Smith.
Landers shifted gears in 1984 and moved to Los Angeles. He worked with Joe Chiccarelli, Richie Wise, Paul Brown, and David Kershenbaum and recorded with Tori Amos, Tracy Chapman, Stan Ridgeway, Al Stewart, Vince Neil, Andy Kim, Graham Nash, Loreena McKennitt, Beyoncé, The Pointer Sisters, Stevie Nicks, and Jethro Tull. He continued to contribute to jazz recordings on the west coast for Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, Tom Scott, Frank Gambale, Eric Marienthal, and Gannin Arnold.
He and former King Crimson drummer Ian Wallace and pianist Jody Nardone formed the Crimson Jazz Trio in 2005 and they recorded two albums before Wallace's death. Landers spent a number of years as musical director for pianist John Tesh and produced Tesh's recordings, including two big-band jazz albums, and was nominated for both a Grammy and GMA Dove Award. Landers has written for national commercials for Nike, MacDonald's, Sprint, and Coca-Cola.
As of 2023 Landers has been touring and recording with Billy Cobham and Randy Brecker in the "Crosswinds Project" and staying busy in the studios recording with independent artists; UK World Music group Secret Sky and up and coming guitar wizard John Philbrick.

Nominations

Basses

Landers uses the Pedulla "Nuance" model, a 5 string bolt-on electric bass custom built for Tim by M.V. Pedulla Guitars, and a Pedulla 4 string fretless "Buzz" bass that he helped Mike Pedulla with in the initial design along with Mark Egan.
He also uses his own signature model basses designed by Landers and produced by Peavey Electronics from 1988 to 1996.
Discography

As band member

With Steve Smith and Vital InformationVital Information Orion Global Beat Fiafiaga
With Billy Cobham's Glass MenagerieFlight Time with Barry Finnerty and Don GrolnickStratus with Mike Stern, Gil Goldstein and Michał UrbaniakObservations and Reflections with Dean Brown and Gil GoldsteinSmokin' Live at Montreux
With Crimson Jazz TrioKing Crimson Songbook Volume 1
  • ''King Crimson Songbook Volume 2''

As sideman

With Gil EvansLive at the Public Theater Vol 1 Live at the Public Theater Vol 2 Live in Switzerland
With Frank GambaleThunder from Down Under Note Worker Thinking Out Loud
With David HallydayTrue Cool Rockin' Heart
With Pat KelleyI'll Stand Up The Road Home
With Loreena McKennittAn Ancient Muse Nights from the Alhambra
With Secret SkySecret Sky Opium
With Tiger OkoshiTiger's Baku Mudcake
With Lee RitenourPortrait GRP All-Stars – Super Live in Japan
With John Philbrick and Steve MaggioraIf You Say So
With Robert TepperNo Easy Way Out No Rest for the Wounded Heart
With Al StewartLast Days of the Century Famous Last Words Between the Wars
With Laurence JuberLJ
With NakedNaked
With John TeshGarden City A Romantic Christmas Winter Song One World Power of Love Deeper Faith John Tesh Big Band John Tesh Big Band Christmas
With Steve WynnKerosene Man Dazzling Display
With othersSplendido Hotel, Al Di Meola Stan Bush and Barrage, Stan Bush Boomtown, David & David Talking Through Pictures, Marc Jordan Y Kant Tori Read, Tori Amos Crossroads, Tracy Chapman Mosquitos, Stan Ridgway Without You I'm Nothing, Sandra Bernhard Them Changes, Tom Scott Phantom Center, Ferron Carved in Stone, Vince Neil Eric Idle Sings Monty Python, Eric Idle Fighting Temptations, Beyoncé Lou Rawls Christmas, Lou Rawls Blue Bolero, Chris Standring Not from Here, Gannin Arnold Time Lapse Photos, Billy Cobham Happen Again, Andy Kim