Mentor-Protégé lineage! Ultimate cuisine guidance!

Removing ego from the situation! Bassist and composer, Marcos Varela is an unending encyclopedia of musicians, scenes, and cultures. In this episode, we chat about a shared dedication between athletes and musicians, how the process of scoring a film influenced his approach as a producer, and a diplomatic perspective on recounting our “gigs from hell”.

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Marcos Varela

“San Ygnacio” (2016)

Getting to Know: Marcos!

Marcos Varela, an equally skilled doubler at both acoustic and electric bass, is among the most highly respected bassists/musicians in the American and International Jazz/music scene. His talents have also earned him many awards (YoungArts, Creative Capital, Jazz Road) and accolades as a musician, composer, producer, band leader, and educator.

In his hometown of Houston, Texas, Varela attended the renowned High School for the Performing & Visual Arts, which paved the path for him to NYC to attend the storied New School on scholarship. As a professional musician, he continues to be very active in the New York jazz and contemporary music scene, and has made a name for himself as one of the most in-demand bassists in the City and worldwide. He regularly performs with a wide variety of ensembles and band leader including: The Mingus Big Band, Nasheet Waits, John Holiday, George Cables, Ingrid Jensen, ‪Billy Hart‬, Antoine Roney, Charli Persip, ‪Clifton Anderson‬, ‪Jason Moran‬, ‪Geri Allen‬, ‪The Last Poets‬, ‪Leslie Odom, Jr‬., Frank Lacy’s Vibe Tribe, ‪Kendrick Scott‬, ‪Billy Harper‬, ‪Tyshawn Sorey‬, and Bob Mover, among countless others.

Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel here!