Gabriel Severn

19-year-old Gabriel Severn developed a love for bass before he could even talk. His devotion to music and his desire to master every aspect of the instrument has taken him on an eventful musical journey: he's received YoungArts awards, DownBeat awards, Jazz Education Network awards, and the Joe Zawinul Foundation "Z" Award. He has performed in the US and Europe, appeared at many notable music festivals, toured and recorded with his multiple award-winning trio, Teen Town, performed alongside several of his musical idols, recorded with artists from around the world, recorded his award-winning original solo music with prominent jazz artists, and received global radio airplay. ​

Jazz and fusion filled Gabriel Severn's ears from birth, and as a toddler, whether at music festivals or riding in the car, he'd call out “the bass! the bass!”. He was shown a Jaco Pastorius video at age 2 and was immediately hooked. He began bass lessons at 7, and a few months later he learned to groove and perform when he joined a young Motown tribute band. While learning the Motown classics, Gabriel would challenge himself with transcribing jazz and fusion bass solos. He gained attention on social media at age 11 with his viral video playing Jaco's demanding bass solo in the Weather Report tune, "Havona". The “Havona” video was followed by many more that showcased his musicianship and diverse skills. He became the first Markbass Rising Star, joined the Ernie Ball Music Man family of artists, and developed a custom line of bass strings made by Carlos Pavicich in France. He is also an endorsing artist for the Paul Lairat fretless Stega and 6-string Stega basses, Singular Sound, Advanced Audio, Soundbrenner, and ErgoStraps.

Gabriel played in a variety of bands after the Motown group disbanded, and just after his 12th birthday he formed his award-winning, powerhouse jazz fusion trio, Teen Town. With Logan Bedard on drums and Connor Rohrer on keyboards, these young musicians are taking audiences by storm with their energy, their undeniable chemistry, and their exceptional talent. Named after one of the great jazz fusion tunes of the 1970s by Weather Report, Teen Town brings its own creative voice to the jazz fusion genre, performing original compositions as well as unique covers weaving jazz, funk, rock, and world rhythms into tunes by luminaries such as the Average White Band, Weather Report, the Yellowjackets, and Chick Corea. The trio received a 2019 DownBeat Student Music Award and the 2020 "Best Jazz Band" Award from the Central PA Music Hall of Fame. They've toured throughout Pennsylvania and have opened for a number of major artists, including Sheila E., the Victor Wooten Trio, the Tierney Sutton Band, and the Original Drifters. They've appeared at many notable festivals and events, including Berks Jazz Fest, Elkhart Jazz Festival, Dauphin County Wine & Jazz Festival, Scranton Jazz Festival, and TEDx Harrisburg. Their debut album, A Month of Sundays, was released in 2022.
​
In addition to performing with Teen Town for the past six years, Gabriel has been a guest artist with multiple ensembles in the past decade. More recently he has appeared with Justin Lee Schultz, Sheila E., and Eric Darius on the 2023 Dave Koz Cruise, the Wir Sind Wien Festival in Austria, hosted of the Berks Jazz Fest JazzED Jam, performed in the Berks Jazz Festival’s Chuck Loeb Memorial All-Star Concert and All-Star Midnight Jam, performing his original composition with the U.S. Navy Commodores at the Jazz Education Network Conference, and was a panelist at the Jazz Philadelphia Summit. He’s performed at the Jazz Weekender, the COTA Jazz Festival, the Detroit BASSDAY, the Elkhart Jazz Festival, the Dallas International Guitar Festival, the Berkshires Jazz Festival, and at several NAMM Shows. Gabriel's list of teachers and mentors include some of his bass icons, including Victor Wooten, Anthony Wellington, Gerald Veasley, and Adam Nitti. In addition to receiving multiple awards, he’s had the honor of receiving scholarships from the Jazz Education Network, Wooten’s Bass/Nature Camp, the Berklee College of Music’s Groove School, the Hudson Jazz Workshop, and the Central PA Jazz Camp. He has also attended Gerald Veasley’s Bass Bootcamp, the Keystone Jazz Institute, and the Uptown Music Collective. He is currently a freshman music major at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

“Gabriel is a listener. He truly is so much fun to play with because he can turn on a dime! He makes ensemble playing out of a bunch of scattered egos.”
-Grammy Award-winning drummer Steve Mitchell

"The most talented young musician I have seen in 20 years."
-Sterling Ball, CEO of Ernie Ball Music Man

Website: www.gabrielsevern.com
https://www.facebook.com/gabrielsevernbassist/
https://www.facebook.com/teentownfusion/
https://www.instagram.com/gabrielsevernbass/
https://www.instagram.com/teentownfusion/?hl=en