“Everyday I feel sheer gratitude that I am allowed
to make a living doing what I love. It may not ever
make me rich, but I couldn’t be happier.”
Bassist Stan Sargeant is a humble guy, one who feels that
he does his absolute best and reaps the rewards. Those
rewards may not be hugely financial, but they are rich in the
happiness they have provided him.
Starting out in Annapolis, Maryland, moving to New York, and
then back to the Washington, DC area, Stan put himself through
Howard University by playing local clubs around the DC area. He
earned a degree in molecular biology, but it was music that
he truly wanted to pursue. “I started playing
bass when I was about 15 years old and was pretty much self-taught. Before
that I played drums in a garage band. I had a friend
who kept putting his bass down to play on my drums, so I tried
out his bass.” But, Stan’s mother wasn’t
so keen on a music career for her son. “My mom
tried her hand in singing and playing the piano, but, well…the
music business is tough. She wanted to be sure I had
a career I could support myself on.”
In 1991, Stan relocated to Los Angeles and met up with Johnny “Guitar” Watson,
and the music career began from that point. “Meeting
the right people is key. It’s all about who you
know and getting your hopefully good reputation out there.” Stan
started playing the clubs in and around L.A. and started to
make a name for himself. After playing on the Arsenio
Hall show with Jody Watley in 1994, he began a two year touring
engagement, and watched his career soar. Stan has played
with the who’s who in smooth jazz: Peter White,
Jonathan Butler, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Keiko Matsui,
Bobby Caldwell, Patti Austin, The Jazz Crusaders, and Paul
Jackson, Jr. Then the pop world called and Stan found
himself touring with Barry Manilow. “Barry is such
a professional, but what I loved so much about touring with
him was that he let me kind of feel the music and add my talent
to it. I didn’t always have to play note for note
what was on the sheets.” Stan did a year long sting
as the bassist of the house band on the Howie Mandel Show,
and then also on The Tonight Show. Currently, Stan can
be found on stage backing Al Jarreau.
When asked about his lengthy career, Stan recalls one show
that has stood the test of time and brings back great memories. “I
was with Jonathan Butler in Johannesburg, South Africa. Jonathan
is such an amazingly spiritual man. There were throngs
of people there and to hear tens of thousands singing along
to “No Woman, No Cry’s” line that everything’s
gonna be alright just touched me.”
Although he is quite proud of his role as a side musician,
Stan says, every musician dreams of being a headliner, and
putting his or her own work out there, and he is no exception. Stan
is currently working on his solo project and has four cuts
done so far. And when not working on his own music or
writing with others, Stan likes to keep himself active with
swimming, snorkeling, tennis and martial arts.
So keep your eye out for this bassist playing alongside many
of your favorite smooth jazz, or maybe even a pop artist. And
if you are an up and coming musician, Stan offers up this piece
of advice for you: Be smart, be sweet, and be on time.
For more information on Stan Sargeant, visit www.stansargeant.com
