Legendary Bassist Leland Sklar: James Taylor, Phil Collins & The Immediate Family
About this episode
Leland Sklar shares his journey as a legendary bassist and his experiences with iconic musicians.
Legendary bassist Leland Sklar has played on more than 2,000 albums, performed with some of the biggest names in music, and helped create the soundtrack of the last five decades. But behind the credits is a fascinating story of talent, timing, friendship, and an unwavering love of music. In this episode of My Rock Moment, Leland reflects on his remarkable journey…from growing up in Los Angeles, to the moment James Taylor walked into a rehearsal for Leland's band Wolfgang and reportedly told Peter Asher, "I just found the bass player of my dreams." We dive into the magic of the Troubadour era, where Leland found himself surrounded by future legends including Carole King, Russ Kunkel, and Danny Kortchmar, and discuss the uniquely collaborative spirit of Laurel Canyon. Along the way, we talk about the tremendous impact Peter Asher had on his career, the importance of giving session musicians proper credit, and how a chance opportunity turned into decades of performing and recording with James Taylor, Phil Collins, Jackson Browne, and countless others. Leland also recounts surviving two frightening airplane incidents, including a near-disaster en route to a Kent State performance…
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