Dean DeMerritt: Electric and Upright Bass

Dean DeMerritt has been a part of the performing jazz scenes in Tulsa, Austin, Dallas, and Omaha Nebraska.Influences include Ron Carter, Ray Brown, Jaco Pastorius, and Charnett Moffett.

Dean comes from a musical family - the son of a jazz pianist from Tulsa Oklahoma.   He learned the roots of jazz from performing in his father's band while still in high school. As a teenager, he was learning the jazz standards from an older generation of venerated jazz artists.    Later, he studied classical and jazz bass at the University of Tulsa where he earned his degree in music.

While in college, he performed with various local jazz groups and shared concerts with jazz heavyweights such as Stanley Clarke, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Billy Cobham, Max Roach, Stan Kenton, and others.   He also performed with the Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestra and the Springfield Symphony.  

After college graduation, he got a call to go "on the road" with the western swing band "Asleep at the Wheel".   That stint lasted almost 4 years and included major concert tours with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, George Strait, and numerous TV and movie appearances (Austin City Limits), and several albums.    The band also won a Grammy award for "best country instrumental performance".

Dean then relocated to Dallas/Ft Worth and played in the Ft Worth Symphony and with a wide variety of local jazz and blues artists.  

He arrived in the Atlanta/Marietta area in 1996.   He teaches private music lessons, composes, and continues to perform with his own group and free-lance with various local bands.   Currently, the "Dean DeMerritt Jazz Tribe" has just completed their first CD with a mix of original compositions and jazz standards.    Mike Ewbank is featured on piano, and Ben Taylor on drums.   Both musicians are accomplished artists representing the ultimate mastery of their respective instruments.

A veteran of grammy award- winning "Asleep at the Wheel"