NAMM U Virtual Summit With Mindi Abair, Russell Kunkel, and Leland Sklar

Top session musicians: saxophonist Mindi Abair, drummer Russell Kunkel, and bassist Leland Sklar will join modernator Mr. Bonzai for a live video webinar during the NAMM U Virtual Summit on July 9 at 1pm PDT. namm.org/nammu/session-work-reimagined

“Session Work Reimagined”

It’s a musical game-changer when technological advancement synchronizes with pandemic crisis response. In this case, we’re talking about session musicians who were previously jumping from studio to studio to lay down their signature lines. Today, emboldened by the new stay at home reality, they are radically shifting gears to deliver their tracks, making recording life safer for all concerned. Music industry raconteur Mr. Bonzai leads this webinar with top-shelf session players: bassist Leland Sklar, saxophonist Mindi Abair, and drummer Russ Kunkel to discuss the changes, positive and negative, from doing their work more and more remotely, rather than on the other side of the studio window.

Registration is required. Each attendee is sent a personal link to each session once they sign up. Virtual Summit page www.namm.org/virtual has additional details about the event and registration.

Mindi Abair has toured and/or recorded with: Aerosmith, Joe Bonamassa, Smokey Robinson, Joe Perry, Trombone Shorty, Booker T. Jones, Gregg Allman, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Fantastic Negrito, Waddy Wachtel, Bobby Rush, Keb’ Mo’, Teena Marie, Lee Ritenour, Adam Sandler, Duran Duran, Bill Champlin, Richard Elliott, Jimmy Webb, Max Weinberg, Dave Koz, Peter White, Gerald Albright, Mandy Moore, Lalah Hathaway and the Backstreet Boys.

Leland Sklar has performed in the studio and on tour with Phil Collins, James Taylor, Toto, Billy Cobham, Bette Midler, Graham Nash, Randy Newman, Judith Owen, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Diana Ross, Carly Simon, Don Henley, Hall & Oates, Donna Summer, Rod Stewart, Jennifer Warnes, Warren Zevon, Ricky Martin, Lisa Loeb, Lyle Lovett, Yumi Matsutoya, Dionne Warwick, Tanya Tucker, Barbara Streisand and others.

Russell Kunkel’s credits include Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, Lyle Lovett and dozens more. He has created and co-produced film scores for Mike Nichols’ Heartburn, Joyce Chopra’s Smooth Talk and New World Films’ Certain Fury. Production work includes Clannad, Jimmy Buffett, The Derek Trucks Band, Dan Fogelberg, Aaron Neville and others. Russell Kunkel is a member of the new band The Immediate Family, with fellow panelist Leland Sklar: https://www.facebook.com/TheImmedFamily