T. M. Stevens

Thomas Michael "T.M." Stevens (born July 28, 1951) is an American bass guitarist from New York City. Stevens has worked with an array of rock, R&B, and pop acts as a session musician, and also leads his own groups and works as a solo performer.

Life
Stevens recorded with his band Shocka Zooloo, a power trio that features Michael Barnes "Master Blaster" on guitar and Garry "G-Man" Sullivan on drums. Stevens, with the band Shocka Zooloo and earlier the band Out Of Control, has released seven albums, the most recent being Africans in the Snow for the SPV Steamhammer label.

Along with his work as both songwriter and producer, Stevens worked with other artists. Scheduling at least two European Shocka Zooloo tours each year, he also toured in 2004 with Jean Paul Bourelly and drummer John Blackwell (Prince). In Autumn 2005 he completed an Asian tour with Neil Zaza going directly into a lengthy European tour with Shocka Zooloo. Stevens finished 2005 with a collaboration with Carl Palmer and Andrea Braido in Italy and Russia which was followed by a European ELP tour in February 2006. In 2007, he was the touring bassist for The Headhunters. In March 2008 while on his solo tour his bus was attacked by fireworks thrown by a young fan, the young fan who could only be called JO due to legal reasons was charged with vandalism and given community work.  In summer 2011 he joined the Bootsy Collins Funk Unity Tour.

Steven's vocals came about through James Brown's insistence that he not only play bass but sing on "Living in America" and on Brown's album, Gravity.

Stevens has recorded with many artists including:, Steve Vai, Neil Zaza, Cyndi Lauper, Little Steven, Tina Turner, Dan Hartman and Billy Joel. A former member of The Pretenders, Stevens recorded on the platinum album Get Close. He produced and arranged the album Tribute to Deep Purple According to New York on which included: Vinnie Moore, members of Living Colour and Bernie Worrell of Parliament-Funkadelic. Stevens performed on Joe Cocker's album, Unchain My Heart. Together with Narada Michael Walden he penned the Billboard hit "I Should Have Loved Ya".

His early jazz years brought him to play with the jazz trumpeter, songwriter and bandleader Miles Davis.

Stevens has been a resident of West Long Branch, New Jersey.  .

Equipment

Stevens is often seen with Warwick basses, most notably 4-string neck-through Streamers. He has his own signature model, the Zooloo Warrior, which features images of African motifs on a bright colored background. His signature model also sports African styled "Mask" abalone inlays and a painted wenge neck.

Previously, he was using Cort bass guitars, his own signature model called Funkmachine and the A5 model.

TM is also a user of Dean Markley, Strings where he has been an endorsee for over 20 years.

Morley pedals has also given him a signature bass Wah Wah pedal with a painted picture of himself playing a bass and a text saying "fonk wah".

Discography
 Africans In The Snow (2007)
 Shocka Zooloo (2001)
 Limousine Drive (2001)
 Radioactive (1999)
 Black Night- Deep Purple Tribute According to New York (1997)
 Ground Zero Maxi Single (1996)
 Only You Maxi Single (1996)
 Sticky Wicked (1996)
 Boom (1995)

Recordings with other artists
 2008 - The Headhunters - On Top
 2008 - Temple Of Soul - Brothers in Arms
 2008 - Swans In Flight - "Swans In Flight"
 2005 - Travers & Appice - Live at the House of Blues
 2004 - Travers & Appice - It takes a lot of balls
 2004 - Victor Wooten - Soul Circus
 2004 - Aina - Days of Rising Doom: The Metal Opera
 2004 - Mindi Abair - Come as you are
 2002 - 03 - 03
 2002 - Jeff Pitchell and Texas Flood - Heavy Hitter
 2001 - Syleena Johnson - Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness
 2000 - Steve Vai - The 7th Song: Enchanting Guitar Melodies - Archive
 2000 - 2Pac - The Rose That Grew from Concrete
 2000 - James Brown - Best of
 1999 - Illegal Aliens - International Telephone
 1999 - Bernie Worrell - Da Bomb
 1999 - Nona Hendryx - Transformation: The Best of Nona Hendrix
 1999 - Mark Whitfield - Take the Ride
 1998 - Angelique Kidjo - Oremi + We Are One
 1998 - JK - What's the Word
 1998 - Stacy Lattisaw - Very Best of Stacy Lattisaw
 1997 - Nicklebag - Mas Feedback
 1997 - Billy Joel - Complete Hits Collection 1974-1997
 1997 - Cissy Houston - He Leadeth Me
 1996 - Mick Taylor - Shadow man
 1996 - Narada Michael Walden - Ecstasy's Dance:The Best of Narada
 1996 - Billy Squier - Reach for the Sky, the Anthology
 1995 - Jean-Paul Bourelly - Tribute to Jimi
 1995 - Curtis Stigers - Time Was
 1995 - Gabrielle Roth - Tongues
 1995 - American Babylon
 1994 - Uptown Horns - Uptown Horns Revue
 1994 - Gabrielle Roth - Luna
 1994 - Big Bang - In the Beginning Was a Dr
 1994 - hide - Hide Your Face
 1993 - Massimo Riva - Matti come tutti
 1993 - John Andrew Parks
 1993 - Stevie Salas - "The Electric Pow Wow"
 1993 - Steve Vai - Sex & Religion
 1993 - Taylor Dayne - Send Me a Lover
 1993 - Billy Joel - River of Dreams
 1993 - Gabrielle Roth - Trance
 1993 - Joe Cocker - Best of Joe Cocker
 1992 - Taylor Dayne - Soul Dancing
 1992 - Joe Cocker - Night Calls
 1991 - Two Rooms - Celebrating the Songs of
 1991 - Tina Turner - Simply the Best
 1991 - Curtis Stigers - Curtis Stigers
 1990 - Joe Cocker - Live!
 1990 - Darlene Love - Paint Another Picture
 1990 - Riot - The Privilege of Power
 1989 - Very Special Christmas - Very Special Christmas
 1989 - Tina Turner - Foreign Affair
 1989 - Cyndi Lauper - Night to Remember
 1989 - Taylor Dayne - Can't Fight Fate
 1989 - Joe Cocker - One Night of Sin
 1987 - Little Steven and the Disciples of soul - Freedom - no compromise
 1987 - Joe Cocker - Unchain My Heart
 1987 - Nona Hendryx - Female Trouble (Co wrote "Funky Land" B-side single)
 1986 - Pretenders - Get Close
 1986 - James Brown - Gravity
 1986 - Gregory Abbott - Shake You Down
 1986 - Billy Squier - Enough Is Enough
 1986 - Lovebug Starski - House Rocker
 1983 - Tramaine - Search Is Over
 1983 - Gary Private - Secret Love
 1982 - Yoshiaki MASUO - Mellow Focus
 1980 - David Sancious - Just As I Thought
 1980 - Yoshiaki MASUO - Masuo Live
 1980 - Yoshiaki MASUO - Song is You and Me
 1979 - Narada Michael Walden - Dance of Life (co-wrote the hit single "I shoulda loved ya")
 1979 - Yoshiaki MASUO - Good Morning
 1979 - Yoshiaki MASUO - Sunshine Avenue
 1978 - Yoshiaki MASUO - Sailing Wonder

References

External links
 
 Photos: TMS tevens live in Salzburg / Austria
 Bass Guitar Magazine Interview with TM in Issue 3 - UK's No.1 bass magazine
 TM Stevens interview at Allaboutjazz.com
 Pretenders 977 Radio
TM Stevens Interview for the NAMM Oral History Program 

  TM Stevens teaches at Camp Rock

Category:1951 births
Category:Living people
Category:American rock bass guitarists
Category:American funk bass guitarists
Category:American male bass guitarists
Category:American male guitarists
Category:African-American musicians
Category:The Pretenders members
Category:Musicians from New York (state)
Category:People from West Long Branch, New Jersey
Category:Guitarists from New York (state)
Category:20th-century American guitarists