Stephan Crump

Bassist and composer Stephan Crump is one of New York's most respected and versatile improvisers, an anchor whose deep, singing tone has grounded some of the music's most adventurous ensembles. A native of Memphis based in Brooklyn since the 1990s, he spent two decades as the bassist of pianist Vijay Iyer's celebrated trio. As a leader he has built a distinctive body of work, including the two-guitar Rosetta Trio, the collective Borderlands Trio with Kris Davis and Eric McPherson, and the Secret Keeper duo with guitarist Mary Halvorson. His playing reaches across post-bop, classical, and avant-garde traditions, and his collaborators have ranged from Sonny Fortune to the Violent Femmes' Gordon Gano. He performs frequently at adventurous rooms such as The Stone, Close Up, and Bar Bayeux, leading his own groups and supporting his peers.