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Upcoming Shows
Seattle Jazz Bassist Trevor Ford: Biography, Career, and Musical Journey
Trevor’s bass journey is rooted in the rugged tranquility of Bend, Oregon, where open skies and the hum of barnyard life mingled with the sounds of cello and piano drifting through his childhood home. Originally steeped in the discipline of classical strings—violin, then cello—he found his true calling when a jazz band director handed him a bass. From that moment, the upright became Trevor’s compass.
He honed his craft at Sisters High School, where his intuitive sense of swing and melodic sensitivity quickly earned him top honors and a coveted spot on the main stage at the Reno Jazz Festival in 2010. Trevor refined his artistry at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, mentored by the likes of Ken Walker, Lynn Baker, Eric Gunnison, Alan Hood, and Mike Marlier. His sound—elegant but unafraid—became a fixture on Denver’s jazz circuit, illuminating rooms like Dazzle and the Newman Center for the Performing Arts both as a sideman and a leader.
After college, Trevor carried his upright eastward to Boston, where he immersed himself in the city’s storied jazz haunts—Wally’s Café, the Beehive, Berklee Performance Center, and the Lilypad—each stage shaping his voice and vision. In 2016, his artistry made waves at the Ron Carter Jazz Bassist competition in Detroit, where he claimed second place and left his mark on iconic clubs like Cliff Bell’s and the Dirty Dog Jazz Café.
Now calling Seattle home, Trevor channels his resonant tone and improvisational spirit into the thriving Pacific Northwest jazz landscape. His journey has opened doors to share the bandstand with luminaries such as Orrin Evans, Anat Cohen, the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, Reggie Watkins, Roger Humphries, Thomas Marriott, and Marina Albero. Trevor’s playing remains unmistakably his own—marked by deep lyricism, devotion to groove, and an ever-curious conversation with the heart of the jazz tradition.
He honed his craft at Sisters High School, where his intuitive sense of swing and melodic sensitivity quickly earned him top honors and a coveted spot on the main stage at the Reno Jazz Festival in 2010. Trevor refined his artistry at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, mentored by the likes of Ken Walker, Lynn Baker, Eric Gunnison, Alan Hood, and Mike Marlier. His sound—elegant but unafraid—became a fixture on Denver’s jazz circuit, illuminating rooms like Dazzle and the Newman Center for the Performing Arts both as a sideman and a leader.
After college, Trevor carried his upright eastward to Boston, where he immersed himself in the city’s storied jazz haunts—Wally’s Café, the Beehive, Berklee Performance Center, and the Lilypad—each stage shaping his voice and vision. In 2016, his artistry made waves at the Ron Carter Jazz Bassist competition in Detroit, where he claimed second place and left his mark on iconic clubs like Cliff Bell’s and the Dirty Dog Jazz Café.
Now calling Seattle home, Trevor channels his resonant tone and improvisational spirit into the thriving Pacific Northwest jazz landscape. His journey has opened doors to share the bandstand with luminaries such as Orrin Evans, Anat Cohen, the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, Reggie Watkins, Roger Humphries, Thomas Marriott, and Marina Albero. Trevor’s playing remains unmistakably his own—marked by deep lyricism, devotion to groove, and an ever-curious conversation with the heart of the jazz tradition.
