Chip Boaz, born and raised in San Jose, California, first turned
to music at 15. Starting with the guitar, he dived head
first into the shallow waters of eighties rock and pop. Tired of being
among the thousands of Eddie Van Halen guitar wannabees, Chip moved to
the lonely, yet individualistic instrument, the electric bass. Upon
graduation, Chip had to choose between further musical studies in
college or making a career out of a lucrative job at Domino's Pizza.
Not looking back, he headed to San Jose State University.
Chip's time at SJSU opened his eyes to a new set of
musical possibilities. Being primarily a rock bass player,
the world of straight ahead jazz seemed fascinating. Walking bass, jazz
soloing, and the interactive spirit of the music inspired long hours of
practice, listening, and jam sessions. Intrigued by the sounds of great
bassists like Ray Brown, Ron Carter, and Charles Mingus, Chip began
double bass studies where he was exposed to the work of great classical composers and
a continuing favorite, double bassist Gary Karr. The electric bass
remained Chip's true love, and while listening to bassist John Patitucci,
he delved into the world of the six-string bass.
Chip's most influential time at SJSU came
when he joined the school's Latin Jazz Ensemble. Never having heard
music from Cuba, Puerto Rico, or Brazil, Chip was taken with the
rhythmic and harmonic complexities of the music, as well as the pure excitement that accompanied it. He spent the last
couple years of his
college career playing charts from Tito Puente, Poncho Sanchez, and
Mongo Santamaria. His listening experiences and bass studies opened up
to include Los Van Van, Paquito D'Rivera, Irakere, and Arturo Sandoval.
He attended concerts of local Bay Area Latin Jazz icons John Santos and
the Machete Ensemble.
A year after graduation, Chip decided to further his interest in
Afro-Cuban music by attending Wesleyan University in pursuit of his
Master's Degree. Wesleyan's World Music focus turned out to be yet another eye
opening experience. He studied traditional West African drumming
with Ghanian master drummer Abraham Adzinyah, played bass for the
Pandemonium steel pan band, and studied South Indian music. Additionally, he experienced the music of Wesleyan's Indonesian Gamelan
ensemble, Avant-Garde composer Anthony Braxton, jazz vibraphonist Jay Hoggard, and twentieth century composer Alvin Lucier.
Graduation from the world of higher education marked a return to the
Bay Area and Chip's entry into the San Francisco Salsa scene. Over the
next several years, Chip played with many of the top
bands that comprised San Francisco's very active Latin music
community. He has performed with Mazacote,
Orquesta America, Avance, Charanson, Los Rumberos, Caņa Roja, Salsa
Caliente as well as a number of the Bay
Area's world class musicians including Louis Romero, Karl Paraza, John
Calloway, Gibby Ross, Carlos Caro, Mark Levine, and many more. Through
countless hours of salsa, merengue, and Latin jazz gigs, Chip's playing
and musical concept has become firmly rooted in clave.
As Chip continues his musical growth, much of his focus has turned
to writing and recording original music as well arranging new
interpretations of classic songs. Tired of performing in cover bands
and approaching music from other peoples' point of view, Chip has set
off to establish his own voice as both a performer and composer. His
current musical direction is based in a combination of jazz harmonies
and Cuban rhythms, adding bits of funk and a heavy dose of bass
soloing. As Chip pulls his musical vision in new directions, expect to
hear more recordings, lots of new ideas, and plenty bass with clave!
Chip currently resides in Northern California with
his wife, Karen, and their three daughters.