JOHN CAREY is a professional bassist, producer, singer-songwriter & music educator living in New York City.  He began his music career at an early age, performing regularly at well known clubs in NYC since the age of sixteen.  His bass playing, singing & song-writing abilities have lead him to perform, tour & record with bands & artists of all genres, including rock, folk, funk, R&B, blues, fusion & world music.  John is recognized as one of the few bassists who can fit into nearly any musical situation, providing solid, song-oriented grooves, whether playing bass in a small club in NYC, out on the road or recording in the studio. 

As record producer, John has worked with some of the best bands & musicians New York City has to offer. He is available to act as producer for your upcoming record; this includes recommending the appropriate studio(s), hiring the appropriate musicians (if need be), getting the right engineer on hand & acting as "producer" inside the studio environment.

John has had the privilege to work with such musicians as Oz Noy, Steve Holley, Dave Eggar, Ronny Drayton, Rachelle Garniez, Frank Bellucci, Andy Narell, Will Lee, Bill White, Anton Fig, Mike Visceglia, Leland Sklar, Gregg Fitz, Fiona McBain, Matt Miller, Matt Munesteri, Beledo, Teddy Kumpel, Mark Plati, Damon Mendes and Jon Heagle to name a few.

As bassist, John has worked for the following artists: JC and The Big Juicy, Kristina Train, Elisabeth Withers, Tina Novak, Nina Lee, Fawn Segerson, Katie Boeck, Hannah Lindroth, Marley Hornik, Beau Black, Jay Black and the Americans, Damon Mendes and SoulRockers LIVE! (Buddy Miles Tribute), Kaleta Jaa, Dana Mase, Blow Up Hollywood, Russell James Hughes, Mellish, Nina Blue, Theo Eastwind, Ben Jelen, TV/TV, Kirsten DeHaan, Emily Brooke, Chris Tengi, Joe Cahill, Classy Joint, Steve Messina, Bottoms Up, Roland Ruby Orchestra, Jack Devine, Born & Raised, Lindsay Katt, Andrew Coady, Todd Carter, Tommy Perotta & The Nightcaps and The Fast Lane (Eagles Tribute).

On television, John has appeared as bassist on The CW hit show, Gossip Girl (episodes: "Women on the Verge" & "Jenny's Fashion Show"), as well as on the Fox 5 hit show, Fringe (episode: "Midnight").

Within the realms of theater, John has worked as a bassist on Bedbugs: The Musical, as well as Disenchanted.

As an artist, John has released thirteen of his own recordings that span most genres: 

John's latest singles, John Carey "Blue Daze" (Planet Bass, NYC 2024), John Carey "The One" (Planet Bass, NYC 2024), John Carey "My Girl" (Planet Bass, NYC 2024), John Carey "I Knew We Could" (Planet Bass, NYC 2022), John Carey "Helleanor" (Planet Bass, NYC 2021) & John Carey "I'll Be There" (Planet Bass, NYC 2021) draw heavily from the many sounds that the 90s had to offer... These songs feature John as producer, songwriter, vocalist, bassist, guitarist & bg vocalist, Teddy Kumpel (Joe Jackson, Rickie Lee Jones, Feist) as co-producer, guitarist, bg vocalist & mixologist, as well as Matt Miller (Blood Sweat and Tears, Dominic Duval, Dave Valentin) on drums; good things come in threes, and this particular power trio is no exception. 

EP, John Carey, "Hard Reset" (Planet Bass, NYC 2020) also revisits many of the flavors of 90s grunge music; however, lyrically it embraces a more "heartfelt" form of expression. This recording features John's songwriting, production, singing, guitar and bass playing; he's accompanied by Jack Devine on guitar, Matt Miller on drums, Jon Heagle on guitars, Ann Courtney b/g vocals, Frank Pipolo on harmonica and Jim Kost on keyboards.

The CD, Swell Motions, "Vibratorio" (2014, Planet Bass, NYC), is a collaboration with two of John's favorite musicians: NYC's very own, Rachelle Garniez and Uruguayan guitar legend, Beledo. It's a beautiful & organic recording covering some of the greatest songs from the 60s & 70s; it also includes two Rachelle Garniez originals!

John Carey, "Oh So Funky" (2012, Planet Bass, NYC), consists of the music from The Meters, an American funk band based in New Orleans, Louisiana that made their records in the late 60s and 70s. The CD features Andy Narell– steelpans (Chucho Valdes, Bela Fleck, Marcus Miller, Spyro Gyra, Aretha Franklin, The Kronos String Quartet...), Anton Fig– drums (Late Show w/David Letterman, Joe Bonamassa, Booker T. & The MG’s, Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper...), Oz Noy– guitar (Chris Botti, Gavin DeGraw, Harry Belafonte, Gov’t Mule, Allen Toussaint...), Will Lee– featured vocalist (Late Show w/David Letterman, George Benson, Hiram Bullock, Brecker Brothers...) and John Carey– bass, vocals, percussion & producer. The recording is filled with super groovy tunes that adhere to the tradition of The Meters, yet utilize the lively and tropical sounds of the steelpans in place of the organ.

John's first release, John Carey, "undefined psycho-chromatic G.R.I.D." (2005, Planet Bass, NYC) explores the avant-garde: the completely live and improvisational album captures the stream of conscious thought processes between some of today's most talented, unique & interesting musicians (Oz Noy on guitars, Frank Bellucci on drums, Dave Eggar on cello and piano, Rachelle Garniez on vocals, accordion and claviola, John Carey on bass)! The CD spans multiple genres of music & provides for a multimedia and multi-sensory experience . . . A truly fascinating record with an all-star lineup.

John Carey, "CL"  (2007, Planet Bass, NYC), includes his original singer-songwriter/pop songs.  In addition to playing bass, you’ll hear John singing & playing acoustic guitar throughout the CD.  This music is reminiscent of Sheryl Crow and The Steve Miller Band.

John Carey, "Son of the House" (2010, Planet Bass, NYC), examines the dualistic nature of Gnostic thought: light/dark, Cosmos/Earth, illuminated/unaware, divine/carnal, strange/familiar . . . Heavily influenced by the music of Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Lou Reed & Larry Graham, Carey visits the sounds of punk, funk & the avant-garde, taking the listener from the streets of the East Village, New York City, to that of the Cosmos.

John Carey, “Revelry Now” (2011, Planet Bass, NYC), revisits songs originally performed by The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Bill Withers, Carole King & more, all with a unique approach placing the Fender Jazz bass front & center.

John is one of the leading bass instructors in New York City, teaching privately out of his Midtown studio.  He has recently completed writing his first book,  "The Working Bassist, What You Really Need to Know to Survive in New York City." The book is designed to inform bassists (and all musicians) interested in coming to New York City to pursue their musical endeavors.  In addition to being informative, the series of interviews has been geared towards inspiring those who are already working musicians.  Interviews include bassists Meshell Ndegeocello, Neil Jason, Reggie Washington, Tim Lefebvre, Johannes Weidenmueller & many more!

John Carey is endorsed by Euphonic Audio bass amplifiers & speaker cabinets & Rotosound bass strings.

Located in New York City, John is available as record producer or as bassist for gigs, tours, showcases, recording, rehearsals, private instruction, etc.  If you are interested in using John for an upcoming show, recording session, or tour, email: contact@johncarey.net.