"Norm Stockton is a wonderful musician with a lot to offer..."
- Bass Frontiers Magazine (Jul/Aug '99)

"In my 25 years of producing and recording number one records, Norm Stockton's playing positively sticks out in my mind. He is truly a great player and musician. This guy is one funky soulful bass player."
- Steve Laury (Solo Artist, Fattburger)

Sideman, solo artist, and bass educator Norm Stockton is widely recognized as one of the world’s premier bassists. Since 2006, he has been the touring and recording bassist for chart-topping worship artist Lincoln Brewster, and he’s worked with many other prominent artists as well, including Vicky Beeching, Rob Mullins, David Pack, Brian Doerksen, and more. As an educator, he is perhaps best known for his popular instructional DVD series Grooving for Heaven, distributed by Alfred Publishing.

In 2001, Norm released his debut CD, Pondering the Sushi. Recorded almost entirely with a Roland VS-1680 V-Studio, this album received great critical acclaim among not only bass aficionados, but also the jazz community as a whole. For Tea in the Typhoon, his long-awaited 2010 follow-up CD which features musical guests Gregg Bissonette, John Patitucci, and others, Norm again enlisted the help of Roland and BOSS recording gear. This time around, the ultra-compact MICRO BR multitracker was called into service, and it became an essential part of Norm’s creative process as an audio sketchpad and organizer of musical ideas.

When it comes time to order business cards, Norm Stockton must face some tough choices. Fact is, the Southern California groove guru has such a varied skill set—as solo artist, sideman, clinician, producer, and all-around swell guy—he’d have to choose between microscopic typeface and super-sized card stock. Having recently released Tea in the Typhoon, an inspired solo release that features guest spots by John Patitucci, Michael Manring, and Etienne Mbappe, Norm basks in the beauty of having the kind of career that has him rocking eighth-notes with contemporary worship artist Lincoln Brewster in one moment, and shredding beside buddies Patitucci and Manring in the next.

One of the foremost bass players today, Norm Stockton stresses the importance of following God’s lead, even when you’re not sure where He’s directing you. It’s certainly paid off so far, in the blessing of family, his instructional DVDs which have helped so many, his two recordings as a solo artist, and in playing and touring with worship artist Lincoln Brewster. This past November at the Christian Musician Summit at Overlake, I was able to chat with Norm about some of his experiences, as well as glean a bit of his extensive musical knowledge. That conversation follows…

Eight years removed from Pondering The Sushi, his acclaimed debut as a solo artist, Norm Stockton released his second independent production, Tea In The Typhoon. Spanning jazz, fusion, funk, rock, classical, and West African influences, Stockton's latest session features performances by John Patitucci, Michael Manring, Etienne Mbappe, Gregg Bissonette, Lincoln Brewster, and many other outstanding guest artists.

Norm Stockton is a bassist/composer/educator with extensive experience in a wide array of musical settings, ranging from jazz work with guitarist Steve Laury (solo artist, Fattburger), keyboardist Rob Mullins (solo artist, The Crusaders) and bassist Dominique DiPiazza (John McLaughlin Trio, Front Page) to arena rock as the touring and recording bassist with worship artist Lincoln Brewster.

BassSource: Hello Norm, it's a pleasure to have you with us!

Norm: Hello! Thanks for the invite!

BassSource: It was a pleasure hanging out with you at the 2004 Detroit Bass Fest. Can you fill us in on any news in your world since that time?

Norm: I really enjoyed meeting & hanging with you, as well.

Fall 2004 was rather hectic...but it’s certainly preferable to sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring, so I’m sincerely grateful. I was out of town steadily from September through late November with a combination of performing and/or teaching at events and clinics in Honolulu, Philadelphia, Seattle, northern California and that event in Detroit. I’m actually typing this in Alberta, Canada, where I just completed 2 days of clinics.

As an educator with a deep-rooted passion for teaching, Norm Stockton has released an acclaimed video series titled Grooving for Heaven. As a bassist who possesses the rare ability to compose sophisticated-sounding arrangements and blow over solos with explosive exhibitions of technical proficiency, Norm Stockton has demonstrated his extensive skills on his debut solo outing, Pondering the Sushi.

After a successful appearance at the Frankfurt Musikmesse trade fair, US bass player Norm Stockton jetted into London to conduct an intimate bass clinic. Stockton has recently released his solo debut album, Pondering the Sushi, an eclectic collection of 13 tunes spanning jazz, fusion, funk, Latin and classical influences. Highlights include the Marcus Miller-esque thumb-groove of ‘The Race’ and a beautiful, haunting and sparse rendition of The Police’s ‘Roxanne’.

"If you're a bassist, chances are you've heard of Norm Stockton; if you haven't, you're missing out. Norm possesses the rare combination of exceptional chops and broad musical sensibility - his latest recording Pondering The Sushi is evidence of exactly that."
- Roland Users Group Online Magazine (Fall '01)

"Great technique...clean funk...Stanley-esque solo flurries...Norm can groove, too..."
- Bass Player Magazine (Dec '95)