South Florida/New Orleans bass guitarist Kilmo Doome is known for fat tone, killer groove, perfect time and agile chops. A master in a vast array of styles, he lays down a rock solid pocket with tasteful note choices providing the foundation for any rhythm section as bass should.
Kilmo came up in the Miami scene which fused Latin, soul, country and blues grooves creating the "Miami Sound". He studied jazz with Vincent Bredice (author of Mel Bay's Deluxe Jazz & Rock Bass Method) and cut his teeth in the funk/soul bands of the era, catching the ear of music innovator and South Florida local, Jaco Pastorious who became his mentor. Kilmo followed in Jaco's footsteps to every high profile regional gig, eventually touring with Blood Sweat & Tears when David Clayton Thomas revived the band from its hiatus.
Another of his major influences are the reggae & Caribbean grooves he perfected playing in three different bands with Jamaican guitar icon Ernest Ranglin, the original guitarist with the Skatalites and producer of young Bob Marley.
Known on the scene for his diversity as well as his love for blues and roots music Kilmo was tapped by Harvey Mandel, the original guitarist for early psychedelic blues outfit Canned Heat, for his trio when he was living in the area. Kilmo developed long term friendships with many blues icons whom he jammed with whenever they visited his hometown at the time of Ft. Lauderdale including James Cotton, Albert Collins and Gatemouth Brown.
As member of local band Groove Thangs, Kilmo was signed to Epic and produced by legendary recordman Tom Dowd. Another of Kilmo's bands, Shack Daddys, provided back-up for such artists as Native American singer/songwriter Chief Jim Billie (when he was Chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, a gig that got Shack Daddys mentioned in the bestselling book The Orchid Thief), Clarence Clemmons of Bruce Sprinsteen's E Street Band and New Orleans legend Luther Kent. Shack Daddys have also been seen and heard on the Food Network, providing tracks and performances for Food Nation with Bobby Flay and BBQ with Bobby Flay.
While producing and opening for a Funky Meters show he met guitarist Brian Stoltz. They ultimately became close friends with Kilmo playing on Stoltz' live double disc CD, Up All Night, as well as performing many shows with him from South Florida to New Orleans. Upon Stoltz' urging as well as that of his old band mate and room mate, sax player Jeff Watkins (New Orleans Suspects, James Brown, Joss Stone) he moved to New Orleans in 2014. There he performed with a who's who of the Nola scene as well as lesser know but no less talented artists there. Know for his diversity in styles, and ability to learn material quickly under fire or even jumping on stage with no rehearsal in emergency situations and delivering a stellar performance, he's subbed with Bonerama, Papa Mali, Mem Shanon, New Orleans Suspects, Porter-Batiste-Stoltz, Brent Johnson, Tyler Mac and many others.
Kilmo Doome is a journeyman bass player with a plethora of styles under his belt in addition to his first love, the blues, including all of its variations from classic old school to jump blues to blues/rock, acoustic counrty blues and everything in between. He owns the shuffle (all of them!), nails classic Slow Blues from the 12/8-triplet style to the root note super slow shuffle plus the half note/half time, the slow walk and the New Orleans/Fats Domino style ballad. Add to that West Louisiana/West Texas Rumbas, NOLA Mambos and swamp pop, as well as the more modern Funk-Blues a la James Cotton, Bobby Rush and more.
Kilmo also has a deep love for and understanding of funk, the Meters being one of his favorite bands among all others. As one of the very few ever to sub for his friend and idol George Porter Jr. (George once described Kilmo as "the funkiest white boy I've ever heard") New Orleans funk is another style he owns hands down. In addition, add soul and R&B both classic and modern, from James Brown and Motown to the Muscle Shoals and Miami Sound. From the classic pockets of the Godfather of Soul and Betty Wright to the sound of modern artists like Amy Winehouse and Sharon Jones or Macy Grey and Mary J. Blige these are just a few more grooves in his very large bag of tricks.
PLUS - Reggae & Caribbean Grooves, Roots Rock & Roll/Rockabilly, Old School Rock, Punk, Classic/Outlaw Country, Zydeco, Brazilian & Latin Sounds and Jazz! These groove are not just approximated; Kilmo nails them.
Whether the situation calls for nothing more than simple foundation bass parts to melodic and/or dense bass lines Kilmo, has the ability and wisdom to deliver what's both right for the situation and desired by the artist. With ample chops he can deliver stellar crowd stopping solos, either sparingly or as much as required. Or, none at all. This cat is a totally flexible pro. Whatever is appropriate and necessary for the gig is what's delivered.
With years of experience touring with local as well as nationally and internationally known artists, he's performed in every setting from intimate venues, night clubs, on the concert stage and in the studio (having been an in demand session musician on everything from a #2 Christian Rock tune to jingles, television and film scores.) Kilmo is the consummate pro delivering the cohesive bottom end whether on stage and/or in the studio. Having tour managed many artists while holding down the bass chair, he knows how to live life on the road and successfully deal with unexpected issues that can and will arise. With no strings and a valid passport, Kilmo's available for any situation, from doubles for weeks on end, long tours, one off gigs, limited engagements or short runs with weeks off in between.
Kilmo has a vast array of gear suitable for any situation. From vintage to modern he has the right intrument and amp for whatever sound the gig requires. With a collection of approximatle 34 bass guitars including a 1966 Hoffner Beatle Bass and 1969 Rickenbacker, he'll usually play a fretted 1967 Fender Jazz bass or a 1983 G&L Lynx bass, a 1968 fretless Fender Jazz bass, acoustic bass guitar and/or upright. Along with a selection of amps inluding vintage small Fender heads, loud Ampeg heads to modern Hartke and Ampeg heads with a large selection of speaker cabinets to achieve any sound imaginable.
Some of the artists Kilmo has gigged, toured and/or recorded with:
Wayne Cochran & the CC Riders
Blood, Sweat & Tears
John Medeski (Medeski, Martin & Wood)
Ernest Ranglin (The Skatalites, Bob Marley, Monty Alexander)
Randy Bernsen (Jaco Pastorius, Zawinul Syndicate)
Bobby Thomas Jr. (Weather Report, Zawinul Syndicate)
Jaco Pastorious Trio (w/Jaco on piano & Rasheed Ali on drums)
Othello Molineaux (Jaco Pastorius Big Band, Word Of Mouth)
Harvey Mandel (Canned Heat)
Groove Thangs (signed to Epic, produced by Tom Dowd)
Shack Daddys (w/Jeff Watkins)
Luther Kent (w/Shack Daddys)
Brian Stoltz (Neville Brothers, Bob Dylan)
Joey Gilmore (1st Place IBC winner)
David Shelley (3rd place IBC winner)
Albert Castiglia
JP Soars & the Red Hots
Brent Johnson
Kara Grainger
Frank Bang (Buddy Guy)
Substitute Bass For:
Porter-Batiste-Stoltz
Bonerama
Papa Mali
Mem Shannon
New Orleans Suspects
George Porter Jr. (when his brother passed away)
14 song live album featuring Kilmo on bass.
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(754) 234-3865