Brian O’Connell
Brian O’Connell is widely known for his inventive and kinetic approach to bass guitar and touch guitar with several bands. Active on the Northeast music scene and beyond for over 25 years, he has performed widely with Arukah, Dead Man's Waltz, Uncle Sammy, Gordon Stone, Gary Backstrom, Rev Tor Band, and many others.
He recently released the first in a series of albums of ambient music on the unique Touch Guitar called Soundbath Vol. 1, available on Bandcamp. O'Connell also has a long term project which is a rock opera based on the Salem Witch Trials. It is intended as an eventual stage show, and currently comes out as a podcast called Witch Hunt - history told in music, sound, and story, which can be heard on any podcasting platform. Plans are in the works for the 2025 debut of a new ensemble that will feature O'Connell's diverse compositions influenced by progressive, fusion, jazz, rock, and classical sources.
He has had shared the stage or recorded with: Tom Constanten (Grateful Dead), Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai), Prarie Prince (The Tubes, Journey), Kasim Sulton (Utopia, Todd Rundgren), members of bands: moe., The Spin Doctors, Soulive, Umphry's McGee, Max Creek, Steely Dan, and many more.
He teaches lessons on bass, guitar, upright bass, ukulele, piano/keys, and drums; as well as composition, songwriting, and music theory.
Brian has a Music Degree from Berklee College of Music and a Master’s in Education from Temple University.