Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Damon Banks has performed with and / or recorded with some of the entertainment industry’s brightest stars, creative artists and innovative musicians. Most of these artists defy category and transcend genre. These artists include: George Benson, Peter Gabriel, Caetano Veloso, Angelique Kidjo, Hassan Hakmoun, Chico Hamilton, Hubert Laws, Arto Lindsay, Loose Ends, The Neville Brothers, Karsh Kale, Phyllis Hyman, Majek Fashek, Noel Pointer, “Wadada” Leo Smith, Marc Ribot, Corin Curschellas, George Howard, Bobby Womack, Ronny Jordan, Miki Howard, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, KRS-ONE, Martha Wash, Sekou Sundiata, DJ SPOOKY, Lawrence “Butch” Morris, Ntozake Shange, Freddie Jackson, Saul Williams, Roxane Butterfly, Eileen Ivers, Eric Gadd, Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic orchestra and Jamshied Sharifi (to name a few)

His bass playing can be heard on these soundtracks:

“Footsteps In Africa” (Kiahkeya films – Kathi Von Koerber, director) “Muppets from Space” (Henson / Sony films -Tim Hill, director) “NBC Cosby Mysteries” (NBC)

He has written songs for:

George Benson (“That’s Right” / GRP records / voted #1 jazz album of 1996) and Miki Howard (“Three Wishes” / Peak – Concord records / Grammy nomination for best R & B album)

As an educator and clinician, Damon has taught and conducted workshops at a variety of highly acclaimed institutions including: Cal Arts, Bard College, Interlochen School of the Arts, Medger Evers College, The University of Maryland, St. Anns School, Poughkeepsie Day School (current faculty member) and Harlem School of the Arts.

Some of his television work include: “Woodstock 1994” performing w/ Hassan Hakmoun & Peter Gabriel, “New York Undercover” (FOX) “BET on Jazz” (BET) “The Today Show” w/ The Boys Choir of Harlem (NBC) “Good Morning America” (ABC) MTV Europe, Fuji TV (Japan) and Globo TV (Brasil) His bass work has been heard on numerous radio spots and jingles throughout the years.

In 2005, Damon received the Haldane Foundation grant for his Global Music program. In 2009, he received the DCAC (Dutchess County Arts Council / NYSCA) grant for his multimedia theater piece entitled “Resistance: a Maroon story”. The newest version is currently in pre-production.

Damon plays Fender basses, uses Epifani amps, and uses GHS strings. He is a member of ASCAP and A.F.of M (Local 802) Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.