Dale Jennings

     In 1983, after hearing Charles Mingus, Dale bought an upright bass and studied with a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Dale’s wide range of influences brought him work gigging and recording for over 20 years in diverse styles such as funk, punk, pop, country, African, jazz, Irish folk, and blues. Dale also spent time studying with Don Mayberry (Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway) and Johnny Allen (an arranger from Motown Records).

     Unbeknownst to many, Detroit is home to a thriving blues scene, and Dale played with many of the best the local scene had to offer, as well as backing traveling artists, including: Lazy Lester, Alberta Adams, Rufus Thomas, Hubert Sumlin, Lonnie Shields, Sam Carr, Greg “fingers” Taylor, Doug Deming, and Big Dave and the Ultrasonics. Dale spent two years touring with Big Dave and appeared on their self-titled CD on Burnside Records, released in 2000, produced by Ron Levy.

     Dale moved to L.A. in 2002 and has been working ever since. Live and in the studio with the Rick Holmstrom Band (featuring John Medeski), Dale brings all of his experience from years in the trenches to the fore. Dale currently records and tours with the L.A. funk band, Orgone, and with the hip/hop/pop band, Plantlife. Whether it’s raw, hypnotic, groovin’ to the bone electric funk…or dreamy, psychedelic, how’d-he-get-that-out-of-a-bass sounds…or Willie Dixon meets Charles Mingus upright acoustic tones…Dale’s in-the-pocket groove continues to astound. This monster musician was introduced to the Merchants of Moonshine through a mutual musician friend, Kevin Stevens, shortly after the inception of the band. The resulting chemistry can only be explained by attending MoM’s live show!