Let us give thanks for the contributions of Wes Wehmiller – bassist, artist, enthusiast, a lover of life’s infinite sources of inspiration. Wes gave back to us bass tracks and live performances that capture his unique and touching style, his generosity of spirit, his humility, and his brand of musicianship carried out by that group of artists who possess the intangible ingredient of SOUL present in everything they do.
One of the many traits I admired of my friend Wes was the ‘art of listening.’ Wes’ ability to listen and speak with profound brevity is in fact the quality that made him such a marvelous musician. Wes possessed a wonderful calm coupled with an elegant confidence. We often spoke at length on the subject of craft and musicianship. Wes and I would refer to listening sessions from the past where we taught each other musical epiphanies. We would discuss how best to convert those magical nuances into bass vocabulary. Wes enjoyed visiting Survey of Bass Styles class and speaking with students about gigging and the LA music scene. Following discussion, Wes and I would play a blues together for the students. It was beautiful to watch the students admiring Wes’ hands playing that bass. I used to tell people; Wes Wehmiller has the most natural hands I’ve ever seen on the instrument.
–Danny Morris, September 2005