Ross Kratter
Ross Kratter is a bass player, tuba player, and composer based in New York. He is equally at home on string bass and electric bass, both fretted and fretless, 4, 5, and 6 string, as well as on tuba. While primarily known as a jazz musician, he is equally comfortable in any and all styles of music.
Ross has performed with such notable and varied artists as Joshua Redman, the Drifters, Bob Franceschini, Victor Wooten, Bob Reynolds, Mike Longo’s New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble, Randy Johnston, Badal Roy, Joe Alterman, Domenick Allen, Scott Record, Frank Lacy, the Gabriel Alegría Afro-Peruvian Sextet, Allen Vizzutti, and many more. He was the bass player on the 2016-2017 national tour of FAME the Musical. He has also served as a Musical Director for P&O Cruises. He is currently a substitute bass and tuba player on Broadway shows.
In addition to his work as a bass and tuba player, Ross is also in demand as a composer and arranger. He leads a big band, the Ross Kratter Jazz Orchestra, for which he is the primary composer and arranger. The band is made up of some of the finest musicians in New York.
From September 2013 to March 2016, Ross performed in the bands on Royal Caribbean, P&O, and Cunard cruise ships, where he honed his sightreading skills and got to back some amazing acts. He also has extensive musical theatre experience, having performed in the orchestras for over 60 shows, many of them multiple times.
Ross also serves as the in-house bass player at the Gateway Playhouse, performing many musicals each summer.
Ross has had the opportunity to study bass with Mike Richmond, Ron McClure, Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey, Anthony Wellington, Felix Pastorius, and John DeWitt. He has studied composition and arranging with Rich Shemaria and improvisation with Mike Stern.
"This horn is fantastic. It plays really well in tune, and very evenly across all registers. I'm loving it more and more every day. It's perfect for the work I'm doing."