B&massa
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B&Massa (pronounced BAND-mass-uh) (born Stephen Jay in Launceston, Tasmania on September 9, 1961) is a musician and composer based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. He has played guitar from the age of 9 and began playing bass guitar at the age of 21, specialising in this instrument (when playing live) from the age of 25.
B&Massa changed to this stage name from his birth name in 2004 as a celebration of his rediscovery of music that year (after an 8 year absence from composing and performing) through Apple Computer's Garage Band music recording software. At the time he stated on MacIDOL's forums that the name reflected a "wanky street cred", a blues and R&B heritage and an expertise at manipulating Garage Band project files (known as .band files.)
[edit] History
B&Massa has played for Tasmanian covers bands that include (but are by no means limited to) Bulletproof (Top 40 covers, Launceston 1981), The Never Dead (Punk rock covers and originals, Launceston 1981), Power Supply (Powerpop, Heavy Metal & Hard Rock covers, Launceston 1982), Cryptic Posters (Rock and Blues covers and originals, Launceston, 1985) Sneak Preview (Top 40 covers, Launceston 1986), Bottleneck (Rock and Blues covers and originals, Hobart 1987-89), The Breed (version 1: Powerpop, 60s and punk covers, Hobart 1990 to 1996), The Breed (version 2: Powerpop, 60s and punk covers, Hobart 2005 to present day) and The Fabs (version 2: 60s review show, Hobart 2005 to present day)
[edit] Published works
B&Massa is best know for the songs Karma Sutra (now online as a "live" version) and Idea Hamster (awaiting publication on a well known music store), but has also made several short films, including Teamwork (2001 with Dan Teague), starring John Xintavelonis, now well known in Australia for his performance as Pumbaa the warthog in the Australian production of the stage musical, The Lion King. B&Massa's retrospective album, Born To Run Up The Stairway To Heaven, is now available on several well-known download music stores.
