The golden age of the session player is long over, but musicians still make a living at it. With apologies to everyone who should be mentioned here and isn’t, a sampling of players who might lately be found at work in the recording studios of Hollywood, along with a smattering of their clients.


 


GUITARISTS


Rusty Anderson — Paul McCartney, Enrique Iglesias, Ricky
Martin, Jewel, Lisa Loeb


David Hidalgo (of Los Lobos; also accordion, violin) — Suzanne
Vega, Tom Waits, Rickie Lee Jones, the Long Ryders, Crowded
House, Elvis Costello


Smokey Hormel — Beck, John Doe, Beth Orton, Johnny Cash,
Sam Phillips, Tom Waits


Paul Jackson Jr. — Peabo Bryson, Celine Dion, Herbie
Hancock, Julio Iglesias, Michael Jackson, Jewel, Madonna, Luis
Miguel, Steely Dan, Luther Vandross


Michael Landau — Christina Aguilera, Michael Bolton, Alanis
Morissette, Mariah Carey, Cher, Miles Davis, Celine Dion, Julio
and Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, Joni Mitchell,
James Taylor


Wendy Melvoin — Prince, Sheryl Crow, Lisa Marie Presley,
Joni Mitchell, Neil Finn


Greg Leisz — Dave Alvin, k.d. lang, Beck, Smashing Pumpkins


 



KEYBOARD PLAYERS


Jon Brion — Grant Lee Buffalo, Rufus Wainwright, Aimee Mann,
Robyn Hitchcock, Mary Lou Lord, Elliott Smith


Lisa Coleman — Joni Mitchell, Neil Finn, k.d. lang


Skip Edwards — Lucinda Williams, Jim Lauderdale, Dwight
Yoakam, Rosie Flores, Meat Puppets


Rami Jaffee (of the Wallflowers) — Macy Gray, Grant Lee
Buffalo, Minibar, Everclear


Jim Lang — Smokey Robinson, Stan Ridgway, Kenny Rogers,
Cher, the Eels


Greg Phillinganes —Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera,
Michael Jackson, Anita Baker


Mark Ramos-Nishita (a.k.a. Money Mark) — Beastie Boys,
Los Lobos, Mary Lou Lord, Handsome Boy Modeling School


Benmont Tench (of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) — Ryan
Adams, Johnny Cash, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Bob
Dylan, Green Day, Rolling Stones, Rufus Wainwright, Lucinda Williams


Patrick Warren — Michelle Branch, Fiona Apple, Vic Chestnutt,
Macy Gray, Shelby Lynne, Natalie Merchant, Red Hot Chili Peppers,
Something Corporate, X


 



BASSISTS


Nathan East — *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Eric Clapton, Mary J. Blige,
TLC, Ruben Studdard


Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) —Johnny Cash, Alanis Morissette,
Mick Jagger, Warren Zevon


Randy Jackson — Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Bob Dylan, Aretha
Franklin, Celine Dion


Justin Meldal-Johnsen — Air, Tori Amos, Beck, Macy Gray, Pete Yorn


 



STRING PLAYERS


Petra Haden (violin) — Victoria Williams, Everclear, Princess Superstar,
Green Day, Beck


Lil Haydn (violin) — Christina Aguilera, Peter Case, Porno for Pyros,
Josh Groban, Macy Gray


Larry Corbett (cello ) — Beck, Michael Bolton, David Byrne, Mariah
Carey, Cracker, Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach, Michael Jackson,
Madonna, Aimee Mann


 


DRUMMERS and PERCUSSIONISTS


Vinnie Colaiuta — Frank Zappa, Christina Aguilera, Leonard Cohen,
Billy Joel, John Wesley Harding, Joni Mitchell, Sting


Steve Ferrone — Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, Chris Isaak, Chaka Khan,
Teena Marie, Bryan Ferry


Danny Frankel — Shivaree, Mike Watt, The Rentals, Eleni Mandell,
Peter Himmelman


Josh Freese (of A Perfect Circle) — Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne,
Shawn Mullins, 3 Doors Down, Paul Westerberg, Rob Zombie


Stephen Hodges — Afghan Whigs, Mike Watt, Tom Waits, Sam Phillips,
Dave Alvin, Wanda Jackson


Abe Laboriel Jr. (also bass) — Paul McCartney, Shakira, Jewel,
Liz Phair, Lisa Marie Presley


Joey Waronker — R.E.M., Badly Drawn Boy, Richard Thompson,
Johnny Lang, Beck