Jair-Rohm Parker Wells

New to Lessonface
Bass Guitar, Upright Bass
Lesson Fees
$50.00 / 60 Minutes

About

About Me

I’m Jair‑Rohm Parker Wells, a pioneering American electric bassist, composer, and Chapman Stick player. My career spans over five decades, with deep roots in rock, funk, free jazz, avant‑garde improvisation, and experimental music.

After growing up in southern Germany, I relocated to New York in 1978. I toured the U.S. with a pop music band, studied at Tulane University in New Orleans, and developed a deep appreciation for jazz and rhythm & blues. I studied bass with Richard Payne in New Orleans, while independently exploring the music of Harry Partch. Later in New York, I worked with Ken Simon and studied the music of Anthony Braxton.

In 1982, I founded the experimental Glass Thought Theater Ensemble, and served as Composer-in-Residence at the New York Theater Ensemble, creating a trilogy of progressive “operas” supported by a Meet the Composer grant in 1983. I was also one of the co-founders of the New Brunswick Jazz Musician’s Collective in New Brunswick, New Jersey. My involvement with the organization afforded me the opportunity to compose and perform ensemble works across genres.

I am a founding member of the seminal improvising band Machine Gun, alongside Thomas Chapin and Robert Musso. I lived in Stockholm, Sweden from 1985 until 2018, where I organized the Meeting Interdisciplinary Arts Festival and promoted improvised and experimental music worldwide.

I've had the fortune to collaborate with visionary figures like Bob Belden, Karl Berger, Daniel Carter, Jaron Lanier, John Sinclair, Shabaka Hutchings, and Tony Scott among others. In 2017, while in residence at EMS Stockholm, I began composing the avant‑garde opera #blacbuc using Buchla and Serge modular systems. My Liberation cycle compositions were featured in Mischa Kuball’s installation res·o·nant at the Jewish Museum Berlin

Currently, I perform regularly with my Grateful Dead tribute band Ripplewood, my ECM focused project Yellow Fields, and my improvising trio Gabrels, Kane, Parker Wells.

Let’s Get Started

Whether your dream is to groove in a band, compose your own music, or just feel more confident on your instrument, I’m here to guide you every step of the way. Book a lesson and let’s start your musical journey today!

Teaching Style

I believe that learning music should be both inspiring and enjoyable. My teaching style is patient, encouraging, and tailored to you. Together, we’ll build a strong foundation and expand your musicality with lessons designed around your personal interests and learning style.

I will help you:

  • Understand harmony, rhythm, and melody

  • Master scales, arpeggios, and technique

  • Learn the musical language of the bass

  • Develop your own unique playing style

  • Learn bass lines and compositions you love

  • Strengthen right-hand techniques: slapping, fingerstyle, and pick playing

In addition to private teaching, I bring decades of experience performing on international stages, composing for film and multimedia, and recording with top artists. I’ve developed a versatile and flexible approach that adapts to all levels and musical backgrounds.

Curriculum

My teaching method emphasizes a balance of solid technical development, deep listening, and creative exploration. I tailor each lesson to the individual student’s goals, whether that’s learning to groove with confidence, sight-read fluently, improvise freely, or understand the theory behind what they’re playing. I integrate technique, theory, musicality, and stylistic fluency in a progressive, supportive learning environment.

To support this approach, I recommend the following core texts:

  • Elementary Training for Musicians by Paul Hindemith
    A powerful tool for developing rhythmic precision, sight-singing, and overall musical literacy.

  • Simandl: New Method for the Double Bass, Book 1
    Essential for building left-hand strength, accuracy, and shifting technique. I've found this book to be very adaptable for bass guitar.

  • Ray Brown’s Bass Method
    A classic jazz method book that teaches the fundamentals of walking bass lines, phrasing, and harmonic awareness from one of the all-time masters.

  • Funk Studies for Electric Bass by Tony Oppenheim
    Ideal for students interested in learning to slap.

These texts form the backbone of my teaching toolkit, supplemented by custom exercises, transcription work, play-alongs, and creative assignments designed specifically for each student’s evolving needs.