Teymur Phell

Published in

KILLER WALKING BASS Blog

3 min readOct 14, 2017

Teymur is a virtuoso bassist, proficient in classical, upright jazz, and electric bass styles.

He was born in Baku Azerbaijan in 1987 and immigrated with his family to Israel in 1991. Despite growing up in an extremely musical home, Teymur only started playing music at the age of 13. It was the electric bass, and it was love at first sight.

After graduating from Vizzo Arts High School in Haifa, Teymur continued his studies at the Jerusalem Academy of Music in the classical department under maestro Michael Klinghoffer, a renown professor of double bass.

In 2011 shortly after graduating with honors, Teymur moved to New York and quickly established himself as a prominent force on the scene.

Teymur has worked as a sideman and performed with a long list of top musicians including Arturo Sandoval, Mike Stern, Leni Stern, Bill Evans, Randy Brecker, Simon Phillips, Oz Noy, Dennis Chambers, Leni White, Amal Murkus, Steve Smith, and many more.

Teymur’s debut album as a leader, Master Volume, combines electric jazz, fusion, and funk with influences from Teymur’s motherland, Azerbaijan, as well as his upbringing in Israel. Each tune has a unique structure that tells its own compelling story that draws the audience in. One listen and you’ll know that there is a deeper statement being made. At the same time, the performances are breathtaking without exception.

This album features a great cast of musicians, including Nitzan Gavrieli, Lionel Cordew, Chad Lefkowitz Brown, Itai Kriss, and Daniel Sadownick, along with Mike Stern, and Dennis Chambers. This is some of the finest playing there is.

“This is the record I always wanted to do. It’s one-hundred percent original music,” says Teymur about the album. “There’s something in this record for everyone.”

Teymur also appears on Mike Stern’s recent album Trip, where he recorded 6 of the 11 tunes. Mike says of his playing, “Teymur is an unbelievable bassist and incredible musician. He’s mastered the art of walking with an amazing feel. Teymur really walks his ass off!”

Watch a video of Teymur’s solo with the Mike Stern band:

See more videos of Teymur on the Killer Walking Bass YouTube channel.