Session musicians are musicians available for hire, as opposed to musicians who are either permanent members of a musical outfit or who have acquired fame in their own right. Although the term generally refers to musicians skilled in contemporary musical styles such as rock, jazz, country, pop, etc., it can also be used to describe musicians from classical and other traditional styles. Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Jazz is an original American musical art form originating around the start of the 20th century in New Orleans, rooted in Western music technique and theory, and is marked by the profound cultural contributions of African Americans. ... country music, see Country music (disambiguation) In popular music, country music, also called country and western music or country-western, is an amalgam of popular musical forms developed in the Southern United States, with roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, blues, gospel music, and old-time music that began... For Popular music (music that is popular, rather than of a specific genre or style), see Popular music. ... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ...

"Studio musicians" are session musicians who do not work outside of the recording studio environment. These players work exclusively inside a studio environment, sometimes for a single studio whereas a session musician may perform at concerts or in any other performance scenario.

Session musicians are used in any situation where musical skills are needed on a short-term basis, ranging from a few hours to many months. Typical uses of session musicians are:

• in a recording studio to provide backing for advertising, film and television music
• to provide musical or vocal backing for established solo artists or groups, both in the studio and in concerts and appearances
• to act as temporary replacements for permanent members of a band or ensemble
• to provide additional instruments or vocals when needed by a band or ensemble
• in ensembles for theatrical productions

The term generally does not refer to: Advertising, generally speaking, is the promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas, usually performed by an identified sponsor. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ... It has been suggested that Drama (art form) be merged into this article or section. ...

• recording artists
• solo musicians or ensembles (without recording contracts) who give public or private performances for hire by themselves, such as wedding singers or bar bands
• amateur musicians
• full-time members of professional ensembles, such as symphony orchestras

Instead, session musicians perform with (and are hired by, or on behalf of) some other musical act or artistic production. A musician is a person who plays or composes music. ... The Wedding Singer is a romantic comedy film by Frank Coraci starring Adam Sandler as a wedding singer, and Drew Barrymore as the object of his affections. ... A Bar band generally is a band that play smaller venues, usually at the local bars, and bring an audience that likes to drink. ... Orchestra at City Hall (Edmonton). ...

Apart from being highly competent at their instruments, skilled session musicians are also expected to learn parts rapidly, and to play music by sight (reading directly from the musical score).

Many session musicians have long and successful careers. Although session musicians do not usually achieve popular celebrity (three notable exceptions include the members of the band Toto, formed by a group of regular studio musicians in Los Angeles, John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page, who were well known as session musicians before their later success with Led Zeppelin, and keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who started his career as a session musician before becoming a member of popular progressive rock band Yes), some achieve considerable fame within the musical industry. Toto (pronounced toe-toe) is an American rock/prog band which had their greatest commercial success in the 1980s. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... John Paul Jones John Baldwin (born January 3, 1946 in Sidcup, London, England), better known by his stage name John Paul Jones is a British musician and was the bassist and the keyboardist for Led Zeppelin from its inception until the bands breakup following the death of John Bonham... James Patrick Jimmy Page, OBE (born January 9, 1944) is an English musician and widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential guitarists in rock music history. ... Led Zeppelin were an English rock band. ... Richard Christopher Wakeman (born May 18, 1949 in Perivale, London, England) is a British progressive rock keyboard player. ... Progressive rock (sometimes shortened to prog rock or prog) is a subgenre of rock music which arose in the late 1960s, reached the peak of its popularity in the 1970s, and continues as a musical form to this day. ... Yes is a British progressive rock band that formed in London in 1968. ...

Other notable session musicians include guitarists Michael Landau, Dann Huff, Lee Ritenour and Larry Carlton; bassists Tommy Sims, Jimmy Lee Sloas, Abraham Laboriel, Leland Sklar, Nathan East and David Hungate; drummers Paul Leim, Joey Waronker, Vinnie Colaiuta and Abraham Laboriel Jr.; vocalists Chris Rodriguez, Tommy Funderburk, and Bill Champlin; and keyboardists Keith Thomas, Steve Porcaro, and David Foster. Michael Landau is a legendary session musician and guitarist who has played on thousands of albums since the early 1980s with artists as varied as Seal, James Taylor, and Miles Davis. ... Dann Huff (born 1960) is a well-known singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer. ... Lee Mack Captain Fingers Ritenour (born January 11, 1952) is a prominent session musician, and recording artist. ... For the past three decades, Larry Carlton has been one of the nations most sought-after jazz guitarists, dividing his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with more popular bands. ... Tommy Sims (born ???? in Chicago) is an African American musician. ... Abraham Laboriel, Sr. ... Leland Sklar Leland Bruce Sklar (born May 28, 1947, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American bass player, singer and composer. ... Nathan (Nate) East born December 8, 1955 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is a Jazz bass player. ... David Hungate was a bass player noted as a member of Los Angeles area rock band Toto from 1977-1982. ... Joey Waronker (born, May 21, 1969) is an American drummer most notable for his work with Beck, but was also a session drummer on The Smashing Pumpkins album Adore and toured with R.E.M. between 1998 and 2002 (appearing on two albums in the process) after the departure of... Vinnie Colaiuta (born February 5, 1956) is a highly regarded American drummer currently based in Los Angeles. ... Tommy Funderburk is one of the most hired background singers in the history of rock. ... The popular soulful singer and keyboardist/guitarist Bill Champlin was born on June 21, 1947 in Marin County, California. ... Steve Porcaro is a keyboardist and composer who was an original member of the rock/pop band, Toto. ... David Foster, OC, OBC , LL.D. born 1950 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, is a multi Grammy Award winning musician, producer, and composer. ...