Jazz and fusion filled Gabriel Severn's ears from birth. As a toddler, whether at music festivals or riding in the car, he'd always call out “the bass! the bass!”. A Jaco video hooked him instantly at 2 years old. He began bass lessons at 7, and a few months later he learned to groove and perform when he joined a young Motown tribute band. While learning the Motown classics, Gabriel would challenge himself with transcribing jazz and fusion bass solos. At age 11 he had a viral video playing Jaco's bass solo from Weather Report's "Havona". It was followed by many more that showcased his musicianship and diverse skills. He became the first Markbass Rising Star, joined the Ernie Ball Music Man family of artists, and developed a custom line of bass strings made by Carlos Pavicich in France. He has a Signature Myra bass made for him by luthier Paul Lairat, and endorses the Lairat Stega basses. He also endorses Singular Sound, Advanced Audio, Soundbrenner, and ErgoStraps.

 

Gabriel played in a variety of bands after the Motown group disbanded, and just after his 12th birthday he formed the jazz fusion trio, Teen Town. The trio received a 2019 DownBeat Student Music Award and the 2020 "Best Jazz Band" Award from the Central PA Music Hall of Fame. Teen Town has toured throughout Pennsylvania and the Midwest, opening for a number of major artists, including The Wooten Brothers, Sheila E., the Victor Wooten Trio, the Tierney Sutton Band, and the Original Drifters. They've appeared at many notable festivals and events, including Musikfest, Berks Jazz Fest, Elkhart Jazz Festival, Dauphin County Wine & Jazz Festival, Scranton Jazz Festival, and TEDx Harrisburg. Teen Town's debut album A Month of Sundays was released in 2022.

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In addition to performing with Teen Town, Gabriel has been a guest artist with multiple ensembles in the past decade. Most recently he performed on the Dave Koz Cruise as the bassist with Justin Lee Schultz and the JLS Experience, Sheila E., and Eric Darius. He recently was an adjudicator and clinician at the Berks Jazz Fest Get JazzEd school jazz fest, was a featured performer in the Wir Sind Wien Festival in Vienna, Austria, a host of the Berks Jazz Fest JazzED Jam and jazz education video, and a performer in the Berks Jazz Fest’s Chuck Loeb Memorial All-Star Concert and the All-Star Midnight Jam. Some of Gabriel's earlier appearances included performing his award-winning original composition with the U.S. Navy Commodores at the 2020 Jazz Education Network Conference, being a panelist at the Jazz Philadelphia Summit, performing at the Jazz Weekender, the COTA Jazz Festival, the Detroit BASSDAY, the Elkhart Jazz Festival, the Dallas International Guitar Festival, the Berkshires Jazz Festival, and several NAMM Shows. Gabriel's list of teachers and mentors include some of his bass icons, including Victor Wooten, Anthony Wellington, Gerald Veasley, and Adam Nitti. In addition to receiving multiple awards, he’s had the honor of receiving awards and scholarships from the Zawinul Foundation for Achievement, the Jazz Education Network, Victor Wooten’s Bass & Nature Camp, Berklee College of Music’s Groove School, the Hudson Jazz Workshop, and the Central PA Jazz Camp. He has also attended Gerald Veasley’s Bass Bootcamp, the Keystone Jazz Institute, and the Uptown Music Collective.

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