Bassist Jerry Scheff autobiography to publish

Way Down

Playing Bass with Elvis, Dylan, the Doors, and More

The Autobiography of Jerry Scheff


The story of a music veteran who has played with the most memorable acts in rock’n’roll


In this candid and perceptive memoir of his 45-year career, bassist Jerry Scheff takes us onto Elvis’s private jet, on tour with Bob Dylan, and into the studio with the Doors. Way Down: Playing Bass with Elvis, Dylan, the Doors, and More ($19.99, Backbeat Books) opens with Scheff and the rest of Elvis’s rhythm section (the TCB band) learning of the King’s death while en route to a tour date, a pivotal moment for Scheff, the band, and the world at large. From there, he takes us on a nonlinear journey from his roots in San Francisco to behind the scenes working with Roy Orbison, Elvis Costello, the Association, Neil Diamond, Johnny Mathis, the Everly Brothers, John Denver, and Nancy Sinatra, just to name a few. Scheff says, “This is not written as a reference book, a history book, or a work of fiction. It is my life as a musician in the culture and counterculture of the music business. My life!”

Way Down is a sleeves rolled up perspective from having worked side by side with the great artists in their factories. This is a tale of a man who has truly grown a career from a genuine love of music and of his instrument. It is an exciting inside view of the evolution, craft, and work of making rock’n’roll.

Jerry Scheff (Berwickshire, Scotland) is a native of San Francisco. In the early 1960s, after a brief spell in the Navy and time spent building his chops in Southern California, he took the leap to move to Los Angeles, where he quickly rose to the top among the droves of pro session players. In the late sixties, he began his work with Elvis Presley. He has played with countless artists and continues to tour with the TCB band.



March 27, 2012 $19.99 256 pages Paperback Photo insert 9781617130328



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