Biography
Tal Wilkenfeld is an Australian singer, songwriter, bassist and guitarist who began her musical journey when she first picked up a guitar at 14. Emigrating to the United States at the age of 16, Tal studied electric guitar before switching to the electric bass and graduating from the Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music in 2004.
After graduating, Tal moved to New York City and began making a name for herself in the New York Jazz club scene. It was during this time that she met members of The Allman Brothers Band who invited her to sit in at their show at the Beacon Theater—her first time on a large stage. This began her professional career as a musician and she went on to tour and perform with the likes of Chick Corea, Jeff Beck, Gov’t Mule, Ivan Neville, Robben Ford, The Roots, Prince, Steven Tyler, Sting, H.E.R, Brandi Carlile, and Demi Lovato, to name a few. She’s also recorded on projects with Herbie Hancock, Ringo Starr, Jackson Browne, Pharrell, Buddy Guy, John Mayer, and more.
As an artist in her own right, Tal has released her debut bass-led album Transformation in 2007—which landed her Chick Correa’s Australia tour. And her debut vocal album Love Remains was released in 2019 and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseeker charts on the first week of its release. Tal has received several accolades and awards included being voted “The Year’s Most Exciting New Player” by Bass Player magazine’s readers’ choice poll in 2008, awarded Bass Player Magazine’s “Young Gun Award” in 2013 and receiving the “Vision” award at the eighth annual She Rocks Awards in 2020.