Groove Mastery Guidebook

Biography of Oneida Caprice James
Author of Groove Mastery

Oneida grew up in a household where there was always a variety of music; everything from straight ahead jazz, R&B, Pop, Rock and Funk.  Her father was a Blues guitarist, her Grandmother played piano at church and her Uncle and older brother kept the music flowing in the house.  This constant exposure of great musical influences was the foundation of Oneida’s passion and determination to be involved in music in a very intimate way.  The love for music drew her to the bass guitar.

Though Oneida had musicians in her family, she began exploring her very natural talents on her own.  In her early teens, she began teaching herself to play by sitting in front of the radio and playing along or playing along with her favorite albums for hours and hours on end.  The artist she learned from where those her uncle and brother played in the house constantly, everyone from Stevie Wonder, EW&F, The Beatles, Quincy Jones, James Brown, AWB, George Duke, Weather Report, Edgar Winter, Donny Hathaway, Sly and the Family Stone, The Crusaders, George Benson, Larry Graham, Yellow Jacket, Chaka Khan, David Sanbourne, Mowtown and countless others.  The method she chose to teach herself was to study and learn each bassline note for note, lick for lick, then record herself playing along and pretending she was in the studio recording the bassline; the objective being to playing every note and lick perfectly.  Oneida didn’t realize it at the time but, this method of learning became the foundation of Oneida’s rock solid groove and well-rounded musicianship. 

Later, with encouragement from friends and family, Oneida began going to jam sessions and musician hangs which led to some club gigs, demo sessions and auditions. After paying some dues, Oneida began to make her way from playing the LA club circuit and auditioning, to the pro touring arena.  This live, onstage and recording experience, local and abroad included Cree Summer, Sony “Work” Artist, (produced by Lenny Kravitz) 2 year tour opening for and  performing with Lenny Kravitz; Hip-hop Band "Spearhead";  "Smokin Grooves" Tour performing and with “Spearhead” with The Fugees, Busta Rhymes, Ziggy Marley, Tribe Called Quest, Cypress Hill, Vonda Shephard, and Michael Landau Tour; Capital Records group, “Subject to Change” Featuring Cree Summer; Donny Osmond, Eyes’ Don’t Lie and Soldier of Love Tours; Dav Koz and (International Reggae Artist) Raymond Meyers of the Reggae band Soul Vibrations.  Many Television appearances include Jay Leno Tonight Show, Craig Kilbourne, Kelly and Regis Show, MTV Europe, Jack Docherty Show London, Rick Dees Show, Top of the Pops, Europe, Byron Allen, Show Arsenio Hall Show, and many other live radio shows.  Oneida also performed at Bass Day, LA, resulting in a quarter page article in Bass Player Magazine September 2001 issue.  Presently, Oneida performs with Joe Cocker and Euge Groove.

During the time in between the above endeavors, Oneida was invited to teach Live Playing Workshops and Groove Clinics at The Musicians Institute, in Hollywood, CA.  She authored and teaches several groove workshops which continue to be some of the most popular electives at Musicians Institute. It was here that Oneida developed and refined her methodology for teaching the many aspects of groove, thus laying the groundwork for Groove Mastery, the Bassist’s Guide to Groove.