Bosco Mann, or Gabriel Roth, is a Grammy award-winning engineer who started Daptone Records in Brooklyn New York, which produces a modern revival of the older funk & soul genres.
I personally was drawn to Bosco by his work with Menahan Street Band, Budos Band, and Charles Bradley. I believe there is a natural progression in a lot of people from listening to old funk & soul to thinking, “who still makes this sound?”
I haven’t found any information on his background education yet, but I was able to find some insight into his strategy for success. In the second article listed below, an interview with him, he specifically states that he originally started playing bass guitar because one of the bassists he worked with played in a way that was too “busy”, and as an engineer he just wanted the bass to sort of live in the background. Eventually, he even played on tours. But now, looking back on it, he is grateful for his choice to choose bass guitar as an instrument, because he feels that it gives him more time to focus on what the rest of the band is doing, and to take less time learning the songs (at least, in comparison to singing, he states).
He discusses how he tries to use minimal microphones and records to tape to get a more “natural” or vintage mix, and goes over a lot of specific recording techniques used to deliberately achieve a vintage tone, as the main goal is to produce records that play like old vinyl, and in fact many of these records are sold as vinyl.
What I relate to in this, is the overlap of musician and engineer. I’ve always stretched myself in the past to do as much for the band as possible beyond just playing guitar or keyboard. Getting involved in the booking, flyers, art, rehearsal organization and planning, and now recording mixing and mastering. He states:
“My partner Neal Sugarman and I wear a lot of hats. One day we’re dealing with layout of artwork and dealing with paying rent and collecting from a distributor, arranging a string section and booking shows and going on tour. We’re doing everything and there are only two of us.” (2nd source, I’d cite this better but I’m out of time)
This is how I’ve always operated, and honestly it’s how I prefer to operate. I think ADD has something to do with it. The jobs I’ve had in the past that I’ve found the most rewarding have had many hats for me to wear.
https://www.dapkings.com/about
https://tapeop.com/interviews/59/gabriel-roth-bosco-mann/
Paul Busch Audio Productions 