Robert Trujillo

Robert Trujillo (Spanish pronunciation: roˈβerto tɾuˈxiʎo; born October 23, 1964) is an American bassist well known as the current bassist of Metallica. He also was a member of Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves, Black Label Society, and worked with Jerry Cantrell and Ozzy Osbourne. Biography edit: Early life edit: Roberto Agustín Miguel Santiago Samuel Trujillo Veracruz was born in Santa Monica, California. He is of Mexican descent. Career edit: He was a member of Ozzy Osbourne's band for a number of years starting in the late 90s. Trujillo was the subject of controversy for re-recording Bob Daisley's bass tracks for reissued versions of Osbourne's albums Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman because of Daisley's claim of not receiving proper royalties. During this time, Trujillo formed an experimental supergroup, Mass Mental, with then Dub War singer Benji Webbe, whose "ragga-punk-metal" outfit had just disbanded. The band released one studio album (exclusively in Japan) and one live album of their performance in Tokyo before disbanding. Zakk Wylde, a personal friend and bandmate from the Ozzy days, also recruited him to play with Black Label Society for a few shows. Robert Trujillo began playing electric bass for Metallica on February 24, 2003. The band consists of James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, and Lars Ulrich. He had previously met and befriended his future bandmates when Suicidal Tendencies supported Metallica during the Nowhere Else to Roam tour in 1993, and again during the Shit Hits the Sheds tour one year later. Trujillo received one million dollars from the band as an advance for joining Metallica. His audition and hiring appear in the documentary film Some Kind of Monster. As the current bassist for Metallica, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside all current members of the band, as well as Jason Newsted (who left the band in 2001) and the late Cliff Burton on April 4, 2009. In 2003, Trujillo was seen playing an upright bass in the Nickel Creek music video, "Smoothie Song". However, he did not play bass for the band during the song's recording. Acting edit: Trujillo has made appearances in films and a TV show and TV film, he appeared in the 1978 film House Calls, and the 1992 comedy film Encino Man. He made a guest appearance in the hit TV series CHiPs and appeared in the TV film Scout's Honor. Almost comically, he was in a Pacific Bell Smart Yellow Pages commercial that aired in the '90s. When asked to think of something that couldn't be found in the Pacific Bell Smart Yellow Pages, he mentioned that he was looking for a kilt because he was going on tour and apparently wanted to wear one. Personal life edit: Robert is married and has a son and daughter, Ty and Lula. His girlfriend at the time, (now his wife) Chloé did a pyrography (woodburning) design of the Aztec Calendar for him on his bass guitar. Years later when Rob heard Chloé had moved to Los Angeles, he called her from a pay phone while on a surfing trip in Tahiti in a determined effort to reconnect. They have been together for the past seven years and are now married. His wife has her own website called "Chloe in art". Other projects edit: In 2012, Trujillo began producing a documentary about Jaco Pastorius entitled Jaco, directed by Stephen Kijak. Technique edit: Trujillo is primarily a fingerstyle player, but has been known to play with a pick in some recordings and while playing live. Trujillo's predecessor in Metallica, Jason Newsted, was almost exclusively a pickstyle player, while Cliff Burton, Newsted's predecessor and bassist on Metallica's first three albums, played fingerstyle exclusively. Trujillo also uses the slap bass technique, seen mostly in his work with Suicidal Tendencies and especially Infectious Grooves. At many of the shows during Metallica's 2004 Madly in Anger with the World Tour, Trujillo would often play an extended bass solo (dubbed "Jungle Essence" on recordings) which made extensive use of slap bass and other techniques and effects. For recording purposes, Trujillo uses his own code for writing down bass arrangements. Inspired by an article by Pino Palladino, he developed this during the recording sessions for Jerry Cantrell's Degradation Trip which, according to Trujillo, had him working from "little hoodrat demos" with nearly inaudible bass. Equipment edit: With Metallica, he is most often seen playing Fernandes Gravity 5-string basses, particularly a model with a silver finish, blue flame decals, and EMG pickups. He has a Warwick Signature Streamer bass that was released in March 2010. He also has a signature bass model, the Sonus RT, manufactured by Zon Guitars. Prior to Metallica, he was most often seen playing Tobias, ESP and MusicMan basses (all 5-strings), as well as a Fender Precision Bass with Black Label Society and Ozzy Osbourne. Trujillo has been seen in concert playing a Yamaha TRB5-P2 5-string bass, a customized green Rickenbacker 4001/4003 4-string bass fitted with EMG pickups, various Nash P-Bass Copy guitars, and both a classic Fender Precision Bass and Fender Jazz Bass. For amplification, he uses Ampeg amplifiers and cabinets. Trujillo recently collaborated with Jim Dunlop to create his new Icon signature bass strings - these strings are taper-core stainless steel, with a non-tapered B string in gauges 45-130 (5-string). Trujillo is also the custodian of the "Bass Of Doom" - a defretted mid-1960s Fender Jazz Bass that was formerly owned by the late Jaco Pastorius and which was extensively used on his recorded works. The bass had been seriously damaged, but has subsequently been restored and refinished. Trujillo acquired it from its previous owner, with the intention of having the bass remain with him, in trust for the Pastorius family. He has, however, been seen playing it onstage with Metallica. Effects edit: Trujillo's pedal board consists of an Electro Harmonix Q-Tron, a Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI, a Tech 21 XXL, a MXR m-135 SmartGate, a Morley Mark Tremonti wah pedal, and a Boss OC-2 Octave Pedal; all powered by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power.

Source: Wikipedia

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