Vincen García
Beyond the Groove: The Soulful Ascent of Vincen Garcia
Vincen García stands at the forefront of modern jazz and funk. Celebrated worldwide and ranked among the top ten most-streamed bassists on the planet, he has built an unstoppable digital presence, amassing hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of views and engagements. Fresh off a whirlwind run that carried him from the storied clubs of Tokyo to the stages of the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Spanish bass phenom arrives as a study in kinetic focus and artistic momentum.
We sat down with him before his Udin&Jazz performance for a conversation that finds García both reflective and forward-looking. His ascent accelerated in September 2023 with a defining career moment: a last-minute call from Cory Wong to join his European tour. That trial by fire—combined with years of steady work in studios and on stages—helped forge an artist now operating at a new level.
García’s appeal lies in the clarity of his voice and the joy with which he shares it. He plays from a lineage that spans the foundational slap of Larry Graham, the harmonic innovations of Jaco Pastorius, and the modern drive of Snarky Puppy, yet what emerges is unmistakably his own: warm, open, and fully committed.
To witness him live is to feel rhythmic assurance paired with melodic generosity—a performer who commands the stage by inviting you into the conversation rather than dominating it.
The Concert Witness (TCW): Thanks for making the time, Vincen. I understand you just got in today after a gig in Pisa. You must be constantly on the move.
Vincen Garcia: Yes, that is true. We arrived just at 2 p.m. Yesterday we were in Camerino, Pisa, today here. This is my seventh concert in Italy this year. It’s my second home. I love Italy. I’ve been playing in Japan, Georgia, Netherlands, Spain, France, UK… many countries. It’s just starting.
TCW: With this constant touring, does the gigging itself act as your practice, or do you still have to carve out dedicated time to woodshed?
Vincen Garcia: This month, not too much. When I’m at home for two weeks, of course, I always make the same time for it. I’ll say, “OK, today I’m going to spend one day with my instrument,” without recording, without recording videos, only playing for playing. I really love playing for play, without thinking about recording, only exploring my instrument.
TCW: You’ve built an enormous fan base through Instagram, with your incredible cover videos. Now that you’re touring so heavily, how do you manage that online presence with the physical reality of life on the road?
Vincen Garcia: I only started making videos because I had the time for it. But I always was playing in my city, in Valencia, with jams, with bands. I wanted to play live with my music, of course. Since the release of my album, I don’t have the same time to record videos in my home. But I really love it because I’m coming from there, and the people know me a lot from Instagram. Now I try to upload content about life, because I don’t have time for the other stuff. It’s great for the people to know you on social media, and after, they come for a ticket. I think it’s super nice.
TCW: Let’s go back to the beginning. You come from a musical family. Was the bass something that was always around the house?
Vincen Garcia: It’s a very typical history. In my school, in my class, my friends were talking about making a band. You know, all the people… “okay, maybe I can sing, I can play guitar, I can play drums,” the instruments more attractive. So, okay, “no problem, me the bass.” And yeah, it starts like this. After that, at my home, my father plays trumpet, my mother singer. They have an orchestra, playing standards, covers and things like this. And in this moment, I was very interested in the bass. And yeah, just like this.
TCW: So it was almost a happy accident. Was there a specific bass line that, once you started, just captured your mind and made you think, “This is it”?
Vincen Garcia: Yeah, so I really liked “Pow” by Larry Graham. He’s a slap bassist… you know, Larry Graham invented the slap technique. So when I was listening to this bass line, it broke my mind.
TCW: And of course, Jaco Pastorius as well?
Vincen Garcia: Yeah, yeah. Jaco… I really love his song “Portrait of Tracy.” I think he has really, really power in the melody. And it’s still so fast. And of course, you know, he’s the bass player that played bass more different in his years, right? My other influences are Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, Richard Bona, Larry Graham, of course, Louis Johnson. And bands like Lettuce, Weather Report, Snarky Puppy, yeah, Cory Wong, of course, Herbie Hancock.
TCW: Speaking of Cory Wong, the story of how you got that tour is legendary. Can you tell us how you got that gig?
Vincen Garcia: Yes, this is a crazy story. In 2023, he called me two days before his tour started because his bassist was sick. I was in contact with Cory before; he’d message me, “Hey bro, how are you? I like your stuff.” And I had messaged him that if he needed a bassist for Europe tour tocall me. Finally, he called me two days before and I had learned more than 50 songs in two days to play, and without rehearsal, without meeting him in person before. So it was a crazy story and I remember it with a lot of love.
TCW: As a songwriter—your album Ventura came out in 2023—how do you approach writing? Do you start with a bass line, or at the piano, given your music is so melodic?
Vincen Garcia: Yeah, it’s different. When I’m composing, sometimes I start with a rhythm in my head, or also, of course, with a groove. Or sometimes with another instrument, because when you play another instrument, it inspires you to play a line different than on your own instrument. I think it’s a mix, but more with rhythm things. Yes, I think that’s it.
TCW: You’re already working on new material. Do you change your setlist around a lot to keep it fresh for yourself?
Vincen Garcia: I have, you know, three or four songs in the safe. Sometimes it depends on the audience, the festival. I’m gonna change it. I think for today, we add these two songs, and for another show, change these two. But of course, it’s more or less the same, because I only have 10 original songs. And we play two covers, from Victor Wooten and Cory Wong. But yes, it’s the same. I think when I have my new music, I will have more songs, and of course, more different songs to choose from..
TCW: Finally, for all the young players watching your videos and picking up a bass, what is your advice? How do they find their own path?
Vincen Garcia: Always I tell them the same thing, because many people ask me for this. I think the onr thing is only to practice a lot, because you practice, you enjoy it, and then you make things that you feel really good with in the music. I think that’s the key to find your way, and the style of your own, your sound. Yeah, I think you really need to enjoy it.
Read the entire review of his concert in Udine Jazz 2025 here.
