Shez Raja was born on the Wirral to an Asian father and an English mother. He began playing violin as a child, but soon switched to bass guitar. He was voted one of the ‘Hottest Bass Players in the World’ by readers of Bass Player Magazine. He describes his music as ‘Indo-jazz-funk.’ He regularly performs live with guitar legend Guthrie Govan at iconic jazz venues such as Ronnie Scott’s and the Jazz Café in London, and Band on the Wall in Manchester. He released his eighth album, Spellbound, in 2025.
MUSICAL BACKGROUND AND INSPIRATION
Nick Holmes Music: You began playing the violin at age nine. What inspired you to switch to bass?
Shez Raja: Yes, I started learning violin when I was around nine, and I still love the instrument, but when I tried a bass guitar at a friend’s house at about twelve, something immediately clicked. The violin had begun to feel slightly claustrophobic, particularly as I have fairly large hands, whereas the bass felt physically liberating.
I loved the depth and vibration of the sound. You don’t just hear a bass, you feel it moving through your body. Almost instinctively, I knew it was an instrument through which I could fully express myself. It also occupied this fascinating position between rhythm, harmony and melody. You can support the entire band, create the groove and then suddenly step forward with a melodic voice of your own. That combination still excites me today.
Nick Holmes Music: What did you take from your time at Leeds College of Music?
Shez Raja: Leeds gave me a strong theoretical foundation, but perhaps more importantly, it exposed me to an enormous range of music and musicians. I was playing jazz, funk, rock, Latin and Afro-Cuban music, and learning how to function in very different musical situations. That versatility later proved invaluable when I became a session musician.
I also studied tabla, which had a profound effect on the way I approach the bass. It revealed rhythmic structures and ways of subdividing a pulse that I might never have discovered through Western music alone. Even when I am playing a funk groove, there may be rhythmic ideas in it that originate from my knowledge of tabla.
The overall experience also taught me that being a good musician is not simply about instrumental technique. It is about listening, communicating and serving the music.
Nick Holmes Music: Which bass players most inspire you, and in what way?
Shez Raja: Jaco Pastorius was probably the most transformative. He completely reimagined what the electric bass could be – a groove instrument, a melodic instrument, a harmonic instrument and a unique compositional voice. His sound, phrasing and fearless creativity were super inspiring to me.
Stanley Clarke inspired me through his power, virtuosity and stage presence. Marcus Miller has an extraordinary ability to make technically sophisticated playing feel deeply funky and completely natural. Victor Wooten expanded my understanding of technique and musical possibility, while John Patitucci showed how fluently a bassist can move between different musical styles and worlds.
My earliest influences were considerably heavier. I loved Steve Harris from Iron Maiden and Cliff Burton from Metallica. Their playing had aggression, energy and an unmistakable identity. Flea from the early Chilli Peppers was another important influence because he showed that the bass could be visceral and exciting to a huge audience.
The common quality connecting all these players is that you can recognise them within a few notes. They all express distinct musical personalities and possess their own unique voice.
INDIAN INFLUENCES
Nick Holmes Music: How does your British-Asian background feed into your music?
Shez Raja: It is central to my musical identity. My father is from the Punjab and my mother is English, so I grew up with both cultures around me. My mother was musical and played piano, while my father was, and still is, constantly singing around the house. I think a great deal of my melodic sensibility entered subconsciously through hearing him.
As a child, I travelled to the Punjab with my father. Later, I felt a strong need to explore that heritage more consciously and understand the music at a deeper level. That eventually led me to travel to Lahore and record my album Tales from the Punjab with extraordinary local musicians.
I feel my music reflects the essence of who I am. The funk, rock and jazz elements coexist with ragas, Indian melodic phrasing, tabla-derived rhythms and a spiritual sensibility. The aim is for those influences to converse naturally and fluidly.
Nick Holmes Music: What have you learned from working with Indian musicians?
Shez Raja: One of the greatest lessons has been the depth of improvisation within Indian classical music. People sometimes think of improvisation primarily as a jazz concept, but in Indian classical music the vast majority of a performance may be created spontaneously within the framework of a raga and tala.
When I recorded in the Punjab, I arrived with some specific compositions, but we also improvised over ragas and created completely new music in the studio. There was initially a language barrier, yet it disappeared as soon as we began playing. Music became the common language.
Indian musicians have also deepened my appreciation of patience and melodic development. In Western improvised music, there can sometimes be a temptation to introduce new ideas very quickly. Indian classical musicians may explore the emotional character of a relatively small melodic area for a long time, gradually revealing its possibilities. I have tried to absorb some of that spaciousness and intensity into my own playing.
Nick Holmes Music: Do you have any plans to bring Indian musicians into future recordings or live performances?
Shez Raja: Absolutely. Working with musicians including Roopa Panesar, Gurdain Singh Rayatt, Ahsan Papu, Zohaib Hasan and Fiza Haider has become an important part of my musical journey. Spellbound continues that dialogue, with sitar, tabla, bansuri and sarangi appearing alongside musicians from the jazz, funk and rock worlds.
So artistically, I definitely want to keep developing that side of the music.
I am particularly interested in performances where all the musicians are integral to the improvisation and direction of the music. The most exciting results occur when everyone has genuine space to affect what happens and the music becomes something none of us could have created individually.
MUSIC GEAR
Nick Holmes Music: What bass guitar do you play, and what’s special about it?
Shez Raja: My bass guitar is a custom-built five-string Fodera. Fodera instruments are handmade in New York, and mine was designed very specifically around the sound, feel and playing style I wanted.
It has a relatively narrow 16.5 mm string spacing, which makes it extremely responsive for fast melodic playing and chordal work. The fifth string, a high C rather than a low B, gives me the extended upper range for melody lines and soloing.
What makes it special is its combination of clarity and warmth. It can produce a huge low end, whilst the upper register remains articulate and vocal. That’s important as I often move between traditional bass functions and melodic improvisation. I need one instrument that can underpin the entire band and then speak clearly when I move into a solo.
It has also become a very personal instrument. After playing the same bass for many years, you develop a special connection – you know how it will respond to every variation in touch.
Nick Holmes Music: You use the Boss GT-10B multi-effects processor instead of individual effects pedals; what effects do you use it for?
Shez Raja: The GT-10B is a brilliant bass-specific unit and is effectively the control centre for my processed sounds. I use envelope-filter and synth-type sounds, octave effects, distortion and overdrive, chorus, delay and reverb. I use combinations of effects to create atmospheric or otherworldly textures, ultimately to serve and enhance the composition.
Some sounds are designed to make the bass feel larger and more aggressive, others allow it to occupy a synth-like or orchestral space. I really enjoy using effects to blur the conventional identity of the instrument, so that the listener may briefly wonder whether they are hearing a bass, guitar or synthesiser!
I always use the parallel signal chain to maintain the fundamental sound of the natural tone of the bass and I add effects alongside that to extend the emotional or sonic essence of the music.
Nick Holmes Music: Do you create your own custom effects on the Boss GT-10B?
Shez Raja: Yes, I build effect patches for particular musical functions and often for individual compositions. I create sounds in a musical context rather than trying to achieve the most dramatic effect. The real test is for the effect to remain clear and impactful alongside the rest of the band.
Nick Holmes Music: It’s quite old technology now – it was released in 2008. Have you ever thought about updating it?
Shez Raja: There are certainly newer processors out there with advanced amp modelling, routing, interfaces and computer integration. However I know the GT-10B extremely well, I can operate it instinctively onstage, it has proved very reliable and I continue to get a lot of compliments on my tone and sound.
I have explored newer systems and will undoubtedly change when I find something that gives me a meaningful musical advantage. Right now the GT-10B continues to do what I need.
STREAMING SERVICES
Nick Holmes Music: Why did you choose not to put your latest album, Spellbound, on streaming services? Could you be missing out on reaching new listeners?
Shez Raja: Spellbound was a substantial artistic endeavour that involved an exceptional international cast, including Dennis Chambers, Guthrie Govan, John Etheridge, Roopa Panesar and musicians recorded in several locations.
My focus was ensuring the album was produced at the highest possible audio quality, so that listeners get to hear the music at the premium quality they deserve. That’s why we mastered the album at the legendary Gearbox Records in London who used a vintage tape machine and 1950’s all-valve equalisers and compressors to achieve an incredible level of warmth and detail on the recording.
I also wanted to present it as a complete body of work, therefore the album is available directly from shezraja.com on vinyl, CD and high-quality download only – and is not available on any streaming platforms.
I am not opposed to streaming as a concept, and I understand that listening habits have changed. Streaming can be extremely useful for discovery, and I’ve tried to strike a balance by having one album on streaming platforms for this reason. That being said, discovery can also happen through concerts, radio, video, press coverage and via social media in a way that welcomes new listeners without devaluing the work.
So for me, it’s a balance between reach and value. My decision with Spellbound was to say that this music features 14 world-class musicians playing their hearts out, it has been beautifully recorded and mastered, and I would like people to engage with it as an album and for it to be an exquisite listening experience.
MUSIC MAKING
How much do you practise, and how do you practise?
Shez Raja: It varies according to what I am preparing for. I always practise productively and consistently. Before an important recording or tour, I practise in a very focussed way.
A core part of my practice is on technique, timing, articulation and keeping both hands relaxed. I practise difficult passages slowly and cleanly before increasing the tempo. A large part of my practice is highly musical. I improvise over harmony and explore rhythmic and melodic ideas until they become part of my vocabulary. I also play through complete pieces as though I were on stage, because performing a whole set requires a different kind of concentration and stamina from practising isolated passages.
Listening is practice too and I try to listen widely and transcribe music a lot.
Nick Holmes Music: How important is improvisation to your music?
Shez Raja: It is absolutely fundamental. The compositions provide a landscape, but improvisation determines what journey we take through it on a particular night.
I choose musicians who have strong, individual voices. I do not want them simply to reproduce the recording. There are composed melodies, structures, grooves and harmonic content, but within those frameworks we respond to one another and reshape the music in real time.
That means a performance can change dramatically according to the audience and the energy within the band. A melodic idea may appear unexpectedly and be picked up by another musician, a groove may become heavier, or more spacious, a section may develop in a completely different direction.
This is where I find jazz and Indian classical music connect so naturally. Both respect tradition, and also allow musicians to create in the present moment.
Nick Holmes Music: How do you write music?
Shez Raja: My writing is often very visual and emotional. I may begin with a bass groove, melody, rhythmic cycle or harmonic atmosphere, but usually there is an image, feeling or story behind it.
Sometimes an idea arrives when I am nowhere near an instrument. I might be walking down the street and suddenly hear a melody in my head, so I sing it into the voice recorder on my phone. At other times I’m improvising on the bass and recognise that a particular fragment contains the seed of a composition.
I have also learned to respect the natural ebb and flow of creativity. There are periods when ideas arrive constantly and others when very little happens. The important thing is to remain receptive and capture ideas when they appear.
Nick Holmes Music: Do you ever reach a ‘flow state’ when you play? Describe how that feels; can it be a spiritual experience?
Shez Raja: Yes, and those are the moments I am constantly aiming for. In a genuine flow state, the analytical mind becomes very quiet. I am not consciously thinking about scales, technique or what I should play next. It feels as though the music is arriving through me rather than being created by me. My awareness expands and I feel intensely connected to the other musicians and the audience, but at the same time there is a strange sense of disappearing into the experience.
There is effort involved in reaching that point, which is the years of practice and preparation, but in the moment itself, the playing feels almost effortless.
I do think it can be spiritual, although that word means different things to different people. For me, it is the experience of temporarily moving beyond the everyday ego and feeling connected to something much larger: the band, the audience, the present moment and the vibration of the music itself. That mystical and transportive quality is something I really value in music.
Nick Holmes Music: What do you think the purpose of music is?
Shez Raja: Music has many purposes. It can entertain us, bring people together, help us celebrate, allow us to grieve, release tension or simply make us move. It can also communicate emotional truths that are almost impossible to express through ordinary language.
For me, its highest purpose is transformation. A piece of music can alter your physical and emotional state within seconds. It can make an individual feel less alone or turn a room full of strangers into a temporary community.
I want my music to leave people feeling energised, uplifted and perhaps slightly changed. It should be joyous and accessible, but it can also invite the listener into something mysterious, thought-provoking or spiritual. Sometimes its purpose is to awaken a feeling of wonder.
THE FUTURE
Nick Holmes Music: What are your future plans, musically?
Shez Raja: The immediate priority is to continue bringing Spellbound to audiences through live performance. The music develops every time we play it, particularly through the improvisational relationship between the musicians.
The 2026 live band with Guthrie Govan, Chris Jerome and Sophie Alloway has taken the material into a special place. Touring it around the country and seeing audiences respond so enthusiastically has reminded me of how important the live experience is to me.
Beyond that, I want to continue deepening the unity between jazz, funk, rock and Indian classical music.
I would also like to create more opportunities for jazz musicians and Indian classical musicians to perform together in situations where genuine improvisation can take place. My vision is for each new project to take me somewhere I have not been before.
Nick Holmes Music: Who would you like to collaborate with in future? Do you have a dream collaborator?
Shez Raja: I’ve been extraordinarily fortunate to collaborate with musicians including Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Wayne Krantz, Trilok Gurtu, Dennis Chambers, Guthrie Govan and John Etheridge. Each collaboration has changed the music and taught me something.
A dream collaborator would be John McLaughlin. He’s a hugely inspirational figure to me because he has spent his career fearlessly bringing different musical worlds together. His work with the Mahavishnu Orchestra was groundbreaking in terms of intensity, virtuosity and rhythmic sophistication, while Shakti demonstrated just how naturally jazz improvisation and Indian classical music could interact at the very highest level.
What particularly inspires me is that the fusion in his music always feels meaningful. He has immersed himself deeply in Indian music and found an authentic musical language that respects both traditions while creating something completely new.
Given the direction my own music has taken, bringing together jazz, funk, rock and Indian classical influences, I think collaborating with John would be incredibly exciting. I’d love to hear what could emerge from putting our musical perspectives together, particularly in an environment with great Indian musicians where improvisation would really drive the music.
For me, that would be a genuine dream collaboration.
Shez Raja plays in Southampton, London and Northampton in early December 2026 – details here
Now read on…
Receive FREE Substack posts direct to your email inbox