Viktor Krauss

Viktor Krauss
Birth nameViktor Karl Krauss
Born1969
Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
GenresPop, rock, country, bluegrass, jazz
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
InstrumentBass
Years active1985–present
LabelsNonesuch
Websitewww.viktorkrauss.com

Viktor Krauss is an American musician who plays acoustic and electric bass. He has released solo albums and has worked as a sideman with many musicians, including his sister, singer and fiddler Alison Krauss.

Music career

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Krauss was born to Fred and Louise, and raised in Champaign, Illinois. As a boy, he enjoyed listening to soundtracks. He started on piano and trumpet before moving on to playing double bass with local jazz groups in his early teens. In high school, he began composing music and was influenced by rock, soul, and R&B. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and studied bass, voice, and electronic music. While in college, he formed a band called Difficult Listening.[1]

In 1992, he became a member of the Free Mexican Airforce led by Peter Rowan, a bluegrass guitarist and singer from Boston. After working with Rowan, he joined the band of country singer Lyle Lovett, touring and recording for the next ten years. He played on Forget About It, a solo album by his sister, Alison.[1]

He recorded his album Far from Enough (Nonesuch, 2004) with Alison, dobro player Jerry Douglas, drummer Steve Jordan, and guitarist Bill Frisell. Alison sings a cover version of the song "Big Log" by Robert Plant. Viktor Krauss called his album a soundtrack without a movie. It combines country, bluegrass, and jazz.[2][3][4] His second album, II (EMI/Back Porch, 2007), was also compared to a film soundtrack. Shawn Colvin sings a cover version of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" by Pink Floyd.[5]

Krauss has worked as a session musician on albums by the Cox Family, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Bill Frisell, Jerry Douglas, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Martin Taylor, Michael McDonald, and Natalie MacMaster. He is also the composer of the indie horror game No Players Online.[6]

From the mid-1990s until 2001, Krauss owned the American Football House, located at 704 W. High St. in Urbana, which was featured on the cover of the first album by emo band American Football.[7]

Discography

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As sideman

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With Alison Krauss

With the Cox Family

  • 1994 I Know Who Holds Tomorrow with Alison Krauss
  • 1993 Everybody's Reaching Out for Someone
  • 1995 Beyond the City
  • 1996 Just When We're Thinking It's Over
  • 2015 Gone Like the Cotton

With Bill Frisell

With Jerry Douglas

With Lyle Lovett

With Beth Nielsen Chapman

  • 2002 Deeper Still
  • 2005 Look
  • 2007 Prism

With Dolly Parton

With Jill Sobule

With Natalie MacMaster

With Ron Block

  • 2001 Faraway Land
  • 2007 DoorWay

With Peter Rowan

With Jason White

  • 2001 Shades of Gray
  • 2003 Tonight's Top Story

With Carrie Rodriguez

With Sarah Jarosz

With Nicole C. Mullen

With others

References

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  1. ^ a b Monger, James Christopher. "Viktor Krauss | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  2. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Far from Enough - Viktor Krauss". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  3. ^ Simmons, Sylvie (11 March 2004). "Viktor Krauss, Far From Enough". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  4. ^ "Viktor Krauss - Far From Enough". No Depression. 30 June 2004. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  5. ^ Reges, Margaret. "II - Viktor Krauss". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Viktor Krauss | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 January 2017. On the internet, as of 2019, he is also known as the main composer for the indie horror game "No Players Online".
  7. ^ "History". americanfootball.house. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
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