Bill Laswell

Bass player and music producer known for his multi-genre musical work. In the late 1970s, he formed a band, Material, that mixed dance music with jazz, hip hop, and spoken word poetry.

Early in his music career, he played with Michigan-based funk bands. He later moved to New York City and performed with musician Daevid Allen.

He was born in Illinois, and he grew up in Michigan.

He produced jazz musician Herbie Hancock's 1983 album Future Shock and also co-wrote and performed on most of the album's tracks.