Rodney Whitaker is an internationally renowned jazz bassist and recording artist with Origin Records. Currently a Professor of Jazz Bass and Director of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University, he has built one of the top jazz programs in the world. A former member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis’ Septet, Whitaker has performed and recorded with countless jazz legends such as Jimmy Heath, Diana Krall, and Branford Marsalis. He has appeared on over 100 recordings and was nominated for an Emmy in 2011. Whitaker is also a dedicated educator, conducting master classes across the nation and internationally. Based in East Lansing, MI, he continues to inspire the next generation of jazz musicians.