"I Can’t Tell You How Great This Guy Is"

Tony Garnier at 70! - Bob Dylan’s Rock-Solid Bass Anchor

May 10, 2025

Today marks Tony Garnier’s 70th birthday, a milestone for the man who has been Bob Dylan’s steadfast bassist and onstage anchor for over three and a half decades. Garnier joined Dylan’s band in 1989 and quickly became the longest-serving sideman in Dylan’s entire career. Often dubbed Dylan’s unofficial musical director, Garnier is the quiet force guiding the band – a role he’s fulfilled with humility, consistency, and world-class musicianship since the late 1980s.

Today, Daily Dylan celebrates Tony Garnier’s life and contributions with a look at his journey, from a rich musical heritage and early career to his pivotal role in shaping Bob Dylan’s live sound.

Early Musical Journey

Born on May 10, 1955, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Tony Garnier grew up in southern California in a family steeped in music. His grandfather, D’Jalma “Papa” Garnier, was a New Orleans jazz bandleader reputed to have taught a young Louis Armstrong – giving Tony a direct link to America’s musical roots. With such heritage, it’s no surprise Tony developed a versatile bass style.

By the mid-1970s, he was touring with country-swing outfit Asleep at the Wheel (Listen here), and soon after he explored the New York avant-garde scene as part of The Lounge Lizards jazz ensemble. Throughout the late ’70s and ’80s, Garnier honed his craft backing an eclectic roster of artists: he played bass for rockabilly firebrand Robert Gordon, provided the groove for blues legends like Otis Rush and Albert Collins, and served as a long-time sideman to David Johansen in his Buster Poindexter persona. He even appears on Tom Waits’ acclaimed 1985 album Rain Dogs, showcasing his ability to adapt to Waits’ offbeat, rhythmic noir.

This wide-ranging early career – from Western swing to punk-tinged lounge jazz – forged the adaptable musician who would soon catch Bob Dylan’s attention.

Joining Dylan’s Never Ending Tour

Tony Garnier joined Bob Dylan in 1989, during the early phase of what fans call the Never Ending Tour. Dylan’s then-bassist Kenny Aaronson fell ill, and guitarist G.E. Smith – leader of Dylan’s band at the time and a former colleague of Garnier from the Saturday Night Live house band – recommended Tony as a fill-in.

Garnier’s first show with Dylan took place in June 1989, and what began as a temporary stand-in role became a permanent gig. As Garnier himself has said, “Playing with Bob takes precedence over everything else” – and indeed, from that point on, he has never missed a Dylan concert. Over the next 36 years, Tony has logged thousands of shows with Dylan, more than any other musician in Bob’s history.

Through endless tours across continents, in venues from intimate theaters to huge arenas, Garnier could always be seen close to Dylan, plucking his bass with steady assurance. His near-flawless attendance and dedication have provided an unparalleled continuity in Dylan’s touring band, night after night.

The Unofficial Musical Director

Beyond his bass playing, Garnier gradually took on the role of Dylan’s onstage musical director – a crucial but understated position. When long-time bandleader G.E. Smith left the group in late 1990, Tony stepped up to help Dylan shape the live shows. He began meeting with Bob before concerts to work out setlists and discuss arrangements, and he serves as a liaison between Dylan and the other band members.

Many eyewitnesses have noted how Dylan will shoot Tony a look or a quick word on stage, and Tony in turn will signal cues to the drummer or guitarists. “Bass player and musical director” is how guitarist Duke Robillard once described Garnier’s role in Dylan’s band.

Whether it’s indicating the key of the next song, adjusting a tempo on the fly, or communicating Dylan’s spur-of-the-moment direction, Tony steadies the ship whenever things veer off course. His presence gives Dylan the confidence to experiment with songs live, knowing the band has a reliable center of gravity.

Dylan himself has publicly acknowledged Tony’s long service – introducing him at a 2019 concert by quipping that Garnier has “been with me longer than I’ve been with myself.” And at a 2021 show at the Beacon Theatre in New York, Dylan looked over at Garnier during a band introduction and added: “And I can’t tell you how great this guy is, he’s been great for a long time – Tony Garnier!” It’s a humorous and heartfelt testament to the decades of partnership between the legendary singer and his right-hand man.

The Bass Backbone of Dylan’s Sound

Tony Garnier’s impact on Dylan’s music goes far beyond logistics; he has been the musical backbone of Dylan’s evolving sound. Armed with both an electric bass guitar and a traditional upright bass, Garnier adapts to every genre Dylan explores. His understated, flexible style can glide from a slow blues shuffle into a sprightly bluegrass run, or fuel a hard-rocking riff – whatever the song demands.

“That’s the trick,” Tony once explained, “listening to the groove and listening to the singer… Sometimes you might tune in to the vocal a little more; other times you need to set up a good groove so the singer has something to sing to.”

He has a knack for finding bass lines that drive the music forward without ever stepping on Dylan’s lyrics. As he explained, the key is knowing Bob’s songs inside-out:

“The best way to learn them is to know the lyrics. Once you do that, you see how powerful his music is. I can be onstage playing something we’ve performed hundreds of times, and I still get emotional hearing it.”

Listeners who focus in on Tony’s playing are often struck by its brilliance. His lines swing with a subtle jazz touch (hear his gentle walking bass on many Time Out of Mind tracks, for example) and yet can rock with gritty blues punch when needed. He switches to upright bass for acoustic numbers, lending a rich, woody depth to Dylan’s folk and country tunes.

When Dylan took on classic pop standards in the Great American Songbook albums and tours, it was Garnier’s masterful double-bass underpinning songs like “Autumn Leaves” and “That Old Black Magic” that gave those performances their authentic croon-era feel. A fellow Dylan band member once remarked that Tony is “the glue that holds it all together.”

One dramatic example of Garnier’s supportive presence came during a 2019 show in Vienna: Dylan, irritated by a fan’s flash photography, stepped back, tripped over a monitor and almost fell – only to be caught by Tony’s outstretched arms. It was a split-second save and a perfect metaphor for Garnier’s role: always there to catch Bob and keep the show on its feet.

“Now Is the Time to See Him”

During the pandemic lockdown in 2021, Tony Garnier reflected on Bob Dylan’s pre-COVID live shows in a Slapstream podcast — and his words spoke volumes about both Dylan’s artistry and the band’s dynamic. “The last gigs we did before the pandemic hit were, I think, the best shows ever,” Garnier said. “If you wanna see Bob, now is the time to go see him. When we start up again… it’s just the most incredible band that he has now, and he is so great. I think now is the time to see him — it’s just amazing.” For a man who’s played thousands of shows with Dylan, that kind of praise carries weight. Garnier added, “As far as consistently touring night after night — we get up there and it’s just so consistent, just the best right now.”

Beyond Dylan: Collaborations and Projects

While Tony Garnier’s primary commitment has always been to Dylan, he has found time between tours to lend his bass talents to a variety of other projects. His session credits read like a who’s who of American music. Some notable collaborations include:

Tom Waits – Rain Dogs (1985)
Loudon Wainwright III – various folk/roots recordings
Paul Simon – Songs from The Capeman (1997)
Marc Ribot – Shoe String Symphonettes (1998)
Eric Andersen – late-’90s sessions
Michelle Branch – Everything Comes and Goes (2010)

He also toured with Elvis Costello and Diana Krall in between Dylan-tours. He made a cameo in Dylan’s 2003 film Masked and Anonymous as part of the on-screen band. And true to his roots, Tony has occasionally indulged his love of New Orleans music – even cooking his family’s Creole gumbo at special jazz events. But no matter what other music he plays, Garnier always returns to Dylan’s side.

His philosophy remains simple: “Playing with Bob takes precedence over everything else.”

Celebrating a Living Legend

On this special birthday, we tip our hats to Tony Garnier – a master musician and the very definition of a loyal sideman. His steady bass lines and guiding hand have shaped the sound of Dylan’s bands from 1989 to 2025, enriching songs old and new with warmth, rhythm, and soul. Here’s to Tony’s life in music – may it continue to inspire, and may we see him beyond the horizon, anchoring many more Dylan shows to come.

Happy 70th Birthday, Tony Garnier!