Kaveh Rastegar

Kaveh Rastegar is a Persian-American record producer, composer, and bass guitarist. He is best known for his work with John Legend, Sia, Bruno Mars, and Sting and Kneebody. He has two Grammy nominations.

For over twenty years, Kaveh Rastegar has been an integral part of a broad range of musical projects collaborating as a producer, songwriter, or a bass player. He is well known as the founding member of Grammy nominated group Kneebody and for many years. He's also been bassist with John Legend (appearing alongside him in the musical La La Land). He's recorded with artists such as Bruce Springsteen (also appearing in his 2019 film "Western Stars and on studio albums"), Ringo Starr, Shania Twain, and Beck and in films such as Daddy's Home, The Big Sick,The Joker: Folie a Deux, Spa Weekend, The Bubbleand Walk Hard. He also served as musical director with Sia, appearing with her on Saturday Night Live. As a songwriter he has written with artists such as Bruno Mars, De La Soul, Ciara, Cee-Lo Green, Meshell Ndegeocello and Kimbra. Rastegar has written, produced and released his own albums as an artist including "Light of Love" (2018) and "Haunted This Way" (2019). In 2020, Rastegar played bass alongside Sting in his musical The Last Ship. Rastegar also accompanied Sting for numerous concerts throughout the US with his Symphonicities project.

Rastegar co-wrote "Collide", a record by Tiana Major9 and Earthgang for the iconic film “Queen and Slim”. “Collide”, an uplifting anthem celebrating Black Love was nominated for a Grammy in the category for “Best R&B Song”. Rastegar has worked with Sabrina Claudio on projects including “Truth Is”, “No Rain No Flowers”, “Christmas Blues” with features by The Weeknd and Alicia Keys, and "Based On A Feeling". Rastegar is currently collaborating with a number of upcoming and established artists from his studio.

Kaveh is also bassist and member of the supergroup "World Famous Pets" along with singer songwriter Edie Brickell, drummer Matt Chamberlain and guitarist Mason Stoops. The group will release its debut album September 25, 2026 along with a number of concerts in the US including an appearance at Austin City Limits Festival in October.

Early life and education Rastegar was born in Montreal and grew up in Denver, Colorado. He is an alumnus of University of Rochester.

Personal life He is married and has three children.

Discography 1997 – Emergency Broadcast Players Only a Test (LP) - Bass 1999 – Dispenza – Four Songs (EP) - Bass/Writer/Producer 2000 – Old Sol – EP - Bass 2002 – Wendel – Wendel - Bass/Writer 2002 – Dakah – Unfinished Symphony - Bass 2002 – Shane Endsley – 2nd Guess - Bass/Writer/Producer 2002 – Michael Andrews – Cypher soundtrack - Bass 2002 – Michael Andrews – Orange County soundtrack - Bass 2002 – Baba Alade – Unified and One - Bass 2003 – Dakah – Live at California Plaza 07/05/03 - Bass 2003 – Pan Dulce – Pan Dulce - Bass 2003 – Dj Haul e Mason – Cell: Eight - Bass 2003 – Arik Marshall – Fantaseality - Bass 2003 – Kneebody – Live Fall 2003 - Bass/Writer 2004 – Dakah – Live in Los Angeles 07/02/04 - Bass 2004 – Dakah – Live in San Francisco 07/31/04 - Bass 2004 – Thruster – Thruster! - Bass/Writer 2004 – Thruster – Live in Seattle 04/02/2004 - Bass/Writer 2004 – Casey Black – Vacations - Bass 2004 – Click Boom – The Freak Went Suite - Bass 2004 – Keven Brennan – God Is a Mighty Gourd - Bass 2004 – Keaton Simons – Currently (EP) - Bass 2004 – Michael Andrews – Wonderfalls soundtrack - Bass 2005 – Kneebody – Kneebody - Bass/Writer 2005 – Dj Haul – Half Baked Goods - Bass 2005 – Branden Harper – Tangents - Bass 2005 – Keaton Simons – Exes and Whys - Bass 2005 – Celeste Prince – Lady Sings - Bass 2005 – Christopher Wong – Journey from the Fall soundtrack - Bass 2005 – Uri Caine & Nate Wood – Shelf Life soundtrack - Bass 2006 – Kneebody – Live Volume One - Bass 2006 – Michael Hernandez – Anonyme - Bass 2006 – John Stowers – Everything You Do - Bass 2006 – Anna Dagmar – EP - Bass 2006 – Rosey – The Old Fashioned Way - Bass 2006 – Jurassic 5 – Feedback - Bass 2007 – Kneebody – Low Electrical Worker - Bass/Writer 2007 – Thruster – Green Heat - Bass/Writer 2007 – John Rogers – Satori - Bass 2007 – Tony Scott – A Jazz Life - Bass 2007 – Colin Hay – Are You Looking at Me? - Bass 2008 – Kneebody – Live Volume 2: Italy - Bass 2008 – Kneebody & Theo Bleckmann – 12 Songs by Charles Ives - Bass/Arranger 2008 – Chewy Puma – Macabre Cadabre - Bass/Vocals/Writer 2008 – Allensworth – Broken Leaves - Bass 2008 – Raya Yarbrough – Raya Yarbrough - Bass 2008 – The Ditty Bops – Summer Rains - Bass 2008 – Richard Stekol – The Point of Stars - Bass 2009 – Erica Mou – Bacio Ancora Le Ferite - Bass 2009 – Anna Dagmar – Let the Waves Come in Threes - Bass 2009 – Colin Hay – American Sunshine - Bass 2009 – Chali 2Na – Fish Outta Water - Bass 2009 – John Gold – A Flower in Your Head - Bass 2009 – Tony Monroe – Tony Monroe – EP - Bass 2009 – Jesca Hoop – Hunting My Dress - Bass 2009 – Luciano Ligabue – Sette notti in Arena - Bass 2010 – Bruno Mars – It's Better if You Don't Understand EP - Bass/Writer 2010 – Bruno Mars – Doo Wops and Hooligans - Bass/Writer 2010 – Kneebody – You Can Have Your Moment - Bass/Writer 2010 – CeeLo Green – The Ladykiller - Bass 2010 – Luciano Ligabue – Arrivederci, mostro! - Bass 2010 – Luciano Ligabue – Arrivederci, mostro! Tutte le facce del mostro - Bass 2011 – Giusy Ferreri – Il Mio Universo - Bass 2011 – Colin Hay – Gathering Mercury - Bass 2011 – Kelly Price – Kelly - Bass 2011 – Michelle Shaprow – Purple Skies - Bass 2011 – Timothy Young – Gravitational Lensing - Bass/Writer/Producer 2011 – Anthony Hamilton – Back to Love - Bass 2011 – Laura Pausini – Inedito - Bass 2011 – Luciano Ligabue – Campovolo 2.011 - Bass 2011 – Kneebody – Live Volume 3: Paris - Bass 2011 – Noemi – RossoNoemi - Bass 2012 – Kimbra – Vows - Bass 2012 – Thinking Plague – Decline and Fall - Bass 2012 – Sophie B. Hawkins – The Crossing - Bass 2012 – Matt Chamberlain – Company 23 - Bass 2012 – Curtis Stigers – Let's Go Out Tonight - Bass 2012 – Michael Lington – Pure - Bass 2013 – Nick Mancini – Storyteller - Bass 2013 – Cristiano De Andre – Come in Cielo Cosi in Guerra - Bass 2013 – Che Prasad – Shiva Me Timbers - Bass 2013 – Kelly Segal and Adam Levy – Little March - Bass 2013 – Kneebody – The Line - Bass/Writer 2013 – Matt Hires – The World Won't Last Forever, But Tonight We Can Pretend - Bass 2013 – Latryx – The Second Album - Bass/Guitar/Writer/Producer 2013 – Ligabue – Mondovisione - Bass 2014 – Meshell Ndegeocello – Comet Come to Me - Bass/Writer 2014 – Kimbra – The Golden Echo - Bass/Writer 2014 – Beck – Songreader - Bass 2014 – Rebecca Pidgeon – Bad Poetry - Bass 2014 – Minnie Driver – Ask Me To Dance - Bass 2015 – Charlie Puth ft. Meghan Trainor "Marvin Gaye" single - Bass 2015 – Flo Rida Ft. Fitz – "That's What I Like" single - Bass 2015 – Mikie Lee Prasad – Nowhere Special - Bass/Guitar/Keyboards/Writer/Producer 2015 – CeeLo Green – Heart Blanche - Bass/Writer 2015 – Kneebody + Daedelus – Kneedelus - Bass 2015 – John Legend – Under The Stars - Bass 2016 – Benji Hughes – Songs in the Key of Animals - Bass 2016 – De La Soul – And the Anonymous Nobody - Bass/Writer/Producer 2017 – Bob Reynolds – Guitar Band - Bass 2017 – Shania Twain – Now - Bass 2017 – Kneebody – Anti-Hero - Bass/Guitar/Writer 2017 – The Big Sick soundtrack - Bass 2017 – Ledisi – Let Love Rule - Bass 2018 – Kaveh Rastegar – Light of Love- Bass/Guitar/Keyboards/Vocals/Writer/Producer 2018 – Meshell Ndegeocello – Ventriloquism - Bass 2018 – Sabrina Claudio – "All to Me" single - Bass/Guitar/Keyboards/Writer/Producer 2018 – Sabrina Claudio – No Rain No Flowers- Bass/Guitar/Keyboards/Writer/Producer 2018 – Marc Lavoine – Je Reviens a Toi - Bass 2018 – Mel Parsons – Glass Heart- Bass 2018 – Elizabeth Goodfellow – Silly Sun- Bass 2018 – Simone White – Tiny Drop - Bass 2018 – Marsha Ambrosius – Nyla - Bass/Writer 2018 – Kneebody + Inara George – "How High" single - Bass/Guitar/Writer/Producer 2018 – Mike Love – "Reason For The Season" single - Bass 2019 – Ringo Starr – "What's My Name" - Bass 2019 – Bruce Springsteen – "Western Stars – Songs From The Film" - Bass 2019 – Sabrina Claudio – "Truth Is" - Bass/Guitar/Keyboards/Writer/Producer 2019 – Cinematic Orchestra – "To Believe" - Bass 2019 – The O'Jays – "The Last Word" - Bass 2019 – Kneebody – "By Fire" EP - Bass/Writer 2019 – Rebecca Pigeon – "Sudden Exposure to Therapy/Light" - Bass 2019 – Queen and Slim – "Motion Picture Soundtrack" - Bass/Writer 2019 – Tiana Major9 & Earthgang "Collide"- single - Bass/Writer 2019 – Dawn Richard – "New Breed" Bass/Guitar/Writer/Producer 2019 – Kneebody – "Chapters" - Bass/Writer 2019 – Ciara – "Beauty Marks" - Bass/Writer 2019 – Mike Love – 12 Sides of Summer - Bass 2019 – Kaveh Rastegar – "Haunted This Way" - Bass/Guitar/Keyboards/Vocals/Writer/Producer 2020 – Alain Clark – "Sunday Afternoon" - Bass 2020 – Becca Stevens – "Wonderbloom" - Bass/Writer 2020 – Adam Levy, Tamir Barzilay, Kaveh Rastegar – "California Special" - Bass 2020 – Tiana Major9 - "Think About You" single - Bass/Writer 2020 - Madeleine Peyroux - "American" single - Bass 2020 - Kai - "Fade Away" single - Bass/Guitar/Writer 2020 - Sabrina Claudio - "Christmas Blues" - Producer/Writer 2021 - Valerie June - "The Moon And Stars" - Bass 2021 - Ringo Starr - "Zoom In" EP - Bass 2021 - Manolo Ramos - "Amor y Punto" - Writer 2021 - Colin Hay - "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" - Bass 2021 - Cynthia Erivo - "Ch.1 Vs.1" - Bass/Guitar/Writer/Producer 2022 - Rick Ross - "Richer Than Ever' - Writer 2022 - Gavin Haley - "Body Language' Single - Bass/Guitar/Keyboards/Writer/Producer 2022 - Gavin Haley - "I Hate You Don't Leave Me" - Bass/Guitar/Keyboards/Writer/Producer 2022 - Gaby Moreno - "Alegoria" Writer 2022 - John Legend - "Through The Night" Target Exclusive Single - Writer 2022 - Sabrina Claudio - "Based On A Feeling" - Bass/Guitar/Keyboards/Writer/Producer 2022 - Jex Nwalor - "Come Back" Single - Bass/Writer/Producer 2022 - Chris Pierce - "45 Jukebox" Single - Bass 2022 - Matt Nathanson - "Boston Accent" - Bass 2022 - Toni Romiti - "The Old Me" Single - Bass/Guitar/Writer/Producer 2022 - Rini - "Haunt Me" Single - Bass/Guitar/Keyboards/Writer/Producer 2023 - Nabate Isles - "En Motion" - Bass 2023 - Sabrina Claudio - "Archives And Lullabies" - Bass/Guitar/Writer/Producer 2023 - Larry Goldings, Kaveh Rastegar, Abe Rounds - "Better" - Bass/Guitar/Writer/Producer 2023 - Dorian Holley, Nayanna Holley - "I Can't Find My Way Home" Single - Bass/Producer 2023 - Rosemarie - "Rock, Paper, Scissors" EP - - Bass/Guitar/Keyboards/Writer/Producer 2023 - Keturah - "Kwanumkwanu" Single - Bass 2023 - Keturah - "All The Way From Africa" - Bass/Writer 2023 - Rum Gold - "Forget Me" Single - Writer 2023 - Njomza - "Stages" - Bass/Guitar/Producer/Writer 2023 - Percy Howard - "The Stars & The Well" - Bass 2023 - Sabrina Claudio - "Modo Avíon" Single - Bass/Guitar/Keyboards/Writer/Producer 2023 - Chris Pierce - "Home" Single - Bass/Writer 2023 - Travis Scott - "Utopia" - Bass 2023 - Téo - "Luna" - Bass/Writer 2023 - Chris Pierce - "Let All Who Will" - Bass/Writer 2023 - Nabate Isles - "En Motion" - Bass 2023 - Dorian Holley and Nayanna Holley - "DNA" - Producer, Arranger, Bass, additional guitar 2024 - Jose James - "Saturday Night (Need You Now)" Single - co Producer/co Writer 2024 - Nikka Costa - "Keep It High" Single - Bass/Guitars/co Producer/co Writer 2024 - Sonny Singh - "Pavan Guru" Single - Bass/Guitars/Keyboards/Harmonium/Producer/co Writer 2024 - Fana Hues - "Gone Again" - Bass/Guitars/Keyboards/Strings/Drum Programming/Producer/co Writer 2024 - Nikka Costa - "Dirty Disco" - Bass/Guitars/Keyboards/Strings/Drum Programming/co Producer/co Writer 2024 - Rini - "Your Ecstacy" - Bass/Guitars/Keyboards/Strings/Drum Programming/co Producer/co Writer 2024 - John Legend - "My Favorite Dream" - Bass 2024 - Sonny Singh - "Sage Warrior" - Bass/Guitars/Keyboards/Strings/Drum Programming/Executive Producer/co Writer 2024 - Joan As Policewoman - "Lemons, Limes and Orchids" - co Writer 2024 - Elaine - "Going Nowhere Slowly" - Bass/Guitars/Keyboards/Strings/Drum Programming/co Producer/co Writer 2024 - Jake and Abe - "Finally" - Bass 2024 - Shania Twain - "Shania: The Queen of Country Pop" - Bass 2024 - Sam Barsh Trio - "Old Tools New Rules" - Bass 2025 - Valerie June - "Joy, Joy" Single - Bass 2025 - Wafia - "Promised Land" - Bass/Guitars/Keyboards/Strings/Drum Programming/co Producer/co Writer 2025 - You're Cordially Invited - "Soundtrack" - Bass 2025 - Bruce Springsteen - "Tracks II: The Lost Albums" - Bass/Upright Bass 2025 - Valerie June - "Owls, Omens and Oracles" - Bass 2025 - Bruce Springsteen - "Lost and Found: Selections From the Lost Albums" - Bass/Upright Bass 2025 - Sabrina Claudio - "Fall In Love With Her" - Bass/Guitars/Keyboards/Strings/Drum Programming/co Producer/co Writer 2025 - Jose James - "1978: Revenge of the Dragon" - co-Writer, co-Producer 2025 - Leon Jean Marie - "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" Single - Bass, Synth 2025 - Braxton cook - "All My Life" ft Marie Dahlstrom Single - Bass, Synth, Drums, Keyboards, Guitar, Producer/co Writer 2025 - Brandon Victor Dixon - "Hotel California" Single - Bass, Arranger, Co Producer 2025 - Scary Goldings - "the Holy Enchilada" Album - Bass, co-Writer 2025 - Brian Byrne - "She Must Go" Album - Bass 2025 - Säje and Jacob Collier - "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" Single - Cover Illustration 2025 - Christopher Stevens - "5am Dreams" Single - Bass 2025 - Holly Palmer - "Metamorphosis" - Bass 2025 - Max - "Track 01 for Aerse" ft Sabrina Claudio Single - Bass, Keyboards, Guitars, co-writer, co producer 2026 - Dery and Kaveh Rastegar - "Bury To Build" EP - Bass, Synth, Guitars, Drums, Piano, Percussion co-writer, Producer 2026 - World Famous Pets - "Maybe Somehow" Single - Bass co-writer, co-Producer 2026 - Tiny Habits - "Anything He Was" Single - Bass 2026 - Mark Isham - "At the Carousel Club" Single - Bass 2026 - World Famous Pets - "I Guess It's You" Single - Bass co-writer, co-Producer 2026 - Optic Nerve - "March" Single - Bass 2026 - Role Model - "Chuck Timely & the Hourglass" - on the song "Chasing Midnight" - Double Bass 2026 - Brandon Jenner - "Full Circle" on the songs "My Own Way", "Give Me A Reason" and "The Taking" - Bass 2026 - Lila Forde - "Fantasies" Single - Producer/Co-writer/Guitar/Bass/Percussion 2026 - Mark Isham - "Tales of the Street Piano" Single - Bass