Paul Kowert (born 1986) is the bass player in Punch Brothers, the progressive string band led by Chris Thile. He joined in 2008 while still a student of Edgar Meyer at the Curtis Institute of Music. He is a founding member of Hawktail and plays in the trio Haas Kowert Tice. Thile has said Kowert’s arrival is when the band became a band.
Why Kowert matters
Kowert brings a classical bassist’s training to Punch Brothers, a band that plays long suites, pop covers, and bluegrass. He also plays in two smaller acoustic groups, Haas Kowert Tice and Hawktail, with fiddler Brittany Haas, guitarist Jordan Tice, and mandolinist Dominick Leslie.
Life and career
Kowert was born on July 18, 1986, and grew up in Middleton, Wisconsin. He started on violin and switched to bass at 9. He studied with Edgar Meyer at the Curtis Institute of Music and graduated in 2009.
Before Punch Brothers he played in Mike Marshall’s Big Trio with fiddler Alex Hargreaves. Punch Brothers recruited him in 2008, replacing original bassist Greg Garrison, while he was still at Curtis. He first appears on their 2010 album Antifogmatic. He was the band’s only non-founding member until Brittany Haas joined in 2023.
He also plays in Haas Kowert Tice, a trio with Brittany Haas and Jordan Tice. With them and Dominick Leslie he founded Hawktail. He has toured and recorded with Dave Rawlings, and in 2026 he joined Gillian Welch and David Rawlings on a tour of Grateful Dead music.
Playing style
Kowert uses an unusual tuning inspired by Meyer. His three highest strings are in solo tuning, a step above standard, while the lowest string stays in orchestral tuning. He often adds a C extension for more low range. He has played a bass by Daniel Hachez and, for touring, a Shen bass modified with a removable neck. Since 2021 he has played a bass by Nick Lloyd.
Influences and legacy
Kowert’s mentor is Edgar Meyer. In Punch Brothers he plays beside Chris Thile, Chris Eldridge, and Noam Pikelny, with fiddler Gabe Witcher until 2023 and Brittany Haas since. Before joining, he played with Mike Marshall and Alex Hargreaves.
Essential recordings
Mike Marshall’s Big Trio (2009) Antifogmatic, Punch Brothers (2010) You Got This, Haas Kowert Tice (2014) Formations, Hawktail (2020)
Watch and listen
Kowert takes a bass solo at the Ryman Auditorium.
What to learn from Kowert
Kowert came to bass from violin, and he plays it with a melodic mind. Learn a fiddle tune melody with your bow, then play a bass line under a friend playing the same tune. Moving between melody and support will open up the whole neck. If you play in a progressive band, learn the tune before you learn the bass part.
Sources
Paul Kowert, Wikipedia Punch Brothers, Wikipedia Edgar Meyer, Wikipedia
Related players
See the bass players hub and the bass guide. Edgar Meyer was his teacher. Todd Phillips did similar work on bass in the David Grisman Quintet a generation earlier.