TWO SOLO BASS ALBUMS?!? Did we do something wrong? Seriously, this has got to be the most challenging genre; It takes a special talent to keep it interesting, yet have something important to say.
You gotta have either a lot of guts, chops or style (or all three) to want to put out a solo bass album. I was plenty worried about this one by Bill Laswell, as some of these that I’ve heard before had me screaming for the door after three minutes of the first “movement” of whatever it was. Luckily, Laswell has a nice sense of composition, so the songs feel like, well, SONGS, and the emphasis is on lyricism and melody, and not on excursions into either the stratosphere or the bowels of the earth.
Bassist Jeffrey Weisner goes a completely different route. He employs the compositional talents of three writers, and delivers a more classical sounding collection here. More bowing and arcing than the other album, the songs range in strict construction to having episodes of improvisation. Armando Bayolo’s “Mix Tape” is a 16” collection of short vignettes, while David Smooke’s “Introspection #11,072” creates lyrical panoramas for 8 minutes. A 20 minute “Caelum Dedecoratum” by Michael Hersch explores harmonies and colors with a modern sounding feel, fit for something performed at Royce Hall.
Apart from a folksy vocal on “Bagana/Sub Figura X” by “Gigi” Shibabaw, it’s all Laswell, and he uses his bass almost like a guitar on some moments, creating lovely lines on “A Dangerous Road” or for some sonic effects as on “Against the Upper House.” Subtle rhythms keep the music flowing as well as an ability to create moods like the Delta blues on “Low Country” or the Saharan winds of “Buhula.” Lots of creative work here that will keep your interest.
Hey, that wasn’t so bad after all! I could listen to those two again!
Innerhythmic LLC
Innova Records