Solo double bass
All records with double bass · Solo double bass only
Variations (LP)
* 250 copies, hand numbered * On Nils Vermeulen’s first solo album, the sound of the double bass is the main variable. Recorded at the empty Ghent Opera, where every note, attack and vibration comes through, including the creaking of the wooden floor. There is no hiding in reverb, nor in easy playing. The strings Vermeulen uses on this recording (‘Tempera’ strings by Gerold Genssler), are inspired by traditional gut strings, and have lower tension to let the instrument resonate freely. The pie…
Opinions
Torbjörn Zetterberg’s new record, Opinions, is not a conventional “solo” outing. It doesn’t represent the bassist, composer, and bandleader stepping away from all that to prove his mettle as a virtuoso unaccompanied improvisor. Anyone familiar with Zetterberg’s small group recordings needs no confirmation of his prowess. And anyway, strutting his stuff is not his vibe. Certainly not the vibe of this record, where the bassist plays more than bass, a solo venture on which he is occasionally joined…
Within Reach Of Eventuality
The debut album from Swedish duo David Bennet & Vilhelm Bromander features their co-created piece Within Reach of Eventuality. Following a semi-open score by Bennet, the duo is treating elements such as complex textures, non-pitched sounds, microtonality, beatings and intense pauses in an improvisatory and careful manner.
From the liner notes, by Peter Margasak: "This isn’t music where we need to know exactly what’s happening or trace how it proceeds. It exists to entrance the listener within th…
for four double basses
*In process of stocking.* Minimalism is the keyword for the release from Bryan Eubanks. He composed work for four double basses, and Jonathan Heilbron, Mike Majkowski, Andrew Lafkas and Koen Nutters are the performers here. The score/concept is explained on the cover here; this is an excerpt: "[..] .....Each bass bows natural harmonics on one of the strings (I, II, III, IV), holding each note for the chosen duration and allowing a pause equal to half of this duration between each note. ..... All…
Björnhorn
*100 copies limited release* Recorded and mixed by Daniel Bengtson at Studio Rymden, Stockholm, Feb 2021Produced by Alex Zethson & Johan BerthlingMastered by Daniel Ögren
All music by Johan Berthling except For Turiya by Charlie HadenDedicated to Maria, Arvid & Vidar
Produced with support from the Swedish Arts Council
Pu:
We Jazz Records presents "Pu:", the boundary-breaking solo debut of bass player Ville Herrala. Herrala utilises only the double bass but approaches the instrument from various different perspectives. The end result is an inspired set of 14 miniatures, each pushing the concept forward in a highly personal way. The first single "Pu: 12" presents a rhythmic approach with echoes of from the world of minimal classical music and electronic music. Bowed tracks such as "Pu: 2" offer another perspective,…
Caspar
This habit some experimental musicians have of applying forced context or stories to what is essentially pure improvised music does sometimes perplex me. Here Janek references Kaspar Hauser with the title and in the sleeve notes. He also states the intention “…to de- and reformulate the idea of beauty”. When referencing the case of Kaspar Hauser, I assume Janek sees himself as “…set free…” from traditional technique, and aims, on this disc at least, to “…redefine by discover[y] and recover the p…
Basse Barre
Bass solo by Barre Phillips recorded out of a 3 hour session in St James Norlands church, London 30 nov 1968.
Ursae Minoris
Seventh entry in Claudio F. Baroni's SoLo series, scored for double bass and loopstation and performed by Dario Calderone. Three movements derive their pitch material from a transcription of the celestial map of Ursa Minor, a method indebted to Cage's Atlas Eclipticalis but permitting performer freedom: pitches notated as loop sequences whose entry, exit and length the bassist controls, each tied to a specific extended technique. Acoustic drone of starfield variety.
Circles
"There is an expression that string players use: the wolf tone. It refers to a floating sound, an unpleasant vibratory acoustic phenomenon, which occurs when the instrument emits a sound like the cry of a wolf when the bow is drawn across a string. This illustrative metaphor arises from the instrument’s physical properties, due to which it will never be a docile sheep: from time to time its “wolven genes” show through. Owing to its shape, the double bass is like a large wild beast, particularly …
Irvin's Comet
300 copies. NoBusiness presents Irvin's Comet, a new set of solo bass recordings by Barry Guy, recorded 29th October, 2019 during Improdimensija (Improdimension) concert series dedicated to improvised music, located at MAMAstudios, Vilnius, Lithuania. Sound Engineer - Arūnas Zujus. Mixed and mastered by Arūnas Zujus at MAMAstudios. Original artwork - Albert Irvin, Comet, 1988 / Screenprint with woodblock, edition of 75, Advanced Graphics, London. Design by Oskaras Anosovas.
Forms & Poses
**CD version** Forms & Poses is Norwegian bass player Christian Meaas Svendsen’s second solo album, and features four compositions / improvisations which explore the physical connection between the human body and the double bass. Although recorded in two entirely different settings, it is clear that Svendsen’s mind-set on all these tracks are one and the same, and the release shines as a condensed representation of his creative diversity. The CD version comes with a 24-page long booklet with lin…
Sensor
Joe Morris is primarily known as a guitar player, but he's equally good on bass, with a somewhat different approach. He started playing double bass in the year 2000 only, and this album celebrates his 10th anniversary on the instrument. Other Joe Morris albums on which he plays bass as the leader are "Wildlife", "High Definition", or as co-leader with "The Flow" or "The Story Of Mankind", and playing bass with other artists such as Jim Hobbs, Steve Lantner, Petr Cancura, Rob Brown and Whit Dic…
Oltracuidansa
Stefano Scodanibbio's Oltracuidansa for contrabass and 8-channel tape (stereo version), built from almost six hours of contrabass sounds made with 26 methods of sound production, with the tape created at CCMIX in Paris.
The works of double bass
The first complete recording of Giacinto Scelsi's music for double bass, played by Robert Black with guests on cello, harp, tam-tam and second bass, including Ko-Tha in Fernando Grillo's transcription.
Thinking of …
Homage to Stefano Scodanibbio by Sebastian Gramss and ten other double bassists, among them Barry Guy, Joëlle Léandre, Barre Phillips and Mark Dresser, recorded separately in 2014, plus a 2008 live duo of Scodanibbio and Gramss.
Alisei
Works for solo double bass, two basses and eight basses by Stefano Scodanibbio, played by Daniele Roccato, Giacomo Piermatti and the Ludus Gravis ensemble under Tonino Battista; recorded February-March 2014 in Perugia and Rome.
Overpass
First solo double bass album by Marc Johnson: five originals plus Freedom Jazz Dance, Nardis and the Love Theme from Spartacus, recorded January-February 2018 at Nacena Studios, São Paulo, produced by Johnson and Eliane Elias.
The Gleaners
Solo double bass album by Larry Grenadier: his own pieces plus music by Gershwin, Coltrane, Motian, Rebecca Martin and Wolfgang Muthspiel. Recorded December 2016 at Avatar Studios, New York; produced by Manfred Eicher.