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Recommended Listening With Damian Erskine: Aaron Germain | “Before You Go”
Meet Reviewer Damian Erskine ~
Aaron Germain
“Before You Go”
Aaron Germain is a cross genre bassist who keeps quite busy as one of the Bay Area’s most in demand bassists. Equally adept at both the electric and upright, his playing always sounds relaxed and confident.. He never sounds as if he’s trying to do anything or get anything across to the listener aside from what the music asks of him.
While primarily a swinging album, there are some left turns. The electric tracks take us in a few different directions. “Deep Breath” is an angular funk-fusion (ala Herbie Hancock). I loved the instrumentation here (something about the addition of vibes and trombone made me just fall in love with this track). “Bellabou Baiao” is a stunning track (I had a hard time listening beyond this one as I kept skipping back to the beginning!). Two acordianists, clarinet, percussion, drums, guitar and his electric bass.. You’ll have to hear it to quantify it yourselves, but it sounded to me like a gypsy band melded perfectly with some world class Brazilian musicians.
Honestly, I never feel entirely comfortable writing about music because you truly have to hear it to “get it”. What I can tell you is that this band is phenomenal (honestly, this could have any number of your musical heroes names in the credits and you would have not one moment of doubt), Aaron’s compositions are world class and the overall vibe is one of the masters of their craft sharing their love of music with us.
Definitely one to check out!