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New Album: Mike Goodspeed, Family Truckster

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New Album: Mike Goodspeed, Family Truckster

Mike Goodspeed’s new release “Family Truckster” is due out in September 2024. It follows his 2023 sophomore effort “Whistling Past The Graveyard”.

Boston-based bassist Mike Goodspeed continued releasing singles in 2023. Several of these featured guest musicians from across the eastern United States, helping to create his most varied sound to date. Pennsylvania-based post-classical composer and drummer Kevin Stahl provided his sublime brushwork on “The Longest Day” and funky stickwork on “The Pedantic Autodidact” and “Beyond The Oort Cloud”. New York post-rock artist Ever Onward contributed his rock-solid drum groove on “Vista Nonpareil”. New Jersey guitarist John DiStase and Nashville six-stringer Mike Valeras provided solos for “The Pedantic Autodidact”.

Goodspeed’s compositions and bass playing continue to combine rock, jazz fusion, and cinematic musical styles. A reworked rendition of his 2022 piece “Oort Cloud”, retitled here “Beyond The Oort Cloud”, follows a peaceful acoustic guitar prelude. Goodspeed’s Zon Sonus 5-string melds perfectly with Stahl’s Vinnie Colaiuta-like groove. The funky Medeski, Martin, and Wood-inspired “Flaky Pastry” follows, along with the collaborative “The Pedantic Autodidact”. “Vista Nonpareil” finds Goodspeed threading the needle of post-rock and jazz fusion, his upright taking soloing duties and his fretless Carvin performing the melody. The beautifully pensive “The Longest Day” follows, with the cinematic “Spelunking” and “Surreal Countdown” closing out the album.

Mike Goodspeed’s other releases are available on all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music, and are in rotation on Amazing Radio’s genre streams. For more information, visit www.mikegoodspeedmusic.com.

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New Album: Mark Haney, Placentia Bay: Summer of 1941

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New Album: Mark Haney, Placentia Bay: Summer of 1941

“Placentia Bay: Summer of 1941” is the final installment of what Vancouver-based composer and double bassist Mark Haney regards as his “storytelling trilogy,” which began with his acclaimed 2010 album “Aim For The Roses.” Haney’s penchant for unique stories is a theme throughout his entire opus, though. And while many embed narratives into their music, what’s striking about his approach is the myriad ways that he does.

“Aim For The Roses” took the fateful jump of failed daredevil Ken Carter as its inspiration, and musically it seemed to sit somewhere between Harry Partch’s tales and the Rheostatics’ Music Inspired by the Group of Seven, with bits of sung and spoken text strewn throughout music that spanned folk to hovering bass drones. The album was subsequently rendered into a noted documentary film. His collaboration with the beloved cartoonist Seth, “Omnis Temporalis” (2022) went somewhere different entirely. The eccentric, multi-form work deconstructs Seth’s graphic novel George Sprott: 1894-1975 and its explorations of identity, time, change, loss and memory in what Haney dubbed a “chamber novella.” The piece employed a trio of musicians and actors Richard Newman, Dorothea Hayley, koralee, and Jovanni Sy, and was brought to life as an elaborate installation performance over ten days at the Richmond Gallery and as a deluxe LP package.

The atmospheric “Placentia Bay” veers considerably from its predecessors in several ways. The forthcoming LP is a chamber concerto for Haney’s longtime friend the gifted Canadian double bassist Meaghan Williams. Its underlying story: the secret meeting between British PM Winston Churchill and American President Franklin D. Roosevelt off the coast of Newfoundland on August 9, 1941, that resulted in the so-called “Atlantic Charter.” Said charter cemented the British-American allyship during World War 2 while formulating a post-war outlook with an emphasis on peace.

Both of Haney’s earlier recorded efforts featured him as a performer and also foregrounded their narrative features (whether more linear or more fragmentary) through copious texts. “Placentia Bay” allows the storytelling dimension to reside someplace more oblique in favour of its radiant ensemble writing and a solo part demonstrates Haney’s deep knowledge of the instrument as well as Williams’ boldness and precision as a performer. There is still some voice, but it is limited to choral singing courtesy of the vocal ensemble music intima. All in all, it’s quite a bit more sporadic and diffuse than on the earlier records, its text feeling more textural than descriptive. Even Haney’s poetic liner notes assert a certain distance with respect to his subject matter; most of all, he’s adamant in them that the piece is not about war, and this fact is audible.

Haney traveled to Placentia in the summer of 2018, taking the overnight ferry from Sydney, Nova Scotia, to have the feeling of arriving by water. He rented a room above a cafe where he had Williams’ father deliver her student bass permitting him to write on the Newfoundland native’s own instrument. He spent five days there sketching and observing his surroundings—the shore at dawn, the mist on the water, the rusting American guns and bunkers.

With its richly lyrical ensemble colours and use of the bass’ full range of pitch and articulation, the work exudes a sense of the personal. It may not have the outwardly experimental spirit of some of Haney’s earlier output, but it’s hard to look at his treatment of the concerto medium as entirely straightforward either. It’s a carefully crafted piece that acknowledges the history of the form and its thematic content but skillfully brings this into the present moment.

Raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Meaghan Williams completed her undergraduate degree in performance at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto with virtuoso bassist Joel Quarrington. During that time, she also had the privilege of studying with bass legend Gary Karr. Williams earned her Konzertexamen with Michael Wolf at the Universität der Künste in Berlin. She also attended the Carl-Flesch Akademie in Baden-Baden, Germany, where she studied with Finnish double bass phenomenon Janne Saksala. Following her studies, Williams performed with the Neue Lausitzer Philharmonie in Germany, and she was a founding member of the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Symphony Orchestra in Japan. Since returning to Canada, Meaghan has performed with ensembles from coast to coast including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Victoria Symphony, and the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. Meaghan is the Principal Bass of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. A believer in diversity and innovation, Williams enjoys working with living composers and expanding the repertoire for double bass. In addition to premiering Placentia Bay with the Okanagan Symphony in November 2019, she also performed the debut of Concerto for Cello, Bass, Suona & Dizi by Dr. Ning Wang (Beijing) with the Nu:BC Collective in 2011.

Named one of the Globe and Mail’s “Canadian Arts Heroes” of 2020, Mark Haney is deeply motivated by issues of Canadian identity, culture, and community. Formerly the Composer-in-Residence at Mountain View Cemetery (2015-2024) and the Managing Artistic Director of The Little Chamber Music Series That Could (2012-2024), several of Haney’s compositions have earned him national attention including a Jessie Richardson Award Nomination for Composition (Small Stage) and extensive press coverage. In addition to the works represented in his discography, his major works include 3339, a retelling of the Terry Fox Story through the lens of the Hero’s Journey, Life Is Not a Horse Farm a 20-minute string quartet detailing his own journey on the Camino Santiago and 11, an 11-minute Remembrance Day-themed piece employing 11 brass instruments.

In 2016 producer/writer/director John Bolton and Opus 59 Films made a musical docudrama about his album Aim For The Roses and its creation, in association with Super Channel, and with project assistance from the BC Arts Council. In 2020, Haney spearheaded the Isolation Commissions project under the auspices of the Little Chamber Music Series, where patrons chose artists to film four-minute performances of themselves that evoked how the pandemic was impacting their artistic practices. As a double bassist, Haney has performed throughout North America in a wide variety of genres and continues to commission and premiere new works by Canadian composers.

Available Friday, August 9th from markhaney.bandcamp.com

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Reissue: Geddy Lee’s My Favourite Headache and Alex Lifeson’s Victor

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Reissue: Geddy Lee’s My Favourite Headache and Alex Lifeson's, Victor

In an exciting announcement for Rush fans and rock enthusiasts alike, Anthem Records in Canada and Rhino Records will reissue the first-ever solo albums of Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee. Lifeson’s 1996 album Victor and Lee’s 2000 offering My Favourite Headache will be re-released on August 9, 2024, in various formats, including a range of vinyl configurations.

My Favourite Headache, Geddy Lee’s only solo album to date, was initially released on November 14, 2000. This reissue marks its first vinyl pressing since a limited-edition Record Store Day exclusive in 2019. The fourth side of the album features two instrumental mixes. Produced by Lee, Ben Mink, and David Leonard, the album includes contributions from Mink and drummers Matt Cameron (Soundgarden/Pearl Jam) and Jeremy Taggart (Our Lady Peace).

Victor, originally released on January 9, 1996, marks Alex Lifeson’s solo debut. Lifeson took on the roles of songwriter, producer, and mixer for this album. For the first time, Victor will be available on vinyl, featuring a complete remix by Lifeson himself to enhance the audio quality. The fourth side of the album includes four instrumental tracks previously exclusive to Lifeson’s website. Guest artists include lead vocalist Edwin from I Mother Earth, Primus bassist Les Claypool, and Canadian powerhouse vocalist Lisa Dalbello. The 15-song collection is paired with striking 2024 reimagined artwork by Fantoons Animation Studios.

For more details on the Geddy Lee reissue and to preorder, https://lnk.to/MyFavouriteHeadache
For more details on the Alex Lifeson reissue and to preorder, https://lnk.to/AlexLifesonVictor

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New Album: Ben Wolfe, The Understated

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New Album: Ben Wolfe, The Understated

Acclaimed bassist and composer Ben Wolfe is thrilled to announce the August 9, 2024 release of The Understated.

This evocative new album features a collection of new original compositions by Wolfe paired, with re-imaginings of some of the composer’s classic material, with a particular emphasis on the ballad song-form. The album features ten tracks, five of which are ballads – a bold move for any composer – Wolfe creates a cohesive narrative here that challenges the listeners perception of the classic ballad. The Understated features Wolfe alongside artists who make up the very frontline of modern jazz, including pianist Orrin Evans, tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, drummer Aaron Kimmel, guitarist Russell Malone and pianist Sullivan Fortner.

Wolfe has always been drawn to finding beauty in subtlety. He perceives a certain tranquility and elegance in the Coltrane Quartet, Louis Armstrong’s Hot Fives and Sevens, the legendary Miles Davis bands and rhythm sections, and the music of Charlie Parker. While he, of course, revels at the immense world-building energy of this music, it’s the “other side” – the elusive, magical aspect that endlessly captivates him – the understated. The composer draws inspiration most from the ensemble work of these hallmark jazz ensembles. Despite the individual parts being extraordinarily beautiful on their own, the musicians in these archetypal ensembles play only what is needed to serve the music, paying particular attention to the band-sound more-so than their individual sound. The Understated embodies this ethos with a tremendously impactful ensemble-oriented approach.

Wolfe sought to continue the thread started by “Lullaby in D” from his previous critically acclaimed release Unjust. Wolfe indicates, “Something about that take was so perfect to me. It had been brought to life, and it had that ensemble thing.” Wolfe assembled the quartet who recorded “Lullaby” (including longtime collaborator Orrin Evans, as well as recent frequent collaborators Aaron Kimmel and Nicole Glover) and two very special guests, Russell Malone and Sullivan Fortner. The recording process took place in one room with no headphones or isolation booths, further emphasizing the group’s collective awareness.

This record succeeds in bringing Wolfe’s expansive music to life through extremely conscientious group playing. Nothing is forced or pushed; everything that needs to be stated is stated. The single from the album, “Waltz,” encapsulates the spirit of the project. Wolfe says, “I view albums like a complete painting, so singles have been difficult for me. This song is very much in the spirit of the whole but doesn’t give away the record.” The piece features a sentimental melody delivered with grace by tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, before Glover and Evans embark on stirring solos dancing in and out of the tune’s harmony.

 Other new original compositions featured here include “Ballad in B”, which perhaps best demonstrates the group’s stunning cohesion. This tune is a refreshing diversion as it features a serene repeated melody without overt melodic improvisation. The following track, “Anagram”, begins with Kimmel’s rhythmic refrains and a unison melody played by Glover and Wolfe and is a true ensemble piece. On this track, Wolfe shines with a lyrical solo. The moody short interlude “So Indeed” is a lyrical masterwork that leaves the listener wanting even more.  “Beautiful You” features master guitarist Russell Malone on the track’s melody. The emphasis here on restrained lyricism is a prime reminder of the old adage “it’s not the notes you play, it’s the notes you don’t play”. Each pocket of space in between melodic moments leaves room for the listener to breathe deeper and deeper into the song. The driving “Triangle Man” features fantastic improvisation from Glover and Kimmel. The tender “Barely Spoken” concludes the album with a feature for pianist Sullivan Fortner.

 The album also weaves in references to Wolfe’s past works, creating a personal musical universe. “The Poet Speaks” is the opening track on his first record, 13 Sketches. “Occam’s Razor” was composed years ago for a collaboration with a choreographer and painter, and was a much different composition in its original form. “Love Is Near” was originally found on The Whisperer. With ballads in particular, Ben uses voicings and sounds that represent certain things to him, intentionally referencing his other compositions to generate connections between his songs.

 Wolfe’s tremendous compositions on this album are also influenced by the group of musicians that he assembled for this release. Wolfe remarks “One of the things these five musicians share in common is that not only are they true ensemble players, they will always play something unexpected and special.” Listeners will find calm and beauty within the ensemble performances throughout The Understated.

Visit online at benwolfe.com/

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New Album: Orlando le Fleming, Wandering Talk

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New Album: Orlando le Fleming, Wandering Talk

Bassist, band leader, and composer Orlando le Fleming continues to make music that crosses genres as readily as he crosses the Atlantic, with this new album ‘Wandering Talk’, to be released physically on 23rd August via the UK’s premiere jazz label, Whirlwind Recordings.

After 20 years in New York City, he’s back in his native UK, forging new pathways and renewing old partnerships. His love for the acoustic tradition continues unabated alongside his deep affection for the robust, muscular electric fusion that emerged in the 1980s, and he has received critical acclaim from media including The Guardian, Financial Times, Jazzwise, and All About Jazz among others. He has also toured and recorded with some of the world’s greatest jazz musicians including Branford Marsalis, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Antonio Sanchez, Ari Hoenig, and Wayne Krantz.

The Romantic Funk project was born in New York’s legendary 55 Bar to explore that legacy: now the new album ‘Wandering Talk’ builds on the critical acclaim generated by ‘The Unfamiliar’ (2020), building on the framework with a set of collaborators that brings together London and New York, past and present, acoustic, and electric, and merges it all into a spectacular whole.

Following the same principles that served the project in NYC, le Fleming booked four Friday nights at London’s renowned Vortex Club to workshop the music that would become the album, with a rotating cast of players which he honed down into the final line-up. Old London friends Tom Cawley (piano/keys) and James Maddren (drums) completed the rhythm section. New acquaintance Nathaniel Facey was picked from the ranks of the UK’s brightest young saxophone players. NYC stalwart Philip Dizack flew in from the US to play trumpet and reaching back to Orlando’s school days and forward to his own family, one-time classmate Chris Martin (Coldplay) and his own daughter Nadia combined to provide vocals on a special setting of Rumi’s poetry.

As before, the music combines fusion’s flash and fire with a contemporary sensibility. This time, Orlando’s questing spirit sends his superb band forward to investigate fresh areas of creativity in dynamic and texture.

Visit online at orlandolefleming.com

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Album: John Entwistle, Rarities Oxhumed – Volume Two

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Album- John Entwistle, Rarities Oxhumed - Volume Two

Album: John Entwistle, Rarities Oxhumed – Volume Two

Rarities Oxhumed – Volume Two is the second of the series of posthumous releases coming from John Entwistle.

Rarities Oxhumed – Volume Two is a compilation that was curated by drummer Steve Luongo, who served as John Entwistle’s producer, bandmate, business partner and good friend for many years. As Luongo states, “When I agreed to do two volumes of John Entwistle rarities, I knew volume two had to be even better than volume one. It is!” The collection of songs on Volume Two are from his years with the John Entwistle Band and include re-mastered versions of studio tracks including “Endless Vacation”, alternate mixes of tracks like “Sometimes”, and live tracks including The Who cuts “Real Me”, “Long Live Rock” and an epic version of “Young Man Blues”. The latest preview track to be released is the Who cut “Had Enough.”

Listen to “Had Enough” here: push.fm/ps/hadenough

Rarities Oxhumed – Volume One was quickly embraced by longtime fans as it featured gems like “Bogey Man” featuring Keith Moon, “Where You Going Now” (demo for the Who), and a raw live version of “Trick of the Light” recorded during the John Entwistle Band’s final tour in 2001. Deko Entertainment is thrilled to have been able to bring both volumes of this unearthed music of John Entwistle to the fans and forever solidify him as one of the greatest rock musicians ever.

For more information, visit online at dekoentertainment.com/john-entwistle

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