Bassist Ben Wolfe keeps a low profile on The Whisperer and his subtle presence clues you in to the album’s title. It’s as if he’s inviting you to listen to how good his band sounds. A refined musician, Wolfe stealthily defers to the vibrant soprano and tenor saxophonist Stacy Dillard to voice his compositions while rounding out his quartet with an essential Orrin Evans on piano and the surefire drummer Donald Edwards. Continue reading
COUNTING BEATS
Reviews and Recommended Jazz by Nick Bewsey
Tag: Bass
A TOP JAZZ RECORD OF 2014 and WRTI CD RECOMMENDATION.
Two superior musicians, pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Dave Holland, have a beguiling rapport on The Art Of Conversation, a lively and hauntingly beautiful duo recording that elicits not only good feeling and intimate swing, but also a profound, seemingly effortless grasp of why melody and rhythm matter. It also makes for a fun listen. Read the complete review at www.wrti.org
A Provence-raised Frenchman who graduated in philosophy before becoming a jazz musician, bassist Clovis Nicolas reestablished himself as a busy sideman in Paris before moving to New York in 2002. The expat enrolled at Julliard to study with bassists Ron Carter and Ben Wolfe and hit the scene playing gigs with guitarist Peter Bernstein and saxophonist Harry Allen, and later with Brad Mehldau, Branford Marsalis and Dee Dee Bridgewater. That experience pays dividends on Nicolas’ debut recording, Nine Stories, an immensely appealing date with a tight, swinging sextet of up-and-coming players. Continue reading
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