Alain Caron: Conversations

WJGreer · #1 05-22-2008, 02:51 PM

This album showed up on eMusic this month, so I picked it up and listened to it last night. It's a different move for AC, and I think people should know what it is before they take the plunge. That said, I like it and recommend it. Thoughts:

It's a whole album of swing duets and trios with AC, a couple piano players, and some vibes. There are no drums.
Typically excellent playing all around.
A significantly mellower approach than anything else AC has done (at least that I have heard).
Some nice arrangements. There's tune called "Baby Step" that is referential to "Giant Steps", and he covers his own tune "Solitude", which I think originally appeared on V.

My sole complaint is with the bass tone. Despite the cover image, which shows a silhouette of AC playing an electric bass with lightning shooting out of the headstock, his tone on this recording is incredibly subdued. So much so that I thought it was an acoustic bass recorded only with the output of a fishman bridge clip pickup like I used to use in my college big bands.

The album credits do say "fretted and fretless basses". I suppose he may have been shooting for a loungy muted tone to match the ambience of the whole recording, but boy, did he go a long way down that path.

So - check this one out, but listen to a couple tracks first to make sure you dig it. It is a very different thing for Alain Caron.

Yvon · #2 05-22-2008, 04:29 PM

thank you for the review.
I usualy like Alain's playing in a mellower setting. I wil listen to a few clips.

Twistad · #3 05-22-2008, 04:35 PM

I think it's his best album to date. To my ears, his tone is just breathtaking.

WJGreer · #4 05-22-2008, 06:42 PM

I'm listening to it again now. I think there actually is a lot of acoustic bass - perhaps mostly acoustic bass - on this record. Nothing wrong with that, and it does go a certain distance to explain his tone, which is very subdued even for a DB. Damn good playing, too.

I maintain that the cover art is completely inappropriate for the mood of the music on the record, though.

Twistad · #5 05-22-2008, 07:25 PM

All the album was recorded on an acoustic bass guitar, it's made by Montreal luthiers MF http://www.mf.qc.ca/

WJGreer · #6 05-28-2008, 12:32 PM

Bump - anyone have something else to say about this recording? It is such a total left turn for Alain Caron, I am surprised there's not more buzz.

Asaf · #7 05-29-2008, 09:31 AM

hearing Alain Caron with UZEB is what made me start listening to Jazz. although UZEB was very technical and kind of dry sounding for me, from his 2nd solo album I was amazed with his tunes and skills...but only after I started playing fretless I realized that he's one of the greatest bassplayers I ever heard.

his latest album was a real surprise, I dig his albums but he needed something new. the music is just great Jazz, it mixes old and new in a strange way...but it's strange only because he doesn't stick to "the rules" or common concepts in Jazz or Fusion that most people know.

today with all the amount of music everybody get exposed to by the Internet, I found myself not listening to full albums as I used to. this album caught my ear and I really enjoyed it for quite a while.

I truly don't understand why he's not known as other bassplayers in his league...

funkydanbass · #8 05-29-2008, 05:56 PM

I agree... I would give the most underrated bass player award to Alain. I ordered Conversations from Amazon yesterday and relly anticipate enjoying it...

funkydanbass · #9 06-15-2008, 11:51 PM

Received the disc today!! ...and, I'm really digging it. Man, does it swing and I really love his tone. It's as close as I've heard to an upright, that's not actually an upright.
Great woody tone but very clear.

As always, beautiful solos from Alain and superb accompianment from all piano players.
The whole album is a stand out!

Just for the record, I can't see any indication on the album sleeve that suggests he played "fretted and fretless" bass... It only says "MF Acoustic bass." And given that it's an acoustic bass guitar I don't think that the album cover is all that misleading at all.
Maybe an issue for eMusic to fix up...

It definately is a departure from the more electronica / fusion of Alain's previous albums. But it's lovely to hear Alain in this context and only affirms my appreciation for the depth of his talent.

Asaf · #10 06-16-2008, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkydanbass

Received the disc today!! ...and, I'm really digging it. Man, does it swing and I really love his tone. It's as close as I've heard to an upright, that's not actually an upright.
Great woody tone but very clear.

As always, beautiful solos from Alain and superb accompianment from all piano players.
The whole album is a stand out!

Just for the record, I can't see any indication on the album sleeve that suggests he played "fretted and fretless" bass... It only says "MF Acoustic bass." And given that it's an acoustic bass guitar I don't think that the album cover is all that misleading at all.
Maybe an issue for eMusic to fix up...

It definately is a departure from the more electronica / fusion of Alain's previous albums. But it's lovely to hear Alain in this context and only affirms my appreciation for the depth of his talent.

I totally agree with your review...

WJGreer · #11 06-16-2008, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkydanbass

Just for the record, I can't see any indication on the album sleeve that suggests he played "fretted and fretless" bass... It only says "MF Acoustic bass."

Actually, that was on his website - here. But I also agree with your review. It's a cool recording, and an interesting departure from what he's done before.

funkydanbass · #12 06-16-2008, 11:17 PM

Yep, fair enough... that is fairly misleading....

RiseOfTheWooten · #13 06-26-2008, 05:09 AM

Just placed an order for the CD today. It'll arrive in ~3 weeks. Can't wait. All because I saw this thread.

RiseOfTheWooten · #14 08-02-2008, 06:52 AM

Picked up the CD earlier this week, great stuff on there. Not much more I can add to what everyone's already talked about here. I've got no issues with the CD cover though, I don't feel it's trying to express 'electricity' shooting out of the bass, it's an extension of the strings and therefore the melody (for lack of a better word), as well as the melodic connection he has with the other half of the duo when the strings reach over on the other side of the image.