I recently purchased Dean Peer’s new CD: AIRBORNE and am pleased to tell you that it is killer! Some of you may know Dean Peer from his book on bass harmonics (…also a great resource for those of us that want to explore and utilize these techniques). Well, this new album is so very different than any other “solo” bass album that I have ever heard. Many solo bass recordings simply strike me as chop marathons or technique exhibitions (or just plain old cliché and predictable), but this is something very different. Don’t misunderstand me, AIRBORNE is full of technique and chops, but they do not stand out as such. All of the techniques are carefully chosen and woven into a beautiful fabric of tonal colors. At times I even forget that I am listening to an electric bass guitar. It’s one of those recordings that grab me from the very start and lead me through a very textured and interesting musical landscape; the more I listen, the more I want to listen. This is really quite amazing when I consider that all of this music is being expressed by one man and his bass. Actually, Dean is joined by a percussionist named Bret Mann...so I suppose this is more of a
duet than a solo performance. Nonetheless, Dean is the only
non-percussionist musician on the CD! What more can we ask for than bass and drums? Perfect.
Honestly, I think you owe it to yourself to check this one out (I am generally not one to recommend a solo bass CD to others…even to other bass players!). Here is his web site:
http://deanpeer.com/
I would love to discuss this recording with anyone interested.
