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Double Bass Lyrical Solo Arco Songs

arbous65

arbous65

Jan 23, 2021
38
18
Calgary, Canada
#1
Hi there,
I’m having hard time finding double bass solo albums with lots of bowed melodies that are not classical per se but the double bass arco still sounds pure and lyrical. Most non classical solo works are experimental and the arco is deliberately out of tune, lots of screeching, etc. merely for expression than musicality. I’m thinking something in the line of David Darling (contemporary, New Age, ambient jazz) on double bass instead of cello. Anyone has any suggestions? Thanks.
 
#4
Thanks a lot Damon. I knew Renaud's works and really admire him for his ability. He was the only one I knew so I thought I try to expand my possibilities. Also more thinking in the line of subtle ambient or minimalistic jazz. Renaud is a virtuoso but his style is more Southern Europe than ambient or jazz. The closest to that flavour that I know is Barre Philips, although he is more focusing on expression than being in tune or playing lyrical phrases. I will definitely listen to Vitold Rek. Best.
 
#5
arbous65 said:
Thanks a lot Damon. I knew Renaud's works and really admire him for his ability. He was the only one I knew so I thought I try to expand my possibilities. Also more thinking in the line of subtle ambient or minimalistic jazz. Renaud is a virtuoso but his style is more Southern Europe than ambient or jazz. The closest to that flavour that I know is Barre Philips, although he is more focusing on expression than being in tune or playing lyrical phrases. I will definitely listen to Vitold Rek. Best.
Click to expand...

I don't want to turn this into a defense of what those bassists are doing, but if you are "in tune" with a bigger situation that includes the instrument itself, then you won't be stuck to 12 western tones. Whatever you make think of Barre, he is never "out of tune". My view it is it is something beyond basic musical ideas, not beneath them.
Kent Carter has a lot of very clean western arco solos out there, you have to dig for them, as does Barry Guy. Arild Andersen has some out there as well. Joelle Leandre likely uses more girt than you want, she often uses melodic phrases with clean, western tuning.
Miroslav Vitous has a ton of things like this:

There can be some some grit from '70s amplifacation but Aladar Pege has a some insane traditional arco work out there.
 
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#6
damonsmith said:
I don't want to turn this into a defense of what those bassists are doing, but if you are "in tune" with a bigger situation that includes the instrument itself, then you won't be stuck to 12 western tones. Whatever you make think of Barre, he is never "out of tune". My view it is it is something beyond basic musical ideas, not beneath them.
Kent Carter has a lot of very clean western arco solos out there, you have to dig for them, as does Barry Guy. Arild Andersen has some out there as well. Joelle Leandre likely uses more girt than you want, she often uses melodic phrases with clean, western tuning.
Miroslav Vitous has a ton of things like this:

There can be some some grit from '70s amplifacation but Aladar Pege has a some insane traditional arco work out there.
Click to expand...

Thank you. That gives me more ideas. I tried listening to Miroslav again. Last time I was more focusing on his works with Jan Garbarek not necessarily on clean arco lines. I love Arild’s works. He layers arco and loop them and then plays pizz on top of that. Quite a master in that technique however not very long melodic arco phrases as far as I heard which is most of his works. I’ll check the other ones for sure. Thanks.
 

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